A tool holder for holding a cutting insert includes a head on which an insert-support surface is disposed. A plate is mounted on the head by a serrated connection, the head including fingers that form side surfaces disposed on opposing sides of the support surface. Each of the side surfaces includes a recess, wherein each side surface defines spaced apart contact areas. A slot extends through one of the fingers in spaced relationship to the side surface formed by that finger to render that side surface flexible. A passage interconnects an intermediate portion of that flexible side surface and an intermediate portion of the slot.

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7xc2xa7119 and/or 365 to Patent Application Serial No. 0100252-6 filed in Sweden on Jan. 30, 2001, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to a tool holder for cutting inserts for chip removing machining, the tool holder comprising a head, as well as a seat having side surfaces which engage side edges of the clamped-in cutting insert. One of the side surfaces of the seat is flexible.
In a leaflet from ISCAR, entitled xe2x80x9cISCAR""s New Clamping System for Profiling Toolsxe2x80x9d conventional prior art is shown, which is illustrated herein in FIGS. 10 and 11, as well as a further development of prior art, which is illustrated in FIG. 12 herein.
As is seen in FIGS. 10 and 11, in the conventional prior art there is disclosed a three-point abutment. In case the cutting insert S is exposed to a force Fc1 acting from the right, see FIG. 10, the cutting insert S will abut at two points CP1 and CP2 against the stiffer side surface 100 of a holder 102 and at one point CP3 against a more resilient side surface 104. This is illustrated in FIG. 10 by an angle xcex41 formed between the cutting insert S and the more resilient side surface.
If the force Fc2 acting on the cutting insert S comes from the left, see FIG. 11, the cutting insert S will abut against the stiffer side surface at one point CP1 and at two points CP3 and CP4 against the more resilient side surface. This is illustrated in FIG. 11 by an angle xcex42 formed between the cutting insert S and the stiffer side surface.
Clamping of the cutting insert S is normally effected with a so-called rocking pin 106, possibly in combination with a top clamp. This has turned out to be insufficient in a number of applications, i.e., the position of the cutting insert is not anchored in the holder to a sufficiently high degree of accuracy. This is particularly valid for this elongated type of cutting insert where large movements of the insert occurs if the insert is exposed to varying loads from differing directions, which is the case in, for instance, copy turning.
As can be seen in the prior art illustrated in FIG. 12, the insert seat is provided with a self-adjusting wedge W which abuts against a side surface of the cutting insert, the wedge being movable and self-adjusting to the cutting insert so that a four-point abutment CP1, CP2, CP3, CP4 is obtained. Since the self-adjusting wedge is movable, the fixation of the cutting insert in the insert seat will also in this case be inadequate for certain applications.
A turning tool having a replaceable indexable insert is previously known from DE 37 14 055. In certain of the embodiments, see FIGS. 4, 4a and 5, of a timing tool according to DE 37 14 055, a flat wedge abutting against the indexable insert is provided with opposite slots, the open ends of which break through the longitudinal side edges of the flat wedge. The flat wedge abuts against the indexable insert with two contact points. A disadvantage of this known turning tool is that if the side surface of the insert seat that is integrated with the proper turning tool is damaged or becomes worn out, the entire turning tool has to be replaced, which is disadvantageous from the point of view of cost. As for the forces being transferred from the indexable insert to the two contact points of the flat wedge, said forces will pass past the open ends of the slots, which means that the slots are compressed in the area of the open ends thereof. Thus, the flat wedge will give way and thereby not give any active support to the cutting insert when the same tries to turn because of the external forces affecting the insert tip.
A primary aim of the present invention is to provide a tool holder of the above-mentioned kind, where an exceptionally accurate clamping of the cutting insert in the insert seat is obtained, this notwithstanding that the cutting insert is exposed to varying sizes and/or directions of loading during, for instance, copy turning. The consequence of this is increased dimensional precision through the use of the tool holder.
Yet another aim of the present invention is that the cutting insert is to be anchored in the insert seat by means of a so-called four-point abutment.
Another aim of the present invention is that the insert seat should align automatically to the cutting insert when the same is anchored in the appurtenant insert seat thereof.
The present invention relates to a tool holder for holding a cutting insert for chip removing machining. The holder comprises a head and a support surface disposed on the head and adapted to support a cutting insert. A plate-shaped member is removably secured on the head and includes two fingers forming respective side surfaces disposed on respective sides of the support surface. The side surfaces face one another and extend generally perpendicularly to the support surface. Each of the side surfaces includes a recess disposed intermediate opposite ends thereof, wherein each side surface defines spaced apart contact areas. One of the fingers includes a through-slot spaced from the respective side surface and extending generally therealong to render that support surface flexible.
Preferably, a passage extends between an intermediate portion of the flexible side surface and an intermediate portion of the through-slot.
Preferably, the plate-shaped member includes a first serrated surface seated on a second serrated surface of the head to define a serrated connection between the plate-shaped member and the head. The serrated connection is omitted at one of the fingers.

Tool holder having insert seat with flexible side surface


Systems and methods for gastrointestinal electrical stimulation to treat abnormalities in gastrointestinal motility are provided. In some embodiments, a system for relieving ileus includes an intraluminal catheter comprising: a catheter body having a proximal tip and a distal tip and a duodenal portion proximal to the distal tip of the catheter; and at least one electrode pair disposed along the duodenal portion of the intraluminal catheter, the at least one electrode pair being configured to detect a sensing information indicative of myoelectric activity of a patient and to provide stimulation energy; a sensing system in communication with the at least one electrode pair to receive the sensing information; and an energy delivery system in communication with the at least one electrode pair and the sensing system, the electrical energy delivery system being configured to delivery energy to the patient through the at least one second electrode pair based on the sensing information from the sensing system.

Gastrointestinal (GI) motility plays an important role in the health and well-being of persons of all ages. GI motility is one of the most critical physiological functions of the human gut. Without coordinated motility, digestion and absorption of dietary nutrients could not take place. To accomplish its functions effectively, the gut needs to generate not just simple contractions but contractions that are coordinated to produce transit of luminal contents (peristalsis). Thus, coordinated gastric contractions are necessary for the emptying of the stomach. Abnormalities in motility may lead to a variety of serious disorders, such as gastroparesis, Ileus, obesity, diarrhea, pseudo-intestinal obstruction, irritable bowel syndrome, and among many others. A need continues to exist for additional feasible and suitable means to treat GI motility disorders.

Conditional gastrointestinal stimulation for improved motility


An horizontal advanced tensiometer is described that allows the monitoring of the water pressure of soil positions, particularly beneath objects or materials that inhibit the use of previous monitoring wells. The tensiometer includes a porous cup, a pressure transducer (with an attached gasket device), an adaptive chamber, at least one outer guide tube which allows access to the desired horizontal position, a transducer wire, a data logger and preferably an inner guide tube and a specialized joint which provides pressure on the inner guide tube to maintain the seal between the gasket of the transducer and the adaptive chamber.

The invention relates to an apparatus for the monitoring of groundwater for environmental investigations. More specifically, the invention is a horizontal advanced tensiometer which measures the xe2x80x9csoil water potentialxe2x80x9d (how well surrounding soil and rock hold water) of soil and rock positions beneath objects or overlying material.
Since soil water potential indicates how well surrounding soil and rock holds water, measuring soil water potentials at various locations and depths allows scientists to understand how fluids move between the land surface and the water table below. Understanding how fluids travel through the soil is an important aspect of environmental studies and is very helpful in developing improved irrigation management. Traditionally, tensiometers have been the instruments of choice for recording such water potential measurements.
Traditional tensiometers consist of a sealed tube (filled with water) which is connected to a hollow porous tip at one end and a vacuum gauge at the other. The porous tip is then inserted into the soil at the desired monitoring position. As the water content of the surrounding soil decreases so does its water potential relative to that of the water in the tip. The difference in water potential causes the water in the sealed tube to move through the tip pores and into the surrounding soil. Thus, relatively dry soil pulls water through the porous tip and creates a partial vacuum in the tube. The vacuum gauge then records the pressure level of the ambient soil. The more saturated the soil, the less vacuum created, and the lower the pressure recorded.
Many of the problems associated with traditional tensiometers were solved with the development of advanced tensiometers. Advanced tensiometers utilize electronic pressure transducers mounted at the point of measurement which eliminate the need for the long water columns taught by traditional tensiometer designs. See, Hubbell et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,476.
Although advanced tensiometer designs have solved the problem of water column length, previous tensiometer designs have failed to solve problems associated with monitoring soil conditions in areas beneath objects or material. Previous tensiometer designs have difficulty in measuring such areas because they employ vertical monitoring wells that are inefficient or ineffective in monitoring soil which lies beneath buildings or other structures or material.
There remains a need for horizontal monitoring of soil moisture potentials in areas beneath objects where vertical monitoring devices would be inefficient or ineffective.
An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus to measure soil water potential beneath the earth""s surface.
Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus to measure soil water potential in horizontal layers beneath objects or overlying material.
Another object of the invention is to provide a means of maintaining the seal between the transducer and the adapter to ensure accurate measurements.

