Methods of treatment to suppress an immune response are provided. The method comprises administering to a subject in need of treatment a naked blocking antibody that binds selectively iNKT cells in an amount effective to suppress the subject's iNKT cell function. Compositions comprising, an isolated, humanized antibody that binds selectively iNKT cells are also provided.

Asthma is a relatively common illness worldwide. In 2009, the Centers for Disease Control estimated the asthma prevalence rate in the U.S. to be 8.2% of the population or 24.6 million people. Worldwide the burden of asthma is large, with an estimated prevalence of over 300 million cases and this number is expected to grow by more than 100 million cases by 2025.
Asthma is one of the country's most costly illnesses. The annual U.S. expenditures for health and lost productivity due to asthma are estimated at over $20 billion. In 2006 and 2007 in the U.S. there were approximately 3500 asthma-related deaths per year and over 250,000 deaths worldwide.
Asthma severity is classified according to the frequency and severity of symptoms, or "attacks", the results of pulmonary function tests and the level of medications required to gain control of symptoms (NIH, "Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma, 2007"). Approximately 30% of asthma patients have mild, intermittent symptoms of asthma with normal pulmonary function tests. Another 30% of asthma patients have mild, persistent symptoms (two or more episodes per week) with normal pulmonary function tests. Forty percent of asthma patients have moderate-to-moderate-severe, persistent daily or continuous symptoms of asthma with abnormal pulmonary function tests. It is estimated that over 80% of the asthma-related health care costs are due to 20% of individuals with moderate-to-moderate-severe persistent and/or milder, treatment-refractory asthma. Thus, treatment-refractory asthma remains a significant unmet medical need.
Modulating the immune system has been pursued as a desirable approach to treat asthma, as well as a variety of other diseases and disorders, including, but not limited to, autoimmune disease, infection, allergy, inflammatory conditions, spontaneous abortion, pregnancy, graft versus host disease and cancer. T cells have been a target of such modulation. T cells are lymphocytes that participate in multiple immune system functions. Subsets of T cells such as helper T cells, cytotoxic T cells and suppresser T cells, mediate different immunologic functions. Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a subset of T lymphocytes that share surface markers and functional characteristics with both conventional T cells and natural killer (NK) cells. Unlike T cells, they recognize glycolipid antigens rather than peptide antigens.
NKT cells can be divided into three subsets: Type 1 which express an invariant T cell receptor and are CD1d-restricted (iNKT), Type 2 (NKT) which express varied T cell receptors, but are CD1d-restricted, and Type 3 which express varied T cell receptors and are not CD1d-restricted (NKT-like). Type 1 iNKT cells express a uniquely rearranged, highly conserved, semi-invariant TCR-α chain (Vα24-Jα18 in humans and Vα14-Jα18 in mice), which preferentially pairs with specific TCR-β chains (Vβ11 in humans or Vβ8.2, Vβ7 and Vβ2 in mice). They are highly conserved throughout animal phylogeny. This is in contrast to most T cell subpopulations, which have diverse sequences for their T Cell Receptors (TCRs). The invariant TCR of iNKT cells reacts with glycolipid antigens presented on the MHC-I-like protein CD1d on the surface of antigen presenting cells. A hallmark of iNKT cells is their capacity to rapidly produced a mixture of cytokines, including IL-4 and IFNγ, which are signature cytokines otherwise produced by T helper type I (Th1) and Th2 cells, respectively. Invariant NKT cells are sometimes referred to as "Classical NKT Cells".
A unique feature of iNKT cells is that they recognize the marine sponge-derived glycolipid, α-Galactosyl-Ceramide (α-GalCer), presented on CD1d. This has been utilized to monitor mouse, non-human primate (NHP), and human iNKT cells by flow cytometry, by using α-GalCer-loaded CD1d tetramers. The mouse monoclonal antibody 6B11, which binds to the invariant loop of the human-iTCR, has also been used to monitor human and NHP iNKT cells.
iNKT cells represent a very small subset of the total T cell population in human and non-human peripheral blood. Their relative numbers can vary over one hundred-fold between normal individuals, representing anywhere from 0.01% to over 1% of CD3+ cells in humans, where the low end of the range represents the majority of humans.
Conventional T cells require exposure to foreign antigen in order to mature and acquire memory phenotype. Clonally-expanded populations of conventional memory T cells that are depleted through pathological events, or by pharmacological intervention, can only recover when new thymic emigrants, with identically rearranged TCRs, are exposed to similar or identical foreign or pathogenic antigen as the original insult. Such depletion of T cells can create a "hole" within the immune repertoire for a given individual. Unlike conventional T cells, iNKT cells have a continuous regenerative capacity. In humans, iNKT cell regeneration has been studied following bone marrow transplantation. Full recovery of iNKT cell numbers to baseline has been observed one month following peripheral blood stem cell transplant rescue for ablative therapy. iNKT cell depletion therapy, therefore, could be less risky than depleting other T cells.
iNKT cells develop in the thymus, similar to other T cells. Studies in mice show that iNKT cells, unlike conventional T cells, acquired a memory phenotype during their natural development by recognizing hitherto unknown, endogenous antigens presented on CD1d molecules, and without requiring prior exposure to foreign or pathogenic antigens. Due to their memory phenotype, they can be rapidly activated and expand within the peripheral immune compartment in response to exposure to foreign or endogenous glycolipid antigens presented by antigen-presenting cells (APCs).
iNKT cells share characteristics of both the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system and thus play a unique role by modulating T and B cell responses as well as innate immunity (1). iNKT cells are rapid-onset which is a feature of the innate immune system. They also display features of the adaptive immune system because they share properties of other T cells such as antigen specific responses. As such, they serve as a bridge between the two systems where they can play both pro-inflammatory and immuno-regulatory roles either to enhance or attenuate developing immune responses, respectively (2).
The properties of iNKT cells has prompted investigations into the manipulation of iNKT cell function as a treatment for disease (3, 4, 5, 6). Numerous studies have shown that iNKT cells can regulate the balance between Th1 and Th2 responses. These cells are postulated to play a role in the response to pathogens, in immune surveillance in cancer, and in the regulation of autoimmunity. For most of these conditions, the iNKT cell defect has only been partially characterized and in some cases has been disputed by contradictory studies. Human studies, in particular, are constrained by two important limitations. First, most human studies have used suboptimal methods for the identification of iNKT cells. Second, most human studies are qualitative only, and little human data exists respecting the functional consequences of modulation of iNKT cell numbers, ratios, or function.
iNKT cell function has received significant attention concerning its potential role in asthma. Inhibition of iNKT cell function, either through genetic ablation of iNKT cells, or through pharmacologic blockade, blocks the development of airway hyper-responsiveness (AHR) in mice (7, 8). This is seen with both ovalbumin- and ozone-induced AHR (9). iNKT cells increase in the lungs of wild type mice following exposure to ovalbumin or ozone. In mice that are genetically devoid of iNKT cell function, through knockout of the gene encoding a portion of the invariant T cell receptor, adoptive transfer of iNKT cells restores the ability for allergens to induce AHR (9). Conversely, activation of iNKT cells in the airways with the potent iNKT cell agonist, α-GalCer, induces a response indistinguishable from AHR in both mice and non-human primates (10, 11). Mice genetically devoid of iNKT cells are also resistant to development of pathologic changes in the airways in a chronic Sendai virus model of COPD (12). Similar to the findings from the murine models, in humans, iNKT cells are not present in the lungs of healthy individuals, but they are present in the lungs of patients with mild-to-moderate asthma, and they increase further after allergen or viral challenge (3, 13, 14). There appears to be little or no correlation between the levels of iNKT cells in the BAL fluid and the peripheral blood of patients with asthma. The prior art has not established whether iNKT cells are causally connected to asthma or are the result of asthma or whether a therapy aimed at blocking iNKT cell function could be a treatment for asthma.
The mouse monoclonal antibody 6B11, which recognizes the human invariant T cell receptor, is the subject of US published application No. 2007/0160600. This antibody selectively binds human iNKT cells, being able to distinguish iNKT cells from other lymphocytes and other human tissue types. The application offers conflicting statements as to whether the 6B11 antibody would enhance or suppress an immune response. The application indicates at one point that the antibody stimulates proliferation of iNKT cells, suggesting that the antibody is an agonist of iNKT cells. The application suggests at another point that an increase in iNKT activity can result in a suppression of an immune response. At still another point, the application indicates that interfering with iNKT activity will suppress an immune response. In particular, the application suggests that an antibody should be coupled to a toxin to deplete iNKT cells in order to suppress an immune response. This application, therefore, does not make clear the medical circumstances in which use of the 6B11 antibody would be desirable.


This disclosure provides a method of determining a pore throat size distribution of reservoir rock, comprising injecting a set of different-sized probe particles through a portion of reservoir rock and measuring retention volumes or times of each of the different-sized probe particles eluting from the portion of reservoir rock. This disclosure also provides a testing apparatus comprising a probe tube for receiving a set of different-sized probe particles in an elution fluid returning from a portion of reservoir rock and an analytical module connected to receive the elution fluid from the probe tube. The module includes a flow cell to receive the elution fluid from the probe tube, a radiation source positioned to direct a radiation beam though a window of the cell into the eluting fluid in the cell, and a sensor for detecting portions of the radiation beam that have interacted with the different-sized probe particles such that retention volumes or times each of the probe particles of one size class can be distinguished from all other size classes of the set.

