A method and device for anchoring a length of self-retaining suture. The method of anchoring includes providing for an assembly having a length of self-retaining suture and a suture insertion device. The length of suture includes at least a portion of the length having a plurality of retainers thereon extending in a first direction. The insertion device has a length and a recess to receive a portion of the suture length. The method further includes placing a portion of the suture length in the recess and inserting the device into the body of a mammal until the recess reaches a predetermined location thereby forming an insertion pathway. The method further includes retrieving the insertion device from the body by moving the insertion device in a direction substantially opposed to the insertion pathway.

The present invention relates generally to an improved length of self-retaining suture and, more particularly, relates to converging sections of self-retaining suture as well as the method and device for using the same.
Self-retaining sutures have been used in the past in many different surgical applications. Self-retaining sutures have been shown to perform particularly well in binding together various body parts such as skin, muscle tissue, organs, blood vessels, tendons, organs and the like. Self-retaining sutures are advantageous to the surgical team because they provide an effective ligature of tissue without the requirement of an anchoring suture knot which can be difficult to tie and which can cause damage to tissue during the wound healing process. Self-retaining sutures also simplify many tissue repair applications by more evenly distributing repair retention forces along the length of the suture. The optimization of self-retaining sutures is disclosed in detail in U.S. Patent Publication US 2004/0060409A, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,100,940 on Jan. 24, 2012 and is incorporated herein in its entirety.
Typically, self-retaining sutures have been used to bind mammalian body parts together by passing a first length of self-retaining suture through a first section of tissue to be bound in a direction in which the retainers may pass relatively freely in one direction through the tissue, but will resist movement if the suture is moved in the direction opposed to the insertion direction. Then a second length of suture is passed through a second section of tissue in a second direction. Finally, the surgeon joins the two lengths together by tying them or otherwise binding them together.
One alternative method for use of a self-retaining suture is to use a single length of rigid self-retaining suture having a first end, a second end and the retainers disposed on the length of the suture in a bidirectional fashion. A portion of the length of the suture has retainers facing a first end and a portion of the length of the suture has retainers facing the second end. The suture binds tissue together by inserting the first end in a first section of tissue and inserting the second end in a second section of tissue. The diverging retainers resisted movement of the sections away from the wound and help bind them together. This retainer design and methodology is disclosed more fully in U.S. Patent 6,241,74781 and is incorporated herein in its entirety.
Further, there are devices for use in inserting self-retaining sutures into the body of a mammal. These include tubular instruments having a hollow portion for holding a length of self-retaining suture. The end of the instrument includes a holding point for a pointed first end of the suture length and the front of the instrument includes a handle. In use, the end of the instrument is inserted into the body of a mammal at the point. The instrument, guided by the user holding it at the handle, is inserted along a pathway through an incision or wound for closure and up through the tissue, or the like, where the pointed end can clear the subject tissue. The user, while holding the pointed end, reverses direction along the insertion pathway with the instrument. This releases the length of suture within the instrument and enables the retainers to grasp the surrounding tissue. The instrument clears the wound area and the retainers holding the surrounding tissue keep the wound closed. Such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,376.
Other self-retaining suture technologies are known to the applicants. Table 1 summarizes applicable self-retaining suture technology. Table 1 is attached and, along with its foreign counterparts and any continuations and/or divisionals, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
In spite of the advances made to date relating to self-retaining suture technology, there does not exist a suture length made up of one or more sections containing converging retainer patterns that facilitates the placement of a suture without an attached needle. Such placement would be advantageous in several surgical tissue repair applications wherein the location of the tissue to be repaired constrains the passage and retrieval of an attached suture insertion device or where adjacent tissues could be harmed by the passage of the attached needle such as the passage of a needle past the bladder during the placement of a bladder neck suspension sling. Further, such placement would be useful in certain cases where robotic or other mechanically assisted surgical methods are employed in which simplified suture anchoring methods are desired. Also, such placement would be advantageous in fixing therapeutic devices to delicate tissues such as tumors in which such devices would operate more effectively if they were placed with minimal tissue disruption and if such therapeutic devices were immobilized during the period of therapeutic treatment. Also, such placement reduces the number of attached needles that must be retrieved from the surgical tissue. Thus reducing the established risk of inadvertently leaving needles in the patient after surgery is completed. Further, the manipulation of needles during this process of thread passage and needle retrieval is a well known risk for "needle stick" to the operator that can lead to the transmission of blood borne pathogens such as HIV and hepatitis.
At present, there does not exist any system or method where a length of suture is inserted with a detachable suture insertion device where the suture insertion device may be easily retracted along the needle's insertion pathway. Presently, after tissue or the like is anchored, the surgeon in some cases must continue to move the suture insertion device further through tissue to retrieve the needle. This may result in further damage to the tissue, as discussed above. When the surgeon moves the suture insertion device further through tissue to enable the suture insertion device to exit the body, this also results in the formation of a suture insertion-device-exiting-pathway which creates an opportunity for the suture to migrate from its initial placement position Such migration can lead to movement of the anchored tissue or disconnection of joined tissues relative to each other. Such movement could lead to complete or partial failure of the procedure. Also, the suture itself may migrate into positions that are harmful to adjacent tissue and organs.
A further disadvantage of the present state of the art is that the area tissue surrounding the suture placement may become damaged during the procedure because of the surgeon's need to retrieve the attached needle. Presently, a surgeon must not only insert a suture and any attachment to the desired location, but to retrieve the needle, the surgeon must move the needle through a particular area of tissue to enable the needle to exit. Alternatively, the surgeon may choose to try to reverse the attached needle's pathway at the point of suture placement. In either case, there can be significant disruption to the tissue in the surrounding area. This can become a critical issue where the surgeon is working in the area of a cancerous tumor. If the tumor becomes damaged or as a result of the disruption to tissue, the procedure is ineffective, the cancer may spread or the procedure to treat the cancer may fail. Thus, there is no system or method of placing a suture at a desired location that leaves the surrounding tissue unharmed and undamaged.
Another disadvantage of the present state of art relates to surgical procedures that require a significantly deep incision relative to the size of the incision at the skin level. In particular, endoscopic procedures and surgeries often require minimum incisions at the skin level and yet may be quite deep. As a result, it is often difficult for the surgeon to work in such a cramped environment. Closing this access port is challenging to do with conventional attached needles, especially at the deepest portion s of the narrow opening where there is little room to manipulate a needle driver and forceps to grasp and retrieve an attached needle.
One version of a converging self-retaining suture pattern is in a suture length made up of a continuous loop having converging retainers along at least a portion of the length, wherein the loop is inserted into a section of tissue to support a body part of a mammal. Further, there is no method or device at present that enables a user to accurately and effectively insert a looped length of self-retaining suture into the body of a mammal where the insertion end of the suture length remains within the body of a mammal without the need for holding, joining or pulling on the insertion end of the suture. Such a method or a device would enable a surgeon or other medical personnel to engage in procedures that would deliver more effective treatment to patients while minimizing damage to the surrounding tissue. This would provide greater success rates of certain procedures, decrease recovery time, minimize complications and thus decrease the overall cost to perform such procedures.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide a continuous loop of suture having converging retainers on at least a portion of its length where the loop is inserted into the body of a mammal to support a body part.
It is further desired to provide a method and device for inserting a length of suture having converging retainers along at least a portion thereon, where the inserted end remains within the body of the mammal and does not need to be pulled or manually held or joined to another length thereof.
It is yet further desired to provide a method of support a body part of a mammal by inserting a length of suture having retainers along at least a portion thereof, where the length of suture remains within the insertion pathway and the insertion end of the suture does not need to be held or, joined to another length of suture or pulled clear of insertion area for the method to be effective.
It is still further desired to provide a method and device for supporting a body part of a mammal where the length of suture is inserted into the body of mammal at a point that ensures significant effectiveness in the continued support of the body part.
It is yet further desired to provide a method and device for supporting a body part of a mammal where the procedure is minimally invasive, minimizes damage to the body during the procedure recovery time and reduces the overall cost of performing the procedure.
It is yet further desired to provide a method and device for placing sutures in tissue where the procedure is minimally invasive, minimizes damage to the body during the repair procedure, minimizes recovery time and reduces the overall costs of performing the procedure.
It is still further desired to provide a method and device for placing sutures in tissue where the suture is easily detached from the suture insertion device and the suture insertion device is able to be retracted from the tissue by reversing its travel along the insertion pathway.
It is yet further desired to provide a method and device for anchoring a length of suture in a particular location in tissue in such a manner that minimizes the possibility for suture migration and for damage to surrounding tissue.
It is further desired to provide a method and device for anchoring a suture and attachment such as a marker, tack, tag, chemotherapeutic drug delivery agent, seroma evacuation tube or the like into the tissue with great accuracy and with minimal disruption to surrounding tissue.
It is also desired to provide a method and system for ensuring that all needles used in a surgical procedure are retrieved.