The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy


Technologies for enforcing an expiration policy on an electronic engineering sample component includes a one-time programmable fuse to store a manufacture date of the electronic engineering sample component, another one-time programmable fuse to store an expiration date of the electronic engineering sample component, and a component life management engine to compare a current date of the electronic engineering sample component with the expiration date of the electronic engineering sample component. The component life management engine to disable or lock the electronic engineering sample component in response to determining that the current date of the electronic engineering sample component exceeds the expiration date of the electronic engineering sample component. In some embodiments, a computing device may enforce the expiration policy for the electronic engineering sample component. The computing device may also be communicatively coupled to a remote unlock server and may receive authorization to unlock a disabled engineering sample component.

Engineering samples are pre-production devices loaned by semiconductor device manufacturers to companies and other entities for evaluation, interoperability testing, and product readiness purposes prior to product launch. Often, those samples are of a similar quality and level of operation to production devices. In some cases, engineering samples may include additional or proprietary features that are not included in production devices. As such, engineering samples are not typically intended for general public use.
To prevent the public distribution of engineering samples, semiconductor device manufactures typically only loan samples to companies and other entities subject to specific contractual terms and conditions. For example, semiconductor device manufactures generally only loan engineering samples to those Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Original Device Manufacturers (ODMs), and Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) that have agreed in advance to certain legal disclaimers (e.g., regulatory compliance disclosures, lack of warranty coverage, device ownership statements, etc.) and conditions (e.g., agreements not to sell, resell, distribute, disclose confidential information, intended use, etc.). Notwithstanding those agreements, a number of engineering samples still somehow find their way into the general public where they are distributed, sold in the open market, or are used in a manner contrary to the intended purpose.

Enforcing performance longevity on semiconductor devices


An application framework that provides field configuration of exception handlers by one or more applications, rather than defining exceptions at runtime. The exception handler may operate as a remote service in communication with an application executing locally. When an exception is received, the exception handler can consume the exception and return a defined object based on the exception type.

Conventional error or exception handling functionality is typically customized by developers and compiled. Static exception handling generally defines errors, and how those errors are handled, prior to compiling code. Dynamic exception handling typically defines errors and error handling when code is compiled, or when code is executed. Dynamic exception handling generates code that continually updates structures about the program state. Dynamic exception handling permits code to operate even in the event of an error, insofar as the error is offloaded to an exception handler that is defined as part of the compilation process.
It may be challenging for developers to adequately account for all possible exceptions at each exception handler block present in a large application. This can lead to crashes, or other unexpected behavior, of applications in the field due to unhandled exceptions.


A method for obtaining a global optimal solution of general nonlinear programming problems includes the steps of first finding, in a deterministic manner, all stable equilibrium points of a nonlinear dynamical system that satisfies conditions (C1) and (C2), and then finding from said points a global optimal solution. A practical numerical method for reliably computing a dynamical decomposition point for large-scale systems comprises the steps of moving along a search path φt(xs)≡{xs+ t×ŝ, tε+} starting from xs and detecting an exit point, xex, at which the search path φt(xs) exits a stability boundary of a stable equilibrium point xs using the exit point xex as an initial condition and integrating a nonlinear system to an equilibrium point xd, and computing said dynamical decomposition point with respect to a local optimal solution xs wherein the search path is xd.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to the field of mathematical analysis and modeling. More particularly, the invention pertains to a dynamical method for obtaining a global optimal solution of general nonlinear programming problems.
2. Description of Related Art
A large variety of the quantitative decision issues arising in the sciences, engineering, and economics can be perceived and modeled as constrained nonlinear optimization problems. According to this generic description, the best decision, often expressed by a real vector, is sought in the search space which satisfies all stated feasibility constraints and minimizes (or maximizes) the value of an objective function. The vector, if it exists, is termed the "global optimal solution." In general, there are solutions that are locally optimal (a local optimal solution is optimal in a local region of the search space) but not globally optimal.
In general, the search space of a constrained nonlinear optimization problem contains a number of local optimal solutions. Typically, the number of local optimal solutions is unknown and it can be quite large. Furthermore, the values of an objective function at local optimal solutions and at the global optimal solution may differ significantly. The great majority of existing nonlinear optimization techniques usually come up with local optimal solutions but not the global optimal one.
The task of finding the global optimal solution of constrained nonlinear optimization problems is important for a very broad range of applications in the design, operation, and planning problems arising in various engineering disciplines and the sciences. Engineering application areas include, for example, structural optimization, engineering design, VLSI chip design and database problems, image processing, computational chemistry, molecular biology, nuclear and mechanical design, chemical engineering design and control, optimal power flow in electric networks, economies of scale, fixed charges, allocation and location problems, and quadratic assignment, as well as numerous other applications.
The problem of finding the global optimal solution, termed the Global Optimization (GO) problem is very difficult and challenging. From the computational complexity point of view, the task of finding the global optimal solution of constrained nonlinear optimization problems belongs to the class of NP-hard problems. This implies that the computational time required to solve the problem is expected to grow exponentially as the input size of the problem increases.
Existing methods proposed for solving the GO problem can be categorized into three classes: deterministic methods, stochastic methods, and hybrid methods. Deterministic methods typically provide mathematical guarantees for convergence to an approximate global minimum in finite steps for optimization problems involving certain mathematical structures. This class of methods includes the branch and bound methods, cutting planes, decomposition-based approaches, covering methods, interval methods, homotopy methods, and generalized gradient methods. On the other hand, stochastic methods require sampling the objective functions and perhaps computing their derivatives to find the global optimal solution. They are applicable to a wide range of GO problems; however, the required number of samples necessary to arrive at the global optimal solution is often prohibitive for high-dimension problems. The class of stochastic methods is characterized by a slow convergence and a lack of accuracy when an exact global optimal solution is required. Random search methods, genetic algorithms, simulated annealing, clustering methods, and Bayesian methods all belong to the class of stochastic methods. Hybrid methods for GO problems is a recently proposed class; this class of methods usually, if not always, combines one stochastic method, for example, the genetic algorithms, with one classical 'hill-climbing' method, such as the Quasi-Newton method. The idea of combining two different methods into one in order to attempt to merge their advantages and to reduce their disadvantages is well known. The question associated with this combination is what methods to merge and how to merge them. This class of hybrid methods suffers from a slow convergence, inherited from the stochastic method, but it improves the problem of accuracy with the help of a 'hill-climbing' method.
The only reliable way to find the global optimal solution of a nonlinear optimization problem is to first find all the local optimal solutions and then find, from them, the global optimal solution. In the present invention, we develop a new systematic methodology, which is deterministic in nature, to find all the local optimal solutions of both unconstrained and constrained nonlinear optimization problems. Two classes of global optimization methodology are developed in this invention:                a dynamical trajectory-based methodology for unconstrained nonlinear programming problems; and        a dynamical trajectory-based methodology for constrained nonlinear programming problems.
