A process controller that is communicatively coupled to an external field device via a communication network uses a shadow function block disposed within a process controller to enable implementation of a control routine that uses both an internal function block disposed within the process controller and an external function block disposed within the external field device. The shadow function block includes a communication port that communicates with the external function block via the communication network to thereby receive data pertaining to the external function block, a memory that stores the received data according to a configuration protocol of the internal function block and an output that provides the stored external function block data to the internal function block according to the configuration protocol of the internal function block. The communication port of the interface function block may include an output that sends data generated by the controller or the internal function block to the external function block using the communication protocol associated with the external function block.

The present invention relates generally to process control networks and, more specifically, to a process controller that uses shadow function blocks to represent information associated with external function blocks distributed throughout a process control network.
Process control networks, such as those used in chemical, petroleum or other processes, generally include a centralized process controller communicatively coupled to one or more field devices which may be, for example, valve positioners, switches, sensors (such as temperature, pressure and flow rate sensors), etc. These field devices may perform control functions within the process (such as opening or closing a valve), may take measurements within the process for use in controlling the operation of the process or may perform any other desired function within the process. Process controllers have historically been connected to field devices via one or more analog signal lines or buses which may carry, for example, 4-20 mA (milliamp) signals to and from the field devices. Generally speaking, the process controller receives signals indicative of measurements made by one or more field devices and/or other information pertaining to one or more field devices, uses this information to implement a typically complex control routine and then generates control signals which are sent via the analog signal buses to one or more of the field devices to thereby control the operation of the process.
Recently, there has been a move within the process control industry to implement field-based digital communications within the process control environment. For example, the process control industry has developed a number of standard, open, digital or combined digital and analog communication protocols such as the HART(copyright), PROFIBUS(copyright), WORLDFIP(copyright), Device-Net(copyright) and CAN protocols. These digital communication protocols generally enable more field devices to be connected to a particular bus, support more and faster communication between the field devices and the controller and/or allow field devices to send more and different types of information, such as information pertaining to the status and configuration of the field device itself, to the process controller. Furthermore, these standard digital protocols enable field devices made by different manufacturers to be used together within the same process control network
Also, there is now a move within the process control industry to decentralize process control and, thereby, simplify process controllers. Decentralized control is obtained by having field mounted process control devices, such as valve positioners, transmitters, etc. perform one or more process control functions using what are typically referred to as function blocks and by then communicating data across a bus structure for use by other process control devices (or function blocks) in performing other control functions. To implement these control functions, each process control device typically includes a microprocessor having the capability to implement one or more function blocks as well as the ability to communicate with other process control devices using a standard and open communication protocol. In this manner, field devices can be interconnected within a process control network to communicate with one another and to perform one or more process control functions forming a control loop without the intervention of a centralized process controller. The all-digital, two-wire bus protocol now being promulgated by the Fieldbus Foundation, known as the FOUNDATION(trademark) Fieldbus (hereinafter xe2x80x9cFieldbusxe2x80x9d) protocol is one open communication protocol that allows devices made by different manufacturers to interoperate and communicate with one another via a standard bus to effect decentralized control within a process.
Because digital communication protocols and decentralized control schemes (such as that used in the Fieldbus control environment) are so new, processes which implement these protocols typically do so only to a limited extent. As a result, newer process controllers, such as the DeltaV(trademark) process controller manufactured by Fisher-Rosemont Systems support both analog and digital communication protocols and hardware and can be programmed to implement control in a process that includes field devices which communicate using standard analog protocols, such as the 4-20 mA protocol, and one or more of the newer digital protocols, such as the Fieldbus protocol.
However, problems have arisen when trying to integrate control of analog and digital field devices, and particularly Fieldbus field devices, in a process control network using a centralized controller. Because the control functions for analog field devices and some digital field devices are implemented within the centralized process controller, all the necessary information about these field devices is received by and stored within the centralized process controller. This in turn enables the centralized process controller to integrate control of the different analog and digital field devices, to display the current configuration and state of the portions of the process control network in which these devices are located, to make changes to the process control network configuration with respect to these devices, etc. However, when a decentralized control scheme, such as the Fieldbus control scheme, is used in a part of the process, the centralized process controller no longer needs or has direct access to all of the current information being used by or associated with the process control devices subject to the decentralized control. In fact, some decentralized process control protocols, such as the Fieldbus protocol, are specifically designed so that it is not necessary to send information to a centralized process controller on a regular basis. This fact makes it difficult for the centralized process controller to integrate the control of the analog or other digital field devices with the field devices subject to decentralized control. Also, it makes it difficult for the centralized process controller to model or display the current state of the devices subject to decentralized control or within a decentralized portion of the process control network.
In fact, for the centralized process controller to receive information from the decentralized control portion of the process control network, the field devices (or function blocks) within that portion of the process must be specifically configured to send information directly to the centralized process controller (which means that the centralized process controller must receive and track all of this information, most of which is not necessary for operation of the centralized process controller). Alternatively, the centralized process controller must actively request to receive the information it needs. Because such a request is not given a high priority in, for example, the Fieldbus protocol, by the time the centralized process controller receives the requested information, this information may be out of date. Furthermore, it is difficult, if not impossible for the centralized process controller to request and receive data that is active or current at a specified time. Instead, the centralized process controller only receives the data active at the time the request reaches the field device. Still further, communication between the centralized process controller and field devices within the decentralized portion of the process is highly specialized and requires considerable knowledge of the decentralized control protocol, which makes it difficult for the designer of the centralized process control routine to implement this communication on an as needed basis.
The present invention is directed to the use of shadow function blocks to integrate, in a centralized process controller, the control of function blocks residing in the centralized controller with those residing in an external device, such as a field device. The present invention may also be used to enable a controller to control and communicate with devices or function blocks that are located in a communication network or that use a communication protocol that is different than that used by the controller. In particular, a shadow function block is set up in the centralized controller to mirror the data associated with an external function block located in an external device, such as in a field device conforming to a decentralized control and communication protocol. The control routine of the centralized controller communicates with the external function block via the shadow function block as if the external function block was being implemented by the centralized controller. The shadow function block automatically obtains current information associated with the external function block and sends commands to the external function block using the protocol associated with the external (e.g., decentralized) control protocol. In the case of a Fieldbus protocol, this communication is accomplished using both synchronous and asynchronous communications. However, the shadow function block communicates with other function blocks within the centralized controller as if the external function block is being fully implemented by the centralized controller.
Using the shadow function block of the present invention, the centralized process control routine can receive up-to-date information about the actual function block on a real-time or near real-time basis because this information is mirrored in the shadow function block which is always accessible to the centralized process control routine. Likewise, the centralized process control routine can send commands to the actual function block by sending a command to the shadow function block without regard to the type or location of the device in which the actual function block is located. The shadow function block then immediately relays this command to the actual function block using the appropriate communication commands associated with the decentralized process control protocol. In this manner, the centralized process control routine does not need to perform any significant database control with respect to all of the field devices within the decentralized control portion of the process because the information it needs for field devices within the decentralized portion of the process control network is located in the shadow function block(s). Likewise, the centralized process control routine does not need to be specifically programmed to deal with the complex and demanding tasks of communicating in the decentralized process control protocol because this communication is performed automatically by the shadow function block.
According to one aspect of the present invention, an interface or shadow function block is adapted to be used in a process controller communicatively coupled to an external device via a communication network to enable the process controller to implement a control routine using both an internal function block residing in the process controller and an external function block residing within the external device. The interface or shadow function block according to this aspect of the invention includes a communication port having an input that communicates with the external function block via the communication network to thereby receive data pertaining to the external function block and a memory that stores the received data pertaining to the external function block according to a configuration protocol of the internal function block. If desired, the interface function block may also include an output that provides the stored external function block data to the internal function block using the configuration protocol of the internal function block. Likewise, the communication port of the interface function block may include an output that sends data (such as linked data or commands) to the external function block using a communication protocol associated with the external function block.
Preferably, the communication port of the interface function block receives the data pertaining to the external function block independently of the operation of the internal function blocks. Likewise, in one embodiment, the external function block communicates via the communication network using a first communication protocol that is different than a second communication protocol associated with the internal function block and, in this case, the communication port communicates with the external function block using the first communication protocol and the output of the interface function block communicates with the internal function block according to the second communication protocol.
If desired, the first communication protocol associated with the external function block may be the Fieldbus communication protocol. In this case, the communication port may use an interface device (such as an interface card) configured to communicate with the external device using the Fieldbus communication protocol to thereby communicate with the external function block. The communication port may, for example, communicate with the external function block using synchronous communications, such as the publisher/subscriber relationships of the Fieldbus communication protocol, and/or using asynchronous communications, such as the view objects of the Fieldbus communication protocol. More generally, the external device may communicate using a device communication protocol that supports the communication of logically linked packets of data using standardized communication calls, such as the view objects and view alerts of the Fieldbus communication protocol, and the communication port may communicate with the external function block using the standardized communication calls. Likewise, the communication port may receive alarm indications from the external function block and store these alarm indications in memory for use by the controller.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a controller adapted to be communicatively coupled to a plurality of field devices includes a processor, a memory and a control routine stored in the memory and implemented by the processor to control the plurality of field devices. The control routine includes a multiplicity of interconnected internal function blocks configured using a controller protocol to be implemented by the controller and an interface function block that communicates with one of the interconnected internal function blocks using the controller protocol and that communicates with an external function block residing in an external field device using a field device communication protocol. The interface function block stores data pertaining to the external function block received from the external function block for use by the control routine.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method of implementing a control routine within a process controller stores, within the controller, a plurality of interconnected internal function blocks configured according to a controller protocol for implementation as part of the control routine. The method also creates, within the controller, an interface function block that is configured according to the controller protocol but which communicates with an external function block located in an external field device using a device communication protocol associated with the external device. The method then creates a control routine that uses the plurality of interconnected internal function blocks and the interface function block to control the process and, during implementation of the control routine, stores data associated with and received from the external function block in the interface function block for use by the control routine as if the external function block were being implemented by the controller as one of the internal function blocks.
The method may allow a user to configure the control routine by specifying each of a number of function blocks to be used in the control routine, identifying the interconnections between the specified function blocks to be used in the control routine and specifying the location of a particular specified function block as being an internal function block implemented in the controller or an external function block implemented by a field device. In the case in which a function block is to be implemented in an external device, the method includes the step of selecting an external device from a list or set of devices connected within the system.