Length of self-retaining suture and method and device for using the same


A resin concrete composition and its molded article are provided, the resin concrete, even with a reduced resin content, having an excellent flowability, which is an important property in a molding operation, and necessitating no shrinkage reduction agent, and the molded article having no cracks and being highly strong. The resin concrete composition comprises (A) a resin composition containing (a) an unsaturated polyester of an unsaturated acid, a di- and/or trialkylene glycol, and dicyclopentadiene and (b) a polymerizable unsaturated monomer, (B) an aggregate, and (C) a filler.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to resin concrete compositions from which molded articles having no cracks can be obtained with little shrinkage without using a shrinkage reducing agent as well as being excellent in flowability and the hardened articles thereof having high strengths even with reduced resin contents. The present invention also relates to molded articles of the resin concrete compositions.
2. Description of Related Art
Resin concrete compositions containing an unsaturated polyester resin composition which incorporate an unsaturated polyester and a polymerizable unsaturated monomer, an aggregate, and a filler have been known, and industrially, resin concrete compositions have been used for products related to water supply and sewers, such as manholes, pipes, and drainage basins, for repairing cracks in cement concrete, for molded articles for landscaping such as garden lanterns, and for the like. Conventional resin concretes, particularly those having no coarse aggregate and having a relatively high resin content such as 15 to 20%, normally incorporate a shrinkage reducing agent consisting of a thermoplastic resin such as polystyrene and polyvinyl acetate in order to avoid cracking due to shrinkage during hardening in a molding process, and clinging to the mold.
However, since a shrinkage reducing agent itself cannot be hardened, problems such as the following have occurred:
The obtained molded article has a reduced strength. PA1 The surface of the molded article becomes sticky. PA1 The molded products are irregular in their dimensions and strength because of differences in shrinkage reducing effect due to different temperatures of the exothermic reaction during hardening, caused by variations in seasons, atmospheric temperatures, temperatures in the curing oven, or the like. PA1 With a certain type of shrinkage reducing agent, the appearance of the molded product deteriorates since the shrinkage reducing agent is poorly compatible with the unsaturated polyester resin, and therefore when they are combined to make a resin concrete, the flowability and the ease of degassing are degraded. PA1 The necessity of increasing the resin content results in an increase in the cost. PA1 (1) A one-step synthetic process in which the modification occurs concurrently by putting the acid, the glycol, and dicyclopentadiene in a vessel at the same time and condensing them. PA1 (2) A two-step synthetic process in which the acid and the glycol are condensed, and in the middle of the condensation dicyclopentadiene is added thereto to let the modification proceed. PA1 (3) A process in which an addition reaction is allowed to occur between an acid anhydride and dicyclopentadiene in the presence of water to produce a monoester, and thereafter the glycol and the acid are added thereto and the reaction is allowed to occur. PA1 A cast molding method, in which the resin concrete composition is poured into a mold, and hardened at a normal or heated temperature. PA1 A centrifugal molding method, in which the resin concrete composition is poured into a cylindrical mold, thereafter the mold is rotated, a uniform thickness of the resin concrete composition is formed by the centrifugal force of the rotation, and the resin concrete composition is hardened at a normal or heated temperature. PA1 A compression molding method, in which the resin concrete composition is poured into matching molds, thereafter the molds are compressed by a molding machine, and the resin concrete composition is hardened at a normal or heated temperature.
In addition, use of dicyclopentadiene-modified unsaturated polyester as the unsaturated polyester in the resin concrete has been known, for example, as disclosed in International Publication No. WO87/04442 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication (Kokai) No. Hei 4-149050. However, there were problems in that the strengths of the resin concrete molded articles were low, and the cracking resistance was insufficient.

Resin concrete composition and molded article thereof


In a substrate processing apparatus, a cup part is moved in an up-down direction to cause a cup exhaust port to selectively overlap a first chamber exhaust port or a second chamber exhaust port. In the state in which the cup exhaust port overlaps the first chamber exhaust port, gas in the cup part is discharged through the cup exhaust port and the first chamber exhaust port by a first exhaust mechanism. In the state in which the cup exhaust port overlaps the second chamber exhaust port, the gas in the cup part is discharged through the cup exhaust port and the second chamber exhaust port by a second exhaust mechanism. In this way, an exhaust mechanism for exhausting gas from the cup part can be easily switched between the first exhaust mechanism and the second exhaust mechanism.

A process of manufacturing semiconductor substrates (hereinafter, simply referred to as "substrates") has conventionally used a substrate processing apparatus that supplies processing liquids to a substrate that is being rotated, to perform various types of processing on the substrate. Such a substrate processing apparatus may include a cup part that is disposed around a substrate and receives, for example, processing liquids that are dispersed from the substrate by centrifugal force.
For example, a resist coating processor in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-10251 (Document 1) has an exhaust port in the bottom of a processing cup. The processing cup has a canopy portion that extends radially outward from around a substrate. The gas above the substrate flows into the processing cup from clearance between the inner peripheral edge of the canopy portion of the processing cup and the substrate and is discharged through the exhaust port to the outside of the processing cup. The canopy portion has a plurality of vent holes in its outer periphery, and an opening-and-closing mechanism that covers and closes the plurality of vent holes from above is provided above the canopy portion. In the case of forming a resist film on the substrate, the opening-and-closing mechanism is moved upward and spaced from the canopy portion to open the plurality of vent holes. Thus, the gas above the substrate flows into the processing cup from the clearance between the inner peripheral edge of the canopy portion of the processing cup and the substrate and from the plurality of vent holes. As a result, the air current in the vicinity of the outer peripheral edge of the substrate is controlled, and the occurrence of a phenomenon in which a resist liquid stands up on the outer peripheral edge portion of the substrate is suppressed.
In a treating device for substrates disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-10555 (Document 2), the internal space of a cup body is divided into an inner peripheral space and an outer peripheral space by a cylindrical movable partition body that extends upward from the bottom of the cup body. The movable partition body has an opening provided with a material that allows passage of gases but rejects passage of liquids (e.g., an air-permeable member made of fabrics or a porous material). When deionized water is supplied to a substrate, the movable partition body is moved down and located below the substrate, so that the deionized water drops into the outer peripheral space. The bottom of the outer peripheral space is connected to an exhaust blower via a gas-liquid separator, through which the deionized water dropped in the outer peripheral space and the atmosphere in the outer peripheral space are discharged to the outside of the cup body. When a chemical solution is supplied to the substrate, the movable partition body is moved up and located around the substrate, so that the chemical solution drops into the inner peripheral space. The atmosphere in the inner peripheral space is sucked into the outer peripheral space through the aforementioned opening of the movable partition body and discharged via the gas-liquid separator to the outside of the cup body.
A wafer cleaning device in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-146835 (Document 3) has an air outlet and a drain outlet in the vicinity of the bottom of a spin cup. The wafer cleaning device switches between the air outlet provided in the vicinity of the bottom of the spin cup and an air outlet provided above the spin cup and the substrate in the side surface of a chamber. More specifically, a shutter that opens and closes the air outlet in the side surface of the chamber is provided and moved up and down in synchronization with up-down movement of the spin cup. At the time of conveyance of a substrate into and out of the chamber, the spin cup is moved down to close the air outlet provided in the vicinity of the bottom of the spin cup and to open the air outlet provided in the side surface of the chamber. In the case of processing a substrate with liquids, the spin cup is moved up to open the air outlet provided in the vicinity of the bottom of the spin cup and to close the air outlet provided in the side surface of the chamber. This mechanism keeps the internal pressure of the chamber almost constant.
In the devices disclosed in Documents 1 to 3, the same exhaust port or air outlet is used to discharge the atmosphere in the processing cup, even if the type of processing liquid used to process the substrate is changed. There is thus a possibility that, inside piping or the like connected to the exhaust port or air outlet, the atmosphere of a sucked processing liquid may be mixed with the atmosphere of other processing liquids remaining in the piping, causing undesirable mixing and interference of the processing liquids. The treating device in Document 2 may increase in size because the gas-liquid separator is provided outside the cup body as described above. Moreover, if adjustment of the flow rate of the gas exhausted from the exhaust port is required, the substrate processing apparatuses as described above may have a complicated structure and increase in size because a mechanism for adjusting the flow rate of the exhaust gas is provided in the exhaust pipe.


