A telescoping assembly includes a drawer slide member that is slidable toward its retracted position to unlock a trigger lever interconnecting intermediate and cabinet slide members, thereby permitting relative movement between the intermediate and cabinet slide members. Otherwise, the trigger lever acts to block rearward movement of the intermediate slide member toward its retracted position relative to the stationary cabinet member.

This invention relates to drawer slide hardware, and particularly to an over and under telescoping slide assembly provided with a ball bearing slide mechanism. More particularly, this invention relates to a disconnectable over and under telescoping slide assembly having a drawer slide member that is slidable toward a retracted position to break a locked connection retaining an intermediate slide member in a partly extended position with respect to a stationary cabinet slide member.
A telescoping slide assembly is mounted in a cabinet to support a drawer or chassis for movement between a retracted position inside the cabinet and an extended position projecting outside of the cabinet. In most instances, a telescoping slide assembly includes at least three slide members. The first slide member is a stationary unit fixed to a cabinet and the second slide member is an intermediate unit extensible within limits from the stationary unit. The third slide member is extensible within limits from the intermediate unit and is the unit to which a drawer or electronic chassis is attached. In an "over and under" slide assembly, the third slide member is slidable along a path above the first slide member, whereas, in a "side by side" slide assembly, the third slide member is slidable along a path provided along the side of the first slide member.
One object of the present invention is to provide a telescoping slide assembly having a drawer slide member that is slidable along a path relative to the intermediate slide member to unlock a locking mechanism blocking relative movement of the intermediate slide member and the cabinet slide member so that the intermediate slide member is unlocked and movable from a partly extended position projecting away from the cabinet slide member to a retracted position alongside the stationary cabinet slide member.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a locking mechanism that is configured to block relative movement of the intermediate slide member and the cabinet slide member in order to retain the intermediate slide member in a partly extended position and that is positioned on the intermediate slide member to be engaged by the drawer slide member as it slides relative to the intermediate slide member to a retracted position. Advantageously, the locking mechanism is moved to an unlocked position by the moving drawer slide member so that the intermediate slide member is free to move relative to the fixed cabinet slide member.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an easily disconnectable drawer slide member suitable for use in an over and under telescoping slide assembly.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an over and under telescoping slide assembly having a drawer slide member that can be disconnected from an intermediate slide member of the slide assembly by sliding the drawer slide member until it disengages the intermediate slide member so that a drawer or chassis mounted on the drawer slide member can be removed quickly and easily from a cabinet in which the slide assembly is mounted.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an over and under telescoping slide assembly having a drawer slide member that slides in an intermediate slide member to disconnect the drawer slide member from the intermediate slide member and also to reinstall the drawer slide member in the intermediate slide member.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an over and under telescoping slide assembly having a drawer slide member that is slidable on ball bearings retained in an intermediate slide member of the slide assembly to a position disengaging the intermediate slide member so that the drawer slide member can be disconnected from the intermediate slide member while the ball bearings are retained in the intermediate slide member.
According to the present invention, a telescoping slide assembly is provided for supporting a movable drawer in a cabinet. The slide assembly includes a stationary cabinet slide member for mounting on the cabinet, a drawer slide member for carrying the drawer, and an intermediate slide member. The intermediate slide member includes a support bracket slidably connected to the cabinet slide member and an outer section fixed to the support bracket for movement therewith. The outer section is formed to include channel means for receiving the drawer slide member therein.
Supporting means is retained in the channel means for slidably supporting the drawer slide member in the channel means. The drawer slide member is slidable relative to the outer section from a retracted position in the outer section to a release position disengaging the outer section. In operation, the drawer slide member and a drawer mounted thereon is slidably disconnected from the outer section of the intermediate slide member without removing the supporting means from the channel means of the outer section as soon as the sliding drawer slide member exits from the channel means of the outer section at the release position.
In preferred embodiments, the supporting means includes a bearing race containing a plurality of ball bearings arranged to engage both of the outer section and the drawer slide member. These ball bearings roll freely in the channel means formed in the outer section as the drawer slide member is extended and retracted with respect to the outer section.
The supporting means also includes means for retaining the bearing race and its ball bearings in the channel means upon disengagement of the drawer slide member and the outer section at the release position. The retaining means includes at least one stop lug mounted on the outer section and positioned to engage the bearing race during movement of the drawer slide member toward its release Position disengaging the outer section. The stop lugs block further movement of the bearing race so that the ball bearings supporting the drawer slide member remain with the race in the outer section of the intermediate slide member following disengagement of the drawer slide member and the outer section.
The telescoping slide assembly further includes a locking lug on the cabinet slide member, a trigger lever including a hook arm and an actuator arm, and means for pivotably coupling the trigger lever to the intermediate slide member for movement between locked and unlocked positions. In the locked position, the hook arm is placed in engagement with the locking lug to block movement of the intermediate slide member relative to the cabinet slide member from a partly extended position toward a fully retracted position. In the unlocked position, the hook arm and the locking lug are disengaged to permit movement of the intermediate slide member toward the fully retracted position.
The telescoping slide assembly further includes spring means for yieldably biasing the trigger lever to its locked position so that the hook arm is arranged to engage the locking lug upon movement of the intermediate slide member to the partly extended position. The actuator arm of the trigger lever is positioned by the coupling means to lie in the path of the drawer slide member as the drawer slide member reciprocates in the channel means.
In operation, the drawer slide member is movable relative to the intermediate slide member to contact the actuator arm. The drawer slide member is movable in the same direction a further amount against the actuator arm to pivot the trigger lever from its locked position to its unlocked position so that the intermediate slide member is movable relative to the cabinet slide member from its partly extended position toward its fully retracted position. The drawer slide member acts to retain the trigger lever in its unlocked position as long as the drawer slide member remains in its fully retracted position with respect to the intermediate slide member.
One feature of the present invention is provision of a drawer slide member that slidably engages an intermediate slide member to establish connection of the drawer slide member to a telescoping slide assembly mounted in a cabinet. Advantageously, the drawer slide member in accordance with the present invention is easily incorporated into an over and under slide so that a drawer or chassis mounted on the slidable drawer slide member can be removed from the cabinet by sliding the drawer side member until it disengages the tracks provided in the outer section of the intermediate slide member. In addition, the drawer can be reinstalled in the cabinet simply by inserting each drawer slide member mounted onto the drawer into the open end of a companion outer section mounted on the intermediate slide members to establish sliding engagement of the drawer slide member and the intermediate slide member.
A telescoping slide assembly having a drawer slide member that is slidably engageable and disengageable from an intermediate slide member is an improvement over known telescoping slide assemblies having a drawer shelf that is configured to be lifted off an underlying drawer slide member to disconnect a drawer or chassis mounted on the drawer shelf from the rest of the slide assembly. It has been observed that such "lift off" shelves are difficult to remove and remount in practice. Further, lift-off shelves are typically made of thin material so that they are fragile and easily damaged during shipment and actual operation.
Another feature of the present invention is the provision of supporting means retained in the channel means of the intermediate slide member for slidably supporting the drawer slide member in the channel means. Advantageously, the drawer slide member is completely removable from sliding engagement with the outer section of the intermediate slide assembly without removing any of the drawer slide member-supporting bearing means from the channel means. It has been observed that bearing means, especially ball bearings covered with a coating of grease, can become contaminated if removed from the intermediate slide member upon disconnection of the drawer slide member from the rest of a telescoping slide assembly. Further, it is oftentimes difficult to install a drawer slide member on an intermediate slide member if ball bearings are carried by the drawer slide member.
Yet another feature of the present invention is the provision of a telescoping slide assembly having a drawer slide member that is slidable toward its retracted position to unlock a trigger lever interconnecting intermediate and cabinet slide members. Otherwise, the trigger lever acts to block rearward movement of the intermediate slide member toward its retracted position relative to the stationary cabinet member. This represents an improvement over conventional manually actuated slide member-locking mechanisms which must necessarily be situated in a position on a telescoping slide assembly that is accessible to a user at the proper time.
Additional objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.

