A method of storing video content is disclosed and includes storing video content associated with a video content selection at a personal video recording (PVR) device. The method also includes associating an indicator of the video content selection with a file folder at the PVR device. Further, the method includes sending a graphical user interface (GUI) from the PVR device to a display device in response to receiving a selection of the file folder at the PVR device, wherein the GUI includes the indicator of the video content selection and wherein the indicator of the video content selection is marked as viewed or unviewed.

Personal video recording (PVR) devices provide a convenient means for individuals to view video content. Nonetheless, users may be forced to sift through numerous video content selections recorded by the PVR in order to find video content that they wish to view. Moreover, a user may not be able to readily determine whether a video content selection recorded by another user has been viewed and may be deleted to free up space to record additional video content. Hence, there is a need for an improved system and method of storing video content.

System and method of storing video content


The present disclosure provides methods and apparatuses for acquiring route popularity in road networks. The methods include: acquiring a plurality of points of interest (POIs) included in road networks and positioning data of a plurality of positioning terminals; mapping the positioning data of a respective positioning terminal of the plurality of positioning terminals to the plurality of POIs included in the road networks to obtain one or more POIs associated with the respective positioning terminal; acquiring a travel route map of the respective positioning terminal according to the one or more POIs associated with the respective positioning terminal; acquiring a preferred travel route of the respective positioning terminal according to the travel route map of the respective positioning terminal, the preferred travel route including a plurality of paths frequently used by the respective positioning terminal; and aggregating a plurality of preferred travel routes of the plurality of positioning terminals respectively to obtain a route popularity distribution map of the road networks.

With rapid economic and social developments, traffic problems have become increasingly severe in urban areas. Traffic jams and congestions greatly affect people's traveling. The increasing amount of time spent on daily commutes also severely reduces production efficiency and work efficiency for the society as a whole, and affects people's happiness index.
Existing technologies seek to address the foregoing problems by using methods for extracting real-time urban traffic flow data based on positioning data of a mobile phone. One such method includes: preprocessing positioning data of a mobile phone and map data; determining candidate matching road sections of the positioning data and a roughly-chosen matching point set of each road section; extracting vehicle-mounted mobile phone data, i.e., determining a finely-chosen matching point set of each road section; and calculating an average space velocity for the road sections by using a weighted average velocity method.
The existing methods of extracting real-time urban traffic flow data based on positioning data of a mobile phone has a number of disadvantages, which include complex data extraction and processing, difficulty in actual operation and deployment, and high implementation costs. For example, the disadvantages are manifested in the following aspects.
With the existing methods, it is required to use an electronic map as an input to extract urban road network information. Further, the methods require establishing a storage unit for each road section for storing its road section serial number, road section direction, road section function grade, and road section space data. The methods also require selecting matching point sets for the road sections. The process involves a significant amount of data processing and complex calculations, and the operations are not suitable for automatic execution.
Further, in the existing technology, it is required to extract vehicle-mounted mobile phone data to determine a finely-chosen matching point set of each road section and estimate an average space velocity of the road section by using a space velocity weighted method. Unless the vehicle-mounted mobile phones are deployed manually for data collection, the source of positioning data needs to be verified, which affects applicability of the methods. In addition, it is extremely difficult to continuously acquire precise positioning data of an individual mobile phone. Therefore, the foregoing methods, although operable theoretically, are difficult to apply in practice.
In view of the above, existing methods of extracting urban traffic flow data based on mobile phone positioning data have the problems of low efficiency in determining popularity of traffic routes, due to complex traffic data extraction and processing operations. There is a need for effective solutions to solve the problems.

Method and apparatus for acquiring route popularity in road networks


A valve assembly (1) comprising an inlet opening, a distributor and an outlet part comprising at least two outlet openings. The distributor comprises an inlet part (5) fluidly connected to the inlet opening, and is arranged to distribute fluid medium received from the inlet opening to at least two parallel flow paths, preferably of a heat exchanger (3). The valve assembly (1) further comprises a first valve part and a second valve part arranged movable relative to each other in such a manner that the mutual position of the valve parts determines the fluid flow from the inlet opening to each of the outlet openings of the outlet part. Finally, the valve assembly (1) comprises a header (2) forming an integral part of the valve assembly (1). The header (2) is arranged to form an interface towards a heat exchanger (3) comprising at least two flow paths, and it provides fluid connections in such a manner that each of the outlet openings (7, 9) is fluidly connected to a flow path of a heat exchanger (3) connected to the header (2). The valve assembly (1) improves the distribution of fluid medium between the flow channels of the heat exchanger (3).

Refrigeration systems, such as air condition systems, are usually provided with a refrigerant path comprising one or more compressors, a condenser, an expansion device, e.g. in the form of an expansion valve, and an evaporator, e.g. in the form of a heat exchanger. Thus, the heat exchanger normally receives refrigerant from the expansion device in a mixed liquid/gaseous state. In the case that the heat exchanger is of the kind having at least two parallel flow paths it is further necessary to provide a distributor in the refrigerant path adjacent to the heat exchanger in order to distribute refrigerant between the parallel flow paths of the heat exchanger. Such a distributor may be in the form of a header mounted on or forming an integral part of the heat exchanger.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,143,605 discloses a flat-tube evaporator including an inlet manifold and an outlet manifold separated a distance from the inlet manifold. A distributor tube is positioned within the inlet manifold and fluidly connected to the common distributor. A plurality of flat tubes are positioned to fluidly connect the inlet manifold and the outlet manifold. The distributor tube can include a plurality of orifices, each of the plurality of orifices positioned to direct the refrigerant into the inlet manifold in a first direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,586 discloses a device for distributing a two-phase refrigerating medium mass flow in a plate evaporator. The evaporator has a distribution channel at the inlet side which may receive a refrigerating medium mass flow coming from an expansion valve and several mutually spaced exchanger channels which branch off from the distribution channel in a substantially perpendicular direction. In order to ensure a uniform distribution of the refrigerant medium mass flow among the exchanger channels, a porous body is arranged in the distribution channel between the refrigerating medium inlet and the branch-off points of the exchanger channels. The porous body may be arranged in an outer throttle insert which extends over at least part of the length of the distribution channel and in whose wall are located additional throttle openings that lead to the exchanger channels.
The distributors disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,143,605 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,586 are both connected to an expansion device in such a manner that they receive refrigerant in a two-phase state.

Valve assembly with an integrated header


Surface-modified metal oxide particles, includes: a metal oxide particle having a refractive index of at least 1.9 to light having a wavelength of 589 nm; a first surface-modifying group having a group represented by formula (A1); and a second surface-modifying group having a group represented by formula (A2). R1 is a hydrogen atom or a C1-4 hydrocarbon group; n is an integer of from 1 to 20, m is an integer of at least 3 and at most (2n+1); a is an integer of from 0 to 2; R3 is a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; R4 is a hydrogen atom or a C1-4 hydrocarbon group; X is —O— or —NH—; b is an integer of from 2 to 10; and c is an integer of from 0 to 2.CnFmH2n+1-m—SiR1a(—*)3-a  (A1)CH2═CR3C(O)—X—(CH2)b—SiR4c(—*)3-c  (A2)

A cured product obtained by curing a curable composition attracts attention as a material for an optical member which replaces glass by virtue of advantages such that (i) cured products in various shapes can be formed in a short time from the curable composition by imprint technology, cast molding, etc., (ii) it is less likely to be broken as compared with glass, and (iii) it is light in weight as compared with glass. Thermoplastic resins have also been used from the same reasons, however, low yield by the sprue and the runner in the injection molding process has been pointed out.
An optical member particularly a lens is required to reduce chromatic aberration in some cases. Accordingly, as a curable composition, one which has a high Abbe number and from which a highly transparent cured product can be obtained, is required in some cases.
As a curable composition for an optical member, Patent Document 1 proposes a photocurable composition comprising surface-modified metal oxide particles having metal oxide particles (such as titania particles or zirconia particles) having a high refractive index surface-treated with a surface-modifying agent obtained by reacting a first polymerizable component containing a fluorinated compound having a (meth)acryloyl group with a compound having a mercapto group and a carboxy group so that the mercapto group is added to the (meth)acryloyl group; a second polymerizable component containing a fluorinated compound having a (meth)acryloyl group; and a photopolymerization initiator.

Surface-modified metal oxide particles, production method, dispersion liquid, curable composition, and cured product


A network element includes circuitry and multiple ports. The multiple ports are configured to connect to a communication network. The circuitry is configured to receive multiple packets from the communication network via one or more input ports, and store the received packets in a buffer of the network element, to schedule transmission of the packets stored in the buffer to the communication network via one or more output ports, and in response to a request to provide a snapshot of at least a portion of the buffer, to mirror for transmission, via one or more dedicated ports, only a part of the portion that was received in the network element prior to the request.

