A cabin pressure controller includes primary and backup controllers, a selector and a display mounted onto or within a single housing. The primary and backup controllers communicate through a communication link, jumpered across an external connector. Such a link allows for electrical isolation between the controllers.

This invention relates to cabin pressure controllers.
In an aircraft cabin, ideal conditions for passenger comfort exist when cabin altitude is maintained at sea level and when cabin pressure rate of change is maintained at zero. However, these conditions can rarely be achieved. Therefore, a cabin pressure control system is required to the control cabin altitude and pressure rate in a manner that optimizes passenger comfort.
In a cabin pressure control system, the cabin is typically back-pressurized. At least one outflow valve regulates the rate of air flowing out of the cabin so as to control the pressure inside the cabin. A digital cabin pressure controller issues commands for opening or closing the outflow valve as required to control the cabin pressure. The commands are typically generated according to parameters such as isobaric cabin altitude, cabin pressure rate and pressure differential (i.e., the difference between cabin altitude and ambient pressure). A selector located in the cockpit permits the crew to select the parameters. Cabin altitude is supplied to the controller by a remote sensor, and ambient pressure is supplied by an airdata computer.
Conventional cabin pressure controllers are installed with a distributed approach. A primary controller, a backup controller, a manual controller, a selector and a display are all housed in separate boxes.


A mobile device comprises at least a program starter, a communication controller, a display controller, a display portion, and an instruction portion. The mobile device receives report information that is emitted in a predetermined period by a guidance information terminal upon entering the communication area of the guidance information terminal in a state where a guidance information display application has been started by the program starter. The mobile device causes the display portion to display a dialog screen for issuing an instruction with regard to whether to acquire guidance information by means of the display controller upon reception of the report information. When the acquisition of guidance information has been instructed by the instruction portion, the mobile device issues a request to the guidance information terminal to transmit the guidance information by means of the communication controller and receives the guidance information. The guidance information thus received is displayed on the display portion by means of the display controller.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for supplying information from an external device to a communication terminal.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, the i-area (registered trademark) has been put to practical use as the technique whereby a communication terminal acquires information relating to the existing area. In an information search utilizing an i-area, the weather, maps, gourmet, and so forth, for example, are prepared as searchable categories. Work is required in which, in order to read desired information, the user of the communication terminal judges which category this information belongs to and retrieves for themselves the object information from among information belonging to the category. As a result, when the user wishes to obtain local information, time and labor and so forth including the search are required depending on the category of information. This does not mean that the desired information will necessarily be obtained as a result of the search work.
The information distribution system described below has been proposed as one technology that resolves the above difficulties (see Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2002-92236 (second page, FIG. 1), for example). That is, in the information distribution system, identification information on the portable terminal of the user and desire information for specifying equipment that the user desires to use are pre-stored in an information management center. When the user uses a facility, upon receiving identification information from the portable terminal, the information distribution device searches for information that will probably be required by the user on the basis of the desire information and sends this information to the portable terminal. As a result, information that is beneficial to the user can be supplied.

Communication terminal, information supply system, and information supply method


A database query optimization computer-implemented method, medium, and system are disclosed. In one computer-implemented method, a data query request sent by a client device is received and parsed. An execution plan for executing the data query request is determined based on a parsing result. If the execution plan is a nested loop anti-join, whether there is a possibility that a to-be-queried field in a to-be-queried data table indicated by the data query request contains a NULL value is determined. If there is a possibility that the to-be-queried field contains a NULL value, a filter condition is generated and the execution plan is optimized based on the filter condition.

With the development of information technologies, databases have been widely used, and users' needs for querying data in the databases are becoming more complex. Thus, a database query needs to be optimized to improve query efficiency and accuracy. To optimize a type of query that involves table joins with join conditions involving NOT IN (equivalent to !=ALL) operators, a conventional technical method is to convert a table join method for such type of query into an anti-join. A join condition for the anti join is T1.x=T2.y, and its semantics is that as long as there is a record that satisfies the join condition in the right table T2, a record that satisfies the join condition in the left table T1 is deleted, and a record that does not satisfy the join condition in T1 is finally returned.
The nested loop join (hereinafter referred to as NLJ) algorithm is one of common table join implementation methods, and has an advantage of fast response in comparison with other table join implementation methods. Under particular preconditions, the NLJ algorithm has very high execution efficiency. In other words, under particular preconditions, the NLJ algorithm may be the optimal execution plan in terms of cost.
However, in a relational database, a NULL value is a special existence, and the special thing is that a returned result for comparison between the NULL value and any other value is "unknown", for example, for 5=NULL, 5!=NULL, NULL=NULL, and NULL!=NULL, the returned results are all "unknown". Therefore, when the NLJ algorithm is used as the anti join implementation method, no accurate query result can be obtained if T1.x contains one or more NULL values. If T2.y contains one or more NULL values, after a query result is obtained by using the NLJ algorithm, the query result needs to be filtered once. A filtering process is specifically as follows: If T2.y is found to contain a NULL value, all data in the query result is filtered out. In other words, an empty query result is finally obtained. It can be determined that, if there is a NULL value in a table to be queried, using the NLJ algorithm as an anti join implementation method affects the query efficiency and accuracy.

Database query optimization methods, apparatuses, and computer devices


A golf club head having an aperture communicating between the face surface for ball striking and a rear of the head. The aperture is configured for cooperative engagement with a flange having a vertically disposed shoulder portion extending from a horizontally disposed base. A front surface of the flange having indicia thereon is viewable in a central portion of the face when the flange is engaged to the head, thereby providing viewable indicia for advertising, targeting the ball, and identifying ownership or a locale visited by the user.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to golf clubs such as putters. More particularly, the device and method relate to a device and method for imparting indicia to the head of a golf club such as a putter concurrent with changing the weighting thereof if desired.
2. Prior Art
Golf clubs are often custom fitted, balanced and weighted to a user's physical dimensions, skill level and ability, as needed, for improved play. As such, golf club designs, especially putters, are continuously evolving. Putter's essentially consist of a hosel configured for receiving and connecting to the club shaft, a connection to a body or blade which has a face portion for striking the ball. The face of the blade may be provided at one or a plurality of different angles to the vertical and different weight distributions are intended to assure that the ball will move directly from the face of the putter upon impact with a desired top spin while avoiding side spin and ball skidding.
Putters are made from a variety of materials. Generally, putters are formed from metal by casting or machining. Others have areas of composite, plastic and wood. Weight distribution along the body or putter blade can influence overall play and thus effectiveness. Some putters concentrate weight along the lower edge, others along the upper edge and still other towards the center or ends of the putter.
In some circumstances, such as customizing a putter for a particular user, it is desirable to be able to vary the putter weight balance, and total weight to accommodate different conditions and different players. Additionally, many golfers prefer putters formed of different structural materials such as differing metals and composites which can adjust acceleration on impact and can dampen characteristics of the club on ball impact.
Further, golfers, golf courses, sports teams, manufacturers, and others alike often find it desirable to provide some marking or indicia as an identifier on their equipment. Such indicia identifiers may provide means for club or user identification such as viewable information concerning the nature of the impact characteristics of the club head. Further, such indicia may provide a visually viewable souvenir of a particular course or place or an advertisement to both the user and especially to third parties the user may wish to see the ad or indicia. Still further, in the case of school teams or country clubs and golf courses who may own and lend or rent clubs, the presence of an identifier on the club, discernable when viewed from a distance of a few feet, provides a means for preventing theft of equipment, since players are unlikely to abscond with clubs which bear identifiers of ownership other than their own. For similar reasons sponsors of golfers, tournaments and contests, place indicia upon golf clubs. However, for the reasons noted below, concerning the indicia being removed by wear, advertising sponsors may restrict their budget for such sponsoring and advertising since the indicia bearing their ad is rendered unattractive or illegible from use.
Such indicia as currently imparted to golf clubs is highly prone to easy marring or removal from the club head or blade. A primary cause of such marring, even when high adhesion inks are used, is due to the nature of the club head employment for striking a ball. Such impact and the easy displacement of most indicia which is imparted with ink or the like to the ball, over time, will render the indicia unattractive at best and unreadable at worst.
As such there is a continuing and unmet need for a golf club head and in particular a putter that allows a user to vary the weight and balance of the putter itself. Such a system and construction should concurrently provide a means for imparting intelligible indicia as an ownership identifier, advertisement, or souvenir to the putter or club in a position where it is viewable by third parties and cameras, such as on the face or rear surface of the putter head. In such a system or device, the indicia should be rendered easily imparted and preferably should be rendered substantially permanent and highly resistant to removal, or to being rendered illegible through marring and impacts during regular use of the club for golf play.


A method for detecting a liquid surface of a liquid sample with a pipetting tip, the method includes receiving an indication of a capacitance of the pipetting tip, and determining, based on a rate of change of the indication of the capacitance rising above a first preselected threshold, that the pipetting tip has come into contact with the liquid surface. The method also includes determining, based on the rate of change of the indication of the capacitance falling below a second preselected threshold, that the pipetting tip has lost contact with the liquid surface.