A semiconductor device has a capacitor insulating film composed of a first and a second silicon nitride film. The surface of a lower electrode of impurity-doped polysilicon is transformed into the first silicon nitride film by thermal nitriding, and thereafter the second silicon nitride film is formed by chemical vapor deposition. An upper electrode is formed on the second silicon nitride film. A silicon oxide film may be formed on the second silicon nitride film by thermal oxidation. The capacitor insulating film which has a thickness of 5 nm or less in equivalent thickness of an oxide film reduces a leakage current and improves a long-term product reliability.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method for fabricating it, and more particularly to a structure of a capacitor insulating film and a method for fabricating it.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, as capacitor insulating films, there are used a silicon oxide film (SiO.sub.2), a silicon nitride Film (Si.sub.3 N.sub.4) and a composite film of these films (e.g., a double layered film of SiO.sub.2 /Si.sub.3 N.sub.4, film of SiO.sub.2 /Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 /SiO.sub.2). FIG. 1 shows the structure of one example of these conventional films. In FIG. 1, a lower electrode 3 having a predetermined shape and made of impurity-doped polysilicone (also called polycrystalline silicon) is formed on the surface of the silicon oxide film 5 on a semiconductor substrate 6. A silicon nitride film 2 having a thickness of about 10 nm is formed by chemical vapor deposition techniques so as to cover the surface of the lower electrode 3. Thereafter, the surface of the silicon nitride film 2 is thermally oxidized to be converted into a silicon oxide film 7 having a thickness of about 2-3 nm. Subsequently, an upper electrode 4 made of polysilicon is formed so as to cover the silicon oxide film 7. In the above structure, the capacitor insulating film is composed of the silicon nitride film 2 formed by the chemical vapor deposition and the silicon oxide film 7 formed by the thermal oxidation. The capacitor insulating film has a thickness of about 7-8 nm in equivalent thickness of an oxide film. Reference is made to "Y. Ohji et al., Proceedings of 25th Annual IEEE Reliability Physics Symposium (1987) p. "55
The conventional capacitor insulating film has the Following defects. The conventional silicon nitride film formed by the chemical vapor deposition contains many weak-spots so that a single silicon nitride film of 8 nm or less presents difficulties in its use as a stabilized capacitor insulating film with less leakage current. For this reason, a double layered SiO.sub.2 /Si.sub.3 N.sub.4 film wherein the weak spots are covered by oxidation film on tile surface of the silicon nitride film is now widely used in the current DRAMs, etc. However, this double layered film, when it has a thickness of, 5 nm or less in equivalent thickness of an oxide film, also suffers from an abrupt increase in the leakage current. Reference is made to "J. Yugami et al., Extended Abstracts on the 20th Conference on Solid State Devices and Materials (1988) p.173"
Further, the chemical vapor deposition tends to introduce oxygen into the silicon nitride film. This introduction of oxygen is remarkable particularly in the initial process where the silicon nitride film grows on the oxide film. Also where a silicon nitride film is to be grown on polysilicone from a vapor phase, it will actually grow on the native oxide film formed on the polysilicone surface. Thus, it was difficult to form a stoichiometric silicon nitride film 10 nm or less thick on polysilicon by the chemical vapor deposition techniques. Reference is made to "J. A. Wurzbach and F. J. Grunthaner, J. Electrochem. Soc., Vol 130, No.3 (1983) p.691" .

Semiconductor device with capacitor insulating film and method for fabricating the same


A method of controlling an electronic compass assembly includes calibrating magnetic field sensors to produce a calibration product and determining whether a magnetic interference condition exists based upon the calibration product. In one example, the calibration product includes a calibration ellipse. In another example, the method includes determining a first length of time that corresponds to a duration of a magnetic interference condition or a second length of time that corresponds to an elapsed time after the magnetic interference condition. A portion of the electronic compass is controlled based upon the first length of time or the second length of time.

This invention relates to a compass and, more particularly, to an electronic compass assembly and method for controlling the electronic compass assembly.
Electronic compass assemblies are often used in vehicles to indicate to a driver or passenger of the vehicle a direction that the vehicle is facing or traveling. A typical electronic compass assembly includes magnetic sensors that detect the magnetic field of the Earth. A microprocessor typically then determines the direction of the vehicle from the detected magnetic field and displays the direction as one of North, South, East, West, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest.
The magnetic conditions of the vehicle and surrounding environment of the vehicle typically change over time. As a result, the magnetic sensors are periodically calibrated to correct the magnetic field data for these magnetic changes. Calibration typically includes collecting magnetic field data from the magnetic sensors through a 360° turn of the vehicle (or a predetermined percentage of a 360° turn). The collected magnetic field data is generally ellipse-shaped. The microprocessor utilizes a statistical fitting procedure to produce a reference correction factor (e.g., a calibration ellipse) from the collected magnetic field data. The reference correction factor is then used to correct magnetic field data points before the microprocessor determines the vehicle direction.
The accuracy of typical electronic compass assemblies is susceptible to magnetic interference, sensor noise, and other conditions that affect the magnetic field data. In particular, nearby ferrous objects such as other vehicles, train tracks, or bridges to name a few examples may cause magnetic interference. Typically, the magnetically interfering object causes a change in the magnetic field that is detected by one or more of the magnetic sensors. The change in magnetic field skews the calculation of the vehicle direction by the microprocessor. This may result in a wrong direction being displayed to the driver or passenger without the driver or passenger being aware of the inaccuracy.
Typical electronic compass assemblies attempt to detect magnetic interference by filtering the magnetic field data points that are used to determine the compass headings. These methods often include comparing a collected magnetic field data point to previous magnetic field data points. If the collected magnetic field data point deviates a predetermined amount from the previous magnetic field data points, a magnetic interference condition exists. Another method includes averaging several successive magnetic field data points and comparing a subsequently collected magnetic field data point to the average to identify a magnetic interference condition. Disadvantageously, these methods may inaccurately identify magnetic interference conditions because too few data points are used. Using only a few data points, it is difficult to distinguish what are actually momentary magnetic disturbances from longer term magnetic interference. This often results in a wrong vehicle heading being displayed.
Accordingly, there is a need for an electronic compass assembly that identifies whether a magnetic interference condition exists in order to avoid displaying a wrong direction or to warn the driver or passenger that the displayed direction is unreliable. This invention addresses those needs and provides enhanced capabilities while avoiding the shortcomings and drawbacks of the prior art.


A method and apparatus for enabling backward compatibility in open market handsets (OMH) is provided. The method may include determining a type of an identity module based on one or more internal parameters of the identity module, and obtaining one or more credentials based at least in part on the determined the type identity module.

1. Field
The disclosed aspects relate generally to communications between devices and specifically to methods and systems for enabling backward compatibility in open market handsets (OMH).
2. Background
Advances in technology have resulted in smaller and more powerful personal computing devices. For example, there currently exist a variety of portable personal computing devices, including wireless computing devices, such as portable wireless telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and paging devices that are each small, lightweight, and can be easily carried by users. More specifically, the portable wireless telephones, for example, further include cellular telephones that communicate voice and data packets over wireless networks. Further, many such cellular telephones are being manufactured with relatively large increases in computing capabilities, and as such, are becoming tantamount to small personal computers and hand-held PDAs.
Still further, devices may be configured as OMHs. Currently, the OMH initiative is strategic effort aimed at enabling CDMA ecosystem with an open market handset. 3GPP2 has two approved standards C.S0023 Rev D version 1.0 dated Jun. 19, 2009 (Removable User Identity Module for Spread Spectrum Systems) and C.S0065 Rev B version 1.0 dated Jan. 25, 2010 "cdma2000 Application on UICC for Spread Spectrum Systems". According to the standards, all CDMA ecosystem variables and features may be represented by Elementary Files in OMH/CDMA SIM (CSIM) cards. Each Elementary File has its own standardized structure and occupies certain amount of card memory. Further, C.S0023 compliant RUIM cards may have a master EF file (EF-CST: CDMA Service Table), which may indicate supportability of different services by a removable user identity module (RUIM) card. Still further, the OMH initiative has introduced a new revision (i.e. Rev D) of C.S0023 specification. However some operators provide services that are still based on C.S0023 Rev 0 and Rev B cards.
Thus, improved apparatus and methods for enabling backward compatibility in OMHs may be desired.

Methods and apparatus for enabling backward compatibility in open market handsets


Server side web based ad stitching and user specific optimization are disclosed. In various embodiments, a request for a page is received via a communication interface. A processor is used to provide an optimized version of the page at least in part by determining dynamically an optimized content element for the page based at least in part on a user attribute associated with the request and content performance data generated based at least in part on testing of alternative versions of the page with respect to other users having the user attribute.

The web runs slowly because conventionally pages are loaded via output pages from content management systems (CMS) with ad tags which are generally scripts that are loaded on the client's browser that then call other ad servers or ad tech that then inject ads, handle verification and other ad functions. This is all done on the client side so the web page loads slowly. Since ads are dynamically injected from third parties, ad blockers can block these ads by blocking calls to these third party servers.
Publishers also have a difficult time moving away from their CMS systems since they have built their operations and have their content loaded into systems that house the content and manage the layout and rendering of their pages.

Making real-time content selection decisions based on multivariate testing


A lottery ticket dispensing method provides an inventory of lottery tickets in an automated dispenser, the inventory comprising lottery tickets for a plurality of different lottery games. Upon a player making a selection of a lottery ticket from the dispenser, with a controller in communication with the dispenser, one or more companion lottery games for the lottery ticket selected by the player are assigned from the different lottery games in the inventory based on predefined filter values. The method verifies that the designated companion lottery games have lottery tickets available in the inventory and then presents one or more of the verified designated companion lottery games to the player as a suggestion or recommendation for an additional lottery ticket purchase.