Shadow function block interface for use in a process control network


A multiple connector has an insulating body which contains a plurality of pin contacts arranged in rows and columns of a matrix. The insulating body is inserted securely in the front end portion of a cylindrical metal shielding body. Front end faces of contact holding plates holding these pin contacts in a row or a column arrangment are held in abutment with the rear face of the insulating body. The contact holding plates respectively have contact holding grooves formed therein to extend in a front and rear direction. Cord connection portions of the pin contacts extending or projecting from the rear face of the insulation body are pressed into and secured to these contact holding grooves. The cord connection portion has a press-in contact portion formed integrally therein and the press-in contact portion has a slot of a width smaller than the diameter of a core bundle of the cord to be connected. When a covered cord is pressed into the slot, the cover is torn and edges of the slot intrude into the core bundle. An engagement piece is formed at the middle portion of the pin contact. When the pin contact is inserted into the contact housing hole, the engagement piece engages with a stepped portion formed on an inner wall of the contact housing hole, so that the contact holding plate and the insulation body are engaged through the pin contact.

The present invention relates to a multipole or multipin connector used, for example, to electrically connect various appliances to each other, as well as adapted to carry out a number of functions.
A multipole or multipin connector of such kind is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,210 issued Mar. 7, 1989.
According to the conventional multipin connector disclosed in said U.S. Patent, the multipin connector is constituted by, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 accompanying this application, a tubular shielding member 100 made of metal, a square-shaped body 200 of an insulating material inserted in the front end of the tubular shielding member 100, and a plurality of pin contacts 300 held in the square-shaped body 200 so as to mutually insulated. The multipin connector shown has a cable 400 connected thereto.
It is apparent that the metal shielding member 100 has a connection opening 101 formed at its front end, and a plug (not shown) is inserted into the connection opening 101. Front ends of the pins 301 of the pin contacts 300 are arranged so as to confront the connection opening 101.
According to the characteristic construction or design of the conventional a multipin connector, the shape of the front portion of the insulation body 200 is a square similar to a regular square, from which portion the pins 301 extend and are arranged securely in a matrix of rows and columns.
Because these pins 301 extend from and are arranged in a matrix of rows and columns on the square front portion of the insulation body 200, it is possible to advantageously obtain a multipin connector provided with the connection opening 101 having a relatively narrow or small width W even when the number of the pin contacts 300 is relatively large.
When a connector is made of an oblong shape, such as connectors for print boards or printed circuits, the more the number of poles, the longer or wider the width of the oblong connector, so that the number of poles to be used in the connector is limited.
On the contrary, when the square face of the insulation body 200 is employed and pins 301 extend from and are arranged in a matrix on the square face, it is possible to make the transverse width W of the shielding member 100 narrow and to connect a number of poles in a small available space.
According to the conventional multipin connector described above, each of the cord connection portions 302 of the pin contacts 300 has a pair of a front cord gripper and a rear cord gripper, which respectively have a pair of tongue portions erected from its plate-like side edges extending rearward from the pins 301. In a space between the tongue portions constituting one of the cord grippers, a core bundle 402 of the cord 401 is placed and then the tongue portions are crimped or caulked in order to connect electrically and mechanically the pin contacts 300 and the core bundle 402 of the cord 401 to each other. The other cord gripper grips or holds the insulation covering portion of the cord 401 when the tongue portions of the cord gripper are caulked, so that the cord 401 is mechanically held by the pin contacts 300.
It is noted that, the assembly of the conventional multipin connector disposed in the above mentioned U.S. patent requires the steps of connecting the cord 401 to the pin contacts 300, peeling off the insulation cover of the front end portion of the cord 401, exposing the core bundle 402, crimping two pairs of tongue portions formed on the pin contacts 300 to the exposed portions of the core bundle 402, and inserting the pin contacts 300 to which the cord is connected into contact housing holes 201 of the insulation body 200. The number of these steps is large and these steps are relatively troublesome, so that the assemblying of the conventional multipin connector necessitates many hours.
It is a purpose of the present invention to provide a multiple connector which makes it easier to connect a pin connector to a cord.
It is another purpose to provide a multipin connector having a construction enabling automated assembling of the multipin connector.


It is an object to provide an L-ascorbic acid derivative which can keep the L-ascorbic acid stable to heat and light and thus has a long shelf life, which is high in permeability into the skin, which can be quickly hydrolyzed by phosphatase, an enzyme that is ubiquitous in vivo, and which exhibits physiological activities that are inherent to L-ascorbic acid and beneficial to health, a method for producing such an L-ascorbic acid derivative, and a skin-whitening cosmetic material.

It is generally known that L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) has, besides the function of inhibiting lipid peroxides, the functions of promoting the production of collagen and strengthening the immune system, the functions of inhibiting the synthesis of melanin under the skin and reducing and fading any black melanin that has been synthesized. Thus, L-ascorbic acid is a well-known component of skin-whitening cosmetics that can inhibit the synthesis and/or reduce synthesized melanin, thereby inhibiting "spots" and "freckles".
L-ascorbic acid is extremely unstable to heat or oxidation and tend to become inert or decompose when heated or oxidized. This may make it difficult for L-ascorbic acid to fully exhibit its expected physiological function.
In order to prevent L-ascorbic acid from becoming unstable, there are known a derivative in which the diol portion of L-ascorbic acid, which is prone to oxidation, is subjected to phosphate esterification (Patent publication 1), and a derivative in which the diol portion is subjected to glycosidation (Patent publication 2).
But because these L-ascorbic acid derivatives are high in hydrophilicity, they are low in permeability into the skin.
In order to improve permeability of L-ascorbic acid into the skin, there are known an L-ascorbic acid derivative in which position 6 of L-ascorbic acid is acylated (Patent document 3), and a derivative in which position 4 of L-ascorbic acid is acylated (Patent document 4).
An L-ascorbic acid derivative is also known which shows both superior stability and permeability into the skin by acylating position 6 of L-ascorbic acid and further subjecting position 2 to phosphate esterification (Patent publication 5).    Patent document 1: JP patent publication 52-18191B    Patent document 2: JP patent publication 03-139288A    Patent document 3: JP patent publication 59-170085A    Patent document 4: JP patent publication 45-23634B    Patent document 5: JP patent publication 10-298174A

Ascorbic acid derivatives and skin-whitening cosmetics

Abstract: There is provided an ascorbic acid derivative comprising an L-ascorbic acid-2-phosphate ester or a salt thereof wherein the phosphate ester has a branched alkyl group, the L-ascorbic acid-2-phosphate ester being of formula [13]. The ascorbic acid derivative is produced by a method comprising reacting a branched alkanol with phosphorus oxychloride to synthesize monoalkyldichlorophosphate or dialkylmonochlorophosphate, reacting the thus obtained substance with 5,6-O-isopropylidene-L-ascorbic acid obtained by reacting L-ascorbic acid with acetone, and subjecting the thus obtained substance to acid hydrolysis. There is also provided a cosmetic material containing such an ascorbic acid derivative by 0.05 to 80 percent by weight.

Abstract: (wherein each of R1 and R2 is a hydrogen (H) atom or an alkyl group having branches and including 3 to 30 carbon atoms, but not both of R1 and R2 are hydrogen (H) atoms).


The present invention features methods for diagnosing, detecting, monitoring and determining the prognosis of gastric cancer, non-head and neck and lymphoid malignancies, and gastritis in a patient by detecting or measuring EBV DNA present in the serum or plasma of the patient. The present invention also features diagnostic kits comprising suitable reagents for detecting EBV DNA in the serum or plasma of a patient.