Processing of liquids, such as aspiration and dispensation, is carried out in a variety of contexts. For example, in a laboratory setting, a robotic device may aspirate and dispense liquids using a positive-displacement pump and associated pipette tip in order to carry out a variety of laboratory tasks, such as titration for performing a DNA assay. In such settings, it may be advantageous to detect when the pipette tip comes into and out of contact with the liquid being aspirated or dispensed. However, conventional liquid level detection methods and apparatuses suffer from a lack of sensitivity, which can result in inaccuracies when aspirating and dispensing small volumes (e.g., microliters) of liquid, a poor ability to accurately confirm whether the pipette tip has fallen out of the liquid during aspiration, and/or a poor ability to confirm that the proper downward motion of the pipette tip has occurred to compensate for a height reduction of a liquid sample resulting from a previous aspiration.

Systems and methods for detecting a liquid level

ELBIT SYSTEMS OF AMERICA / KMC SYSTEMS, INC.


This disclosure describes systems, methods, and apparatus for rapidly detecting smoke or other particles or aerosols generated in any one or more compartments of a multi-compartment electronics enclosure. The herein disclosed system includes a particle sensor and an airflow controller that pulls air and particles from the one or more compartments through fluid pathways and into the particle sensor.

Electronic systems inside of cleanrooms, especially power electronics systems, pose a contamination problem if any electronic components malfunction and begin to generate smoke or other undesirable aerosols or particles. If this smoke is able to leave the enclosure and contaminate the cleanroom (or other environment where low aerosol and/or particle count is preferred), the cleanroom may have to be shut down and cleaned—a process that can cost tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost output.
It is possible to make completely enclosed electrical enclosures that could prevent smoke, if generated, from escaping into the cleanroom or other environment. However, such enclosures are difficult and expensive to make, and would require more complicated and expensive cooling systems. The simplicity and lack of expense for systems that cool electronics within an enclosure via exhausting warm/hot air into the cleanroom are preferred, and therefore there is a need to detect smoke generated from an electronics enclosure that vents.
Although smoke and other aerosol/particle detectors exist, a further challenge is that electronics within an electronics enclosure are sometimes isolated or partitioned such that zero or near-zero airflow between compartments exists. For instance, components such as an RF power amplifier and a control-board or motherboard are often isolated in separate compartments of an electronics enclosure used to power plasma processing tools. Use of a single smoke or aerosol/particle detector is hampered by this lack of airflow between compartments, and therefore unable to quickly detect smoke in other compartments.
This challenge is further complicated by the fact that system fans, and other cooling means, are often used to rapidly remove warm/hot air from the compartments into the external atmosphere. Thus, smoke escapes the enclosure faster than it moves between compartments, if at all. There is therefore a need for rapid smoke detection in any of the one or more compartments.
A possible solution is to locate a sensor in each of the compartments. However, due to limited space within such enclosures, as well as cost and complexity concerns, use of multiple sensors is not desirable. There is therefore a need for a smoke detection means that rapidly detects smoke generated in any one or more compartments of a multi-compartment electronics enclosure and does not take up excessive space.

Aspirating particle sensor for smoke detection within an electronics enclosure


Provided are an array substrate, an electronic paper display panel and a drive method thereof and a display device. A display area includes a plurality of sub-display areas, a plurality of data lines in each sub-display area are electrically insulated from each other, corresponding data lines in different sub-display areas are electrically connected to each other, and a control signal line is configured to control display time of each sub-display area. When a control chip and a flexible circuit board are employed, only a small number of control chips and flexible circuit boards may drive the plurality of sub-display areas to display pictures.

Electronic paper display is a flat panel display technique with display performance similar to paper. An electronic paper display panel is widely applied in the fields of electronic readers (electronic books), electronic price cards, industrial instruments and meters, dynamic display billboards and media products.
Taking an oblong electronic paper display screen as product tags for example, the current oblong electronic paper display screen usually includes a plurality of small electronic paper display modules that are independently controlled and displayed. The spacing between each independent electronic paper display module is very small and different control chips work together to achieve the display effect of the entire oblong electronic paper display screen. However, because the plurality of small electronic paper display modules are independently controlled, a plurality of control chips and a plurality of flexible circuit boards need to be arranged to provide drive signals for data signal lines within the display screen. A considerable number of control chips are required, for example, electronic paper products longer than 1.5 m such as signs and billboards need 10 control chips, and the costs are high.

Array substrate, electronic paper display panel and drive method thereof and display device

Shanghai Tianma Micro-Electronics Co., Ltd.


An apparatus and method are disclosed for electrically directly detecting biomolecular binding in a semiconductor. The semiconductor can be based on electrical percolation of nanomaterial formed in the gate region. In one embodiment of an apparatus, a semiconductor includes first and second electrodes with a gate region there between. The gate region includes a multilayered matrix of electrically conductive material with capture molecules for binding target molecules, such as antibody, receptors, DNA, RNA, peptides and aptamer. The molecular interactions between the capture molecules and the target molecules disrupts the matrix's continuity resulting in a change in electrical resistance, capacitance or impedance. The increase in resistance, capacitance or impedance can be directly measured electronically, without the need for optical sensors or labels. The multi-layered matrix can be formed from a plurality of single-walled nanotubes, graphene, or buckeyballs or any kind of conductive nanowire, such as metal nanowires or nanowires made from conductive polymers.

Biological semiconductors (BSC) are electronic components that change conductivity based upon biological interactions, such as protein-protein interactions, DNA-protein binding, nucleic acid binding, and hormone-receptor binding. The ability to directly measure such biological interactions has scientific, medical, and industrial applicability.
Nanomaterials are increasingly being adapted for biosensing. Once such nanomaterial can be fabricated using single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT). The SWNTs are molecular wires with unique electrical properties attractive for solid-state nanoelectronics including logic gates, digital memory, digital switching and integration into logic circuits transistor arrays. Individual SWNTs are quantum wires so their conductivity depends on how conduction electrons interact with the atoms within the SWNTs. The electrical conductance of a single nanotube was shown to be highly sensitive to its environment, and varies significantly with changes in electrostatic charges and surface adsorption of many molecules. Using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to grow individual tubes, it was shown that there is a large conductance change in response to the electrostatic, chemical and biological molecules when they are utilized as gates for field-effect transistors (FETs) chemical and biological sensors. In addition to this semiconductor effect for an individual tube, SWNTs interconnected in a submonolayer network (also fabricated by CVD) were shown to exhibit semiconductor-like behavior in which the conductance can be gated and surface interactions with biomolecules can be used for biosensing.
Unfortunately, the method of FET fabrication using individual or submonolayer networks of SWNTs is complex and requires on-chip SWNTs synthesis for each FET, making it particularly difficult for fabricating multi-FET chips. Additionally, CVD fabrication is expensive and requires special expertise. For these reasons, fabricating FETs using SWNTs has been very limited.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide a biological semiconductor that is relatively simple to fabricate (especially for multi-gate devices) and can be made at low cost.

Semiconductor for measuring biological interactions

The United States of America, as Represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services

University of Maryland, Baltimore County


A door opener for closed and open circuit current operation has a door opener latch, switchover means mounted to move in a first rotary bearing for blocking and releasing the latch, armature adjustable about a second rotary bearing for blocking or releasing the switchover means, electromagnet for adjusting the armature, and restoring spring moving the armature to an inoperative position when the electromagnet is in the unenergized state. The switchover means has a blocking cross section facing the armature, and an adjacent release cross section recessed behind the blocking cross section. The armature has a plate-like design and a blocking recess in the central section merging with a slot-like release recess in the end section averted from the second bearing, the blocking cross section corresponding to the blocking recess and the release cross section corresponding to the release recess. The vertical distance between the first and second bearings is variable.

The invention relates to an electrical door opener which can be set up both for closed-circuit current operation and for open-circuit current operation.
Door openers of this kind have the advantage that they can be changed over from closed-circuit current operation to open-circuit current operation and vice versa as required. This already has advantages in respect of production and storage. A further advantage is that the changeover can also be carried out during service, for example in order to allow a door to be opened for safety reasons in the event of a power outage.
EP 0 792 985 B1 describes a door opener of this kind in which setting of the mode of operation the mode of operation can be changed by pivoting the armature, with the armature being operated by an electromagnet and this releasing or blocking a switchover means which interacts with a door opener latch. During closed-circuit current operation, the switchover means is blocked when the electromagnet is in the energized state and released when the electromagnet is in the unenergized state. During open-circuit current operation, the switchover means is blocked when the electromagnet is in the unenergized state and released when the electromagnet is in the energized state.
The object of the present invention is to specify a door opener of said kind which can be adjusted in another way.

Door opener for closed-circuit current operation and open-circuit current operation


A high-strength steel having excellent low-yield-ratio characteristics, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises, by wt %, 0.06-0.12% of C, 0.2-0.5% of Si, 1.5-2.0% of Mn, 0.003-0.05% of Al, 0.01% or less of N, 0.02% or less of P, 0.003% or less of S, 0.05-0.5% of Cr, 0.05-0.5% of Mo, 0.01-0.05% of Nb, 0.0005-0.005% of Ca and the balance of Fe and other inevitable impurities, and comprises polygonal ferrite as a microstructure, wherein the area fraction of the polygonal ferrite is 10-30% and the average hardness of the polygonal ferrite can be 180 Hv or less.