Instant lottery tickets (e.g., "scratch-off" lottery tickets) are sold at many types of retail locations including, stores, such as grocery stores, general merchandise stores, and the like. Various configurations of lottery ticket dispensers have been proposed in the industry for this purpose, including automated electronic dispensers that automatically dispense a ticket from a bin or compartment upon receipt of an electronic command signal. These dispensers may be configured as self-serve vending dispensers wholly operated by the purchaser or clerk-operated dispensers located at a point of sale in the retail establishment. These dispensers are particularly beneficial in that they have enabled a broad and varied spectrum of different lottery games to be displayed and dispensed to players from a single machine.
The concept of automatically providing a potential purchaser with recommendations for purchase of one or more additional, related products based on the purchaser's particular selected product has become a well-established practice, particularly in the field of internet-based commerce. This sales practice can potentially generate significant increased sales for the vendor while being quite gratifying for the purchaser.
It would be a benefit to the lottery industry, particularly to the government-based lottery sponsors or providers who rely on lottery revenue for various projects, to incorporate the above-defined sales practice with the sale of lottery tickets via multi-bin automated dispensers in an efficient and reliable manner.
The present invention is directed to a system and method for dispensing lottery tickets from a dispenser, which may be an automated dispenser, with an additional purchase recommendation or suggestion to the player of one or more additional tickets that might be of interest the player.

Lottery ticket dispensing method and system with additional purchase recommendation capability


Provided are a digital photographing apparatus by which a clear image may be obtained despite shaking of the digital photographing apparatus during a photographing operation, a method of controlling the digital photographing apparatus, and a recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method. The digital photographing apparatus includes a data obtaining unit for obtaining first data of a first image captured using a long time exposure and obtaining second data of a second image captured using a short time exposure; a motion vector extraction unit for extracting a motion vector between a position of a subject in the first image and the position of the subject in the second image; a blurring determination unit for determining whether blurring exists in the first image; a subject location determination unit for determining whether the position of the subject in the first image is identical to the position of the subject in the second image; and a data combination unit for creating data having luminance data of the second data and having composite color data obtained by combining color data of the first and second data, as ultimate data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital photographing apparatus, a method of controlling the digital photographing apparatus, and a recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a digital photographing apparatus by which a clear image may be obtained despite shaking of the digital photographing apparatus during a photographing operation, a method of controlling the digital photographing apparatus, and a recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A digital photographing apparatus generally stores data of an image that is obtained by a photographing operation in a photographing mode. The image is generally stored into a storage medium, and the digital photographing apparatus displays the image on a display unit by using the data stored in the storage medium.
As digital photographing apparatuses have become widely popular in recent years, customers' demands for obtaining high-quality images have increased. However, a conventional digital photographing apparatus has a problem in that the clarity of a captured image is greatly reduced if the conventional digital photographing apparatus is shaken due to, for example, external vibrations or hand shaking. In particular, as a shutter speed is reduced under a low ambient light condition, an imaging device of the conventional digital photographing apparatus is exposed to light for a relatively long time. Accordingly, the possibility that the conventional digital photographing apparatus is shaken greatly increases while the imaging device is being exposed to light for a relatively long time. As a result, the clarity of the photographed image is greatly reduced.

Digital photographing apparatus, method of controlling the digital photographing apparatus, and recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method


A coupling apparatus to transfer a rotation force in a connected state. The apparatus has a first coupler having a first sloping rib formed at one end thereof and sloped in a rotation direction, and a second coupler having a second sloping rib formed at an inner circumference of the second coupler and sloped to correspond to the first sloping rib. The sloping ribs are connected by being pressed as the first coupler and the second coupler are relatively rotated, and rotation axes of the couplers coincide when the sloping ribs are completely connected.

This application claims the benefit of Korean Application No. 2001-57653, filed Sep. 18, 2001, in the Korean Industrial Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coupling apparatus to transfer power, and a development cartridge and an electrophotographic printer having the coupling apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an electrophotographic printer such as a laser printer or a copy machine has a development cartridge for forming an image. The development cartridge has a built-in toner cartridge for supplying toner, which is a development agent, and a rotatable photosensitive drum. The photosensitive drum forms an electrostatic latent image corresponding to a desired image by a light projected from a laser projection unit. In addition, a predetermined image is formed as toner supplied by toner supply means is clung to the formed electrostatic latent image. The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum is transferred to a paper passing through the photosensitive drum and a fixing roller and is printed.
The development cartridge is a disposable article that should be changed when the toner, which is filled inside, is consumed. Therefore, the development cartridge is removably connected with a printer body. Power can be transferred to the development cartridge from a predetermined driving unit of the printer body through a coupling apparatus when the development cartridge is installed in the printer body. In other words, the coupling apparatus for driving the photosensitive drum and a roller for supplying the toner are provided. One example of the conventional coupling apparatus is shown in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 1, the coupling apparatus has a slave coupler 2 disposed at one end of the photosensitive drum 1 of the development cartridge. The coupling apparatus also has a driving coupler 3 disposed in a direction of the driving unit for transferring the driving power to the slave coupler 2. The slave coupler 2 has bar-type ribs 2a that protrude at a predetermined interval of an inner circumference of a cylinder of the slave coupler. Moreover, the driving coupler 3 has bar-type ribs 3a that protrude at a predetermined interval at an outer circumference of a cylinder of the driving coupler 3. Accordingly, when the driving coupler 3 is inserted into the slave coupler 2, the ribs 3a are placed between each of the ribs 2a. When the driving coupler 3 is rotated, the ribs 3a and 2a contact each other, and the driving power of the driving coupler 3 is transferred to the slave coupler 2, thereby driving the development cartridge.
However, the above coupling apparatus has a gap between the slave coupler 2 and the driving coupler 3 due to errors generated during manufacturing and assembly. Specifically, the gap is generated between an inner diameter of the slave coupler 2 and an outer diameter of the driving coupler 3. Rotation centers of the couplers 2 and 3 might differ because of the gap. When the couplers 2 and 3 are rotated about different rotation centers, a rotation speed and a rotation force generated from the driving unit are not transferred exactly to the development cartridge. In this case, an accuracy of the image printed on the paper deteriorates as the rotation speed and the rotation force of the photosensitive drum vary.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a coupling apparatus having an improved structure to transmit a rotation power exactly, and a development cartridge, and an electrophotographic printer employing the coupling apparatus.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
The foregoing and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing a coupling apparatus including a first coupler having a first sloping rib formed at one end, being sloped in a rotation direction, and a second coupler having at least one second sloping rib formed at an inner circumference being sloped corresponding to the first sloping rib. Each sloping rib is relatively connected by being pressed as the first coupler and the second coupler are relatively rotated, and each coupler can be rotated together when each sloping rib is completely connected.
The foregoing and other objects of the present invention are also achieved by providing a development cartridge removably disposed at a printer main body of an electrophotographic printer including a driving motor and a first coupler to transfer a rotation force of the driving motor. The first coupler includes a tapered portion having an outer diameter gradually increasing from one end portion and a first sloping rib being sloped at an outer circumference of the tapered portion. The development cartridge includes a photosensitive drum rotatably disposed at a cartridge frame, and a second coupler disposed at one end of the photosensitive drum, and has an inner diameter that gradually reduces from an outside to an inside corresponding to the tapered portion and a second sloping rib corresponding to the first sloping rib. The first coupler is inserted into the second coupler as the first coupler is rotated, and a rotation force of the driving motor is transferred to the first coupler and the second coupler as the driving motor is rotated.
The foregoing and other objects of the present invention are also achieved by providing an electrophotographic printer including a main body and a development cartridge removably disposed at the main body. The electrophotographic printer further includes a driving motor, a rotation unit rotated by a rotation force transferred from the driving motor, a first coupler movably supported at the rotation unit and having a spiral type first sloping rib at one end, and a removable unit to connect and separate the development cartridge with and from the main body.
The development cartridge includes, a photosensitive drum, a development unit to develop the image on the photosensitive drum, and a second coupler having a second sloping rib for being coupled with the first sloping rib by being spirally formed at an inner circumference corresponding to the first sloping rib and being rotated. The rotation force of the driving motor is transferred from the rotation unit to the photosensitive drum according to a connection by a relative rotation of the first sloping rib and the second sloping rib.

Coupling apparatus, development cartridge and electrophotographic printer having the same


The clipping circuit has a voltage reference and a transconductance connected to a voltage input. The input is connected through the transconductance to an output resistor. The voltage output is taken between the output resistor and the transconductance. The voltage reference has a third current source feeding a diode connected transistor and a resistor. A second current source feeds into the resistor after the transistor. The base of the diode connected transistor is connected to the voltage input. The transconductance has a second transistor whose base is connected to the voltage input, collector sinks current from a fourth current source and emitter feeds current to a resistor. A first current source feeds current to a third transistor and to a current mirror. The base of the third transistor is connected between the fourth current source and the collector of the second transistor. The current mirror draws current from the output resistor and feeds current to between the emitter of the second transistor and its associated resistor. The transconductance creates a feed back loop such that a change in the first and second current sources creates a steady-state current drawn through the resistor that is one-half of the first current source current. The circuit produces symmetrical clipping of an input voltage signal at the voltage output.