An important physical property of the reservoir rock affecting the production and economic viability of reservoir extraction operations is the distribution of pore sizes in the rock. Typically the pore size distribution is determined by extracting cores from the reservoir for laboratory analysis. The cores may be subjected to cleaning and surface analyses such as mercury injection porosimetry or to destructive modification into optical petrology slides for analysis by point counting geometric features as a metric for statistics on thin sections to assign pore body dimensions and pore throat distribution to the sample.
These analytical approaches can have deficiencies including, high costs associated with coring, long times required for analysis in labs, and unreliability, for example, due to undesirable alterations to cores or the selection of non-representative core samples. Therefore, there is a continuing need to improve methods and apparatuses for determining the pore size distribution of reservoir rock.

Determination of pore size distribution of reservoir rock


A method of manufacturing an inkjet head includes: forming an inlet and a pressure chamber in an upper substrate, the inlet penetrating the upper substrate and providing a passage for an inflow of ink, and the pressure chamber formed as a recess in one side of the upper substrate; forming a manifold and an ink channel in a middle substrate, the manifold configured to be connected with the inlet, and the ink channel penetrating the middle substrate and configured to be connected with the pressure chamber; forming a straight portion and a nozzle in a plate substrate, the straight portion configured to be connected with the ink channel, and the nozzle connected with the straight portion; forming a hydrophobic layer on one side of the plate substrate, the hydrophobic layer having a window formed therein, and the window opening the nozzle by a circumference greater than a circumference of an end of the nozzle; and stacking in order and attaching the upper substrate, the middle substrate, and the plate substrate.

1. Field
The present invention relates to a nozzle plate, an inkjet head, and a manufacturing method of the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Inkjet printing technology has been used mainly in the field of OA (office automation), as well as in industrial fields such as for package marking and printing on clothing. However, with developments in functional ink which includes metal nanoparticles of silver and nickel, etc., the potential applicability of inkjet printing technology has gradually expanded. Current applications of inkjet printing thus include forming circuit patterns in printed circuit boards using functional ink that contains metal nanoparticles.
Continuous developments are currently being made in techniques involving inkjet printing, and in the electronics industry, methods are being studied of utilizing inkjet printing in the manufacture of color filters in liquid crystal displays, and printed circuit boards (PCB's), etc. In contrast to the inkjet technology in the office environment, inkjet methods for industrial use require the operation of all of the multitude of nozzles, formed in the inkjet head in numbers of 128 or 256, etc.
The structure of a typical inkjet head includes a pressure chamber which carries the ink and pressurizes the ink according to changes in its volume, a nozzle connected to a portion of the pressure chamber, a manifold connected to another portion of the pressure chamber which stores the ink supplied to the pressure chamber, and an ink inlet through which ink is supplied to the manifold.
The ink supplied through the ink inlet passes through the manifold and into the pressure chamber, and the ink pressurized in the pressure chamber is ejected out through the nozzle. A piezoelectric component, such as an actuator, etc., is coupled to the pressure chamber to change the volume of the pressure chamber, whereby the ink carried in the pressure chamber can be pressurized.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a nozzle plate according to the related art, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of another nozzle plate according to the related art, and FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the meniscus of ink ejected from a nozzle plate according to the related art.
The ink from an inkjet head has to be ejected in a stable manner in the form of a complete droplet, in order to obtain a high printing quality. For this, a hydrophobicity treatment may be performed around the exit of the nozzle 102, so that the meniscus 106 of the ink droplet may be formed appropriately.
Without a hydrophobicity treatment, wetting may occur, in which the ink douses the surface of the nozzle 102 exit as it is ejected from the nozzle 102, so that the ink dousing the surface of the nozzle 102 and the ink being ejected form a lump together, causing the ink to be ejected in a flowing manner without achieving a complete droplet. This may result in poor printing quality, and the meniscus 106 formed subsequently after the ejection of ink may also become unstable. Therefore, in order to ensure a level of reliability in an inkjet head, there is a need to perform a hydrophobicity treatment on the surface of the nozzles 102.
Thus, in the past, a hydrophobic layer 104 was formed around the exit of the nozzle 102, as illustrated in FIG. 1, or the hydrophobic layer 104 was formed on the inner surface of the exit of the nozzle 102, as well as around the nozzle 102.
However, when operating an inkjet head, not all of the nozzles 102 in the head are used in ejecting the ink at a particular instance. There may be some nozzles 102 that eject ink, in order to form an image, while there may be some that do not.
For a nozzle 102 through which ink is not ejected, the meniscus 106 may be positioned in the back inside the nozzle 102, as the ink solvent remaining on the nozzle 102 exit vaporizes. When the actuator is operated again to eject ink, this can cause problems in ink ejection, and in sever cases, can cause the ink not to be ejected at all. In particular, if a volatile solvent is used for the ink solvent, the volatile solvent will vaporize faster, so that ink residue may remain inside the nozzle and cause severe problems in ink ejection.
Also, in the case of functional ink containing nanoparticles, as the ink solvent vaporizes, the particles may clog near the nozzle exit, where the particles are in contact with air, so that the nozzle may be blocked.
Furthermore, in the maintenance of an inkjet head, wipers may be used to clean the nozzle portion, and the frequent contact with the wipers can become a cause of abrasion on the nozzles, which may lead to poor printing quality.

Method of manufacturing nozzle plate and inkjet head


Computer-implemented security evaluation methods, security evaluation systems, and articles of manufacture are described. According to one aspect, a computer-implemented security evaluation method includes accessing information regarding a physical architecture and a cyber architecture of a facility, building a model of the facility comprising a plurality of physical areas of the physical architecture, a plurality of cyber areas of the cyber architecture, and a plurality of pathways between the physical areas and the cyber areas, identifying a target within the facility, executing the model a plurality of times to simulate a plurality of attacks against the target by an adversary traversing at least one of the areas in the physical domain and at least one of the areas in the cyber domain, and using results of the executing, providing information regarding a security risk of the facility with respect to the target.

Aspects of the disclosure are directed to identifying and evaluating security risks of infrastructure facilities. Numerous facilities, such as corporation offices, factories, plants, etc. may contain numerous assets which need to be secured and protected. Accordingly, the facilities have various security systems intended to detect unauthorized intrusions and delay an adversaries' attempt to access the assets. With the emergence of computer systems and communications systems, modern protection is not only limited to physical protection but also extends into the cyber domain, for example, through the use of passwords, firewalls, etc. Furthermore, there is overlap between physical and cyber domains as an adversary may use vulnerabilities in one domain to render security systems in the other domain less secure. In one illustrative example, an adversary may launch an initial attack upon cyber infrastructure to reduce the protection provided by security systems in the physical domain (e.g., access a server or cyber control system to unlock a physical door).
At least some aspects of the disclosure are directed towards methods and apparatus to evaluate security systems of a facility as discussed in detail below.


A combined exercise apparatus includes a lat pull-down machine and a rope pulling exercise machine. The lat pull-down machine includes a first handle, a first pull rope, and a first resistance module. The first handle is connected with the first resistance module through the first pull rope for providing lat pull-down training through the first resistance module. The rope pulling exercise machine is mounted to the lat pull-down machine. The rope pulling exercise machine includes a rope, a wheel seat, and a second resistance module. The rope is wound around the wheel seat. The wheel seat is connected with the second resistance module for providing rope pulling training through the second resistance module. Wherein, the first resistance module of the lat pull-down machine and the second resistance module of the rope pulling exercise machine are independent from each other.

Most of conventional exercise apparatuses provide a single function. This kind of exercise apparatus is difficult to provide users with more diverse training functions.
Taking a lat pull-down device as an example, the related patents include Taiwan Patent Publication No. 1551330 titled "pull-up fitness exercise device", Taiwan Patent Publication No. 201204428 titled "pulling and lifting body building device", etc. These traction training devices mainly include a counterweight assembly on a framework and a traction assembly composed of a pulley and a rope between stretching assemblies. The components can only be used for traction training. In addition, a rope pulling exercise apparatus can only be used for rope pulling training. The related patent includes U.S. Pat. No. 6,261,208 titled "rope pulling frictional exercise device".
As known from the above patents, an exercise apparatus only provides a specific training module. Although some exercise apparatuses provide more diverse training devices, how to integrate multiple training devices into one exercise apparatus (such as, selecting appropriate training devices to cooperate with each other and the arrangement of a variety of training devices) needs to be researched and developed.


An interactive display table has a display surface for displaying images and upon or adjacent to which various objects, including a user's hand(s) and finger(s) can be detected. A video camera within the interactive display table responds to infrared (IR) light reflected from the objects to detect any connected components. Connected component correspond to portions of the object(s) that are either in contact, or proximate the display surface. Using these connected components, the interactive display table senses and infers natural hand or finger positions, or movement of an object, to detect gestures. Specific gestures are used to execute applications, carryout functions in an application, create a virtual object, or do other interactions, each of which is associated with a different gesture. A gesture can be a static pose, or a more complex configuration, and/or movement made with one or both hands or other objects.

