The present invention relates to a new polyazamacrocyclic compound or a salt thereof and its uses. The compound has the formula ##STR1## where x is 2, 3 or a combination of p 2(s) and q 3(s) where p+q=y;. y is 3 or 4; PA1 R is (CH.sub.2).sub.z P(=0)R.sup.1 R.sup.2 ; PA1 R.sup.1 is R.sup.3 or OR.sup.3 where R.sup.3 is alkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl; PA1 R.sup.2 is H, alkyl or ##STR2## where R.sup.4 is alkyl, cycloalkyl or aryl; and z is 1 to 3. PA1 Me is a metal ion.. In one important embodiment, this compound may be complexed with a metal to be a polyazamacrocyclic compound-metal complex having the formula ##STR3## where r is 2 or 3; and

The present invention relates to a series of new phosphorous containing macrocyclic chelates which bind certain biological ions with relative specificity. The .sup.31 P resonance of these chelators shift to a new position in the NMR spectrum when a metal ion occupies the cavity of the chelate and the NMR chemical shift of the bound chelate differs for each metal ion. This property should be useful for monitoring the intracellular concentrations of certain biological cations including for example, Mg.sup.2+, Ca.sup.2+, and Zn.sup.2+, by .sup.31 P NMR. There are several fluorescent chelators commercially available for measuring intracellular cation concentrations and 1 or 2 fluorine containing chelators for NMR purposes. The fluorescent chelators will likely not be applicable for human studies and the .sup.19 F chelators are not as likely to be applied clinically as the .sup.31 P chelators of the present invention. Also, certain of the chelators when bound to Gd.sup.3+ has properties which should make it a safe, effective contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging.
A great number of biological systems require the diamagnetic cations, Ca.sup.2+, Mg.sup.2+, and Zn.sup.2+ to regulate various reactions. The role of Ca.sup.2+ as an intracellular messenger ion in many types of cells is well established [1]. Mg.sup.2+ is a required cofactor for virtually all biological reactions involving ATP and may play an extensive role in the buffering of a greater variety of biological reactions [2]. Zn.sup.2+ is bound rather tightly in the active sites of several enzymes and its role appears to involve polarization of chemical bonds to aid bond hydrolysis, oxidation-reduction, or group transfer reactions. However, free Zn.sup.2+ may play a much wider role in some cells such as brain cells where it is known to be stored in neurons as storage granules and is mobilized during electrophysiologic activation [3].
An evaluation of the role of divalent cations in cell function has been limited by the availability of direct methods for measuring free cation concentration in cells and perfused organs. Presently available methods for measurement of divalent cations include indirect calculations based on equilibrium reactions [4], ion-selective micro-electrodes [5,6], and null point measurements using metallochromic dyes that are either microinjected into cells [7] or placed into the extracellular space with subsequent lysis of cells [8,9]. Virtually all of these methods are invasive in nature and require sample destruction prior to analysis. By contrast, NMR has made considerable advances as a non-invasive tool in measuring intracellular free divalent cation concentrations in perfused organs and intact cells.
Recently, fluorinated chelators have been effectively used to measure intracellular free Ca.sup.2+ [10,11] and Mg.sup.2+ [12,13] in cells and perfused organs by .sup.19 F NMR. These chelators work reasonably well in isolated cell systems but suffer from unexpected line broadening when used in perfused organs [13,14]. Another disadvantage with these systems is the synthetic routes to these compounds limits the possible chelate structures and hence metal-ion selectivity that may be designed into the chelate. Aspects of the present invention include the synthesis and development of a series of triaza and tetraaza macrocylic phosphonate monoesters and alkyl phosphinates as .sup.31 P NMR indicators to detect intracellular free cations in biological systems.
The present invention also relates to NMR imaging of living subjects, sometimes referred to as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). More specifically, it relates to agents which can be used to enhance NMR contrast in such subjects.
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has been used for many years as a means of chemical analysis. NMR is a type of radio frequency spectroscopy which is based upon small energy differences between electrically charged atomic nuclei which are spinning parallel or antiparallel to an applied magnetic field. When radio frequency energy is applied to the sample, these spining atomic nuclei change spin states and in doing so, absorb some of the radio frequency energy. Nuclei in slightly different chemical environments within the same molecule change spin state at slightly different energies and this produces characteristic absorptions or resonances which help identify the molecular structure.
NMR has more recently been used in examinations of the human body. Other methods such as computerized axial tomography (CAT scanning) have been used in the past for this purpose, and still are. However, because NMR does not use ionizing radiation, it is believed to have some safety advantages over CAT. Thus, NMR is an advantageous method of producing cross-sectional images of the human body.
The quality of the images obtained from an NMR scan is based on two properties: the proton densities of the various tissues and differences in proton relaxation rates. The proton density of tissues cannot be readily altered. Proton relaxation rates can be adjusted by adding a paramagnetic relaxation agent, more commonly known as a "contrast agent." Contrast agents enhance the contrast in NMR images between magnetically similar but histologically dissimilar tissues.
Gadolinium has been tested as a contrast agent in the past because it has a large magnetic moment, which efficiently relaxes magnetic nuclei. Gadolinium's strong paramagnetic properties are the result of its seven unpaired electrons.
One drawback of gadolinium as a contrast agent is its toxicity to animals. One possible remedy for this problem is to incorporate gadolinium in a compound that would pass through the body and be excreted without releasing toxic gadolinium ions. Unfortunately, the rare earth elements, such as gadolinium, do not form stable covalent bonds with organic molecules, so such molecules can decompose in vivo and release the toxic ions.
There is a need for effective contrast agents which avoid the toxicity problems inherent in using gadolinium. Further, there is a need for new and better contrast agents, whether they include gadolinium or another paramagnetic metal.

Polyazamacrocyclic compounds for complexation of metal ions

Board of Regents, The University of Texas System


A new method and a computer system to implement the method for SKU sales prediction in the presence of promotions for existing and new SKUs are introduced. These predictions are necessary for the retailer's order quantity decisions. Considering that the retailers are faced with shorter product life cycles and increasingly dynamic categories, they need tools that can cope with new SKUs and other changes in the category. The interpretability of the models is an important requirement for user acceptance of automated systems. The Driver Moderator method models are parsimonious and consistent across sister categories, and provide generalized insights across SKUs and stores into store, brand, SKU dynamics for various decisions such as category assortment or promotion planning.

For operational efficiency retailers rely on accurate demand forecasts for individual Stock Keeping Units (SKUs). Order decisions need to ensure that the inventory level is not too high, to avoid high inventory costs, and not too low to avoid stock out and lost sales. Better forecasts at the SKU-store level can lead to better order quantity decisions. Forecasting stock keeping unit (SKU) sales in the presence of promotions is a particularly challenging task. Various studies in the marketing literature have shown that promotions, temporary price reductions, even a simple display have significant impact on the sales of the promoted product, and other products in the category. The sales in the previous and subsequent time periods are also affected as shoppers adjust purchasing behavior in anticipation of promotions or due to accumulation of purchased product. Further, seasonality, the preferences of the clientele at the particular store, the size of the package can all affect the size of the impact. Even more challenging is prediction of sales for new SKUs where sufficient data for constructing a model for the SKU does not exist. The SKU life cycle is becoming shorter, and the store manager is increasingly faced with the problem of providing an order quantity for a new SKU before its first promotion.
Several studies stress the need for model simplicity and ease of communication for user acceptance. Retail managers want to get a sense for how the predictions are made before they allow deployment of decision support models that have been trained (estimated) based on historical data. Beyond a face validity check, they want to make sure that the phenomena that the models have captured will continue to be present in the future time periods. Further, insights into store, brand and category dynamics are very valuable for the retail managers, who take pricing, promotion, and assortment decisions.

Driver moderator method for retail sales prediction


The present invention relates to semi-rigid gels, methods of manufacture and uses thereof.