Over and under telescoping slide assembly


A display device and a method for remotely controlling the display device are disclosed. A controller executes a first application and a second application. A display displays a main window, which displays an execution screen of the executed first application, and a first sub window which displays an execution screen of the executed second application, on a screen. A receiver receives a focus switching signal from a first remote controller and a coupling signal containing an identifier from a second remote controller. The controller switches a focused window based on the received focus switching signal and implements coupling between the focused window and the second remote controller in response to the received coupling signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device and a method for remotely controlling the display device and more particularly, to a display device and a remote control method for the display device using a remote controller.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Display devices have, for example, a function for receiving and processing a broadcast image viewable by a user. Such a display device may display a broadcast, which is selected by the user from among broadcast signals transmitted from a broadcast station, on a display. Currently broadcasters are transitioning from analog broadcasting to digital broadcasting.
Digital broadcasting refers to broadcasting of transmitting digital audio and video signals. Digital broadcasting has low data loss due to robustness against external noise, favorable error correction, high resolution and high-definition screen, as compared with analog broadcasting. In addition, digital broadcasting may provide a bidirectional service unlike analog broadcasting.
To enable utilization of digital broadcasting, multimedia devices have been developed to have higher performance and a greater number of functions than conventional multimedia devices and in turn, services available to the multimedia devices have been diversified into Internet services, Video On Demand (VOD), electronic album services, and the like.
In conventional display devices, in the case in which a plurality of applications is displayed on a screen, a user is able to control each application by focusing a single remote controller on one of the applications that the user wishes to control and then, pressing a specific key on the remote controller. Accordingly, if two or more users attempt to simultaneously utilize his/her own application, operation of multiple applications is not possible, but each user who wishes to control his/her own application must wait their turn to use the remote controller.

Display device and method for remotely controlling display device


An inductance element (1) comprises a core (2) having a multilayer body (6) composed of magnetic alloy thin ribbons (5) and an insulating coating layer (7) which covers the peripheral surface of the multilayer body without being bonded thereto, and a coil (4) wound around the core (2). The magnetic alloy thin ribbons (5) are stacked in a non-adhered state or with a flexible insulating adhesive layer therebetween. Having such a structure, the inductance element can stably attain good characteristics even when it is small-sized or made short.

In recent years, a system for transmitting a signal by a radio wave between outside equipment and data carrier parts which are provided with an antenna element and a circuit element for storing data is being used in various fields. As data carrier parts, RF tag (signal frequency: 120 to 140 kHz (typically, 134.2 kHz)), a pen tag (signal frequency: 500 kHz) and noncontact IC card (signal frequency: 13.56-MHz band) are being put into practical use for management of various types of articles, physical distribution management, entering and leaving management, various types of tickets, a car-mounted keyless entry and immobilizer, various types of portable equipment such as portable telephones and the like.
And, a system of conducting the transmission of a signal with outside equipment by a radio wave is also used for the radio-controlled timepieces such as a wristwatch type radio-controlled timepiece, a stationary radio-controlled timepiece, and a car-mounted radio-controlled timepiece. Such a radio-controlled timepiece uses a signal carrier frequency of 40 to 120 kHz. For example, a signal carrier frequency of 40 kHz or 60 kHz is used in Japan and the United States, and a signal carrier frequency of 78 kHz is used in Europe. The radio-controlled timepiece is provided with an antenna element corresponding to such a signal carrier frequency.
For the antenna element of the data carrier parts, the radio-controlled timepieces and the like, an air-cored coil, or an inductive device (inductor) which combines a magnetic core and a coil is used. Among them, it is difficult to obtain inductance L and Q value (quality factor Q=ω•L/R (ω: angular frequency, L: inductance, R: resistance)) which are sufficiently used in a low frequency range of about a few hundred kHz or less by the air-cored coil. Therefore, the inductor element which has the magnetic core and the coil combined is mainly used for the antenna element which is used in a low frequency region (long-wave band).
Conventionally, it is general to use ferrite for the core of the antenna element, but the ferrite is brittle and has drawbacks that it is cracked if deformed only slightly and has a low magnetic permeability in terms of the magnetic characteristics. Therefore, the ferrite core cannot be used for the antenna element which is required to be thin and compact. Especially, the portable equipment is required to have shock resistance, so that its sufficient miniaturization cannot be achieved by using the ferrite which is easily cracked. The ferrite also has a disadvantage that a stable temperature characteristic cannot be obtained because it has a low Curie-point of about 200° C.
In connection with the circumstances described above, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3 disclose that a multilayer body of amorphous magnetic alloy thin ribbons or nanocrystalline magnetic alloy thin ribbons is used for the magnetic core for antenna. But, the conventional antenna element, which is configured by winding a coil around the multilayer body (core) of the magnetic alloy thin ribbons, has not provided sufficient characteristics for compactness and high performance demanded to be achieved for the data carrier parts and radio-controlled timepieces.
For example, in a case where the antenna element is applied to portable equipment or the like, it is important that the antenna element is disposed within a limited space, so that it is sometimes necessary to dispose it in a bent state. But, for example, Patent Documents 2 and 3 cannot bend easily because the magnetic thin ribbons are mutually adhered with an insulating resin and the magnetic core has high rigidity. Even if the magnetic core can be bent, the characteristics of the magnetic alloy thin ribbons are degraded by a high stress produced when the magnetic core is bent. A magnetic core having a rectangular parallelepiped shape has a limited mounting style. Therefore, there are demands for a magnetic core of which characteristics are not degraded largely even if it is bent and an antenna element (inductor) using such a magnetic core.
To realize an essentially small and high-performance antenna element, it is important to further enhance the magnetic characteristics such as inductance L and Q value. The characteristics of the antenna element are influenced by not only the characteristics of the magnetic alloy thin ribbon but also its shape and size and the manufacturing conditions. But, an antenna element using a multilayer body (core) of existing magnetic alloy thin ribbons has not been studied enough about factors influencing on the characteristics when it is made compact and short. Therefore, characteristics (e.g., inductance L and Q value) conforming to the miniaturization and high performance which are demanded for the data carrier parts and radio-controlled timepieces have not been achieved.
Patent Document 3 discloses that induced magnetic anisotropy is provided to a magnetic alloy thin ribbon in its width direction. The magnetic alloy thin ribbon having the magnetic anisotropy provided in the width direction of the thin ribbon has characteristics (e.g., good Q value) which are demanded for an antenna element generally used in a relatively high frequency range, but the characteristics might become low depending on the used frequency region. Besides, Patent Document 3 discloses that magnetic alloy thin ribbons fabricated into a desired shape are stacked, and a heat treatment (heat treatment in a magnetic field) is performed while applying a magnetic field in the width direction of the thin ribbons, thereby providing induced magnetic anisotropy to the magnetic alloy thin ribbons in the width direction. But, when the width of the magnetic alloy thin ribbons is narrowed to realize the miniaturization of the antenna element, an influence of the demagnetizing field cannot be neglected, and there is a possibility that the characteristics of the antenna element are decreased.                Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. Hei 5-267922        Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. Hei 7-221533        Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. Hei 7-278763

Inductive device and method for manufacturing same


A hypoallergenic composition for the induction of protein tolerance in at risk individuals of protein allergy. The composition contains (i) a xe2x80x9cnon allergenicxe2x80x9d protein extensively hydrolyzed basis and/or of (ii) a free amino acid basis. The composition contains, as an active ingredient, at least one tolerogenic peptide of the allergenic protein.