This invention relates to the discovery that Epstein Barr virus may be found in the cell free fluid of a patient""s blood and when such virus is found and the patient suffers from gastritis, that patient has a predisposition to progress from gastritis to gastric cancer.
It is known that tumour-derived DNA can be released by cancer cells of a variety of tumours (Anker et al., Cancer Metastasis Rev. 18: 65-73 (1999)). Examples include oncogene mutations from pancreatic carcinoma (Anker et al., Gastroenterology. 112: 4-1120 (1997)), microsatellite alterations in lung cancer (Chen et al., Nature Medicine. 2: 3-1035 (1996)) and epigenetic changes from liver cancer (Wong et al., Cancer Res. 59: 3 (1999)). In addition, virus DNA has been found in the circulation of a number of cancers known to be associated with virus infection. Examples include Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA from nasopharyngeal cancer (Mutirangura et al., Clin Cancer Res. 4: 665-9 (1998); Lo et al., Cancer Res. 59: 1188-91 (1999)) and certain lymphomas (Lei et al., Br J Haematol. 111: 239-46 (2000); Gallagher et al., Int J Cancer. 84: 442-8 (1999); Drouet et al., J Med Virol. 57: 383-9 (1999)), and human papillomavirus DNA from head and neck cancer (Capone et al., Clin Cancer Res. 6: 4171-5 (2000)).
Recently, much interest has been focused on the presence of tumor-derived DNA in the plasma and serum of cancer patients (Chen, X. Q. et al., Nat. Med., 2: 1033-1035 (1996); Nawroz, H. et al., Nat. Med., 2: 1035-1037 (1996)). For virally-associated cancers, cell-free tumor-associated viral DNA has been detected in the plasma and serum of patients (Mutirangura, A. et al., Cancer Res., 4: 665-669 (1998); Lo, Y. M. D. et al., Clin. Cancer Res., 59: 1188-1191 (1999); Capone, R. B. Clin. Cancer Res., 6: 4171-4175 (2000)). One important virus which has been associated with many types of malignancy is the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) (Cohen, J. I. N. Engl. J Med., 343: 481-492 (2000)). Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a human herpesvirus that infects the majority of the human population. EBV is commonly transmitted by saliva and established latent infection in B lymphocytes where it persists for the lifetime of the host. In this regard, circulating EBV DNA has been detected in the plasma and serum of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) (Mutirangura, A. et al., Cancer Res., 4: 665-669 (1998); Lo, Y. M. D. et al., Clin. Cancer Res., 59: 1188-1191 (1999)) and certain lymphoid malignancies (Lei, K. I. et al., Br. J Haematol., 111: 239-246 (2000); Drouet, E. et al., J. Med. Virol., 57:383-389 (1999); Gallagher, A. et al., Int. J. Cancer, 84:442-448 (1999)).
EBV infection has also been reported to be associated with a proportion of gastric carcinomas (Shibata, D. et al., Am. J. Pathol., 140:769-774 (1992)). In Hong Kong, approximately 10% of gastric carcinoma cases have been found to be associated with EBV infection (Yuen, S. T. et al., Am. J. Surg. Pathol., 18:1158-1163 (1994)).
The present invention provides methods for detecting EBV DNA in the sera of patients with gastric carcinoma and correlating the amount of EBV DNA so detected into clinical diagnosis or prognosis.
In a first aspect, the present invention features methods for diagnosing, detecting, monitoring and determining the prognosis of gastric cancer in a patient. The methods feature detecting or determining the amount of Epstein Barr Virus DNA (EBV DNA) present in the serum or plasma of gastric cancer patients. Accordingly, the present invention have broad applicability in clinical medicine.
The methods according to the present invention are also applicable for diagnosing, detecting, monitoring and determining the prognosis of non-head and neck and lymphoid malignancies, such as breast cancer. These neoplasms have been associated with EBV infection as has gastric cancer.
The methods according to the present invention are also applicable for diagnosing, detecting, monitoring and determining the prognosis of gastritis. EBV DNA can be detected in the plasma and serum of patients having non-neoplastic gastric diseases, such as gastritis. In turn, gastritis has been linked to gastric cancer. The invention further comprises patients that can be or have been diagnosed with gastric cancer and the cancer cells are free of EBV nucleic acid or contain EBV.
The methods according to the present invention generally comprise the steps of (1) obtaining a blood sample from a patient, (2) extracting DNA from the blood sample, (3) measuring the amount of circulating EBV DNA present in the blood sample, and (4) comparing the amount of circulating EBV DNA present in the blood sample to a control.
Preferably, the blood sample is a non-cellular fluid sample. By non-cellular we mean that the sample is either blood sera where the cells are extracted by clotting and separation of the cells from the remaining fluid or by inhibiting clotting and centrifuging the fluid fraction (plasma). The EBV DNA is measured from the fluid fraction. When EBV is found in the fluid of a non-cellular sample, it is understood that the infection is active and infected cells releasing EBV.
In a second aspect, the present invention features diagnostic kits comprising suitable reagents for detecting EBV DNA in the serum or plasma of patients. The kits according to the present invention may further comprise one or more of a device for obtaining a blood sample from a patient, a means to separate the EBV DNA from the blood sample and a means to quantify the amount of EBV DNA present in the blood sample. Such kits are useful for diagnosing, detecting, monitoring and determining the prognosis for gastric cancers and gastritis

Circulating epstein-barr virus DNA in the serum of patients with gastric carcinoma


An electrical connector comprises a molded plastics material female housing member incorporating a skirt and a molded plastics material male housing member adapted to be inserted into this skirt. Guides on one housing member align the male and female housing members during insertion of the male housing member into the skirt. There are multiple channels in each housing member. Those in one housing member are adapted to receive male electrical connection members and those in the other housing member are adapted to receive corresponding female electrical connection members. At least one housing member is joined to a support by corrugated elastic strips, so that it can oscillate in the support.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to electrical connectors comprising a male housing member and a corresponding female housing member, one of these housing members containing male electrical connection members and the other containing corresponding female electrical connection members.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Connectors of this kind are very well known and routinely used in many industries, in particular in the manufacture of automobiles, aircraft, domestic appliances, etc.
In principle, one housing member supports a series of male electrical connection members connected to a set of conductors for supplying various electrical devices and the other housing member supports a series of female electrical connection members corresponding to the male members and connected to a set of conductors to ensure continuity of electrical supply from the current source to the devices to be supplied. Once the housing members are assembled together, there is in principle no need to uncouple them. In some applications, however, it must be possible to separate and re-assemble the housing members many times, one of them being carried by a part that is mobile relative to a part carrying the other. As some slack may arise between these parts, it may become impossible to insert the male member into the female member because they are no longer aligned.
In mechanized installations where robots assemble the housing members the situation can arise that, because of the tolerances, the housing members are offset and so cannot be assembled together.
One object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector in which the male housing member can be inserted into the female housing member even if the housing members are not in perfect alignment.


System for indicating when a tank is full. The system includes a signal and control box. A container is connected to the tank. The container has a base, a float, an upper portion, and a lower portion. An orifice is arranged at the upper portion of the container. The float has an electrical contact connected to the signal and control box. The base of the container is arranged one of above a maximum filling level of the tank and substantially at the same level as the maximum filling level of the tank. A communication conduit is connected to each of the base of the container and an area of the tank which is in proximity to an upper portion of the tank. The system generates at least one warning signal after the tank is completely filled and when the container is partially filled by the communication conduit. This Abstract is not intended to define the invention disclosed in the specification, nor intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an external device indicating that a tank is filled up, in particular, but not exclusively, a fuel tank for boats.
2. Discussion of Background Information
A fuel tank for boats comprises an air intake conduit that is additionally used as an overflow indicator, the user usually being warned of a full tank through a discharge of the fuel in the water, through said conduit.
This process gives rise to many drawbacks, particularly water pollution, a soiling of the boat, vapors originating from the fuel and the waste of the latter.
A similar drawback is found in fuel oil tanks for boilers. In this case, the risks of pollution are on the inside or on the outside of the buildings where said tanks are located.
The position and structure of the fuel tank in a boat, or of a tank for a boiler, as well as the filling methods, do not allow providing a tank of the type of a motor vehicle with a check valve incorporated into the filling pump and activated by the backflow of fuel, the degassing occurring through the filling tube itself.
Systems that are rather complex have nonetheless been envisioned which, in addition to being expensive, have the drawback that it is difficult, even impossible, to adapt such systems to existing tanks.
That is why the Inventor has researched and designed a simple and easily adaptable device that allows avoiding the aforementioned drawbacks.
An apparatus for warning of a tank overflow is already known from the document GB-2 339 909 A, in this case, a WC cistern, said apparatus comprising a housing that is connected to said cistern and that is provided at its upper part with an inlet, and at its lower part with a float. This known apparatus is adapted for a specific use that requires a certain positioning and that necessitates an emptying with each operation.

External device indicating that a tank is filled up


A process for production of conductive catalyst particles, a process for production of a catalyst electrode capable of gas diffusion, an apparatus for production of conductive catalyst particles, and a vibrating apparatus. The process can effectively and uniformly coat the particles of a conductive powder with a catalytic substance.