The interaction between computing devices and users continues to improve as computing platforms become more powerful and able to respond to a user in many new and different ways, so that a user is not required to type on a keyboard in order to control applications and input data. The development of a graphic user interface system, like that provided by Microsoft Corporation's WINDOWS™ operating system, has greatly improved the ease with which a user can interact with a computing device, by enabling a user to input control actions and make selections in a more natural and intuitive manner.
The ease with which a user can input control actions is particularly important in electronic games and other virtual environments, because of the need to provide input quickly and efficiently. Users typically interact with virtual environments by manipulating a mouse, joystick, wheel, game pad, track ball, or other user input device to carry out some function as defined by the software program that produces the virtual environment. The virtual environment and the effects of the user interaction with objects in the virtual environment are generally visible on a display, so that the user has immediate feedback regarding the results of the user's input and control actions.
Another form of user input employs displays that are responsive to the touch of a user's finger or a stylus. Touch responsive displays can be pressure activated, respond to electrical capacitance or changes in magnetic field intensity, employ surface acoustic waves, or respond to other conditions that indicate the location of a finger or stylus on the display. Another type of touch sensitive display includes a plurality of optical sensors that are spaced apart around the periphery of the display screen so that the location of a finger or stylus touching the screen can be detected. Using one of these touch sensitive displays, a user can more directly control a virtual object that is being displayed. For example, the user may touch the displayed virtual object with a finger to select the virtual object and then drag the selected virtual object to a new position on the touch-sensitive display.
Capacitive, electromagnetic, optical, or other types of sensors used in conventional touch-sensitive displays typically cannot simultaneously detect the location of more than one finger or object touching the display screen at a time. Capacitive or resistive, or acoustic surface wave sensing display surfaces that can detect multiple points of contact are unable to image objects on a display surface with any degree of resolution. Prior art systems of these types cannot detect patterns on an object or detailed shapes that might be used to identify each object among a plurality of different objects that are placed on a display surface.
Another approach that has been developed in the prior art uses cameras mounted to the side and above a horizontal display screen to visually capture an image of a user's finger or other objects that are touching the display screen. This multiple camera mounting configuration is clearly not a compact system that most people would want to use in a residential setting. In addition, the accuracy of this type of multi-camera system in responding to an object that is on or proximate to the display surface depends upon the capability of the software used with the system to visually recognize objects and their location in three-dimensional space. Furthermore, the view of one object by one of the cameras may be blocked by an intervening object.
To address many of the problems inherent in the types of touch-sensitive and other displays discussed above, a user interface platform was developed in the MIT Media Lab, as reported by Brygg Ullmer and Hiroshi Ishii in "The metaDESK: Models and Prototypes for Tangible User Interfaces," Proceedings of UIST 10/1997:14-17. The metaDESK includes a near-horizontal graphical surface used to display two-dimensional geographical information. An arm-mounted, flat-panel display disposed above the graphical surface serves as an "active lens" for use in displaying three-dimensional geographical information. A computer vision system inside the desk unit (i.e., below the graphical surface) includes infrared (IR) lamps, an IR camera, a video camera, a video projector, and mirrors. The mirrors reflect the graphical image projected by the projector onto the underside of the graphical display surface. The IR camera can detect a distinctive pattern provided on the undersurface of passive objects called "phicons" that are placed on the graphical surface. Magnetic-field position sensors and electrical-contact sensors are also included in the metaDESK. For example, in response to the IR camera detecting the IR pattern (which is transparent to visible light) applied to the bottom of a "Great Dome phicon," a map of the MIT campus is displayed on the graphical surface, with the actual location of the Great Dome in the map positioned where the Great Dome phicon is located. Moving the Great Dome phicon over the graphical surface manipulates the displayed map by rotating or translating the map in correspondence to the movement of the phicon by a user.
A similar approach to sensing objects on a display surface is disclosed in several papers published by Jun Rekimoto of Sony Computer Science Laboratory, Inc. in collaboration with others. These papers briefly describe a "HoloWall" and a "HoloTable," both of which use IR light to detect objects that are proximate to or in contact with a display surface on which a rear-projected image is visible. The rear-projection panel, which is vertical in the HoloWall and horizontal in the HoloTable, is semi-opaque and diffusive, so that objects become more clearly visible as they approach and then contact the panel. The objects thus detected can be a user's fingers, hands, or other types of objects.
By using an interactive display that can optically detect an object on or near the display surface, it should be possible to detect movement of the object in a specific manner. Accordingly, it would be desirable for an interactive display surface to respond to specific gestures made with the user's hand that are detected by the interactive display surface. Mike Wu and Ravin Balakrishnan of the University of Toronto Department of Computer Science have pointed out the advantages of using predefined gestures for interacting with an application ("Multi-Finger and Whole Hand Gestural Interaction Techniques for Multi-User Tabletop Displays," UIST '03) USING A Mitsubishi DiamondTouch table that employs capacitive coupling to sense hand and finger positions as the user makes a gesture. Gonzalo Ramos and Ravin Balakrishnan (also from the University of Toronto Department of Computer Science) demonstrated controlling video using gestures ("Fluid Interaction Techniques for Control and Annotation of Digital Vide," UIST '03) on a pressure-sensitive TabletPC (or, as they noted, a higher-end workstation equipped with a digitizer tablet). In each of these prior art systems, the system must learn the functions that are activated by the gestures. However, these two prior art systems suffer with the same limitations as other touch sensitive, capacitive, or electromagnetic sensitive display surfaces—i.e., the lack of good imaging resolution, the inability to properly distinguish shape and orientation of objects, and the difficulty in sensing multiple objects in contact with the display surface at one time. Also, a pressure sensitive display surface requires actual contact with the display surface and cannot respond to objects that are in proximity with the display surface.
What is clearly needed is an interactive display system that is capable of controlling interactions with applications and selecting functions or objects using natural gestures that are intuitive in their relationship to the functions they cause to occur. It should be possible to use one or more fingers on one or more hands in making the gestures, if desired, and not require that the user's appendage(s) be in actual contact with the display surface.

Recognizing gestures and using gestures for interacting with software applications


A method and apparatus for creating and distributing satellite tracking data in a compact format to a remote receiver. At least a portion of the satellite tracking data is extracted from memory and is formatted into a compact format. The compact formatted data is transmitted to the remote receiver via a distribution network. Once this data is received at the remote receiver it is reformatted into a format prescribed by the remote receiver

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to generating satellite tracking information for earth orbiting satellites. More specifically, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for generating and distributing satellite tracking information in a first format (e.g., a compact ephemeris model) through a network or communications link, then representing the satellite tracking information in a second format (e.g., a standard ephemeris model) at a receiver.
2. Description of the Related Art
A positioning receiver for the Global Positioning System (GPS) uses measurements from several satellites to compute a position. The process of acquiring the GPS radio signal is enhanced in speed and sensitivity if the GPS receiver has prior access to a model of the satellite orbit and clock. This model is broadcast by the GPS satellites and is known as ephemeris or ephemeris information. Each satellite broadcasts its own ephemeris once every 30 seconds. Once the GPS radio signal has been acquired, the process of computing position requires the use of the ephemeris information.
The broadcast ephemeris information is encoded in a 900 hit message within the GPS satellite signal. It is transmitted at a rate of 50 bits per second, taking 18 seconds in all for a complete ephemeris transmission. The broadcast ephemeris information is typically valid for 2 to 4 hours into the future (from the time of broadcast). Before the end of the period of validity the GPS receiver must obtain a fresh broadcast ephemeris to continue operating correctly and produce an accurate position. It is always slow (no faster than 18 seconds), frequently difficult, and sometimes impossible (in environments with very low signal strengths), for a GPS receiver to download an ephemeris from a satellite. For these reasons it has long been known that it is advantageous to send the ephemeris to a GPS receiver by some other means in lieu of awaiting the transmission from the satellite. U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,118, issued Apr. 24, 1984, describes a technique that collects satellite orbit information at a GPS reference station, and transmits the information to the remote GPS receiver via a wireless transmission. This technique of providing the ephemeris, or equivalent data, to a GPS receiver has become known as "Assisted-GPS". Since the source of ephemeris in Assisted-GPS is the satellite signal, the ephemeris information remains valid for only a few hours. As such, the remote GPS receiver must periodically connect to a source of ephemeris information whether that information is received directly from the satellite or from a wireless transmission. Without such a periodic update, the remote GPS receiver will not accurately determine position.
Furthermore, the Assisted-GPS systems typically retransmit the entire ephemeris message to the remote receiver. In many instances, bandwidth or packet size for the transmission of this message is not readily available.
Therefore, there is a need for a method and apparatus for providing, satellite trajectory and clock information to a remote receiver in a compact form.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for generating and distributing satellite tracking information in a compact format

AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL SALES PTE. LIMITED


An image forming device includes a main casing and a photosensitive unit having photosensitive bodies arrayed in an array direction. The main casing includes a first side plate having a first primary portion extending in the array direction, and having a first positioning portion and a second positioning portion spaced away therefrom in the array direction. The photosensitive unit includes a second side plate supporting the photosensitive bodies and having a second primary portion extending in the array direction. The second side plate has a third positioning portion subjected to positioning relative to the first positioning portion and has a fourth positioning portion subjected to positioning relative to the second positioning portion. The first and third portions are overlapped with each other and the second and fourth positioning portions are overlapped with each other while the first primary portion and the second primary portion are spaced away from each other.

