A brassiere is configured to administer electromagnetic therapy to treat a cancerous tumor within a breast. The brassiere includes at least one cup, the cup within its walls at least two magnetic coils (also referred to herein as solenoid coils). Each solenoid coil is energized, when in therapeutic operation, with a distinct time-domain signal. The time domain signal consists of a series of summed sinusoidal waves from a power supply. The coils are oriented within the wall of the cup such that for any two coils a first magnetic coil and a second magnetic coil are oriented relative to each other so as to be nonparallel. The purpose of having two distinct coils is to focus resultant magnetic fields such that at a tumor site within a volume of breast tissue the cup encloses to form a local maximum formed by superposition within the cancerous tumor.

The American Cancer Society's estimates for breast cancer in the United States for 2016 are:                About 246,660 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women.        About 61,000 new cases of carcinoma in situ (CIS) will be diagnosed (CIS is non-invasive and is the earliest form of breast cancer).        About 40,450 women will die from breast cancer.
Breast cancer most commonly develops in cells from the lining of milk ducts and the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers developing from the ducts are known as ductal carcinomas, while those developing from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas. In addition, there are more than 18 other sub-types of breast cancer. Some cancers, such as ductal carcinoma in situ, develop from pre-invasive lesions. The diagnosis of breast cancer is confirmed by taking a biopsy of the concerning lump. Once the diagnosis is made, further tests are done to determine if the cancer has spread beyond the breast and to which treatments it may respond.
Most breast cancers are carcinomas, a type of cancer that starts in the epithelial cells that line organs and tissues like the breast. In fact, breast cancers are often a type of carcinoma called adenocarcinoma, which is carcinoma that starts in glandular tissue. Other types of cancers can occur in the breast, too, such as sarcomas, which start in the cells of muscle, fat, or connective tissue. In any case, however, the cancer, in its early and most treatable stages is a highly-localized structure within the tissue that makes up the breast. For that reason, a highly focused application of any curative regimen is desired; there is no need to treat the surrounding healthy cells. The scope of this embodiment of the instant invention relates to these localized cancerous tumors and not to, for example, inflammatory breast cancer. Because the selected structures for treatment are highly localized, there is no reason to subject the whole of the breast structure where the cancerous cells are contained within a defined volume within the whole of the breast. To the greatest extent possible, the ideal solution would deliver the therapeutic treatment only to affected tissue while leaving the healthy structures alone or minimally involved.
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to destroy cancer cells, which work by stopping the cancer cells' ability to grow and divide. A chemotherapy regimen (schedule) consists of a specific treatment schedule of drugs given at repeating intervals for a set period of time. Chemotherapy may be given on many different schedules depending on what worked best in clinical trials for that specific type of regimen. It may be given once a week, once every two weeks (also called dose-dense), once every three weeks, or even once every four weeks. Common ways to give chemotherapy include an intravenous (IV) tube placed into a vein using a needle or in a pill or capsule that is swallowed. As is evident, however, such a treatment involves the whole of the circulatory system and all tissue in contact with the circulating blood receiving chemical agents from the IV tube or the whole of the digestive system and such tissue as receives the chemical agents by means of digestion. As such, a great many healthy structures are dosed with the chemotherapeutic chemical agents which have no need for treatment.
Chemotherapy is predominantly used for cases of breast cancer in stages 2-4, and is particularly beneficial in estrogen receptor-negative (ER-) disease. The chemotherapy medications are administered in combinations, usually for periods of three to six months. One of the most common regimens, known as "AC", combines cyclophosphamide with doxorubicin. Sometimes a taxane drug, such as docetaxel, is added, and the regime is then known as "CAT". Another common treatment is cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and fluorouracil (or "CMF"). Most chemotherapy medications work by destroying fast-growing or fast-replicating cancer cells, either by causing DNA damage upon replication or by other mechanisms. However, the medications also damage fast-growing normal cells, which may cause serious side effects. Damage to the heart muscle is the most dangerous complication of doxorubicin, for example.
The side effects of chemotherapy depend on the individual, the drug(s) used, and the schedule and dose used. These side effects can include fatigue, risk of infection, nausea and vomiting, hair loss, loss of appetite, and diarrhea. Naturally, these side effects are undesirable and to avoid these side effects while still benefiting from the therapeutic effects the chemotherapy could cause would be highly desirable.
On a molecular level, the listed chemical agents used in chemotherapy cause changes in the molecular structure of cancerous cells. The molecules that make up the chemotherapeutic effectors interact with target biological systems through various physicochemical forces, such as ionic, charge, or dispersion forces or through the cleavage or formation of covalent or charge-induced bonds. These changes effected by physicochemical forces, necessarily assert field effects, i.e. electrostatic and magnetic field effects. Each of the changes involve the movement of charge from one molecular structure to another. Because of these physicochemical-induced movements of charge during interaction, detection of field effects present a record of the chemotherapeutic interactions.
Chemical reactions involve, among other things, the exchange of electrons between valence shell electrons to form or separate compound molecules. Movement of electrons is known as current and that electron movement forms corresponding magnetic fields. Electric and magnetic fields are fundamental in nature and can exist in space far from the charge or current that generates them. Every charged object sets up an electric field in the surrounding space. A changing magnetic field produces an electric field, as the English physicist Michael Faraday discovered in work that forms the basis of electric power generation. Faraday's law of induction describes how a time-varying magnetic field produces an electric field. Conversely, a changing electric field produces a magnetic field, as the Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell deduced. Thus, when a first charge moves from a valence shell of an atom, a second charge "feels" the presence of this movement due to the fields produced. The second charge is either attracted toward the initial charge or repelled from it, depending on the signs of the charges. Of course, since the second charge also has an electric field, the first charge feels its presence and is either attracted or repelled by the second charge, too. In short, every chemical reaction causes electrical and magnetic fields to form that are characteristic of that chemical reaction and those fields are detected by other electrons within a given proximity to those fields.
Several have postulated that the chemotherapeutic interactions between a chemical effector and a biological target may not require the presence of the effector itself. Even without the presence of the effector, the object is to induce the same changes in the target by generating field effects associated with effector molecules from signals sensed during action upon targets by effector molecules. By sensing the movement of electrons in successful chemotherapy through recording the generated fields resulting from that movement, the premise asserts that recreating those magnetic and electric fields is sufficient to produce the same therapeutic results without requiring the presence of the chemical effector.
Recognizing that effecting cellular level changes in biological targets by reproducing the suitable electrical and magnetic fields marks the pioneering works of the scientists of Nativis, Inc. as those works are set forth in white papers, patents and patent applications, the instant invention produces highly localized electrical and magnetic field effects. Reducing and eliminating tumors by producing magnetic and electric fields are the gravamen of several studies undertaken to examine the interaction between effector-molecule signals and biological targets. For example, PCT applications WO 2006/073491 A2 and WO 2008/063654 A2, both of which are incorporated by reference herein, teach the application of low-frequency time-domain signals to duplicate field effects the researchers had earlier recorded. These recorded signals comprise low-frequency time domain signals sensed and recorded as emanating from the interaction of one of several bio-active compounds and a biological target such as a matrix of cells (the researchers had isolated these signals observing the application of effectors to induce compound-specific effects in biological target systems). The following is a direct quote from United States Patent Published Application 2011/0195111 entitled "Aqueous Compositions and Methods" and owned by Nativis, Inc.:                PCT application WO 2006/073491, published Jul. 13, 2006 discloses studies in which (a) low-frequency time-domain signals recorded for L(+) arabinose were shown to induce the araC-PBAD bacterial operon, as discussed on pages 47-50 of the application, with respect to FIGS. 30C-30F; (b) low-frequency signals recorded for glyphosphate, the active ingredient in a well-known herbicide, were shown to substantially inhibit stem growth in pea sprouts, as discussed on pages 50-51 of the application, with respect to FIGS. 31 and 32A and 32B; (c) low-frequency signals recorded for gibberelic acid, a plant hormone, were shown to significantly increase average stem length in live sugar pea sprouts, as discussed on pages 51-53 of the application, with respect to FIG. 33; and (d) low-frequency signals recorded for phepropeptin, a proteasome inhibitor, were shown to decrease the activity of the 20S proteosome enzyme, as discussed on pages 53-54 of the application, with respect to FIG. 34.        WO 20081063654 A2, published May 9, 2008, details studies in which low-frequency time-domain signals for the anti-tumor compound paclitaxel, generated in accordance with methods disclosed herein, were shown to be effective in reducing tumor growth in animals injected with glioblastoma cells, when the animals were exposed to an electromagnetic field generated by the signal over a several-week period.        Among the findings from the studies described above is that the ability of agent-specific, time-domain signals to transduce (affect) a biochemical or biological target system can be optimized by a number of strategies. One of these strategies involves scoring recorded time-domain signals by one or more scoring algorithms to identify those signals that contain the highest spectral information. This scoring is used to screen recorded time-domain signals for those that are most likely to give a strong transduction effect. An improvement in this strategy is to record time-domain signals at each of a number of different magnetic-signal injection conditions, by injecting different levels of white noise or DC offset during recording, and scoring the resulting signals for highest spectral information. These strategies are detailed in both of the above-cited PCT applications.        A third strategy, disclosed in the '654 application, is designed particularly for applications in which a recorded time-domain signal is intended for transducing an animal system, for example, for treating a disease condition in a subject. The strategy involves screening time-domain signals for their ability to effectively transduce an in vitro target system that includes at least some of the critical biological response components of the animal system. The strategy has the advantage that a large number of candidate signals can be easily screened for actual transduction effect, to identify optimal transducing signals. The strategy is preferably combined with one or both of the above signal-scoring methods, using the highest-scoring signals as candidates for the in vitro transduction screening.        Independently, a number of scientific groups have reported on the structure and stability of clustered water in pure and solute-containing water samples, including structured water formed at interfaces. See, for example, studies cited in the websites of Dr. Rustum Roy, late of the Pennsylvania State University (rustumroy.com); Dr. Gerald Pollack at the University of Washington (www.depts.washington.eduibioe/people/core/pollack.html)); Dr. Martin Chaplin of the London South Bank University (1.lsbu.ac.uk/wate); and Dr. Emilio Del Guidice (isi.it/progetti/workshop-complexity09/pres_DelGiudice.pdf). Among the findings of these groups is that water interacts with electromagnetic radiation to form stable macroscopic structures that can be detected by a number of physical and spectroscopic tools; (See, for example, del Guidice, E., et al., Physical Review, 74:022105-1 (2006); Pollack, G., uwtv.org/programs/displayevent.aspx?rID=22222): Chai, B. et al, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2009, 113:13953-13958; Rao, M. L., et al., Current Science Research Communications, 98(1); 1500, June 2010.
The application sets out a method of forming an aqueous composition effective to produce an agent-specific effect on an agent-responsive chemical or biological system, when the composition is added to the system. The method includes the steps of:                (a) placing an aqueous medium within the sample region of an electromagnetic-coil device; and        (b) exposing the aqueous medium to a magnetic field generated by supplying to the device, a low-frequency, time-domain agent-specific signal, at a signal current calculated to produce a magnetic field strength in the range between 1 G (Gauss) and 10.sup.-8 G, for a period sufficient to render the aqueous medium effective to mimic one or more agent-specific effects on an agent-responsive system.
The low-frequency, time domain signal used in step (b) may be produced by the steps of:                (i) placing in a sample container having both magnetic and electromagnetic shielding, an aqueous sample of the agent, wherein the sample acts as a signal source for low-frequency molecular signals; and wherein the magnetic shielding is external to a cryogenic container;        (ii) recording one or more time-domain signals composed of sample source radiation in the cryogenic container, and        (iii) identifying from among the signals recorded in step (ii), a signal effective to mimic the effect of the agent in an agent-responsive system, when the system is exposed to a magnetic field produced by supplying the signal to electromagnetic transducer coil(s) at a signal current calculated to produce a magnetic field strength in the range between 1 G to 10.sup.-8 G.
The inventor of the instant invention makes no assertion as to this science but adopts each of the recited applications in their entirety by the above set-out references. Rather, the inventor, acknowledging the science those references contain seeks, instead, to teach and claim the use of a particularized garment having a plurality of solenoids for the selective propagation of low-frequency, time-domain agent-specific signals throughout selected tissue of a human patient for therapeutic purposes. Nonetheless, the inventor notes that Nativis' flagship therapy and device known together as Voyager is amid clinical trials to "assess the effects of the Nativis Voyager™ therapy in patients with recurrent GBM who have either failed standard of care or are intolerant to therapy. The study will enroll and treat up to 64 subjects of which 32 will be treated with the Voyager therapy alone (monotherapy) and 32 will be treated with Voyager plus concurrent chemotherapy. Safety and clinical utility will be evaluated. See, "A Feasibility Study of the Nativis Voyager™ System in Patients with Recurrent Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM)" having ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02296580.
There is a need for a garment to administer therapeutic electromagnetic fields effectively and discretely to women afflicted by breast cancer. Psychologists recognize a historic aversion among women to be identified as undergoing treatment for breast cancer. The earliest research on the psychological impact of breast cancer focused its attack on femininity, with amputation of the breast, and subsequent threat to sexual attractiveness. In addition to these concerns, the life-threatening nature of cancer itself contributed to psychological distress. The stress of breast cancer has been described as arousing depression, anxiety, and anger. In some of the first systematic and comparative studies, mastectomy patients were found to be more distressed than women with benign lumps, and often this distress persisted for more than a year following surgery. Patients treating for breast cancer report changes in life patterns that resulted from the diagnosis and surgical treatment of breast cancer, including insomnia, recurrent nightmares, loss of appetite, difficulty returning to usual household activities and work, and inability to concentrate.
While noninvasive treatment usually means treatment without surgery, ideally noninvasive treatment of breast cancer means that the treatment also does not invade the life activities of the treated patient. For this reason, it is desired that the treatment of breast cancer is to be as inconspicuous as possible. To avoid the stigma of any clear therapy for breast cancer, what is needed in the art is a means of making the therapy less evident while not in any way diminishing the effectiveness of that therapy. What is needed in the art is a means of facilitating the therapeutic use of solenoids near the targeted tissue of the breast without unwarranted disclosure of the presence of the tumor within the targeted tissue.