For unconstrained nonlinear optimization problems, one distinguishing feature of the new methodology is that it systematically finds all the local optimal solutions. For constrained nonlinear optimization problems, one distinguishing feature of the new methodology of the present invention is that it systematically finds all the local optimal solutions of constrained nonlinear optimization problems whose feasible regions can be disconnected. Our developed methodology consists of two distinct phases: Phase I systematically locates each connected feasible region of the entire feasible region. Phase II then finds all the local optimal solutions lying in each feasible region obtained in Phase I.
In the present invention, methods are developed for the following two important issues in the search for the global optimal solution:
(i) how to effectively move (escape) from a local optimal solution and move on toward another local optimal solution; and
(ii) how to avoid revisiting local optimal solutions which are already known.
In the past, significant efforts have been directed towards attempting to address this issue, but without much success. Issue (i) is difficult to solve and both the class of deterministic methods and the class of stochastic methods all encounter this difficulty. Issue (ii), related to computational efficiency during search, is also difficult to solve and, again, both the class of deterministic methods and the class of stochastic methods encounter this difficulty. In the present invention, effective methods to overcome these issues are developed and incorporated into the dynamical trajectory-based methodology.
Our previous work related to unconstrained global optimization problems is described in H. D. Chiang, Chia-Chi Chu, A Systematic Search Method for Obtaining Multiple Local Optimal Solutions of Nonlinear Programming Problems, IEEE Trans. Circuits and Systems, vol. 43, pp. 99-109, 1996, the complete disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. This work focused on the idea of constructing a particular nonlinear dynamical system and on the development of conceptual methods that are rich in theory, but are difficult, if not impossible, to implement numerically for practical applications. This work was extended to constrained global optimization problems in Jaewook Lee, Path-following methods for global optimization, Ph.D. dissertation, Cornell Univ., NY, 1999, the complete disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. Among other things, this publication presents construction of two particular nonlinear dynamical systems for performing a two-phase optimization procedure, which is again rich in theory but difficult, if not impossible, to implement numerically for practical applications. The idea of computing exit points of a class of non-linear systems in U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,462, On-line Method for Determining Power System Transient Stability, issued to Hsiao-Dong Chiang on Jan. 9, 1996, the complete disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
This invention differs from the prior art in the following aspects (as well as others):    (1) this invention develops a class of nonlinear dynamical systems (see conditions (C1) and (C2) for unconstrained optimization problems and conditions (C1-1), (C1-2), (C2-1) and (C2-2) for constrained optimization problems) and shows that their system trajectories can be exploited to develop numerical methods for finding a complete set of local optimal solutions and the global optimal solution    (2) the particular nonlinear dynamical systems in the aforementioned publications all belong to the class of nonlinear dynamical systems developed in this invention    (3) this invention develops a dynamical trajectory-based method which can incorporate any existing local optimizer (i.e., a method for finding a local optimal solution) into it, hence, this invention can be applied to guide any existing computer package to find a complete set of local optimal solutions and the global optimal solution    (4) this invention can be programmed to interface with any existing computer package without the need to modify the 'environment' of the existing computer package (which include the graphical user interface data base) to find a complete set of local optimal solutions and the global optimal solution, and, in particular, this invention imposes no new learning curve for the user in the combined computer package    5) this invention develops a numerical method, termed dynamical decomposition point search method, for guiding the search process to escape from trapping at a local optimal solution in a deterministic manner    6) this invention extends a previous patented method to develop a numerical method, termed a numerical method for computing the exit point, which is incorporated into the dynamical decomposition point search method    7) this invention develops a numerical method, termed an improved method for computing the exit point, which is incorporated into the dynamical decomposition point search method    8) this invention develops a numerical method, termed a numerical method for computing the minimum distance point (MDP), which is incorporated into the dynamical decomposition point search method    9) this invention develops a numerical method, termed an improved method for computing the minimum distance point (MDP), which is incorporated into the dynamical decomposition point search method    10) this invention develops a hybrid search method, which is composed of a trajectory-based method and an effective local optimization method for finding local optimal solutions. The hybrid method shares the reliability and accuracy of the former method and the accuracy and computational speed of the latter    11) this invention develops a method for anti-revisit of local optimal solutions to avoid searching regions which contain previously found local optimal solutions. The invention also develops a DDP-based numerical method, which, in combination with the DDP search method, performs a procedure that searches from a local optimal solution to find another local optimal solution in a deterministic manner    12) this invention develops a dynamical trajectory-based method, which can incorporate any existing local optimizer (i.e., a method for finding a local optimal solution). Hence, this invention can be applied to guide any existing computer package to find a complete set of local optimal solutions and the global optimal solution. The invention can be programmed to interface with any existing computer package without the need to modify the 'environment' of the existing computer package (which includes the graphical user interface data base) to find a complete set of local optimal solutions and the global optimal solution. In particular, this invention imposes no new learning curve for the user in the combined computer package
The theoretical basis of these methods is described as follows.
We treat the problem of how to escape from a local optimal solution and to move on toward another local optimal solution as the problem of how to escape from the stability region of the corresponding (asymptotically) stable equilibrium point (s.e.p.) of a nonlinear dynamical system satisfying certain conditions and enter into the stability region of another corresponding s.e.p. of the nonlinear dynamical system. There are several ways to construct nonlinear dynamical system satisfying the required conditions. The present invention presents guidelines for constructing such nonlinear dynamical systems.
One common problem which degrades the performance of many existing methods searching for the global optimal solution is the re-visitation of the same local optimal solutions several times; this wastes computing resources without gaining new information regarding the location of the global optimal solution. From the computational viewpoint, it is important to avoid revisiting the same local optimal solution in order to maintain a level of efficiency. To address issue (ii), we develop in this invention an anti-revisiting search method for both unconstrained and constrained optimization problems. The theoretical basis of the anti-revisiting search method rests on the dynamical decomposition points developed in this invention.
The present invention develops a method for anti-revisit of local optimal solutions to avoid searching regions which contain previously found local optimal solutions. The invention also develops a DDP-based numerical method, which, in combination with the DDP search method, performs a procedure that searches from a local optimal solution to find another local optimal solution in a deterministic manner.
From a practical viewpoint, the dynamical trajectory-based methodology developed in this invention requires integrating a set of ordinary differential equations (ODE). It was thought by many that ODE solvers are too extensive to be of general use compared with, for example, a conventional Newton-type method. However, their performance is significantly affected by the choice of integration method and the way in which the step size is controlled. When suitably implemented, these methods deserve a place in the mainstream of optimization algorithm development. See, for example, A. A. Brown and M. C. Bartholomew-Biggs, Some effective methods for unconstrained optimization based on the solution of systems of ordinary differential equations, Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications, vol. 62, pp. 211-224, 1989, the complete disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention develops a dynamical trajectory-based method, which can incorporate any existing local optimizer (i.e., a method for finding a local optimal solution). Hence, this invention can be applied to guide any existing computer package to find a complete set of local optimal solutions and the global optimal solution. The invention can be programmed to interface with any existing computer package without the need to modify the 'environment' of the existing computer package (which includes the graphical user interface data base) to find a complete set of local optimal solutions and the global optimal solution. In particular, this invention imposes no new learning curve for the user in the combined computer package.