Tandem-type electro-photographic color printers are well known in the art. A tandem-type color printer has four photosensitive drums for the colors yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, for example, the four photosensitive drums being disposed parallel to one another in a tandem arrangement.
The color printer includes a main frame, a drum support unit, and a scanner unit. The main frame is made from a metal and has a pair of side wall portions confronting with each other. The drum support unit is movable relative to the main frame for supporting the photosensitive drums of respective colors. The scanner unit is positioned above the drum support unit and is supported to upper end portions of the side wall portions for irradiating light to the respective photosensitive drums.
A positioning member extends between the rear end portions of the side wall portions, and an insertion groove is formed at each front end portion of each side wall portion. The drum support unit has a front end portion formed with a positioning recess engageable with the positioning member, and has a rear end portion provided with a linking member. The linking member has protruding end portions engageable with the insertion grooves. Thus, the drum support unit can be positioned relative to the main frame.

Image forming device provided with side walls having empty region


A composite bat is formed of a stiff core having a thick sheath of an elastomer such as a polyurethane. The bat can have an oval-shaped handle covered with a high friction grip. The elastomer sheath is resistant to water and oil. The bat is useful to hit and stun or kill fish without rebound. The core can be formed of a pultruded resin-fiberglass composite having good adhesion to the elastomer sheath. The bat can also take the form of a billy club.

Cylindrical-shaped clubs are used as security devices and also find use in fishing. Large game fish can be dangerous when placed on the deck of a boat. In regulated competition such as tournaments sanctioned by I.G.F., it is not permitted to kill a fish by shooting. Anglers are allowed to stun or kill the fish by clubbing. Many fishermen use a steel club for this purpose such as a length of rod or flat stock. However, the fish is alive and squirming. It is not uncommon for the steel rod to miss the fish or glance off the fish and hit the deck, the railing or body of the boat. The steel rod can break or bend the rail or can puncture or fracture the fiberglass coating or shell of the boat. Many times chunks are removed from the deck or body of the boat. Also when the rod hits a hard surface, the force will transmit up the arm of the fisherman and can cause trauma to his wrist, elbow or shoulder. Iron clubs can rust in a marine environment transferring rust stains to the boat. They also rattle on the deck on a boat.
Aluminum baseball bats or a shorter fish bat made of aluminum have also been used to stun or kill fish. The baseball bat is too long for one person to hold the line in one hand and wield the bat with the other. The aluminum fish bat is shorter but is light and transfers excessive vibration and recoil to the arm of the user. The round grip of a bat provides a less secure grip than a flatter grip especially in a slippery hand wet with sea water.
Clubs used for security protection such as billy clubs also develop recoil when a solid object is hit. Covering a metal club with an elastomer sheath should reduce recoil. However, there is a large difference in the coefficient of expansion between metal and rubber and the adhesion between metal and elastomer is poor. There is a differential in the length of the sheath and metal rod during deflection and after many cycles of deflection and vibration from impact, the elastomer sheath can separate from the rod.


The liquid discharge apparatus including a head having liquid dischargers capable of deflecting the trajectories of discharged droplets in a plurality of directions. At least two of the liquid dischargers neighboring each other are capable of discharging droplets in the same pixel area. When there is a shut-off liquid discharge due to droplet discharge failure, this information is stored. According to the stored information, the discharge signal corresponding to the droplets the shut-off discharger were supposed to discharge is transferred to another liquid discharger in the vicinity of the shut-off discharger. This other liquid discharger alternatively discharges droplets so that the droplets land in a position the droplets would have had landed if they were discharged by the shut-off discharger.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid discharge apparatus having a liquid discharger capable of deflecting the trajectory of a droplet in various directions and relates to a method for discharging liquid. More specifically, it relates to a technology for shutting off the operation of a liquid discharger when the discharger fails to discharge droplets and for instructing another liquid discharger to discharge droplets as a replacement for of the shut-off discharger.
2. Description of the Related Art
An inkjet printer, which is a known liquid discharge apparatus, typically has a head including linearly-aligned liquid dischargers. By sequentially discharging minute ink droplets onto a recording medium, such as printing paper, disposed so that it opposes the nozzle surface, a predetermined number of dots are formed on the pixel area to form a pixel.
In some cases, the liquid discharger becomes incapable of discharging droplets normally. This is caused by various reasons.
One reason is discharge failure caused by dust blocking the droplet outlet of the nozzle of the discharger. A known method for solving this problem is head cleaning.
Another reason for discharge failure is caused by clogging of the liquid discharger or disconnection of an energizing element (for example, a heater element for a thermal printer) disposed inside the liquid discharger. In such cases, there are no sufficient methods for solving these problems. Thus, usually, the head is replaced.
There are two types of known inkjet printers: 1) a serial printer in which the head prints while it moves back and forth in the direction orthogonal to the feeding direction of the printing paper and while the printing paper is sent in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the head is moving; and 2) a line printer in which a head is formed along the entire width of the printing paper and in which printing is performed while the printing paper is sent in the feeding direction.
A line inkjet printer has a plurality of small head chips disposed in parallel so that the ends of each head chip are connected. Each head chip is processed by an appropriate signal so that the head chips record data in series along the entire width of the printing paper.
A serial inkjet printer employs an overlapping method for printing a gray scale.
In this method, the characteristics of the liquid dischargers are averaged by overlapping ink droplets (dots) many times in one pixel area. More specifically, dots are formed to fill the gaps between the previously formed dot row.
Even if some of the liquid dischargers malfunction to a certain degree or if there are liquid dischargers that cannot discharge any liquid, the effect of failure of these liquid dischargers can be minimized by overlapping the dots.
The head of the line inkjet printer does not move in the direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the printing paper. Therefore, once an area has been recorded, it cannot be re-recorded by overlapping the dots.
When there is more than one failed discharger, a white line is generated because a row of pixels cannot be formed. This failure is prominent in photographs and graphics that require high quality.
For line inkjet printers, the tone can be increased by overlapping dots in the feeding direction of the printing paper. Overlapping of the dots, however, is only effective for increasing the tone and does not average the quality of the dischargers.

Liquid discharge apparatus and method for discharging liquid


A vertical transistor structure is provided that includes a bottom source/drain structure that includes a doped semiconductor buffer layer that contains a first dopant species having a first diffusion rate, and an epitaxial doped semiconductor layer that contains a second dopant species that has a second diffusion rate that is less than the first diffusion rate. During a junction anneal, the first dopant species readily diffuses from the doped semiconductor buffer layer into a pillar portion of a base semiconductor substrate to provide the bottom source/drain extension and bottom source/drain junction. No diffusion overrun is observed. During the junction anneal, the second dopant species remains in the epitaxial doped semiconductor layer providing a low resistance contact. The second dopant species does not interfere with the bottom source/drain extension and bottom source/drain junction due to limited diffusion of the second dopant species.

The present application relates to a semiconductor structure and a method of forming the same. More particularly, the present application relates to a vertical transistor having a bottom source/drain structure including a doped semiconductor buffer layer and an epitaxial doped semiconductor layer.
Conventional vertical transistors are devices where the source-drain current flows in a direction normal to the substrate surface. In such devices, a vertical semiconductor pillar (or fin) defines the channel with the source and drain located at opposing ends of the semiconductor pillar. Vertical transistors are an attractive option for technology scaling for 5 nm and beyond.
In conventional vertical transistor fabrication, the forming of the bottom source/drain and subsequent source/drain extension and source/drain junction are very challenging due to integration and thermal budget restrictions. There is thus a need for providing vertical transistors in which the formation of the bottom source/drain, the source/drain extension and the junction can be easily integrated into a vertical transistor processing flow, without negatively impacting any thermal budget restrictions.

Effective junction formation in vertical transistor structures by engineered bottom source/drain epitaxy


The invention provides a recess structure for print deposition process and manufacturing method thereof. By disposing the dam (2) enclosing the recess (3) as comprising at least two stacked branch dam layers, and increasing the contact angle between the inclined inner circumferential surface of recess (3) enclosed by the branch dam layers and ink in a layer-by-layer manner, to limit height the ink able to climb on the inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess (3), the invention can improve the thickness uniformity of the organic functional layers printed in the recess and the photoelectric properties of organic functional layers. The recess (3) fabricated by the manufacturing method can limit height the ink able to climb on inclined inner circumferential surface of the recess (3) to improve the thickness uniformity of the organic functional layers printed in the recess and the photoelectric properties of organic functional layers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of display, and in particular to a recess structure for print deposition process and manufacturing method thereof.
2. The Related Arts
The organic light emitting diode (OLED) display provides the advantages of self-luminous, low driving voltage, high luminous efficiency, short response time, high clarity and contrast, wide viewing angle of near-180°, wide operating temperature range, enabling flexible display and large full-color display and many other advantages, and is widely recognized as the most potential for the display device development.
OLED display generally comprises: a substrate, an anode disposed on the substrate, a cathode disposed on the anode, and an organic functional layer sandwiched between the anode and the cathode. Wherein the organic functional layer typically comprises a hole transport layer (HTL), an emissive layer (EML), and an electron transport layer (ETL). Each functional layer may be a layer, or more than one layer, e.g., the HTL may be further divided into a hole injection layer (HIL) and a hole transport layer; the ETL may be divided into an electron transport layer and an electron injection layer (EIL). The operating principle behind the OLED display is that the semiconductor materials and organic light emitting material, driven by the electric field, emit light through carrier injection and recombination.
The manufacturing method for OLED display typically starts with forming an anode on a substrate, then forming an HTL on the anode, followed by forming the EML on the HTL, and forming the ETL on the EML, and finally forming a cathode on the ETL, wherein the cathode and the anode are usually made of indium tin oxide (ITO). The functional layers (i.e., HTL, EML, and ETL) are fabricated in a vacuum thermal evaporation process or a solution process.
The so-called solution process is to treat the desired material, such as, dispersing into nano-scale particles and then dissolving in an appropriate solution, and then apply a film formation facility to deposit the solution on a substrate surface, a desired thin film is then formed on the substrate surface after solvent evaporation. Specific ways of film formation can be divided into the ink-jet printing, nozzle printing, roller printing, spin coating, and so on.
The substrate for print deposition process usually is disposed with a recess to restrict the ink. After drying by baking, the ink shrinks in the area restricted by the recess to form a thin film. Refer to FIG. 1, the recess 120 is formed by the enclosure of the dam 110 provided around the substrate 100 and the ITO anode 130. By depositing ink in the recess 120, the HIL 140, the HTL 150 and the EML 160 are formed. Refer to FIG. 2. An inclined angle α≤60° is typically set between the inner circumferential surface of the dam 110 and the upper surface of the substrate 100, and a contact angle θ≥45° is formed between the ink deposited in the recess 120 and the upper surface of the recess 120.
The contact angle between the ink and the inner circumferential inclined surface of the dam 110 has a great influence on the flatness of a film. Refer to FIG. 3. Because the different ink shows different hydrophilic property, ink with good hydrophilic property will climb higher along the inner circumferential inclined surface, resulting in a contact angle θ too small, which leads to poor thickness uniformity of the formed film. When applied in the organic functional layers in the print deposition OLED display, the poor thickness uniformity will cause the intermediate organic functional layer light first, which affects the display effect.