Clipping is the limiting of the amplitude of an output signal when an input signal is above a given amplitude. Typically clipping occurs when the amplitude of the output signal reaches one of the supply rails, or an output stage driving transistor reaches its maximum output current by going into saturation or reaching maximum drive current.
For many applications, especially audio applications, it is desirable that clipping be performed symmetrically. Asymmetrical clipping introduces even harmonics to the output signal. Even harmonics do not naturally occur in audio signals and their presence can produce noticeable distortion for a listener.
Where clipping occurs as a result of the output signal amplitude reaching a supply rail at a different amplitude, with respect to the normal bias point of the output stage, from the amplitude at which the driving transistor reaches its maximum output current asymmetrical clipping will occur.
As a result, most output stages for applications where symmetrical clipping is desirable set the output stage bias point to be midway between one supply rail and the output voltage when the driving amplifier reaches its maximum output current. Typically, an output stage will consist of a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) amplifier whose emitter is connected to one supply rail and whose collector is connected through a resistor to the other supply rail. The input to the output stage is a current at the base of the transistor, while the output of the output stage is at the collector of the transistor. The only factor limiting upward signal excursion, assuming the other supply rail is a positive supply rail, is the difference between the bias point at the output and the positive supply rail. This difference is easily controlled. On the other hand the factors limiting downward signal excursion are the current gain of the amplifier, the driving current at the base of the amplifier and the saturation point of the amplifier. These factors are processing sensitive and interdependent. In order to obtain substantially symmetrical clipping each factor is set up at the time of processing and cannot be adjusted thereafter. In order to change the amount of clipping it is necessary to have separately processed circuits with each of the factors set for each desired clipping level.


A disk brake, preferably a compressed air operated disk brake, comprising a caliper which encompasses the brake disk, and an actuating device which is arranged on one side of the brake disk and provided with a pivotally mounted rotary lever. The rotary lever acts upon a cross member which can be displaced in relation to the disk brake on an eccentric device provided with a pressure element. The invention is characterized in that the at least one pressure element of the eccentric device forms a spherical element.

The invention relates to a disk brake, preferably a compressed air (pneumatic) operated disk brake, comprising a caliper which encompasses the brake disk, and an actuating device which features a rotary lever supported on pivot bearings. The actuating device is arranged on one side of the brake disk. The rotary lever rests against an eccentric device featuring a pressure element and acts directly or indirectly upon a cross member, which can be displaced in relation to the brake disk.
In generic disk brakes, the transmission of forces occurs when the brake cylinder is operated through a rod, which acts upon the rotary lever. The rotary lever is supported in the caliper housing by means of a pivot bearing. A cylindrical pivot-bearing shaft of an eccentric device is arranged in a recess in the rotary lever offset against the axis of rotation. Pivoting of the rotary lever causes a spring-loaded cross member to be displaced transversely relative to the surface of the brake disk. On the side facing away from the brake disk, this cross member engages at least one rotary spindle with a pressure plate, which presses against the brake shoe when the brake is operated, so that the brake lining contacts the brake disk. The generic disk brake can be executed as a single-spindle device or as a double-spindle device.
In known disk brakes, the moveable components, particularly the support of the eccentric device and the rotary lever against the housing, are to some extent executed as maintenance-free plain bearing half liners or as roller bearings. The rotary lever is supported in semi-cylindrical plain bearing half liners in the area of the housing facing away from the brake disk. The eccentric bearing is supported eccentrically to the bearing of the rotary lever in a semi-cylindrical recess in the rotary lever. A roller bearing in the form of a semi-cylindrical liner is inserted into this recess. Force is transmitted through the cylindrical shaft.
When the disk brake is operated, transverse forces develop due to the diagonal running of the bearings, which is caused by tolerances and by deformations linked to operating conditions, as well as by the vibration stress occurring during vehicle operation and the resulting forces of gravity. Consequently, corresponding locking elements for the rotary lever and for the cylindrical pressure elements arranged in the ball cups are needed to transmit the transverse forces. In addition, mechanically tooled guide surfaces are also necessary. The guide surfaces and locking elements not only increase production costs, but also increase the complexity of assembly of the disk brake. In addition, susceptibility to failure is increased.
Consequently, the underlying problem behind the invention is to design a compressed air operated disk brake using a simple design, so that the transverse forces occurring upon operation of the brake can be transmitted without locking elements and without guide surfaces. In addition, the disk brake should continue to exhibit high stability under load and should be designed in compact form.
This problem is solved by providing a disk brake wherein at least one pressure element of the eccentric device is designed to be essentially spherical or oval-, and/or barrel- or bale-shaped, thus comprising a spherical pressure element.
The transverse forces occurring during the braking process are now no longer removed by means of additional locking elements and the guide surfaces that are necessary as a result, but rather through the spherical pressure elements themselves. Consequently, the design can be manufactured in an especially cost-efficient manner, due to the reduction in the number of components, and, furthermore, is easily assembled. As the number of components is reduced in comparison to known designs, susceptibility to failure is reduced.
An especially advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterized by the fact that the spherical pressure elements are supported in essentially dome-shaped plain bearing half liners, which, in a structurally simple manner, interact with the spherical pressure elements to absorb the transverse forces that occur. The spherical pressure elements or their plain bearing half liners can be inserted into essentially dome-shaped recesses in the bridge or cross member and the rotary lever or in the caliper and the rotary lever.
Various embodiments of the invention can be formed. According to a first exemplary embodiment, the bridge acts upon a single rotary spindle with a pressure plate essentially centered in the bridge, wherein the cross member runs at an angle to the rotary spindle and is supported on the rotary lever by one of the spherical pressure elements on each side of the rotary spindle.
Alternatively, it is contemplated that the cross member acts upon a single rotary spindle essentially centered in the bridge, wherein the bridge runs on both sides of the pressure element and engages the rotary lever, which is supported by the spherical pressure elements on the caliper.
In addition to the single-spindle embodiments, corresponding double-spindle designs can also be used. Thus, for example, it is advantageous if the cross member acts upon two pressure plates and/or rotary spindles arranged in parallel to one another, wherein the cross member is supported by at least two of the spherical pressure elements on the rotary lever. Alternatively, the cross member acts upon two pressure plates and/or rotary spindles arranged in parallel to one another, wherein the cross member contacts the rotary lever through a pivot bearing, which is supported by at least one of the spherical pressure elements on the caliper.
The plain bearings are easily fixed in place by attaching or molding at least one peg or protrusion, to secure against torsion, to the sides of each of the dome-shaped plain bearing half liners facing the recesses, with the peg or protrusion engaging a correspondingly shaped pocket hole in the bridge/cross member or the part of the caliper or the rotary lever facing away from the brake disk.
The protrusion can also be designed to accept a lubricant, as either a hollow peg or hollow protrusion, which is open to the bearing surface of the ball cup.
As the number of components is reduced in comparison to known designs, the invention also reduces susceptibility to failure. Normally, it is not necessary to feature all plain bearing half liners as ball cups. Rather it is sufficient to feature at least one plain bearing half liner in this form. In another embodiment, it is provided that at least one of the spherical pressure elements is inserted with a positive fit into the corresponding ball cup, while the remaining roller bearings are moveably inserted into the dome-shaped plain bearing half liners. This guarantees axial locking. However, tolerances and deformations linked to operating conditions can be absorbed in the corresponding components, as there is a predetermined and limited mobility of the components inserted in the dome-shaped plain bearing half liner. The dome-shaped plain bearing half liners are advantageously oval-shaped for moveable acceptance of the eccentric device and/or the roller bearings. However, there is relatively little play.
The spherical pressure elements can be cost-efficiently designed as roller bearings, which are commercially available from relevant manufacturers. They generally provide extremely high surface quality, as the maximum peak-to-valley height is two one-thousandths of a millimeter (0.002 mm). The dome-shaped plain bearing half liners are preferably manufactured from a suitable, highly stress-resistant, plain bearing half liner material (e.g., a composite bearing with polymer sliding coating). Alternatively, the dome-shaped plain bearing half liner can also be made of graphite.
Alternatively, a suitable plain bearing material can be applied directly to the surface of the dome-shaped liner for acceptance of the ball, e.g., in the form of a sliding sheet.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Pneumatic disk brake with pressure elements