Dynamical method for obtaining global optimal solution of general nonlinear programming problems


A microscope with a first and a second illumination light beam for illuminating a sample, wherein the first and/or the second illumination light beam evanescently illuminates the sample. For the purpose of CARS testing, the first illumination light beam can be a pump light beam, and the second illumination light beam can be a Stokes light beam. To increase resolution, the first illumination light beam can be an excitation light beam, and the second illumination light beam can be a stimulation light beam.

A microscope with evanescent illumination of a sample is known from US 2002/0097489 A1. The microscope comprises a white light source, the light of which is coupled for the purpose of evanescent illumination via a slit aperture through the microscope objective onto a sample holder, which holds a sample. The illumination light propagates itself in the sample holder by means of total internal reflection, whereby the illumination of the sample occurs only in the region of the evanescent field that protrudes from the sample holder. Microscopes of this type are known as "total internal reflection fluorescent microscopes" (TIRFM).
The z-resolution of TIRF microscopes is extraordinarily good because the evanescent field protrudes only about 100 nm into the sample.
A high-aperture objective specifically for TIRF application is known from DE 101 08 796 A1. The objective comprises a first lens with positive refractive power and a second lens with negative refractive power, whereby the focal distance ratio between the two lenses is in the −0.4 and −0.1 range, and the total refractive power is greater than zero. The objective further comprises two positive lenses, the diameter ratio to focal length of which is greater than 0.3 and less than 0.6. The objective further comprises a negative lens and a collecting lens, whereby the negative lens faces the front group, and the focal distance ratio of the negative lens to the collector lens is between −0.5 and −2.
An incident illumination device for TIRF microscopy is known from DE 102 17 098 A1. The incident illumination device comprises an illumination source that emits a polarized illumination beam when in operation, which propagates at an angle to the optical axis and a deflector that deflects the illumination light beam and couples it parallel to the optical axis in the objective. Provision is made in this incident illumination device for the illumination light beam emitted by the illumination source to exhibit a phase difference in the s- and p-polarization directions, and for the deflection arrangement to reflect the illumination light beam x times, whereby x=(n×180°−d)/60°.
A microscope for total internal reflection microscopy (TIRM) is known from DE 101 43 481 A1. The microscope exhibits a microscope housing and an objective. The illumination light emitted by an illumination device can be coupled via an adapter that can be inserted into the microscope housing.
A microscope with an optical illumination system that enables simple switching between evanescent illumination and reflective illumination is known from US 2004/0001253 A1. The illumination system comprises a laser light source, the light of which is coupled in an optical fiber. Furthermore, an outcoupling optic is provided that focuses the light that exits from the fiber onto a rear focal point of the microscope objective. The optical fiber is movable along a plane that is perpendicular to the optical axis of the microscope objective.
A device for coupling light in a microscope is known from DE 102 29 935 A1. Here, a laser light is directed onto a sample in the illuminated field diaphragm plane by a laser light fiber coupling, which is implemented as a slide. The invention is particularly suitable for the TIRF method.
In scanning microscopy, a sample is illuminated with a light beam to observe the detection light emitted by the sample as reflection or fluorescent light. The focus of an illumination light beam is moved on an object plane with the help of a movable beam deflector, generally by tipping two mirrors, whereby the axes of deflection are usually positioned perpendicular to each other, so that one mirror deflects in the x-direction and the other in the y-direction. The mirrors are tipped with the help, for example, of galvanometric positioners. The power of the light coming from the object is measured dependent on the position of the scanning beam. Generally, the positioners are provided with sensors to determine the actual position of the mirrors. In confocal scanning microscopy in particular, an object is scanned in three dimensions with the focus of a light beam.
A confocal scanning microscope generally comprises a light source, a focusing optic with which the light from the source is focused on a pinhole aperture—the so-called excitation aperture—, a beam splitter, a beam deflector to control the beam, a microscope optic, a detection aperture, and detectors to detect the detection light or fluorescent light. The illumination light is coupled via a beam splitter. The fluorescent light or reflected light emitted by the object returns to the beam splitter via the beam deflector, passes through it, and is subsequently focused onto the detection aperture, behind which are located the detectors. This arrangement of detectors is called a descan arrangement. Detection light that does not originate directly from the focal region takes another light path and does not pass through the detection aperture so that pixel information is obtained, which is converted into a three-dimensional image by sequential scanning of the object with the focus of the illumination light beam. A 3-dimensional image is generally achieved by layered imaging.
Arrangements that increase the resolving power of a confocal scanning microscope are, among other things, given by the intensity distribution and the spatial expansion/extent/extension of the focus of the excitation light beam. An arrangement for increasing the resolving power for fluorescence applications is known from PCT/DE/95/00124. Here, the lateral peripheral areas of the focus volume of the excitation light beam are illuminated with a light beam of a different wavelength, the so-called stimulation light beam, which is emitted from a second laser, in order to return the sample areas stimulated there by the light of the first laser to their normal state. Only the light emitted spontaneously from the areas not illuminated by the second laser is detected so that an overall improvement in resolution is achieved. This method is known as STED (stimulated emission depletion).
For example, a variant of the STED method is known from US 2002/0167724 A1 and from US 6,667,830 B1, in which the sample areas that are excited by the light from the first laser are next excited by the light of the second laser—into a third state. In this variant, known as "up-conversion," increases in resolution are achieved equivalent to those achieved by the variant with directly stimulated de-excitation to the normal state.
Coherent anti-Stokes Raman (CARS) microscopy is an art that is gaining in importance. One great advantage is that the samples do not need to be marked with dyes. Furthermore, living cells may be tested.
In comparison with conventional Raman microscopy and known confocal Raman microscopy, CARS microscopy makes it possible to achieve higher detection light yield, better suppression of interference, and greater ability to separate detection light from illumination light. A detection pinhole and a high-resolution spectrometer are needed in conventional confocal Raman spectroscopy in order to achieve good axial resolution. CARS, by contrast, is a nonlinear optical process (four-wave mixing process). In a manner similar to multi-photon microscopy, in which two or more photons are absorbed simultaneously, no detection pinhole is needed because the probability of in-phase simultaneous convergence of several photons in the focus is at its greatest because of the high photon density. The same axial resolution as with multi-photon microscopy is achieved without a detection pinhole. In CARS spectroscopy, 2 lasers that emit light at different wavelengths are usually used (νP and νS, Pump and Stokes laser), whereby νS should be tunable in order to produce (νCARS=2νP-νS, ICARS˜(IP)2.IS) a CARS spectrum νCARS. If the difference frequency νP-νS agrees with the difference frequency between two molecular vibration states |1 and |0 in the sample, the CARS signal is actually strengthened. The pump light beam and the Stokes light beam are coaxially combined in microscopic applications and are together focused on the same sample volume. The direction in which the anti-Stokes beam is emitted results from the phase-matching condition for the four-wave mixing process.
A device is known from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 4,405,237, "Coherent anti-Stokes Raman device," in which two pulsed laser beams, which are produced by two lasers, and which exhibit different wavelengths in the visible region or in the UV region of the spectrum, are used to illuminate a sample simultaneously. With appropriate wavelength selection, the sample may be excited such that it emits the characteristic coherent anti-Stokes Raman beam.
A method for exciting an evanescently illuminated sample using a two-photon process is known from James W. M. Chon, Min Gu, "Scanning total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy under one-photon and two-photon excitation: Image formation," Appl. Opt. 43, 1063-1071, 2004, and from Florian Schapper, José T. Gonçalves, Martin Oheim, "Fluorescence imaging with two-photon evanescent wave excitation," Eur. Biophys. J. 32, 635-643, 2003.
The previous art for evanescent sample illumination merely enables the testing of sample layers that directly adjoin the cover glass or the sample holder.

Microscope with evanescent wave illumination


The present invention provides a purified expressed δ tryptase polypeptide or fragment or analogue thereof, in particular, the human δ tryptase polypeptide or fragment or analogue thereof. The present invention also provides variants of such polypeptides. The invention further relates to methods of diagnosing disease states based on expression of these polypeptides and methods of screening for compounds that interact, bind and/or modulate the activity of the polypeptides.

Mast cells are highly granulated, tissue-resident, effector cells of the immune system. They may be activated via their high affinity IgE receptors or by a number of alternate mechanisms. Following activation they secrete a variety of preformed mediators including histamine, proteoglycans, and a range of serine proteases that are active at neutral pH. Two major families of these proteases have been identified: chymases and tryptases, and they represent the major protein component of the mast cell.
A role has been proposed for mast cell tryptases in the development of a number of inflammatory diseases, including diseases of the respiratory tract, such as asthma and allergic rhinitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease. Despite the underlying causes of these diseases not being fully understood, it is known that the number of mast cells is increased in the airways of patients with asthma, and in the synovial tissue of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
Accordingly, there is a clear need to elucidate the role of mast cells in inflammatory disease phenotypes and to develop suitable agents for the prevention and/or inhibition of mast cell-mediated inflammation.
There is a wealth of evidence indicating that many mast cell products are pro-inflammatory. However, recent reports suggest that tryptase may be one of the most important in the development of asthma and inflammatory bowel disorders. Tryptases have been shown to inactivate vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), one of only two naturally occurring bronchodilators expressed in the airway, and to induce smooth muscle cell mitosis and hyper-reactivity. More importantly tryptase inhibitors inhibit allergen-induced airway hyperreactivity and markers of inflammation. Tryptase also induces IL-8 secretion from airway epithelial cells, so promoting airway inflammation.
Tryptases have thus become the focus of considerable attention, and there exists a need for the elucidation of effective modulators and inhibitors of tryptases which may be used in treating or preventing mast cell-mediated inflammatory diseases.
A major impediment to determining the role of tryptases, and therefore to developing effective modulators, inhibitors and treatments, has been the confusion over how many different functional human tryptases are expressed. A number of tryptase genes are known to be grouped on chromosome 16, mapping to 16p13.3. These include the gene encoding βI tryptase and its allelic partner αII tryptase, the allelic genes encoding βII and βIII tryptase, two allelic variants of a transmembrane tryptase called gamma (γ) tryptase, and two allelic variants of another tryptase originally named "mMCP-7-like" (Pallaoro et al., 1999; Caughey et al., 2000). Of these, cDNAs have been cloned for all loci except for that encoding "mMCP-7-like" tryptase. Recently the cloning of a more distantly related member, epsilon (ε) tryptase, which is approximately 40% similar to the α/β tryptases has also been described (Wong et al., 2001).
The mMCP-7-like tryptase was so named due to homology between its fifth exon and the murine tryptase mouse mast cell protease (mMCP)-7 (Pallaoro et al., 1999; McNeil et al., 1992). Recently it has been reported (Min et al., 2001) that the mMCP-7-like gene is not transcribed. Based on the examination of a number of human tissues and cell lines for transcription of the mMCP-7-like gene, Min et al. reported that mRNA is absent and concluded that the mMCP-7-like gene is a pseudogene. However the present inventors have surprisingly discovered that the human mMCP-7-like tryptase is indeed expressed and have named the gene, and its polypeptide product delta (δ) tryptase.


Handling or removal of a pair of pre-connected defibrillator electrode pads from their package, or a compartment in the defibrillator, is detected in order to effectively time the issuance of prompts to guide the user. Detection occurs when an impedance level between the electrode pads varies sufficiently over time to indicate occurrence of the handling or removal event. The pads are preferably configured to leverage variability in the impedance that results from bending of pads during handling or removal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrodes, and, more particularly, to monitoring electrodes.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In the US alone, over 350,000 people die annually from Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Many of these victims have no prior warning of heart disease, and 70% die outside the hospital. The only treatment for an SCA victim is to provide an immediate, high-energy electric shock through the heart. Minimizing the time to first shock is critical since, for every minute after 4 minutes, the chances of resuscitation decrease by 10%. If a shock is not applied within 10 minutes, the chances of resuscitation are almost zero.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,700,281, issued on Dec. 23, 1997, hereinafter "the '281 patent," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses the use of prompts to guide a user in assisting an SCA victim. The '281 patent uses impedance values between the electrode pads to determine the stage of a rescue attempt in order to prompt and thereby guide the user. Yet, guidance for the deployment and application of the electrode pads, in a timely manner is not available.