The present invention relates to a process for production of conductive catalyst particles, a process for production of a catalyst electrode capable of gas diffusion, an apparatus for production of conductive catalyst particles, and a vibrating apparatus.
It has been usual practice to produce a catalyst electrode capable of gas diffusion from catalyst particles composed of carbon powder (as a conductive powder) and platinum (as a catalyst) supported thereon, in combination with a water-repellent resin (such as fluorocarbon resin) and an ionic conductor, by forming them into a sheet, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 5-36418 or applying them onto a carbon sheet.
The electrode thus produced may be used as an electrode for hydrogen decomposition as a constituent of a fuel cell of solid polymer type or the like. In this case, the catalyst (such as platinum) ionizes fuel, giving rise to electrons, which flow through the conductive carbon. The catalyst also ionizes hydrogen, giving rise to protons (H+), which flow into the ionic conducting membrane through the ionic conductor. These actions need interstices for passage of gas, carbon that conducts electricity, an ionic conductor that conducts ions, and a catalytic substance to ionize fuel and oxidant.
A typical way to make carbon powder (as a conductive powder) support platinum (as a catalytic substance) thereon is by dipping carbon powder in a solution containing platinum (in the form of ions), which is followed by reduction and thermal treatment. The processed carbon powder carries platinum fine particles on the surface thereof, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2879649.
The conventional method mentioned above, however, has the disadvantage of requiring the steps for reduction and thermal treatment. With thermal treatment at an inadequately low temperature, it renders platinum poor in crystallinity, which results in mediocre catalytic characteristics.
Moreover, the fact that the carbon powder and the ionic conductor need to be in contact with each other because the catalytic substance like platinum ionizes fuel to give electrons, which flow through the conductive carbon, and also ionizes hydrogen to give protons (H+), which reach the ionic conducting membrane through the ionic conductor, makes it necessary to apply the ionic conductor to the carbon powder on which platinum has been supported. Unfortunately, platinum (as a catalytic substance) functions only at the part which is in contact with gas, and consequently, it becomes unfunctional when it is isolated from gas by the ionic conductor.
There is an alternative method, which consists of coating carbon powder with an ionic conductor and then causing the coated carbon powder to support platinum. This method has the disadvantage of requiring thermal treatment to improve the crystallinity of platinum. However, thermal treatment at a temperature sufficiently high for this purpose deteriorates the ionic conductor which is usually poor in heat resistance.
FIG. 11A is a schematic sectional view showing a conductive catalyst particle (produced by the conventional method) which consists of a carbon particle (conductive powder 1) and platinum particles (catalytic substance 18) supported thereon. Also, FIG. 11B is a schematic sectional view showing a conductive catalyst particle, in which the carbon particle is coated with an ionic conductor 19 and the platinum is supported thereon.
It is obvious from FIG. 11A that the conductive catalyst particles support on the surface thereof platinum in spherical form which has precipitated from the liquid phase. These platinum particles readily separate from the surface of carbon powder. Moreover, production in this manner requires a relatively large amount of platinum. In addition, platinum in spherical form performs its catalytic function only on its surface but does not function inside. Therefore, it has a low catalytic efficiency for its quantity. Another problem is that platinum enters pores in the surface of the carbon powder. (This is not shown.)
Further, causing the carbon powder to support platinum after application of the ionic conductor 19, as shown in FIG. 11B, necessitates thermal treatment to improve the crystallinity of platinum. Unfortunately, the ionic conductor 19 is usually poor in heat resistance and subject to deterioration upon heating at a temperature high enough for the desirable crystallinity of platinum.
A catalytic electrode capable of gas diffusion which efficiently works with a small amount of catalyst is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-293517.
As disclosed, physical vapor deposition, such as sputtering as shown in FIG. 12, makes a catalytic substance adhere to the surface of the conductive powder 1.
However, the production process as disclosed therein consists of depositing the catalytic substance only on the surface of the conductive powder 1 by physical vapor deposition as shown in FIG. 12. Deposition in this manner, it is believed, takes place only on the surface of the conductive powder 1 lying in the uppermost layer in the container 4. Therefore, uniform deposition of the catalytic substance on the entire conductive powder placed in the container encounters difficulties.
A need therefore exists to provide improved processes and apparatuses for producing conductive catalyst particles.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Process for production of conductive catalyst particles, process for production of catalyst electrode capable of gas diffusion, apparatus for production of conductive catalyst particles, and vibrating apparatus


According to one embodiment, a pickup head includes a plurality of light sources, a first objective lens, second objective lens, a driving unit, a first control unit, a second control unit, light receiving units. The first objective lens focuses a first light beam at a first recording layer. The second objective lens focuses a second light beam at a second recording layer. The driving unit moves the first objective lens and the second objective lens in a first direction and a second direction. The first control unit corrects displacement from target track along the first direction. The second control unit controls a moving direction of a position of the second light spot in the second direction.

A method of increasing the capacity by forming a recording layer of an optical disc into multi-layers is known. However, if the recording/reproducing speed and the transfer rate are the same as in the prior art with respect to the disc with increased capacity, it takes more time to complete the recording by the amount of increased capacity. Thus, a method of irradiating different recording layers from two light sources and recording to increase the recording speed is known.

Pickup head, information recording method and reproducing method


In a device, files are stored in each of a plurality of storage areas, and an authenticated user can browse and/or manipulate the files stored in the storage areas. A user is allowed to set the device when the user is authenticated as a system administrator, otherwise the user is inhibited to set the device. A user is allowed to browse and/or manipulate a storage area provided for the user in the plurality of storage areas in the storage device. The user is allowed to browse and/or manipulate another storage area when the user is a box administrator different from a system administrator, the another area being provided for another user authenticated and different from the box administrator. Alternatively, the user is inhibited to browse and/or manipulate files stored in a storage area provided for another user even when the user is the system administrator.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to file management of a device, such as a printing device, which stores a large number of files in partitioned storage areas.
2. Description of the Related Art
A device (a peripheral device) is connected via a network to external devices such as a computer (PC) and operated by the external devices. A hard disk drive serving as a mass storage device is provided in the device to store a large number of files (documents), and it is operated as a document management server. The hard disk drive is provided with partitioned specific storage areas, and each partitioned specific storage area is called a box. A user stores files into a box and can use the files stored in the box. The device is for example a multi-function peripheral having many functions of a printer, a scanner, a facsimile and the like, besides the above-mentioned document management server.
An administrator of a device manages the boxes maintained by users. The boxes include private boxes which are registered by setting a password for each user. A private box cannot be assessed without the user password. In order to facilitate the management of boxes, for example, in a system disclosed in JP-A 2000-235642, a private box can be automatically registered even when there exists no administrator.
Meanwhile, in these devices, not anyone can perform or change the device settings, and only a device administrator (also called as system administrator) can set or change the device setting. For example, the device setting for a MFP includes network setting, register of the destinations in abbreviation keys or compression keys, setting of default values such as image processing conditions or reading conditions. The system administrator can perform all the settings and modifications with respect to the devices to be managed and can also perform the file manipulation and box manipulation. For example, in JP-A 11-45034/1999, it is proposed that a system manager can delete image information even if the system manager is not a normal user.

Device and method for managing files in storage device

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.


An object detection system for use in airports including an airport travel surface light assembly, a rotatable sensor assembly mounted on the airport travel surface light assembly for sensing objects and an omnidirectional illuminator mounted above the rotatable sensor assembly.

The following patent publications are believed to represent the current state of the art and are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety:
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,499,527; 5,185,815; 5,212,547; 5,243,340; 5,373,429; 5,375,058; 5,629,691; 5,939,987; 6,064,429; 6,126,299; 6,155,703; 6,181,261; 6,281,806; 6,295,007; 6,380,871; 6,486,825; 6,509,844; 6,563,432; 6,575,597; 6,606,035; 6,690,295; 6,940,424 and 6,956,493.
U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2002/0080046; 2002/0109625; 2002/0093433; 2002/0030609 and 2002/0163461.