Knorr-Bremse Systeme fuer Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH


A container-outer-periphery pool in which water is stored is provided between a primary containment vessel and a reactor building, and outside of a pressure suppression pool. Consequently, the natural heat transfer capabilities of reactor facilities is enhanced, and the inherent safety of the reactor facilities is improved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a primary containment vessel for enveloping the core of a nuclear reactor constituted by a light water reactor of the boiling water type, and, more particularly, to a primary containment vessel which permits improvement of its inherent safety through a static cooling system replacing a pressure suppression pool water cooling system and of the economic efficiency by streamlining facilities and equipment.
In addition, the present invention relates to a natural heat-radiating type primary containment vessel which is suitable for cooling the primary containment vessel and/or reducing the emission of radioactive substances at the time of the loss of a coolant.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a natural heat-radiating type primary containment vessel which is suitable for removing to outside the system by a natural force over an extended period of time thermal energy which is produced by core decay heat released to the primary containment vessel at the time of an emergency when the loss of a coolant has occurred.
The present invention also relates to a nuclear power plant provided with a condensate storage pool in a reactor building.
The present invention also relates to a primary containment vessel reinforcing ring which is suitable for cooling the inside of a primary containment vessel at the time of the occurrence of damage to the piping in the primary containment vessel.
Moreover, the present invention relates to a natural circulation-type nuclear reactor, and, more particularly, to a natural circulation-type nuclear reactor provided with an emergency reactor cooling system which is suitable for use in a boiling water reactor and capable of assuring the cooling of a core by such as maintaining the core immersing water over an extended period of time at the time of the occurrence of a loss-of-coolant accident and/or at the time of an emergency when control rods cannot be inserted.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an example of the prior art, there is a primary containment vessel having a pressure suppression of boiling water reactor facilities, as shown in FIG. 20.
A primary containment vessel 201 envelops a reactor pressure vessel 202, and the upper space therein surrounding the reactor pressure vessel 202 is called a dry well 203, while a container disposed at a lower portion thereof and filled with pool water 204 is called a pressure suppression 205.
The dry well 203 and the pressure suppression 205 are constructed such as to communicate with each other by means of a vent pipe 206. An open end of the vent pipe 206 is immersed in the water of a pressure suppression pool 204 stored in the pressure suppression 205.
In the dry well 203 are disposed the piping containing a high-temperature and high-pressure coolant, machines and instruments of a primary system of the reactor, in addition to the reactor pressure vessel 202. Furthermore, containment spray headers 207 for spray the cooling water are provided in the container 201.
In addition, a residual heat removal pump 208, a residual heat removal system heat exchanger 209 for removing residual heat, and piping from the pressure suppression pool to the spray header 207 via these machines are provided to supply the cooling water to the spray head 207. Furthermore, piping for returning the cooling water from the heat exchanger 209 for removing residual heat to the pressure suppression pool 204 is also provided. Incidentally, reference numeral 210 denotes a building constituting a biological shield.
If an emergency is assumed to have occurred in which the piping of the primary system of the reactor is fractured, the high-temperature, high-pressure coolant of the primary system of the reactor is released into water is led to the pressure suppression pools 204 via the vent pipes 206. The released steam is cooled and condensed in the pressure suppression pools 204, thereby suppressing an internal pressure rise of the dry well 203.
When the efflux of the coolant from a fracture is completed, the high-temperature and high-pressure steam inside the primary containment vessel 201 is condensed by operating the spray headers 207, which causes the internal pressure of the primary containment vessel 201 to decrease rapidly.
When the water temperature of the pressure suppression pools 204 rises by the blow-down of steam, the pressure suppression pool water is cooled by the heat exchangers 209 for removing residual heat.
As described above, should the piping of the primary system of the reactor be fractured, when the accident takes place over a short period, the conventional primary containment vessel 201 attains the suppression of pressure by condensation of steam in the water of the pressure suppression pools 204. Meanwhile, when the accident takes place over a long period, the primary containment vessel 201 attains the suppression of pressure by condensation of steam by sprinkling from the spray headers 207 and inhibits a temperature rise of the water of the pressure suppression pool. Since the pressure suppression function in the pressure suppression pool 204 in the former case is constituted by the guiding function of the vent pipes 206 alone, this pressure suppression function is sufficient in ensuring inherent safety as well. On the other hand, to cool the primary containment vessel 201 over a long period of time and cool the pressure suppression pools 204, such dynamic machines as the residual heat removal system pumps 208, the heat exchangers 209, electrically-operated valves, etc., become necessary.
In the above-described conventional example, it has been necessary to retain in the pressure suppression pools a large quantity of water for cooling and condensing steam released at the time of a loss-of-coolant accident, and the heat exchangers for removing residual heat have been necessary for cooling the pressure suppression pools over a long period of time.
In addition, in the primary containment vessel of a boiling water reactor of the above-described conventional art, a residual heat removal system is provided to cope with the removal of core decay heat over a long period of time after the ECCS is operated subsequent to the accident of loss of the coolant and after the core is submerged with water. As a result, there have been drawbacks in that the costs become high, that the pool water containing fission products is led outside the primary containment vessel, and that it is troublesome to carry out, somewhat periodically, the operation test of dynamic machines such as pumps and heat exchangers to check the operation of the machines installed.
In contrast to the pressure suppression pool water-cooling system employing the configuration of dynamic machines and facilities such as the one described above, if as static a heat removing system as possible can be devised as a system having a similar cooling function in place of the facilities which dynamically function, such as rotary equipment, including pumps, large heat exchangers, and large piping loops, it is considered that substantial improvement will be made in the safety and reliability of the system per se through a reduction in the functional requirements for dynamic structural parts, and that the economic efficiency of the plant will be enhanced in conjunction with the streamlining of the facilities per se. As a prior art concerning a cooling system for a primary containment vessel employing such a static system, it is possible to cite a primary containment vessel cooling system based on a heat pipe system disclosed in, for instance, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No.) 125483/1980.
The arrangement of this system is such that a multiplicity of cylindrical heat pipes with a low-boiling-point liquid sealed therein are installed on the outer surface of a dry well steel plate of the primary containment vessel This is a heat removing system in which heat retained in a gas inside the container dry well is statically allowed to escape to outside the primary containment vessel via these heat pipes. It is technically feasible to apply the heat pipes of this idea to the above-described water cooling system of the container pressure suppression pools, and a static safety cooling system can be arranged. However, since the heat pipes with the low-boiling-point liquid incorporated therein are installed as a large-scale structure, the heat pipes substantially affect as obstructions the layout of facilities installed on the outer biological shield wall of the primary containment vessel and an external space thereof. In addition, the structure of this system is bound to become large in size in view of the requirements of antiseismic design are an important facility relating to a safety system. Thus, this system has numerous problems in terms of its facilities, its structure does not have an economic advantage, with the result the system is not very realistic.
As another example of the prior art relating to a similar primary containment vessel cooling system, it is possible to cite a system disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 11689/1984 in which the primary containment vessel is filled with a liquid by filling the space between a primary containment vessel concrete wall and a liner with the liquid. In this system, however, the gap between the concrete wall and the liner is 2 mm or thereabout, and since the gap is too small to statically cool the pressure suppression pool water with the liquid of this pertinent portion, a circulating flow of the cooling external liquid does not occur. Consequently, this system is so unrealistic that a high static cooling efficiency cannot be obtained, and that it is impossible to expect its effect.
A conventional boiling water reactor plant disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent No. 137596/1979 has a condensate storage tank installed outdoors of a reactor building such as to be adjacent to the reactor building and a turbine building. This condensate storage tank is used as a water source for a fuel pool replenishing water system, and a control rod driving hydraulic system, as well as for adjustment of the holding water quantity. In addition, the condensate storage tank is also used as a water source for a cooling system at the time of isolation of the reactor as well as a high-pressure core spraying system, both of which are safety systems.
In a conventional boiling water reactor plant, the condensate storage tank is installed on an antiseismic foundation mat (concrete mat). For this reason, a large amount of concrete is required in structuring a special antiseismic mat described above, so that a long period of time has been necessary in constructing the entire foundation mat of a boiling water reactor plant.
As a structure for injecting cooling water into a primary containment vessel by making use of gravity at the time of a loss-of-coolant accident, a nuclear reactor disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 69289/1982 is proposed. As shown in FIG. 21, this reactor is arranged as follows: A core 211 is disposed in such a manner that a cooling water level 213a formed in a cooling water tank 213 is located above a cooling water level 212 formed in a reactor pressure vessel 202 incorporating the core 211. At the time when a loss-of-coolant accident has occurred, separation valves 215, 216 in a piping 214 communicating with a vapor phase portion of the reactor pressure vessel 202 and a cooling water tank 213 are opened to set the pressure of the two spaces at the same level. A pressure relief valve 218 is provided between a main steam pipe 217 and a pressure suppression 205. At the time of an accident when the coolant has been lost, steam inside the reactor pressure vessel 202 is released to a pressure suppression pool 204 via the pressure relief valve 218 so as to decrease the pressure. When the internal pressure of the reactor pressure vessel 202 has been decreased and dropped below that of the cooling water tank 213, separation valves 220, 221 of a piping 219 communicating with the bottom of the cooling water tank 213 and the reactor pressure vessel 202 are opened so as to supply the cooling water contained in the cooling water tank 213 into the reactor pressure vessel 202 by virtue of the operation of gravity.
In addition, the pressure suppression 205 is located above the cooling water level 212 formed inside the reactor pressure vessel 202 so as to be able to constitute an emergency core cooling system of the gravity dropping type. At the time of a loss-of-coolant accident, with the opening of a valve 222, the pool water 204 in the pressure suppression 205 is led into the reactor pressure vessel 202 by means of gravity. A similar structure of a nuclear reactor is disclosed at page 13 of Nuclear Engineering Vol. 31, No. 383 (June, 1986) as well.
This example of the prior art is provided with the pressure suppression 205 above the liquid level 212 inside the reactor pressure vessel 202. At the time of a loss-of-coolent accident, when the supply of the pool water 204 to the reactor pressure vessel 202 by the action of gravity is completed, there is a possibility that the pool water 204 inside the pressure suppression disappears. For this reason, the capabilities of condensing steam introduced by a vent pipe 223 disadvantageously decline.