In various communication networks, network elements such as switches or routers report their internal states for analyzing the network performance. Methods for monitoring and reporting the state of a network element are known in the art. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2014/0078915, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes techniques to facilitate the monitoring of occupancy of a buffer in a network device. Packets are received at a network device. Information is captured describing occupancy of the buffer caused by packet flow through the buffer in the network device. Analytics packets containing the information are generated and output from the network device.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,282,022, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a method for diagnosing the performance of a network switch device. The method includes monitoring by a processor data generated by a sensor associated with a network switch device, the data relates to states or attributes of the network switch device. In response to detecting a determined condition in the operation of the network switch device related to the state or attribute, the processor generates an event trigger, and executes a forensic command in response to the event trigger. Executing the command includes sending information relevant to the determined condition for aggregation in computer storage and for analysis.

Providing a snapshot of buffer content in a network element using egress mirroring


A method for automatically detecting fires on Earth's surface using a satellite system is provided. The method includes acquiring multi-spectral images of the Earth at different times, using a multi-spectral satellite sensor, each multi-spectral image being a collection of single-spectral images each associated with a respective wavelength (λ), and each single-spectral image being made up of pixels each indicative of a spectral radiance (Rλ) from a respective area of the Earth. The method also includes providing a model relating the spectral radiances (Rλ) of each pixel in multi-spectral images acquired at different times and physical quantities representing thermodynamic phenomena occurring on the Earth's surface, in the Earth's atmosphere, and related to the Earth and the Sun relative positions. The method further includes computing for each pixel, at a given time, at least the physical quantity in the model representing a possible fire on the Earth's surface.

As is known, multi-spectral images are images acquired by Remote Sensing (RS) radiometers, each acquiring a digital image (in remote sensing, called a scene) in a small band of visible spectra, ranging from 0.4 μm to 0.7 μm, called red-green-blue (RGB) region, and going to infra-red wavelengths of 0.7 μm to 10 or more μm, classified as NIR (Near InfraRed), MIR (Middle InfraRed), FIR (Far InfraRed) or TIR (Thermal InfraRed). A multi-spectral image is hence a collection of several single-spectral (single-band or monochrome) images of the same scene, each taken with a sensor sensitive to a different wavelength.
Different fire detection techniques, based on threshold criteria and contextual algorithms, have been developed for multi-spectral polar sensors and, in the last years, for geostationary sensors. For a detailed discussion of these techniques reference may, for example, be made to Kaufman, Y. J., Justice, C. O., Flynn, L. P. Kendal, J. D., Prins, E. M., Giglio, L. Ward, D. E. Menzel, W. P. and Setzer, A. W., 1998, Potential global fire monitoring from EOS-MODIS, Journal of Geophysical Research, 103, 32215-32238, and Giglio, L., Descloitres, J., Justice, C. O. & Kaufman, Y. J. (2003), An enhanced contextual fire detection algorithm for MODIS, Rem. Sen. Environment, 87:273-282.
Multi-spectral sensors on polar satellites are characterized by a relatively high spatial resolution, but, due to the long revisit time of polar satellites, the promptness needed for effective fire detection purposes cannot be achieved, even combining all existing multi-spectral polar sensors. On the contrary, multi-spectral geostationary sensors provide very frequent acquisitions, e.g. every 15 minutes for the MSG SEVIRI (Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infra Red Imager) sensor, though characterized by a lower spatial resolution (3×3 km2 and above for infrared channels), which could prevent small fires from being detected.
In order to overcome the spatial resolution limitations, a physical model-based approach for sub-pixel fires detection from geostationary sensors data was recently proposed by E. Cisbani, A. Bartoloni, M. Marchese, G. Elisei, A. Salvati, Early fire detection system based on multi-temporal images of geostationary and polar satellites, IGARSS 2002, Toronto, 2002, and Calle, A., Casanova, J. L., Moclan, C., Romo, A. J., Costantini, M., Cisbani, E., Zavagli, M., Greco, B., Latest Algorithms and Scientific Developments for Forest Fire Detection and Monitoring Using MSG/SEVIRI and MODIS Sensors, IEEE, 2005, 118-123.
In particular, an analytic Radiative Transfer Model (RTM) is proposed which characterizes the radiative phenomena that determine the sensor-detected energy, expressed by means of radiances Rλ (W/m2/sr/μm) for each band λ in atmospherically transparent windows in Near Infrared (NIR), Middle Infrared (MIR) and Thermal Infrared (TIR) spectral regions. As shown in FIG. 1(a), the radiance Rλ collected by a remote satellite sensor is the sum of the solar radiance RS,λ reflected by the ground, the atmospheric thermal radiance RA,λ (both the up-welling and the down-welling components), and, finally, the thermal emission of the ground. Given the background temperature TB, the emissivity ελ of the Earth's surface, and the transmittance of the atmosphere τλ between the Earth's surface and the sensor, the RTM can be expressed as:Rλ=ελτλBλ(TB)+RA;λ+RS;λ,  (1)where, Bλ(T) is the Planck black-body emission at temperature T and wavelength λ. Other RTM models can be exploited as well.
According to C. C. Borel, W. B. Clodius, J. J. Szymanski and J. P. Theiler, Comparing Robust and Physics-Based Sea Surface Temperature Retrievals for High Resolution, Multi-Spectral Thermal Sensors Using one or Multiple Looks, Proc. of the SPIE '99, Conf. 3717-09, the main contribution to the transmittance τλ in the atmospheric windows in the NIR and TIR regions comes from the atmospheric water vapor content and the relations between transmittance and water vapor can be quite appropriately be parameterized by the following expression:
                                          τ            λ                                          (                          W              ,              ϑ                        )                          =                  exp                                (                          -                              [                                                                            A                      λ                                                              cos                                                                                ϑ                                                        +                                                                                B                        λ                                                                                (                                                  W                                                      cos                                                                                ϑ                                                                          )                                                                                C                      λ                                                                      ]                                      )                                              (        2        )            where W is the total water vapour along the path ending/starting at/from the examined pixel and having a zenith angle θ. Parameters Aλ, Bλ and Cλ depend (at least) on the wavelength λ and can be estimated via several MODTRAN (MODerate resolution atmospheric TRANsmission) simulations (computer program designed to model atmospheric propagation of electromagnetic radiation from 100-50000 cm−1 with a spectral resolution of 1 cm−1) and regression methods. Other models/methods to estimate τλ can be considered.
The water vapour W content can be estimated as described in Eumetsat Satellite Application Facility, Software Users Manual of the SAFNWC/MSG: Scientific part for the PGE06, SAF/NWC/INM/SCI/SUM/06, issue 1.0, January 2002, but other methods can be considered.
The solar term RS,λ can be calculated as described in the aforementioned Potential global fire monitoring from EOS-MODIS:
                              R                      S            ,            λ                          =                              E                          S              ,              λ                                                      cos                                      (                              ϑ                S                            )                                                                    τ              λ                                                  (                              z                SE                            )                                                                    1              -                              ɛ                λ                                      π                                                        τ              λ                                                  (                              z                ED                            )                                                          (        3        )            where the ES,λ is the Sun radiance at the top of the atmosphere, τλ (zSE) is the transmittance along the path between Sun and Earth's surface, τλ (zED) is the transmittance along the path between Earth's surface and satellite sensor, and ελ is the emissivity of the Earth's surface. Other models/methods can be exploited to calculate RS,λ.
The atmospheric radiance contribution RA,λ describes a complex phenomenon, characterized by smoke, aerosol, and local atmospheric temperatures hard to be modelled. A possible model is the following:
                              R                      A            ,            λ                          =                                                                              (                                      1                    -                                          ɛ                      λ                                                        )                                                                                τ                      λ                                                                                (                                              z                        ED                                            )                                                                                [                                          1                      -                                                                        τ                          λ                                                                                (                                                      z                            TOA                                                    )                                                                                ]                                                                                B                    λ                                                                          (                                          T                      A                                        )                                                              ︸                                      down              -              welling                                +                                                                      [                                      1                    -                                                                  τ                        λ                                                                                (                                                  z                          ED                                                )                                                                              ]                                                                                B                    λ                                                                          (                                          T                      A                                        )                                                              ︸                                      up              -              welling                                                          (        4        )            where, referring to FIG. 1(b), the τλ (zTOA) is the transmittance along the vertical path between the Earth's surface and the top of the atmosphere, τλ (zED) is the transmittance along the path between the Earth's surface and the satellite sensor, and ελ, as in the foregoing, is the ground emissivity.
The Dozier formulation as described in J. Dozier, A Method for satellite identification of surface temperature fields of subpixel resolution, Remote Sensing of Environment, 11 (1981) 221-229 and applied to equation (1) (or to other RTM models) makes a sub-pixel description of the radiative process possible, considering the fire extension (pixel fraction f of a pixel of radiance acquired by the satellite sensor) and fire temperature TF:Rλ=εF;λ·τλ·Bλ(TF)·f+εB;λ·τλ·Bλ(TB)·(1−f)+RA;λ+RS;λ,  (5)where εF,λ and εB,λ are the fire and the background emissivities, respectively, at the wavelength λ.
According to the aforementioned Early fire detection system based on multi-temporal images of geostationary and polar satellites, if two successive acquisitions are considered, the Dozier formulation (5) can be written as follows:ΔRλ,t≡Rλ,t−Rλ,t−Δt=ελ·τλ,t·[Bλ(TF)−Bλ(TB)]·Δf  (6)where t and t−Δt denote two close acquisition times, and Δf=ft−ft−Δt, and where the following assumptions are done:                the background temperature TB is constant between two consecutive acquisitions (within 15 minutes for MSG SEVIRI data);        the fire emissivity is the same as the non-burning surface emissivity; and        the solar and the atmospheric terms (RS,λ, RA,λ) are considered constant between two consecutive acquisitions (within 15 minutes for MSG SEVIRI data).
The introduced RTM (1) and equations (2), (3), (4), (5), (6) are reliable only if no clouds are in the analyzed scene. Therefore, a reliable cloud masking procedure is necessary to identify the acquisitions that are compatible with the physical model assumptions. Many techniques have been developed for cloud masking by exploiting polar or geostationary sensors. Basically, all these techniques are based on the application of threshold criteria to analytic relations among the different bands of a single acquisition. Methods to retrieve such relations among the spectral bands can be based on physical models or on learning methods based on neural networks, Bayesian networks, support vector machines, all of which require a pre-processing phase for the system training. Also contextual techniques that exploit the spatial information are known in literature.