Airport travel surface edge lighting and foreign object detection system and method


A compound of the formula (I): ##STR1## wherein the ring A is a pyrrole ring which may be hydrogenated, X is an amino group, a hydroxyl group or a mercapto group, Y is a hydrogen atom or a hydroxyl group, --COOR.sup.1 and --COOR.sup.2 may be the same or different and are a carboxyl group which may be esterified, --B-- is a divalent heterocyclic group or a lower alkylene group each of which may be substituted, and Z is a straight C.sub.2-4 divalent group which may be substituted, or its salt, a method for the production of the same and an antitumor agent containing the same.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to novel pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives which are useful as antitumor agents.
2. Prior Art
Folic acid is a carrier of a C1 unit in a living body, derived from formic acid or formaldehyde, acting as a coenzyme in various enzymatic reactions such as those in biosynthesis of nucleic acid, in .metabolism of amino acids and peptides and in generation of methane. Particularly in the biosynthesis of nucleic acid, folic acid is essential for formylation in the two pathways, i.e. the purine synthetic pathway and the thymidine synthetic pathway. Usually folic acid is required to be transformed into its activated coenzyme form by reduction in two steps before it becomes biologically active.
Amethopterin (methotrexate; MTX) and related compounds are known to inhibit the reduction from dihydrofolic acid to tetrahydrofolic acid by coupling strongly with the dominant enzyme in the second step (dihydrofolic acid reductase). These drugs have been developed as antitumor drugs because they may disturb the DNA synthesis and consequently cause cell death, and are currently regarded as of major clinical importance.
On the other hand, a novel tetrahydroaminopterin antitumor agent (5,10-dideaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydroaminopterin: DDATHF) has been reported which, unlike the drugs described above, does not inhibit dihydrofolic acid reductase and the main mechanism of which consists in inhibition of glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase required in the initial stage of purine biosynthesis [Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 28, 914(1985)].
With regard to the treatment of cancer, it is now strongly expected to develop a new drug which possesses an excellent effect based on a novel mechanism and exhibits a highly selective toxicity against cancer cells. An antitumor agent which mainly antagonizes folic acid, namely, MTX is now widely used in a clinical field, but it is not sufficient due to its relatively high toxicity and insufficient effect on solid tumors. And further, increase of resistance against this type of drug is a big problem.
Thus, some new series of compounds as antitumor agents have been proposed [see European Patent Application No. 0 334 636 (pyrrolopyrimidine derivatives), U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,532,241 and 4,684,653 (Pyridopyrimidine derivatives)] and European Patent Application No. 90110131.1.

Pyrrolopyrimidines, their production and use


A new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant named ‘Balcabpurim’, characterized by its deep purple-colored flowers, medium green-colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, trailing growth habit, is disclosed.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Calibrachoa plant botanically known as Calibrachoa×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name 'Balcabpurim'.
The new cultivar originated in a controlled breeding program in Elburn, Ill. during June 2008. The objective of the breeding program was the development of Calibrachoa cultivars with attractive flower coloration, medium green-colored foliage, and a moderately vigorous, trailing growth habit.
The new Calibrachoa cultivar is the result of cross-pollination. The female (seed) parent of the new cultivar is the proprietary Calibrachoa×hybrida breeding selection coded 2296-10-1, not patented, characterized by its dark bluish-purple colored flowers, medium green-colored foliage, and vigorous, mounded growth habit. The male (pollen) parent of the new cultivar is the proprietary Calibrachoa×hybrida breeding selection coded 2333-4, not patented, characterized by its dark rose-colored flowers, medium green-colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, mounded growth habit. The new cultivar was discovered and selected as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the above stated cross-pollination during May 2009 in a controlled environment in Elburn, Ill.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal stem cuttings since May 2009 in Arroyo Grande, Calif. and West Chicago, Ill. has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all of the characteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.


A method of operating a computing device includes dynamically managing at least two types of memory based on workloads, or requests from different types of applications. A first type of memory may be high performance memory that may have a higher bandwidth, lower memory latency and/or lower power consumption than a second type of memory in the computing device. In an embodiment, the computing device includes a system on a chip (SoC) that includes Wide I/O DRAM positioned with one or more processor cores. A Low Power Double Data Rate 3 dynamic random access memory (LPDDR3 DRAM) memory is externally connected to the SoC or is an embedded part of the SoC. In embodiments, the computing device may be included in at least a cell phone, mobile device, embedded system, video game, media console, laptop computer, desktop computer, server and/or datacenter.

An operating system (OS) includes processor readable instructions that manages computer hardware resources and provides common services for other computing programs having processor readable instructions, such as application programs (applications). Typically the OS acts as an intermediary between applications and computer hardware. An OS typically schedules tasks for efficient use of computing resources. An OS typically perform basic tasks, such as recognizing input from the keyboard, sending output to the display screen, keeping track of files and directories, and controlling peripheral devices, such as printers and disk drives.

Dynamic allocation of heterogenous memory in a computing system


Systems, remote servers, devices, and methods for an intelligent augmented reality (IAR) platform-based communications are disclosed. During a communication, real-time audio, video and/or sensor data are captured in real-time; and scene analysis and data analytics are also performed in real-time to extract information from raw data. The extracted information can be further analyzed to provide knowledge. Real-time AR data can be generated by integrating the raw data, AR input data, information input, and knowledge input, based on one or more criteria comprising a user preference, a system setting, an integration parameter, a characteristic of an object or a scene of the raw data, an interactive user control, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, information and knowledge can be obtained by incorporating Big Data in the analysis.

Current video conferencing technology allows people to have real-time face-to-face communication remotely. However, it is not widely used due to numerous limitations. Such a system demands network connections with high bandwidth. Image quality suffers dramatically when wireless communication is used. In addition, the current system does not offer privacy option. Some users are shy and hesitant to show their own faces and some users would feel uncomfortable to show their environment. The current system does not allow a user to stay anonymous during the communication. Moreover, the current system cannot provide assistance when there are language or culture barriers for the communication. For example, users participating in the same video conference session may speak different languages, use highly specialized technical terms, or behave according to different cultural background. These barriers can adversely impact personal relationships, business collaborations, and sometimes, can result in serious damage in international trades and diplomatic relations.
Few real-time communication systems (e.g., telephone, video conference, chat platform, messaging, data communication, etc.) offer data augmentation. Even for those that do, the data augmentation is very primitive. For example, different forms of data are simply overlaid over each. The current generation of augmentation does not perform real-time data understanding or apply such understanding to data augmentation. As such, the current real-time communication systems present results that are crude, severely deficient and often completely irrelevant to the users.
What is needed in the field are intelligent and efficient real-time communication methods and systems that can overcome the existing defects and deficiencies.

Intelligent augmented reality (IAR) platform-based communication system via servers


A holder holds a ring-core choke with two or more wire windings. The holder has opposing, hinged side lugs, each of which has an isolating device for isolating the wire windings. The side lugs can be fixed preferably essentially parallel to each other preferably by means of isolating devices.

From the publication DE 3330881 A1, a holder for a ring-core choke is known. The holder represents an insulating plate with an attached device for electrical isolation between two choke windings. The ring choke coil is placed on the electrical-isolation device such that different windings are spatially separated from each other. The electrical-isolation device has bars. The outer end edges of the bars touch the ring core of the choke in a spring-like manner.

Holder for a choke coil and an inductive component with the holder


A high-efficiency, motorless purge system for closed-cycle absorption heat pumps, adapted for both absorption heat transformers and absorption chillers, using a series of valves to control the entry and exit of absorbent solution into a low-pressure, secondary absorption vessel. A small percentage of the total circulating solution is forced under pressure into the secondary absorption vessel via a spray nozzle, causing adiabatic absorption of absorbate vapor by the solution. Non-condensable gases accumulate in the secondary absorber until a certain vapor pressure is reached, upon which, gas, and possibly liquid, are transferred to an exhaust vessel having an exit vent for non-condensable gases. In an absorption chiller system, the secondary absorber has an internal heat exchanger to lower the temperature of the solution within, to facilitate the absorption process.