Cleansing and conditioning products are marketed in a variety of forms. Single use disposable articles are one common form of cleaning article. Another popular type of cleaning article comprises a cleaning/sanitizing agent in the form of a solution or soft gel which is packaged in a glass or plastic dispenser.
Single use disposable articles typically comprise a woven or non-woven cloth upon which is deposited a cleaning composition. Fiber absorbent cleaning articles designed for single use are convenient, and represent a more sanitary alternative to the use of sponges, washcloths, or other cleansing implements intended for multiple reuse. Unfortunately however, fiber based single use cleaning articles must be discarded after use. Thus, they create solid waste garbage.
The creation of solid waste causes numerous problems, including increased solid waste deposited in landfills, as well as simple litter. Indeed, the U.S. already sends about 129 million tons of municipal solid waste to landfills each year, and landfill space is running out. Moreover, environmental problems associated with landfills make the landfills undesirable for most neighborhoods. Thus, reducing the need for solid waste disposal is a laudable goal.
Despite the desirability for reduction in the amount of solid waste sent to landfills, solid waste, such as spent, fiber based, single use cleaning articles, only make it to a landfill if disposed of properly. Indeed, because spent cleaning articles require disposal the user must have ready access to a garbage receptacle, or must search for one. In some cases, the inconvenience and frustration encountered in having to search for a garbage receptacle causes users to simply litter the ground with the spent wipe, thereby contributing to pollution.
Cleaning/sanitizing materials in the form of cleaning solutions or a soft cleansing gel packaged in a glass or plastic dispenser, fortunately does not generate solid waste with each use. Unfortunately however, packaged cleansing gels have their own set of problems. For example, pouring or squeezing cleaning/sanitizing materials from a bottle or other container often results in inconsistent dosage, especially when children dispense the liquid or gel. Moreover, despite the fact that the liquids or soft gels may more or less effectively loosen dirt and debris from the hands, there is no wiping material to remove the dirt and debris. Thus, the dirt simply stays on the hands. In some cases, especially, but not exclusively with children, a user having no wiping material will, after using a cleaning gel, wipe their hands on their clothing, thus soiling their clothes.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for a cleaning article that is effective for cleaning surfaces, which provides a consistent and reliable dose of cleansing material and a wiping surface, but which does not generate significant amounts of solid waste. Amongst other virtuous attributes, such a cleaning article would be both convenient and environmentally sound. Fortunately, as will be clear from the following disclosure, the present invention provides for these and other needs.

Semi-rigid gel cleansing article and uses thereof

The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture


A device for producing a video image sharpness improvement signal (DOC21-DOC22), with black level clipping of an associated video signal, comprises a differential transconductance stage processing the video signal and whose bias currents (Imax) are directly proportional to the active component (ΔV) of the video signal so as to bring about a black level sharpness improvement signal clipping.

Represented diagrammatically in FIG. 1a is a portion of an input video signal VIDEO_IN, corresponding to the displaying of an image line on the screen. This portion lies between two line-blanking intervals 11 and 12 designed for the flyback of the beam deflection armatures of the cathode ray tube. For the sake of simplicity, the video signal is considered to exhibit the form of a rectangular voltage pulse 13 inside the video signal portion considered.
Represented in FIG. 1b is an image improvement control signal PBC. This signal is synchronized with the signal VIDEO_IN. For example, the signal PBC is at the high level when the image is to be improved, and at the low level otherwise. In the example shown in the figure, the image is thus improved within a zone situated substantially at the centre of the line which corresponds to the portion of the signal VIDEO_IN between the intervals 11 and 12. This zone corresponds to a rectangular pulse 14 of the signal PBC.
Represented in FIG. 1c is a signal VIDEO_OUT at the output of a circuit which receives the signal VIDEO_IN as input, and which implements the image improvement functions. In the example considered here, this circuit is for example the screen's video preamplifier.
Outside the improved zone of the image, the signal VIDEO_OUT corresponds to the signal VIDEO_IN. Inside this zone, however, a pulse 13′ corresponding in the signal VIDEO_OUT to the pulse 13 in the signal VIDEO_IN differs from said pulse through the following characteristics:
the low level of the pulse 13′ is higher than that of the pulse 13, this resulting from the image brightness improvement function;
the difference between the high level and the low level of the pulse 13′ is higher than for the pulse 13, this resulting from the image contrast improvement function;
the pulse 13′ exhibits a positive peak 15 (an overvoltage) subsequent to its rising edge and a negative peak 16 subsequent to its falling edge, which result from the image sharpness (vivacity) improvement function. In the example represented, these peaks have exponential decay; and
the positive peak 16 of the pulse 13′ is clipped at the minimum level of the signal VIDEO_IN, this resulting from the black level clipping function.
The positive peak 15 participates in the sought-after sharpness improvement, which is dependent both on the amplitude and on the time constant of the peak 15. This is why it is also referred to as the "sharpness peak" in the jargon of the person skilled in the art and in what follows. The negative peak 16 also participates in the sharpness improvement. As is known in the state of the art, the negative peak 16 is nevertheless clipped at the black level, which corresponds to a zero value of the active component of the signal VIDEO_IN, so as not to disturb the operation of the display system.
In the state of the art, various ways of carrying out the sharpness improvement function are known. Apart from the entirely digital methods, methods involving differentiation of the input video signal and methods using a delay line are thus known.
The time charts of FIGS. 2a to 2c illustrate the principle of the methods involving differentiation of the signal VIDEO_IN. For simplicity, the signal VIDEO_IN (FIG. 2a) considered here is a rectangular pulse. By differentiation, one firstly obtains the differentiated signal VIDEO_IN (FIG. 2b), which exhibits a positive peak and a negative peak subsequent respectively to the rising edge and to the falling edge of the signal VIDEO_IN. Next by adding the signal VIDEO_IN and the differentiated signal VIDEO_IN, one obtains the output video signal VIDEO_OUT (FIG. 2c).
The time charts of FIGS. 3a to 3d illustrate the principle of the methods using a delay line. For simplicity, the signal VIDEO_IN (FIG. 3a) considered here is also a rectangular pulse. By passing the signal VIDEO_IN through a delay line, one firstly obtains the delayed signal VIDEO_IN (FIG. 3b). Next by differencing the signal VIDEO_IN and the delayed signal VIDEO_IN, one obtains a signal (FIG. 3c) comprising a positive peak and a negative peak subsequent respectively to the rising edge and to the falling edge of the signal VIDEO_IN. Then by adding this signal to the signal VIDEO_IN, one obtains the signal VIDEO_OUT (FIG. 3d).
However, the known implementations of these techniques by differentiation or by delay lines are not satisfactory in that they do not allow easy adjustment of the amplitude and of the time constant of the sharpness peak, and/or do not allow black level clipping, and/or are expensive to implement (in particular in the case of delay line techniques).

Device for generating a video image sharpness improvement signal


A database access control method and apparatus are disclosed. The method is applied to a database system. The database system has at least two databases, and the at least two databases include a first database and a second database. One example method includes: receiving an access request from the application, determining that a target database to which the access request is sent is the second database; establishing a database connection between a connection agent and the second database, and sending the access request to the second database by using the connection agent.

A system architecture for massive highly-concurrent Internet services mainly has several core focuses: performance, availability, scalability, and extensibility. To achieve system design objectives of the focuses, multiple database technologies such as an in-memory database, a relational database, and a not only structured query language (NoSQL) are usually introduced to a data layer. The NoSQL generally refers to a non-relational database, and an in-memory database includes products such as TT (TimesTen) produced by Oracle.
To ensure security and performance indicators, various databases usually set an upper limit of an indicator for a single node, for example, an upper limit of a quantity of database connections. TimesTen supports 2048 connections at most, and an Oracle (a relational database) database can support a relatively large quantity of connections. However, as a quantity of database connections increases, an Oracle database responds less quickly. Therefore, to ensure performance, the Oracle database also has a bottleneck in the quantity of database connections.
As services develop to be complex and diversified, with reference to development of distributed deployment of databases, a relationship between applications and databases has the following characteristics:
1. Databases of multiple types such as a relational database, an in-memory database, and an NoSQL coexist. Typical products are, for example, Oracle, TimesTen, Fastore, and Hadoop.
2. To adapt to clustering and high feasibility of applications, databases are usually deployed at multiple partition nodes in a partition division manner, providing capabilities of high-concurrency and high-availability.
3. Because applications become increasingly complex, one application may need to simultaneously access multiple types of databases and multiple partition nodes to obtain information.
For significantly increasing data and service requests, a database architecture of a large-scale application system is as follows:
The database architecture includes multiple databases, and data needed by applications is stored in the multiple databases in a partition division manner. The applications separately establish a database connection to the multiple databases. When extension needs to be performed, a quantity of applications and a quantity of databases are scaled up. A total quantity of database connections is a product of the quantity of the applications and the quantity of the databases, a quantity of database connections of a single database is equal to the quantity of the applications, and a quantity of database connections of a single application is equal to the quantity of the databases.
In the foregoing database architecture, a quantity of connections of each database is equal to a quantity of applications (or a quantity of processes) that need to access the database. Because a quantity of database connections is limited, applications cannot be scaled out linearly, and an application occupies a dedicated database connection of each database, resulting in a waste of database connection resources.

Database access control method and apparatus


A clinker-type hydraulic binder obtained by burning comprising a magnesia spinel mineralogical phase and at least a calcium aluminate mineralogical phase, with a lime content less than 15% of the binder by dry weight. The magnesia spinel represents between 68% and 81% by dry weight of the binder and preferably the calcium aluminates consist essentially of CA and CA2, with Cxe2x95x90CaO and Axe2x95x90Al2O3. The invention also concerns the use of such a binder for making a refractory concrete and a method for making such a binder. The invention is useful for making steel ladles (1), preferably for their wear lining.