Automatic detection of fires on earth's surface and of atmospheric phenomena such as clouds, veils, fog or the like, using a satellite system


In a process for controlling a gas phase oxidation reactor for preparation of phthalic anhydride, by passing a gas stream which comprises an aromatic hydrocarbon and molecular oxygen through a multitude of reaction tubes arranged in the gas phase oxidation reactor, each of which comprises a bed of at least one catalyst and the temperature of which can be controlled by means of a heat transfer medium, at least one control parameter is measured and correcting interventions for control of the control parameter are determined, the at least one control parameter comprising the phthalic anhydride yield and the correcting parameter used being the temperature of the heat carrier medium. Over at least 90% of the lifetime of the catalyst, the change in the correcting parameter is limited to a maximum of 0.5 K within a period of 30 days. In this way, the cumulated phthalic anhydride yield over the lifetime of the catalyst is maximized.

The invention relates to a process for controlling a gas phase oxidation reactor for preparation of phthalic anhydride.
Phthalic anhydride (PA) is prepared industrially by the catalytic gas phase oxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons, such as o-xylene and/or naphthalene, in fixed bed reactors. In general, a mixture of an oxygenous gas and the starting material to be oxidized is passed through tubes in which there is a bed of a catalyst. For temperature control, the tubes are surrounded by a heat carrier medium, for example a salt melt.
Even though the excess heat of reaction is removed by the heat carrier medium, local temperature maxima (hotspots) may develop in the catalyst bed, in which there is a higher temperature than in the remaining part of the catalyst bed. These hotspots lead to side reactions, such as the total combustion of the starting material, or to the formation of undesired by-products which are removable from the reaction product only with great difficulty, if at all.
The hotspot temperatures in the oxidation of o-xylene to phthalic anhydride are typically in the range between 400 and 500° C. Hotspot temperatures above 500° C. are an expression of increased total oxidation of the o-xylene to CO, CO2 and water, and lead to increased damage to the catalyst. Excessively low hotspot temperatures are associated with insufficient conversion of o-xylene, and too high a content of disruptive underoxidation products, for example phthalide, which impairs the product quality. The hotspot temperature depends on a series of parameters, including the o-xylene loading of the gas stream, the loading of the catalyst with the gas stream, the service life of the catalyst, the heat transfer conditions in the reactor and in the salt bath, and the salt bath temperature.
The salt bath temperature is an important correcting parameter for the operation of the gas phase oxidation reactor. It is set correctly when overoxidation or total oxidation proceeds only to a small degree, and the product quality is impaired by underoxidation products to a minimum degree. Excessively high salt bath temperatures lead to falling PA yields and accelerated catalyst aging; excessively low salt bath temperatures result in poor product quality.
In modern plants, the salt bath temperature is controlled by a computer-based process control system, the aim of which is exact compliance with desired operating states. With the aid of mathematical models, the influence of the change of control parameters, such as the phthalic anhydride yield, the conversion of the aromatic hydrocarbon, a hotspot temperature and/or a content of at least one underoxidation product in the reaction product is assessed. Measured values for one or more control parameters are used to determine correcting interventions for control of the control parameter. In addition to the salt bath temperature, important correcting parameters include the loading of the gas stream with the hydrocarbon to be oxidized and the volume flow rate of the gas stream.
The activity of the catalysts or catalyst systems used for gas phase oxidation decreases with increasing operating time. One effect of the thermal stress in the region of the hotspot is the deactivation of the catalyst at the same point. A higher proportion of unconverted hydrocarbons or of partly oxidized intermediates gets into regions of the catalyst bed further downstream. The reaction shifts increasingly toward the reactor outlet and the hotspot migrates downstream. Since downstream catalyst layers are generally more active but less selective, undesired overoxidation and other side reactions increase. Overall, the product yield or selectivity falls with the operating time.
The catalyst deactivation can be counteracted to a limited degree by increasing the temperature of the heat carrier medium, typically at essentially constant hourly space velocity over the catalyst.
The service life of PA catalysts is typically about 5 years, the PA yield within this period decreasing by up to 6% by mass; cf. M. Galantowicz et al. in B. Delmon, G. F. Froment (eds.), Catalyst Deactivation 1994, Studies in Surface Science and Catalysis 88, Elsevier, p. 591-596. Typically, the salt bath temperature is raised by up to 40 K over the lifetime of the catalyst; cf. G. C. Bond, J. Chem. Tech. Biotechnol. 68 (1997) 6-13. For control of the salt bath temperature over a period of several years of catalyst lifetime, the prior art gives only a little information, especially for high catalyst hourly space velocities.
According to the disclosure of DE 2948163 (Nippon Shokubai), the PA yield is 113.8% by mass over a two-layer catalyst at an o-xylene loading of 83 g/m3 (STP) after 2 months at a salt bath temperature of 370° C. After 12 months, at the same o-xylene loading but a salt bath temperature of 375° C., the PA yield decreases to 112.7% by mass. The salt bath temperature in this case was raised by 5 K within 10 months, i.e. by an average of 0.5 K/month.
Anastasov, Chemical Engineering and Processing 42 (2003) 449-460, studied the deactivation of a 04-26 V2O5/TiO2 catalyst from BASF. At an o-xylene loading of 50 g/m3 (STP), the PA yield of 79.9 mol % after 8.5 months at a salt bath temperature of 360° C. rose to 80.7 mol % after 24 months at the same o-xylene loading but a salt bath temperature of 370° C. The salt bath temperature was raised in this case by 10 K within 15.5 months, i.e. by an average of 0.65 K/month. The significant rise in the salt bath temperature by several kelvin per year is thus customary in the oxidation of o-xylene to PA.
A controlled process for temperature control of salt bath reactors for phthalic anhydride synthesis was described for the first time in DE 4109387 (Buna AG). The process comprises the determination of an optimal salt bath temperature from experimentally determined parameters, such as the hotspot temperature and the o-xylene concentration at the reactor inlet. The catalyst aging behavior is taken into account with a linear approach, which employs the apparent activation energy of the catalyst. The salt bath temperature is then adjusted in each case according to the optimal salt bath temperature determined. Depending on the operating conditions, this gives rise to increases or decreases in the salt bath temperatures. At an o-xylene loading of, for example, 43 g/m3 (STP) after 282 days at a salt bath temperature of 376° C., the salt bath temperature was increased to 388° C. after 1470 days at a similar o-xylene loading of 42 g/m3 (STP). This corresponds to an average increase in the salt bath temperature of 0.3 K/month. The optimal salt bath temperature determined after 1470 days of run time was 383° C., and thus 5 K lower. After a lowering of the salt bath temperature by 5 K, the PA yield rose from 65.5 to 71.8 mol %. The o-xylene concentration is included in the formula for determination of the optimal salt bath temperature. The o-xylene loadings reported in the examples are, however, comparatively low at 21-43 g/m3 (STP). In addition, a disadvantage of the method described is that the salt bath temperatures have to be adjusted very frequently.
EP-A 2 009 520 (Honeywell International Inc.) discloses a multivariable process control system for PA preparation. A catalyst performance-dependent first parameter and, as second parameter, the temperature at several positions in the reaction tube are measured. By means of a dynamic model, the temperature is adjusted automatically. The process is said to allow a dynamic adjustment of the temperature profile to compensate for catalyst aging.