Non-condensable gases (NCG), such as hydrogen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen, and argon, are known to cause a significant deterioration in the condensation and absorption heat and mass transfer processes in absorption systems used for thermal cooling and heating. Most absorption systems on the market are chillers, which operate with different types of working fluids, mostly water/ammonia or aqueous lithium-bromide (LiBr/H2O). Almost universally, LiBr/H2O is the working fluid pair for absorption chilling equipment. Since water is the refrigerant, such chillers generally operate at relatively low pressure in the absorber, typically about 0.8 kPa, while the evaporator is operating at 4° C. This pressure is far below atmospheric pressure, which is about 100 kPa at sea level.
In such a closed system, the presence of NCGs reduces the thermal power and efficiency of the machine. One source of NCGs is the leakage of air into the machine, which operates at sub-atmospheric pressure. When the ambient atmospheric pressure is higher than that of the absorption system, NCG may enter through connections of pipes, flanges and other components that comprise the unit assembly. While all units are factory leak-tested to detect minute leaks, the machines are often not absolutely leak-tight. In addition, small amounts of hydrogen gas are generated through chemical reaction of the working fluid with the steel surfaces inside the machine. The hydrogen is present in sufficient volume to interfere with proper machine operation, and must be continuously removed. Corrosion inhibitors such as lithium molybdate reduce the hydrogen generation; nevertheless, proper operation of the system throughout its life requires periodic purging of the NCGs for satisfactory performance.
Absorption heat transformers (AHT) generally operate under significantly higher temperatures than absorption chillers, and hence the corrosion and hydrogen generation rate is expected to be higher. Experience with high-temperature absorbers and condensers is available from double- and triple-effect lithium bromide/water chillers.
An important point is that the deleterious effect of NCGs on the absorption and condensation processes goes far beyond the reduction of partial pressure of the absorbate/refrigerant (water in the case of LiBr/H2O) due to the presence of the inert NCG. That is to say, if NCGs are present in the condenser at a mole fraction on the same order of magnitude as that of the refrigerant, the partial pressure of the latter would be reduced, and hence the effectiveness of condensation and the corresponding saturation temperature. Operating absorption systems never should, and in practice never do, reach a situation of such large NCGs content. However, it is found that even minute quantities of NCGs can reduce the heat and mass transfer in the absorber and condenser significantly. The reduction in mass transfer due to NCGs is related to the need for the refrigerant/absorbate vapour to diffuse through a thin layer of these gases, blocking its access to the vapour-liquid interface, before it can condense or be absorbed. Analytical studies have revealed that this reduction depends most critically on the ratio of resistance to absorbate diffusion between the liquid and the gas. Thus, even a trace amount of NCGs can significantly inhibit absorption.
Prior art solutions have been designed to address the issue of NCGs in absorption systems. Today, most large absorption chillers, i.e., those over 100 TR or ˜350 kW, employ a vacuum pump to lift the NCGs to atmospheric pressure for discharge of nitrogen and small amounts of hydrogen.
In a typical arrangement for purging the absorber of an absorption chiller, the necessary components are: (1) the purge probe located in the absorber at the zone of minimum absolute pressure; this zone is generally at the bottom of the absorber, where the NCGs tend to accumulate as a result of their entrainment downward by water vapour flow and the absorbent solution falling over the absorber tubes; (2) A small absorber, with the solution cooled to reduce its vapour pressure below that of the main absorber, thus inducing a flow of NCGs and water vapour continuously while the machine is in operation; this small absorber serves the function of a cold trap that exists in many other vacuum pump applications; and (3) the vacuum pump, equipped with its own oil trap and valve. The NCGs collect and are concentrated in the small absorber, with most of the refrigerant water vapour being absorbed by the solution. The vacuum pump, operated by a timer or by other means, removes the NCGs and ejects them into the atmosphere.
In addition to using a vacuum pump, the small absorber (2) of the purging system must be designed carefully to be maintained at a pressure lower than that of the main absorber. Hence, it must be cooled by the lowest temperature heat sink available to below the temperature of the main absorber.
Purge systems based on the use of vacuum pumps are mostly reliable; the vacuum pump must produce a very low pressure at all times. However, with use, the oil in the vacuum pump may become diluted with condensed water vapour, thereby increasing the vapour pressure of the oil. Thus, to consistently achieve the low pressure required for the removal of NCGs, diligent maintenance of the vacuum pump is needed. In addition, there is a disadvantage of losing some of the refrigerant/absorbate (water) from the system. To prevent excessive refrigerant/absorbate (water) loss in direct use of vacuum pump, the in-line configuration may be adopted. In this case, there is a risk of contaminating the machine with oil unless an oil-free vacuum pump is used.
Another type of purge system may be based on direct use of an in-line vacuum pump. The vacuum pump would be connected to the NCG purge probes in the vapour space in the condenser and in the absorber, thus inducing a flow of NCGs and refrigerant/absorbate vapour. The pumped mixture would enter the liquid trap where the vapour condenses and is returned as liquid to the absorption machine, and the NCGs accumulate. The accumulation process is monitored by recording the amount of accumulated NCGs as a function of time.
Thirdly, certain LiBr/H2O absorption chillers use, instead of a vacuum pump, a motorless purge system, based on an ejector. The ejector employs part of the high-pressure (above ambient pressure) solution stream leaving the solution pump, as a motive fluid, to suck and entrain vapor from the absorber and condenser. The ejector thus pumps the water vapor containing a small fraction of NCGs into a storage chamber, which is essentially the equivalent of a cold trap. The vapour condenses and the NCGs accumulate. Periodically, the operator of the chiller takes action to exhaust the NCGs from this storage chamber to the atmosphere. Such an ejector-based purge system, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,597,936 to Dyre et al, for "Purge system for lithium bromide absorption water chiller" assigned to the Carrier Corporation.
Of the various parts of the aforementioned purge system, the key components are the ejectors. In the aforementioned ejector based purge system, a liquid motive stream must be used to entrain a vapor stream. This makes the interaction between the two quite difficult because the vapor specific volume is roughly 1000 times larger than that of the liquid. In addition, comparison of an ejector-based purge system serving in a chiller with one serving in a heat transformer, shows that the ejectors in the latter operate under much higher pressures, as well as having higher pressure-ratios (typically 16.5 in a heat transformer vs. 6.0 in a chiller).
Furthermore, in these ejector-based purge systems, there is a risk of the motive solution boiling inside the ejector during expansion through the nozzle. To prevent this, it may be required to sub-cool the motive stream. However, given the low suction pressure, cooling the motive solution sufficiently to prevent boiling is energetically costly and therefore would translate into a reduction of the power and thermal efficiency of the machine. In addition to the aforementioned drawbacks of the ejector-based purge system, the design and construction of such special type ejectors requires singular expertise and produces ejectors lacking both the ability to deal with variable operating conditions of the absorption machine and the flexibility to be readily adapted to different machines.
Whereas both absorption chillers and absorption heat transformers require purging, several important differences between the two systems must be addressed. One is the much higher pressures and pressure ratio used in the heat transformer. Another is that NCGs tend to migrate to the region of lowest pressure in the system. The component of lowest pressure in a chiller is the absorber, while in the heat transformer it is the condenser. In general, lower pressure vessels are more sensitive to the presence of NCGs. In the condenser, the presence of NCGs near the liquid-gas interface increases the thermal resistance, while in the absorber the presence of NCGs also increases the mass-transfer resistance. Therefore, absorbers tend to be more sensitive to the presence of NCGs than condensers, even if operating at the same pressure levels. Hence, purging the NCGs from both the absorber and condenser of the absorption machines are of critical importance.
Existing methods for purging absorption systems thus fall into three categories, each with its unique disadvantages. Purge systems that exist in practice and in the literature are for absorption chillers and do not provide a solution for purging NCGs from absorption heat transformers. The three most common methods used are vacuum pump-assisted secondary absorber, liquid/gas ejector, and vacuum pump, with the latter being by far the most common.
Because NCGs migrate to the location of lowest pressure in the absorption chiller, a small portion of the vapor can be extracted from this and condensed in the purge unit using a cooling medium. NCGs can then be evacuated by the vacuum pump. Direct use of a stand-alone standard vacuum pump has the disadvantages of loss of refrigerant (water vapor) from the system and the use of a motorized component that needs continuous maintenance. Direct use of a stand-alone dry (oil-free) vacuum pump has the disadvantage of requiring a specialized motorized component. Use of a secondary, small absorber-based method assisted by a vacuum pump has the advantage of minimizing loss of refrigerant; however, this benefit comes at the expense of requiring an additional absorber necessitating fine-tuning for the prerequisite cooling to be maintained at a pressure lower than that of the main absorber. Finally, the design and manufacturing of a motorless, ejector-based method (shown for AHT in FIG. 3) may be problematic and difficult to successfully operate under these conditions, requiring expertise and lacking the flexibility to deal with varying operating conditions. In addition, such components must be custom-made for each machine and cannot be easily adapted to other systems.
There therefore exists a need for a simple, robust, and efficient purge system for both absorption chillers and heat transformers, which overcomes at least some of the disadvantages of prior art systems and methods. The disclosures of each of the publications mentioned in this section and in other sections of the specification, are hereby incorporated by reference, each in its entirety.

Purge system for closed-cycle absorption heat pumps

TECHNION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION LTD.