Brassiere apparatus for propagating therapeutic electromagnetic fields


An array of photovoltaic panels comprising a plurality of primary branches extending radially outwardly from a central trunk, and a plurality of photovoltaic panels joined to the primary branches, wherein the primary branches extend outwardly from the trunk in a spiral arrangement having a ratio of x turns around the trunk for every y primary branches. The ratio of x:y may be derived from a phyllotaxic arrangement of branches and leaves on a plant. X may be a Fibonacci number, with y being its Fibonacci second successor. The ratio of x/y may be selected from certain Fibonacci ratios, including 1/3, 2/5, 3/8, and 5/13. A method of converting electromagnetic radiation to electrical energy, and a method of making a device for converting electromagnetic radiation to electrical energy in accordance with the invention are also disclosed.

1. Technical Field
This invention pertains to devices and methods for collecting electromagnetic radiation and converting such electromagnetic radiation to electrical energy. In particular, the invention relates to devices and methods for converting solar radiation to electrical energy.
2. Description of Related Art
Phyllotaxis is the ordered arrangement of branches and leaves on a plant. The basic patterns are alternate, opposite, whorled, or spiral. With an alternate pattern, branches or leaves switch from side to side. An alternate distichous phyllotaxis means that each branch or leaf growing at a single node is disposed in a single rank along the branch (such as in grasses). In an opposite pattern, two branches or leaves grow in opposite directions from the same node. In an opposite pattern, if successive branch or leaf pairs are perpendicular, this is called decussate. A whorled pattern consists of three or more leaves at each node. An opposite branch or leaf pair can be thought of as a whorl of two branches or leaves. A whorl can occur as a basal structure in which all of the leaves or branches are attached at the base of a shoot or stem, and the internodes are small or nonexistent. A basal whorl with a large number of branches or leaves spread out in a circle is called a rosette. A multijugate pattern is a spiral composed of whorls.
A repeating spiral branch or leaf arrangement can be represented by a fraction or ratio describing the sequence of windings branch-by-branch and/or leaf-by-leaf. The ratio is expressed with the denominator being the number of branches or leaves emanating from a stem or branch, and the numerator being the number of spiral rotations around the stem or branch over which those leaves or branches are distributed.
It has been observed that the numerator and denominator often consist of a Fibonacci number and its second successor, respectively. In general, a Fibonacci sequence is a set of numbers that starts with a one or a zero, followed by a one, and proceeds based on the rule that each number (called a Fibonacci number) is equal to the sum of the preceding two numbers. If the Fibonacci sequence is denoted F(n), where n is the first term in the sequence, the following equation obtains for n=0, where the first two terms are defined as 0 and 1 by convention:F(0)=0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34 . . .
In some cases, it is customary to use n=1 as a first term, such that the first two terms are defined as 1 and 1 by default, and therefore:F(1)=1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34 . . .
Mathematically, the Fibonacci sequence is expressed by the formula:F(1)=1F(2)=1F(n)=F(n−1)+F(n−2)
The Fibonacci sequence appears as a mathematical pattern in many phenomena in nature, including the phyllotaxic architecture in trees and plants. Deciduous trees such as the oak, elm, cherry, and beech species have unique phyllotaxic patterns in their branches and leaves that generally correspond to the Fibonacci sequence. As described previously, the repeating spiral pattern of branches in each species can be represented by a fraction describing the angle of anti-clockwise windings branch-by-branch and/or leaf-by-leaf, with the numerator and denominator consisting of a Fibonacci number and its second successor.
For example, starting at a branch on the main trunk in the oak species, the general phyllotaxic architecture pattern of branches is observed to be five (5) branches distributed over a spiral of two rotations around the trunk. At two rotations, the next branch is positioned vertically and directly above the starting point, and the 2/5 rotation/branch pattern repeats. Thus, the Fibonacci pattern is mathematically expressed as 2/5. Other species of trees are also observed to have unique Fibonacci architecture. In the elm species, alternate branches or leaves will have a Fibonacci pattern of 1/2, i.e., one rotation has two leaves/branches. In beech and hazel, the Fibonacci architecture is 1/3, one rotation having three leaves/branches. In poplar and pear trees, the ratio is 3/8, and in willow and almond the ratio is 5/13. TABLE 1 provides a summary of the observed spiral windings in the phyllotaxic architecture of these common trees.
TABLE 1Fibonacci architecture of branchesand leaves in some common trees.TREE SPECIESBRANCHESTURNSOak52Elm21Cherry32Beech31Poplar52Weeping willow83Pear83Almond138
The number of branches or leaves is sometimes called rank, in the case of simple Fibonacci ratios, because the leaves or branches line up in vertical rows. It is believed that phyllotaxic architecture improves the efficiency of photosynthesis in trees and plants.
A photovoltaic ("PV") array is a linked collection of photovoltaic modules, which are in turn made of multiple interconnected solar cells. The cells convert solar energy into direct current electricity via the photovoltaic effect. The power that one module can produce is seldom enough to meet requirements of a home or a business, so a plurality of modules are linked together to form an array. Most PV arrays use an inverter to convert the DC power produced by the modules into alternating current that can connect to the existing infrastructure to power lights, motors, and other loads. The modules in a PV array are usually first connected in series to obtain the desired voltage; the individual strings are then connected in parallel to allow the system to produce more current.
At high noon on a cloudless day at the equator, the power of the sun is about 1 kW/m2, on the Earth's surface, to a plane that is perpendicular to the sun's rays. Mechanized tracking devices are a common technique utilized to assist PV arrays to track the sun through each day to greatly enhance energy collection. However, tracking devices add cost and require maintenance, so it is more common for PV arrays to have fixed mounts that tilt the array and face due South in the Northern Hemisphere. (Alternatively in the Southern Hemisphere, arrays face due North). The tilt angle can be varied for the season, but if fixed, should be set to give optimal array output during the peak electrical demand portion of a typical year. Fixed positioning, even under optimal conditions, however, has inherent limitations that can compromise the production of electricity. In extreme northern and southern latitudes, the declination and latitude of the sun during winter months can greatly reduce the efficiency of a conventional PV array.
Other factors adversely affect PV array performance. The electrical output of photovoltaic cells is extremely sensitive to shading. When a portion of a PV array is shaded, the output falls dramatically due to electrons reversing course through the shaded portion of the p-n junction. Therefore, it is extremely important that a conventional PV array is not shaded by trees, architectural features, flag poles, or other obstructions. PV array efficiency can also be adversely affected by atmospheric and organic factors. Sunlight can be absorbed by dust, fallout, precipitation or other impurities at the surface of a module. This can cut down the amount of light that actually strikes the cells by as much as half. Maintaining a clean module surface will increase output performance over the life of the module. Module output and life are also degraded by increased temperature. By allowing ambient air to flow over PV modules, and if possible, behind them, this problem is reduced. Conventional PV array designs do not normally allow or compensate for these adverse factors, thereby diminishing the power efficiency of the PV array.
In view of the multitude of factors that adversely affect the overall efficiency and economics of solar energy conversion, there remains a need for solar arrays with improved efficiency in collecting and converting solar energy to useable electrical energy.