A method and apparatus of driving a liquid crystal display device that is adaptive for preventing a deterioration of picture quality. More specifically, a method of driving a liquid crystal display includes dividing input data into most significant bit data and least significant bit data, delaying the most significant bit data for one frame period, and modulating the most significant bit data in accordance with a difference between the delayed most significant bit data and the current most significant bit data, wherein the modulated data have a data width not wider than that of the input data and not narrower than that of the most significant bit data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for driving a liquid crystal display. Although the present invention is suitable for a wide scope of applications, it is particularly suitable for preventing a deterioration of picture quality.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, a liquid crystal display (LCD) controls a light transmittance of each liquid crystal cell in accordance with a video signal, thereby displaying a picture. An active matrix LCD including a switching device for each liquid crystal cell is suitable for displaying a moving picture. The active matrix LCD uses a thin film transistor (TFT) as a switching device.
The LCD has a disadvantage in that it has a slow response time due to inherent characteristics of a liquid crystal, such as a viscosity and an elasticity, etc. Such characteristics can be explained by using the following equations (1) and (2):τr∝γd2/Δ∈|Va2−VF2|  (1)where τr represents a rising time when a voltage is applied to a liquid crystal; Δ∈ is a dielectric anisotropy; Va is an applied voltage; VF represents a Freederick transition voltage at which liquid crystal molecules begin to perform a tilt motion; d is a cell gap of liquid crystal cells; and γ is a rotational viscosity of the liquid crystal molecules.τf∝γd2/K  (2)wherein τf represents a falling time at which a liquid crystal is returned into the initial position by an elastic restoring force after a voltage applied to the liquid crystal was turned off, and K is an elastic constant.
A twisted nematic (TN) mode liquid crystal has a different response time due to physical characteristics of the liquid crystal and a cell gap, etc. Typically, the TN mode liquid crystal has a rising time of 20 to 80 ms and a falling time of 20 to 30 ms. Since such a liquid crystal has a response time longer than one frame interval (i.e., 16.67 ms in the case of NTSC system) of a moving picture, a moving picture is displayed with a brightness lower than the corresponding value of video data VD as in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional LCD cannot express a desired color and brightness. Upon implementation of a moving picture, a display brightness BL fails to arrive at a target brightness corresponding to a change of the video data VD from one level to another level due to its slow response time. Accordingly, a motion-blurring phenomenon appears from the moving picture and a display quality is deteriorated in the LCD due to a reduction in a contrast ratio.
In order to overcome such a slow response time of the LCD, U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,265 and PCT International Publication No. WO99/05567 have suggested to modulate data in accordance with a difference in the data by using a look-up table (hereinafter referred to as high-speed driving method). This high-speed driving method allows data to be modulated by a principle as shown in FIG. 2.
Referring to FIG. 2, a conventional high-speed driving method modulates input data VD and applies the modulated data MVD to the liquid crystal cell, thereby obtaining a desired brightness MBL. This high-speed driving method modulates |Va2−VF2| from the above equation (1) on the basis of a differene of the data so that a desired brightness can be obtained in response to a brightness value of the input data within one frame interval, thereby rapidly reducing a response time of the liquid crystal. Accordingly, the LCD employing such a high-speed driving method compensates for a slow response time of the liquid crystal by modulating a data value in order to alleviate a motion-blurring phenomenon in a moving picture, thereby displaying a picture at desired color and brightness.
In other words, the high-speed driving method compares most significant bit data MSB of the previous frame Fn−1 and the current frame Fn, respectively. If there is any difference between the most significant bit data MSB, it selects a modulated data and modulates as in FIG. 3.
When the most significant bit data MSB is limited to 4 bits, a look-up table in the high-speed driving method is implemented by the following tables:
TABLE 101234567891011121314150023456791012131415151515101345678101213141515151520024567810121314151515153001356781011131415151515400134678911121314151515500123578911121314151515600123468910121314151515700123457910111314151515800123456810111214151515900123456791112131415151000123456781012131415151100123456789111314151512001234567891012141515130012334567810111315151400123345678911121415150001233456789111315
TABLE 2016324864809611212814416017619220822424000324864809611214416019220822424024024024016016486480961121281601922082242402402402403200326480961121281601922082242402402402404800164880961121281601762082242402402402406400164864961121281441761922082242402402408000163248801121281441761922082242402402409600163248649612814416019220822424024024011200163248648011214416017620822424024024012800163248648096128160176192224240240240144001632486480961121441761922082242402401600016324864809611212816019220822424024017600163248648096112128144176208224240240192001632486480961121281441601922242402402080016324848648096112128160176208240240224001632484864809611212814417619222424024000016324848648096112128144176208240
In the above tables, a left column is a data voltage VDn-1 of the previous frame Fn-1 while an uppermost row is a data voltage VDn of the current frame Fn. Table 1 is a look-up table information in which the most significant bits (i.e., 20, 21, 22 and 23) are expressed by a decimal number format. Table 2 is a look-up table information in which weighting values (i.e., 24 25, 26 and 27) of the most significant 4 bits are applied to a 8-bit data.
In order to reduce the volume of the look-up table, only the most significant bit MSB is modulated. A high-speed driving apparatus is implemented in such a way as in FIG. 4.
Referring to FIG. 4, the conventional high-speed driving apparatus includes a frame memory 43 connected to a most significant bit bus line 42, and a look-up table 44 commonly connected to output terminals of the most significant bit bus line 42 and the frame memory 43.
The frame memory 43 stores the most significant bit data MSB for a frame period, and supplies the stored data to the look-up table. The most significant bit data MSB herein is set to most significant 4 bits among a source data RGB Data In having 8 bits.
The look-up table 44 compares the most significant bit data MSB of the current frame Fn inputted from the most significant bit bus line 42 with the most significant bit data MSB of the previous frame Fn-1 inputted from the frame memory 43, to select and output the corresponding modulated data Mdata. The modulated most significant bit data is added with least significant bit data LSB from a least significant bit bus line 41 prior to sending to the liquid crystal display.
The high-speed driving method and device, which modulates only 4 bits of the most significant bit data MSB occupies relatively a small volume since the data width of the frame memory 43 and the look-up table is 4 bits. Thus, the value of the modulated data registered at the look-up table 44 is limited only to the possible value in the 4 bits as shown in the table 1 and table 2.
Consequently, as shown in FIG. 5, it deviates at the gray level part, indicated by arrows, between the gray level of the data inputted in real and the gray level of the modulated data. As a result, the brightness is changed as much as the deviated portions. In other words, the modulated data should be set more than 4 bits to implement a natural looking moving picture. Nonetheless, since the data width of the look-up table is limited to 4 bits, the modulated data is set to less than 4 bits. As a result, a brightness difference becomes even bigger when a difference between the real gray levels is small.

Method and apparatus for driving liquid crystal display


A rotary device for welding a continuous web comprises a rotary unit rotating about a respective axis and welding units for welding the web mounted, angularly spaced, on the rotary unit. A movement device varies a radial position of the welding units. First and second supporting elements supporting the web are disposed, respectively, upstream and downstream of respective ones of the welding units, to keep the web tensioned when the respective welding unit is at an operating position. The first and second supporting elements are supported by a load-bearing structure connected to the welding units in such a way that a radial movement of the welding units corresponds to a movement of the first and second supporting elements towards and away from the axis.

This invention relates to a rotary welding device and to the related method.
In particular, the device according to this invention is configured to weld a continuous web along a direction transverse to the web feed direction according to a predetermined weld spacing.
For example, the device of this invention is configured to weld a continuous web to make absorbent articles or diapers, in particular to weld the side gathers of diaper pants.
In other embodiments, the device of this invention is configured for welding a continuous web for making packages for food and confectionery products such as chocolates or candies; beverage bottles and brick packs; pouches containing solid, liquid and semi-solid food products; products of the tobacco industry, products of the cosmetic industry, products of the pharmaceutical industry and products of the personal and home care industry.
In particular, the continuous web can be used to make packs or pouches for containing liquid or solid products.
Prior art apparatuses for welding absorbent articles typically comprise a rotary part on whose peripheral surface is placed the continuous web of absorbent articles to be welded.
A plurality of welding units are configured to weld the continuous web while the rotary part rotates through a predetermined circular arc.
The welding units are angularly spaced from each other about the axis of rotation of the rotary part.
The angular distance between one welding unit and the welding unit adjacent to it determines the weld spacing of the continuous web.
With reference to the continuous web, the weld spacing is defined by the linear distance between two distinct welds, one after the other in the longitudinal direction of extension of the web.
To optimize costs, there is a growing need to use the same rotary welding device to make different product formats by varying the weld spacing.
In order to vary the weld spacing of the device, it is necessary to vary the radial position of the welding units relative to the axis of rotation of the rotary element, in such a way as to determine a working circumference along which a desired weld spacing is obtained.
Varying the working circumference means varying the circular arc between each welding unit and the welding unit adjacent to it. The elements that support the continuous web must be disposed along that circular arc to ensure tensioning the portion of the web that will be welded by a respective welding unit.
In this context, the need was felt to develop elements for supporting the continuous web which are capable of responding to the variation in the working circumference without the operator having to intervene manually, avoiding the need to remove and reassemble parts manually and thus speeding up operations and ensuring the portions of the continuous web to be welded are correctly tensioned.
In effect, it should be borne in mind that when parts are removed manually during a format changeover performed manually, the continuous web disposed on the supporting elements must be cut and, after reassembling the parts, the continuous web must be wound onto the supporting elements once again.
In practice, the work involved makes this an extremely time-consuming operation.
As regards varying the working circumference, the need is felt to be able to vary this circumference uninterruptedly in order to be able to make standard and non-standard formats.