Process for controlling a gas phase oxidation reactor for preparation of phthalic anhydride


Provided is a joint treatment method that enables smooth joint treatment without damaging the ultraviolet radiation curable resin formed on the interior sheet surface. The joint treatment method is for joining a butt joint portion of interior sheets, the protective layer being formed as a surface layer of each of the interior sheets. The method includes: (1) a step of injecting a joint treatment agent, which has no dissolving ability with respect to at least the protective layer, into the butt joint portion; and (2) a step of attaching, before the injected joint treatment agent is cured, an adhesive tape so as to straddle the butt joint portion such that the tape is in contact with the protective layer and the joint treatment agent present in the butt joint portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel joint treatment method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Where interior sheets such as flooring are laid, there is formed a butt joint portion in which respective edges of the adjoining interior sheets face each other. The butt joint portion is a portion in which the edges of the interior sheets abut against one another or face each other with a very small gap therebetween. Such an abutted portion constitutes an opening through which water would penetrate and then infiltrate into a flooring substrate. To cope with this, treatment for forming a joined portion (referred to hereinbelow as "joint treatment") which plays the role of integrally joining the interior sheets is performed in the butt joint portion.
Various methods have been heretofore suggested for the joint treatment. For example, there is a method in which a butt joint portion of interior sheets is grooved with a cutter or groove cutter, the sheets are welded through a welding rod in the groove, and then the resultant excess material is cut off so as to obtain a finished product with a smooth surface.
Further, a method for installing a flooring material joint is known in which flooring materials are attached to an underlayment with an adhesive interposed, an adhesive tape is attached to the flooring material surface so as to cover the upper part of a joint having a gap of a predetermined width which is formed between the attached flooring materials, an incision is formed along the joint in the adhesive tape, an injection nozzle for injecting a seam sealer is inserted in the incision in the adhesive tape, the seam sealer is injected into the joint with the injection nozzle being moved along the incision in the adhesive tape, and then the adhesive tape is peeled off (Japanese Patent No. 3388960).
Meanwhile, there are interior sheets available in which a protective layer made up of an ionizing radiation curable resin, such as an ultraviolet radiation curable resin, is formed on the interior sheet so as to protect the surface thereof (floor surface, or the like) (Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. 2002-105874 and 2014-84685). When conducting construction using such interior sheets having a protective layer on the surface thereof, joint treatment is also performed using a seam sealer.


A wireless device for implementing Incremental Redundancy (IR) operations includes system processing circuitry operable to perform Physical (PHY) layer operations, Media Access Control (MAC) layer operations and Radio Link Control (RLC) operations of the wireless device. The system processing circuitry further includes an IR control module for processing IR transactions related to a received RLC data block and for tracking an Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) receiving state and received block bit map and a Layer 1 (L1) module for intercepting and diverting the IR transactions to the IR control module and for passing a correctly decoded RLC data block to the RLC layer operations via the MAC layer operations thereby automatically synchronizing the RLC layer operations. An IR processing module is coupled to the system processing circuitry to perform IR operations on the received RLC data block based upon a direction from the IR control module.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to cellular wireless communication systems; and more particularly to the processing of data communications received by a wireless terminal in such a cellular wireless communication system.
2. Related Art
Cellular wireless communication systems support wireless communication services in many populated areas of the world. While cellular wireless communication systems were initially constructed to service voice communications, they are now called upon to support data communications as well. The demand for data communication services has exploded with the acceptance and widespread use of the Internet. While data communications have historically been serviced via wired connections, cellular wireless users now demand that their wireless units also support data communications. Many wireless subscribers now expect to be able to "surf" the Internet, access their email, and perform other data communication activities using their cellular phones, wireless personal data assistants, wirelessly linked notebook computers, and/or other wireless devices. The demand for wireless communication system data communications will only increase with time. Thus, cellular wireless communication systems are currently being created/modified to service these burgeoning data communication demands.
Cellular wireless networks include a "network infrastructure" that wirelessly communicates with wireless terminals within a respective service coverage area. The network infrastructure typically includes a plurality of base stations dispersed throughout the service coverage area, each of which supports wireless communications within a respective cell (or set of sectors). The base stations couple to base station controllers (BSCs), with each BSC serving a plurality of base stations. Each BSC couples to a mobile switching center (MSC). Each BSC also typically directly or indirectly couples to the Internet.
In operation, each base station communicates with a plurality of wireless terminals operating in its cell/sectors. A BSC coupled to the base station routes voice communications between the MSC and the serving base station. The MSC routes the voice communication to another MSC or to the PSTN. BSCs route data communications between a servicing base station and a packet data network that may include or couple to the Internet. Transmissions from base stations to wireless terminals are referred to as "forward link" transmissions while transmissions from wireless terminals to base stations are referred to as "reverse link" transmissions. The volume of data transmitted on the forward link typically exceeds the volume of data transmitted on the reverse link. Such is the case because data users typically issue commands to request data from data sources, e.g., web servers, and the web servers provide the data to the wireless terminals.
Wireless links between base stations and their serviced wireless terminals typically operate according to one (or more) of a plurality of operating standards. These operating standards define the manner in which the wireless link may be allocated, setup, serviced and torn down. One popular cellular standard is the Global System for Mobile telecommunications (GSM) standard. The GSM standard, or simply GSM, is predominant in Europe and is in use around the globe. While GSM originally serviced only voice communications, it has been modified to also service data communications. GSM General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) operations and the Enhanced Data rates for GSM (or Global) Evolution (EDGE) operations coexist with GSM by sharing the channel bandwidth, slot structure, and slot timing of the GSM standard. The GPRS operations and the EDGE operations may also serve as migration paths for other standards as well, e.g., IS-136 and Pacific Digital Cellular (PDC).
In order for EDGE to provide increased data rates within a 200 KHz GSM channel, it employs a higher order modulation, 8-PSK (octal phase shift keying), in addition to GSM's standard Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying (GMSK) modulation. EDGE allows for nine different (autonomously and rapidly selectable) air interface formats, known as Modulation and Coding schemes (MCSs), with varying degrees of error control protection. Low MCS modes, (MCS 1-4) use GMSK (low data rate) while high MCS modes (MCS 5-9) use 8-PSK (high data rate) modulation for over the air transmissions, depending upon the instantaneous demands of the application.
EDGE uses the higher order 8-PSK and the GMSK modulations and a family of MCSs for each GSM radio channel time slot, so that each user connection may adaptively determine the best MCS setting for the particular radio propagation conditions and data access requirements of the user. In addition, the "best" air interface mode is enhanced with a technique called incremental redundancy (IR), whereby packets are transmitted first with initially selected MCS mode and puncturing, and then subsequent packets are transmitted with additional redundancy using differing puncturing patterns and potentially different MCS modes within a common MCS family. Rapid feedback between the base station and wireless terminal may restore the previous acceptable air interface state, which is presumably at an acceptable level but with minimum required coding and with minimum bandwidth and power drain.
The processing and memory requirements for IR service are severe. Decoding is performed for each received block and, if the decoding is not successful, the received block must be stored until it is combined with a subsequently received block. This storage and combination process may be repeated for a number of iterations. Because IR operations may be in process for a large number of blocks, the storage and indexing requirements for IR may be significant.
Traditionally, the Radio Link Control protocol layer (RLC) was responsible for initiating retransmission of a block while the Physical Layer (PHY) was responsible for decoding. Typically, the RLC and the PHY were implemented in separate processing devices, e.g., a first processor implementing the RLC, e.g., RISC processor, and a second processor implementing the PHY, e.g. DSP. Many of the operations supported by the wireless terminal justified this split in processing duties. However, when IR is implemented, the split in processing duties burdens each of the processors with messaging and data sharing operations simply in support of IR. These processing and memory requirements adversely affect the performance of wireless terminals servicing EDGE. Thus, there exists a need in the art for improved performance in supporting EDGE IR.

Edge incremental redundancy memory structure and memory management


An electrochemical fine processing apparatus for electrochemically performing an adding processing and a removing processing of a substance such as a metal or a polymer in a solution in order to produce a structure having a high aspect ratio. Removing electrodes for applying an electric potential opposite to that applied to an addition electrode are disposed around the addition electrode, whereby an excess portion of metal or polymer film pattern can be scraped electrochemically. In addition, alternate electric potential pulses are applied successively to the addition electrode and then to the removing electrodes. It becomes possible to form on the support a structure with sharp pattern edge portions and a high aspect ratio.