Recess structure for print deposition process and manufacturing method thereof

SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


A trailer hitch assembly for a vehicle includes a tubular beam, a trailer hitch, and a barrel nut. The tubular beam includes a first end sized for disposal within a first vehicle frame bracket, a second end sized for disposal within a second vehicle frame bracket, and a lowered portion therebetween. The tubular beam defines a through-hole at one of the ends. The trailer hitch is mounted to the lowered portion. The barrel nut extends through the through-hole, is secured to the tubular beam, and defines a cavity. The first vehicle frame bracket may define a first ring sized to receive the first end of the tubular beam. The second vehicle frame bracket may define a second ring sized to receive the second end of the tubular beam.

Trailer hitches are used to attach a trailer to a vehicle. Various trailer hitch designs are available depending on type of vehicle and type of trailer. For example, a trailer hitch may be structured to facilitate towing a boat. The trailer hitch may be located on a rear portion of the vehicle and spaced from an underlying surface. Vehicles may also include vehicle components to assist in tow recovery operations. Tow recovery operations may include a use of a winch or tow straps to assist in moving the vehicle when the vehicle is stuck.


Beverage containers are provided for storing liquid contents. In various embodiments, containers are provided with devices and means for allowing a controlled ingress or oxygen or similar material to the container contents. In preferred embodiments, devices and methods for storing wine are provided.

Many disposable beverage containers including aluminum cans substantially prevent oxygen and other fluids from entering the container when the container is sealed. In various applications, this is a desired feature for containers to preserve quality and freshness of container contents, prevent contaminants from entering the container, etc. However, certain beverages and contents to be stored within containers benefit from and/or require a controlled ingress or egress of oxygen to prolong shelf-life and prevent spoliation. Such contents include, for example, wine which is known to benefit from a controlled ingress of oxygen when stored and which is known to spoil and produce odors when provided in a completely sealed container or environment. Thus, the use of permeable corks in wine bottles has been used for centuries in association with wine bottles to prevent spoilage and foul odors.
Wine making typically includes pressing fruit (typically, grapes) to obtain a fruit juice, fermenting the fruit juice, maturing the fruit juice to form wine and, after maturation, bottling the wine. Typically, the fermentation and maturation processes are carefully controlled to develop preferred organoleptic characteristics. However, due to the characteristics of the fruit (such as, growing, harvesting and/or storage conditions), maturation process (such as, temperature, oxidation, and such), and/or bottling (such as, oxygen, wine composition, container and closure system) unwanted odors and/or flavors can develop during one or both of the fermentation and maturation processes. The unwanted odors and/or flavors are typically removed by treating the wine with a fining agent. The fining agent is usually separated from the wine prior to bottling the wine. Examples of fining agents include isinglasse, bentonite, galatin, casein, carrageenan, alginate, diatomaceous earth, pectinase, pectolase, polycar, colloidal silica, copper sulfate, albumen, hydrated yeast, activated carbon, and potassium caseinate. The unwanted odor and/or flavor are typically associated with sulfur and/or sulfur-containing compounds. The sulfur and/or sulfur-containing compounds may be present in the fruit juice that wine is prepared from, may develop during fermentation and/or maturation, and/or may develop as the wine and/or wine-type ages during storage. In some instances, the generation of sulfur and/or sulfur-containing compounds can be minimized, or substantially eliminated, by storing and/or aging the wine in a container having a cork, which typically permits the ingress and/or egress of gas, including oxygen. Oxygen can prevent, or at less minimize, the formation of sulfur and/or sulfur-containing compounds.
However, unwanted odors and/or flavors can develop when wine is stored in containers having non-cork closure systems including, for example, metal end closures, screw-on caps, and similar systems. Unwanted odor and flavor development is particularly problematic in wines bottled in metallic containers, even more particularly to wines bottled in metallic containers having metallic lids and/or closure systems. Since it is more cost effective to manufacture, fill and transport containers made from metallic materials as opposed to traditional glass, there is a significant need in the beverage and container industries to manufacture and utilize metallic containers for wine and other alcoholic beverages, yet reduce the unwanted odor and flavor caused by sulfur and/or other sulfur-containing compounds.
Thus, a significant need exists for a bottling process that reduces unwanted odor and/or flavor formation in wines bottled in metallic containers, particularly for wines bottled in metallic containers having metallic lids and/or closure systems.

Beverage containers with controlled oxygen transmission features


The invention is directed to a method of inhibiting, within a living cell, the interaction between NF-κB essential modulator (“NEMO”) with IκB kinase-β (IKK-β) at the NEMO binding domain (NBD), comprising exposing the cell to an effective amount or concentration of a compound of the invention, a NEMO-binding domain analog (NBDA). The invention is further directed to a method of treating a condition in a patient, wherein inhibiting the interaction between NF-κB essential modulator (“NEMO”) with IκB kinase-β (IKK-β) at the NEMO binding domain (NBD) is medically indicated, comprising administering to the patient an effective dose of a compound of the invention. Conditions that can be treated by a method of the invention includes muscular dystrophy, asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, arthritis, diabetes, graft versus host disease, accelerated aging, heart ischemia, cancer, UV-induced skin damage, or an age-related pathology.

Published United States patent application US2009/0075902, by certain of the inventors herein, describes peptides which block the interaction between NF-κB essential modulator ("NEMO") with IκB kinase-β (IKK-β), the contents of which are expressly incorporated by reference.
The transcription factor NF-κB is a central component of the cellular response to damage, stress and inflammation. In mammals, the NF-κB family consists of five subunits, RelA or p65, c-Rel, RelB, p50, and p52. NF-κB binds to DNA as a dimer, the most common being the p65p50 heterodimer. The p65″p50 heterodimer is localized primarily in the cytoplasm, maintained in this inactive state via sequestration by IκB proteins. NF-κB activation via the canonical pathway is mediated by the upstream IκB kinase (IKK), a heterotrimer consisting of two catalytic subunits, IKKa and IKKß, and a regulatory subunit termed IKKγ or NEMO (NF-κB Essential Modulator). In response to a variety of factors, including pro-inflammatory cytokines, pathogens, oxidative stress and growth factors, IKK is activated and phosphorylates IκB, leading to its polyubiquitination and subsequent proteosomal degradation. IκB degradation allows NF-κB to translocate to the nucleus where it binds to its cognate DNA sequence as well as co-activators such as CBP/p300, to regulate gene expression.
Chronic activation of NF-κB is associated with numerous diseases including sepsis, asthma, muscle atrophy, multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis, heart disease, both type I and II diabetes, osteoarthritis, dementia, osteoporosis, and cancer, most of which are associated with increasing chronologic age. NF-κB transcriptional activity is increased with age in numerous tissues in rodents including skin, liver, kidney, cerebellum, cardiac muscle, and gastric mucosa. Cells from aged humans and patients with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria have a similar upregulation of NF-κB activity. Recently, several studies suggest that NF-κB could have a causal role in aging and age-related degeneration. NF-κB was identified as the transcription factor most associated with mammalian aging. In addition, genetic inhibition of NF-κB in the skin of a transgenic mouse model reversed age-related gene expression and histologic changes, including increased epidermal thickness and reduction of senescence associated β-galactosidase activity.
An 11 amino acid sequence was identified within IKKß comprising the binding domain between IKKβ and IKKγ. This peptide, known as the NEMO binding domain (NBD), is able to block the interaction of IKKα and β (two catalytic subunits of NF-κB activation) with the regulatory subunit IKKγ (NEMO). When this short peptide sequence TALDWSWLQTE was linked to a protein transduction domain, it led to a dose dependent inhibition of NF-κB signaling in tissue culture and in animal models. While there are numerous small molecule inhibitors of NF-κB, there are some distinct advantages of the NBD peptide. The site of action is highly defined, and only activated, but the basal level of NF-κB is not affected. Also, because of the high specificity of the NBD peptide sequence it is unlikely to affect other essential kinases, which is not the case for numerous other IKK inhibitors. The NBD peptide, when attached to a protein transduction domain, has been shown to be effective in treating a wide range of inflammatory and degenerative diseases including muscular dystrophy, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, diabetes, accelerated aging, Parkinson's Diseases, multiple sclerosis, asthma, heart ischemia and cancer. However, the cost of synthesis of the NBD peptide fused to NBD, as well as the fact that it is not orally active limits its therapeutic application.
Certain of the inventors herein have previously disclosed 7-[2-(cyclopropylmethoxy)-6-hydroxyphenyl]-5-[(3S)-3-piperidinyl]-1,4-dihydro-2H-pyrido[2,3-d][1,3]oxazin-2-one and its enantiomers; BAY11-7082 or BAY11-7085 (Axxora L.L.C., San Diego, Calif.) (Petegnief et al., 2001, Neuroscience 104:223); SC-514 (Kishore et al., 2003, J. Biol. Chem./278(35):32861; MG132 (Calbiochem, La Jolla, Calif.); tosyl-Phe-chloromethylketone ("TPCK"); (N-6-chloro-7-methoxy-9H-.beta.-carbolin-8-yl)-2-methylnicotinamide (ML120B, Wen et al., 2006, J. Pharm. Exp. Ther. 317:989-1001; Celastrol (Lee, et al., 2006, Biochem. Pharmacol. 72(10): 1311-1321); PG201 (Shin, et al., 2005, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Common. 331(4): 1469-1477); and MLN0415 (Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, Mass.); as being effective in blocking the interaction of IKK-α and -β. These compounds however were ineffective in vivo due to limited stability and biodistribution.