This invention relates to a hypoallergenic composition containing specific tolerogenic peptides of proteins, wherein the composition can induce oral tolerance to the native proteins. It also relates to the use of tolerogenic peptides of milk protein for the preparation of a composition inducing immunological tolerance to milk proteins.
During the common process of nutrition, dietary proteins are presented to the immune system via the gut, followed by an immune unresponsiveness to the ingested nutrients. This vital phenomenon, called oral tolerance, is efficient for the large majority of people. If oral tolerance fails, food allergy occurs, requiring the strict avoidance of the incriminated food.
Targeted food avoidance represents a hard task for adult patients with food allergy. For example, to strictly remove cow""s milk from the diet of allergic infants might be even more difficult, especially if breastfeeding is not possible or desired.
The allergies to cow""s milk and to the formulas containing cow""s milk adapted to the needs of infants are due to the fact that the proteins of cow""s milk differ from the proteins of mother""s milk and can constitute allergens. Among whey proteins, xcex2-lactoglobulin is the major component and is a strong allergen.
Besides breastfeeding, the primary recommendation for prevention, hypoallergenic formulae are systematically prescribed to xe2x80x9cat riskxe2x80x9d newborns, namely asymptomatic infants with atopic parents.
In contrast to adapted formulae, cow""s milk proteins have been hydrolyzed in hypoallergenic formulae, to decrease the potential allergenicity. This approach has been demonstrated to be efficient in order to prevent sensitization by native proteins present in the adapted formulae.
Thus, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,571 a protein hydrolysate was prepared by pancreatic hydrolysis, coagulation of non-hydrolyzed proteins by a heat treatment and ultrafiltration to eliminate the coagulated residual proteins and the macropeptides that could constitute allergens. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,532 provides an improved process for the preparation of a hydrolysate of animal milk proteins substantially reduced in allergens, in which a whey product was subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis.
Two different types of hypoallergenic formulae are proposed to high-risk babies: partially and extensively hydrolyzed formulae, differentiated by the extent of hydrolysis of the native proteins. But as is clear from the art cited above, the primary focus to date in dealing with allergies to cow""s milk has been to find preparations that will not induce an allergic response, i.e. to provide non-allergenic formulations. Nonetheless, while such formulations have permitted a person allergic to cow""s milk to avoid an allergic response, they do not solve the problem which is to enable a person to drink unaltered milk products.
More recently, it has been investigated that partially hydrolyzed milk formulations are not only of reduced allergenicity but can induce immunological tolerance to milk proteins (see, e.g., European patent application 0 827 679). Extensively hydrolyzed formulae are specially designed for treating patients allergic to cow""s milk proteins but their ability to induced long-term oral tolerance is questioned.
Thus, European patent application 0 629 350 discloses the use of non-allergenic whey protein hydrolysates which are said to be capable of inducing cow""s milk protein tolerance. Although this patent application indicates that whey protein hydrolysates substantially free of allergenic proteins could be used to induce cow""s milk protein tolerance in children at risk of cow""s milk allergy, the present inventors found on analyzing other non-allergenic whey protein hydrolysates that non-allergenicity did not necessarily translate into the ability to induce cow""s milk protein tolerance. Indeed, some of the formulations exhibiting the highest degree of non-allergenicity were found to be unsuitable for inducing cow""s milk protein tolerance.
Although Lo, C. W. and Kleiman, R. E. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1996, 63 (4), 646S-650S) suggest that infant formula containing tolerogenic peptides could be used for treating allergic diseases or suppressing the development of autoimmune disorders, it is clear that the art lacked the information to provide formulae that would be the most suitable for tolerance induction The present invention now overcomes the shortcomings of the art.
This invention relates to a hypoallergenic composition for the induction of protein tolerance in at risk individuals of protein allergy. The composition contains (i) a xe2x80x9cnon-allergenicxe2x80x9d extensively hydrolyzed proteins basis and/or (ii) a free amino acid basis, and comprises as the active ingredient at least one tolerogenic peptide of the allergenic protein.
In a preferred embodiment, the tolerogenic peptide is present in the form of (i) one or more isolated tolerogenic peptidic fractions of hydrolysis of proteinaceous material containing the allergenic protein, and/or (ii) one or more synthetically prepared tolerogenic peptides.
This composition also contains a source of nitrogen which may provide 7 to 25% of the total energy, a source of carbohydrates which may provide at least 28 to 66% of the total energy, a source of lipids which may provide at least 25 to 60% of the total energy and at least one tolerogenic peptide of the different proteins.
A major advantage of this composition is to induce oral tolerance in xe2x80x9cat riskxe2x80x9d individuals, in order to avoid eventual sensitization by use of native tolerogens. Moreover, the tolerogenic peptides derived from protein hydrolysis offer both hypoallergenic and tolerogenic properties and induce oral tolerance at the humoral and cellular levels.
This composition is particularly intended for individuals at risk of milk protein allergy.
Another aspect of the present invention is the use of tolerogenic peptides of milk proteins for the preparation of a hypoallergenic composition intended for mammals susceptible to cow""s milk allergy.
In a preferred embodiment, tolerogenic peptides are from milk origin and particularly from xcex2-Lactoglobulin (xcex2-LG), xcex1-lactalbumin, bovin serum albumin or casein origin.
For the preparation of the composition, tolerogenic peptides may be used in the form of peptidic fractions containing the following peptides: H2N-I-D-A-L-N-E-N-K-COOH, H2N-V-L-V-L-D-T-D-Y-K,-K-COOH or H2N-T-P-E-V-D-D-E-A-L-E-K-F-D-K-COOH from xcex2-Lactoglobulin.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method for the preparation of tolerogenic peptides useful in the induction of protein tolerance in at risk individuals to protein allergy, wherein:
(i) a proteinaceous material containing the allergenic protein is hydrolyzed to a degree of hydrolysis of about 10 to 50%;
(ii) then treated to inactivate residual enzyme activity; and
(iii) the protein hydrolysate solution is clarified and submitted to precipitation treatment or passed into a chromatography column filled with appropriated resin to extract the tolerogenic peptidic fractions.
In the present invention, the term tolerance is to be understood as a state of specific immunological unresponsiveness. Both humoral (antibodies) and cell-mediated (lymphocyte . . . ) pathways of the immune response may be suppressed by tolerance induction. A breakdown of oral tolerance is considered to be the underlying cause of food allergy.
The term xe2x80x9callergenxe2x80x9d is to be understood as a protein or macropeptide capable of initiating allergic reactions in humans, particularly at risk infants or nurslings. Infants are considered being xe2x80x9cat riskxe2x80x9d of protein allergy when either one or two parents or one sibling is atopic.
The term xe2x80x9ctolerogenic peptidexe2x80x9d is to be understood as a proteic fragment or fragments corresponding to parts of the native protein, sized from 200 to 6000 Daltons (xe2x80x9cDaxe2x80x9d), corresponding to about 3 to 50 amino acids, and preferably between 500 to 3000 Da and being able to induce specific oral tolerance to native proteins.
The term xe2x80x9cnon-allergenic basisxe2x80x9d is to be understood as a nitrogen source containing a well-balanced amino-acids composition. The xe2x80x9cnon-allergenicityxe2x80x9d is defined for milk proteins as residual allergenicity of individual whey proteins not exceeding 1 ppm and as residual allergenicity of total caseins not exceeding 10 ppm.
The hypoallergenic composition may contain as a source of nitrogens, peptides or free amino acids and particularly from milk proteins such as whey proteins, xcex1-lactalbumin, xcex2-lactoglobulin, bovine serum albumin, casein acid, caseinates, or xcex1, xcex2, xcexa-casein, for example. The source of nitrogen can provide at least 7 to 25% of the total energy.
As a source of carbohydrates, lactose, saccharose, starch or maltodextrin may be used. Carbohydrates may provide at least 28 to 66% of the total energy.
Vegetable oils or butter oil are preferably used as a source of lipids that may provide at least 25 to 60% of the total energy.
Vitamins, oligoelements and minerals can be added in an amount sufficient to meet daily requirements.
The composition according to the present invention comprises as the active ingredient at least one tolerogenic peptide of the allergenic protein, wherein the tolerogenic peptide has been selected for its ability to induce oral tolerance.
The tolerogenic peptides can be obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis of proteinaceous material containing the allergenic proteins that are responsible for allergies in at risk individuals, followed by isolation of tolerogenic peptidic fractions. These peptidic fractions enriched in said tolerogenic peptides can be obtained by separation of the protein hydrolysate. The tolerogenic peptides may also be present in the composition in the form of synthetically prepared tolerogenic peptides.
The composition contain an amount sufficient to induce oral tolerance which is preferably the one which allows a complete oral tolerance induction, namely the one which prevents from any reaction after DBPCFC (double blind placebo controlled food challenge) performed with cow""s milk. Accordingly, tolerogenic peptides may be present in an amount of about 0.01% to 10% (nitrogen source of the protein), for example and preferably about 0.1 to 0.2% of total peptides.
In the particular case of tolerance to milk proteins, the composition may contain tolerogenic peptides from milk origin such asxe2x80x94lactoglobulin or caseins, for example. Tolerogenic peptides may thus be in the form of a peptidic fraction comprising at least one of the following peptides: H2N-I-D-A-L-N-E-N-K-COOH, H2N-V-L-V-L-D-T-D-Y-K,-K-COOH or H2N-T-P-E-V-D-D-E-A-L-E-K-F-D-K-COOH from-xcex2-lactoglobulin.
In a preferred embodiment, a method for the preparation of tolerogenic peptides comprises the following steps:
(i) a proteinaceous material containing the allergenic protein is hydrolyzed to a degree of hydrolysis of about 10 to 50%;
(ii) then treated to inactivate residual enzyme activity; and
(iii) the protein hydrolysate solution is clarified and submitted to precipitation treatment or passed into a chromatography column filled with appropriated resin and tolerogenic peptidic fractions are recovered.
This preferred method is well suited to treatment of hydrolysates prepared from various protein concentration (Ntot %=N * 6.38) for modifying the ratio of tolerogenic activity by residual antigenicity from proteinaceous material. If one defines arbitrarily the antigenicity of a native protein to be 106 (as 106 xcexcg/g of protein), and the tolerogenic response to be 1, then, for a native protein, this ratio is 10xe2x88x926. Therefore, the ratio qualifying the tolerogenic activity of one given fraction or tolerogenic peptide should be at least 2xc3x9710xe2x88x922.
The proteinaceous material to be treated may be any composition containing protein material and in particular solution or dispersion of milk proteins: whey proteins, acid whey protein, sweet whey proteins, whey protein concentrates, whey protein isolate, demineralized whey powder or caseinates, for example.
In general, the protein content may vary within the range of about 70 to 95% by weight but the starting material is preferably as rich in protein as possible.
The proteins present in the proteinaceous material can be modified with proteolytic enzymes into protein hydrolysate having a degree of hydrolysis (xcex1-amino-N/Ntot) of preferably about 10-50%.
The proteolytic enzymes may be for example, from animal or vegetable origins (pepsin, chymotrypsin, trypsin, intestinal mucosa extract, pancreatic extracts, chymosin, papain, bromelain, ficin), bacterial or fungi origins (serine and metalloproteases from Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis, Aspergillus orysae, Aspergillus wentii and acidic proteases from Aspergillus orizae, Aspergillus wentii, Mucor miehei, Mucorpusillus, Endothia parasitica) or a combination of these.
During hydrolysis, concentration of proteinaceous material in solution or in suspension is preferably around 5-20% by weight and could be pasteurized before introducing proteases. The ratio enzyme/protein may be 0.1-10% weight/weight and preferably of about 0.25 to 4%.
Hydrolysis may be conducted at a temperature of about 35xc2x0 C. to 65xc2x0 C., during 30 minutes to 10 hours, preferably 30 min to 4 hours at pH values within the range 2.5 to 11, preferably 4.5, 7.0, 8.0, and 8.5. If desired the pH of the solution can be adjusted and regulated with citric acid, food grade HCl or NaOH, NH4OH, KOH, Ca (OH)2 for instance at a concentration of 2N pure or in blend.
Then, the protein hydrolysate may be submitted to a heat treatment of about 0.1 to 10 min at a temperature of about 70 to 110xc2x0 C. to inactivate residual enzymes (i.e., proteases).
The protein hydrolysate solution thus obtained can be clarified by centrifugation and/or ultrafiltration to remove insoluble and intact proteins respectively, and the clear solution is recovered. It is possible to use at industrial scale different type of membranes (spiral, tubular, flat, allow fibers) made with different materials (minerals, polysulfone, . . . ) and having different cut off limits between 1,000 and 100,000 Daltons. Depending on the type of enzyme, the hydrolysis conditions and the type of membranes the modification of the tolerogenic fractions should be sufficient at this step.
The recovered clear hydrolysate solution can, if desired, be concentrated by evaporation to a dry solid content of 10-50% for a subsequent treatment or spray dried if enrichment in tolerogenic peptides is sufficient.
The protein hydrolysate solution thus obtained can be submitted to precipitation treatment by solvent, acid, or salts, for example, followed by a centrifugation. In the precipitation treatment, concentration of hydrolysate solution increases the yield and reduces the quantities of solvent. For example, ethanol may be added to obtain a final concentration within 15-60% volume/volume at a temperature of about 4xc2x0 C. to 25xc2x0 C. After one hour of incubation, a centrifugation (30 min at 4500 g) should separate soluble and insoluble peptides. Depending on the proteolysate, an acid (phosphoric or hydrochloric, for example) or phospho-calcic precipitation can be used. Then, solvents can be removed by evaporation and salts by electrodialysis.
The clear solution and the insoluble fraction are preferably recovered.
The protein hydrolysate solution thus obtained may be passed into a column filled with adsorption, ion exchange or hydrophobic resin at a flow rate of 0.1-4 column volumes per hour at a temperature of about 4xc2x0 C. to 60xc2x0 C. Before the chromatography treatment, the protein hydrolysate can be concentrated to provide a solution having a dry solid content of 8-35% by weight.
During chromatography, a fraction of peptide is absorbed into the resin by passing the hydrolysate solution into a column filled with the convenient support at a rate of 0.1-4 column volumes per hour. It is possible to use at industrial scale the different types of chromatography as: ion exchange, hydrophobic interactions, reverse phases, adsorption (hydroxyapatite, active charcoal, polystyrene base hydrophobic resins . . . ) or covalent chromatography.
In the chromatography treatment, the amount of hydrolysate solution per liter of resin filled column can be as high as 5 liters with the respect to dry solids of 10%. Preferably, a hydrolysate solution having 20-1000 g of dry solid per liter of resin is passed into the resin filled column. The chromatography treatment may be carried out at a pH of about 2 to 10 preferably 6-8, for the clarified hydrolysate solution. The chromatography treatment can be conducted at a temperature of about 4xc2x0 C. to 60xc2x0 C.
For example, the chromatography treatment to select tolerogenic fractions from xcex2-lactoglobulin may consist in using:
a strong cationic resin equilibrated with 0.1 N HCl at a flow rate of 1 volume/hour. The non-retained fraction was eluted with 3 volumes of water, the second fraction (fraction containing tolerogenic peptides) was eluted with 0-0.5 N NaOH, and the third fraction was eluted with 0.1 N HCl.
a reverse phase (C18) resin equilibrated with pure water. Non retained fraction was eluted with water, then step by step (20% and 40% of ethanol) the second and the third were recovered.
a strong anionic resin equilibrated with 0.1N NaOH. Non retained fraction was eluted by 3 volumes of water. The second fraction was eluted with 0.5N HCl, the third one with 0.1 N NaOH.
The most preferred method is to treat with resin a neutral solution, in that case, no pH adjustment is required-after hydrolysis step and the salt content of the product will be lower.
To conclude the chromatography treatment, the column can be eluted with pure water, then water containing salts, buffer, acids, bases, or organic solvents at a temperature of 4-60xc2x0 C. Elution is realized step by step or by a gradient of concentration. The solutions that have passed through the column are recovered. If necessary, salts, solvents, acids, bases, are removed from the recovered solution, and the recovered solutions can be concentrated to a dry solids content of 35-65% and spray dried.
These peptides are then specific fragments corresponding to a part of the native protein sequence or to a part of the specific tryptic peptides of hydrolyzed protein.
These tolerogenic peptides can be used for the preparation of a composition inducing oral tolerance to native proteins, said composition is intended for mammals susceptible to protein allergy and particularly human and pets.