A pipe steel material is manufactured into a pipe via pipe making molding by various methods. Upon pipe molding, when plastic deformation is easy, plastic deformability of an entire pipe is uniform, and no cracks or fracture occurs during pipe molding, pipe making ability may be evaluated to be excellent. In addition, when fracture of a pipe does not occur and may be deformed even in a sudden change of transport pressure during use of the pipe, pipe stability may be evaluated to be excellent. A physical property required for improving pipe making ability and stability of a pipe steel material is a lowered yield ratio. This is because, the lower the yield ratio of the steel material is, the larger the difference between a yield stress and a tensile stress is, and thus, a margin stress until the pipe reaches fracture after plastic deformation occurs is increased.
A yield ratio is a physical property depending on a microstructure. Generally, when phases having different hardnesses are mixed, the yield ratio tends to be lowered. That is, it may be confirmed that while a low yield ratio value is obtained in a microstructure composed of ferrite and pearlite bands manufactured by normalizing heat treatment, a high yield ratio value is obtained in a high-strength steel composed of only bainite. When two phases having different hardnesses are present, a yield strength is influenced by strength and fraction of a low-hardness phase, and a tensile strength is influenced by strength and fraction of a high-hardness phase. Therefore, when the strengths and the fractions of a low-hardness phase and a high-hardness phase are optimally controlled, a low yield ratio may be secured.
However, since a pipe steel material, in particular, a line pipe steel material requires strength and toughness at or above a certain level as well as the yield ratio, the microstructure may not be controlled considering only the yield ratio. When a fraction of polygonal ferrite which is a low-hardness phase is raised more than necessary, the yield strength is lowered, and when a fraction of martensite or bainite which is a high-hardness phase is raised, toughness is deteriorated.
Accordingly, it is required of a pipe steel material, in particular, a line pipe steel material to secure strength and toughness at or above a certain level, and also, to have a low yield ratio characteristic to secure pipe making ability and safety.
[Related Art Document] Korean Patent Laid-open Publication No. 1997-0043168 (published on Jul. 26, 1997)

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

High-strength steel having excellent low-yield-ratio characteristics, and manufacturing method therefor


A method for measuring the amount of fluid contained in a reaction vessel in a clinical analyzer includes the steps of adding a first aliquot of fluid to the reaction vessel and measuring the quantity of fluid contained therein. A second aliquot of fluid is then added to the reaction vessel and the quantity of fluid contained therein is also measured. Measurement of the two fluid quantities can occur with or without removal of the first aliquot in between measurements. In obtaining the two quantity measurements and comparing them against a standard, the effects of well geometry can be minimized. Preferably, a delta or ratio measurement is obtained between the first and second liquid volume measurements which can be compared against a standard so as to normalize apparent volume losses or gains due to reaction well dimensional variation. This approach enhances the analytical capability to detect true fluid delivery errors.

Known clinical analyzers are employed for testing a large number of sample fluids for a particular analyte(s) of interest. In analyzers having so-called wet chemistry systems, sample fluid is typically placed in a sample reaction vessel, such as a cup or tube, in the analyzer so that aliquots can be dispensed or metered. Structurally within the analyzer, a probe or proboscis using appropriate fluidics such as pumps, valves, liquid transfer lines such as pipes or tubing, and driven by, pressure or vacuum are often used to meter and transfer a predetermined quantity of sample from the sample vessel to a reaction vessel. The sample probe or proboscis or a different probe or proboscis is also required to deliver diluent to the reaction vessel, particularly where a relatively large amount of analyte is expected or found in the sample. A wash solution and process are generally needed to clean a nondisposable metering probe. Here to, fluidics are necessary in order to accurately meter and deliver wash solutions and diluents.
In addition to sample preparation and delivery, the action taken on the sample requiring measurement often requires dispensing of at least one reagent, substrate, or other substance that combines with the sample to produce some noticeable event such as fluorescence, absorbance of light or chemiluminescence. Several different substances are frequently combined with the sample in order to attain the detectable event. This is particularly true with immunoassays since they often require multiple reagents and wash steps. Reagent metering systems are used in order to accomplish the above tasks. Generally, these metering systems also require a wash process in order to avoid carryover. Therefore, these systems also include fluidics in order to expedite the cleaning of a probe or proboscis and the addition of a signal reagent that reacts with bound analytes to produce a chemiluminescent effect.
A device located within the analyzer, such as a luminometer, can then be used to determine the appropriate measured quantity, such as light absorbance by the bound sample.
The sample and reagent delivery systems often require the accurate and very precise transport of small volumes of liquids. Therefore and in certain prior art clinical analyzers, redundant detection schemes have been introduced for detecting incorrect volumes of fluid which are being delivered to a reaction well or vessel by the various fluidic metering subsystems of the analyzer. The intent of these detection schemes is to suppress incorrect results that occur from either too much fluid or too little fluid being delivered into a reaction well. Incorrect results can greatly influence the efficacy of testing, particularly in systems utilizing very small metering volumes. According to one exemplary indirect detection scheme, measurements are taken between reagent metering events rather than by measuring fluid levels directly in the reaction well.
For example and in the case of the metering of signal reagent (hereinafter referred throughout as "SR"), a nominal fluid volume that is delivered to the reaction well or vessel is approximately 200 microliters, while a typical fluid volume of sample and reagent (hereinafter referred to as S+R) which can include a fluid volume of the combination of reagent A and/or reagent B and patient sample is approximately 100 to 180 microliters.
For purposes of measurement, a capacitance or other type of sensing technique, is usually employed. In brief, a well wash probe is lowered to the reaction vessel via manipulation of a stepper motor with each step being counted by a data processing system. In a preferred embodiment, vertical drive resolution is approximately 39 steps per mm. The lowering process continues until the tip of the well wash probe which contains a capacitance sensor, contacts fluid. The height of the descent is then converted into a volumetric measurement of the total of fluid (sample, reagent, sample+reagent, well wash and signal reagent) via a formula, or by reference to a table or database made from a formula or derived empirically. A suitable formula, for example, is readily derived by empirically establishing the proper height, graphically depicting the descent of the well wash probe until contact is made in a vessel (according to scale) using a commercial CAD software tool, and querying the CAD program to produce the equation that converts the height to volume.
In terms of an error budget to ascertain fluid volumes, a major portion of this budget is accounted for by the geometry of reaction well; that is, a significant contributor is whether the reaction well is large or small in geometry as a result of well manufacture. For example, and referring to FIG. 1, a nominal reaction vessel or well 135 is compared to typical large and small vessels 135a, 135b, respectively. Using the above capacitance sensing technique, a large reaction vessel 135a, due to its larger overall size and depth, will indicate an apparent decrease in the amount of fluid volume sensed since the volume measurement is based on the height of the fluid present in the vessel. Similarly, a small reaction vessel 135b will indicate an apparent increase in fluid volume as compared to the nominal reaction well 135, in spite of the fact that each of the above vessels, in reality, have each had a nominal fluid volume dispensed. The above discrepancies between large and small wells are due to manufacturability, but it will be apparent that the ability to accurately screen for well geometry is essential, especially when small or microvolumes on the order of those noted above, are being dispensed.
If analytical test capability is to be enhanced, a testing strategy and mathematical algorithm needs to be developed to remove well geometry effects as well as those caused by other metering specific sources, from the total error budget. The above reasoning is true given that the volume contained in the reaction vessel is inferred from well height as opposed to a nominal well geometry. As noted, an internal well geometry that is large using commonly known capacitance sensing techniques to detect the volume will appear to have a decreased volume of fluid associated with the lower measured fluid height. Conversely, a small well geometry using the same measurement capacitance measurement technique will appear to have an increased volume of fluid associated with a higher fluid height as shown in FIG. 1. In addition, consideration should be made to other factors such as the meniscus formed at the top of the fluid column, as shown in FIG. 1, the extent of which varies depending not only on height of the fluid but also the properties of the fluid, (Signal reagent, sample, etc.) in the reaction vessel. A consideration which also contributes to the error budget is whether the probe is centered, as an off-center detection measurement will be affected by the above meniscus. Still another factor that is well specific involves the coatings applied thereto to bind analytes.
In terms of attempting to remove well geometry as a significant contributor to the overall error budget, gravimetric measurements of reaction wells could be measured both prior to and after fluid delivery can remove reaction well geometry as a contributor to the overall analytical error which is described above. However, this particular approach adds significant complexity and cost to the analyzer, as well as increasing the potential of degrading throughput and overall system reliability thereof.
Another alternate solution would be to significantly tighten the dimensional specifications of the reaction well(s). This solution, however, would be extremely costly given that the manufacturing molds for reaction vessels are high yield, multi-cavity and have a material/wear issue based on the use of titanium dioxide which is abrasive and causes mold wear. That is, mold maintenance and process control would increase while mold life would decrease, adding significant cost and complexity to the manufacturing of reaction wells.