Photovoltaic array utilizing phyllotaxic architecture


A hose clamp for forming an air tight seal between a hose and a connector projecting from a housing of an air cooler of a vehicle. The hose clamp including a band which encircles the hose at a location where the hose and the connector overlap and has an adjustable diameter. The hose clamp positioned by a wrap-around hose clamp positioner. The wrap-around hose clamp positioner including flat portions, which contact the outer surface of the hose, and a raised portion where the band passes through a space of the raised portion. The wrap-around hose clamp positioner further including a wrap-around portion and a crimp tab, the wrap-around portion extending over a lip edge of the hose such that the crimp tab pierces through at least the inner surface of the hose.

A hose clamp may be used to tightly clamp a hose to a connection piece in an internal combustion engine of a vehicle. In order to operate a hose clamp, the hose clamp is placed around a hose, which is positioned around a connector piece, and the clamp is actuated to tighten around the hose. The hose is then air tightly sealed to the connector piece.
One problem that may arise in using a hose clamp is that the clamp has a tendency to move in a direction perpendicular to the rotation of the clamp tightening. As a result, an operator may be required to use two hands to tighten and position the hose clamp.
Specialized structures for clamp positioning may be provided to improve operation of a hose clamp. For example, US Patent Application 2008/0098572 describes a hose clamp with a spring bridge. The spring bridge is disposed inside of the circular clamping band and the clamping device, and includes a first positioner with a first pair of opposing claws to secure a hose to a connection piece and two stops on either side of the first positioner. Further, the clamp band includes a second positioner with a second pair of opposing claws welded on an opposite side relative to the first positioner. Further still, the clamp band includes a spring arrangement to maintain the tension of the hose clamp.
The inventors herein have recognized various issues with the above system. In particular, increasing the number of hose clamp positioners to secure a hose to a connection piece while maintaining alignment also increases the size and weight of the hose clamp. Further, manufacture of the hose clamp is complex, increasing the cost of the hose clamp. Furthermore, the positioning mechanism is only usable in the specially manufactured hose clamps.
As such, one example approach to address the above issues is to provide a wrap-around hose clamp positioner on a hose clamp that positions the hose clamp relative to a hose. The hose clamp may be tightened to securely engage the hose to a connection piece. The wrap-around hose clamp positioner may engage an outer surface and an inner surface of the hose so as to maintain proper hose clamp alignment. In this way, a hose clamp with a wrap-around hose clamp positioner may be used to secure a hose to a connection piece with a reduced number of features that aid in alignment. Thus, a manufacturing cost is reduced. Further, the wrap-around hose clamp may be provided as a separate piece and may be used interchangeably with different hose clamps.
In one example, an attachment system coupling a hose to a connector, comprises: a band-shaped hose clamp encircling an exterior of the hose around a longitudinal hose axis; a hose clamp positioner extending longitudinally over the hose clamp with a wrap-around portion extending around a hose edge and into an interior of the hose between the hose and the connector. In this way, the wrap-around portion hooks an end of the hose and prevents the hose clamp positioner and the hose clamp from moving or slipping in a direction away from the connector. In another example, a hose clamp positioner for positioning a hose clamp on a hose having a longitudinal axis, comprises: a body including a first section shaped to hold the hose clamp on the hose, the first section extending over the hose clamp, a second wrap-around section turning at least 180° around a hose edge, a stand-off section spacing the first section away from the hose edge, and a piercing end positioned at an end of the second section and pointed back toward the first section. In this way, it is possible to prevent the hose clamp positioner and the hose clamp from moving or slipping in either of a direction toward the connector and a direction away from the connector.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Hose clamp with wrap-around hose clamp positioner


A computer system, includes a display interface; a user input device interface; and a processor cooperatively operable with the display interface and the user input device interface. The processor is configured to interacting with a user to selectively browse, via the user input device interface and the display interface, relationship dependencies between a selected mashup or service and mashup assets one level removed from the selected mashup or service.

Mashups are created by combining data from different types of data sources including web service, databases, web sites, applications, and data syndication feeds. Once mashups are produced, they are made accessible to users via a Rich Interface Application or a widget.
There are a number of dependencies between mashups, services, applications, data sources, widgets and users. These dependencies are important in the mashup platform because it affects the mashup platform in several ways:
Mashup Trust
Mashup Security
Mashup Integrity

Method and system for capturing, inferring, and/or navigating dependencies between mashups and their data sources and consumers


A footwear article includes a hinged portion in a heel region that may be biased in various positions to increase or decrease a size of a foot-insertion opening. The hinged portion may be arranged in a first position, in which the hinged portion is more upright and is in position to cup a wearer's heel or Achilles region when the footwear article is worn. In addition, the hinged portion may be hingedly rotated downward or rearwardly (e.g., away from the foot-insertion opening) to a second position, which may increase a size of the foot-insertion opening and/or may change an angle along which a foot can pass through the foot-insertion opening when the footwear article is being donned or doffed. One or more elastic members may be attached to the hinged portion and to some other portion of the footwear article to bias the hinged portion.

A footwear article typically includes an upper connected to a sole, the upper and sole enclosing a foot-receiving cavity. The upper may include an opening (e.g., ankle opening) through which a foot may pass when being inserted into, or removed from, the foot-receiving cavity. In some instances, a collar around the opening may be adjusted to change a size of the opening. For example, the size of the opening may be enlarged to allow for easier donning or doffing, may be reduced to secure the upper to the foot, or any combination thereof.


Methods and devices are described herein for random cut patterning. A first metal line and a second metal line are formed within a cell of a substrate and extend in a vertical direction. A third metal line and a fourth metal line are formed within the cell and are perpendicular to the first metal line and the second metal line, respectively. A first circular region at one end of the first metal line is formed using a first patterning technique and a second circular region at one end of the second metal line is formed using a second patterning technique. The first circular region is laterally extended using a second patterning technique to form the third metal line and the second circular region is laterally extended using the second patterning technique to form the fourth metal line.