The present invention relates to a clinker-type hydraulic binder obtained by burning comprising a magnesia spinel mineralogical phase and at least one calcium aluminate mineralogical phase, with a lime content of less than 15% of the binder by dry weight. It also relates to the use and a method of making such a binder.
Ladle steel metallurgy has developed these last years up to become a key point in the steel-manufacturing process. A ladle is a real chemical reactor with internal temperatures adapted to reach 1700xc2x0 C. and being able to contain up to 300 tonnes of melted material. Conventionally used refractory concretes (first shaped, and then more and more monolithic) in steel ladles are not satisfactory any more and the performances thereof in such a field have to be improved.
In particular, the steel ladles contain wear linings in contact with steel and slag and more particularly exposed to slag infiltration and corrosion. Such wear linings should be able to best resist such aggressions.
More particularly there is an interest for monolithic concretes with low lime content (lower than 2.5% by dry weight in concrete) so-called LCC concretes (Low Cement Concrete), and with very low lime content (lower than 1% by dry weight in concrete) so-called ULCC concretes (Ultra Low Cement Concrete). The low lime content of such concretes is advantageous for obtaining a high refractoriness required for applications with steel ladles.
The Applicant has described in publication UNITECR""97, vol. III, pp. 1347-1354 (1997) of N. Blunt, C. Revais and M. Vialle entitled xe2x80x9cAdditives in calcium aluminate cement containing castablesxe2x80x9d, a study over castable monolithic refractory concrete types based on a blend of aluminous cement and magnesian spinel, particularly with a low lime content. The magnesian spinel and calcium aluminates contained in the aluminous cement have therein functions of refractory component et hydraulic component.
The concretes being described in such a publication bring out difficulties to reach a satisfactory rheology and an easy implementation.
Other solutions have been proposed to make refractory concretes through a clinker based on magnesian spinel and calcium aluminates.
Thus, Patent FR-1,575,633 discloses an aluminous refractory cement produced from a blend of 30 to 50% dolomite and 50 to 70% calcined alumina by burning up to clinkerization or melting.
FR-2,043,678 is an addition certificate application attached to FR-1,575,633, which described an aluminous refractory cement based on magnesian spinel and calcium aluminates obtained from a blend of dolomite and calcined bauxite or calcined alumina, lime and magnesia, through burning up to clinkerization or melting.
Japanese Patent Application JP-8-198649 is per se relative to a composition of refractory cement or concrete based on a calcium aluminate material prepared from lime, alumina and magnesia, through melting and/or calcination.
The compositions of the three above-mentioned last documents have the inconvenient that they are not sufficiently well adapted for refractory applications in steel ladles, particularly for producing LCC or ULCC concretes able to resist slag infiltration in steel ladles and resulting corrosion.
The invention relates to a clinker-type hydraulic binder obtained by burning particularly adapted for producing steel ladles and having a very high resistance to slag infiltration and corrosion compared particularly to the known binders.
The binder according to the invention allows to produce refractory monolithic concretes LCC or ULCC based on magnesian spinel, making possible an implementation with very satisfactory reactivity (setting time) and rheology (fluidity, castability).
The invention also relates to the use of such a binder for making a refractory concrete.
It has also as an object a process for making such a binder, making possible an easy implementation from currently available raw materials and advantageously at a low burning temperature (lower than 1800xc2x0 C.).
Other advantages associated with the binder according to the invention, besides the refractoriness and the resistance to slag infiltration and corrosion, include the following ones:
cancellation of the 12CaO.7Al2O3 (so indicated C12A7), except possibly in a strongly underburnt clinker and only on a temporary basis, such phase being able to bring about stiffening difficulties in concrete formulations;
binder microstructure being advantageous for the milling thereof so as to reach high granular fineness, so improving the corrosion resistance;
very low content in free residual magnesia, i.e. non combined in magnesian spinel, so as to be able to prevent the generation of cracks due to free magnesia in brucite during the implementation step for the refractory concrete produced from the binder.
Thus, an object of the invention is a clinker-type hydraulic binder obtained through burning comprising:
a magnesian spinel mineralogical phase, and
at least a calcium aluminate mineralogical phase with a lime content of less than 15% of the binder by dry weight.
According to the invention, the magnesian spinel comprises between 68% and 81% of the binder by dry weight.
Surprisingly such high proportions of the magnesian spinel allow to obtain the above-mentioned advantages, in particular good corrosion resistance properties.
By contrast, the known clinker-type binders comprising magnesian spinel and calcium aluminates and with a lime content of less than 15% have substantially lower magnesian spinel contents. In particular, FR-1,575,633 and FR-2,043,678 disclose proportions comprised between 25 and 45% magnesian spinel.
JP-8-198649 relates as per se to a binder with a lime content comprised between 15% and 30%, thus inappropriate for making LCC or ULCC concretes.
The term xe2x80x9cclinker-type binderxe2x80x9d means not only the proper clinker, thus the product before milling, but also the clinker being milled.
Such a clinker may be produced either at high temperature (higher than 1800xc2x0C.) by melting, for example in an electric oven, or advantageously through calcination (sintering) at low temperature (lower than 1800xc2x0 C.).
Preferably, the binder is used for making concrete to which it gives magnesian spinel fine particles. The concrete formulation is then advantageously supplemented by fine reactive aluminas and by large magnesia spinel, as well as other granulates.
The high proportion of magnesian spinel in the binder allows to supply the total fine spinel of the concrete while preventing the problems encountered with a direct mixture of aluminous cement and magnesian spinel, as in UNITECR""97 above-mentioned. Moreover, the so-made concrete may have a low or very low lime content.
Preferably, the calcium aluminates are all under crystallized form.
More precisely, it is advantageous that the calcium aluminates should be essentially made of CA and CA2, with CA being CaO and A being Al2O3.
Such a binder composition, with a pattern MAxe2x80x94CAxe2x80x94CA2 (with Mxe2x95x90MgO), leads to such a surprising and advantageously consequence that the presence of C12A7 is prevented, such a phase being adapted to lead to a stiffening cement.
Advantageously the calcium aluminates CA and CA2 comprise between 19% and 32% of the binder by dry weight. More particularly it is strongly interesting the binder should comprise by dry weight of the binder:
71xc2x12% MA (magnesian spinel)
18xc2x12% CA, and
11xc2x12% CA2.
Such a composition is in thermodynamic equilibrium in the CaOxe2x80x94MgOxe2x80x94Al2O3 system, so that C12A7 cannot be present in this combination, except possibly in a strongly underburnt clinker and on a temporary basis.
In an alternative embodiment, the calcium aluminates are present under an amorphous form, particularly under a vitreous form.
Preferably, the binder is quasi-free from free residual MgO at least as it can be observed on X-ray diffraction spectrum for the binder.
Practically the X-ray diffraction technique allows to insure that the free magnesia is present in a lower proportion than 0.5% of the binder by dry weight.
Thus, the magnesia present in the raw material is almost combined into spinel. During the keramization step of a refractory concrete from the binder, since the hydraulic concrete dehydration may lead to a high steam pressure inside the concrete, crack generations due to the hydration of the magnesia into brucite are thus prevented.
By reference to UNITECR""97, the so-obtained concrete may further possess a particularly advantageously microstructure, since it comprises an intergranular matrix (between granulates of big size) formed with much finer grains. Such a property is due to the fact that the magnesian spinel in the binder can be easily milled and makes possible to produce very fine grains.
Preferably, the binder has the following chemical composition by dry weight of the binder:
More specifically, the binder has advantageously the following chemical composition, by dry weight of the binder:
The binder comprises advantageously a SiO2 content of less than 0.5% of the binder by dry weight.
Preferably, the binder has a Blaine area surface at least equal to 3000 cm2/g and advantageously higher than 4000 cm2/g.
This entity is measured according to the NF EN 196-6 standard. The binder comprises such characteristic after milling the clinker, the limit value indicated giving a preferred level of fineness of the grains which may be obtained with the binder according to the invention.
Another object of the invention is the use of a binder according to the invention for producing a refractory concrete.
Preferably, the binder is complemented by magnesian spinel, preferentially of large size, so that the concrete contains between 20% and 30% magnesian spinel by dry weight of the concrete.
Such spinel proportion is particularly advantageously, since it allows to obtain good resistances, both to corrosion and slag penetration.
More precisely the concrete is produced advantageously by mixing by dry weight of the binder:
between 16 and 27% of the binder,
between 2 and 13% of fine reactive alumina,
between 0 and 19% of large spinel, and
between 52 and 71% of alumina granulates.
In a particularly advantageous embodiment:
18% of the binder,
11% of fine reactive alumina,
11% of large spinel, and
60% of alumina granulates.
These proportions allow to produce a dense concrete with a theoretical compactness comprised between 0.25 and 0.40 because grain size lines are used that can suit to Andreasen mathematical model. The above-mentioned compositions authorize the proportion of 20% to 30% magnesian spinel.
In alternative embodiments, the reactive alumina being mixed with the binder is substituted by other materials.
The binder according to the invention is advantageously used in the manufacture of steel ladles, preferably for wear linings of such steel ladles.
The invention also relates to a process for producing a binder as defined above. According to the invention, the binder is made through frittering by burning of a blend of raw materials comprising dolomite, alumina and magnesia.
This blend, a source of CaO, MgO and Al2O3, has the advantage to give a very good sintering behaviour which can be appreciated by the quantity of uncombined magnesia staying after clinkerization.
Advantageously the raw materials have the following characteristics separately or in combination:
dolomite is natural: such dolomite leads, upon the decomposition thereof during the clinkerization, to the formation of very reactive products and has also the advantage to be economical;
alumina is metallurgical: such alumina has this advantage to be very reactive;
magnesia is reactive, preferably caustic, and has advantageously a grain size 100% lower than 100 xcexcm, preferably lower than 40 xcexcm: magnesia fine grain size is particularly interesting, since it favours a total combination of magnesia and consequently prevents residual magnesia to be present.
In two particularly advantageous embodiments, the following patterns are respectively used, where dolomite, alumina and magnesia are indicated by their tradenames:
Dolomite Saminxe2x80x94Alumina Sandyxe2x80x94Magnesia Briquette
Dolomite Saminxe2x80x94Alumina Pechineyxe2x80x94Magnesia MagChem40.
Preferably, before burning, the raw materials are milled up to a grain size corresponding to a 2% maximum rejection in a sieve of 65 xcexcm.
This co-milling of the raw materials allows to accelerate the chemical reactions in a solid phase.
Burning is advantageously carried out at a temperature comprised between 1400xc2x0C. and 1600xc2x0C.
Such relatively low burning temperatures are advantageous in the industrial and economical fields.
Advantageously, the degree of progression for burning is evaluated by measuring the free magnesia content by dry weight of the blend, for example by R-ray diffraction.
Such a content is in fact representative of the clinkerization being made.
When the clinker-type binder has been obtained, it is preferably milled. It is then advantageously used for making magnesian spinel based concrete.