Hypoallergenic composition containing tolerogenic peptides


A process for estimating the lubricant viscosity in a bearing comprises the steps of: monitoring acoustic emissions from the bearing with an acoustic emission sensor; monitoring the bearing for at least one of speed, load and temperature; demodulating the acoustic emission signal from the acoustic emission sensor; calculating the root mean square values of the demodulated acoustic emission signal and storing the calculated root mean square values; aligning the root mean square values with values of one or more of speed, load and temperature and storing the aligned values; using the aligned root mean square values, and at least one of speed, load and temperature in a model which calculates viscosity and/or viscosity ratio from the aligned values.

In order for a rolling element bearing to operate in a reliable way it must be lubricated adequately. Lubricant prevents metal to metal contact within the bearing and protects surfaces within the bearing against corrosion. It is therefore important to select the proper lubricant and lubrication method for each individual bearing application, as well as a correct maintenance program.
In some instances, particularly concerning large machinery that is not easily accessible, such as wind turbines, it is desirable to provide a method of monitoring the lubrication condition of a bearing without affecting normal running of the bearing.
A method of monitoring the lubrication condition of a rolling element bearing by means of determining a lubrication parameter indicative of the lubrication condition is described in WO2010/085971.
In a first step, high-frequency structure-borne acoustic emissions are measured. The measured acoustic emissions are generated as a result of asperity contact between rolling surfaces of the bearing, and provide a measured signal. In a second step, emitted acoustic energy is extracted from the measured signal. In a third step, the lubrication parameter is determined from the emitted acoustic energy, on the basis of a power-law relationship between acoustic energy and the lubrication parameter. The lubrication parameter used to indicate lubrication condition is either specific lubrication film thickness (Lambda) or lubricant viscosity ratio (Kappa). The value of Kappa is the ratio of a lubricant's actual viscosity to a minimum required viscosity that the lubricant must possess in order to form an adequate lubricant film. The required viscosity is dependent on the size and speed of rotation of the bearing whilst actual viscosity is dependent on the lubricant and temperature.
In bearing life calculations the actual viscosity in the viscosity ratio (Kappa) is presumed from the viscosity grade of the lubricant, the lubricant operating temperature and bearing speed.
A bearing life model is a statistical model which says that under a certain set of operating parameters a certain percentage (for example 90%) of bearings of the same type and lubricated in the same way will last a certain number of hours before failure. ISO 281:2007 entitled, "Rolling Bearings—Dynamic Load Ratings and Life" describes such a model. There are two problems with this type of model. The first is that the model cannot predict which particular bearings will be the bearings that last the predicted number of hours and which will fail prior to the predicted life. The second is that the presumed actual viscosity used in the viscosity ratio may not be representative of the actual viscosity if the viscosity were measured.
If rather than presuming the actual viscosity it can be monitored, then rather than basing a bearing life calculation on a presumption, the bearing life calculation can be based on a monitored estimated actual viscosity ratio in the bearing concerned. This would be of particular value where bearings are of high value and are difficult to access, as servicing or repair of the bearing can be scheduled prior to failure.
Whilst WO2010/085971 attempts to provide a solution to the above-mentioned problem, it may be difficult to identify acoustic emission signals associated with asperity contacts occurring as the viscosity ratio falls only marginally below 0.5.
Also, monitoring a raw acoustic emission signal requires sampling and processing equipment capable of sampling and processing MHz signals. Such equipment is sophisticated, expensive and generally for use in the laboratory rather than in the field.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to ascertain lubricant viscosity, and hence lubricant viscosity ratio more accurately.
It would also be desirable to be able to ascertain lubricant viscosity and lubricant viscosity ratio using less sophisticated equipment.