Rotary welding device and related method


A superconductor exemplarily described herein includes a superconducting material containing vortex pinning centers and non-magnetic disorders formed in the superconducting material. The superconductor described herein is suitable for use in magnet applications and power transmission.

1. Field of Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to superconductors and methods for manufacturing the same. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to a superconductor with high magnetic field properties, and to a method for enhancing high magnetic field properties of a superconductor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently Nb—Ti alloy and Nb3Sn are mostly used to produce high field magnets. Recently discovered 39K superconductor MgB2 has great potential for magnets, which has been intensively investigated (see C. Buzea and T. Yamashita, "Review of the Superconducting Properties of MgB2", Supercond. Sci. Technol. 15, R115-R146 (2001)). For power transmission superconducting cables, made of the high Tc cuprates, are under development (see W. Buckel and R. Kleiner, "Superconductivity", Wiley-VCH, Weinheim (2004), p. 382).
For magnet applications and power transmission, superconducting materials should have high critical current densities at high magnetic fields, due to strong vortex pinning or flux pinning. Nb—Ti alloy and Nb3Sn show good pinning properties. Nevertheless, for special scientific applications, such as accelerator applications, the high field properties of these materials may need to be enhanced more. Furthermore, MgB2, which can be used near 20K, does not exhibit good pinning properties.
Pinning properties of superconducting materials can be enhanced by adding impurities, columnar defects, artificial pins, and nano-particles, mechanical alloying, introducing grain boundaries and precipitates, and applying radiation damage (see W. Buckel and R. Kleiner, "Superconductivity", Wiley-VCH, Weinheim (2004), p. 282). Changing the preparation conditions of samples also induces the disorder, leading to the enhancement of high field properties. These methods basically introduce the flux pinning centers into superconductors without reducing the critical temperature Tc significantly. Most progress has been made empirically, by trial and error, because there is no reliable microscopic theory on the vortex pinning due to disorder, in general (see W. Buckel and R. Kleiner, "Superconductivity", Wiley-VCH, Weinheim (2004), p. 284).
From a physical point of view, the above pinning centers essentially produce the electric potential fluctuations, leading to the electron density fluctuations. Since the electron-phonon interaction, the deriving force of superconductivity, favors the electron density correlations (see Mi-Ae Park and Yong-Jihn Kim, "Weak localization effect in superconductors from radiation damage", Phys. Rev. B 61, 14733 (2000)), these pinning sites may favor the flux penetration, destroying superconductivity locally but allowing superconductivity overall, at high magnetic fields in type II superconductors. In short, these known techniques employ electric potential fluctuations, i.e., electric properties, to produce the pinning centers in superconductors. However, superconductivity near these pinning centers is destroyed due to the global energy minimization in the presence of flux penetration, rather than due to the local electric potential fluctuations. In other words, these potential fluctuations are not strong enough to destroy the superconductivity locally and therefore may not be the most desirable pinning centers.
In Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) apparatus, the superconducting magnet forms a crucial part, because it dictates the operating temperature and the available magnetic field strength. Currently, Nb—Ti and Nb3Sn magnets are mostly used. However, the low transition temperature Tc of these materials requires liquid helium, which leads to the high cost of the MRI and NMR apparatus and maintenance. Therefore, it is highly desirable to find a higher Tc material for magnets of MRI and related NMR apparatus, which does not require expensive liquid helium.
In 2001, Akimitsu et al. found that MgB2 is a superconductor with Tc=39K (see J. Nagamatsu et al., Nature, volume 410 (2001), p. 63-64). Due to high Tc, low cost, and good mechanical properties, MgB2 has great potential for magnet applications. Indeed, in November 2006, the first MgB2 magnet-based MRI was introduced by ASG Superconductors, Paramed Medical Systems, and Columbus Superconductors. The operating temperature of 20K was achieved using two cryocoolers, without using any cryogenic liquid. However, the MgB2 magnet produced only 0.5 T, limiting the marketability of the MgB2 magnet-based MRI, because the current Nb—Ti and Nb3Sn magnet-based MRI can produce 3 T at 4K using the liquid helium. High magnetic fields provide better images because the resolution of the image depends on the square of the strength of the magnetic field (see E. M. Haake, R. W. Brown, M. R. Thomson, and R. Venkatesan, "Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Physical Principles and Sequence Design", (Wiley-Liss, New York, 1999), p. 6).
For magnet applications, superconducting materials should have high critical current densities at high magnetic fields, due to strong vortex or flux pinning. However, MgB2 does not show good pinning properties. Therefore, additives can be introduced into MgB2 to enhance the vortex or flux pinning. For example, typical additives include: C (see S. X. Dou et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, (2003) p. 4996), Al (see A. Berenov et al., Cond-mat/0405567 (2004)), SiC (S. X. Dou et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, (2002) p. 3419), Ti, Zr (see Y. Zhao et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 79 (2001) p. 1154), Si (see X. L. Wang et al., Physica C 385 (2003) p. 461), Y2O3 (see J. Wang et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 81 (2002) p. 2026), and Mg(B,O) precipitates (see Eom et al., Nature 411 (2001) p. 558). Although considerable progress has been made, more progress is required for MgB2 to be used for high field magnets.

Superconductor with enhanced high magnetic field properties, manufacturing method thereof, and MRI apparatus comprising the same


Techniques for capability and behavior signatures are described. In one or more embodiments, various data describing the capabilities and behaviors of a client is collected. The collected data is analyzed to generate a signature that is indicative of whether the client is operated by a human or a non-human. Selective access to resources is provided to the client based at least in part on the signature that is generated.

Through the Internet, web providers have made many types of web-based resources freely available to users, such as email accounts, search services, and instant messaging. Unfortunately, malicious entities may take advantage of freely available resources to use them for illegitimate and undesirable purposes, such as spamming, web attacks, and distribution of malicious software applications. To frustrate the efforts of these malicious entities, Human Interactive Proofs (HIPs) have been employed to selectively provide access to resources when the HIP determines that a given interaction came from a human. Doing so creates barriers to malicious entities that make use of automated systems to abuse or overuse freely available resources.
One traditional technique for a human interactive proof involves presenting a text-based puzzle. This technique involves challenging a computing device (e.g., a client) with a text-based puzzle when the computing device attempts to access resources. Typically, the answer to the puzzle is text within the puzzle that has been obfuscated in some manner to make it difficult for a computer to recognize. Recently, improvements in optical character recognition (OCR) as well as malicious attacks from "sweatshops" have all but defeated the viability of the traditional text-based puzzles for HIP. Accordingly, some traditional HIP techniques may no longer be capable of creating a successful barrier to malicious entities.


Polymer suspensions prepared with non-aqueous, oil-free carrier fluids, for use in oil or gas well servicing. The polymer suspensions typically comprise a hydrophilic polymer, an organic clay, a stabilizer, and a carrier fluid selected from propylene glycol and butylene glycol. The addition of isopropyl alcohol, a polar activator, lowers the viscosity of the suspension. The further addition of neopentyl glycol further lowers viscosity and improves cross-linking of the polymer. The composition is both stable and environmentally acceptable.

Thickened aqueous fluids, such as drilling fluids, are widely used in oil field operations for fracturing and for well servicing, such as drilling, workover and completion. The aqueous fluids typically have high viscosities and are able to minimize solvent loss. They often contain a hydrophilic polymer dissolved in a solvent, such as water. The water-soluble polymers most often used are polysaccharides, guar and guar derivatives, cellulosics and cellulosic derivatives, xanthan gum, modified starches, polyvinylsaccharides, and similar biopolymers. The hydrophilic polymers act to thicken the fluids; crosslinking agents and additives such as surfactants may also be used. The polymer can be offered as a powder or as a suspension in a carrier fluid such as No. 2 diesel oil. Polymers in powder form must first be dispersed so that individual particles can absorb water in order to prevent the formation of lumps. As a result, polymers in suspensions have been developed for delivery to work sites, and they are usually preferred over polymers in powder form. Such suspensions tend to disperse well when added to water.
The carrier fluid used to suspend the polymer is an important choice. A typical concentrated suspension uses guar or guar derivatives dispersed in a hydrophobic solvent, such as No. 2 diesel, in combination with a suspension agent and a surfactant, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,800,593 to Dobson, Jr. et al. However, such oil-based drilling fluids are not biodegradable and have fallen into disfavor due to environmental concerns.
Recent patents that describe alternative carrier fluids include U.S. Pat. No. 6,620,769 to Juppe et al., which uses white mineral oil as the carrier fluid; U.S. Pat. No. 6,667,354 to Fox et al., which uses carboxylic acid ester as the carrier fluid; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,199,084 to Parris, which uses a "biodiesel" (any of the mono alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids) or a "mutual solvent" (such as ethylene glycol monobutyl ether and hexylene glycol).
The choice of a carrier fluid involves a variety of issues, including cost of the chemicals, toxicity, viscosity of the suspension, cross-linking considerations, and, most importantly, the stability of the suspension. Ideally, a carrier fluid will aid in the production of a polymer suspension that is water soluble, environmentally acceptable, cost effective, low in effective viscosity, and stable for long periods of time to allow for storage and transportation of the suspension to the field.

Environmentally acceptable polymer suspensions for oil field applications