Method of detecting when electrode pads have been handled or removed from their package


A chain drive is provided with an engine hanger bolt. The engine hanger bolt is located in a direction rearwardly in a vehicle-body longitudinal direction and upwardly of a drive sprocket and extends in a vehicle width direction to fix an engine block to a body frame. A guide tube is mounted coaxially with the engine hanger bolt and restricts upward displacement of a drive chain.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a chain drive for a saddle-ride type vehicle in which power of an engine is transmitted to a rear wheel through a drive chain.
2. Description of Related Art
In this type of saddle-ride type vehicle, it is known that the tension on a drive chain varies due to the impact when the vehicle travels on a rough road or accelerates/decelerates. Especially in saddle-ride type vehicles in which a rear wheel is supported by a body frame through a swing arm, the variations in tension of the drive chain coupled with the swing of the swing arm make the drive chain likely to move up and down largely. The large up-and-down movement of the drive chain during traveling of the vehicle makes the drive chain more likely to interfere with the surroundings.
Therefore, as a chain drive for saddle-ride type vehicles which addresses this problem, there is known a chain drive in which a guide member for restricting the movement of the drive chain is mounted to a body frame (for example, see JP-U No. H2-97187).
In the chain drive disclosed in JP-U No. H2-97187, the downwardly opening U-section guide member is fixed to the body frame above a front portion of a swing arm so as to restrict excessive upward displacement of the drive chain.
However, in the above-described chain drive, because the special U-section guide member is mounted to the body frame, the structure of the guide member is complicated and a special mounting portion designed for the guide member needs to be installed on the body frame, which is likely to cause an increase in production costs.

Chain drive for saddle-ride type vehicle


In an embodiment of the invention, an electrolytic solution for a lithium battery including a cathode having a nickel (Ni)-cobalt (Co)-manganese (Mn)-based active material includes a nonaqueous organic solvent, a lithium salt, and adiponitrile. A lithium battery employs the electrolytic solution. A method of operating the battery includes charging the battery to a final charge voltage of about 4.25V or greater.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an electrolytic solution for a lithium battery including a cathode including a nickel (Ni)-cobalt (Co)-manganese (Mn)-based active material, a lithium battery employing the electrolytic solution, and a method of operating the lithium battery.
2. Description of the Related Art
A lithium battery is a battery that converts chemical energy into electrical energy through an electrochemical redox reaction of chemical substances. The lithium battery includes a cathode, an anode, and an electrolytic solution.
Recently, as electronic devices increasingly demand high performance, batteries used therein must have high capacity and high power output. In order to manufacture a battery having high capacity, active materials are used that have high capacity or high battery charging voltage.
However, since a high battery charging voltage increases side reactions between electrodes and the electrolytic solution, lifetime and high-temperature stability characteristics of the battery may deteriorate.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Electrolytic solution for lithium battery, lithium battery employing the same and method for operating the lithium battery


A rinse mechanism rinses reaction cuvettes with first and second detergents. An R1 reagent pipetting mechanism 8 rinses the reaction cuvettes that have been rinsed by the rinse mechanism with a special detergent. A counting unit counts and stores in a storage unit a use frequency of each reaction cuvette for a specific reagent item. A determining unit determines whether the counted use frequency exceeds a predetermined threshold N1. A control unit controls the R1 reagent pipetting mechanism such that, in a case where the counted use frequency exceeds the predetermined threshold N1, the reaction cuvettes, which have exceeded the predetermined threshold N1, are soaked with the special detergent only for a period equal to or less than a value derived by multiplying a pipetting cycle time, which indicates a period when a sample is pipetted, by the total number of reaction cuvettes and a predetermined integer.

An automatic analyzing device is a device for measuring a reaction between a sample and a reagent by a means such as a photometer, and measuring components contained in the sample. The automatic analyzing device pipettes a sample such as blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid from a sample tube or a dedicated container into a reaction cuvette, pipettes a reagent from a reagent bottle into the reaction cuvette, and mixes the sample and the reagent.
In an automatic analyzing device including a disk-shaped reaction disk, reaction cuvettes are arranged in a circumferential direction of the reaction disk. Here, when a specific reagent item easy to stain a reaction cuvette is repeatedly used for a specific reaction cuvette, the reaction cuvette may be stained significantly. In this case, the reaction cuvette becomes unavailable during analytical operation, and analytical throughput decreases.
In the related art, in order to prevent a decrease in analytical throughput attributable to such a significant stain, when a specific reagent item easy to stain a reaction cuvette has been measured, each time after the measurement, the reaction cuvette is rinsed by filling and retaining therein a special detergent for a certain period of time.
In this context, an automatic analyzing device capable of preventing, for each object to be rinsed, a carry-over (carrying over a sample or a reagent to the next analysis) attributable to stains accumulated with a frequency or an hour of use is known (for example, see PTL 1).


A method is provided for a novel application of trigger point dry needling. A target tissue is identified based on the observation of a series of movement patterns performed by the patient. Once identified, a needle movement protocol is used to insert a needle into the target tissue to a myofascial trigger point during one or more movement patterns. The needle protocol is adjusted until a local twitch response is induced.

Acute trauma and repetitive muscle use can cause damage to muscular tissues resulting in inflammation and prolonged contraction. The combination of inflammation and contraction results in a restriction of microcirculation. The restriction lowers the amount of oxygenated blood flow to the site and removal of waste. As a result, the site may become hypoxic from the lack of oxygen, resulting in formation of scar tissue around the injured muscles and connective tissue. Over time, such scar tissue often forms a myofascial trigger point. If not treated properly, myofascial trigger points can limit muscle function, causing compression and irritation of nerves with resulting biomechanical disturbances in gait and function. The disturbances manifest themselves in a symptomatic decrease range of motion and pain.
There are a numerous known techniques used to improve the range of motion and reduce the pain associated with a trigger point. TDN is one of the techniques used to treat myofascial trigger points that are not manually palpable. During TDN, a thin filiform needle is inserted directly into the myofascial trigger point. Insertion of the needle results in a stimulation of the underlying muscle and tissue. The stimulation in many cases releases and inactivates the myofascial trigger point. This stimulation is also known to cause what is known as a Local Twitch Response ("LTR"). The LTR is an involuntary spinal cord reflex that causes a muscle to visibly contract. It can be diagnosed immediately through tactile feedback through a filiform needle. An LTR is critically valuable to the TDN process because it allows recognition of the existence and location of a myofascial trigger point. However, it is often times difficult to achieve an LTR without repeated needle use, which can cause unnecessary pain and muscle damage.
In the prior art, TDN is typically performed with the patient fixed and relaxed position and with no movement of the patient whatsoever during treatment. It is thought that motionless application of TDN prevents or lessens muscle damage during treatment.
The prior art discloses various methods of acupuncture intended to improve a muscle's range of motion and relieve pain, but none are directed at targeting myofascial trigger points using TDN and none require inserting needles at specific angles and specific needle movement protocols as a patient executes a specific repetitive body motion in order to induce LTR.
For example, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014/0128899 to Shin discloses a method of treatment combining a motion style treatment with acupuncture. The method includes applying a "chuna" treatment to relax injured muscles or ligaments, then applying needles to acupuncture points while a patient slowly walks with the help of assistants. Once the patient walks without pain, treatment is terminated. The needles are not manipulated during the procedure. Trigger points are not targeted.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0095087 to Shin discloses a method of treatment of stiff muscles, ligaments, and nerves that combines a motion style treatment with acupuncture. The treatment comprises using "tui na" therapy to relax muscles. During treatment an acupuncture needle is inserted into a muscle at an "acupoint." The muscle is then moved to maximize circulation of "qi." The acupoints are not myofascial trigger points, but rather said to correspond to nerve pathways in the body.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,022,368 to Gavronsky discloses an apparatus for treatment using acupuncture. The apparatus consists of a convex enclosure that includes an acupuncture needle. The enclosure is sealed with adhesive tape. In use, the needle is inserted into the patient at the acupuncture site by puncturing the tape. Then, as the patient performs movement, if the patient does not feel an acupuncture sensation from the needle, a downward pressure is applied to the needle by flattening the enclosure.
It has been recognized by the inventor that TDN is rarely successful unless an LTR is induced. Hence, there is a need for a TDN method to ensure that an LTR will be induced to treat myofascial trigger points that does not require excessive treatment. There is also a need for a TDN method that combines modern patient movement patterns with planned and controlled needle movement protocols at a myofascial trigger point to optimize TDN treatment to maximize therapeutic effect.

Trigger point dry needling in motion and method of use


Shock absorbing body protective pads for use by athletes in contact sports and comprising a pair of heat sealable woven scrim-reinforced plastic film members sealed together to form a plurality of cooperating and interconnected chamber elements therebetween. Each chamber element contains a foam pad constrainably retained within the chamber, and with the interior volume of at least two of the chamber elements being interconnected. A plurality of rigid tubular exhaust ports are arranged to communicate between the chambers and the ambient, with the exhaust ports being disposed along the lateral edges of certain of the chambers, and with these exhaust ports being arranged in oppositely disposed relationship, one to another, so as to insure continued communication with the ambient.