Clinker hydraulic binder, use and method for making same


The present invention relates to a portable security door stop for dependably holding a door in a closed position again any unauthorized entry which may be quickly and conveniently installed on the inside of the door. The invention provides a door handle engaging yoke which is virtually impossible to dislodge from the door; has a convertible floor engaging member having a plurality of cleats for use of carpet but which are also adaptable to provide a mounting system for an auxiliary resilient block or pad adapted for use on relatively hard floor surfaces; and including an audio-alarm unit closely associated with the yoke which is triggered by even the inward movement of the door against the stop. The stop further includes upper and lower telescoping sections with a lock pin selectively extendable through a pair of sets of aligned apertures in the sections to hold them in predetermined extended and retracted positions; and an elongated slot in the lower section slidably receiving a pin in the upper section engageable with the ends of the slot precisely to align said pairs of sets of apertures.

Heretofore, portable bracing-type security door stops have been commercially available which have typically consisted of an elongated rod providing an upper door handle engaging end and an opposite floor engaging end which can be propped against the inner side of the door as an extra precautionary measure to preclude unauthorized entry therethrough in houses, businesses and particularly in other public places such as hotels and the like, where the normal security locks and the like might not be considered adequate. Of course, broom handles and other stick-like braces have been used for years in the home without much degree of success because of the lack of portability and difficulty in maintaining them in dependable bracing position since they are easily dislodged by even the slightest shaking movement of the door. An example of such a commercially available doorstop provides an elongated tubular rod which, while even though longitudinally adjustable, does not have sufficient holding capability to ensure it remains in place under even less than extreme situations. The upper door handle engaging end is somewhat blunt and only incorporates a rather shallow scallop or groove which requires wedging against the underside of the doorknob or other handle structure of the door which can be easily dislodged. Likewise, the opposite floor engaging end of the brace has a foot member connected to the rod by a complicated and costly ball and socket-type joint which would permit the rod to be swung away from the door in any direction from even the slightest jarring forces that might be applied to the outside of the door by a potential intruder. Furthermore, such unit has no way of accommodating a wide variety of floor surfaces to preclude slippage from a relatively soft carpet to the harder and slicker floor surfaces such as wood, slate, tile and the like. Further, none of such prior art devices afford any audible indication of a potential forced entry other than the usual relatively quiet attempted manipulation of the door knob or other handle device. Consequently, it is recognized that an improved security door stop could be provided having a greatly simplified structure providing an audible alarm system which is easily and conveniently installed on the door handle engaging member and which may be quickly and dependably oriented with a floor engaging foot member that is capable of accommodating a wide variety of floor surfaces. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to overcome the problems as set forth above.


Provided are a solid-state image-capturing device, a semiconductor apparatus, an electronic apparatus, and a manufacturing method that enable improvement in reliability of through electrodes and increase in density of through electrodes. A common opening portion is formed including a through electrode formation region that is a region in which the plurality of through electrodes electrically connected respectively to a plurality of electrode pads provided on a joint surface side from a device formation surface of a semiconductor substrate is formed. A plurality of through portions is formed so as to penetrate to the plurality of respective electrode pads in the common opening portion, and wiring is formed along the common opening portion and the through portions from the electrode pads to the device formation surface corresponding to the respective through electrodes. The present technology can be applied to a layer-type solid-state image-capturing device, for example.

Conventionally, a layer-type solid-state image-capturing device configured by layering a plurality of semiconductor substrates has a structure, for example, in which an electrode pad is formed on a surface on a side opposite to a surface on which a semiconductor device, a solder ball, and the like are formed on a semiconductor substrate (hereinafter referred to as a device formation surface). Accordingly, the layer-type solid-state image-capturing device is connected to the electrode pad via a through electrode formed so as to penetrate through the semiconductor substrate. For example, the through electrode is formed by photolithography and dry etching, and the depth of the through electrodes becomes from 5 μm to 300 μm, several times greater than that of a normal semiconductor process, typically.
In addition, as the aspect ratio of the through electrode becomes high, the processing time by dry etching becomes long, and hence it becomes difficult to form the cross sectional shape of the side surface of the through electrode so as to be vertical, often resulting in a generation of a recess on the side surface or in the bottom portion of the through electrode or a formation of an overhang. For this reason, there has been a concern that the yield and quality of the device may deteriorate due to the occurrence of step disconnections in the wiring and the deterioration of the coatability of the solder mask. Then, it has been desired to establish a structure of a through electrode in which the step disconnection of wiring is avoided and the coatability of a solder mask is improved, and to establish a manufacturing method of such a through electrode.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a funnel-shaped through electrode in which a second hole having an opening area larger than that of a first hole is formed in a funnel shape corresponding to individual through holes, thereby solving short-circuiting with a silicon substrate and disconnection of the through electrode that are caused by overhang and bird beak of the through hole and the like.
In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses a semiconductor wafer in which a through hole having a mortar-shaped opening portion is formed from the back surface of a semiconductor substrate by isotropic and anisotropic dry etching, whereby the hole is easily filled with resist and an insulation film opening pattern can be easily formed.

Solid-state image-capturing device, semiconductor apparatus, electronic apparatus, and manufacturing method

SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION


An image sensing device is disclosed, including an epitaxy layer having the a conductivity type, including a first pixel area corresponding to a first incident light, a second pixel area corresponding to a second incident light, and a third pixel area corresponding to a third incident light, wherein the wavelength of the first incident light is longer than that of the second incident light and the wavelength of the second incident light is longer than that of the third incident light. A photodiode is disposed in an upper portion of the epitaxy layer, and a first deep well for reducing pixel-to-pixel talk of the image sensing device is disposed in a lower portion of the epitaxy layer in the second pixel area and the third pixel area, wherein at least a portion of the epitaxy layer in first pixel area does not include the first deep well.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image sensing device and to a method of fabricating the same, and more particularly, to an image sensing device having reduced pixel-to-pixel crosstalk and quantum efficiency, and a method of fabricating the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image sensor converts optical information into electrical signals. Recently, with advanced development of the computer and communications industries, there has also been an increasing demand for more highly-efficient image sensors for various fields such as digital cameras, camcorders, personal communication systems, game devices, surveillance cameras, micro-cameras for medical use, robots, and so on.
A unit pixel in an image sensor converts incident light into an electrical signal, and integrates charges corresponding to the amount of light at a photoelectric converter. In addition, a unit pixel of an image sensor reproduces an image signal through a readout operation. However, the incident light may form charges that are not integrated at the photoelectric converter of the unit pixel. For example, in a CMOS image sensor, charges may be moved to and integrated at a photoelectric converter of an adjacent pixel, causing what is known as pixel-to-pixel crosstalk.
Referring to FIG. 1, pixel-to-pixel crosstalk may be divided into the following categories: (a) optical crosstalk A, which occurs when a reflected light 6 is transmitted to a photoelectric converter 2 of a unit pixel adjacent to a relevant unit pixel, a reflected light 6 is formed by reflection from a top or side of metal wirings M1, M2, and M3, or a refractive light is formed by refraction at a non-uniform layer or at a multilayered structure including interlayer insulating layers having different refractive indexes; and (b) electrical crosstalk B, which occurs when charges generated at a lower or side portion of a photoelectric converter 2 of a relevant unit pixel are delivered to the photoelectric converter 2 of an adjacent unit pixel via a long-wavelength incident light 7.
For a black and white image sensor, when crosstalk occurs, resolution decreases causing image distortion. Meanwhile, for a color image sensor using an RGB color filter array (CFA), the probability for crosstalk to occur due to red light having a long wavelength is high, which may cause poor tint quality. Moreover, crosstalk may cause blooming effect in which adjacent pixels for an image are blurred.