The present invention relates to an electrochemical fine processing apparatus for electrochemically performing removal processing and addition processing of metal or polymer in a solution in order to produce a structure necessitating a high aspect ratio. It is especially used in a field in which the structure is manufactured using the micromachining technique.
One example of the conventional fine processing method is shown in FIGS. 3A-3D. This fine processing method uses photolithography represented by the semiconductor process (subtractive method). At first, a desired thin film 11 is formed on a substrate 10 made of silicon or the like using a sputtering method or a CVD method (FIG. 3A). Next, a resist pattern 12 is formed by spin coating or the like of a resist material, exposure of the resist material to a circuit structure pattern using a mask or an electron beam, and selective development of the resist material to leave the desired pattern 12 (FIG. 3B). Then, thin film 11 is selectively removed at regions not covered by resist pattern 12, using an etching liquid (FIG. 3C), and the remaining resist pattern 12 is removed to leave the thin film structure 13 (FIG. 3D).
In addition, in a fine processing method called the LIGA process, a photo-resist for X-ray is thickly coated on a substrate and is exposed to X-rays having strong linearity and strength generated from synchrotron radiation light. Thereby the resist can be formed deeply with a good pattern accuracy. Metal is formed on surface portions not covered with this pattern by means of electrocasting, and the resist is removed, whereby a structure having a high aspect ratio can be obtained.
However, in the conventional fine processing method, although a resolution of the order of sub-micron dimensions of the pattern can be achieved, it is difficult to perform film formation in the height direction, and it has been difficult to obtain a high aspect ratio. In addition, in the LIGA process, synchrotron equipment is necessary, which cannot be used easily and which creates the problem of increased cost.
Thus, there is also a method employing an electrochemical reaction in which a sample is allowed to approach a counter electrode with close distance, the sample being used as an acting electrode, and an addition electrode being used as the counter electrode, an electric current is allowed to flow between the addition electrode and the sample, whereby an electrochemical reaction is caused on the sample close to the addition electrode, so that metal or polymer is deposited on the sample. However, in such an electrochemical reaction method, as shown in FIG. 4, a high aspect ratio can be obtained, but the deposited substance 5 (metal and/or polymer) exhibits a film thickness distribution having no sharpness as shown in FIG. 4.

Electrochemical fine processing apparatus


A gasket (10) is used for a medical syringe (30), and includes a main body (11) made of an elastic material and an inert resin film (12) provided on a surface of the main body (11). The gasket (10) has a cylindrical shape, and includes a plurality of annular ribs (13, 14, 15) provided on an outer circumferential surface (20) thereof and each having a sliding contact portion (16) to be kept in sliding contact with an inner peripheral surface of a syringe barrel. The plurality of annular ribs are axially arranged from a distal end to a rear end of the gasket (10). The sliding contact portion (16) of a distal annular rib (13) has a width that is 1 to 25% of axial length of the cylindrical gasket.

In recent years, prefilled syringes including a syringe barrel preliminarily filled with a liquid drug are increasingly used, because they are easy to handle and prevent use of a wrong liquid drug. Since rubber members (e.g., a gasket and a nozzle cap) of such a prefilled syringe are kept in direct contact with the liquid drug until use, the gasket and the nozzle cap are generally made of a butyl rubber which is excellent in chemical resistance, gas barrier property, water vapor barrier property and anti-aging property.
However, some biological drugs are liable to be influenced by interaction with the rubber members and substances released from the rubber members. For improvement of the slidability of the gasket and prevention of the sticking of the nozzle cap, an inner wall of the syringe barrel and surfaces of the gasket and the nozzle cap made of the butyl rubber are often coated with a lubricant such as a silicone oil or a curable silicone. The silicon coating is liable to be separated from the barrel inner wall and the rubber members to significantly adversely influence some types of drugs.
To cope with this problem, rubber products laminated with a fluororesin film or the like to obviate the need for the silicone are developed for use in a glass syringe or a prefilled resin syringe.
A PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) film having an excellent chemical resistance and a minimum friction coefficient is suitable as the fluororesin film for the lamination of the gasket. Where the use of the silicone lubricant is permitted, an ETFE (ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) film may be used for the lamination. The PTFE film is typically produced by a skiving method, a casting method or the like.
A gasket having a fluororesin film provided on a liquid contact surface thereof and a slidable seal portion thereof to be kept in contact with the inner wall of the syringe barrel has problems associated with gas tightness and sliding resistance. Particularly, the film produced by the skiving method is liable to cause the problem associated with the gas tightness with respect to the inner wall of the syringe barrel because of its greater surface roughness.
Factors relevant to deterioration of the gas tightness are the smoothness (surface roughness) of the film used for the lamination, and variations in the inner diameter of the syringe barrel which influence the compression percentage of the gasket with respect to the inner diameter of the syringe barrel. The resin syringe barrel has a highly accurate inner diameter with a tolerance of ±0.1 mm. On the other hand, a material tube for the glass syringe barrel has greater variations in inner diameter, and even a glass syringe barrel having a volume of not greater than 5 mL has a relatively great inner diameter tolerance of ±0.15 mm.
Even if a PTFE film having a surface roughness Ra of not greater than 0.05 μm is used for the lamination, liquid leakage often occurs. This is because, even if the PTFE film is lamination-molded at a molding temperature of 170° C. (which is lower than the melting point (230° C.) of the PTFE), minute undulations of a mold surface are transferred to the surface of the lamination film to thereby influence the sealability.
To solve the problems associated with the gas tightness and the sliding resistance, there are proposed a gasket having a cylindrical drum shape (e.g., Patent Document 1), and a gasket having a plurality of annular ribs provided on a circumferential surface of a cylindrical gasket body (see, for example, Patent Document 2 and FIG. 3(e) in Patent Document 3).


A wheel suspension for vehicles comprises for each wheel a wheel control arm, which is pivotally movable against the torsional force exerted by a torsion bar. The torsion bar extends transversely to the wheel control arm and is fixed against rotation at a distance from the wheel. In order to reduce the manufacturing costs and the weight of the wheel suspension, the wheel control arm and the torsion bar are integrally combined in an L-shaped component, which is provided adjacent to its apex with a pivotal mounting, which together with mounting for non-rotatably fixing a free end of the torsion bar defines a pivotal axis for the wheel control arm.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a wheel suspension for vehicles, comprising for each wheel of an axle a wheel control arm, which is pivotally movable against a force exerted by a torsion bar, which extends transversely to the wheel control arm. The control arm and the torsion bar constitute an integral component, which adjacent to an apex is provided with a pivotal mounting, which together with a non-rotatably mounted portion of the torsion bar defines a pivotal axis for the control arm.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A known wheel suspension of that kind is disclosed in DE-A-31 48 388 and serves to suspend both wheels of an axle. Two control arms are associated with respective wheels and constitute longitudinal control arms, which are interconnected by the torsion bar so that the two control arms and the torsion bar, which extends transversely to the direction of travel of the vehicle, constitute a single platelike member, which is rectangular in cross-section. The torsion bar portion of that member is rigidly and non-deformably secured to the chassis or to another stationary part of the vehicle so that a torsion bar extending as far as to the center of the vehicle is functionally associated with each wheel. Because the member is platelike, the control arms for the two wheels have a relatively low bending strength and they must be connected and stiffened by a beam which extends transversely to the direction of travel of the vehicle. Such beam will obviously add to the structural expenditure and weight of the suspension. Another disadvantage resides in that each of the torsion bar portions which are associated with respective wheel control arms can have only a limited length as that portion may extend in any case only as far as to the center of the vehicle, where the torsion bar is secured to the chassis or to another stationary part of the vehicle. Finally, the known wheel suspension can be provided only with longitudinal control arms and the portions consisting each of a wheel control arm and a portion of the torsion bar cannot be arranged in a freely selectable spatial orientation.
On the other hand, it is known from AT-B-375,601 to associate with each wheel of an axle a separate component, which consists of a wheel control arm and a orsion bar. But that known component is a composite assembly. The wheel control arm consists of a longitudinal control arm and is pivoted in a bearing sleeve, which is fixedly connected to the chassis or to another stationary part of the vehicle and which for the pivot pin of the longitudinal control arm provides two spaced apart bearings for taking up forces from the wheel. The torsion bar pin is non-rotatably keyed to the pivot pin of the longitudinal control arm and at its end that is remote from the wheel is fixed in a mounting that is non-rotatably connected to the chassis or another stationary part of the vehicle. That wheel suspension is relatively complicated and comprises a bearing sleeve providing two bearings for the pivot of the wheel control arm and comprises additional means by which the wheel control arm and the torsion bar are interconnected. Resides, certain difficulties arise in connection with the means by which the control arm is supported against the forces from the wheel because owing to reasons of design the two bearings in the bearing sleeve must be relatively closely spaced apart.
It is finally known, e.g., from DE-A-36 41 505 to combine a longitudinal control arm and a transversely extending torsion bar in a single member. But such members have been used only as stabilizers, which require the provision of a separate wheel spring for each wheel so that the structural expenditure will greatly be increased.