Fluid measurements in a reaction vessel used in conjunction with a clinical analyzer


A process for the preparation of a lubricating grease which comprises (a) dispersing in a major amount of a lubricating oil at about 180.degree. F. to about 200.degree. F. an effective amount of a saponifiable fatty material and lithium base to neutralize the fatty material, (b) then heating the resulting mixture from (a) to about 385.degree. F. to about 410.degree. F. at about ambient pressure to dissolve said fatty material, (c) homogenizing the resulting mixture from (b) at about 80 to about 200 psi while maintaining the temperature, (d) cooling the resulting mixture to a temperature below about 370.degree. F., (e) adding calcium base to the resulting mixture to saponify the remaining (unsaponified) fatty material at about 290.degree. F. to about 360.degree. F. and about ambient pressure, and (f) homogenizing the resulting mixture at about 100 to about 150 psi while maintaining the temperature to obtain a lubricating grease composition. Preferably, the calcium bae in step (e) is substantially dry and is added at a temperature of from about 310.degree. F. to about 360.degree. F.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to. a process for the preparation of lithium-calcium grease compositions.
2. Description of the State of the Art
Lithium-calcium grease compositions have existed in the art for many years. These greases are traditionally prepared in sealed autoclaves where the ingredients are subjected to high temperatures and pressures during the cooking step. The resulting products are often inconsistent in quality due to over or under dehydration of the calcium soap portion of the grease and demonstrate poor mechanical stability and lack of batch to batch uniformity. It has been shown that in both open kettles and in sealed autoclaves, calcium soaps dehydrate readily and will not subsequently disperse into the required fibrous structure after being even mildly dehydrated. This dehydration, which causes the calcium soap to precipitate rather than disperse in the grease, reduces its ability to thicken the grease. The precipitated calcium soap cannot be re-dispersed even under vigorous milling (grinding/dispersing) conditions, nor can it be rehydrated by adding water, even at lower temperatures.
Additionally, the temperatures required for making lithium soap greases are over 100.degree. F. higher than generally allowed for calcium grease. Thus, during the heating cycle with sealed autoclaves, the only water vented is that used to suspend and disperse the lithium and calcium hydroxides and then the autoclave is sealed to try to retain the remaining water for the water of crystallization of the calcium soap.
It is desirable to have a process which provides for proper lithium soap formation without completely dehydrating and precipitating the calcium soap, which process also produces greases of consistent quality and good mechanical properties.

Preparation of lithium-calcium grease compositions


The method and device of exploitation of well by pumping unit with variable-frequency drive involves periodic repetition of the cycles including pumpdown, search for frequency when delivery stops and accumulation and at the same time to ensure such extraction of fluid from well which is equal to its inflow it is necessary to choose unit with higher capacity in comparison with inflow of fluid from formation into well and during the cycles the pumpdown-accumulation ratio is corrected depending on the results of the previous cycles until the pumpdown-accumulation time ratio stops to change and the torque at which the delivery stops is determined based on the equality of the current torque of the downhole motor shaft and check torque which is pre-determined based on stepwise drop of torque of the downhole motor shaft in the point when delivery stops when supply voltage is decreased.

A method of operating a well using an electric pump with a variable frequency drive (as disclosed in Russian patent no. RF 2426867) is known. That method is based on continuously operating the pump, and includes starting the pump with a defined process rate, changing the supply voltage frequency when the pump reaches a defined frequency in a stationary mode, with acceleration in case of a pump-off condition, and providing a supply of liquid by pump in the stationary mode at the defined frequency, to compensate for instability in the feed and maintain a stable balance between liquid drawn from the well and fluid inflow from the formation surrounding the well. Periodically, cycles are performed consisting of alternating; pumping, pumping off fluid, and accumulating fluid in the well. Pumping off is accomplished by modulating the frequency in a range of values corresponding to the parameters of maintaining a pump delivery rate with subsequent maintenance of the maximum frequency at which the pump does not resume delivery. In the inflow phase of fluid into the well, in the current cycle they modulate the frequency of the supply voltage of the electric pump in the frequency range corresponding to the change during fluid inflow parameters of pump in when delivery is stopped and resumed. During the inflow of fluid, the intake pressure of the pump reaches the defined value, and they resume delivery of the, fluid by pump, After that the cycle is repeated, and when in the current cycle the frequency of resuming the delivery does not exceed the defined frequency, the pump is switched into stationary mode. This differs from the present invention because, in the case of pump starvation, when it is brought to the defined frequency of the stationary mode during the defined time intervals of resuming and stopping of pump delivery, the additional frequency modulation for resuming fluid delivery is performed. Additional modulation is performed before pumping is resumed, which is performed at the additional frequency with a defined deviation from the frequency achieved before additional modulation of the pump's starvation frequency. After that it is necessary to continue bringing the pump to defined frequency of stationary mode with defined process rate of stabilization of the well.
In this method, modulating the frequency is performed for bringing the pump to a defined stationary frequency.
There is a known method of well exploitation using an electric submersible pump with a variable frequency drive (as discussed in Russian patent no. RF 2421605), which is used to stabilize wells equipped with an electric submersible pump (ESP) after a workover which implies changing the frequency of the electric motor supply voltage depending on the watercut of the well fluid.
However in this method the frequency of the supply voltage is changed only when the well is in pumpdown mode.
A method is for pumping low-flow rate wells using an electric pump with a variable frequency drive and device (Patent RU 2119578), based on periodic repeating cycles, including starting the pump with an increasing supply voltage frequency, operating the pump at the defined frequency, and after reaching a defined pressure in the tubing string at that frequency, the supply voltage frequency is reduced until the pump stops delivering fluid. Subsequently, a maximum frequency is maintained that ensures inflow from the surrounding formation and the pump does not resume delivery. After reaching defined pressure at the pump intake due to the inflow, the cycle is repeated and pump delivery is resumed by increasing its frequency.
The known method has the following disadvantages:
Sophisticated structures are needed to implement the method, namely, using additional downhole equipment such as temperature and pressure measuring systems installed under the downhole motor, which increases the cost of the method and prevents its application in areas of high temperature formation fluid (i.e., above 90° C.), due to the downhole electronics failing.
Thus the method is suitable only for low production wells.
Additionally, the pump shut off time is determined solely on the power and bench test characteristics of the pump, which causes significant errors, because testing is performed on fluid characteristics that do not match the fluid characteristics in each individual well.

Method of operating a well using a pump assembly with a variable-frequency drive


Described herein are implantable medical devices for delivering a therapeutic agent to the body tissue of a patient, and methods for making such medical devices. In particular, the implantable medical devices, such as intravascular stents, have a coating which includes at least one coating composition and has an exposed abluminal surface and an exposed luminal surface or exposed side surface.

Medical devices comprising a therapeutic agent have been successful in treating the body tissue of a patient. For example, intravascular stents that have a coating containing, a therapeutic agent for preventing restenosis have been successful in reducing incidents of restenosis. In certain instances, in order to improve the reduction of restenosis, it may be desirable to increase the amount of the therapeutic agent that is delivered from the coating to the body tissue.
One way of increasing the amount of therapeutic agent that is delivered to the body tissue is to increase the amount of the therapeutic agent that is loaded into the coating. However, there are difficulties associated with coatings that contain large amounts of a therapeutic agent, such as controlling the release of the therapeutic agent. Particularly, larger amounts of therapeutic agents in the coating can be released too rapidly from the coating, thereby creating a "burst" effect instead of a desired sustained release of the therapeutic agent.
Another way of increasing the amount of therapeutic agent that is included in a medical device coating and delivered to the body tissue is to increase the surface area of the coating that is exposed to the tissue. In general, when a coating composition is disposed on the surface of a medical device, such as a stent, the exposed surface area of the coating is generally equivalent to the surface area of the medical device upon which the coating is disposed. Thus, the surface area of the medical device surface limits the exposed surface area of the coating.
One way to increase the exposed surface area of the coating is to remove material from the surface of the medical device to increase the surface area upon which a coating can be disposed. However, removing material from the medical device can adversely impact the structural integrity of the medical device. For example, if holes are created in the struts of a stent, the structural integrity of the stent struts can be compromised causing the struts to become weak. Weak struts could result in the stent failing to expand properly or, once implanted, collapsing, potentially causing re-occlusion of a body lumen.
Accordingly, there is a need for a medical device having a coating with an increased exposed surface area for delivering a therapeutic agent to body tissue. Furthermore, there is a need for methods of making such medical device coatings having increased exposed surface area that do not adversely affect the structural integrity of the medical device

Coating for medical device having increased surface area


An embodiment of the present invention discloses a method for controlling data transmission, where the method includes: receiving, by user equipment UE, at least one transmission control parameter transmitted by a base station; and when the UE needs to initiate data transmission to the base station, applying, by the UE, the transmission control parameter to control data transmission. An embodiment of the present invention further discloses a terminal device.