Moore's law illustrates a trend that the number of transistors within a dense integrated circuit (IC) doubles approximately every two years. In addition to becoming denser, overall chip volume (e.g., the amount of physical space a chip occupies) is also decreasing. Packing more transistors into a smaller volume can cause design and fabrication issues, such as lack of pin access or routing congestion on a chip.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited


It is desirable that using a computer system, which administrates multiple storages, the storages are operated efficiently to minimize free spaces on the storages by assigning effectively the free spaces to the users with a wide variety of needs, resulting in their higher satisfaction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage operational system and a method of providing a storage rental service and especially, relates to the storage operational system, which allows storage service providers to efficiently operate the system to meet the customers' requests and the method of providing the storage rental service, which allow the storage service providers to provide appropriate storage rental services matching for their charges to users for improving users' satisfaction.
2. Description of the Related Art
In computer systems being operated and administered by enterprises, as the amount of data stored in the storage device (hereafter, simply referred to as a storage) has increased, administration works has became complicated with higher costs. Under such a situation, as one of measures to solve involved problems, out of various computing-related jobs in the enterprises, a storage administration job may be consigned to storage service providers (hereafter, simply referred to as SSP), who are surrogate companies.
Usually, the SSP has one or more storages and splits them into partitioned areas to rent to multiple users. The user pays a rental fee for his/her own storage area assigned and the SSP provides to him/her an administrative service for the assigned storage area. This administrative system allows the user, who stores his/her data in the rented storage area, to save the cost for data management (see the article "SSPs Supporting the Service Industry", Nikkei System Provider, Mar. 16, 2001).
The above-mentioned storage administrative service provided by the SSP may create a promising business market because it has an advantage in that the user can use a higher reliable storage for a reasonable cost without having a large-scale storage system.
The problem to be solved by the SSP lies in that he/her must earn profits as large as possible from the service business to achieve a high return on investment while making full use of its own storage to give the user satisfaction.
However, under the present situation, such a requirement is difficult to be satisfied that the SSP uses its storage efficiently while meeting the user's needs.
For example, some cash-rich users may want to have a large-capacity, high performance storage area assigned even if they pay a higher cost while others may want to make a service contract for a low cost even if a small capacity, low-performance storage area is assigned.
Taking these users' needs into account, the SSP should present different service conditions and fees specific to individual users. In the present circumstances, however, it is sometimes impossible that the service conditions and fees, which satisfy the users' needs, are indicated. In this case, the user, to whom no service is offered, is thrown into despair and the SSP may throw away an opportunity for business despite the existence of the user, who wants to use the storage service.
On the other hand, it is expected that practically, in many cases, the storage can be used with no problem even if all the users' needs are not always satisfies.
In addition, it should be considered that the user's needs are always volatile and not fixed. For example, some users required a large capacity of storage area at one time and a less capacity of storage area at present. In this case, a decrease in cost is the users' benefit while it is the SSP's benefit to make a service contract with others, who want to use those storage areas. In such a situation, it is difficult for the SSP to assign the storage areas to the users properly under the conditions of the conventional storage service.
Even if the SSP accepts the users' needs and provides the service satisfying them, not only efficient use of the system cannot be achieved but also the users are forced to spend unfruitful time and effort. For example, if the storage areas not used are provided for lower prices, the users stand to gain in cost saving while the SSP may use the storage system effectively.
An object of the present invention, which is intended to solve the problems mentioned above, is to provide the storage operational system and the method of providing the storage rental service, which satisfy a wide variety of users' needs to improve the users' satisfaction and allows the SSP to operate its own storage system efficiently while coping with any change in use for storage.

Storage operational system and method of providing the storage rental service

Abstract: To achieve this, the storage operational system allows the SSPs to create and present the next-best proposed set-ups satisfying partially the users' requirements even if all the requirements are not satisfied by the proposed set-ups created based on the requirements for set-ups by the users assigned to rented storages. In addition, to satisfy the users' requirements as possible, such conditions as application of discounted prices can be indicated to other users for negotiation provided that the user's requirements may be satisfied by changing the conditions for using the storages through such a negotiation with other users.


An improved welding method is provided for repairing broken rotors. The welding method preferably employs a 2.25Cr-1.0Mo-0.3V-type filler metal, preferably deposited using a narrow groove welding technique. The broken pieces are aligned end to end. A narrow groove is formed to substantially remove the end surfaces. The groove is preheated, filled with the welding filler metal, and postheated, resulting in a strong, high temperature resistant, long lasting weld.

Large rotating shafts are used in many applications, such as turbines, fans, and pumps. Their use in turbines and for engaging turbines with pumps (for example, boiler feed pumps) often exposes them to environments and load cycling which can lead to cracking, shearing and breaking. Examples of use in the electric utility industry are high and intermediate pressure steam turbines, boiler feed pump turbines, and gas turbines.
High and intermediate pressure steam turbines are commonly used by modern electric utility companies for the purpose of driving generators to produce electric power. Turbines are also used to drive pumps, such as boiler feed pumps. In order to operate safely and effectively, the components of the steam turbines and boiler feed pumps, including the rotors, discs, blades, stationary diaphragms, and boiler feed pump coupling shafts, are typically fabricated from heavy structural alloy steels of the chromium-molybdenum type. The high pressure steam turbines generally operate at temperatures higher than about 500.degree., however, certain components of the steam turbine are exposed to even higher operating temperatures. The hottest component of a steam turbine is typically the first stage of the rotor. During normal operation, sections of the rotor are typically exposed to temperatures higher than 850.degree. F., are often exposed to temperatures about 900.degree. F., and can be exposed to temperatures as high as 1050.degree. F.
In addition to high temperature, steam turbine rotors and other rotors (for example, coupling shafts leading to turbine driven or motor driven boiler feed pumps) are susceptible to mechanical stresses resulting from vibration, misalignment, or defects in their construction or fabricating material. These mechanical stresses can also lead to cracking or breakage of the rotors.
The useful life of the various steel-fabricated components depends heavily on the thermal and mechanical stresses endured by the components. Because the rotors are typically exposed to much higher temperatures than the other components, the rotors tend to be susceptible to creep damage. In particular, the high temperature regions of the high pressure steam turbine rotors have increased susceptibility to cracking or breakage due to long-term thermal fatigue and creep from power plant load cycling. Similar damage, such as gouging, can occur from mechanical interference between the rotor and stationary components. In the past, the damaged or broken rotor components have simply been replaced. However, replacement of the rotors requires very high capital costs and very long lead times for procurement.
An alternative approach which has been used is to discard the entire section of the rotor which is exposed to temperatures above 850.degree. F., including an appropriate portion surrounding the high temperature region, and replacing the discarded section with a new forging that can be welded to the remaining portion of the older rotor in a lower temperature region. In order for this approach to be successful, the replaced section of the rotor must be large enough to include not only the cracked or broken part of the high temperature region, but the entire high temperature region (i.e., above 850.degree. F.) and enough of the surrounding region that the weld can be made in an area where the operating temperature does not exceed about 850.degree. F. This conventional welding approach includes the use of a filler metal which cannot withstand prolonged exposure to temperatures higher than about 850.degree. F.
The filler metal used in the above-mentioned conventional welding approach is composed of about 0.12 weight percent C, 0.4-0.7 weight percent Mn, 0.4-0.7 weight percent Si, 0.025 weight percent P, 0.025 weight percent S, 0.20 weight percent Ni, 2.3-2.7 weight percent Cr, and 0.9-1.2 weight percent Mo. This conventional filler metal is commonly known as a 21/4 CR-1Mo filler metal. The disadvantage of the conventional welding approach is that it can represent an expensive repair program. Also, long lead times are often required for procurement of the replacement forgings.
Methods of repair in which a wide groove is machined in the rotor shaft to remove a crack and the groove is filled with weld metal are well known in the art. The wide groove may be semi-circular with a radius deep enough to fully remove the crack, or may be machined with straight walls and a large angle of greater than 24 degrees between opposing walls. The wide groove method requires a large amount of weld filler metal, increasing the welding time and chance of distortion. The large weld area also increases the chance of weld defects.
Various other welding filler metals are also known in the art for different high temperature applications. U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,647, issued to Tanaka et al., discloses welding deposit materials intended for use in high temperature applications (e.g., 482.degree. C. or 900.degree. F.). The disclosed uses are boilers, pressure vessels and chemical reactors. The reference teaches that 2.25-3% Cr-1% Mo steels are unsatisfactory for application to pressure vessels which are used under such high temperature and pressure conditions, such as required in a coal liquefaction plant. However, increased strength and increased resistance to hydrogen attack are imparted by adding V and Nb to the covered electrode.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,129, issued to Okuda et al., discloses a shielded metal arc welding electrode for chromium-molybdenum low alloy steels. The reference states that chromium-molybdenum low alloy steels, including 2.25Cr-1Mo steel, are widely applied industrially as materials of high heat resistance in the fields of boilers of high temperature and pressure, petroleum industry, synthetic chemistry, and for uses requiring resistance to hydrogen of high temperature and pressure. The reference discloses a welding core wire and/or flux containing chromium and molybdenum, as well as carbon, manganese, silicon, aluminum, nitrogen and nickel. The reference further discloses that at least one element selected from vanadium, titanium, niobium and boron, can be added to the welding flux and/or the core wire to improve high temperature strength.
An article by Kim, et al. entitled "Weldability Studies In Cr-Mo-V Turbine Rotor Steel", Journal Of Materials Engineering, Vol. 10, No. 2, 1988, discusses a study undertaken to establish the weldability of a high pressure steam turbine rotor constructed using 1.0Cr-1.0Mo-0.25V steel. The reference discusses the performance of a post weld stress relief heat treatment to prevent cracking of the weld zone during subsequent exposure to elevated temperature service, and to restore its notch toughness. The reference discloses that a 2.25Cr-1Mo filler wire was used in the production of welds. After welding, and heat treatment, impact tests were performed on the weld specimens. The article concluded that postweld heat treatment at 1050.degree. F., caused a reduction in impact properties. On the other hand, postweld heat treatment at 1250.degree. F. caused some improvement in impact properties.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,519, issued to Clark et al., discloses a method for repairing worn surfaces of Cr-Mo-V steam turbine components which focuses on the use of a ferrous welding metal including about 4.00 to 19.0 weight percent chromium, 0.43 to 2.1 weight percent molybdenum, 0.09 to 0.5 weight percent vanadium, 0.03 to 0.20 weight percent niobium, 0.0 to 0.08 weight percent aluminum, 0.0 to 0.20 weight percent copper, 0.005 to 0.06 weight percent nitrogen, 0.04 to 0.22 weight percent carbon, 0.15 to 1.0 weight percent manganese, 0.15 to 1.0 weight percent silicon, 0.0 to 0.2 weight percent phosphorous, 0.0 to 0.016 weight percent sulfur, 0.0 to 0.8 weight percent nickel, and the balance iron. The alloy is welded to the worn surface of the turbine component using gas tungsten arc welding, plasma arc welding, electron beam welding, laser beam welding, or gas metal arc welding. The disclosed method is for repairing worn surfaces and no mention is made of repairing rotor shaft cracks.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,888, issued to Clark et al., is also directed toward a method for repairing worn surfaces of turbine rotors, including high pressure turbine rotors. A first layer of weld metal is deposited on a worn surface of a turbine component. Then, a second layer of weld metal is deposited over the first layer, using a higher application (weld heat input) temperature, for tempering at least part of the heat-affected zone created in the base metal by the depositing of the first layer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,716, issued to Dunmire et al., discloses methods for providing erosion resistant surfaces to carbon steel turbine components. The surface is welded with a first weldment including steel having at least 12 weight percent chromium. The weldment is deposited on the carbon steel surface at a high rate of welding speed of about 24-52 inches per minute, in a first pass thickness of less than about 0.1 inches.
There is a demand among electric power utilities for a welding method which can be used to repair broken rotors without requiring extensive down time, capital expenditure, or replacement of rotor sections. It is important that the repair weld be able to meet or exceed the mechanical properties of the rotor base material, during and after long-term exposure to temperatures up to and including the range of about 850.degree. F. to about 1050.degree. F. It is believed that such a welding method could extend the operating life of the rotors for an additional 10 to 20 years, resulting in savings of millions of dollars to electric utility companies.