Image sensing device and fabrication thereof


A vehicle anti-theft parking space device including a vertically slideable post telescopingly received in a receptacle base securely mounted underground from ground level in a driveway and the like so that the post can be raised and locked in the raised position above ground level by a padlock to prevent unauthorized movement of a vehicle parked on the driveway. A spring mechanism is disposed between the post and the receptacle base to maintain the post in the raised position in a vertical alignment with the receptacle base. A hasp is pivotally mounted within the post so that the hasp can freely pivot through a slot in the post into a horizontal position extending outwardly from the post, and secured in the horizontal position by the padlock so that the post cannot be lowered into the receptacle base. The hasp is pivoted back into the post, when the padlock is removed, as the post is being lowered into the receptacle base. A handle is provided for pulling the post up to the raised position. Retainment members are provided on the receptacle base for securing the receptacle base in the ground. A stop is provided to prevent the post from being pulled out of the receptacle base. Preferably, the post is an elongated square shaped hollow member, and the receptacle base is an elongated rectangular shaped hollow member.

The invention relates to an anti-theft device, and more particularly, to a vehicle anti-theft parking space device including a vertically slideable post that is telescopingly received in a receptacle base securely mounted underground from ground level in a driveway and the like so that the post can be raised and locked in the raised position above ground level by a padlock to prevent unauthorized movement of a vehicle parked on the driveway.
Vehicle anti-theft devices including a post to prevent unauthorized movement of a vehicle parked on a driveway and the like are well known in the art. Many of these prior art anti-theft devices include springs, levers and pulley mechanisms in order to raise and lower the post. Furthermore, many of these prior art anti-theft devices are not reliable, are too expensive, and/or are constructed in such a manner that they are difficult to handle in a proper manner by the user thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,588,502 discloses a parking way control system including a telescoping post that is raised and lowered by a bar connected to a lever-spring device which is activated by weight responsive means operated by the vehicle passing thereover.
U. S. Pat. No. 3,451,164 discloses a vehicle parking device including a telescoping post that is raised and lowered by pulleys and springs, the post being locked by a key locking device mounted in a top portion of the post.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,564,769 discloses an anti-theft device that includes a telescoping post and receptacle base therefor, each having a square configuration, where the post is secured to the receptacle base in the pulled-up position by a lock mounted in a handle of the post.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,660,935 discloses a vehicle parking space locking device including a telescoping post which is pulled up by a handle and secured to a housing by a lever controlled by a key lock mounted in the housing.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,135 discloses a vehicle parking space locking device including a telescoping post which is locked in a raised position by a pulley system controlled by two key locks mounted in the top wall of the post.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,925,929 discloses a parking space barrier including a post which is pivoted from the ground to an upright position, and is locked to a ground support by a lever controlled by a key lock mounted in an upper portion of the post.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,161 discloses a mechanical barrier including a telescoping post which is secured to a receptacle base by a lever system controlled by a key lock mounted in the top wall of the post, where in a modified form, a latch member connected to the lever system is locked in place in the top portion of the post by a padlock.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,062,149 discloses a parking space barrier including a removable post which is secured to a receptacle base by a lever locked in place on the post by a padlock.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,508 discloses a bollard trafficway barrier and vehicle arrest system including a post which is raised and lowered by hydraulic operation thereof.
Accordingly, there is presently a need for a reliable reasonably priced anti-theft device including a telescoping post to prevent unauthorized movement of a vehicle parked on a driveway that can be easily mounted in the driveway, that has few parts, that permits the post to be easily moved up and down by an authorized person, and that permits the post to be conveniently locked in the raised position by a convention padlock.


A communication device includes an integrated smart card and a software profile management module. The software profile management module is configured to store profiles in the smart card, receive an operation request that includes an indication of a requested operation and an identifier of the smart card, check whether the operation request corresponds to an identifier of the smart card that is available in a repository server, and perform the requested operation only if the operation request is available in the repository server.

Due to new requirements of miniaturization and robustness, the industry has developed an evolution of the traditional UICC (Universal Integrated Circuit Card) cards, a smart card integrated in the communication device which is called "embedded UICC". This evolution envisages that the UICC is soldered (or in any case made hardly accessible) in the hosting device that can be a mobile phone, a modem, a board inserted in a device, etc.
Soldering presents distinct advantages such as the possibility of reducing the size of the UICC device and hence of the modem, the improvement of the robustness of the contacts (soldered contacts are typically more reliable than interfaces between replaceable components), the increased antitheft protection.
On the other hand, soldering a UICC (or making it hardly accessible) introduces new requirements and issues that need to be addressed. As the UICC is not replaceable, means should be available to allow the operator change. Specific operations (such as device repairing), that today are typically performed after the UICC removal, require a way to disable the SIM card.
To address the above requirements, the industry has defined a new technological standard called "embedded UICC" or "Remote SIM provisioning".
The basic concepts of the new technological standard are the following:
one entity is defined to allow the download/enable/delete of profiles (for instance the Issuer Secure Domain Root ISD-R, see for instance "Remote Provisioning Architecture for Embedded UICC, Technical Specification, Version 1.0, 17 Dec. 2013");
the UICC may contain several mobile network operator subscriptions;
each operator subscription is represented by a "profile";
every profile may be seen as a container; the container is managed by a security domain (for instance the Issuer Secure Domain Profile ISD-P).
In the eUiCC (embedded UICC) card it is known to provide generation of profiles, in particular personalized profile package data.
A Profile is a combination of a file structure, data and applications which are stored in an eUICC. A Profile Package is a Personalized Profile using an interoperable description format which is transmitted to an eUICC in order to load and install a Profile.
For instance the consortium SIMalliance defines an interoperable format to represent a Profile Package as defined for instance in the SIMalliance reference document "eUICC Profile Package: Interoperable Format Technical Specification", available at the URL http://simalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/3/Profile-interoperability-technical-specification_V1-0.pdf and subsequent versions. Such interoperable format represents the structure of data to be built by the profile generating node, e.g., Profile Creator and to be loaded in the eUICC card in order for the eUICC to be personalized according to the content of the Profile Package. The Profile Creator is an entity in charge of creating the Profile Package based on the MNO (Mobile Network Operator) requirements.
Two families of embedded UICCs are currently defined:                the eUICC Industrial cards;        the eUICC Consumer cards;
The eUICC Industrial cards are directed to application in automotive/M2M devices managed by a Service provider. Such devices are typically unattended, i.e., without the interaction of an End User. Thus the operation regarding the managing of software and profiles, e.g., Load/Enabled/Disable/Delete are issued by a remote server, representing the service provider, since the device performs these operations unattended.
On the other hand, the eUICC Consumer cards are directed to mobile phones, smartwatches, and similar device which are typically attended. Therefore, operations for managing software and profiles are issued by the local device, representing the user intent. The device performs these operations attended, i.e., with the interaction of an End User.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a system 10 for managing profiles in industrial eUICC cards, which includes a data preparation server 13, e.g., a SM-DP server, responsible for the creation, generation, management and the protection of resulting profiles at the input/request of the operator. Such data preparation server 13 for instance may include a database of profiles and, additionally other modules like an OTA RFM (Over The Air Remote File Management) engine and a Keys Manager. The data preparation server 13 provides, for instance through an OTA (Over The Air) channel, profiles P, in particular personalized profiles, to a Secure Routing server 21, e.g., a SM-SR server, which is configured to secure routing of profiles and usually sends a profile download enabling command to the eUICC card 16, which is embedded in a local equipment 14, i.e. a smart card integrated in a local communication device, thus enabling download and storing of the profile P in the eUICC card 16. The system 10 includes also a Mobile Network Operator (MNO) 22, which can issue for instance a profile ordering command to the data preparation server 13. In FIG. 1 are also indicated a Certificate Issuer 23, which issues Certificates for remote SIM provisioning entities and acts as a trusted third party for the purpose of authenticating the entities within the system, and an eUICC Manufacturer (EUM) 24 which is responsible for the initial cryptographic configuration and security architecture of the eUICC 16 and is the provider of eUICC products. These system components are not here described in further detail. A description of the operation of the system 10 can be found at https://www.gsma.com/iot/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/1.-GSMA-Embedded-SIM-Remote-Provisioning-Architecture-Version-1.1.pdf and subsequent versions.
Thus, in the system 10, the SM-DP (server 13, an OTA server) contains profiles and represents the MNO. The SM-SR (server 21, also an OTA server) executes commands [load/enable . . . ] in batches over the device installation basis, e.g., downloading profiles on all the cards on the field.
Despite the industrial architecture was originally defined for the IoT (Internet of Things)/Automotive application, for IoT it is not always the best approach since the SM-DP server needs to be implemented by MNOs to enable IoT, which requires an effort on the part of the MNOs which in this segment of marker are often not big or very active. In addition, the IoT provider needs to offer the SM-SR service that for small IoT providers could be expensive. Finally, interconnections between SM-DP and SM-SR server requires effort (legal agreements, key ceremony, etc.) leading to a complexity of interworking.