In a hotspot area in which an LTE system is applied, when a majority of users in the area perform communication simultaneously for various reasons, or when an activity such as a major gathering or important matches involving a large population takes place, a case in which large quantities of users access the system occurs, resulting in a quick increase of system resource usage, and a case of network over-congestion or overload occurs, and consequently, users that require emergency calls may be unable to access the system to perform communication.
Currently, to resolve a problem that an operator still can ensure that high-priority users can perform communication in a case in which congestion occurs in an LTE system, the operator allocates one or more access classes to common users in a live network. One class in class 0 to class 9 is allocated to each user. For some special users, one or more access classes in access classes 11 to 15 are further allocated. A higher class indicates that a corresponding user has a higher priority. By means of class allocation, when a case of congestion occurs in the system, the operator ensures communication and access of high-priority users by controlling access of low-priority users.
However, the foregoing mechanism is applied to access of user equipment in idle mode. When more user equipments access the network, and there is severe congestion or heavy load in the network, user equipments in connected mode still initiate new service calls or perform data transmission. Consequently, some high-priority user equipments that are really in emergencies are unable to smoothly access the network, and user experience is affected.

Method, apparatus, and system for controlling data transmission


A method including acquiring a first deviation value of ink landing positions in each position in a first range from a first pattern printed over the first range of a recording sheet in a scanning direction at a first moving velocity of an inkjet head, acquiring variation information representing a variation in the scanning direction of the first deviation value, acquiring from the variation information a first representative value representing the first deviation value in the first range, acquiring a second deviation value from a second pattern printed over a second range included in the first range at a second moving velocity of the inkjet head, acquiring a second representative value representing a deviation value in the first range at the second moving velocity, based on the second deviation value and a difference between the first representative value and the first deviation value in the second range.

1. Technical Field
The following description relates to one or more techniques for acquiring deviation values of ink landing positions in an inkjet printer.
2. Related Art
As an example of inkjet printers that perform printing by discharging ink droplets from nozzles onto a recording medium, an inkjet printer has been known that is configured to perform printing by discharging ink droplets onto a recording sheet (a recording medium) from a recording head (an inkjet head) mounted on a carriage reciprocating along a predetermined scanning direction. Further, the known inkjet printer is configured to cause feed rollers and corrugated holding spur wheels to press the recording sheet against a surface of a platen that has thereon convex portions and concave portions alternately formed along the scanning direction, so as to deform and hold the recording sheet in a predetermined wave shape. The predetermined wave shape has mountain portions protruding toward an ink discharge surface of the recording head, and valley portions recessed in a direction opposite to the direction toward the ink discharge surface, the mountain portions and the valley portions alternately arranged along the scanning direction.

Method, inkjet printer, and system for acquiring deviation values of ink landing positions


Disclosed is a switched capacitor filter block having a nonlinear quality coefficient, Q, whereby quality can be enhanced while limiting the size of feedback resistors in the filter block. A pair of capacitors alternately switchably connect an input signal to the input of integrator whereby the sampling frequency is twice the switching frequency. The filter block is readily fabricated in a monolithic integrated circuit with the feedback resistors being thin-film resistors formed on the surface of the monolithic integrated circuit. Such a circuit configuration is more accurate in programming and requires only one mask step in fabrication to program.

This invention relates generally to switched capacitor active filters, and more particularly the invention relates to a switched capacitor filter having nonlinear quality coefficient (Q) which permits quality enhancement.
U.S Pat. No. 4,417,214 for "Monolithic IC General Purpose Active Filter" discloses a switched capacitor simulation of an active R-C universal filter. The basic R-C active filter is a hybrid circuit in which three op amps are serially connected as a summer followed by two negative integrators. Four external discrete resistors are user-selected to configure the filter, while three hybrid thin-film resistors and two discrete capacitors, all mounted on a ceramic substrate, establish operating performance of the filter.
The switched capacitor filter simulation eliminates the necessity for using the hybrid resistors and capacitors through use of switched capacitor positive integrators. The filter can be fabricated in a single integrated circuit and experiences a linear quality coefficient, Q. However, the switched capacitors do induce noise in the filter. Further, external resistors are still employed for filter configuration, and the external resistors introduce parasitic capacitance and are limited in tuning accuracy.

High Q switched capacitor filter having internal thin-film resistors


A connector includes a first housing and a second housing having facing surfaces facing each other. One of the first and second housings includes a receiving portion open forward in a front end part and the other includes a rotating portion to be arranged in the receiving portion in the front end part. The second housing is rotated with respect to the first housing about an axis passing through the rotating portion in the receiving portion along a width direction and is coupled to the first housing. The first housing includes a lock receiving portion open forward and rearward in the front end part. The second housing includes a locking portion projecting toward the first housing and to be fit to the lock receiving portion in the front end part. The locking portion includes a wide restricting portion, and the lock receiving portion includes a wide restriction receiving portion.

A connector disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2010-153312 includes a lower housing (hereinafter, first housing) and an upper housing (hereinafter, second housing). The second housing is coupled to the first housing from above. With the first and second housings coupled, the upper surface of the first housing and the lower surface of the second housing are arranged to face each other.
A locking groove is provided to be open in a widthwise central side of the front surface of the second housing. A locking piece to be fit into the locking groove is provided on a widthwise central side of the facing surface of the first housing. Locking pieces are provided on side surfaces on both widthwise end sides of the second housing. Locking projections to be locked to the locking pieces are provided on side surfaces on both widthwise end sides of the first housing. Such a connector is also disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2017-004737.


Device for adjusting the operating pressure of an oil-injected compressor installation with a compressor element (2) driven by a motor (4) with an adjustable rotational speed and a control module (13), where the device (15) is provided with a controlled inlet valve (16) which is connected to the air inlet (5) and a blow-off mechanism (17) which can be closed by means of a blow-off valve (19), where the inlet valve (16), the blow-off valve (19) and the control module (13) are electrically controllable components which are connected to an electronic control unit (22) for adjusting the operating pressure (Pw), which is measured by an operating pressure sensor (23).

A. Field
The present invention concerns a device for adjusting the operating pressure of an oil-injected compressor installation.
B. Related Art
From EP 0.942.173 in the name of the same applicant is already known a device for adjusting the operating pressure of an oil-injected compressor installation which is provided with a compressor element that is driven by a motor with an adjustable rotational speed, controlled by a control module, whereby said compressor element is provided with an air inlet and with a compressed air outlet onto which is connected an oil separator with a compressed air pipe for supplying compressed gas, whereby the device is provided with a controlled inlet valve which is connected to the above-mentioned air inlet and a blow-off mechanism with a blow-off pipe connecting the oil separator to the inlet valve and which can be closed off by means of a blow-off valve.
In such a known device, the inlet valve of the compressor element is pneumatically controlled.
A disadvantage of such a pneumatic control system is that there is a continuous loss of compressed air, which is necessary for the good operation of such a control system.
Another disadvantage of such known pneumatic control systems is that the operating pressure of the compressor installation is always higher when it is unloaded than when it is loaded, as a result of which the operating pressure requires more power from the engine when the compressor installation is unloaded.
Another disadvantage of the known pneumatic control systems is that the regulating pressure pipes and air chambers create large time constants, such that in case of sudden fluctuations in the outlet flow of the compressor installation, there will be "overshoots" or "undershoots" in the operating pressure, whereby this operating pressure will suddenly represent a very high or very low value respectively.
A disadvantage connected thereto is that when the dimensions of the regulating pressure pipes are altered, for example due to a replacement or a repair, the above-mentioned time constants will assume a different value, which is disadvantageous to the stability of the adjustment.
An additional disadvantage of the known devices is that condensate may be formed in the regulating pressure pipes of the pneumatic control system which is discharged via air holes while the installation is operational, but which, after the compressor installation has been turned off, remains in the pipes and may accumulate there.
Also, in case of temperatures below zero, the regulating pressure pipes may freeze up and thus prevent the good working order of the pneumatic control system.
Another additional disadvantage is that with the known devices, the required operating pressure is set manually by screwing down a pneumatic regulating valve. Moreover, it can only be set when the compressor installation is operational.
Another disadvantage of the known devices is that the inlet valve usually has the shape of a piston valve which is disadvantageous in that its design causes large inlet losses.

Device for regulating the operating pressure of an oil-injected compressor installation

Atlas Copco Airpower, Naamloze Vennootschap


A communication method is securely performed by a communication device having a predefined URL. The communication method includes transmitting a first request, receiving a second request transmitted to the predefined URL, determining whether the second request corresponds to the first request, transmitting a response for the second request according to a result of the determination, and receiving a response for the first request. This method makes it possible to easily build and manage a system.

In recent years, communication security techniques for enabling secure communication between computers have been developed along with the development of computer networks. Communication security techniques of the related art include a method using an SDK, a method using a security protocol such as HTTPS or the like, and an IP examination method. Since these communication security techniques are difficult to implement, high-quality manpower is required in building and managing a communication system. It is also time-consuming and costly to build and manage the communication system. Thus, a demand has existed for a communication security technique, which can be implemented easily and quickly.

Method and device for secure communication using predefined URL


An improved method for the preparation of ester-substituted diaryl carbonates prepared by reacting phosgene with recycle streams of ester-substituted phenols from reaction processes using a tetraalkyl ammonium hydroxide catalyst, a tetraalkyl phosphonium hydroxide catalyst, or both, where at least one alkyl group of the tetraalkyl ammonium hydroxide or the tetraalkyl phosphonium hydroxide is a methyl group. The improvement includes the step of treating the recycle stream to reduce the concentration of a trialkyl amine, trialkyl phosphine, or both, if present, from the recycle stream prior to reacting it with phosgene to form the ester-substituted diaryl carbonate.