A modular energy system including separable driving and driven units and a transfer system for rapidly and easily replacing these units as needed. The driving unit includes a power plant and associated controls protectively housed in a sturdy module container. The driven unit includes shaft drivable equipment and associated controls protectively housed in another sturdy module container. A disconnectable drive shaft extendable between the containers drivingly connects the output of the power plant with the equipment. Swivelable wheel assemblies are easily positionable underneath the module containers so that they can be moved longitudinally and laterally by a winch of the transfer system on and between a flatbed truck and a nearby transfer dock.

In conventional, permanently installed power and mechanical equipment, such as computer and communication systems, located inside of buildings, a failure of either the driving or the driven load components results in the use of highly skilled workers and equipment to remove the defective electrical or mechanical components and replace them with new working components. Valuable time is lost and great expenses are thereby incurred.
Critical equipment located inside of ordinary buildings can be completely destroyed when a disaster occurs. Systems and equipment installed in permanent structures also do not lend themselves well to repairs and modification. Additionally, the labor, materials and equipment necessary to remove or to increase the size of the system are very expensive.
As an example, where computer and communication systems are mounted within a building structure and then they are destroyed, as by fire from an adjacent warehouse, great cost and problems are involved in relocating to a temporary off-site computer room until a new permanent structure can be built. The design of many large computer and communication systems is such that if a disaster were to strike, they would be completely or substantially destroyed.
Large sums of money are often spent building temporary sites after the disaster has already occurred. Rebuilding the damaged facility and replacing the equipment is also very expensive. Business can be thereby disrupted, customers lost and an irrevocable financial strain suffered. The major causes of destruction of facilities housing critical systems are fire, storms, floods, earthquakes and sabotage.
Fires which have destroyed computer rooms often do not start within the room themselves but rather travel to the room causing the roofs and walls of the room to collapse. Halon and sprinklers inside the computer room are of little value when the total building is engulfed in flames. In fact, in many cases more damage is done to the sensitive equipment by the water used to put the fire out than by the fire itself.
Storms and tornados carrying high winds and rain often do not directly reach the equipment itself but still destroy it by collapsing the surrounding walls and roof on it. The major cause of storm damage to equipment located inside multi-story and even single-story conventional buildings is the collapse of the housing structure onto the equipment. Something as simple as clogged roof drains have caused building roofs to cave in destroying the equipment in the buildings.
Many computer rooms and critical equipment are located in low areas, such as in basements and ground floors, which are susceptible to flood damage. Clogged sewers, overloaded storm drains and local down pours have also caused extensive damage to critical systems.
Earthquakes occur not only in high risk areas but also in areas normally considered to be safe or immune to earthquakes. The earthquakes collapse structures onto the equipment inside of them. In most of these structures, the only design consideration is to protect the system from the outside environment and not from the structure itself.
Utilities especially in hot climates charge more (often double) for electricity during the peak (air conditioning) utilization hours than off-peak hours, say 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Thermal storage systems to take advantage of the cheaper off-peak electricity are now used. They typically entail digging an ice storage pit, insulating the pit and building an adjacent structure to house the ice making and other equipment. This is a time consuming and expensive construction. Warm water from an existing chilling system is then run (during peak hours) through the ice stored in the pit and the chilled water returns to the chilling system.
Correction facilities are rapidly overcrowding. Temporary facilities, such as mobile homes, have been brought in and used. They are easily and frequently torn up and damaged by the inmates. If there is any combustible material in them, the inmates often set them on fire.


A process of passivating a metal-gated CMOS structure in which a metal-gated CMOS structure is passivated in an atmosphere of molecular hydrogen at a temperature of between about 250xc2x0 C. and about 500xc2x0 C. and a pressure of at least about 200 Torr. The present process provides a lower interface state density than obtainable by prior art passivation processes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a process of passivating a metal-gated complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) by lowering the interface state density between the silicon substrate and the dielectric of the metal-gated CMOS structure and reducing the fixed charge in the dielectric. More preferably, the present invention is directed to a process of passivating a metal-gated CMOS by exposing that CMOS to an atmosphere of molecular hydrogen at an elevated temperature higher than room temperature.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Passivation of CMOS structures, in the prior art, when polysilicon-gated CMOS structures were predominant, was typically conducted by exposing the CMOS structure to forming gas (FG) annealing. Such passivation resulted in a density of interface states (Dit) less than 5e10/cm2-eV. Although passivation of polysilicon-gated CMOS structures is presently successfully practiced using FG annealing, this method has been demonstrated to be inadequate when the CMOS structure is a metal-gated CMOS, specifically when tungsten is the metal gate.
Metal-gated CMOS structures have not yet been fully commercialized and are still in the exploratory phase. However, metal-gated structures are expected to be utilized in the future. Thus, there is a strong need in the art for an effective process of passivation of metal-gated CMOS structures. Those skilled in the art are aware that metal-gated CMOS structures may employ a single mid-gap metal, e.g., tungsten, or a dual metal option with a suitable nfet metal, such as aluminum, titanium, tantalum nitride or alloys thereof, or a pfet metal, e.g. rhenium or rhodium.
FG annealing of CMOS structures performed after deposition of tungsten metal at temperatures between 350 to 550xc2x0 C. does not result in a low enough Dit. Insofar as passivation of the dielectric/silicon interface by FG anneals occurs prior to tungsten metal deposition, depassivation of the CMOS structure occurs during deposition. In addition, passivation by FG annealing may result in an increase in dielectric thickness, due to the formation of interfacial silica. Insofar as thickness of the CMOS structure is critical to conform with scaling targets, this thickness increase of up to about five angstroms evidences yet another reason for the need of a new process for the passivation of metal-gated CMOS structures.
The above remarks are supported by quantitative data. The prior art anneal passivation technique of FG annealing produces Dit values for a typical metal-gated CMOS structure in which the gate dielectric is silica and the gate conductor is tungsten of more than 1e11/cm2-eV. This Dit is much too high for effective use of the CMOS. There is also some evidence that some of the gate metals currently being contemplated for use in metal-gated CMOS structures specifically for the dual metal option, are thermally unstable beyond 500xc2x0 C., thus necessitating a low temperature post-metal passivation process.
A recent passivation process has been developed for metal-gated CMOS structure. That process, utilized in a tungsten-gated silica structure, is disclosed in a commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/760,621, filed Jan. 16, 2001, which produces Dit""s in the range of about 3e10/cm2-eV. This passivation process employs hydrogen plasma.
Hydrogen plasma is employed because it results in the formation of atomic hydrogen which passivates the dielectric/silicon interface. However, the presence of a plasma complicates the process by making it expensive and ill well suited to batch processing. In addition, hydrogen plasma may have a detrimental effect upon the gate electrode or other parts of the CMOS structure. That is, the plasma may damage the gate electrode or other parts of the CMOS structure due to the production of reactive atomic hydrogen. Thus, the copending application, although representing a very significant advance in the art, still does not fully solve the problems associated with passivation of metal-gated CMOS structures.
The above remarks suggest the criteria necessary for a successful passivation process for newly developed metal-gated CMOS structures. First, the passivation process must result in a Dit of less than about 5e10/cm2-eV at the dielectric/silicon interface. Second, the passivation technique must be performed at a relatively low temperature, specifically  less than 400xc2x0 C. Third, the process should tolerate an air break between gate metal deposition and passivation. Fourth, the process should not involve highly reactive species which may damage different parts of the CMOS structure. Fifth, the process should utilize low cost and easy to maintain equipment. Sixth, the process should be suitable for batch processing (i.e. multiple wafers).
Passivation performed using a hydrogen plasma would not satisfy criteria four through six, highlighting a significant drawback of this technique.
A new process for passivation of metal-gated CMOS structures has now been discovered which satisfies all the criteria described in the previous section. The new process may be implemented by two related procedures. Procedure 1 includes the steps of disposing a metal-gated CMOS structure in a chamber; removing the ambient air from chamber by evacuating that chamber to provide a high vacuum of 10xe2x88x925 Torr; introducing molecular hydrogen into the chamber so that hydrogen is present in a concentration such that the pressure in the chamber is at least about 200 Torr; concurrently heating the metal-gated CMOS structure to a temperature in the range of between about 250xc2x0 C. and about 500xc2x0 C.; cooling the CMOS structure in hydrogen; and removing the CMOS under ambient conditions. Procedure 2 includes the steps of disposing a metal-gated CMOS structure in a chamber; removing the ambient air from chamber by purging with an inert gas, such as nitrogen or argon, at atmospheric pressure or slightly above atmospheric pressure to reduce the partial pressure of ambient air. Specifically, oxygen, in the ambient air, is reduced to a concentration of less than about 20 parts per million (ppm); introducing molecular hydrogen into the chamber at atmospheric pressure so that the partial pressure of hydrogen is at least about 200 Torr; concurrently heating the metal-gated CMOS structure to a temperature in the range of between about 250xc2x0 C. and about 500xc2x0 C.; and removing the CMOS under ambient conditions.