The present invention relates generally to an improved shock absorbing body protective pad for use by athletes in contact sports, and more particularly to such body protective pads which are designed to provide protection against single impacts, as well as multiple and sudden impacts such as are frequently occasioned in contact sports such as hockey, football, soccer, and the like. The body protective padding of the present invention is designed to function and/or address a wide range of energy or impact loading which may occur within a single pad designed for use in various contact sports.
In the past, various techniques have been employed for the fabrication of body protective pads for use by athletes, with such pads frequently employing shock absorbing material such as foam, rubber, or other resilient-compressible materials. More recently, body protective pads have been designed for use by athletes and other competitors in sports, which employ superimposed plastic film members which retain synthetic resinous foam pads within chambers formed in the padding. While such devices have proven to be helpful and useful by athletes in contact sports, some additional features have been found to provide a greater degree of protection and a greater degree of comfort for the wearer-user.


A method is disclosed that is capable of appropriately assigning radio resource even when a propagation quality changes. After receiving the required communication rate from the mobile station, the base station measures the maximum used radio resource, and multiplies the maximum used radio resource by a factor α. Next, the base station subtracts the above result from the total radio resource and obtains the maximum assignable radio resource. Then, the base station calculates an admissible communication rate based on the maximum assignable radio resources. Then, if the required communication rate is less than or equal to the admissible communication rate, the base station admits the request.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of admitting a service request from a mobile station to an admission control device in a mobile communication system that is capable of providing a quality-guaranteed service and a quality-not-guaranteed service at the mobile station, and the admission control device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the conventional circuit switching service, when a base station receives a request for a service from a mobile station, the base station, acting as an admission control device, determines whether the request can be admitted based on the radio resources, specifically, the number of available channels, such as the number of carriers, time slots, codes, etc., assigned to the cell formed by the base station itself, and if the number of the assigned channels is greater than a predetermined value, the base station admits the request.
In a conventional ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) service, when an admission control device, such as an ATM switching system, receives a request for a service from a communication apparatus, the ATM switching system determines whether the request can be admitted based on available capacity of the path, that is, the ATM transmission channel, and on the available buffer for storing ATM cells. If the available capacity of the path and the available buffer are greater than a predetermined value, the base station admits the request.
When packet communications are performed for providing a conventional circuit switching service, because of the quality required by voice and data that share the channel, and because there are a large variety of packets, the communication quality changes after the service request is admitted.
However, as mentioned above, in the conventional circuit switching service, because admission of the request is determined based only on the assigned channels, change of the propagation quality is not considered. This conventional method is not sufficient for a mobile communication system in which the propagation quality changes frequently. In addition, in the conventional ATM service, the capacity of the path and the buffer occupied by the communications are constant after the service request is admitted. Therefore, the method used in the conventional ATM service is not suitable for a mobile communication system in which the communication rate in the cell formed by the base station changes greatly because of variation of interference and movement of the mobile stations.

Admission control method and device in mobile communication system


Embodiments of the present invention provide a voltage level shifter used to translate a binary input signal representing a binary sequence to a binary output signal representing the same binary sequence. The input signal is provided by an input voltage varying between a first input voltage level and a second input voltage level. The output signal is provided by an output voltage varying between a first output voltage level and a second output voltage level. The output signal has a delay relative to the input signal, and the voltage level shifter has a leakage current. The voltage level shifter has a first operating mode and a second operating mode. In the second operating mode, the delay is shorter while the leakage current is higher than in the first operating mode.

Voltage level shifters are well-known and described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 7,541,837, U.S. Pat. No. 7,501,856 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,567,112. Voltage level shifters serve to translate a binary input signal representing a binary sequence to a binary output signal representing the same binary sequence, with different high/low voltages for the output signal and for the input signal, respectively. The input signal is provided by an input voltage varying between a first input voltage level and a second input voltage level. The output signal is provided by an output voltage varying between a first output voltage level and a second output voltage level, of which at least one is different from the corresponding input voltage level.
Quite generally, the requirement for high frequency and low power of processors, notably for mobile products, often results in complex power management schemes with mixing power domains, supplied by different power supply voltages. A level shifter can be a critical cell, as it participates in timing the critical path. Although in many high performance conditions, voltage levels are usually fairly close and a level shifter may not be required in these conditions, the level shifter is often still included with an impact on the overall delay.
Schematically shown in FIG. 1 is an example of a conventional differential voltage level shifter 1. Level shifter 1 comprises an input port 12 for receiving an input signal IN_L, an output port 14 for delivering a corresponding output signal OUT_H, a node 16, supply voltage providers 18 and 20, PMOS transistors 22 and 26, NMOS transistors 24 and 28, and an inverter 30. PMOS 22 and NMOS 24 form a first pull-up-pull-down-stage 22, 24. PMOS 26 and NMOS 28 form a second pull-up-pull-down-stage 26, 28. Each of the first pull-up-pull-down stage and the second pull-up-pull down stage has a first state and a second state and is arranged to deliver the first output voltage level VBB when in its first state and the second output voltage level VPP when in its second state. The first pull-up-pull-down stage and the second pull-up-pull-down stage are cross-coupled. Any one of the first pull-up-pull-down stage and the second pull-up-pull-down stage assuming its first state favors the respective other one of the first pull-up-pull down stage and the second pull-up-pull-down stage to assume its second state. Similarly, any one of the first pull-up-pull-down stage and the second pull-up-pull-down stage assuming its second state favors the respective other one of the first pull-up-pull-down stage and the second pull-up-pull-down stage to assume its first state.
The input signal IN_L is provided by an input voltage VIN which varies between a first input voltage level VSS (low) and a second input voltage level VDD (high). The output signal OUT_H is provided by an output voltage VOUT which varies between the first output voltage level VBB and the second output voltage level VPP. The binary input signal IN_L represents a binary sequence, and the above mentioned components are coupled to each other in such a manner as to translate the binary input signal IN_L to the binary output signal OUT_H so that both signals represent the same binary sequence, but with the high-low voltage difference being higher (or lower) at the output side than at the input side. The input voltage VIN assuming the first input voltage level VSS causes the first pull-up-pull-down stage 22, 24 to assume its second state and the second pull-up-pull-down stage 26, 28 to assume its first state, whereas the input voltage VIN assuming the second input voltage level (VDD) causes the first pull-up-pull-down stage 22, 24 to assume its first state and the second pull-up-pull-down stage 26, 28 to assume its second state.
More specifically, the level shifter 1 operates as follows. When input voltage VIN is at voltage level VSS (low), NMOS 24 and PMOS 26 are conductive (open) whereas NMOS 28 and PMOS 22 are non-conductive (closed), and the output voltage VOUT which is present at node 16 and at output port 14 is at voltage level VPP (high). In contrast, when the input voltage VIN assumes the voltage level VDD (high), NMOS 28 and PMOS 22 are open while NMOS 24 and PMOS 26 are closed, and the output voltage VOUT assumes the voltage level VBB (low).
The double-stage structure formed of first stage 22, 24 and second stage 26, 28 effectively suppresses leakage currents between the VBB-VPP voltage domain (on the input side) and the VSS-VDD voltage domain (on the output side). On the other hand, it involves a fairly important propagation delay, i.e. a time delay between the output signal OUT_H relative to the input signal IN_L. A leakage current in this context is an electric current that persists when the output voltage VOUT has assumed one of its stationary levels (VBB and VPP). Quite generally, a trade-off often needs to be made between leakage currents and the propagation delay.

Voltage level shifter having a first operating mode and a second operating mode


Implementations of this disclosure provide an authentication system for handling authentication requests. An example method performed by a server includes receiving an access request that includes identification information to be used by the server for selecting a target authentication system, and determining that the access request does not have access permission. In response to determining that the access request does not have access permission, the server selects the target authentication system from at least two authentication systems, based on a predetermined authentication system selection policy and based on the identification information in the access request, and sends the access request to the selected target authentication system for authentication.

Before a user accesses a system, the system needs to verify access permission of the user, to determine whether the user has permission to access the system. Specifically, the user sends an access request to the system, and the system determines, based on the received access request, whether the user has access permission. If the user has access permission, the system allows the user to access the system.
In a conventional verification process, an authentication system is usually used to verify access permission of an access request. The authentication system acknowledges access permission of a user based on login information provided by the user, such as a username and a password, and generates permission information after login verification on the user succeeds, so that the system can perform authentication on access permission of the access request based on the permission information in a subsequent access process.