Ester-substituted diaryl carbonates such as bis-methyl salicyl carbonate (BMSC) have proven to be useful starting materials in the preparation of polycarbonates via the melt reaction of a diaryl carbonate with dihydroxy compounds. See for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,668 in which rates of polymerization of bis-methyl salicyl carbonate with bisphenol A were shown to be higher than the corresponding rates of polymerization of bisphenol A with an unsubstituted diaryl carbonate, such as diphenyl carbonate. The product polycarbonate formed using ester-substituted carbonates, such as BMSC, contain high amounts of reaction by-products such as ester-substituted phenols (e.g. methyl salicylate (MS)), inter alia, that are often removed prior to achieving a finished polycarbonate product. In order to achieve high efficiencies and to decrease amounts of unusable waste by-products generated by polycarbonate production facilities, it would be desirable to find a use for the removed by-products. The present invention provides a method of making ester-substituted diaryl carbonates using the by-product ester-substituted phenol.

Method of preparing ester-substituted diaryl carbonates


A composite connection socket includes a metal housing, an insulative main body, a first row conductive terminal and a second row conductive terminal. The metal housing includes an accommodating space formed therein, and the insulative main body is received inside the accommodating space. The insulative main body includes a first side plate, a second side plate and a base; the first side plate and the second side plate are arranged corresponding to each other and protrude from the base. The first row conductive terminal is arranged on the first side plate and complies with a micro USB communication protocol interface. The second row conductive terminal is arranged on the second side plate and complies with a lightning standard interface. The composite connection socket is able to commonly accommodate two cable connectors of different standards of a micro USB connector or a lightning connector inserted therein.

Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a connector, in particular, to a composite connection socket for common use of a universal serial bus, such as Micro USB interface or a Lightning interface.
Description of Related Art
In recent years, various types of portable electronic devices including such as smartphones and tablet computers, have already replaced personal computers in the uses of processing information of living, office matters and other businesses such that seamless connection with the network can be made everywhere at any time; therefore, such devices have become one of the essentials to the living of the general public.
Users may have portable electronic devices of various types and brands, and each portable electronic device has its own operating system, different interface socket, transmission cables etc. while using such data cables for information exchange, charging or other matters. For example, the most common operating systems are the iOS and Android developed by the companies of Apple and Google respectively, and these two companies use their own transmission and communication protocols such that the cable sockets used are also different from each other. Apple Inc. uses the Lightning interface, whereas Google Inc. may use a universal serial bus, such as Micro USB, and so on. Consequently, users may be required to carry two different cables for uses on different portable electronic devices, leading to difficulty and inconvenience of use by the users. Moreover, in the event where users insert erroneous connectors into an incompatible interface socket, it can also cause damages on the interface socket of the portable electronic device.
In view of the above, it is an objective of the inventor of the present invention to provide a solution capable of overcoming the aforementioned problems of low compatibility of the signal interface sockets associated with the currently existing portable electronic devices.


An exercise, diagnostic and training device and method for football players, sports players and the general public, comprising a generally elliptically-shaped peripheral member, a first support member, a second support member, a gripping member, and a plurality of body engagement ribs, all generally cylindrical in cross-section and having protective cushioning. The peripheral member encloses and is fixedly secured to the ends of the first and second support members, the axes of which are generally perpendicular. The gripping member comprises a set of handles and a separator plate on each side of the shield which are supported by the first support member. The plurality of generally horizontal body engagement ribs are supported by the second support member and provide cushioning and protection against injury for opposing players on each side of the shield.

This invention relates generally to exercise devices and more specifically to exercise devices to be used by one or more persons as a game of physical ability and as a training and diagnostic device for football and other sports.
Prior art exercise and/or training devices have attempted to provide diagnostic and training assistance to players and coaches but have suffered from numerous drawbacks. Most notably, previous devices were deficient because they were extremely bulky and heavy and therefore difficult to transport and store when not in use. Also due to their size and the concomitant expense in designing and building them, prior art devices were not sufficiently available to professional and amateur players, teams and the general public, when these individuals wished to practice skills and/or play a game at home, or at times other than during team practice sessions.
Samples of prior art devices for training football and other sports players, are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,736,947 (Jenkins), 4,067,571 (Rogers), 4,828,252 (Bowen), and 4,565,367 (Kaiser).
The device of the present invention constitutes a shield with special features which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing professional and amateur sports players, especially football players, with a means to practice their skills without having to transport and wear bulky, protective football equipment. The exercise shield provides users with a means to increase their football blocking, pass rushing and other skills by functioning as a diagnostic tool and as a training apparatus. The exercise shield permits users to improve vital sporting skills by allowing them the flexibility and challenge to practice one-on-one or during an organized group practice without using bulky football or other sporting protective pads and equipment. In particular, the shield includes a pair of handles on each side of the shield or barrier wall. The user grasps the handles and can then practice his/her skills alone or by exerting force against a second opposing player grasping the second set of handles on the reverse side of the shield.
As a diagnostic tool, the exercise shield enables a coach/trainer or an individual player to diagnose certain elements of the player's blocking/pass rushing proficiencies and/or weaknesses. These elements include physiological factors, such as leg strength, speed, balance and coordination, along with arm strength and overall body power, as well as those related to technique. This diagnostic capability allows coaches to objectively measure a player's strengths and/or weaknesses, and aids in determining the appropriate team positions a player should play by facilitating the screening and selection of potential player candidates.
The device also permits off-season and in-season practice to become more focused and results-oriented, by providing players with continuous feedback on performance and improvement. Players using the device may also focus their efforts on particular techniques without the need of protective equipment.
In addition to diagnosing a player's pass blocking and rushing, drive blocking and run defense strengths and weaknesses, the device improves a player's offensive and defensive skills employed while playing interior team football positions. It is vital that these skills be mastered because football played in North America emphasizes blocking and defensive line skills. Experts generally agree that these motor skills include leg and foot speed, balance, technique, upper body strength, speed of recognition/reaction time, and hand-eye coordination, along with intelligence. Research demonstrates that these motor skills are improved through training which can now be performed year round for even more substantial improvement. Saccadic eye movements, head movements, and peripheral vision are also necessary for good offensive and defensive playing. The device of the present invention also accelerates the development of effective saccadic eye movement skills because its design enables the player to see beyond his opponent on the other side of the shield and direct his efforts toward a chosen goal. The player is then required to change direction and attempt to either move his opponent or maneuver around him according to what he sees.
The device may be used to train peripheral awareness as well, using two techniques. The first technique requires the player to run parallel and locate and move towards a goal by releasing or forcing toward the goal (i.e., scrambling quarterback or running back). By varying the angular distance between the player and the selected target, the coach/trainer can increase the angles and then can see where a player's response movements are dependable and strongest. The device used in this mode allows the coach to diagnose weaknesses in recognition and movements to the target (ball carrier, etc.). The device also effectively trains a player's eyes by permitting the player to vary the direction from which he moves, either from the right or left, along with body movement, and reaction time.
In the second technique, a player's peripheral awareness and hand-eye coordination are trained by stationing the player sufficiently close to the device to have its ends in his peripheral field of vision. The player is then required to indicate which end of the device is touched by his opposing partner by tapping the end that is selectively tapped b his opposing partner.
Improving these skills not only enhances a player's blocking and pass rushing abilities, but also increases a player's field awareness. Field awareness is a vital element in a player's overall playing proficiency and includes awareness of both the opposition's movement and that of other players on the field.

128
FSC 182
FSC 2
FSC D21
FSC 272
FSC 273


Suspension devices for suspending strings of sausages in loops. The suspension device may include hooks configured for carrying a loop of the string of sausages and a guide and drive device coupled with the hooks. The guide and drive device is configured for guiding and driving the hooks along a path of movement. The guide and drive device has a drivable circulating drive element for spaced receiving of the hooks and for driving the hooks. The suspension device may include a height-altering device that alters the height of the hooks during the movement of the hooks along the path of movement.

Small sausages are usually produced with known sausage filling machines in the form of long portioned sausage strings. In that case, two adjacent sausage cases are respectively separated from each other by a twist-off location. The filled and divided sausage cases are placed in loops and suspended from a suspension device known in the state of the art. A smoking bar or rod is pushed through the loops of the sausages, which are hanging in the suspension device. The string of sausages is then suspended in that form on a smoking cart, which is then moved into a smoker chamber.
While the suspension machine is operating, faults may occur, for example, due to so-called skin splits (defective sausage case or damage to the sausage case), by virtue of sausage cases of differing lengths, or the like disruptions. In response to a fault, the normal working process has to be interrupted and the defective sausages have to be stripped out of the string. The sausage case is knotted and thereafter the sausages can be subjected to further processing again in the proper fashion.
Known filling machines and accessory devices have a filling height of between about 1000 mm and 1200 mm. The suspension devices are generally adapted in respect of their height to the filling height of the filling machines and accessory devices, and in many cases that represents a very low working height for the operator of the suspension device.
Raising the filling machine and a corresponding accessory device and, thus, the suspension device is not really appropriate because the operating problem is only shifted as a result.
The use of intermediate belts to compensate for the working height is detrimental as the intermediate belts signify additional complication and expenditure, in regard to operation, maintenance, spare part stocking and demand for power.