Viscosity estimation from demodulated acoustic emission


The invention provides a method and device for generating an attention indication for a dairy animal that is kept in an environment with a freely accessible robotic milking system, including measuring a plurality of visit intervals, milking intervals, respectively of said dairy animal, determining a value of a statistical parameter regarding the measured plurality of intervals from the measured intervals, generating the attention indication, in particular a mastitis alarm signal, if the value exceeds a predetermined threshold value. Precious information can be derived from the spread of or change in the values.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of generating an attention indication for a dairy animal that is kept in an environment with a freely accessible robotic milking system. The invention also relates to a device for carrying out said method.
2. Description of the Related Art
With robotic milking systems, i.e. systems in which dairy animals are milked fully automatically, the dairy animals are kept in an environment in which they determine themselves the point of time of visiting the robot, in particular the point of time of milking, without constant human supervision. It is therefore of importance to be able to detect abnormalities, or at least abnormalities that demand attention, in a reliable manner, so that appropriate action can be taken.
In the state of the art, many methods and systems are known to monitor the physical condition or deviations therefrom. Examples thereof are milk conductivity meters, milk colour meters and the like for mastitis detection, step counters or thermometers and the like for heat, etcetera.
A drawback of the known methods and systems is that they often make use of one or more measuring devices, which do not always function in an accurate and/or reliable manner. At any rate, such a meter also results in an increased complexity of the robotic milking system.

Method of and device for generating an attention indication for a dairy animal


An optical reproducing apparatus connectable to optical pickups and a method of controlling an optical pickup thereof are provided. The optical reproducing apparatus measures resistance of an optical pickup on a port of a connection unit to which the optical pickup is connected, and determines the type of the optical pickup according to the measured resistance. Accordingly, optical reproducing apparatuses may be controlled according to the type of optical pickups, and manufactured using various optical pickups without checking the type of optical pickups, which allows convenient manufacturing of optical reproducing apparatuses.

1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to an optical reproducing apparatus, and more particularly, to an optical reproducing apparatus to read out data from an optical disc and to reproduce the data.
2. Description of the Related Art
An optical pickup is a module which emits a light beam, reads out data from an optical disc, and outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the data, and is indispensable for an optical reproducing apparatus.
Usually, optical reproducing apparatuses and optical pickups are not manufactured by the same companies. Therefore, a manufacturer of optical reproducing apparatuses may purchase an optical pickup, mount it on an optical reproducing apparatus, and install firmware suitable for the optical pickup on a memory, to mass-produce optical reproducing apparatuses.
There may be times when it is inevitable to use various types of optical pickups, not a single type of optical pickup, under such a system of mass-producing optical reproducing apparatuses. For example, if an existing optical pickup has been discontinued, and only new versions of optical pickups are produced, other types of optical pickups have to be used.
In this situation, a manufacturer of an optical reproducing apparatus manufactures optical pickup reproducing apparatuses using various types of optical pickups. However, if the manufacturer installs wrong firmware on a memory, an optical pickup may not operate normally, consequently causing an optical pickup reproducing apparatus to operate abnormally.
Not only that, there are times when some of the elements constituting an optical pickup such as an optical lens (OL) and/or a laser diode (LD) is replaced with another type of elements, changing the characteristics of the optical pickup. The reason for such a replacement is to lower the cost of manufacturing an optical pickup or because there is an inventory shortage of elements.
However, if existing firmware is used in this situation, an optical pickup may not be driven normally, thereby causing an optical reproducing apparatus to operate abnormally.

Optical reproducing apparatus connectable to optical pickups and method of controlling optical pickups


An anchoring element for a stabilization device for bones or vertebrae, with which a bone or vertebra can be connected to a rod-shaped element is described. By providing for at least one degree of rotational freedom between the rod and an anchoring element that is firmly connected to the bone or vertebra, the transfer of torque (M) onto the anchoring element and can be prevented as well as loosening or even separation of the bone anchoring element from the bone or vertebra. Moreover, the invention provides a stabilization device, in which such bone anchoring elements are used.

The present invention relates to an anchoring element and a stabilization device for the dynamic stabilization of vertebrae or bones using such anchoring element.
Rigid fixation and stabilization devices for the fixation of bone fractures or for the stabilization of the spinal column are known. The conventional fixation and stabilization devices often consist of two bone screws that are each anchored in a bone and/or vertebra and are connected to each other by means of a rigid rod. For example, European Patent, EP 0 483 242, describes an anchoring element, which is used in conjunction with a rigid rod as a stabilization device. Rigid systems are generally used where any relative motion of the bone parts or vertebrae to be stabilized with respect to each other is not desirable, such as for example, in the case of bone fractures or other bone defects.
A bone anchoring element in the form of a polyaxial bone screw with a screw element and a receiving part for connection to a rod is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,555 ('555 patent). The '555 patent describes a screw element to be anchored in the bone which is connected to the receiving part so that there is some motion between the screw element and the receiving part. However, the '555 patent does not allow for stabilization of the bone with the possibility or option of controlled motion.
In certain clinical indications, such as damaged intervertebral disks or in the presence of an artificial intervertebral disk, it is desirable to have a stabilization device enabling the vertebrae to be stabilized and yet having some limited motion. A dynamic stabilization device of this type is known, for instance, from U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,284.
These known stabilization devices, in particular the dynamic devices, are associated with the inherent risk that the rod may exert a torque onto the anchoring element. This can eventually lead to the anchoring element loosening and/or separating from the bone, and thus the stabilizing device becoming ineffective.
FIG. 9 shows the generation of a torque M around the screw axis in a conventional stabilization device 200. In this stabilization device 200 shown therein, two bone anchoring elements 202, 202′ are connected to each other by means of a curved rod 201 with a predetermined bending elasticity. Bone anchoring elements 202, 202′ are firmly anchored in two neighboring vertebrae (not shown) by means of bone screws. FIG. 9 illustrates what occurs when the two bone anchoring elements 202, 202′ are pressed together by a force F. Due to the force F, a bending moment is exerted onto the rod, which leads to a torque M around the screw axis acting on bone anchoring elements 202, 202′. Similarly, pulling the two bone anchoring elements apart with a force F leads to a torque M in the opposite direction around the screw axis. Both of these types of forces can lead to the loosening or separation of the bone anchoring element from the bone and/or vertebrae.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an anchoring element and a dynamic stabilization device for the stabilization of the bone with limited motion of neighboring vertebrae or bones, in which the anchoring element is prevented from loosening or separating during operation.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Anchoring element and stabilization device for the dynamic stabilization of vertebrae or bones using such anchoring elements


A method and apparatus for generating tip vortices comprising a series of ramped tabs projecting inward at an acute angle from a bounding surface of a fluid containment and transport vessel such that the tabs are sloped in the direction of the fluid flow and spaced about the internal circumference of the bounding surface transverse to the main flow direction for causing vigorous cross-stream mixing through the generation of paired alternating rotation tip vortices from oppposite sides of each tab with the vortices having their axes of rotation along the direction of the main flow. The vigorous cross-stream mixing will accomplish the equalization of various fluid properties such as velocity, thermal energy, kinetic energy and species concentration within the flow.