Small molecule analogs of the nemo binding peptide


A condition change unit of the present invention changes operating conditions of a device. The condition change unit comprises a display section for displaying images, a touch panel provided on the display section, a detection section for detecting input operations to the touch panel, a change condition setting section for setting types of change conditions, based on form of the input operations detected by the detection section, an operation guide image display section for displaying guidance images, for setting specific parameters of the change conditions, on the display section, in accordance with the type of change condition that has been set, and a parameter change section for changing parameters of the change condition based on an input operation to a screen on which the operation guidance operation images are displayed that has been detected by the detection section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a condition changing device, and in detail relates to a condition changing device that has a touch panel as a display section, and is capable of inputting operating conditions according to operating states of this touch panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Precision and transparency of touch panels have improved, and in recent years touch panels have been used in small portable devices such as digital cameras, music players and mobile phones. These mobile devices are becoming increasingly multifunctional, with a need for various condition settings on a touch panel, and since they are mobile devices, there is also a need for usability.
Japanese patent application number 4178484 (laid-open Oct. 19, 1999) is an example of a touch panel used in a digital camera. In this related art, there is provided a digital camera in which, in a playback state where a grip section of the camera is not being held, an image is displayed on the entire screen of a rear display section having a touch panel, while in a shooting state where the grip section is being held a key icon is displayed at a bottom part of the screen.
Also, the operating mode of a touch panel is generally such that respective items are displayed at specified places on the screen, and if a desired item is touched conditions for that item are executed, or a new screen corresponding to that item is switched to. However, touch panels have recently been developed that detect rotation upon the touch panel to enable operations like jog dial, and that can detect touching of multiple locations at the same time.


A rebar clip is provided for joining a larger diameter rebar to a smaller diameter rebar transverse to the larger diameter rebar. In a first embodiment the clip includes diameter reducing tabs extending into upper arches of the clip for engagement with smaller diameter bars crossed on top of larger diameter bars. In a second embodiment the clip includes diameter reducing tabs extending into lower arches of the clip so that the clip may hold larger diameter bars on top of smaller diameter bars. A guide track for a clip applying gun is provided which allows for use with either version of clips and with clips of the same nominal diameter for joining equal size bars.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure is directed to resilient plastic clips for use in joining reinforcing bars, and particularly to a clip, and clip applying apparatus for use therewith, which is suitable for joining bars of different sizes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Resilient plastic clips have been proposed for use in joining reinforcing bars for the construction of reinforced concrete structures. U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,436 to Dragone, and assigned to the Assignee of the present invention, discloses a resilient clip designed to connect a smaller diameter reinforcing bar transversely on top of a larger diameter reinforcing bar.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0248844 to Kodi, discloses a resilient clip for connecting reinforcing bars of equal diameter. The clip of Kodi U.S. Patent Application Publication 2006/0248844 is designed to connect bars of equal diameter either in a parallel orientation or a transverse orientation.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0115449 to Kodi discloses a bar connecting apparatus for use in applying clips like those of the Kodi U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0248844 to bars of equal diameter.
There is a continuing need for improvements in the design of such clips and apparatus for applying the same.

Rebar clip for joining different size bars


Copolymer of a predominant amount of .epsilon.-caprolactone, the balance being glycolide and glycolic acid. Coating for an absorbable, multifilament surgical suture prepared by dissolving the copolymer in an organic solvent.

This invention relates to copolymers of .epsilon.-caprolactone and glycolide, and more specifically, to such copolymers with improved properties especially adapted for use as coatings for absorbable multifilament surgical sutures.
Multifilament surgical sutures such as Vicryl.RTM. poly(lactide-co-glycolide) multifilament suture typically require a surface coating to improve the pliability and knotting characteristics of the suture. A polymer coating which has recently been developed and shows significant promise as a suture coating is derived from a polymer solution of .epsilon.-caprolactone in an appropriate organic solvent. The coating solution is typically applied to the surface of the suture using conventional techniques, and then the solvent is removed. Polycaprolactone is a biocompatable polymer with a relatively low melting point, a property which is essential for good coating characteristics. Additionally, sutures coated with polycaprolactone exhibit enhanced pliability and handling characteristics. Unfortunately, polycaprolactone homopolymer is essentially nonabsorbable because it retains some of its mass and mechanical integrity in vivo for periods up to one year, which is too long for numerous surgical applications.
In an effort to improve the bioabsorbability and other properties of a polycaprolactone coating polymer, the polymer composition has been modified by incorporating copolymerizable monomers or lubricating agents therein. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,256 discloses a suture coating copolymer of at least 90 percent .epsilon.-caprolactone and a biodegradable monomer, and optionally a lubricating agent. Examples of monomers for biodegradable polymers disclosed include glycolic acid and glycolide, as well as other well known monomers typically used to prepare polymer fibers or coatings for multifilament sutures. U.S. Pat. No 4,791,929 discloses a bioabsorbable coating of a copolymer of at least 50 percent .epsilon.-caprolactone and glycolide. Sutures coated with such copolymers are reported to be less stiff than sutures coated with other materials, and the physical properties of the coated suture are also reported to be acceptable.
Unfortunately, the problem of adequate bioabsorbability of homopolymers and copolymers of .epsilon.-caprolactone for suture coating applications still remains. One of the difficulties a skilled polymer chemist has faced in solving this problem is in developing a faster absorbing polymer of .epsilon.-caprolactone without sacrificing the physical properties of multifilament sutures coated with such a polymer. In view of the deficiencies with the known art polycaprolactone coatings, it would be most desirable to accomplish this goal.

Copolymers of .epsilon.-caprolactone, glycolide and glycolic acid for suture coatings


An optical storage system includes an optical head and a controller. The optical head is configured to split a light beam into a higher power main beam and a lower power side beam. The controller is configured to write data to an optical medium via the higher power main beam, and read, directly after writing, feedback from the optical medium containing the written data and noise caused by the higher power main beam. The controller is also configured to process the feedback using data indicative of the higher power main beam to remove the noise and generate output indicative of the written data, and automatically adjust a delay of the feedback or the data indicative of the higher power main beam based on a signal quality of the output.

Optical recording devices such as optical disk and optical tape drives commonly use an Optical Pickup Unit (OPU) or read/write head to write and retrieve data from associated optical media. Conventional OPUs may utilize different wavelength semiconductor laser diodes with complex beam path optics and electromechanical elements to focus and track the optical beam within one or more preformatted tracks on the medium to write or store the data and subsequently read the data. Data written to the medium with a laser at higher power may be verified in a separate operation or process after writing using a lower laser power, or may be verified during the write operation by another laser or laser beam. The ability to read and verify the data during the write operation may be referred to as Direct Read After Write (DRAW).
Current OPUs may use a diffraction grating or similar optics in the laser path to generate three beams from a single laser element including a higher power beam used for reading/writing data and for focusing, and two lower power satellite beams used for tracking. The three beams are focused to three corresponding spots on the surface of the optical storage medium used by the various optical and electromechanical elements of the OPU. In general, the higher power spot is positioned in the center or middle between the two satellite spots. In addition to reading/writing data and focusing, the center spot may also be used for one particular type of tracking operation in some applications. The lower power satellite spots generated from the lower power side beams are typically used for another type of tracking operation for specific types of media.