Process of passivating a metal-gated complementary metal oxide semiconductor

International Business Machines Corporation


A cloud-based security system enforcing application-based control of network resources includes a plurality of nodes communicatively coupled to the Internet; and one or more authority nodes communicatively coupled to the plurality of nodes; wherein a node of the plurality of nodes is communicatively coupled to a user device via the Internet, and wherein the node is configured to receive a request from a user device for network resources on the Internet or in an external network, to evaluate the request to determine an application on the user device associated with the request, and to provide application-based control of the request based on the determined application and the network resources.

There is a staggering growth of endpoint mobile devices and cloud services in enterprises. With this influx, Information Technology (IT) administrators can no longer ignore these devices as simply outside their scope of responsibility. Access to sensitive corporate resources has been traditionally limited by role-based access controls implemented through on-premise Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) where any user with appropriate rights can access corporate resources using any application. In role-based access controls, users are categorized into groups and resource access is evaluated by the permissions on that group. Resource access is then a function of the permissions on the user group only and not on the ways that the user employs to access that resource. Historically, the number of ways a user can access data had been severely limited due to scarcity of such applications and the level of control that the IT admin had over lockdown on premise desktop systems where users had limited privileges to install or remove software.
With the advent of cloud, mobility, and BYOD (bring your own devices), there has been a growth in mobile applications that affords the end user with a variety of choices in accessing corporate resources such as third party browsers, mail-clients, file sharing apps, etc. This poses severe security risks where a user inadvertently may use a malicious application to access sensitive corporate information. A malicious application, for example, may then use such corporate information in nefarious ways such as by caching or transmitting data over network to a server. In the past, an antivirus was used to black/white list applications and to remove such software from the system, however this fails to capture the correspondence between the nature of resource and the application requesting the resource. For instance, a user may continue to use any browser for private Internet access but must use a secure web browser that conforms to enterprise security policies to access internal corporate resources.
In conventional, non-mobile environments, IT admins have full control over the systems which are totally lockdown to prevent installation of illegitimate software or removal of legitimate ones. However, with the changing landscape, end users have sufficient control to access corporate resources from any application, device, network, or geography with a VPN application. Such risks can be avoided with proper access control restrictions on the applications that a user can use to access network resources.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Client application based access control in cloud security systems for mobile devices


Techniques for performing prefetching for a ranking service in a microservice architecture are provided. In one technique, in response to receiving a content request, an entity identifier of an entity associated with the content request is determined, a host of a second service that is different than the first service is determined. The first service sends the entity identifier to the host of the second service. The second service retrieves entity feature data that is associated with the entity identifier. The first service identifies a set of content delivery campaigns, identifies the host of the second service, and sends the identity of the set of content delivery campaigns to the host of the second service. The host of the second service determines a ranking of the set of content delivery campaigns, a subset thereof is selected, and data about each selected campaign is transmitted over a computer network.

Enterprises that host platforms that deliver electronic content may implement their platforms using one of two main architectures: a monolithic architecture and a microservice architecture. In a monolithic architecture, a single service executing on a single machine implements all, or the majority, of the functions needed or required to process and respond to a content request, such as from a client device that is remote to the machine. The monolithic architecture may comprise multiple machines, each executing a different instance of the same service. The service may rely on a separate (e.g., local) database or storage system to access data in order to respond to the content request. One downside to this approach is that, as the functions become increasingly complex, it becomes impractical for a single developer or team to maintain and upgrade the service. It is more efficient for different teams to maintain and upgrade different functions. However, in a monolithic architecture, each team needs access to the same codebase and update the same codebase, sometimes concurrently.
In a microservice architecture, major functions of an application are typically implemented in different services, with different developers or teams assigned to maintaining and upgrading the different services. Some characteristics of services in a microservice architecture (or "microservices") include such services often being: (a) processes that communicate over a network to fulfill a goal using technology-agnostic protocols such as HTTP; (b) independently deployable; (c) organized around business capabilities; (d) small in size, messaging-enabled, bounded by contexts, autonomously developed, independently deployable, decentralized, and built and released with automated processes. Microservices may be implemented using different programming languages, databases, hardware and software environment, depending on what fits best.
A microservice is not a layer within a monolithic application, but is rather a self-contained piece of functionality with clear interfaces, and may, through its own internal components, implement a layered architecture. A microservice architecture lends itself to a continuous delivery software development process. A change to a small part of an application requires rebuilding and redeploying only one or a small number of microservices. A microservice architecture adheres to principles, such as fine-grained interfaces (to independently deployable services) and business-driven development (e.g. domain-driven design).
Benefits of a decomposing an application into different smaller services include modularity, scalability, integration of heterogenous and legacy systems, and distributed development. Modularity makes the application easier to understand, develop, test, and become more resilient to architecture erosion. Regarding scalability, because microservices are implemented and deployed independently of each other, microservices are run within independent processes and, thus, can be monitored and scaled independently. Regarding integration, microservices is considered as a viable means for modernizing existing monolithic software applications using an incremental approach. Regarding distributed development, a microservice architecture parallelizes development by enabling small autonomous teams to develop, deploy, and scale their respective services independently. This allows the architecture of an individual service to emerge through continuous refactoring. Microservice architectures facilitate continuous integration, continuous delivery, and deployment.
However, a microservice architecture does not come without costs. One advantage that a monolithic architecture has over a microservice architecture is that some optimization solutions are easier to implement in parallel, it is generally more difficult to perform some optimization solutions (e.g., prefetching) in parallel in a microservice environment. It is challenging to implement prefetching in a microservice architecture since different microservices of the same application might not share the same local cache and one microservice cannot be called or initiated until another microservice completes. To parallelize execution, a service can perform some prefetching. For example, the service might fetch some data in advance so that the data can be used in a later stage. The prefetch is easy to implement in a monolithic architecture because the prefetch result is shared between different modules in one service. However, in a microservice architecture, prefetching is difficult to implement because the prefetch result is not shared across different hosts.
The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.

Entity-sticky-routing ranking feature prefetch in microservice architecture


This invention describes methods of Audio Signal Personalized Enhancement for optimal listening to music. A combination of hearing test, audio signal compensation, and signal processing algorithms are implemented jointly in an audio Device. An audio signal is processed and tuned within the entire range of audible frequencies to actively compensate for both the characteristics of the listening device, and the specific hearing characteristics of the listener, resulting in a much improved music listening experience. A randomized self-test algorithm is used to analyze user's hearing ability in each ear within a preselected dynamic volume range at multiple frequencies spanning the audible spectrum.