Static flow mixers or motionless mixing apparatus are widely employed to provide effective mixing and/or flow conditioning of one or more fluids flowing within a fluid containment and transport vessel, such as a circular pipe, and the like. The general technique employed by the previously known and used mixers and mixing apparatus was to divide the flow into a series of smaller, separate flow streams within the pipe or other vessel. These flow streams are then forcibly diverted away from neighboring flow streams and into proximity of more distantly removed flow streams. Division into the series of separate flow streams is accomplished through the use of extensive series of baffles or spiraled inserts of rigid material inserted into the flow path. By inserting the baffles or spiraled inserts into the flow path, the flow streams are divided, and then divided again, until the entire flow is a plethora of intertwined flow streams. The intertwined separate flow streams will intermix due to the viscous characteristics and effects of the fluid.
The degree of effectiveness of these earlier static flow mixers and mixing apparatus varies with the particular design. The penalty one commonly pays with static flow mixers, however, is a significant increase in flow pressure and energy losses due to the excessive interference of the mixer or mixing apparatus with the main fluid flow. Additionally, since motionless mixers generally employ a large number of baffles or other convoluted pieces of rigid material placed in the path of the the flow stream, this creates a number of surfaces upon which material suspended in the fluid may collect, causing the mixer to foul and plug during operation. The motionless mixers are generally effective in promoting fluid mixing, but do so at the significant expense of increased pressure and energy loss, and the increased necessity for frequent cleaning and/or replacement of the mixer.
Unlike prior static mixing approaches which are basically brute force techniques, the static mixing method of the present invention relies on the implementation of more natural mixing processes which revolve about the controlled generation of vortices, or swirling motions in the flow. The natural character of a turbulent flow is to generate streamwise (flow direction) vortices in a somewhat organized fashion such that the swirling motions cause the movement of fluid perpendicular to the the main flow direction. This is the physical process responsible for fluid flow mixing. When present in sufficient number and dispersed throughout the fluid flow, the effect of the streamwise vortices is to produce adequate cross-stream mixing (i.e. mixing due to the intermingling of fluid in directions perpendicular to the main flow direction).
It has been determined that the key to producing cross-stream mixing, however, is that the vortices must be oriented in the main flow or streamwise direction to be effective. When the vortices are of such a streamwise orientation, they tend to push fluid away from the sides of a bounding surface (e.g. the wall of a pipe) and into the flow away from the surface (the outer flow). In such an orientation the vortices also pull fluid from the outer flow toward the bounding surface, (the pipe walls). This alternating push-pull effect results in the cross-stream motion of alternating regions of inflow and outflow in proximity to a bounding surface creating a rich intermingling of the flowing fluid, and hence, mixing.
Clearly, the key point in the development of the static flow mixing apparatus of the present invention is the generation or artificial creation of flanking vortices oriented in the direction of the main flow with each vortex swirling in a direction opposing the direction of swirl of the adjacent vortices. The resulting flow pattern from these vortices is the creation of alternating "channels" across the flowing fluid within which the flow moves in opposing cross-stream directions. Nature, left to its own devices, does an adequate job of creating similar conditions in a turbulent flow. The static flow mixer of the present invention assists this naturally occurring mixing by creating streamwise vortices in sufficient strength, spacing, and orientation such that the flow mixing process is substantially amplified and greatly accelerated.
Once the alternating streamwise vortex flow pattern is produced by the mixer, the natural interaction of the vortices with both the surrounding fluid and each other produces the desired mixing. Continued manipulation, separation, and recombination of the flow (as is required in prior static mixing approaches) is not required.
The static mixing created by the present invention promotes the efficient circulation of fluid both towards and away from a bounding surface, which enhances not only fluid mixing, but also increases momentum and energy transport within the fluid as well as increasing the transfer of heat to or from the bounding surface by the flowing fluid. To understand the resulting effects of the fluid mixing one must recognize that a moving fluid has certain properties which are carried with it. Examples of these properties are the mass of the fluid, momentum (i.e. proportional to the velocity of the fluid), kinetic energy (proportional to the square of the velocity of the fluid), internal thermal energy (characterized by the temperature of the fluid), and species (any material mixed with the fluid, e.g. dissolved salts or dyes in water, water vapor or smoke in an airflow). Thus, when the fluid is caused to move perpendicularly to the main flow direction, the resulting cross-stream movement carries all of the above properties with the fluid. The interaction of this cross-stream flow with the surrounding fluid causes an exchange and intermingling of the fluid properties throughout the fluid. Thus, not only does the cross-stream motion set up by the mixer of the present invention cause the fluid to mix, but it also causes a mixing of the velocities (momentum), the kinetic energies, the fluid temperatures (i.e. thermal energies), and the transported species. The cross-stream mixing causes the resulting mixed fluid to take on the "average" of the properties of the mixed fluid streams. For example, if a high temperature fluid enters and mixes with a region of lower temperature fluid, the resultant temperature of the mixed fluid will fall somewhere between the high and low temperatures. If the process of cross-stream fluid movement is greatly accelerated, such as is accomplished with the mixing apparatus of the present invention, the fluid properties in the main flow will become more homogeneous and uniform more quickly. The complete mixing of a fluid flow would result in the complete identity of any point within the flow with any other for each of the flow properties described above, i.e. mass flow, velocity, temperature, and species.
In addition to the mixing of fluid properties across a flow, the cross-stream movement of fluid in proximity to a solid boundary, e.g. a pipe wall, will result in the increased transfer of heat from the boundary material to the fluid, or from the fluid to the boundary material. The amount of heat which will be transferred to or from a surface, such as the cooled or heated wall of a pipe, depends directly upon the difference in temperature between the wall of the pipe and the fluid directly adjacent thereto.
Normally, for a laminar flow, the fluid near the boundary surface is very close to the temperature of the boundary material resulting in low heat transfer. If the flow is more turbulent, there is a cross-stream flow pattern set up which brings fluid from the center of the vessel or pipe toward the boundary surface and carries fluid away from the boundary surface toward the center of the vessel. This interaction results in a greater temperature difference, on the average, between the boundary surface and the fluid adjacent that surface. Thus, a greater thermal energy exchange will occur. The same process applies for the transfer of species to and from the boundary surface and the center of the vessel, and vice versa.
Thus, the static mixing apparatus of the present invention can be used effectively to mix a flowing fluid to yield substantially uniform velocity, energy, and species concentration and to significantly increase the amount of thermal energy transferred between the fluid and the boundary surface material. This increase in uniformity of the various properties of the fluid demonstrates the equalization of the distribution of each of these properties throughout the fluid by the static mixing apparatus.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a static mixing apparatus, of the motionless type, which will substantially increase the various properties of the fluid to a uniform distribution and/or concentration.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a static mixing apparatus which is self-cleaning and non-plugging.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an accelerated cross-stream mixing of the fluid in a significantly reduced streamwise distance.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a greater thermal exchange between the fluid and the boundary material by creating alternating flows of fluid both toward and away from the boundary surface and the center of the containment and transport vessel due to the action of vortices swirling in a streamwise direction.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide greater cross-stream mixing of a fluid in the streamwise direction to achieve more uniform flow properties in fluid.
Other objects will appear hereinafter.


The present disclosure provides methods for adjusting steering angle and articulation angle in an auto articulation operation of a work vehicle. The percentage of travel of a steering joystick of the work vehicle at least partially determines a steering desired angle change, which can be used to calculate a steering desired angle and an articulation desired angle change. The difference between the steering desired angle and a steering angle detected by a steering angle sensor is used to adjust the steering angle. The articulation desired angle change can be used to calculate an articulation desired angle. The difference between the articulation desired angle and an articulation angle detected by an articulation angle sensor is used to adjust the articulation angle.

In some vehicles, they have multiple segments of frames pivotally coupled one after another in aft-and-fore direction. One example for those vehicles is a motor grader. In the front of the first frame includes ground engaging apparatus such as front wheels. The second frame is pivotally connected to the first frame. In general, an operator uses a steering joystick to control a steering angle of the front wheels and an articulation joystick to control an articulation angle between the first and second from frames of the motor grader.


In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes one or more metallizations, such as, e.g., Cu-RDL metallizations, provided on a passivation layer over a dielectric layer. A via is provided through the passivation layer and the dielectric layer in the vicinity of the corners of the metallization. The via may be a “dummy” via without electrical connections to an active device and may be provided at a distance between approximately 1 micron (10−6 m.) and approximately 10 micron (10−5 m.) from each one of said converging sides landing on an underlying metal layer.