Optical storage system divider based draw verification with automatic bias or delay adjustment


An image projection module within a housing is operative for causing selected pixels in a raster pattern to be illuminated to produce an image on a display screen of VGA quality. The screen is modified and/or the bandwidth of a laser is increased, to reduce speckle noise in the image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to projecting two-dimensional images with reduced speckle noise on display screens.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is generally known to project a two-dimensional image on a display screen based on a pair of scan mirrors which oscillate in mutually orthogonal directions to scan a laser beam over a raster pattern. However, the known image projection systems project an image of limited resolution, typically less than a fourth of video-graphics-array (VGA) quality of 640×480 pixels, and with speckle noise. As such, the known projection systems and display screens have limited versatility.
Speckle noise is an inherent problem in laser-based projection systems and causes considerable degradation in image quality. A monochromatic (red, blue or green) laser emits a laser beam having coherent waves of the same frequency and also having spatial coherence, that is, the waves have a fixed phase relationship with one another both in space and in time. When the beam is incident on a diffuse screen, the waves are scattered by being reflected from the screen and/or transmitted through the screen. The scattered waves have random phase delays and propagate along different directions, but all have the same frequency. When such scattered waves meet, for example, at the retina of the human eye, they produce a static distribution of constructive and destructive interference, i.e., an interference pattern, also known as speckle noise. The human eye whose integration time is on the order of tens of milliseconds sees the speckle noise as a degraded image. If the laser beam does not have entirely coherent waves, then their phase delays can change substantially during the time that the scattered waves take to negotiate the screen and, as a result, the speckle noise pattern changes as well during the integration time of the human eye, thereby reducing speckle contrast.
Each coherent wave of the laser beam is coherent with itself, a property known as temporal coherence. If a wave is combined with a delayed copy of itself, as in a Michelson interferometer, the duration of the delay over which is produces interference is known as the coherence time of the wave. A corresponding property known as coherence length is calculated by multiplying the coherence time by the speed of light. The coherence time of the laser is inversely proportional to its bandwidth. A truly monochromatic wave has an infinite coherence time and an infinite coherence length. However, in practice, no wave is truly monochromatic since this requires a wave of infinite duration. By way of example, a stabilized helium-neon laser can produce a laser beam with a coherence length in excess of five meters, and the coherence time is on the order of several nanoseconds. Hence, the coherence time of lasers is generally in the nanosecond range, while the laser beam takes only a few picoseconds to reflect from and/or pass through the display screen.

Image projection with reduced speckle noise


A method for congestion control in a transport network of a radio access network is disclosed. The method comprises receiving, by the control node, a first uplink flow through a first communication link in the transport network from a first radio access node and receiving, by the control node, a second uplink flow through a second communication link in the transport network from a second radio access node. If congestion is detected in the transport network for either uplink flow, the control node selectively triggers either Active Queue Management (AQM)-based congestion control at the control node, or local congestion control at the for the uplink flow. Triggering is carried out such that AQM-based congestion control is carried out for only one of the first uplink flow or the second uplink flow if congestion is detected for both the first uplink flow and the second uplink flow.

Wireless communications networks developed according to the 3rd-Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) specifications for the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) are known and have been deployed. Examples include Wideband Code Division Multiple Access ("WCDMA") UMTS communication networks, which usually comprise a plurality of Radio Network Controllers ("RNC"), each of the Radio Network Controllers being connected to a plurality of base stations (radio transceivers), also called Node Bs, via a corresponding Transport Network ("TN"). The Radio Network Controllers are connected with each other via a core network. The Node Bs communicate wirelessly with communication devices (also called User Equipment ("UE")).
In an UMTS communication network, congestion events often occur. Congestion events are, for example, a loss of a data packet or a delay of a data packet sent from a first component of the UMTS communication network to a second component of the UMTS communication network. Congestion events must be resolved in order to ensure a high performance of the UMTS communication network.
Accordingly, is desirable to improve the efficiency of UMTS communication networks or other communication networks having similar functionality with respect to handling congestion events.

Technique for handling congestion control


The present invention relates to a motorized drive system for covering and uncovering the top of an open truck box or the like and comprises a laterally operated roll tube for winding and unwinding a flexible cover over the top of a truck box. One lateral edge of the cover is fixed to one side edge of the box opening, and the other lateral edge is attached to a roll tube. A reversible rotary motor rotates the roll tube, in conjunction with an extensible pivot arm and a cable return mechanism utilizing a tapered grooved sheave to provide constant tension and to facilitate smooth and consistent rectilinear movement of the roll tube for winding and unwinding of the cover.

The present invention relates to a motorized drive for a tarpaulin closure system used with an open box-like container such as a truck box or storage bin. A tarpaulin system suitable for the application of the present invention is disclosed in my Canadian Patent 1,132,168 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,777. My aforementioned patents disclose a truck box having parallel side walls joined by transverse front and back end walls, with a flexible fabric cover fixed at one lateral edge to one side wall, and attached at the opposite edge lateral to a roll tube which is rotatable from side-to-side along the top surfaces of the front and back end walls of the truck box to permit winding and unwinding of the fabric from the roll tube thereby opening and closing the cover of the box structure. The foregoing roll tube is operated manually by a shaft crank connected to the roll tube by a universal joint at the back end wall of the box. Different features of lateral roll tube tarpaulin systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,384,413 to Sargent; 4,302,043 to Dimmer; and 4,505,512 to Schmeichel and Canadian Patent 1,134,411 to Block.
It has been recognized that an automatic deployment means for a lateral roll tube system, which can be rapidly operated from a remote position such as the cab of a truck or the like, is desirable. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,095,840 to Woodard and 4,341,416 to Richard disclose motor actuated systems for deploying tarpaulin covers from front to back of a truck box. U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,208 to Tsukamoto discloses a hydraulic system for side-to-side deployment of a canvass system. Canadian Patent 1,243,062 to Hawken and U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,193 to Heider disclose electric systems for side-to-side deployment of a roll tube and canvass tarpaulin system. Each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,518,193 and 4,673,208, and Canadian Patent 1,243,062 disclose a complex drive system involving track mechanisms, and in the case of U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,208 a rotational drive for the roll tube which is not coordinated with the rate of lateral translation of the roll tube. In the case of Canadian Patent 1,243,062, the track system for mounting the electric motor is open to the elements and susceptible of binding from airborne debris.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a simplified motor driven box cover deployment system with a minimum of moving parts. It is also an object of the invention to provide a system for maintaining adequate tautness in the tarpaulin or cover during deployment and to ensure that the roll tube remains parallel to the side walls. It is a further object of the invention to provide a system which correlates the lateral movement of the roll tube with the rate of deployment of the fabric cover. It is also an object of the invention to provide a motorized cover deployment system which can be operated remotely.


A magazine lifting and lowering section of a die supply apparatus houses a replaced magazine rack having different specifications. A code display portion marked with identification information (“a magazine rack ID”) for each magazine rack is provided in each magazine rack, and a magazine rack ID and specification data related to each magazine rack are associated with each other and are registered in a database of a host computer. When the magazine rack accommodating a wafer expander is housed in the magazine lifting and lowering section, the magazine rack ID is read from the code display portion of the magazine rack by using a reader such that specification data related to the magazine rack corresponding to the magazine rack ID is transmitted to the die supply apparatus, thereby controlling a lifting and lowering operation of the magazine rack performed by a lifting and lowering mechanism.

Recently, PTL 1 (JP-A-2010-129949) discloses that a die supply apparatus supplying dies is set to a component mounting machine and dies are picked up from an expander of a diced wafer so as to be mounted in a circuit board. In this case, in the wafer expander, an elastic dicing sheet attached with the diced wafer is caused to adhere to a dicing frame including a circular opening portion by using an adhesive or the like, and the dicing sheet is clamped by two of inner and outer expanding rings inside the opening portion of the dicing frame so as to expand (be stretched). In the die supply apparatus disclosed in PTL 1, the dicing frame of the wafer expander is installed on a wafer pallet by using a screw, and the wafer pallet is accommodated in a plurality of stages of slots inside the magazine rack of the die supply apparatus. Then, when the magazine rack is lifted and lowered by a lifting and lowering mechanism and a next wafer pallet to be drawn out from the magazine rack is lifted and lowered to a predetermined drawing-out position, the magazine rack is stopped and the wafer pallet is drawn out from the magazine rack by using a drawing-out mechanism so as to pick up a die on the wafer pallet.


Predictive analysis of complex datasets and systems and methods including the same are disclosed herein. The methods include analyzing airborne particle count data from a cleanroom environment to predict a particle count fault condition within the cleanroom environment. The methods further include generating an airborne particle count data repository that includes particle counts within the cleanroom environment, analyzing the airborne particle count data to calculate a difference between a first rate of change and a second rate of change, and predicting the particle count fault condition responsive to the difference between the first rate of change and the second rate of change being outside a predetermined threshold range difference. The systems include computer readable storage media including computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a data analysis system to perform the methods. The systems also include a distributed cleanroom particle count monitoring system including a plurality of detection nodes.