Method for managing profiles in embedded universal integrated circuit cards


A surgical interference implant including an elongated body formed of a biocompatible material and having a distal end and a proximal end. The proximal end defines an element for engaging a driver, and lacks an enlarged head member. The body defines a conical region having a smooth outer surface which extends proximally along a first, distal portion of the body to enable initial linear insertion of the body into a bone tunnel. A helical thread is disposed about a second, proximal portion of the body to enable subsequent rotational insertion of the body deeper into the bone tunnel.

There are a number of surgical procedures in which a fastener such as a screw or nail is inserted into a tissue of a patient. One surgical use involves insertion of an interference screw into a bone tunnel or channel to secure a bone plug in place and thereby attach an end of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) replacement. ACL reconstruction procedures and interference screws are disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,139,499 and 5,139,520, both incorporated herein by reference.
Surgeons and patients desire absorbable implants which will be partially or completely absorbed by the body. An absorbable lag screw for fracture fixation and having an enlarged, rounded head, for example, is disclosed in German Patent DE 3,811,345.
A relatively large amount of torque must be applied to an interference screw during insertion. A screw formed from a bioabsorbable material is likely to have a significantly lower strength, however, and therefore should not be subjected to high torque during insertion. The distal region of a bioabsorbable screw is particularly susceptible to shear failure due to excess torque. It would be desirable to improve the configuration of the screw or to lower the amount of torque which must be applied to the screw.
Another type of interference device has annular ribs or ridges and is linearly inserted into a hole drilled in a bone. As disclosed in European Patent No. 317,406, for example, a conical peg having a plurality of annular ridges is driven linearly into a bone tunnel between the tunnel wall and a replacement ligament.
It is generally more difficult to precisely control the depth of insertion of such a linearly inserted implant and to control the amount of frictional engagement between the implant and the bone. Further, the tunnel walls are scraped or shaved to some extent by the annular ridges which may generate undesirable debris and expand the tunnel to the greatest outer diameter of the implant. Additionally, a bone plug within the bone tunnel might be unintentionally driven deeper into the tunnel.


The present invention relates to a method of recording an image of a given object onto a substrate. In the method, the object is first defined as the numerical image values at its coordinate locations and then, using these numerical values for control, the final image is recorded with the help of reactive agents capable of undergoing a change of state. Each one of the state-changing reactive agents is applied onto each point of the substrate in an amount located and controlled by the numerical value of the respective point in the object image, whereupon each one of the amounts of the applied agents is subjected to a reaction causing a change of state. The invention can be implemented to record photographic images, for instance. Other applications are in the manufacture of printed-circuit boards, printing plates and the like.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of recording an image of a given object onto a substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the art is known a method of forming an image from an object by way of defining the object as a pixel set of digital values, and then forming the image onto a substrate under the control of the pixel set of digital values. The object image information is stored as the color/hue/intensity values of each pixel. The image is formed onto a substrate precoated with a layer of photoreactive material. Subsequently, the substrate can be exposed with the help of a point source of light (a laser) in a positionally deflected manner, whereby the light intensity is controlled at each pixel location to the value determined by the digital intensity value of the object at the respective point. To record a color image, values obtained from a color separation process are used to control a three-color laser.
The latent image thus formed is developed into a visible image by way of initiating a color-forming reaction in the photoreactive material, then fixing the image and finally treating the substrate by methods known in the art of photography. This kind of method may be used in the recording of a black-and-white or a color image.
To obtain the required digital image values, the object can be first imaged by a plurality of techniques known in the art, such as a direct photography of the object using a digital camera. Alternatively, the object may be first photographed in a conventional manner and the information content of the film image thus formed can be converted into a digital format by means of scanners generally used in the art.
In this conventional method of image reproduction, the image is produced through a traditional photographic process, wherein the fixing of the image is a crucial step. During fixing, a chemical treatment step is carried out to remove from the emulsion overlying the substrate that portion of the photoreactive agent whose composition has not changed under exposure into a form capable of reacting in a color-forming manner with the developing chemical. While this step represents a cost-increasing factor as an extra step of the process, it especially seriously adds to the chemical burden imposed by the process. The chemical waste burden does not only appear as an additional cost and an environmental burden, but its implicit effect also represents a significant risk to the finished image. Firstly, there inevitably remains into the developed image some amount of unreacted photoreactive material, developer residues and fixing chemical residues inasmuch such chemical residues in the printed image cannot be avoided in spite of the washing steps performed in the process. Eventually, these chemical residues deteriorate the long-term stability of the finished image.
The method is based on an image transfer technique, wherein the object is first scanned to determine the numerical image values at its coordinate locations. Using these numerical values, the final image is then recorded with the help of reactive agents capable of undergoing a change of state. Advantageously, the reactive agent forming the image by a state change is a photoreactive agent, particularly advantageously an agent capable of undergoing a photoreactive conversion into a specific color, with the help of which the final image is recorded in a shape and color rendition that represent those of the original object.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method capable of overcoming the above-described drawbacks of the related art.
The goal of the invention is achieved by way of first defining the object""s numerical values (through digitization) and then recording the image of the object, with the help of reactive agents undergoing a state change, under the control of the predetermined numerical values. According to the general concept of the invention, the reactive agent capable of a state change is applied onto a substrate in amounts positioned and controlled by the numerical value associated with the respective coordinate location, whereupon the substrate can be subjected to a reaction resulting in the desired state change in each applied agent.
Particularly in image reproduction based on a state-change-causing reaction aiming to produce a specific color, the method according to the invention can record a high-quality image so that the color-forming reaction of each dye agent reproducing a specific color is brought to its complete end point. Hence, the recorded image cannot contain unreacted dye agent that would need to be removed by postprocessing. As a result, the image will contain an amount of chemical residues substantially smaller than what is encountered in a state-of-the-art process as to both the dye itself and the chemical required to remove its unreacted portion. This means that at least one workstep can be eliminated in the sequence of image processing, thus offering respective savings in work and material costs. Additionally, the long-term stability of the processed image becomes substantially superior over that of an image reproduced using a state-of-the-art process.


The invention discloses an optical glass and an optical element. The optical glass comprises 0.1 wt % -8 wt % of SiO2, 20 wt % -32 wt % of B2O3, 20 wt % -35 wt % of La2O3, 15 wt % -30 wt % of Gd2O3, 1-6 wt % of Ta2O5, 1 wt % -15 wt % of ZnO, and 0.1 wt % -2 wt % of Li2O. The optical glass claimed in the invention has a refractive index of 1.75-1.8, an Abbe number of 45-52, a transformation temperature of less than 610° C., and a wavelength of less than 390 nm at 80% transmittance. Thus the claimed optical glass meets the requirements for a modern imaging device.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the technical field of glass, more specifically, an optical glass and an optical element.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, digital cameras, digital video cameras and camera-enabled mobile phones are increasingly popular. The equipment used for the optical system is highly integrated and increasingly multi-functional. Thus it is imperative that the optical system is higher fidelity, lighter weight and small size. Therefore, aspherical mirrors are widely used. At the same time, spherical elements have become the mainstay in optical design.
Precision mold pressing technology is widely used in the manufacture of aspherical lens. Precision mold pressing refers to a technique in which a prefabricated glass component is pressed at a given temperature and pressure using a high precision mold of the shape of a product. The technique is capable of producing glass products that are or nearly are the shape of the final products and with optically functional surfaces. No burnishing by abrasion is required for the aspherical lens made by the precision mold pressing technique, thus the working procedure are simplified.
The optical glass for the aspherical lens is required to have a high refractive index and a low dispersive index, and is more widely used for modern imaging devices. For example, Chinese patent CN101360691A discloses an optical glass with optical parameters including refractive index of 1.5-1.65 and Abbe number of 50-65. Chinese patent CN1704369A discloses optical glass with optical parameters including refractive index of 1.85-1.90 and Abbe number of 40-42.
Refractive index has a significant impact on light transmittance of the optical glass: the higher the refractive index, the lower the light transmittance. Fox example, Chinese patent CN101492247A discloses an optical glass with a refractive index of 1.8-2.1, and a corresponding wavelength of above 400 nm at 80% transmittance.
During precision compression molding, in order to replicate the high precision molding surface onto the glass molding products, it is necessary to shape a prefabricated glass body by pressure at about the temperature of the softening point of the glass. During the process, a forming die is exposed to high temperature and higher pressure. Even though it is in a protective gas, the surface of the forming die is susceptible to oxidation and corrosion. Therefore, it is desirable that the glass has a lower transformation temperature. In prior art, Chinese patent 1704369A discloses an optical glass with optical parameters including refractive index of 1.83-1.9, Abbe number of 40-42, and transformation temperature of 670-720° C. Due to the high transformation temperature of the glass material, high temperature is necessary during precision compression molding. Thus the forming die is easy to be damaged resulting in high cost.
All references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.