Selecting an authentication system for handling an authentication request


The present invention is directed to an isocyanate blend having an isocyanate group content of from about 16 to about 25% by weight and consisting essentially of:. (A) a modified isocyanate having an isocyanate group content of from about 18 to about 25% by weight and prepared by reacting 1 mole of methylenebis(phenyl isocyanate) with from about 0.1 to about 0.3 moles of a 134 to 700 molecular weight poly-1,2-propylene ether glycol, and PA0 (B) an isocyanate having an isocyanate group content of from about 16 to about 22% by weight and prepared by reacting:. (i) from about 40 to about 60 parts by weight of methylenebis(phenyl isocyanate), PA1 (ii) from 0 to about 10 parts by weight of a carbodiimide group modified methylenebis(phenyl isocyanate) having an isocyanate group content of from about 24 to about 33% by weight, and PA1 (iii) from about 30 to about 50 parts by weight of a polyester diol having a molecular weight of from about 1000 to about 3000, with the amounts of (i), (ii) and (iii) totalling 100 parts by weight,. the weight ratio of (A) to (B) being from 10:1 to 1:10.

Liquid, modified isocyanates produced by reacting methylenebis(phenyl isocyanate) with from about 0.1 to about 0.3 mole of a 134 to 700 molecular weight poly-1,2-propylene ether glycol are known (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,644,457). Also known are liquid, carbodiimide group modified methylenebis(phenyl isocyanates) (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,384,653 and 4,154,752).
Blends of liquid, carbodiimide group modified methylenebis(phenyl isocyanates) with various liquid prepolymers of methylenebis(phenyl isocyanate) are also described in the art (see, e.g., U.S. Patents 4,031,026, 4,065,410 and 4,321,333). Additionally, an isocyanate having an isocyanate group content of about 19% by weight and prepared by reacting (i) methylenebis (phenyl isocyanate), (ii) a carbodiimide group modified methylenebis(phenyl isocyanate) having an isocyanate group content of about 29% by weight and (iii) a 2000 molecular weight polyester diol is commercially available.
Systems are commercially available which are used in o the production of polyurethane shoe soles. In general, these systems comprise a polyether diol, a polyether triol, a chain extender (such as 1,4-butane diol or ethylene glycol), blowing agent, catalyst and surfactant. The use of so-called filled polyols in such systems is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,448,903 and 4,477,602. Although these systems have met with some commercial success, when attempts are made to produce relatively low density parts (such as, e.g., densities in the range of from 0.30 to 0.45 g/cc), low temperature flex fatigue resistance is generally not satisfactory.


The technical solution relates to measurement technology and is intended for measuring the dielectric permittivity and moisture of highly conductive loose, paste-like and fluid materials such as saline slurry, anthracite, ore, crude oil and oil sludge. The present method is based on using a sensor configured as a segment of a long transmission line, and involves feeding a high-frequency probing signal from a generator that is swept through a range of frequencies to an input of the sensor, and measuring harmonic frequencies at which a length of a signal conductor of the sensor is equal to or a multiple of a half-wavelength of the probing signal in the material filling the sensor. The harmonic frequencies are determined based on a voltage minimum at an output of a detector configured as a phase discriminator, the output voltage of which attains a minimum when input signals of the detector are either in-phase or antiphase. Inputs of the detector are coupled to an input and output of the sensor via segments of a coaxial cable which have the same electrical length, said segments being matched at the outputs. Designs for a moisture meter for carrying out the above method are proposed. For the purpose of carrying out measurements in pipelines, the sensor is configured as a conduit having the signal conductor arranged therein. For loose materials in hoppers and on conveyor belts, the sensor is configured as a shield which a U-shaped rod is secured to. The technical result is an increase of measurement accuracy.

WO 2015041568 A1 discloses a method for measuring the physical parameters of a material by using a sensor configured as a segment of a long transmission line having a signal conductor and one or more shielding conductors. The sensor is filled with a controlled material, and a harmonic probing signal generated by a generator is fed to an input of the sensor. The generator is swept through a range of frequencies, and a voltage at an output of a detector configured to convert the harmonic probing signal to a low-frequency voltage is measured during said sweeping. Harmonic frequencies are determined based on minimum values of said voltage, with the harmonic frequencies being frequencies at which a length of the signal conductor of the sensor is equal to or a multiple of a half-wavelength (i.e. is equal to the half-wavelength or equal to a wavelength, or equal to several half-wavelengths) of the probing signal in the material filling the sensor at these frequencies. The harmonic frequency measured when filling the sensor with the controlled material is compared to the harmonic frequency measured when filling the sensor with air, and the physical parameters of the material are determined based on these harmonic frequencies or the ratio thereof. The signal conductor of the sensor is connected to the shielding conductor at its end, and the detector is coupled directly to the input of the sensor.
An apparatus (moisture meter) for performing the above-mentioned method is described in RU 128333 U1, RU 2572087 C2, RU 2572819 C2, RU 2585255 C2, EP 2921848 A1. A detailed description of the prior art apparatus is also given at the following websites: http://fizepr.ru/, http://fizepr.com/.
The prior art moisture meter comprises: a sensor configured as a segment of a long transmission line having a signal conductor and one or more shielding conductors, between which a space is to be filled with a controlled material; a generator coupled to an input of the sensor and configured to generate a high-frequency harmonic probing signal, the generator being configured to be swept through a range of frequencies and having a control input for frequency adjustment; a detector configured to convert the high-frequency probing signal to a low-frequency voltage, the detector being coupled between an output of the generator and the input of the sensor and being provided directly at the input of the sensor; a measurement and control device which the control input of the generator and the output of the detector are coupled to.
The above-mentioned method and apparatus for its performance are characterized by using a direct and absolute technique for dielectric permittivity measurement which relies on measuring the harmonic frequencies of the probing signal and converting a resulting dielectric permittivity value to a moisture value of the controlled material. Said harmonics are resonant frequencies of the segment of the long transmission line of the sensor and are characterized in that the length of the signal conductor of the sensor is equal to or a multiple of the half-wavelength of the electromagnetic probing signal in the material filling the sensor at these frequencies. A criterion for achieving the harmonic frequency (resonant frequency) is a minimum voltage at the output of the detector. The probing signal is highly attenuated, a resonance Q-factor deteriorates, a resonance bandwidth expands and, consequently, a measurement accuracy of moisture reduces in case of conductive materials. A resonance may be absent at all in highly conductive materials. To enable measurements of such materials, for example, measurements of crude oil, the following solution is applied in the prior art moisture meters: the signal conductor (probe) of the sensor is placed inside a dielectric shell—a tube. However, the application of the dielectric shell no longer solves the above-mentioned problem at a high electrical conductivity of the material, for example, as with a saturated salt solution. Furthermore, the dielectric tube cannot be used for some applications of the moisture meter—for example, the dielectric shell is collapsed when arranging such a moisture meter in a lump material flow on a conveyor belt. Using the dielectric shell of the probe reduces the sensitivity and measurement accuracy of the moisture meter. A calibration curve for such a moisture meter is determined by not only the parameters of the controlled material but also parameters of the dielectric tube: its diameter, wall width, and a dielectric permittivity of its component material.
One more drawback of the prior art apparatus selected as a first analogue is a limited range of operating temperatures. In the prior art apparatus, semiconductor diodes included in the detector are coupled directly to the input of the sensor and have substantially the same temperature as the controlled material. Therefore, a range of temperatures for the controlled material in the prior art apparatus is limited to the allowable temperatures of the semiconductor diodes.
RU 2154816 C2 and EP 0829007 B1 disclose a method and apparatus for measuring the physical parameters of a material, in which a sensor configured as a segment of a long transmission line having a signal conductor and two shielding conductors is used. The sensor is filled with a controlled material and a harmonic probing signal generated by a generator is fed to an input of the sensor. A phase difference between the phase of the probing signal having passed through the sensor and segments of a coaxial transmission line, which are coupled to the sensor, and the phase of the signal having passed through the segment of a reference transmission line, which is coupled in parallel to the sensor, is measured and used to determine the moisture of the material.
A moisture meter performing the above-described method comprises: a sensor configured as a segment of a long transmission line having a signal conductor and two shielding conductors, between which a space is to be filled with a controlled material, the shielding conductors being constituted by walls of a metal hopper and the signal conductor being made as a metal rod installed between and parallel to the walls of the hopper; first and second segments of a coaxial transmission line which are coupled to an input and output of the sensor, respectively; a high-frequency harmonic probing signal generator coupled to the input of the sensor through the first segment of the coaxial transmission line; a segment of a reference transmission line having an input coupled to an output of the generator; a phase detector having a first input and a second input, the segment of the reference transmission line having an output coupled through a mixer to the first input of the phase detector, and the second segment of the coaxial transmission line having an output coupled through a second mixer to the second input of the phase detector; a measurement and control device which an output of the detector is coupled to. Intermediate horns configured to provide the reflection-less matching of a wave impedance of the first and second segments of the coaxial transmission line and a wave impedance of the transmission line of the sensor are arranged at the input and output of the sensor. The intermediate horns are coated, at the transition to the sensor, with a layer transparent to the electromagnetic probing signal.
The above-described technical solution is based on dielectric permittivity measurement, but the method used for dielectric permittivity measurement is indirect in the sense that the measurement result depends on the parameters of the segment of the reference transmission line. Correspondingly, this method does not allow achieving a maximum measurement accuracy.
The method for moisture measurement, which is based on measuring the phase difference between the phase of the probing signal having passed through the controlled material and the phase of the signal having passed through the segment of the reference transmission line, is applied in a variety of moisture meters described, for example, in the following monography: Benzar V. K., Tehnika SVCh-vlagometrii.—Minsk: Vysshaya shkola, 1974, 352 pp. Similar to the technical solutions disclosed in this monography, the second analogue has the following drawback: the total phase shift of the signal in the sensor and the segments of the transmission lines which are coupled to the sensor depends on not only the dielectric permittivity of the material filling the sensor but also the matching between the wave impedance of the transmission line of the sensor and the wave impedances of the segments of the transmission line which are coupled to the sensor. The wave impedance of the transmission line of the sensor is different for various controlled materials, and changes as the moisture of the controlled material changes. To reduce the impact of the wave impedance of the sensor on the measured phase difference, it is proposed in the second analogue to arrange the matching horns coated with the layer transparent to the electromagnetic probing signal at the input and output of the sensor. However, the horns provide the matching within a relatively narrow range of wave impedance values, and it is furthermore possible to use the horns only for a narrow range of tasks.
According to the above-described moisture meters, the moisture is calculated based on a measured phase value, for which reason the phase detector should have a stable and linear phase-to-voltage conversion characteristic within the whole range of phase values from 0 to 360°. The conversion linearity of the detector depends on an amplitude of its input signals. In the conductive materials, the probing signal is highly attenuated, which impacts on the linearity of the characteristics of the phase detector. The phase shift of the signal in such materials may exceed manifold 360°. These factors have resulted in a situation where the prior art technical solution has only a restricted application and is not used for controlling the highly conductive materials.
RU 2576552 C1, DE 212015000221 U1 and WO 2016043629 A1 disclose a method and apparatus for measuring the physical parameters of a material, which are closest to the present technical solution.
In this prior art method selected as a prototype, a sensor configured as a segment of a long transmission line having a signal conductor and one or more shielding conductors is used, the sensor being filled with a controlled material. A high-frequency harmonic probing signal generated by a generator is fed to an input of the sensor. The generator is swept through a range of frequencies and a voltage at an output of a detector configured to convert the high-frequency probing signal to a low-frequency voltage is measured during said sweeping. Minimum values of said voltage are used to determine harmonic frequencies at which a length of the signal conductor of the sensor is equal to or a multiple of a half-wavelength of the probing signal in the material filling the sensor at these frequencies. The probing signal is fed from the input of the sensor to an input of the detector through a first additional segment of the transmission line where a traveling-wave mode is provided. The harmonic frequency measured when filling the sensor with the controlled material is compared to the harmonic frequency measured when filling the sensor with air, and the physical parameters of the material are determined based on these frequencies or the ratio thereof.
The apparatus known from RU 2576552 C1, DE 212015000221 U1 and WO 2016043629 A1 comprises: a sensor configured as a segment of a long transmission line having a signal conductor and one or more shielding conductors, between which a space is to be filled with a controlled material; a generator coupled to an input of the sensor and configured to generate a high-frequency harmonic probing signal, the generator being configured to be swept through a range of frequencies and having a control input for frequency adjustment; a detector configured to convert the high-frequency probing signal to a low-frequency voltage; a measurement and control device which the control input of the generator and an output of the detector are coupled to; a first additional segment of a two-conductor transmission line, the first additional segment having an input coupled to the input of the sensor and an output coupled to a first input of the detector. The first additional segment of the transmission line is matched at the output coupled to the detector, which is provided, for example, by coupling a matching resistor in parallel to the output of said segment. The generator has an output coupled to the input of the sensor through an input segment of the transmission line.
Similar to the first analogue, the above-described method and apparatus for its performance are characterized by using a direct and absolute technique for dielectric permittivity measurement, which relies on measuring the harmonic frequencies of the probing signal and converting the resulting dielectric permittivity value to the moisture value of the controlled material. However, this technical solution does not allow obtaining a high measurement accuracy for conductive materials. The reasons for this drawback are the same as for the technical solution selected as the first analogue. These reasons are described in detail above in the paragraphs relating to the first analogue.