Complex data sets may include chaotic, quasi-chaotic, and/or semi-random data sets and may be generated by a variety of industrial processes. As an example, airborne particle count data from cleanroom environments may be complex in nature. This airborne particle count data may remain relatively stable, with just a baseline noise level, for significant periods of time and then increase unexpectedly to elevated levels that may be unacceptable within the cleanroom environment.
The increase in airborne particle counts within the cleanroom environment may be caused by a variety of factors. As an example, filters that may be utilized to cleanse air that is circulated within the cleanroom environment may degrade, may decay, and/or may become clogged. As another example, a "dirty" object may be moved into the cleanroom environment and may shed particles within the cleanroom environment. As yet another example, human error may cause doors, windows, and/or other access points to the cleanroom environment to be left open, permitting particles to enter the cleanroom environment. As another example, workers may shed particles within the cleanroom environment.
The above-described sources of increased airborne particle counts may be quasi-random in nature and/or may be difficult to predict. At the same time, an elevated airborne particle count may be detrimental to work that is performed within the cleanroom environment and/or to the quality of a part that is fabricated within the cleanroom environment. With this in mind, simply observing, or measuring, an increased airborne particle count within the cleanroom environment and responding after-the-fact may be costly and/or time-consuming to a manufacturing process that is performed within the cleanroom environment. Thus, there exists a need for improved predictive analysis of complex data sets and for systems and methods that include and/or utilize the predictive analysis.


A motor includes: a motor housing; a stator disposed inside the motor housing and supported by the motor housing; and a thermally conductive sheet disposed so as to fill a gap in a radial direction or an axial direction between the motor housing and the stator.

For an electric supercharger driven by a motor, it is necessary to address heat generation of a motor body housed inside a motor housing, and noise that occurs from transmission of vibration of the motor body to the outside of the motor housing.
A cooling method may be adopted to address heat generation, for instance, which includes filling a thermally conductive member made of a thermally conductive material such as metal in the gap between the stator and the motor housing such that heat of the motor body is dissipated outside via the thermally conductive member. However, with the above method, vibration of the motor may be transmitted to the outside of the motor housing via the thermally conductive member, and the noise cannot be reduced.
On the other side, when a flexible material is interposed between the stator and the motor housing to suppress vibration, the noise problem can be solved, but the motor cooling effect deteriorates.
Patent Document 1 discloses a technique to enhance the cooling effect achieved by heat dissipation of the motor body by filling a thermally conductive resin in the gap between the stator and the motor housing.

MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES ENGINE & TURBOCHARGER, LTD.


The invention relates to nanoporous gold nanoparticle catalysts formed by exposure of nanoporous gold to ozone at elevated temperatures, as well as methods for production of esters and other compounds.

There is widespread interest in developing new catalytic materials for large-scale chemical transformations, such as selective oxidation processes, in order to meet the global challenge of reducing energy use. The overall objective is to design materials that continuously function as catalysts at moderate operating temperature and that have high reaction selectivity for desired products. A major objective in catalysis science is to create materials that can be reproducibly prepared and that have catalytic activity and selectivity sustained over time. Although considerable advances have been made in the synthesis of exotic nanomaterials with tailored shapes, sizes and compositions, (Xia, Y. et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2009, 48, 60; Personick, M. L. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 18238) there is an ongoing need to determine how to reproducibly control their catalytic behavior and enhance their longevity. Materials that blend metal compositions and bridge multiple length scales open up a wealth of opportunities to design more energy-efficient catalysts that also maximize the economical use of resources such as precious metals (Hemminger, J. et al. From Quanta to the Continuum: Opportunities for Mesoscale Science. http://science.energy.gov/bes/news-and-resources/reports). However, new materials raise fresh challenges, especially in activating these materials for catalytic process and maintaining their activity and selectivity (Hemminger, J. et al. From Quanta to the Continuum: Opportunities for Mesoscale Science. http://science.energy.gov/bes/news-and-resources/reports).
Nanoscale gold supported on metal oxides has been widely investigated as a catalyst material for selective oxidation because the relative inertness of the gold can render high selectivity (Wittstock, A. et al. Science 2010, 327, 319; Baker, T. A. et al. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2011, 13, 34; Wittstock, A. et al. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2010, 12, 12919; Haruta, M. et al. Chem. Lett. 1987, 16, 405). One important factor impeding the use of supported nanoscale gold catalysts is their propensity to agglomerate and to rapidly lose activity (Kolmakov, A. et al. Catal. Lett. 2000, 70, 93; Sykes, E. C. H. et al. J. Phys. Chem. B 2002, 106, 5390; Campbell, C. T. et al. Science 2002, 298, 811). Recently, nanoporous metal materials have been prepared using a wide variety of methods, including dealloying of bulk alloys as well as bottom-up synthetic approaches (Ding, Y. et al. Adv. Mater. 2004, 16, 1897; Erlebacher, J. et al. Nature 2001, 410, 450; Chen, L. Y. et al. ACS Catal. 2013, 3, 1220; Ma, A. et al. Sci. Rep. 2014, 4, 4849; Lee, M. N. et al. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2014, 5, 809; Déronzier, T. et al. J. Catal. 2014, 311, 221; Déronzier, T. et al. Chem. Mater. 2011, 23, 5287; Xu, C. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 42; Zielasek, V. et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2006, 45, 8241; Lang, X. Y. et al. J. Phys. Chem. C 2010, 114, 2600; Wang, H. et al. Electroanalysis 2012, 24, 911; Lee, D. et al. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 2012, 388, 74). In particular, free-standing nanoporous Au etched from bulk Ag—Au alloys via a method that results in a dilute Ag—Au alloy (˜1-3% Ag) has been investigated as a catalyst for oxidative processes, including the selective partial oxidation of alcohols (Wittstock, A. et al. Science 2010, 327, 319; Wittstock, A. et al. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2010, 12, 12919; Xu, C. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 42; Zielasek, V. et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2006, 45, 8241). Nanoporous gold sustains activity over a relatively extended period, (Xu, C. et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 42; Zielasek, V. et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2006, 45, 8241) most likely due to the nanoporous morphology which does not readily agglomerate at moderate temperatures. The 1-3% Ag that remains in the material after this particular etching procedure is key to the activity of nanoporous gold for oxidative catalysis. The residual Ag dissociates molecular oxygen (O2) to form adsorbed O, and the amount of Ag regulates the oxidative strength of the material (Wittstock, A. et al. Science 2010, 327, 319; Déronzier, T. et al. Chem. Mater. 2011, 23, 5287; Zielasek, V. et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2006, 45, 8241; Moskaleva, L. V. et al. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2011, 13, 4529; Wittstock, A. et al. J. Phys. Chem. C 2009, 113, 5593). Challenges that have hindered the use of these nanoporous materials for catalysis include (1) activating them readily and (2) sustaining their activity. Current methods for activating nanoporous gold materials for catalytic partial oxidation involve flowing a mixture of reactant gases, such as CO and O2, over the catalyst at approximately 75° C. until the material becomes active for CO oxidation. This activation procedure is highly inconsistent and irreproducible (Stowers, K. J. et al. J. Catal. 2013, 308, 131); for example, some ingots of nanoporous gold activate easily, while others do not activate at all, even if kept under a steady flow of reactants for many days. In addition, nanoporous gold materials which have been activated for methanol self-coupling using this method deactivate for that same reaction after exposure to higher alcohols, such as ethanol and 1-butanol. It is of key importance to develop a reliable procedure for reproducibly activating nanoporous gold materials (Wittstock, A. at al. Science 2010, 327, 319). Accordingly, there is a need for new methods of activating gold catalysts.

Ozone-activated nanoporous gold and methods of its use

President and Fellows of Harvard College

Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC


An energy storage and power supply system includes a body having a first end and an opposing second end, a battery pack disposed within the body, a first connector disposed at the first end of the body and electrically coupled to the battery pack, the first connector including a male connector configured to receive electrical power to charge the battery pack, a second connector disposed at the opposing second end of the body and electrically coupled to the battery pack, the second connector including a female connector configured to provide a power output from the battery pack, and a collar slidably coupled to the opposing second end of the body and movable between an extended position and a retracted position. The collar is configured to engage with and thereby retain an accessory when selectively reoriented into the extended position.

The present disclosure relates to portable power supply systems. In particular, the present disclosure relates to portable power supply systems that may be charged to store electrical energy and discharged to power external electronic devices.
Energy storage devices often include one or more batteries that may be charged to store electrical energy. Such energy storage devices may be used to extend the battery life of various electronic components (e.g., a cellular telephone, a camera, etc.) when access to traditional power sources is limited. A connector may be used to couple the energy storage device with a source of electrical power (e.g., a wall outlet, etc.). A user may couple the energy storage device to an electronic device to either power the electronic device or charge a battery of the electronic device. Such connectors used to couple the energy storage device to the electronic device may disengage, thereby inadvertently terminating the power supply to the electronic device. Inadvertent termination may occur more frequently where the energy storage device is a portable unit.


A multipurpose aquatic float has a molded shell of plastic resin. The float has a generally rectangular base part with a set of integral mounting flanges on its top surface. The mounting flanges are arranged to provide a longitudinal center channel for accepting a framing member of standard dimension lumber. Transverse flanges support the longitudinal flanges and provide a cross channel at the center and end notches to accommodate cross bracing in the frame on which the float is mounted. The longitudinal flanges have molded-in fastener receivers for receiving fasteners that secure the float in place on the framework of the support structure.

A number of types of floating devices have been used or proposed for use with docks, platforms and the like. These have several disadvantages:
1. Metal drums can rust, leak and contaminate the water; they are heavy; PA1 2. Rigid foam can deteriorate over time and break up into small particles; PA1 3. Foam filled automobile tires are expensive relative to the amount of flotation capacity they provide. They are heavy. PA1 4. Plastic dock flotation systems are expensive, generally single purpose and not suited for building a structure upon. These are generally systems obliging the user to use all parts of the system.