An adjustable hinge for interposition between a door and a frame includes a frame leaf, a door leaf pivotably mounted to the frame leaf, and an adjustable mounting assembly mounted to the door and with which the door leaf is engaged. The mounting assembly includes a cover fixed to the door and a base mounted to the cover, with the door leaf being engaged with the base. The base is fixed against horizontal movement relative to the cover, and a horizontal adjustment screw is engaged with the base. The door leaf is mounted to the adjustment screw for movement in a front-rear direction along with the adjustment screw to adjust the horizontal position of the door relative to the door leaf, and thereby relative to the frame. The base is mounted for vertical up and down movement to the cover, and an adjustment screw is provided for controlling the vertical position of the base relative to the frame. Substantially the entire extent of the adjustable mounting assembly is received within a recess formed in the door to conceal the adjustment mechanism.

This invention pertains to an adjustable hinge for mounting a door to a frame, and more particularly to a hinge for providing adjustment of the door relative to the frame in both vertical and horizontal directions.
In mounting a door to a frame, it is often difficult to obtain precisely the desired position of the door relative to the frame. For this reason, it is common for door manufacturers to market pre-hung doors in which the door is mounted to the frame at the factory under controlled conditions so that precise positioning of the door can be obtained. The door and frame assembly is then shipped as a unit to the construction site for installation into an opening formed in a wall.
However, there are times when pre-hung doors cannot be employed and it is necessary to hang a door in an existing opening in which a frame has been constructed. In addition, not all doors for new construction are available in pre-hung form, making it necessary to construct a frame within an opening and to fit the door into the frame. In these instances, obtaining precise positioning of the door within the frame is a difficult and time consuming task even for the most skilled workman.
It is object of the present invention to provide an adjustable hinge adapted for connection to a conventional door frame for providing positioning of the door relative to the frame after the door has been mounted to the frame. It is a further object of the invention to provide an adjustable hinge in which the position of the door relative to the frame can be adjusted in both the vertical and horizontal directions. It is a further object of the invention to provide an adjustable hinge which is relatively simple in its construction and relatively easy to install.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, an adjustable hinge broadly consists of a frame leaf for mounting to the door frame, a door leaf pivotably mounted to the frame leaf, and an adjustable mounting arrangement for mounting the door leaf to the door. The adjustable mounting arrangement includes a base member to which the door leaf is mounted and a cover member fixedly mounted to the door, with the base member and the cover member being interconnected to form a mounting assembly. The mounting assembly includes a vertically and horizontally adjustable mounting arrangement for mounting the door leaf to the mounting assembly, for providing vertical and horizontal adjustability in the vertical and horizontal position of the door relative to the frame.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the door includes a recess within which the mounting assembly formed by the cover member and the base member are received. In this manner, the mounting assembly does not interfere with the surfaces of the door and frame which face each other when the door is closed. The cover member is mounted within a first recess formed in the door, and includes a planar outer surface which is coplanar with the facing surface of the door when the mounting assembly is mounted to the door. A second recess extends inwardly from the first recess and the base member is mounted within the second recess.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, horizontal adjustment of the adjustable mounting arrangement is provided by a threaded member interconnected with the base member, with the door leaf being mounted to and horizontally movable with the threaded member for adjusting the horizontal position of the door leaf relative to the door. The base member is fixedly mounted to the cover member against horizontal movement, and the base member and cover member cooperate to define a ribbed passage within which the door leaf is received. The threaded member includes structure for securing the door leaf thereto, whereby movement of the threaded member relative to the base member results in leveraged horizontal movement of the door leaf within the ribbed passage, to adjust the horizontal position of the door relative to the door leaf. The base member is received within a cavity defined by the cover member, and is fixedly mounted to the cover member against horizontal movement by means of a plate member secured to the cover member to capture the base member within the internal cavity defined by the cover member. The threaded member includes a head, and the structure for securing the door leaf to the threaded member consists of a shoulder provided on the threaded member spaced from the head, with the door leaf being received within the space between the head and the shoulder of the threaded member.
In accordance with yet another object of the invention, vertical adjustment of the adjustable mounting arrangement is accomplished by means of a vertical adjustment mechanism interposed between the cover member and the base member, with the door leaf being engaged with the base member. Adjustment in the vertical position of the base member relative to the cover member results in adjustment of the vertical position of the door relative to the door leaf, to adjust the vertical position of the door relative to the frame. The base member is mounted for vertical movement relative to the cover member, and a threaded adjustment screw is engaged with the cover member and with the base member for adjusting the vertical position of the base member relative to the cover member. The base member is located within an internal cavity defined by the cover member and is vertically movable within the internal cavity in response to turning of the threaded adjustment screw. The cover member defines a vertical opening providing access to the internal cavity within which the base member is received, and a plate member is positioned over the opening to secure the base member within the internal cavity and to fix the base member against horizontal movement therewithin. The cover member includes a recess and a threaded passage extending inwardly at an angle from the recess. The head of the vertical adjustment screw is disposed within the recess. Turning of the vertical adjustment screw results in vertical movement of the threaded member, for adjusting the vertical position of the base member relative to the cover member.
The above-summarized aspects of the invention are preferably all combined into an adjustable hinge which is easily installed, provides essentially the same outward appearance as a conventional hinge, and which provides the capability of adjusting the vertical or horizontal position of the door relative to the frame at any time after installation of the door.
Various other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent from the following description taken together with the drawings.


A wheel assembly 10 for a tubeless pneumatic tire 11 is described. The wheel assembly 10 has a rim 12 for supporting the tire 11, a flange 14 removably attached to the rim 12, and a plurality of spaced studs 34 attached to the rim and threaded nuts 32 for securing the flange to the rim and for relieving pressurization from a mounted and inflated tire 11 in the event one of the threaded nuts 32 is loosened.

This invention relates to a wheel assembly for tubeless pneumatic tires. In particular the invention relates to a wheel assembly having a rim, a removable flange, and a plurality of spaced means which will relieve pressure in the event one attempts to remove the flange from the rim while the tire is inflated.
Large tubeless pneumatic tires are commonly mounted on multi-piece rims. The multi-piece rim generally includes a rim with an integral bead seat flange and a detachable bead seat flange that is retained by a removable locking means, such as a lock-ring. The beads of the tire are retained between the two flanges and upon inflation the tire seals airtightly against the flanges. The lock-ring is seated in an annular groove formed in the rim thus locking the bead flange securely in position.
Tires mounted on multi-piece rims are inflated to high pressures in the range of 80 to 110 psi. The resultant forces at the bead restraining flanges are very high. Improper assembly of the rim or attempts to disassemble the wheel assembly while the tire is inflated can result in the detachable flange and lock rim dislodging and being thrown at high velocities.
Depressurization is provided if an attempt is made to remove the flange from an inflated wheel assembly of the invention when an inflated tire is mounted on it.

Wheel assembly with flange securing and pressure relieving means


A magnetic read head includes a plurality of pins; circuitry for converting magnetic signals to electrical signals, where output of the circuitry is coupled to the plurality of pins; and a shield that encloses the circuitry, the shield having a front face through which magnetic signals pass to read the magnetic stripe, a base on a side of the shield opposite the front face, and one or more side surfaces between the base and the front face, and wherein the shield has an opening for each pin of the plurality of pins, wherein each pin is configured to pass through a respective opening, wherein the plurality of openings are positioned on the one or more side surfaces of the shield, where each pin extends from the shield along an axis that is parallel to a plane defined by the base of the shield.

Magnetic read heads can be used to read magnetic media, e.g., the magnetic stripe on a magnetic stripe card. For example, the magnetic stripe on a magnetic stripe card generally has up to three tracks of data, each of which can be accessed by a magnetic read head. Magnetic read heads convert magnetic signals from the magnetic stripe to electrical signals. Magnetic read heads can include a core of material with high magnetic permeability, sometimes arranged in a U-shape, having a narrow gap between parallel ends of the core. The gap can be filled with a dielectric material. A coil can be wound around the core. When the magnetic read head scans the magnetic media, the magnetic read head converts fluctuations in the magnetic field caused by motion of the magnetic media into electrical signals. The electrical signals are transmitted to an electrical component, e.g., a printed circuit board.
Generally, a magnetic read head is connected to a printed circuit board using pins. The printed circuit board can have holes in the board for the pins to pass through. The pins project down "vertically", i.e., away from the magnetic media, from the magnetic read head. The pins are soldered on an underside of the printed circuit board.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Magnetic read head with flat-extending pins


A new and distinct variety of white flat nectarine tree, denominated ‘CAKELOVE’, has flat fruits of very long shelf life without alteration before and after harvesting, and with a semi-sweet white flesh of high eating quality, with a slightly pink pigmentation, and an attractive luminous purple red blush, with a red background. Fruits can be consumed crunchy or melting.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of white flat nectarine tree, Prunus persica L. Batsch, which has been given the variety denomination 'CAKELOVE'. This new tree produces fruit with a long shelf life without alteration both on the tree after growth completion and after harvesting, very good eating quality, clingstone white flesh fruit for fresh market in July in the Pyrénées-Orientales department, France. Contrast is made to 'Cakepearl' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,356), a white flat nectarine variety and to 'Cakeredal' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,358) a white flat nectarine tree, and to its parents, 'Nectarmagie' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,579) white nectarine tree and 'Flatnice' (non patented) white flat peach tree, for reliable description. 'CAKELOVE' is a promising candidate for commercial success in that it has very attractive fruits with very long shelf life without alteration before after harvesting.