In an image recorder, a recording photobeam and a reference photobeam are periodically deflected by a polygon mirror in a main scanning direction. The recording photobeam is supplied to a photosensitive film while the reference beam is supplied to a transparent grating scale on which a transparent area and an opaque area are formed. The combination boundary of the transparent area and the opaque area has a portion parallel to the main scanning direction. The reference beam transmitted through the transparent area is detected, and the photobeams are deflected in a subscanning direction by an acoustic-optical deflector in response to the detected optical amount of the reference photobeam.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a scanning beam control system in which a photobeam is modulated in accordance with an image signal while being deflected in order to scan a photosensitive material for each scanning line. In particular, the present system is suitable for an image recorder having a rotary optical deflector or a vibrating optical deflector such as a polygon mirror, a galvano mirror, a hologram disc or the like in order to conduct photolithography, photocopying, a process of producing printed circuit boards or the like.
In the present invention, attention is mainly directed to an improvement for automatically correcting, or compensating for deviation and nonlinearity of scanning lines in a subscanning direction that is orthogonal to a main scanning direction in which the photobeam is deflected by the optical deflector.
The present invention is also directed to an optical scale structure useful to the photobeam controlling system.
2. Description of Background Art
In scanning beam control systems having rotary or vibrating optical deflectors, a photobeam is deflected in a main scanning direction while being relatively progressed in a subscanning direction in order to two-dimensionally scan an imaging plane such as the surface of a photosensitive material. Accordingly, the quality of an image reproduced on the imaging plane depends on the linearity in the traces of the photobeam on the imaging plane, and it is required to maintain the linearity for obtaining a reproduced image at high quality.
However, since optical deflectors currently available have errors in deflecting a photobeam, the traces of the photobeam on the imaging plane deviate from designated scanning lines in the subscanning direction and desired traces of the photobeam on the imaging plane cannot be obtained without correcting or compensating the errors in the optical deflectors. Therefore, correction is required of the errors, such as inclination correction of mirror surfaces for polygon mirrors, wobbling correction of a mirror surface for galvano mirrors and correction of scan bow for hologram discs, for example.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,699 discloses a scanning beam control system employing a polygon mirror as an optical deflector in which the correction of these errors is attained. As shown in FIG. 14, the conventional system employs a ladder pattern or an optical grating structure in which plural pairs of a transparent area T.sub.p and an opaque area S.sub.d are linearly arrayed in the main scanning direction X such that respective tapered portions of the areas T.sub.p and S.sub.d are coupled to each other. The time span during which the photobeam passes through the transparent area T.sub.p in the main scanning direction X is detected and the shift of the photobeam path from a designated path in the subscanning direction Y is found according to the following principle:
Since the boundary between the transparent area T.sub.p and the photo-blocking area S.sub.d is inclined at the neighborhood of a reference line Y=0 defining a scanning line or a designated path of the photobeam, the time span for the photobeam to pass through the transparent area T.sub.p depends on the Y-coordinate of the photobeam path on the optical grating structure. For example, the time span required for the photobeam to pass thruogh the transparent area T.sub.p along a line Y=d as shown in FIG. 14 with a series of beam spots BS.sub.d1, BSd.sub.2 and BS.sub.d3 is shorter than that for the reference line Y=0 as shown with another series of bean spots BS.sub.01, BS.sub.02 and BS.sub.03. Therefore, when the quantitative change of the photobeam penetrating through the transparent area T.sub.p is detected and converted into an electric pulse, the shift d can be estimated by comparing the width of the electric pulse with that for the case where the photobeam scans along the reference line Y=0.
However, the conventional system is employable only in image recorders in which a main scanning speed on a scanned plane is constant, such as an image recorder whose imaging optical system has a polygon mirror and an f.multidot..theta. lens. The reason is as follows:
In an image recorder having galvano mirror in place of a polygon mirror, for example, the width of the electric pulse obtained through the transparent area T.sub.p varies even if the photobeam path is not deviated from the reference line, since the main scanning speed on the scanned plane is not constant in one swing of the galvanometer mirror. In other words, the shift in the pulse width reflects not only the deviation of the photobeam path from the reference line but also the temporary change of the scanning speed. Consequently, if the conventional system is employed in such an image reorder, the scanning lines are undesirably bent on the scanned plane.
The foregoing are problems caused in general in image recorders in which the deflection speed of the photobeam is not constant. Other examples having this character are image recorders having hologram discs as photobeam deflectors, and those having f.multidot.sin .theta. lenses or f.multidot.tan .theta. lenses in place of the f.multidot..theta. lenses. In the latter examples, the main scanning speed varies depending on the projection angle of the photobeam. In particular, when the galvano mirror is employed as a deflector, the curvature of the scanning lines varies for each scanning line since the scanning speed varies depending on subscanning coordinates as well as the main scanning coordinates, so that the scanning control often brings additional disturbance to the parallel array of scanning lines instead of correcting the shift of the scanning lines or the photobeam path.
Furthermore, even if a polygon mirror is employed, a precise scanning control cannot be attained in the case where the rotational speed of the polygon mirror is not uniform and has jitters. Similarly, if the scanned plane is considerably wide, the conventional control system as applied to an image recorder having an f.multidot..theta. lens does not give straight scanning lines, since the scanning speed is not uniform over the scanned plane.
Therefore, the conventional system is quite restricted in its application.
Furthermore, since the change of the pulse width due to the shift of the photobeam path in the subscanning direction is very small, the sensitivity of the shift in the conventional system is low even if the system is employed in an image recorder whose scanning speed is constant.
Additionaly, the pulse width becomes narrow as the imaging speed is increased in image recorders such as a laser plotter, and therefore, the detection of the pulse width is often influenced by electoric noises generated in electronic circuits such as a comparator.

Scanning beam control system and optical scale structure useful thereto


Methods, systems, and uses of bucky paper are provided in the present invention. These embodiments include covering medical implants with single or multiple layers of bucky paper, treating bucky paper with various therapeutics to be released through the bucky paper to a target site, shaping bucky paper into non-conventional configurations for improved therapeutic deliver, and using bucky paper alone or in conjunction with other materials to treat a target site.

Carbon nanotubes are single wall or multi-wall carbon structures with diameters that can typically range from 1.4 nm to 15 nm and lengths that can range from 30 nm to 20 centimeters. Nanotubes can behave like metals or semiconductors, can conduct electricity better than copper, can transmit heat better than diamond, and rank among the strongest materials known. Bucky paper is an entangled mat of carbon nanotubes. Being made of carbon, bucky paper is bio-compatible. The carbon nanotubes that comprise the bucky paper form a highly-porous mesh structure that provides the bucky paper with moderate rigidity and high strength.
The delivery of therapeutic via the placement of an implant at a target site inside a patient is an often repeated medical procedure. The benefits and purposes of performing such a procedure are innumerable and can include enlarging constricted lumens, reinforcing recently re-enlarged lumens, replacing ruptured vessels, and targeting the delivery of therapeutic to a specific target site. Implants used in these procedures can be delivered through various methods and systems including balloon angioplasty and catheter injection.
The vessels, lumens, and other target sites, which can be treated by implants alone or implants in combination with therapeutics, can be located throughout the body and can include the coronary vasculature, the esophagus, the trachea, the colon, the biliary tract, the urinary tract, the prostate, the brain, and the various other organs. Examples of implants that have been used include: vena cava filters; stents; stent-grafts; vascular grafts; intraluminal paving systems; pace makers; venous valves; and, heart valves.

Using bucky paper as a therapeutic aid in medical applications


A method and system for responding to a request from a client for a web page using delta caching is described. Building templates for the web at the server(s) is functionally separated and logically remote from the request server. One or more template-builders are logically separated from one or more delta-encoders. Each operates independently to perform its part of delta caching; template-builders build templates for the web page, while delta-encoders use those templates and a received web object to compute delta information for the web page. Delta-encoders, like template-builders, are logically remote from the request server. The delta information for the web page and a reference to the template can be separately sent to the client.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a delta caching service, and related methods and systems.
2. Description of Related Art
In a system that delivers information from a server to clients who request that information (such as a web server delivering information to a set of web clients), it is desirable to minimize the amount of data that is actually sent from the web server to the web client. Delta caching is a technique by which the server and the client differentiate between template information and delta information for an object to be delivered from the server to the client; the client maintains a copy of the template information and the server is therefore able to deliver the object by only sending the delta information.
The web server often manages relatively large loads by dividing its tasks, using a load balancer, among a set of server-responders. However, differing server-responders might then associate different template information with objects at the server. One consequence is that when a client communicates with more than one server-responder, the template information known to the client and to the server-responder might differ. This is increasingly more likely as the number of server-responders is increased, and might result in miscommunication between a client and one or more of the server-responders.