Technical Field
The description relates to thermo-mechanical stress reduction in semiconductor devices.
One or more embodiments may apply, e.g., to integrated circuits, e.g., for automotive and consumer products.
Description of the Related Art
Various types of integrated circuits (ICs) may adopt technologies such as BCD (Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS) technology.
BCD technology may be advantageously used, e.g., to produce integrated circuits ICs with both power electronics and logical control electronics. BCD technology provides a family of silicon processes, each of which combines the strengths of three different process technologies onto a single chip: bipolar for precise analog functions, CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) for digital design and DMOS (Double Diffused Metal Oxide Semiconductor) for power and high-voltage elements.
Implementing BCD technology may involve top layer copper metal interconnections, called Re-Distribution Layer (RDL).
Resistance of passivation and intermediate insulating layers against reliability issues, as caused, e.g., by thermo-elastic coupling and stresses during wire bonding and packaging processes, may represent factors deserving attention.
Silicon nitride (SiN) or silicon carbide (SiC) may be used in manufacturing ICs to provide a passivation layer for microchips, e.g., to provide a barrier against water molecules and other sources of corrosion and instability in microelectronics.
In structure corners of metallizations such as Cu (copper) RDL top metallizations, stresses may arise due to thermo-mechanical mismatch between different materials, e.g., barrier layer (TiW, Ta, TaN), metallization capping layer (Ni—Pd, Ni—Pd—Au, Ni—Au), passivation layer (SiN, SiC) triple point).

Method for thermo-mechanical stress reduction in semiconductor devices and corresponding device


An electronic tuning system includes an electronic tuner for adjusting the predetermined control voltage of a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) to tune the local frequency signal to radio waves on an arbitrary channel in accordance with channel selection information. A booster circuit boosts a source voltage to generate a boosted voltage in order to ensure the predetermined control voltage. A non-volatile memory stores the channel selection information in response to a predetermined write voltage. The boosted voltage of the booster circuit is utilized as the predetermined write voltage.

The present invention relates to an electronic tuning system, and more particularly, to an electronic tuning system which comprises an electronic tuner for tuning to radio waves on a broadcast channel of television broadcasting, radio broadcasting and the like, or a local channel used in a variety of radio devices.
As is well known, in the television broadcasting and radio broadcasting, respective broadcasting stations are assigned radio waves in different frequency bands from one another as broadcast channels. Thus, on the receiver side, radio waves on a desired broadcast channel are selectively received to enjoy contents of broadcasting provided by a desired broadcasting station.
Generally, a receiver for receiving radio waves on a particular channel is configured in the following manner. A received signal received through an antenna is mixed with a local frequency signal supplied from a local oscillator by a mixer. A signal generated from the sum or the difference of the two signals by a mixer is supplied to an intermediate frequency filter. The intermediate frequency filter selectively supplies a detector circuit only with a signal having an intermediate frequency. The detector circuit demodulates the received signal corresponding to a predetermined broadcast channel.
The receiver comprises an electronic tuner for selecting a desired broadcast channel. The electronic tuner adjusts (tunes) a frequency band of the local frequency signal supplied from the local oscillator such that only the received signal on the desired broadcast channel passes through the intermediate frequency filter. The electronic tuner has a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) including a local oscillator, and controls a voltage applied to the voltage controlled oscillator to control the frequency band of the local frequency signal output from the oscillator.
In an electronic tuning system comprising an electronic tuner, channel selection information on a broadcast channel selected through a voltage controlled oscillator (frequency information or tuning control information) is stored in a memory, such that the channel selection information stored in the memory is read upon next channel selection to permit prompt tuning to the broadcast channel. For this reason, the channel selection (tuning control) and writing the channel selection information into the memory have been previously performed for a plurality of broadcast channels, so that the selection of an arbitrary broadcast channel can be instantaneously made through an extremely simple operation of reading such channel selection information from the memory.
Generally, memories used in such electronic tuning systems often require a sustain current for a RAM (Random Access Memory) or the like. Therefore, when such an electronic tuning system is equipped in a portable device driven by a battery such as a dry battery, the following disadvantages will result.
Specifically, a device which employs a dry battery as a power source such as a portable device essentially involves replacement of dry batteries when the device is used for a long time. However, the replacement of batteries results in interruption of the sustain current, so that information stored in a memory is erased. In such a situation, after the replacement of batteries, the user is forced to perform complicated operations which involves selecting (tuning) each broadcast channel and writing the channel selection information into the memory.


Each charging member in a group identifies a docking connection. Each charging member, responsive to identifying the docking connection, transmits information to other charging members in the group and receives information transmitted from another charging member in the group. Each charging member generates a list using the information transmitted to the group and received from the group. Each charging member also includes a ranking component for filtering, sorting, and ranking entries in the list according to a predefined selection filter and/or ranking filter. Each entry in the list is associated with a charging member with a docking connection and in the group. Each charging member determines based on a predefined indication filter that an entry in the list that is associated with the charging member is ranked at a predefined position in the list and provides an indication.

A group of devices may have their batteries charged on one charging device or on individual charging devices within a given location, such as a retail store or a warehouse. While devices in the group are being charged and/or subsequent to devices in the group being charged, each device in the group may provide an indication of its state of charge (i.e., a current percentage of the charge left on a battery being used to power the device). For example, each device in the group that is being charged may include a light emitting diode (LED) that displays a blinking pattern (for example, a blinking green light) and each device in the group that is fully charged may display, for example, a solid green light on its LED. If one or more charged devices is situated among a group of devices that are being charged, the LED pattern from the charged device(s) may be difficult to see amidst the blinking green lights emitted by those devices that are being charged. In addition to indicating the charge state, there may be a need to provide an indication of a specific characteristic associated with one or more devices in the group. For example, there may be a need to provide an indication by one or more devices in the group with the best state of health (i.e., the best current the condition of the battery being used in the device as compared to the battery's ideal condition), the least used battery, and/or the newest battery. In another example, there may be a need to provide an indication by one or more devices in the group with a certain feature, for example, a radio frequency identifier (RFID) reader.
To provide indications of a specific characteristic and/or feature, each device in the group may send its status information to a server and receive information from the server, via, for example, a wireless connection between the device and the server. Such a setup requires a complicated and expensive infrastructure (i.e., the server hardware, software for the server and a device license for each device).
Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method for energy management within a group of devices.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

System and method for energy management within a group of devices


The invention provides human cells, particularly human T cells, comprising a murine T Cell Receptor (TCR) having antigen specificity for the cancer antigen gp100. Isolated or purified TCRs having antigenic specificity for amino acids 154-162 of gp100 (SEQ ID NO: 1), as well as related polypeptides, proteins, nucleic acids, recombinant expression vectors, host cells, populations of cells, antibodies, or antigen binding fragments thereof, conjugates, and pharmaceutical compositions, are further provided. The invention further provides a method of detecting the presence of cancer in a host and a method of treating or preventing cancer in a host comprising the use of the inventive materials described herein.

The gp100 protein has been demonstrated as an antigen in several human cancers, including glioblastoma and melanoma (Saikali et al., J. Neurooncol. 81(2): 139-148 (2007); and Cormier et al., J. Immunother. 21 (1): 27-31 (1991)). A peptide comprising amino acid residues 154-162 of the gp100 protein (gp100154-162) is abundantly presented on the surface of tumors and also binds the MHC molecule HLA-A2 with relative high affinity (Skipper et al., Int. J. Cancer 82(5): 669-677 (1999); Parkhurst et al., J. Immunol. 157(6):2539-2548. (1996)). Therefore, gp100154-162 is an ideal tumor target antigen for cancer immunotherapy. T cells with specificity to this epitope, however, are difficult to obtain in HLA-A2-positive patients in amounts useful for therapeutic purposes.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need in the art for gp100-reactive T cells that can be obtained in therapeutic amounts for use in treating cancer patients. The invention provides such T cells and methods of treating cancer, especially melanoma.

GP100-specific T cell receptors and related materials and methods of use

The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services


Peptides and polypeptides that elicit immunogenic responses in a mammal; especially neutralizing antibodies, against human and avian influenza strains H1N1, H3N2, H5N1 and H7N7 are disclosed Immunogenic compositions including these peptides, and polypeptides are also provided. Compositions including these peptides and polypeptides with or without adjuvants are disclosed. Nucleic acids and expression cassettes encoding these peptides and polypeptides are also disclosed. Methods of inhibiting infection by influenza, with or without cell entry, are also disclosed using these peptides and polypeptides.