An improved one piece tibial tray uniquely characterized by its construction including an asymmetric keel extending from the bottom of the tibial tray base plate, whereby insertion of the tray during arthroplasty may be accomplished with a smaller than normal incision, enhancing the efficacy and safety of the surgical procedure. A fin on either or both sides of the asymmetric fin may be provided for enhanced stability of the tray.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved tibial tray that is positioned on the patient's tibia for joint replacement in a total knee arthroplasty. The improved tibial tray of this invention is of a unitary construction and comprises a unique, asymmetric keel that permits insertion through a relatively smaller incision.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Total knee arthroplasty is a common procedure performed worldwide. This procedure traditionally requires wide exposure of the distal femur and proximal tibia in order to permit appropriate preparation of the bone surfaces for implanting the components. Most implants performed today in the United States are cemented in place with polymethylmethacrylate cement. Extraneous cement is traditionally cleaned, requiring additional exposure of the femur and tibia to ensure sufficient removal and to prevent potential third body debris.
Over the past several years there has been a movement toward less invasive techniques for total knee arthroplasty. These less invasive techniques typically involve smaller incisions, less disruption of the musculature of the knee, and decreased visualization when compared to that of "traditional" total knee arthroplasty. One of the major technical hurdles in performing an accurate, minimally invasive total knee arthroplasty is obtaining adequate exposure in order to seat the currently available components, particularly the state-of-the-art tibial trays.
Traditionally, the tibial tray is cemented in place and has a relatively large keel, or a depending stem, used to control angular and rotational forces that are imparted to the tibial tray by the knee joint. Because of the size of such keels or stems today, the proximal tibia must be circumferentially exposed in order to allow appropriate preparation of the bone and seating of the implant. This requires subluxation of the tibia anteriorly and clearance of the posterior lateral femoral condyle to prevent iatrogenic fracture or improper seating of the components.
Furthermore, as the tibial tray is cemented in place, the most common method of prosthetic fixation, additional exposure is also necessary to debride cement as it extrudes from under the tray as the tray is forced into position. Even when traditional large incisions are used, the procedure is challenging. With the advent of minimally invasive techniques, another level of difficulty is added because the components must be placed through smaller incisions in the patient's skin.
One means for solving the problem is shown in prior patented devices as modular tibial trays. By use of the term "modular" it is meant that the trays include a keel or stem that is separate from the tibial base plate. In order to facilitate minimally invasive insertion, the keel or stem is inserted into the tibia, and the base plate is attached thereto. However, a relatively larger incision is still necessary for insertion of the keel or stem, and modular devices are frequently more expensive than unitary devices, and the parts may not mate properly. Furthermore, intraoperative assembly is necessary, and this may prove to be more difficult when working through small incisions. Finally, modularity can result in modular interface fatigue fracture, fretting, and/or debris generation that can compromise the effective life of the arthroplasty.


An EGR valve assembly is provided for an Internal Combustion Engine. The valve assembly includes, but is not limited to a duct having an inlet and an outlet. A portion of the duct is configured with an open section that defines a seat for a valve housing, the valve housing having a passage that leads into the duct and a valve flap for opening and closing the passage, and an engaging portion configured to seal the open section of the duct.

A turbocharged Diesel engine system generally comprises a Diesel engine having an intake manifold and an exhaust manifold, an external air conduit for conveying fresh air from the environment into an intake line leading to the intake manifold, an exhaust line for conveying the exhaust gas from the exhaust manifold to the environment, and a turbocharger which comprises a compressor located in the intake line for compressing the air stream flowing therein, and a turbine located in the exhaust line for driving said compressor. The turbocharged Diesel engine system further comprises an intercooler, also called a charge air cooler, located in the intake line downstream the compressor, for cooling the air stream before it reaches the intake manifold, and a Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) located in the exhaust line downstream the turbine, for degrading residual hydrocarbons and carbon oxides contained in the exhaust gas. The turbocharged Diesel engine systems can also be equipped with a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) located in the exhaust line downstream the DOC, for capturing and removing diesel particulate matter (soot) from the exhaust gas.
In order to reduce the polluting emission, most turbocharged Diesel engine system currently comprises an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system, for selectively routing back a part of the exhaust gas from the exhaust manifold into the intake manifold. The exhaust gas mixed with the fresh induction air is aspired into the engine cylinders, in order to reduce the production of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) during the combustion process. Conventional EGR systems comprise an high pressure EGR conduit, also known as short route EGR, for fluidly connecting the exhaust manifold with the intake manifold, an EGR cooler for cooling the exhaust gas before mixing it with the induction air, valve means for regulating the flow rate of exhaust gas through the EGR conduit, and an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) based on a microprocessor for determining the required amount of exhaust gas to be recirculated and for controlling said valve means accordingly.
In order to further reduce the NOx emission, improved EGR systems comprise also an additional Low Pressure EGR (LPE) conduit, also known as long route EGR, which fluidly connects the exhaust line downstream the DPF with the intake line upstream the compressor, an additional EGR cooler located in the additional EGR conduit, and additional valve means for regulating the flow rate of exhaust gas through the additional EGR conduit. These valve means, in particular, are three ways valves that regulate the air flow coming from the environment air and exhaust gas recirculating flow into the engine system. While low pressure EGR conduit systems have several benefits, as explained above, they also raise the complexity of the engine structure and give rise to a certain number of technical problems. Such problems are relatively important in small Diesel engine due, for example, to the space constraints that necessarily arise in such systems.
Also, it must be considered that the three way long route EGR valve is the connection point between an air filter that filters environmental air entering into the engine system and the compressor and the long route EGR cooler, wherein the compressor and the long route EGR cooler are however rigidly fixed on the engine. Known three-ways EGR valve arrangements may comprise an air pipe having an inlet connected to the outlet of the air filter and an outlet connected to a three-way EGR valve which in turn is connected to the inlet of the compressor. This known arrangement raise the problem that high vibration arise due to the rigid connection between the three way long route EGR valve and compressor and to components downstream of the compressor. These vibrations may cause compressor cracks and fluid leakages due to high connection stresses.
At least one aim is to provide for a long route EGR valve assembly for internal combustion engines that provides a damping effect in the region between the vehicle chassis and the compressor connected to the engine thus effectively reducing vibrations. At least a further aim is to provide a long route EGR valve assembly for internal combustion engines that can be easily adapted for different engine applications. At least another aim is to meet these goals by means of a rational and low cost solution. In addition, other aims, desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.


A method is provided for relaying Public Warning System (PWS) messages. The method includes a communications device receiving a PWS message over a first communication technology. The method also includes the communications device relaying all or part of the PWS message over a second communication technology, wherein the second communication technology is different than the first communication technology.

As telecommunications technology has evolved, more advanced network access equipment has been introduced that can provide services that were not possible previously. This network access equipment might include systems and devices that are improvements of the equivalent equipment in a traditional wireless telecommunications system. Such advanced network access equipment may be included in evolving wireless communications standards, such as long-term evolution (LTE). For example, in an LTE system the advanced network access equipment might include an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) node B (eNB). In various wireless communications systems, the advanced network access equipment may include a base station, a wireless access point, or a similar component operable as an access node according to a corresponding wireless communications standard. Any such component will be referred to herein as an eNB, but it should be understood that such a component is not necessarily an eNB. Such a component may also be referred to herein as an access node or base station.
As used herein, the term "user equipment" (UE) can refer to mobile devices such as mobile telephones, personal digital assistants, handheld or laptop computers, and similar devices that have telecommunications capabilities. Such a UE might comprise a wireless device and its associated Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) that includes a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) application, a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) application, or a Removable User Identity Module (R-UIM) application or might comprise the device itself without such a card. The term "UE" may also refer to devices that have similar capabilities but that are not transportable, such as fixed line telephones, desktop computers, or set-top boxes. The term "UE" can also refer to any hardware or software component that can terminate a Session Internet Protocol (SIP) session.

Providing a public warning system message


Methods of forming a ceramic component and a high temperature mold for use therewith are provided. The method includes providing a fixture having a receiving surface configured to receive an unfired ceramic component. The method includes applying a continuous high temperature membrane to a surface of the unfired ceramic component. The method includes covering the continuous high temperature membrane and unfired ceramic component with a high temperature loose media. The method includes heating the unfired ceramic component to a firing temperature. The high temperature mold includes the fixture and a support structure forming a compartment surrounding the fixture. The mold allows the high temperature loose media to be contained within the compartment and to cover the continuous high temperature membrane. The continuous high temperature membrane and high temperature loose media are evenly distributed over the uncured ceramic component and operable to provide constant pressure during processing using the mold.

Turbine airfoils operate in a high temperature environment and often require internal cooling to obtain a desirable design life cycle and component performance. Ceramic cores are used to create internally cooled geometries that provide a cooling air distribution to meet both efficiency and life targets of the component.
The ceramic core is typically made using a plasticized ceramic compound comprising ceramic flour, binder and various additives. The ceramic compound is injection molded, or transfer molded at elevated temperature in a core die or mold. When the unfired or green core is removed from the die or mold, it typically is placed between top and bottom rigid setters to cool to ambient temperature before core finishing and gauging operations. Unfired or green ceramic cores may warp or twist within the gaps in the rigid setters during cooling, as such, cores may exhibit dimensional variations from one core to the next in a production run of cores. Moreover, the unfired or green core may be improperly contacted by the top or bottom setter such that dimensional variations from one core to the next occur in a production run.
Therefore, a method of forming a ceramic component and high temperature mold component for use with the method of forming the ceramic component that do not suffer from the above drawbacks is desirable in the art.

Methods of forming a ceramic component and a high temperature mold component for use therewith


A novel densified fluoropolymer article is described which has a water vapor permeation of about 0.015 g-mm/m2/day or less, and preferably has a matrix tensile strength of at least 10,000 psi in two orthogonal directions. The articles are made by compressing expanded porous PTFE at pressures, temperatures and times which result in elimination of the pores, and subsequent stretching above the crystalline melt temperature.