Systems, methods, and computer readable media to manage memory cache for graphics processing are described. A processor creates a resource group for a plurality of graphics application program interface (API) resources. The processor subsequently encodes a set command that references the resource group within a command buffer and assigns a data set identifier (DSID) to the resource group. The processor also encodes a write command within the command buffer that causes the graphics processor to write data within a cache line and mark the written cache line with the DSID, a read command that causes the graphics processor to read data written into the resource group, and a de-prioritize command that causes the graphics processor to notify the memory cache to later flush content from the cache line associated with the DSID and to later invalidate the cache line when higher priority content is received.

This disclosure relates generally to the field of graphics processing. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, this disclosure relates to having a graphics processor, such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), managing memory cache.
Computers, mobile devices, and other computing systems typically have at least one programmable processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU) and other programmable processors specialized for performing certain processes or functions (e.g., graphics processing). Examples of a programmable processor specialized to perform graphics processing operations include, but are not limited to, a GPU, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and/or a CPU emulating a GPU. GPUs, in particular, comprise multiple execution cores (also referred to as shader cores) designed to execute the same instruction on parallel data streams, making them more effective than general-purpose processors for operations that process large blocks of data in parallel. For instance, a CPU functions as a host and hands-off specialized parallel tasks to the GPUs. Specifically, a CPU can execute an application stored in system memory that includes graphics data associated with a video frame. Rather than processing the graphics data, the CPU forwards the graphics data to the GPU for processing; thereby, freeing the CPU to perform other tasks concurrently with the GPU's processing of the graphics data.

De-prioritization supporting frame buffer caching


A shroud hanger assembly is provided for hangers and shrouds defining dimensionally incompatible components such as those which are press or frictionally fit to engage one another. The shroud hanger assembly includes a multi-piece hanger and a shroud, which is pinned to the hanger assembly by at least one axially extending pin and which locates the shroud relative to the hanger to control motion in one or both of circumferential (tangential) and radial directions relative to the engine.

A gas turbine engine includes a turbomachinery core having a high pressure compressor, combustor, and high pressure turbine ("HPT") in serial flow relationship. The core is operable in a known manner to generate a primary gas flow. The high pressure turbine includes annular arrays ("rows") of stationary vanes or nozzles that direct the gases exiting the combustor into rotating blades or buckets. Collectively one row of nozzles and one row of blades make up a "stage". Typically two or more stages are used in serial flow relationship. These components operate in an extremely high temperature environment, and must be cooled by air flow to ensure adequate service life.
Due to operating temperatures within the primary flowpath of the gas turbine engine, it is desirable to utilize materials that have high temperature capability and do not require large amounts of cooling air. The higher operating temperatures within the engine improve the engine cycle thermal efficiency if the air used to cool the flowpath parts can be reduced. For example, to operate efficiently in such strenuous temperature and pressure conditions, composite materials have been suggested due to their superior temperature capability over metallic materials. In particular, ceramic matrix composite (CMC) materials are an ideal material for high temperature flowpath applications. Although CMC materials have higher temperature capability they have a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than the metallic alloys which are used to support the CMC components and create sealing surfaces to the CMC components. Sealing is extremely important in order to retain the advantage that CMC materials have of reduced cooling air.
One desirable use for the higher temperature material is a turbine shroud. However, various problems are known to exist with the supporting metallic hardware (shroud hanger). For example, some assemblies utilize a one-piece hanger construction that is deflected apart during the insertion of the shroud into a cavity of the shroud hanger. This interference at assembly is required to maintain sealing throughout the engine cycle and is due to the difference in coefficient of expansion of the metallic hanger and the CMC shroud. However, this mechanical deflection may cause bending or even yielding of the hanger arms during positioning of the shroud which is undesirable and may cause premature deformation and leakage at high temperature. Therefore, it would be desirable to have an assembly which is more easily assembled and will not cause yielding of the hanger.
It would be desirable to provide a hanger which is more easily assembled in forming the shroud hanger assembly. It would also be desirable to reduce hanger stresses in order to better thermally match the hanger and the shroud while reducing preload requirements of the hanger walls.
Additional concern with the use of low coefficient of thermal expansion materials is due to the differing rates of thermal expansion encountered with the differing materials. According to some attempts in utilizing these materials in combination with a metallic hanger, it is shown that the differing growth rates due to thermal expansion result in misalignment of the shroud or undersirable movement of the shroud within the hanger at high temperature conditions. This may additionally lead to unintended loosening of components at the higher operating temperatures and associated thermal growth. It would be desirable to control movement of the shroud relative to the shroud hanger in such a way that the shroud hanger does not become mis-positioned within the hanger or hanger assembly.
It would further be desirable to overcome these and other deficiencies and provide a hanger assembly which better manages thermal differential between the shroud and the hanger materials.
The information included in this Background section of the specification, including any references cited herein and any description or discussion thereof, is included for technical reference purposes only and is not to be regarded subject matter by which the scope of the invention is to be bound.


A semiconductor manufacturing process wherein a low-k dielectric layer is plasma etched with selectivity to an overlying mask layer. The etchant gas can be oxygen-free and include a fluorocarbon reactant, a nitrogen reactant and an optional carrier gas, the fluorocarbon reactant and nitrogen reactant being supplied to a chamber of a plasma etch reactor at flow rates such that the fluorocarbon reactant flow rate is less than the nitrogen reactant flow rate. The etch rate of the low-k dielectric layer can be at least 5 times higher than that of a silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride or silicon carbide mask layer. The process is useful for etching 0.25 micron and smaller contact or via openings in forming structures such as damascene structures.

A common requirement in integrated circuit fabrication is the etching of openings such as contacts, vias and trenches in dielectric materials. The dielectric materials include doped silicon oxide such as fluorinated silicon oxide (FSG), undoped silicon oxide such as silicon dioxide, silicate glasses such as boron phosphate silicate glass (BPSG) and phosphate silicate glass (PSG), doped or undoped thermally grown silicon oxide, doped or undoped TEOS deposited silicon oxide, organosilicate glass, etc. The dielectric dopants include boron, phosphorus and/or arsenic. The dielectric can overlie a conductive or semiconductive layer such as polycrystalline silicon, metals such as aluminum, copper, titanium, tungsten, molybdenum or alloys thereof, nitrides such as titanium nitride, metal silicides such as titanium silicide, cobalt silicide, tungsten silicide, molydenum silicide, etc.
Various plasma etching techniques for etching openings in silicon oxide are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,013,398; 5,013,400; 5,021,121; 5,022,958; 5,269,879; 5,529,657; 5,595,627; 5,611,888; and 5,780,338. The plasma etching can be carried out in medium density reactors such as the parallel plate plasma reactor chambers described in the '398 patent or the triode type reactors described in the '400 patent or in high density reactors such as the inductive coupled reactors described in the '657 patent. Etching gas chemistries include the oxygen-free, Ar, CHF3 and optional CF4 gas mixture described in the '121 and '958 patents, the oxygen-free, fluorine-containing and nitrogen gas mixture described in the '879 patent, the C4F8 and CO gas mixture described in the '627 patent, the oxygen and CF4 gas mixture described in the '400 patent, the oxygen, CF4 and CH4 gas mixture described in the '657 patent, and the Freon and neon gas mixture described in the '888 patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,736,457 describes single and dual "damascene" metallization processes. In the "single damascene" approach, vias and conductors are formed in separate steps wherein a metallization pattern for either conductors or vias is etched into a dielectric layer, a metal layer is filled into the etched grooves or via holes in the dielectric layer, and the excess metal is removed by chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) or by an etch back process. In the "dual damascene" approach, the metallization patterns for the vias and conductors are etched in a dielectric layer and the etched grooves and via openings are filled with metal in a single metal filling and excess metal removal process.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,153,514 discloses a method of forming a self-aligned dual damascene structure which includes a lower conductive layer (e.g., copper or copper alloy), a first etch stop layer (e.g., silicon nitride), a first dielectric layer (e.g., low k dielectric material wherein k<4), a second etch stop layer (e.g., silicon nitride), a second dielectric layer (e.g., low k dielectric material), a hard mask layer (e.g., silicon nitride), and a photoresist layer patterned to provide the feature to be etched into the second dielectric layer. According to this patent, the nitride hard mask layer is etched with CHF3/N2, the second dielectric layer is etched with N2/H2O2 or N2/H2, the second etch stop layer is etched with CHF3/N2 and the first dielectric layer is etched with C4F8/Ar/O2/CO.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,156,642 discloses a dual damascene structure wherein a semiconductor substrate includes a bottom metallization layer (e.g., copper), a topping layer (e.g., silicon nitride), a dielectric layer (e.g., silicon oxide or other low k material), a conformal layer (e.g., titanium, titanium nitride, tantalum, tantalum nitride, tungsten nitride) covering sidewalls of a trench and via hole, and a passivation layer (e.g., silicon nitride or silicon carbide). U.S. Pat. No. 6,143,641 discloses a dual damascene structure in an integrated circuit structure which includes an intermetal dielectric material (e.g., SiO2) on an underlying conductive material (e.g., aluminum or copper), an adhesion layer (e.g., Ti, TiN, Ta) on exposed sidewalls of the dual damascene via structure which is filled with copper, a barrier metal or layer of silicon nitride, and additional layers including a low k dielectric material, silicon dioxide and silicon nitride.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,168,726 discloses a method of etching oxidized organo-silane films containing hydrogen, carbon, silicon and oxygen. This patent describes a carbon-based low-k material identified as byvinylsiloxane-benzocyclobutene (BCB) which contains a few percent of silicon but is otherwise an organic polymer containing carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. Another material disclosed in this patent is identified as Black Diamond marketed by Applied Materials, Inc., the film being an oxidized organo-silane film having, in atomic percent, 40-52% H, 5-11% C, 18-23% Si and 21-37% oxygen.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,153,935 discloses a damascene structure which includes a dielectric layer of silicon dioxide, polyimide, an organic siloxane polymer, poly-arylene ether, carbon-doped silicate glass or silsesquioxane glass, spin-on glass, fluorinated or non-fluorinated silicate glass, diamond-like amorphous carbon or other low dielectric constant material and a CMP stop layer in the form of a thin (about 20 to about 100 nm thick) layer of a dielectric silicon-based compound of low dielectric constant such as silicon nitride or silicon carbide, or a silicon-containing material of lower dielectric constants such as hydrogenated silicon carbide, silicon oxynitride or non-silicon-containing polymer such as one derived from benzocyclobutene.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,147,021 discloses a process for forming low dielectric constant (low-k) dielectric material wherein low-k materials are defined as those having a dielectric constant of 3.0 or less. U.S. Pat. No. 6,054,379 discloses a process of depositing a low-k dielectric layer on a patterned metal layer by reaction of an organosilane compound and an oxidizing compound.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,090,304 discloses a method of plasma etching semiconductor substrates in a dual frequency plasma reactor wherein a first radiofrequency (RF) source is coupled to a top showerhead electrode through an RF matching network and a bottom electrode (on which a semiconductor wafer is supported) is coupled to a second RF source through a second matching network.
As device geometries become smaller and smaller, the need for high etch selectivity ratios is even greater in order to achieve plasma etching of deep and narrow openings in dielectric layers such as low-k materials. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a plasma etching technique which provides high etch selectivity ratios with respect to an overlying mask layer and/or which achieves deep and narrow openings.