A system and method for selectively determining whether a freeze purge should be performed at shut-down of a fuel cell stack. The method includes identifying that the vehicle has been keyed off and then determining whether a stack membrane humidification value is less than a predetermined humidification value that identifies the humidification of membranes in fuel cells in the fuel cell stack. If the stack membrane humidification value is not less than the predetermined humidification value, then the method determines if the ambient temperature is below a predetermined ambient temperature, and if so, performs the freeze purge. If the ambient temperature is not below the predetermined ambient temperature, then the method performs a short non-freeze purge of the flow channels in the fuel cell stack. The method determines a wake-up time for a controller for a next time to determine whether a freeze purge should be performed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a system and method for selectively providing a freeze purge of a fuel cell stack and, more particularly, to a system and method for selectively providing a freeze purge of a fuel cell stack at system shut-down that considers cell membrane humidification, ambient temperature and other factors.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Hydrogen is a very attractive fuel because it is clean and can be used to efficiently produce electricity in a fuel cell. A hydrogen fuel cell is an electro-chemical device that includes an anode and a cathode with an electrolyte therebetween. The anode receives hydrogen gas and the cathode receives oxygen or air. The hydrogen gas is dissociated in the anode to generate free protons and electrons. The protons pass through the electrolyte to the cathode. The protons react with the oxygen and the electrons in the cathode to generate water. The electrons from the anode cannot pass through the electrolyte, and thus are directed through a load to perform work before being sent to the cathode.
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) are a popular fuel cell for vehicles. The PEMFC generally includes a solid polymer electrolyte proton-conducting membrane, such as a perfluorosulfonic acid membrane. The anode and cathode typically include finely divided catalytic particles, usually platinum (Pt), supported on carbon particles and mixed with an ionomer. The catalytic mixture is deposited on opposing sides of the membrane. The combination of the anode catalytic mixture, the cathode catalytic mixture and the membrane define a membrane electrode assembly (MEA). MEAs are relatively expensive to manufacture and require certain conditions for effective operation.
Several fuel cells are typically combined in a fuel cell stack to generate the desired power. For example, a typical fuel cell stack for a vehicle may have two hundred or more stacked fuel cells. The fuel cell stack receives a cathode input reactant gas, typically a flow of air forced through the stack by a compressor. Not all of the oxygen is consumed by the stack and some of the air is output as a cathode exhaust gas that may include water as a stack by-product. The fuel cell stack also receives an anode hydrogen reactant gas that flows into the anode side of the stack. The stack also includes flow channels through which a cooling fluid flows.
A fuel cell stack includes a series of bipolar plates positioned between the several MEAs in the stack, where the bipolar plates and the MEAs are positioned between two end plates. The bipolar plates include an anode side and a cathode side for adjacent fuel cells in the stack. Anode gas flow channels are provided on the anode side of the bipolar plates that allow the anode reactant gas to flow to the respective MEA. Cathode gas flow channels are provided on the cathode side of the bipolar plates that allow the cathode reactant gas to flow to the respective MEA. One end plate includes anode gas flow channels, and the other end plate includes cathode gas flow channels. The bipolar plates and end plates are made of a conductive material, such as stainless steel or a conductive composite. The end plates conduct the electricity generated by the fuel cells out of the stack. The bipolar plates also include flow channels through which a cooling fluid flows.
As is well understood in the art, fuel cell membranes operate with a controlled hydration level so that the ionic resistance across the membrane is low enough to effectively conduct protons. The relative humidity (RH) of the cathode outlet gas from the fuel cell stack is typically controlled to control the hydration level of the membranes by controlling several stack operating parameters, such as stack pressure, temperature, cathode stoichiometry and the relative humidity of the cathode air into the stack. It is known in the art to recover water from the cathode exhaust stream and return it to the stack via the cathode inlet airflow. Many devices could be used to perform this function, such as a water vapor transfer (WVT) unit. By holding a particular set-point for cathode outlet relative humidity, for example 80%, the proper stack membrane hydration level can be maintained.
It is known in the art to provide high frequency resistance (HFR) measurements of the membranes in a fuel cell stack to provide an accurate measurement of the water or membrane hydration in the fuel cell stack. HFR measurement systems provide a high frequency component on the electrical load of the stack, which operates to create a high frequency ripple on the current output of the stack. The resistance of the high frequency component is measured, which is a function of the amount of water in the stack.
At fuel cell system shut-down, it is desirable that the membranes have a certain hydration level so they are not too wet or too dry. This is typically accomplished by purging either the cathode side of the stack or both the cathode and anode side of the stack with dry air for a certain period of time. In one known technique, the purge of the anode side occurs by air being forced through the membranes from the cathode side. Too much water in the stack may cause problems for low temperature environments where freezing of the water could produce ice that blocks flow channels and affects the restart of the system. However, too long of a purge could cause the membranes to become too dry where the membranes will have too low of a protonic conductivity at the next system restart that affects restart performance as well as reduces the durability of the stack. The actual target amount of grams of water in the stack will vary depending on the system and certain system parameters.
For a fuel cell stack having three hundred fuel cells, and an active area near 400 cm2 per cell, the stack may have about two hundred grams of water when the system is shut down. It is desirable that a stack of this size have about twenty-three grams of water after system shut-down so that the membranes are properly hydrated. Twenty-three grams of water is a stack λ of three, where λ represents the membrane hydration defined as the number of water molecules for each sulfonic acid molecule in the membrane for each fuel cell. By knowing how much water is actually in the fuel cell stack at system shut-down, a desirable air purge flow rate and air purge duration can be provided so that the target value of λ=3 can be achieved. Models can be employed to estimate the amount of water in the stack based on stack operating parameters during operation of the fuel cell system.
If a fuel cell stack has too much water in it from the last system shut-down, the water generated during a long start-up may block gas flow channels. Typically, the colder the stack is at start-up the longer it takes to adequately heat up the stack and the more likely that the water generated during start up will block the gas flow channels. Therefore, at very cold start-up temperatures, such as below −15° C., it takes longer for the fuel cell stack to heat up to 0° C. Consequently, the shut-down process becomes very critical for a successful restart of the fuel cell stack, particularly when the fuel cell stack temperature is −15° C. or colder.
The stack purge process when a fuel cell system is being shut-down and a system freeze start-up process require significant hydrogen fuel, which if not needed is wasteful. Certain situations would not require a freeze purge shut-down of a fuel cell stack, such as a short run time or operating in a warm environment. Further, performing the freeze purge to reduce the amount of water in the fuel cell membranes may be desirable for a freeze start-up process, but drying out the membranes to this degree has an adverse effect for membrane durability because increasing and reducing the RH of the membrane, known as RH cycling, causes pin holes to be formed in the membrane, which effect membrane performance. Therefore, from a membrane durability standpoint, it is desirable to limit the number of freeze purges. Thus, if it is known that a freeze condition will not occur when the fuel cell system is off, it is beneficial to not perform a shut-down freeze purge and the subsequent freeze start-up procedure.
One way to determine if a freeze purge is not necessary at system shut-down is to monitor the ambient temperature and if that temperature is not below a certain predetermined temperature, then the freeze purge will not be performed. However, other things, such as time since last key off of the vehicle, are also factors in determining whether the freeze purge will be necessary.

Automated cold storage protection for a fuel cell system


A zoom lens includes, in order from an enlargement side to a reduction side, a first lens unit having positive refractive power and not moving for zooming, a second lens unit having negative refractive power and moving for zooming, a stop, a zooming lens unit having positive refractive power and moving for zooming, and a final lens unit having positive refractive power and not moving for zooming. During zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end, the second lens unit moves to the reduction side and the zooming lens unit moves to the enlargement side. The zooming lens unit includes a cemented lens. The cemented lens includes a negative lens and a positive lens cemented in order from the enlargement side. A cemented surface of the cemented lens has a convex shape on the enlargement side. The zoom lens satisfies predetermined conditions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a zoom lens, and in particular to a zoom lens suitable for a projector which enlarges and projects an image, and a projector using such a zoom lens.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is a zoom lens of positive lead type in which a lens having positive refractive power is disposed on the most enlargement side to prevent the aperture of a lens disposed on the enlargement side from becoming large.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-287680 discusses a zoom lens including six lens units respectively having positive, negative, negative, positive, positive, and positive refractive power disposed in order from the enlargement side, which is the screen side, toward the reduction side, which is the liquid crystal panel side. During zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the second lens unit moves to the reduction side, and the third lens unit, the fourth lens unit, and the fifth lens unit move to the enlargement side.
Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-241096 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-309061 discuss a zoom lens of positive lead type including five lens units in which the first lens unit having positive refractive power is disposed on the most enlargement side.


In certain embodiments, the present disclosure provides methods comprising contacting a cell with a compound comprising a modified oligonucleotide complementary to a nucleic acid transcript. In certain such embodiments, the modified oligonucleotide does not interact or interacts poorly with a mRNP complex or granule. In certain such embodiments the modifications and/or motifs of the modified oligonucleotide do not promote interaction with a mRNP complex or granule. In certain embodiments, the present disclosure provides methods comprising contacting a cell with a compound comprising a modified oligonucleotide thereby reducing the size or amount of protein aggregation in the cell. In certain such embodiments, the protein aggregate is a mRNP granule. In certain such embodiments, the modifications and/or motifs of the modified oligonucleotide promote interaction with a protein aggregate, such as a mRNP granule, that results in disruption of the protein aggregate.

Protein aggregates, such as mRNP granules, are present in cells of patients with ALS, Parkinsons's Disease, and some forms of dementia, as well as other diseases. (See, e.g., Li et al. J Cell Biol, 201, 361-372 (2013); Seyfried et al. J Proteome Res, 11, 2721-2738 (2012); Ramaswami et al. Cell, 154, 727-736 (2013); Aulas and Vande Velde. Front Cell Neurosci, 9, 423 (2015); Shelkovnikova et al. Hum Mol Genet, 23, 5211-5226 (20140); and King et al. Brain Res, 1462, 61-80 (2012).) FUS/TLS (Fused in Sarcoma/Translocated in Sarcoma) and PSF/SFPQ (Polypyrimidine-Tract Binding Protein-Associated Splicing Factor/Splicing Factor Proline/Glutamine Rich) are ubiquitously expressed RNA-binding proteins with multifunctional roles in RNA metabolism. Both proteins contain prion-like, low complexity domains (LCD) that can facilitate aggregation. (See, e.g., Maziuk et al. Front Mol Neurosci 10, (2017); Xiang et al. Cell, 163, 829-839 (2015).)
Wild type FUS contains a PY-nuclear localization sequence (NLS). Some FUS mutants that disrupt the NLS lead to cytoplasmic accumulation and aggregation of FUS into cytoplasmic granules. (See, e.g., Shang and Huang. Brain Res, 1647, 65-78 (2016); Dormann et al. EMBO J, 31, 4258-4275 (2012); Zhang and Chook Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 109, 12017-12021 (2012); Shelkovnikova et al. J Biol Chem, 288, 25266-25274 (2013).) In vitro, cytoplasmic FUS granules can be formed from the expression of a FUS mutant having a P525L mutation that is naturally occurring in some ALS patients.

Compositions and methods for modulation of protein aggregation