The challenge of locating a thermally stable polymer film with excellent barrier properties as well as good mechanical properties for use in a broad range of applications has led researchers in varied directions. Both monolithic and multi-component, multi-layer films have been constructed; however, to date, no suitable materials have been available which provide the unique combination of thermal stability, strength, thinness and, most importantly, barrier properties as demonstrated by resistance to water vapor permeation.
One attempt to solve this problem is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,465,103 B1, to Tsai et al., which is directed to highly oriented multilayer films produced by coextruding or laminating at least one layer of PCTFE (polychlorotrifluoroethylene) fluoropolymer, at least one layer of a polyolefin homopolymer or copolymer and an intermediate adhesive layer of a polyolefin having at least one functional moiety of an unsaturated carboxylic acid or anhydride thereof. The polyolefin layer allows the fluoropolymer layer to be stretched up to ten times its length to orient the fluoropolymer film and increase mechanical properties and water vapor properties of the film. Commercially available films of this construction are sold under the trade name ACLAR® by Honeywell Corporation. However, limitations exist with respect to these materials, including the presence of the polyolefin and adhesive layers which contribute undesirable thickness to the final film and added cost during processing. Moreover, these films have limited chemical and temperature resistance (e.g., maximum thermal stability reported for ACLAR® films is about 215° C.) and limited water vapor permeation resistance.
Other materials have also been evaluated for suitability in demanding barrier applications. For example, a polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) copolymer film sold by the Dow Chemical Company (Midland, Mich.) under the trade name SARAN is widely known as a barrier film for protecting foods against oxygen, moisture and chemical attack, as well as other barrier applications. However, this PVDC film has limited chemical and temperature range (i.e., melt temperature of about 160° C.) and limited water vapor permeation resistance.
The advantage of using polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) in harsh chemical environments and over a broad range of temperatures is well known. PTFE has exhibited utility as a material for use in harsh chemical environments where other polymers quickly degrade. PTFE also has a useful temperature range from as high as 260° C. to as low as near −273° C. However, PTFE is characterized by poor mechanical properties such as low tensile strength, poor cold flow resistance or creep resistance, poor cut-through and abrasion resistance and a general poor mechanical integrity that precludes its consideration in many materials engineering applications.
Low porosity PTFE articles have been made in the past through use of a skiving process in which solid PTFE films are split or shaved from a thicker preformed article. These articles are characterized by low strength, poor cold flow resistance, and poor load bearing capabilities in both the length and width directions of the film. Processes including paste extrusion of PTFE fine powder have also been used to produce low porosity PTFE articles, however they are also characterized by relatively poor mechanical characteristics. Attempts have also been made to strengthen low porosity PTFE films by stretching in the length dimension. Strength gains are minimal and, by the nature of the process, are achieved in only a single dimension, thus greatly minimizing the utility of the film.
A PTFE material, specifically, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene, may be produced as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,566. This porous expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) has a microstructure consisting of nodes interconnected by fibrils. It is of higher strength than unexpanded PTFE and retains the chemical inertness and wide useful temperature range of unexpanded PTFE.
However, ePTFE is porous and hence cannot be used as a barrier layer to low surface tension fluids since such fluids with surface tensions less than 50 dyne-cm pass through the pores of the membrane. Compressed ePTFE articles are taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,566 in which a platen press was used to densify a thin sheet of ePTFE with and without heat. However, cold flow occurred in the press, non-uniform parts resulted and a density of over 2.1 g/cc was not achieved. The ePTFE sheet used in U.S. Pat. No. 3,953,566 was stretched or strengthened in only one direction and, hence, the utility of the finished article was severely limited.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,629, to Cooper et al., describes a method of increasing the cut-through resistance of a PTFE insulated conductor. Unsintered PTFE was expanded and compressed and then applied to a conductor. However, densities of 2.1 g/cc or greater were not achieved, and the resultant tensile strengths of the finished article were not reported for either the length or width directions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,561 to Katayama describes a method to produce high density fibers from ePTFE; however, the method yielded an article that is significantly different from this invention and applicable only to fine filaments and not to sheets.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,374,473 to Knox et al., a method is described for producing articles of densified ePTFE by placing two or more layers of porous ePTFE inside a heat and pressure stable flexible container, evacuating gas from the chamber, subjecting the chamber to a pressure of 150 to 350 psi and temperature from 368-400° C., then cooling the container while reducing pressure. The resulting densified structure is described as useful in such barrier applications as pump diaphragms when laminated to a flexible backer. While the Knox et al. materials exhibit improved barrier properties in the applications described, the methods and articles taught are limited to making thin, flexible PTFE films with uniformly good barrier properties (e.g., a water vapor permeation coefficient on the order of 0.10 g-mm/m2/day).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,525, to Fuhr et al., teaches forming creep resistant articles which are dimensioned from a stock material of one or more layers of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene which have been densified. The densified expanded PTFE material exhibits remnants of a fibril and node structure, and the resultant article is resistant to creep at high temperatures and under high loads. The stock material is preferably formed in the manner taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,374,473, to Knox et al., described earlier herein. The shaped articles are then formed by any suitable method such as a heat forming process or a machine forming process. Compression molding and lathing are specifically described as shaping methods. Fuhr et al. does not teach or suggest the capability of forming thin PTFE films with good barrier properties.
WO 02/102572 A1 is directed to PTFE resin blow molded articles and resin blow molding methods. The PTFE starting material is drawn by blow molding at a temperature at or above the temperature at which PTFE begins to melt, which is a temperature where both crystalline and non-crystalline regions are present in the PTFE, to form a non-porous structure. From the teachings, this method and product are subject to significant variations in processing and product properties, and trial and error is necessary to determine the drawing temperature and draw ratio for each batch of material. In addition, significant limitations in material size and material strength would result based on the processing techniques taught.
Two products currently available from W.L. Gore and Associates, Inc. include a dense fluoropolymer film exhibiting barrier properties. The first product comprises a PTFE barrier layer bonded between two porous PTFE layers. The second product comprises a PTFE barrier layer bonded on one side to a thermoplastic layer such as FEP (fluoroethylene propylene), PFA (perfluoroacrylate) or THV (a polymer of tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene and vinylidene fluoride). The barrier layer in these commercial products is a film of high water vapor resistance (i.e., low water vapor permeation) PTFE having good tensile properties in the orthogonal directions of width and length. It would be understood by an artisan of skill in the art that barrier performance and bulk density of a material are positively correlated. This barrier layer has a bulk density of 2.11 g/cc or greater, is substantially free of pores, has a matrix tensile strength of 10,000 psi or greater in both the width and length directions, and has a water vapor permeation coefficient of 0.018 g-mm/m2/day. While these materials have been successfully implemented in a number of applications requiring flexible, thin materials with good chemical resistance and water vapor permeation resistance, a need still exists for materials with further improved performance for even more demanding barrier applications.


A method of determining when to activate a screen saver for a display device comprises selecting as a sample set a sparse subset of pixels which collectively form a display frame. An evaluation is performed of only the pixels in the sample set, to determine over a plurality of display frames whether pixels within the sample set have undergone a sufficient amount of change so that burn-in is unlikely. A determination is then made of whether to activate the screen saver based on a result of the evaluation.

Most televisions today are based on display technologies that suffer from a problem known as "burn-in", which is damage to the display from long-persisting static images. The result of burn-in is an undesirable afterimage which can be seen if the set is turned off and/or while a flat color is being displayed. This problem is traditionally addressed in computers by using a "screen saver," which either modifies the screen to use colors or intensities which are less likely to cause burn-in, or changes the display entirely to a display designed to age the screen uniformly so that no burn-in pattern is visible. Such screen savers are typically triggered by inactivity, i.e., a lack of user input from the keyboard or mouse. However, since television is typically a passive experience, it is common for the television controls not to be touched for long periods of time. As such, an inactivity-based screen saver trigger such as used in computers is generally not appropriate for televisions.
There are various known approaches to solving the burn-in problem for televisions. These are continuous approaches where no "screen saver" function is triggered to prevent the burn-in problem. One such approach is "picture rotation," where the entire picture is shifted slightly up, down, left, or right of center over time. This technique would cause any sharp transitions on the screen, where burn-in may be more noticeable, to be blurred. However, it does not eliminate the effects of burn-in.
Another technique is to change the brightness of sidebars to match the average brightness of the screen. This technique avoids a distinctive burn-in pattern between the center of the screen and the sidebars. However, since the sidebars represent a stationary, non-changing pattern that can remain on the screen for thousands of hours during the normal course of watching television programs, burn-in still eventually occurs.

Screen saver trigger using partial still picture detection


A one bit full adder with sum and carry outputs performs independent functions. The full adder includes at least one look up table (LUT) for implementing a sum function, and at least one carry circuit for implementing a carry/borrow function. The carry circuit includes a first multiplexer having first and second inputs, a select line input, and a carry/borrow output. The carry circuit also includes an AND gate, an OR gate and an XOR gate. The AND gate has two inputs, and an output connected to the first input of the first multiplexer. The OR gate has two inputs, and an output connected to the second input of the first multiplexer. The XOR gate has a first input, and an output connected to the select line input of the first multiplexer. A second multiplexer has an output connected to the first input of the XOR gate. The at least one LUT and the at least one carry circuit provides independent sum and carry outputs for different function requirements.