1. Field
The present invention is in the technical field of Audio Signal Processing and, more specifically, to processing of audio signals to compensate for hearing variations of users' hearing.
2. Related Arts
An audiogram is a graph that shows the audible threshold for standardized frequencies as measured by an audiometer. The Y axis represents intensity measured in decibels and the X axis represents frequency measured in Hertz. The threshold of hearing is plotted relative to a standardized curve that represents 'normal' hearing, in dB (HL).
Hearing thresholds of humans and other mammals can be found by using behavioural hearing tests or physiological tests. An audiogram can be obtained using a behavioural hearing test called Audiometry. For humans the test involves different tones being presented at a specific frequency (pitch) and intensity (loudness). When the person hears the sound they raise their hand or press a button so that the tester knows that they have heard it. The lowest intensity sound they can hear is recorded.
Ideally the audiogram would show a straight line, but in practice everyone is slightly different, and small variations are considered normal. Larger variations, especially below the norm, may indicate hearing impairment which occurs to some extent with increasing age, but may be exacerbated by prolonged exposure to fairly high noise levels such as by living close to an airport or busy road, work related exposure to high noise, or brief exposure to very high sound levels such as gunshot or music in either a loud band or clubs and pubs. Hearing impairment may also be the result of certain diseases such as CMV or Meniere's disease and these can be diagnosed from the shape of the audiogram.
Aside from hearing impairment, even the most expensive speakers or personal listening devices, such as, e.g., hi-fi stereo headphones with nearly perfect dynamic and spectral frequency characteristics, will produce very different results from one individual to another, depending on their respective hearing abilities. The existing amplifiers or media players are not equipped to provide a listening experience compensated for the listener's specific hearing limitations. The user can typically adjust only the low and high frequency signal levels of the playback device (i.e., bass and treble control) and, in more sophisticated players a simple equalizer can be used to reshape the audio signal according to the listener's personal taste and subjective "feeling". There are several key disadvantages to any of the above methods.
Generally, the user does not know how to tune each control, as the user does not know the details of his/her hearing characteristics. While hearing sensitivity frequently starts degrading only at high or low frequencies, notches (loss of sensitivity in a narrow spectral range) and un-equal hearing characteristic in both ears are quite common among all age groups. An example of such a hearing characteristic is illustrated in an audiogram in FIG. 1, showing the left and right full spectrum hearing profile. In the diagram of FIG. 1, the sensitivity loss in dB (Y axis) which is plotted as a function of test signal frequency in KHz (X axis) can be easily identified.
Additionally, the adjustment range of prior art equalizers in playback devices is very limited in terms of frequency range, number and width of adjustable bands, and volume levels. Similarly, prior art playback devices do not allow for a dedicated setup per each ear, except for the use of the balance function and a relative (left-right channel) adjustment of volume.
Whereas the commonly used sound equalizers can to a degree compensate for some of the hearing sensitivity loss, it is still true that listening to music from playback devices even through high quality headphones can be dissatisfying and frustrating for users with hearing limitations. To compensate for the reduced ability to hear instrumental and vocal sounds (frequently in a narrow spectral range or partially in one ear), many consumers listen to music at a greatly increased volume, inadvertently risking further hearing degradation. A personalized spectral compensation of the audio signal that counters the specific hearing limitations only within the affected frequency bands offers a much more effective and safer approach to dealing with a moderate hearing degradation and results in a greatly improved listening experience.
It has been well documented in various medical studies (e.g. "Screening and Management of Adult Hearing Loss in Primary Care", Scientific Review, The Journal of the American Medical Association, Bevan Yueh et al., 2003; 289(15):1976-1985), that person's hearing ability degrades gradually with age. Notably, most people age 35 and up exhibit some degree of natural hearing degradation, which can be responsible for reduced enjoyment of music. Moreover, recent studies (e.g. The Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 304, No. 7, 2010) have shown that one in five teenagers in the United States suffers from hearing degradation believed to be caused by proliferation and improper use of personal playback devices. Individual's hearing ability may vary across many variables, including hearing thresholds and noise ambient, sensitivity to specific sounds, dynamic response to loud signals, physical nature of hearing impairment, and psycho-acoustical factors such as e.g. context of the sound. The hearing loss mechanism can be conductive (caused by problems in the outer or middle ear), sensorineural (caused by problems in the cochlea), or neural—caused by a problem in the auditory nerve or auditory pathways/cortex of the brain.
In many situations for hearing impaired an individually tailored hearing aid is frequently the best solution. The process of selecting the hearing aid entails detailed testing in an audiologist office using sophisticated equipment and highly trained personnel. In a typical audiogram the hearing sensitivity response is measured using limited four to eight basic frequency bands with the focus on understanding of human speech in noisy environments. Filtering out the noise from the background and/or selectively amplifying signal-of-interest is of primary importance to hearing aid design. Consequently, hearing aids are typically good at correcting a relatively narrow frequency range with focus on 3 KHz-4 KHz band corresponding to the human voice, while an average human auditory range extends from 20 Hz to beyond 16 kHz. Moreover, hearing aid devices are inherently different from playback devices because they are built for use in an open-air environment and can't be used to listen to music together with headphones or earphones.
The rise of the Internet has opened possibility for various on-line hearing tests and development of personalization techniques taking into account individuals hearing profiles. Number of testing regimes and methods have been offered in recent years, however, few were successful at providing an effective, automated sound personalization that could be practically implemented in common playback devices in everyday use. The various sound enhancement and compensation methods commonly used in today's playback devices include passive noise attenuation, selective amplification of the signal of interest, statistical signal filtering, automatic gain control (AGC), active noise cancelation, or any combination of the above.
In a recent patent (U.S. Pat. No. 8,112,166) by Pavlovic et al., the authors conclude that the efforts in the art have not succeeded in providing a system for effectively and rapidly generating individual's hearing profile, quote: "The most widespread employment of individual hearing profiles remains in the hearing aid field, where some degree of hearing impairment makes intervention a necessity."
In another patent example (U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,944,474 and 7,529,545) Rader et al., attempted methods of personalizing audio signals based on individual's hearing profile, personal preferences, and environmental noise factors. In this example a personal communication device such as e.g. smart phone comprising a control circuitry and logic, is used to apply multiband compression to the audio signals using the parameters derived from standard, age dependent, externally stored hearing profiles. In this approach, the signal effects are adjusted based among others on perceived sensitivity of the ears of the individual. However, the inventors don't teach the exact methods of measuring the hearing impairment nor do they explain how the elevated threshold of audibility of a tone due to impairment at a given frequency is used to modify the full frequency dynamic compression (FFDC) algorithm and the corresponding automatic gain control (AGC) proposed in the patent. The authors aspire to replicate the function of the healthy cochlea by compressing the sound such that the audio signal is no longer distorted in the auditory system. This approach has been proposed in monaural Bluetooth listening devices, which are not commonly used for listening to music.
In another set of patent publications (US 2014/0334644 A1, US 2014/0309549 A1 and US 2014/0314261 A1) Selig et al., describes several "Methods for Augmenting Hearing". In one variation, a mobile device is outputting a tone in its hearing test. Based on the user response to the tone, the method qualifies the signal as a particular audio type (based on pre-defined profiles), and process the audio signal based on that profile. A variation of this method selects a suitable profile based on the location of the audio device. Another variation tries to select from a pre-defined hearing models by outputting two tones to the user and recording the user's volume adjustment. These methods have a major limitation in the fact that they try to best match the user's hearing profile to a set of pre-defined and stored profile. While this method can provide audible results, it can't provide a perfect match to the user's hearing profile and deficiencies, and hence cannot truly compensate for all of the user's specific hearing deficiencies, nor to the dynamic and the frequency response of the playback devices used.

System and method for improved audio perception


A multi-function tool assembly for coupling with a users belt including a belt attachment apparatus detachably engaged with a multi-function tool. The belt attachment apparatus includes coupling structure for coupling with a user's belt and engagement structure for detachably engaging the multi-function tool. The multi-function tool is provided with belt attachment engagement structure on its rear surface for detachably engaging the engagement structure of the belt attachment apparatus.

Multi-function tools are well known. In typical multi-function tools, pliers and other selected tools, such as screwdrivers, knife blades, files, etc., are provided in a single tool. Known multi-function tools often include pliers and have channel-shaped handles pivotally connected to the pliers' jaw members. Typically, the handles fold over so that the pliers are received in the channel-shaped handles. Also, the other tools fold over and are received in the channel-shaped handles as well.
The common element among such pliers-like tools is that each includes a pair of opposing jaws operated by a pair of opposing handles. It is understood that when the handles of such a jaw/handle combination store one or more tools, the entire device is then referred to as multi-function tool.
Such tools are typically stored in a pocket formed in one or both of the handle members. Examples of tools found in multi-tool handles include knife blades, can openers, screwdrivers, files, scissors, saw blades and the like. These tools fold into and out of the handle of the multi-tool, similar to a knife blade folding into and out of a pocket knife. Multi-tools often include other tools that do not fold, such as a ruler stamped into an exposed surface of one or both handles of the multi-function tool.
In order to store such multi-tools, various sheaths, pouches, holsters and other types of carriers are well-known for keeping multipurpose tools on a user's belt where they are disposed therein and are readily available for use. Some such useful articles are considered as a status symbols when carried in a visible location and can be a factor in determining which such multi-function tool is purchased instead of another.
However, such sheaths and other carriers are intended to carry a multi-function tool in a familiar location on a user, where the multi-function tool is easily and quickly available for use, and where the multi-function tool can be replaced easily enough that one is not tempted to set it down and thus risk leaving it behind and losing it.
While many previously available carriers and sheaths have included clips or arms that can be slipped over the top of a person's belt or be removed from the belt while it is being worn. Such clips, however, have not been able to fasten a carrier to a belt as securely as is desired, particularly when a carrier is to be used to carry an expensive multi-function tool or one which might be damaged if it falls.
Various sheaths for articles such as pagers or wireless telephones are not capable of securely and dependably holding heavier articles securely without the use of latches or flaps that must be unfastened and re-fastened in order to use and replace the article being carried and such an additional step required for use of such carriers may be enough to tempt a person using such a carrier to lay down an expensive multi-function tool or other article, rather than immediately replacing it into the carrier, with the result that the multi-function tool or other article is eventually left behind and lost.
Many sheaths, although secure, strong, easily used and good looking, such as some pouches or sheaths made of leather, are undesirably costly to produce and do not long maintain their good appearance in everyday use.