Method of plasma etching low-k dielectric materials


The invention comprises an apertured frame secured to a substrate and having a slotted arrangement adapted to receive and secure properly shaped tiles.

The present invention relates to decorative and functional structural members usable on a support surface such as a wall or floor or the like in residences, offices or such structures. In particular, the invention relates to structures made up of a frame which can be secured to the aforementioned support surface and to which tiles or panels of various types can be secured. The tiles or panels may take many forms and features as will be clear from the following description of the invention.

Decorative structure with slotted grid and detachably secured tiles


The subject matter disclosed herein relates to methods of identifying pharmacophores and inhibitors against protein aggregation. The present disclosure also provides pharmacophores themselves and medical uses of agents in the treatment of diseases associated with protein aggregation.

Intracellular protein misfolding or aggregation is a feature of many late-onset neurodegenerative diseases, called proteinopathies. These include Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, tauopathies, and polyglutamine expansion diseases, such as Huntington's disease and various spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs), like SCA3.
At present there are no effective strategies to slow or prevent the neurodegeneration resulting from these diseases in humans. Indeed, the incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is increasing rapidly as the global population ages. It is estimated that 44 million people currently suffer from AD and that this number will exceed 135 million by 2050 (1).
AD is one of over 40 related disorders (2) characterized by the misfolding of a soluble protein and its subsequent conversion into amyloid fibrils (3-9). A key molecular pathway that underlies AD is the aggregation of Aβ42, the 42-residue form of the Aβ peptide, which is a fragment produced by the proteolytic cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) (3-5, 8, 9). Aβ42 is an intrinsically disordered peptide (10) that self-assembles into fibrillar aggregates observed in the brains of AD patients (5, 9). Inhibiting the self-assembly of Aβ42 has, therefore, emerged as a major potential therapeutic strategy against AD (11-20), although no small molecule designed to achieve this effect has yet shown clinical efficacy (21).
Such clinical failures are caused at least in part by the incomplete knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying the generation of toxic species and of the processes by which small molecules are able to interfere with the aggregation pathway of Aβ42. In addition, it is increasingly evident that prefibrillar oligomeric species, rather than mature amyloid fibrils and plaques, represent the main pathogenic agents in AD and other neurodegenerative conditions (3, 22-27). Accordingly, effective therapeutic strategies are unlikely to consist of a non-specific suppression of Aβ42 fibril formation, but rather to involve the targeting of specific species in a controlled intervention at precise microscopic steps during the complex aggregation process of Aβ42 (28).
A therapeutic strategy of this type can now be proposed by exploiting recent major advances in our understanding of the molecular processes underlying amyloid formation. These advances are the result of the innovative application of chemical kinetics to the study of protein aggregation (29, 30). The availability of highly reproducible data obtained from kinetic measurements based on thioflavin-T (ThT) fluorescence (31) has recently allowed us to define the Aβ42 aggregation mechanism in terms of its underlying molecular events (30). It was thus observed that once a small but critical concentration of Aβ42 aggregates was generated through primary nucleation of monomers, surface-catalyzed secondary nucleation becomes the dominant process, whereby the surfaces of the fibrils once formed serve as catalytic sites for the generation of toxic oligomeric species (30). These oligomers can then grow and convert into additional fibrils, thus promoting further the formation of additional toxic species in a highly effective catalytic cycle (30).
These results can now be taken further as they offer the possibility of investigating the mechanism of inhibition of the Aβ42 aggregation process by therapeutic molecules (28, 29, 32). Approaches using chemical kinetics, which do not require prior knowledge of the elusive structures of the toxic species and are not limited by the need of very tight binding of small molecules to the aggregation-prone proteins, provide highly sensitive methods for the quantitative detection of the effects of potential therapeutic molecules on the aggregation process. By adopting this strategy, it has been possible to show that bexarotene, which is an FDA approved anti-cancer drug, targets selectively the primary nucleation step in the self-assembly of Aβ, delays the formation of toxic species in neuroblastoma cells, and completely suppresses Aβ aggregation and its pathological effects in a C. elegans model of Aβ-mediated toxicity.
There is however a need not only to identify the specific microscopic steps (i.e. primary and secondary nucleation, elongation and fragmentation) that give rise to the overall aggregation process at which an already known or predicted inhibitor of protein aggregation acts, but to identify new inhibitors of protein aggregation and moreover, new inhibitors that can be rationally identified or selected to specifically target the key microscopic stages that affect formation of soluble toxic oligomers, namely primary and/or secondary nucleation. The present invention is aimed at providing methods that address this need.
Drug discovery approaches based on kinetics, such as the one described here, are fundamentally different from traditional approaches based on the atomic structure of target proteins, such as enzymes or receptors. For "stable" (e.g. non-transient) states, such structure based drug discovery is appropriate. For example, crystallography may be used to determine structurally how a ligand interacts with a target, and new structures are then derived based on this interaction. However, such structure based drug discovery is not appropriate for targets which only exist transiently, such as those which may exist during protein aggregation. In accordance with the invention, new inhibitors of protein aggregation are therefore determined based on function, i.e. by kinetics.
These kinetic approaches are essential to target kinetic phenomena, such as protein aggregation.

Method of identifying novel protein aggregation inhibitors based on chemical kinetics


A method of forming an electrical structure that includes a complex power-signal (CPS) substructure. The CPS substructure is formed and tested to determine whether the CPS substructure satisfies electrical performance acceptance requirements. The testing includes testing for electrical shorts, electrical opens, erroneous impedances, and electrical signal delay. If the CPS substructure passes the testes, then a dielectric-metallic (DM) laminate is formed on an external surface of the CPS substructure. The DM laminate includes an alternating sequence of an equal number N of dielectric layers and metallic layers such that a first dielectric layer of the N dielectric layers is formed on an external surface of the CPS substructure. N is at least 2. A multilevel conductive via is formed through the DM laminate and is electrically coupled to a metal layer of the CPS substructure.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an electrical laminate structure, and associated method of formation, having multilevel conductive vias that are electrically coupled to circuit features of the electrical laminate structure.
2. Related Art
A capability for increasing the yield of fabricated printed circuit structures would lower costs and improve profitability. Additionally, providing additional ways of electrically coupling circuit features of a printed circuit structure would improve design flexibility and efficiency.
Accordingly, there is a need for increasing the yield of fabricated printed circuit structures. Additionally, there is a need for providing additional ways of electrically coupling circuit features of a printed circuit structure.

Coupling of conductive vias to complex power-signal substructures

International Business Machines Corporation