A full adder is one of the basic circuits used in various architectures. Different techniques have been employed in these architectures to implement carry propagation in an adder chain. FIG. 1 illustrates a configurable logic block (CLB) of a conventional PLD made by Xilinx, Inc. This CLB is described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,546,018. As shown, the Xilinx CLB includes four four-input function generators F, G, H, J each comprising look up tables for implementing one bit of an arithmetic function of two variables which are received on the input terminals 0,1,2,3 of each function generator. A one-bit addition of two variables can be performed by using the carry multiplexer for the carry bit and the exclusive OR gate for the sum bit.
FIG. 2 illustrates a logic array block of a conventional PLD made by Altera, Inc. This LAB is described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,761,099. This device also comprises a four-input look up table, which can be configured to perform one bit of an arithmetic operation of two input variables. A one-bit addition of two variables, along with the carry, can be performed in the LUT.
The carry circuit in the Xilinx PLD can be utilized to implement functions such as AND, OR, XNOR, etc. as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,353,920. However, the carry circuit cannot be used in isolation. The carry circuit has to be used along with the LUT for the implementation of each of the functions. Furthermore, both of the architectures use a four-input LUT (and some carry circuitry) to generate a sum and a carry bit.

One bit full adder with sum and carry outputs capable of independent functionalities


This invention relates to an improved process for the preparation of compounds of Formula I, salts of the free base cis-adamantane-2-spiro-3′-8′-[[[(2′-amino-2′-methylpropyl)amino]carbonyl]methyl]-1′,2′,4′-trioxaspiro[4.5]decane, Formula (I) wherein X is an anion. The compounds of Formula (I) have antimalarial activity.

Malaria is an acute and often chronic infectious disease resulting from the presence of protozoan parasites within red blood cells. Caused by single-celled parasites of the genus Plasmodium, malaria is transmitted from person to person by the bite of female mosquitoes.
The discovery of artemisinin (qinghaosu), a naturally occurring endoperoxide sesquiterpene lactone, triggered substantial efforts to elucidate its molecular mechanism of action and to identify novel antimalarial peroxides (Dong and Vennerstrom, Expert Opin. Ther. Patents 11, 1753-1760, (2001)). Many synthetic 1,2,4-trioxanes, 1,2,4,5-tetraoxanes, and other endoperoxides have been prepared.
A synthetic procedure for preparing compounds of Formula I, salts of the free base cis-adamantane-2-spiro-3′-8′-[[[(2′-amino-2′-methylpropyl)amino]carbonyl]methyl]-1′,2′,4′-trioxaspiro[4.5]decane has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,906,205. WO 2007138435 also discloses a synthetic procedure for preparing compounds of Formula I. The free base obtained by this procedure involves the formation of dimer impurity, which affects the purity of the free base.
Therefore, there is a need to develop a process which provides the free base of high purity.

Process for the preparation of 1, 2, 4-trioxolane antimalarials


An implantable electrode arrangement for a cochlear implant system includes an elongated electrode array for insertion into a patient cochlea. A fluid delivery channel is located within the electrode array parallel to a central longitudinal axis with at least one fluid delivery port for delivering lubricant fluid from the fluid delivery channel to the outer surface of the electrode array. The fluid delivery port and the lubricant fluid are configured to produce a lubrication region close to the outer surface of the electrode array proximal to the fluid delivery port during insertion of the electrode array into the patient cochlea so as to reduce insertion resistance at an adjacent section of lateral wall of the patient cochlea.

A normal ear transmits sounds as shown in FIG. 1 through the outer ear 101 to the tympanic membrane 102 which moves the bones of the middle ear 103 that vibrate the oval window and round window openings of the cochlea 104. The cochlea 104 is a long narrow duct wound spirally about its axis for approximately two and a half turns. It includes an upper channel known as the scala vestibuli and a lower channel known as the scala tympani, which are connected by the cochlear duct. The cochlea 104 forms an upright spiraling cone with a center called the modiolar where the spiral ganglion cells of the acoustic nerve 113 reside. In response to received sounds transmitted by the middle ear 103, the fluid-filled cochlea 104 functions as a transducer to generate electric pulses which are transmitted to the cochlear nerve 113, and ultimately to the brain.
Hearing is impaired when there are problems in the ability to transduce external sounds into meaningful action potentials along the neural substrate of the cochlea 104. To improve impaired hearing, auditory prostheses have been developed. For example, when the impairment is related to operation of the middle ear 103, a conventional hearing aid may be used to provide acoustic-mechanical stimulation to the auditory system in the form of amplified sound. Or when the impairment is associated with the cochlea 104, a cochlear implant with an implanted electrode can electrically stimulate auditory nerve tissue with small currents delivered by multiple electrode contacts distributed along the electrode.
FIG. 1 also shows some components of a typical cochlear implant system where an external microphone provides an audio signal input to an external signal processor 111 in which various signal processing schemes can be implemented. The processed signal is then converted into a digital data format for transmission by external transmitter coil 107 into the implant 108. Besides receiving the processed audio information, the implant 108 also performs additional signal processing such as error correction, pulse formation, etc., and produces a stimulation pattern (based on the extracted audio information) that is sent through an electrode lead 109 to an implanted electrode array 110. Typically, this electrode array 110 includes multiple stimulation contacts 112 on its surface that provide selective stimulation of the cochlea 104.
The electrode array 110 contains multiple electrode wires embedded in a soft silicone body referred to as the electrode carrier. The electrode array 110 needs to be mechanically robust, and yet flexible and of small size to be inserted into the cochlea 104. The material of the electrode array 110 needs to be soft and flexible in order to minimize trauma to neural structures of the cochlea 104. But an electrode array 110 that is too floppy tends to buckle too easily so that the electrode array 110 cannot be inserted into the cochlea 104 up to the desired insertion depth. A trade-off needs to be made between a certain stiffness of the electrode array 110 which allows insertion into the cochlea 104 up to the desired insertion depth without the array buckling, and certain flexibility of the electrode array 110 which keeps mechanical forces on the structures of the scala tympani of the cochlea 104 low enough.
Damage and trauma cause bleeding, inflammation, perforation of soft tissue, tears and holes into membranes, and fracture of thin osseous structures. The resulting damage to the inner ear, for example, may cause loss of surviving hair cells, retrograde degeneration of the dendrite which innervates the organ of Corti, and in the worst case, spiral ganglion cell death in the Rosenthal's canal. Cell death means quantitatively less neural tissue is available for stimulation, and qualitatively, that less frequency-tuned fibers are available to represent frequency information.
Cochlear implant electrode array designs and surgical techniques attempt to minimize the trauma of implantation surgery so that the insertion of the electrode array into the cochlea may be as smooth and resistance free as possible, both at the apical tip and elsewhere on the outer surface of the electrode array. In some cases, there may be resistance during the electrode insertion. For example, FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a cochlea 104 during insertion of the electrode array 110 through an electrode opening 201 wherein the apical tip 202 contacts the outer lateral wall 203 at the first turn. When that occurs, the surgeon either stops the insertion with only a partial length of the electrode array 110 inside the cochlea 104, or the surgeon increases the insertion force to push the electrode array 110 beyond the resistance point, creating trauma inside the cochlea 104.
The size and mechanical characteristics of the electrode array are critical parameters for the best patient benefit. Some electrode array designs are pre-curved, though a drawback of that approach is that a special electrode insertion tool is needed which keeps the electrode array straight until the point of insertion. As documented by Erixon et al., Variational Anatomy of the Human Cochlea: Implications for Cochlear Implantation, Otology & Neurotology, 2008 (incorporated herein by reference), the size, shape, and curvature of the cochlea varies greatly between individuals, meaning that a cochlear implant electrode array must match a wide range of scala tympani (ST) geometries. Furthermore, recently published research by Verbist et al., Anatomic Considerations of Cochlear Morphology and Its Implications for Insertion Trauma in Cochlear Implant Surgery, Otology & Neurotology, 2009 (incorporated herein by reference) has shown that the human ST does not incline towards the helicotrema at a constant rate, but rather there are several sections along the ST where the slope changes, sometimes even becoming negative (i.e. downwards). The location and grade of these changes in inclination were also found to be different from individual to individual. Consequently, CI electrode arrays should be highly flexible in all directions in order to adapt to individual variations in curvature and changes in inclination of the ST for minimal trauma implantation.
It is known to provide a fluid delivery channel within the electrode array to deliver therapeutic drugs and/or insertion lubricants to the outer surface of the electrode array. For example, one such arrangement is described in U.S. Patent Publication 2017/0028182 (incorporated herein by reference in its entirety).

Navigatable implantable electrode and collapsing lubricant reservoir