Method and device for measuring the physical parameters of a material


The present invention relates to an overcap intended for a pharmaceutical container, in particular a container for an infusion solution or an injection solution, having a receptacle containing at least one preproduced closure stopper accommodated therein, the stopper consisting of a soft plastic material, optionally after pulling off a protective covering, for insertion of a withdrawal cannula, a spike and/or a transfer set.

EP 1 457 429 B1 and prior art references disclosed herein refer to an overcap intended for a pharmaceutical container, in particular a container for an infusion solution or an injection solution, having a preproduced closure stopper accommodated therein, the stopper consisting of a soft plastic material, the closure stopper being weld-connected to the overcap and the overcap having an opening in its end face in which the closure stopper is exposed, optionally after pulling a protective covering, for insertion of a withdrawal cannula, which is characterized in that the welding is carried out in the end face of the overcap, surrounding in a closed manner the opening of the end face, the outer surface of the overcap being unaffected.
According to the overcap the stopper is inserted into the receptacle of the overcap from the bottom thereof. The stopper is fixed to the receptacle of the overcap by welding to the end face of the overcap. This welding furthermore ensures the prohibition of leakage so that the content of the container may leave in case of a non-perfect welding. An insertion of the stopper from the top side of the receptacle of the overcap is impossible according to EP 1 457 429 B1. Nothing avoids the packed solution to get in contact with the stopper materials.
DE 10 2004 034 899 A1 is directed to a concept of a sealing element for a bottle which is covered by an outer foil.
DE 20 2005 013 728 U1 relates to a stopper being inserted into the opening of the bottle and thus does not relate to an overcap.
CN 200951194 Y shows in FIGS. 2 and 5 an overcap for a container with two openings (stoppers). Each opening is covered by a respective stopper. The overcap contains an integral membrane within each opening and below the respective stopper. The stoppers are fixed to the overcap by laborious means and thus do not contain a top surface being exposed. Thus, in case a cannula, a spike and/or a transfer set is to be inserted for the use of parts or whole of the content of the container or for the introduction of new material like a medicament into the container such handling is quite complex.
Thus, the problem of the present invention is to overcome that laborious handling according to the prior art.

Overcap intended for a pharmaceutical container


A fuel cell includes a ceramic component and a sealing component. The sealing component includes a first glass-ceramic layer over the ceramic component and a second glass-ceramic layer over the first glass-ceramic layer, each of the first and the second glass-ceramic layers independently including between about 0.5% and about 50% glass phase content by volume. The first glass-ceramic layer includes a higher glass phase content than the second glass-ceramic layer, and between about 0.5% and about 10% glass stabilizer component by weight.

A fuel cell is a device that generates electricity by a chemical reaction. Typically, in a fuel cell, an oxygen gas, such as O2, is reduced to oxygen ions (O2−) at the cathode, and a fuel gas, such as H2, is oxidized with the oxygen ions to form water at the anode. Among various types of fuel cells, solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) use hard ceramic compounds of metal oxides (e.g., calcium or zirconium oxides) to form components of the fuel cell, such as, for example, the anode, cathode, electrolyte, and interconnect. Generally, the fuel gas is separated from the oxygen gas stream with leak-tight seals. Generally, in SOFCs, leak-tight seals separating the fuel gas from the oxygen gas are exposed to elevated temperatures (e.g. 600-800° C.) during normal operation. Glasses or glass-ceramic materials typically have been used for such leak-tight seals.
Glass materials generally are known to be flexible and compliant at temperatures above their glass transition temperature. Such high flexibility is desirable in order to reduce mechanical stresses caused by the difference in thermal expansion coefficient (CTE) between the sealing material and the ceramic fuel cell component(s) that is being sealed or bonded. Glass materials, however, generally are not chemically stable when exposed to the hydrogen fuel gas or other metallic or ceramic fuel cell components. In addition, glass materials tend to crystallize and lose their flexibility over time when exposed to the elevated temperatures of normal operation of SOFCs.
Although ceramic materials have excellent long term chemical and thermal stability, ceramic materials are generally not compliant at the elevated temperatures of normal operation of SOFCs. Seals and bonds composed of ceramic materials generally induce substantial thermal stresses on the cell components during SOFC operation.
Therefore, there is a need for the development of new sealing and/or bonding materials for fuel cells, in particular materials that can have higher flexibility and also higher mechanical, chemical, and thermo-physical stability.

Multilayer glass-ceramic seals for fuel cells