A cable cutter for attachment to a power drill has a housing, first and second cutting blades connected to the housing for movement relative to one another and a drive assembly releasably engageable with the chuck of the drill and operatively engaged with at least one of the cutting blades. The drive assembly includes a worm mounted on a drive shaft, a worm gear and a drive gear mounted on a main shaft, and a segment gear formed on one of the cutting blades. The worm and worm gear which are in engagement, as are the drive gear and segment gear. The main shaft is supported in the housing by three bearings. A torque arm is attached at one end to the housing and adapted at its other end to engage the handle of the drill. A reversible stabilizing handle attaches to the housing to allow the user to securely grip the housing during cutting operations.

The present invention relates to cable cutters and, in particular, to a drill-powered cable cutter which can be removably attached to a standard, hand-held power drill having a rotating chuck and handle.
Cable cutters are used to cut large electrical cables of the type used in high voltage or high current applications. Such cables can vary in diameter but generally they can be an inch in diameter or larger. This class of cable is too large to be cut using ordinary hand tools. Ratchet cable cutters are known which require repeated actuations to slowly force a cutting blade through a cable. These tools are slow and they can potentially cause injuries in larger cables due to the repeated actuations required. Other prior art hand tools have elongated handles for extra leverage to cut larger diameter cables, but these tools are so large as to be unwieldy and inconvenient to carry around. This has lead to the development of power tools for cutting large electrical cables. One such tool is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,754. It has a planetary gear train to drive its cutting blade. Another powered cable cutter is disclosed U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,643 which has a cutter driven by a hand-held drill but it uses a complicated ratchet and linkage mechanism. It has been found desirable to simplify the driving mechanism needed to drive the cutting blades to slice through the cable.
Other drawbacks of prior cable cutters include the weight and bulk of an electric motor and power source therefor which are built into the cutting tool. Such built-in motors are dedicated solely to the cable cutter and can be used for that tool and nothing else. Meantime, electricians almost always carry with them a standard hand-held power drill. Today these are usually battery driven, although drills with electric power cords are still found. In any case, a tool with a dedicated motor and power supply simply duplicates the equipment an electrician already has. This adds cost, weight and bulk to the equipment needed for a particular job. Naturally, electricians prefer to limit the amount of extra weight that they need to carry around on a daily basis. So it is desirable to provide a cable cutter which works with the electrician's existing tools without unnecessarily adding to them.


A hydraulic aggregate comprises a container, a reservoir for hydraulic oil, and a pump driven by a motor arranged in the reservoir. The motor is a pneumatic motor. An electric control unit for controlling a main valve is mounted on the container. The main valve causes a reversal of the stroke direction of the hydraulic connections. The division into pneumatics and low power electronics leads to an explosion-proof embodiment of low weight and little technical complexity.

A hydraulic aggregate of the above type is described in WO 2006/103199 A1 (Wagner). This hydraulic aggregate comprises a reservoir provided with a submerged motor submerged into the oil contained in the reservoir. The submerged motor has no casing so that the oil is able to reach all functional components of the motor and will also fill out the gap between stator and rotor. The motor is arranged to drive a multi-piston pump comprising distributed individual pumps. The individual pumps are cyclically actuated by an eccentric which is mounted on the motor shaft. A pump of this type has a star-shaped configuration, and, within the cylindrical reservoir, the pump is arranged in a cross-sectional plane. The hydraulic aggregate is provided with a motor control unit arranged on the housing of the reservoir and accommodated within a separate device housing.
Customary hydraulic aggregates for power wrenches are used in an environment where no specific risk of explosions prevails. This allows for the use of an electric motor for driving the multi-piston pump. For hydraulic aggregates which have to be run in an environment with explosion hazard, this known hydraulic aggregate with its uncased motor will not be suited. The electric motor may happen to inflame the oil contained within the reservoir. Providing an explosion-proof encapsulation would require a considerable increase in volume and weight.

Hydraulic aggregate for hydraulic power wrenches

Wagner Vermögensverwaltungs-GmbH & Co. KG


A sink assembly is disclosed that has a separate rim and basin made of different materials. The basin has a flange surrounding a bowl that is exposed under the rim to form an accessible ledge. A glass-filled polyester resin is injected into a mold adjacent the underside of the rim member and the flange. The polyester resin bonds with the rim member and prevents the basin from moving relative to the rim member.

Sinks have for years been formed as single pieces (e.g., of stainless steel). Unfortunately, such sinks limit the materials that can be used (as all parts of the sink must be equally resistant to water and the like).
Two-piece sink assemblies consisting of a rim member and a bowl member were therefore constructed. Some manufacturers dropped the sink in from the top with an overhanging bowl flange being exposed on top of the rim. This worked, but had some drawbacks from an aesthetic standpoint. Others used under mounting systems. However, these systems usually involved the use of clamp/adhesive systems that were expensive and/or labor intensive. Also, many of these sink assemblies left the joint between the bowl and rim difficult to clean.
It can therefore be seen that a need exists for an improved apparatus for securing a sink member of one material to a rim member of another.


The present invention is directed to a system and method for improving transition delay fault coverage through use of augmented flip-flops (TL flops) for a broadside test approach. The TL flops use the same clock for scan and functional operation. Thus, the TL flops do not require a fast signal switching between launch and test response capture. Each of the TL flops includes additional multiplexer in front of a standard scan flop and a transition enable (TEN) signal. Moreover, only a heuristically selected subset of scan flip-flops is replaced with the TL flops and only one additional MUX per selected scan flip-flop may contribute an area overhead. Consequently, the overall chip area overhead may be minimal. The present invention may be suitable for being implemented with currently available third party ATPG.

As integrated circuits are produced with greater and greater levels of circuit density, efficient testing schemes that guarantee very high fault coverage while minimizing test costs and chip area overhead have become essential. Particularly, verifying at-speed performance of integrated circuits is important to ensure a satisfactory shipped part quality level (SPQL). In the past, at-speed performance of integrated circuits was typically verified using functional tests. However, as the complexity and density of circuits continue to increase, high fault coverage of several types of fault models becomes more difficult to achieve with traditional testing paradigms. For example, it is not feasible to develop functional tests for today's multi-million gate designs to achieve satisfactory defect coverage due to the prohibitive cost of such development. Conventionally, the scan-based delay testing approach is used as a low-cost alternative to functional testing for verifying at-speed performance of integrated circuits.
Timing failures caused by delays may result in circuitry logic failure and eventually lead to a system failure. Thus, in the scan-based delay testing approach, performance failures are modeled as delay-causing faults and test patterns are generated by an automatic test pattern generator (ATPG).
Transition delay fault and path delay fault models are known to provide a good coverage of delay-causing faults. The transition delay fault model targets every node in the design for a slow-to-rise and a slow-to-fall delay fault whereas the path delay fault model targets the cumulative delay through paths in the circuit. Typically, the transition delay fault (TDF) test model requires two-pattern tests, involving a first pattern and a second pattern. The TDF model is commonly used in the industry since it is simple and existing ATPG algorithms can be easily adapted to generate tests for TDF faults. Conventionally, there are two accepted approaches of testing for TDF faults, such as skewed-load testing and broadside testing. Both of the two approaches may generate the first pattern called an initialization pattern in a similar fashion. However, the two approaches differ in how the second pattern called the launch pattern is obtained.
In the broadside testing, the launch pattern is derived from the circuit response to the initialization pattern. The broadside testing requires two cycles of sequential processing. The sequential processing of the broadside testing results in less than optimal fault coverage using commercially available ATPG tools and, thus, results in long run time and low coverage.
In the skewed-load testing, the launch pattern is obtained by a one-bit shift of the initialization pattern. The test response to the second pattern is captured by applying a system clock pulse. Generally, the skewed-load testing achieves higher fault coverage than the broadside testing. However, the skewed-load testing requires that scan enable (SEN) signal has to change fast and accommodate the system clock period. Presently, the design effort involved in designing a fast SEN signal and the resulting impact on turnaround time is considered unacceptable for many designs. Consequently, the broadside testing is often preferred over the skewed-load testing in scan designs that use the system clock for scan operations since broadside testing does not requires a fast (at-speed) scan enable signal. As such, some restrictions on scan designs may force testers to employ the broadside testing even though it does not provide optimal transition delay test (TDF) fault coverage.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a method and system which can overcome the drawback of the broadside testing and achieve greater TDF coverage with a minimal test costs and chip area overhead.

System and method for improving transition delay fault coverage in delay fault tests through use of transition launch flip-flop