In a cathode-ray tube phosphor, a layer consisting of a substantially uniform SiO.sub.2 film or an organic film consisting essentially of at least one type of a polymer selected from the group consisting of an acrylic resin, gelatin, alginic acid, chitosan, and a urea resin is formed as a first layer on the surface of a phosphor particle, and a layer containing at least one type of a metal selected from the group consisting of Zn, Al, and an alkali earth metal and at least one member selected from the group consisting of a colloidal silica, an alumina sol, and a titania sol each having a particle size of 50 nm or less is formed as a second layer on the first layer. This phosphor is excellent in oxidation resistance and dispersibility.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cathode-ray tube phosphor and, more particularly, to a color cathode-ray tube phosphor suitably used to form a phosphor screen on a faceplate of a cathode-ray tube by an outer surface exposure method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cathode-ray tube phosphors are generally coated on the inner surface of a faceplate in a cathode-ray tube.
FIG. 5 shows one embodiment of a cathode-ray tube. As is shown in FIG. 5, a vacuum envelope 1 made of glass is arranged such that a faceplate 2 is integrally connected to a funnel 3. The funnel 3 is provided with a neck portion 4. An electron gun 6 for emitting and focusing electron beams 5 is arranged within the neck 4. A phorphor screen 7 is formed on the inner surface of the faceplate 2 of the envelope 1, such that the phosphor screen 7 opposes to the electron gun 6. A shadow mask structure 8 is arranged on the inside of the phosphor screen 7.
As a conventional exposure method of forming a phosphor screen 7 of a so-called black matrix type color cathode-ray tube, a method of exposing a coating layer, which is formed on tinner surface of a faceplate 2 and on which a phosphor slurry containing a photosensitive substance and a phosphor, through a shadow mask 8 by using a light source arranged at the position of an electron gun 6 of a cathode-ray tube is available. In this conventional method, however, when a photopolymerization reaction progresses from the surface of the coating film exposed in accordance with an exposure time and an exposure intensity toward the inner surface of the faceplate, unsatisfactory adhesion strength between the phosphor film and the faceplate inner surface and errors in the shape and position of the phosphor film are caused due to refraction of radiated light, an error in an exposure position, nonuniformity in film thickness and the like. Therefore, it is difficult to form a phosphor film having a predetermine shape, a high resolution, a sharp edge, and a high density in a predetermined position of the faceplate inner surface.
In recent years, however, Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 60-119055 or Published Examined Japanese Patent Application No. 63-42371 discloses an outer surface exposure method in which a first photosensitive agent layer is selectively formed on a portion of the inner surface of a faceplate except for a portion on which a phosphor layer is to be formed, a phosphor slurry containing a second photosensitive agent which cannot be removed by a reverse developing agent of the first photosensitive layer is coated, exposure is performed from the outer surface of the faceplate, and development is performed by the reverse developing agent of this resist layer after exposure, thereby removing the first photosensitive agent layer and the phosphor slurry at a portion except for the portion on which a phosphor layer is to be formed.
In this outer surface exposure method, a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-ammonium dichromate (ADC)-based photosensitive agent and a PVA-stilbazolium (SBQ)-based photosensitive agent are often used as the first and second photosensitive agents, respectively. In addition, hydrogen peroxide is often used as the reverse developing agent of the first photosensitive agent.
According to this method, in a step of forming a phosphor film of one color, reverse development must be performed once by using hydrogen peroxide. Therefore, this development is performed three times in order to form a phosphor screen consisting of phosphor films of three colors. For this reason, a phosphor film formed first is subjected to reverse development twice in two subsequent phosphor film formation steps.
This hydrogen peroxide oxidizes the surfaces of ZnS, Y.sub.2 O.sub.2 S, and the like as phosphor components to produce H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 and H.sub.2 S, thereby reducing brightness of each film.
In addition, hydrogen peroxide causes denaturing of the second photosensitive agent PVA-SBQ to deteriorate its function as a photosensitive agent. For this reason, phenomena such as omission of phosphor dots and stripes occur.
It is found by later studies for further improvements that the second photosensitive agent can be prevented from being deteriorated by mixing a vinyl acetate emulsion as a protective colloid and oxyethylenedodecylamine, for example, as a cationic surfactant in the photosensitive agent. In addition, in order to prevent brightness reduction caused by oxidation of the phosphor surface, Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 63-207888 discloses a method in which an acrylic resin, an acrylic monomer, polystyrene, or the like is coated on the surface of a phosphor particle to improve an oxidation resistance, and a silica treatment is performed on this coating layer in accordance with a conventional method. Although the obtained phosphor has a satisfactory oxidation resistance, it cannot be satisfactorily dispersed in the cationic surfactant described above. Therefore, a good phosphor screen cannot be formed by using this phosphor.

Method of manufacturing a cathode ray tube phosphor screen


A golf club putter embodying this invention is formed from a peripheral rod, bent to provide peripheral weighting of the putter head both at the top and bottom, as well as from heel to toe. The method of manufacturing the putter head includes bending a rod of suitable rigid material, such as stainless steel, into the desired head shape, to provide an enclosed open area into which a striking face insert is installed and permanently held in place with a suitable adhesive filler material, such as a polyester fiberglass resin and attaching the putter head to the bottom of a shaft by means of a threaded connection.

A great many golf club putters have been designed over the years. One of the most important construction features of a putter is to provide a concentration of the weight of the putter head around the periphery of the striking face of the putter . This tends to stabilize the execution of the golfer's putting stroke.

Golf club putter and method of manufacture


When mineral components such as calcium carbonate and magnesium are contained in humidifying water and a humidification plate has holes and high humidifying efficiency, scales may be locally generated at an end or vicinities of the holes on a windward side. When minute voids in the humidification plate are clogged due to the scales, water absorption capability at a scale generation region is significantly reduced. A problem can arise requiring to replace the humidification plate even when a region other than the end and the vicinities of the holes is satisfactory, whereby replacement cycles are shortened. To address the problem, plural openings in a plate thickness direction are distributed on a flat plate surface of a water absorbing humidifying material. Thus, in an airflow direction of air sent from end sides of the water absorbing humidifying material, opening areas of the plural openings on one end side are increased.

To provide appropriate humidity is an important factor for providing a comfortable indoor air atmosphere. When the humidity is deficient, there may be caused adverse influences such as human health hazard, deterioration of objects, and generation of static electricity. To provide appropriate humidity, for example, in the Building Sanitation Control Act, it is determined that, in specific buildings such as commercial facilities and offices having floor areas of 3,000 m2 or more, the temperature is required to be maintained at 17 degrees Celsius to 28 degrees Celsius, and the relative humidity against the temperature is required to be maintained at 40% to 70% as control standard values for the air environment. Further, in American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), it is clearly specified that the relative humidity is from 30% to 60% as a humidity criterion.
As an indoor space humidification method of humidifying an indoor space, there has been known an evaporative method. The evaporative method is a method of performing humidification by preparing a water absorbing humidifying material having water absorption capability, supplying water to the water absorbing humidifying material, and causing air to pass through the water absorbing humidifying material. When the air is caused to pass through the water absorbing humidifying material, the water contained in the water absorbing humidifying material is subjected to heat exchange with an air current, to thereby cause vaporization and evaporation. In this manner, the indoor space is humidified (for example, Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2).

Humidifier and air-conditioning apparatus


In the present invention, there is provided an adhesive composition which comprises carbon nanotubes and thus, exhibits high adhesive strength due to excellent lap shear strength.

Two-part acrylic adhesive is advantageous in that it can be cured at room temperature, can adhere in a large area, is quickly cured and exhibit adhesiveness to various plastics, and thus it is used in the field such as automobile, building, marine, wind power, etc.
However, the two-part acrylic adhesive is disadvantageous in that the adhesive strength is lower than that of the one-part epoxy adhesive and the elongation is lower than that of the urethane adhesive. Consequently, its usage is limited in fields of application requiring stronger adhesive strength such as structural adhesives for vehicles, and high elongation such as adhesion outside the vehicle.
There is also a trade-off relationship between flexibility/toughness and strength in various adhesive compositions. Usually, in order to increase flexibility and toughness in the adhesive composition, a rubbery polymer is added, but the addition of such a rubbery polymer tends to adversely affect the modulus and ultimately the strength of the adhesive. Therefore, there is a demand for development of an adhesive composition exhibiting excellent adhesiveness without sacrificing strength.