Influenza is a contagious acute respiratory disease caused by infection of the upper respiratory and gastrointestinal tract by influenza virus. The viral genome is made up of several negative sense single stranded RNA molecules. Several proteins are encoded by the viral genome. NA is a viral surface glycoprotein that cleaves terminal sialic acid residues from carbohydrate moieties on the surfaces of infected cells, promoting the release of progeny viruses. HA is one of the major viral surface glycoproteins and involved in the binding of the virus to sialic acids on the surface of susceptible cells (Uiprasertkul M, et al. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 11, 1036-1041 (2005)). The M2 protein is an ion channel protein. The HA, NA, and M2 protein are present in the viral envelope which is derived from the host cell plasma membrane. A ribonucleoprotein complex comprises an RNA segment associated with nucleoprotein (NP) and three polymerases, PA, PB1, and PB2. The M1 protein is associated with both ribonucleoprotien and the envelope.
Annual epidemics of influenza occur when the antigenic properties of the viral surface protein hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) are altered. The mechanism of altered antigenicity is twofold: antigenic shift, caused by genetic rearrangement between human and animal viruses after double infection of host cells, which can cause a pandemic; and antigenic drift, caused by small changes in the HA and NA proteins on the virus surface, which can cause influenza epidemics. The emergence of variant virus strains by these two mechanisms is the cause of influenza epidemics.
It is therefore desirable to develop new vaccine candidates likely to generate heterotypic cross-protection and for differential diagnostics for the exposure to avian and seasonal influenza in the face of seasonal vaccinated generated immunity.

The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services


An apparatus for quantifying residual stress of a birefringent material comprises a light source generating light; a vertical polarizer converting a beam of light into a beam with vertical polarization; a standard material being mounted in front of the vertical polarizer; a horizontal polarizer converting a beam of light into a beam with horizontal polarization; an applied force unit applying different forces to the standard material; a spectrometer being mounted in front of the horizontal polarizer and recording intensity of light passing through the horizontal polarizer and transmittance of the standard material and a processing module being connected to the spectrometer, deriving a stress formula from the applied forces and transmittances of the standard material and obtaining a stress distribution of the birefringent material. A method for quantifying residual stress of a birefringent material is also disclosed.

A conventional photoelastic method is a real time, whole field, highly sensitive and non-destructive method that determines stress distribution in a birefringent material.
There are two kinds of birefringent material, permanent birefringent material and temporary birefringent material. The permanent birefringent material is a material that has birefringence permanently. The temporary birefringent material is a material that exhibits birefringence when it is loaded and the birefringence disappears when the material is unloaded.
Birefringence is the decomposition of a ray of light into two rays when it passes through the birefringent material, depending on the polarization of the light.
Polarization is a property of waves that describes orientation of their oscillations. Electromagnetic waves, such as light and gravitational waves, exhibit polarization.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,131 discloses a method for measuring stress in an object of birefringent materials. The stress has both magnitude and direction. The method comprises steps of passing polarized light of first, second and third wavelengths through an object and an analyzer to produce respective fringe patterns, measuring and recording intensities of light for each wavelength emitted from the analyzer for multiple positions in the respective fringe patterns and combining the recorded intensities for the first, second and third wavelengths to form a ramp map having discontinuities at predetermined values of stress and converting the ramp map to a stress map indicating the magnitude of the stress in the object as a function of position within the object, which cannot quantify residual stress precisely because each predetermined value comes from a different source.
Accordingly, a new apparatus and method are needed to quantify residual stress of a birefringent material.

Apparatus and method for quantifying residual stress of a birefringent material


Methods, systems, and devices for operating memory cell(s) using an enhanced bit flipping scheme are described. An enhanced bit flipping scheme may include methods, systems, and devices for performing error correction of data bits in a codeword concurrently with the generation of a flip bit that indicates whether data bits in a corresponding codeword are to be flipped; for refraining from performing error correction of inversion bit(s) in the codeword; and for generating a high-reliability flip bit using multiple inversion bits. For instance, a flip bit that is even more reliable may be generated by determining whether a number of, a majority of, or all of the inversion bits indicate that the data bits are in an inverted state.

The following relates generally to operating a memory array and more specifically to an enhanced bit flipping scheme.
Memory devices are widely used to store information in various electronic devices such as computers, wireless communication devices, cameras, digital displays, and the like. Information is stored by programming different states of a memory device. For example, binary devices have two states, often denoted by a logic "1" or a logic "0." In other systems, more than two states may be stored. To access the stored information, a component of the electronic device may read, or sense, the stored state in the memory device. To store information, a component of the electronic device may write, or program, the state in the memory device.
Various types of memory devices exist, including magnetic hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM), ferroelectric RAM (FeRAM), magnetic RAM (MRAM), resistive RAM (RRAM), flash memory, phase change memory (PCM), and others. Memory devices may be volatile or non-volatile. Non-volatile memory (e.g., FeRAM, PCM, RRAM) may maintain their stored logic state for extended periods of time even in the absence of an external power source. Volatile memory devices (e.g., DRAM) may lose their stored state over time unless they are periodically refreshed by an external power source.
A memory device may invert data bits stored at memory cell(s) (e.g., for reliability reasons). A bit may indicate that the logic state stored at the particular memory cell(s) is inverted. Performing error correction for a bit related to inversion, however, may delay an access operation and this delay may be compounded by propagation delays when a read operation accesses a section of memory, introducing significant latency into a memory system. Enhanced schemes related to bit flipping and error correction operations are desired.


A wall switch lockout device for selectively limiting access to a wall switch relative to which the wall switch lockout device is mounted. The wall switch lockout device includes a mountable base having a switch opening extending therethrough for receiving the wall switch, a cover positionable and securable over a front face of the mountable base for selectively covering and limiting access to the switch opening, and one or more inserts received in the mountable base and slidable relative thereto. The wall switch lockout device further has a pair of mounting openings for mounting the mountable base and at least one of the pair of mounting openings is on the one or more inserts such that, when the one or more inserts are slid relative to the mountable base, a hole-to-hole distance between the pair of mounting openings is variably adjusted.

This application relates to a lockout device for locking out a wall switch.
Lockout devices are conventionally used as a mechanism to limit operation of a control or energy isolation point. Such lockout devices can be used on switches, plugs, valves, and so forth in order to prevent operation of that control or energy isolation point under certain circumstances or by certain users. In many instances, for example, when maintenance is being performed on equipment by a worker, a control may be turned off to de-energize the equipment (for example, to temporarily cut power from the equipment) and a lockout device may be placed over the control by the worker in order to prevent others from operating the control to re-energize the equipment until the worker has completed the maintenance and removed the lockout device.
However, the example above is exemplary only and there are many use cases and many types of controls that might receive a lockout device for a variety of reasons, some of which having nothing to do with maintenance at all. For example, certain controls may be restricted using lockout devices under normal conditions and are then only available upon unlocking the lockout device by an authorized user. An example of such a lockout device may be a wall switch lockout, in which a cover is lockable over a wall switch in order to prevent non-authorized people from operating the switch. Such wall switch lockouts may be useful for controlling the operation of lighting, for controlling the supply of power to certain appliances or equipment, or for various other switch-type applications.


The present invention relates to a modular transportation and storage system for a wind turbine rotor blade comprising a first and a second tip end receptacle (112, 160) for supporting the blade, a tip end frame (111) for receiving any of the first and second tip end receptacles, wherein the first tip end receptacle (112) is adapted for supporting the blade (10) in a substantially vertical position, and wherein the second tip end receptacle (160) is adapted for supporting the blade in a substantially horizontal position.

Wind turbine blades used for horizontal axis wind turbines for generating electrical power from wind can be rather large and may exceed 70 metres in length and 4 metres in width. The blades are typically made from a fibre-reinforced polymer material and comprise an upwind shell part and a downwind shell part.
Often, transporting wind turbine blades from the production facility to the site of wind turbine or the wind turbine power plant requires many transportation steps. Typically, the blades are transported by truck, train or ship and again by truck to the site of the wind power plant. Additionally, reloading between the different types of transportation is needed. Finally, the blades are stored at the production facility and at the site of the wind turbine power plant.
Due to the size and fragility of these large rotor blades, the blades may be damaged during transport as well as during loading and unloading. Such damages may seriously degrade the performance of the blades. Therefore, the blades need to be carefully packaged in order to ensure that they are not damaged.
However, due to the increasing length of modern wind turbine blades, it is gradually becoming more complicated and expensive to transport the blades. It is not uncommon that the transportation costs amount to 20 percent or even higher of the total costs for manufacturing, transporting and mounting the wind turbine blade on the rotor of a wind turbine blade. In addition, some blades are transported to the erection site through different modes of transport, such as by truck, train and ship. Some of these modes of transports may have restrictions on large loads, maximum heights, maximum widths, maximum distances between transport frames or supports, for instance dictated by local regulations. Therefore, there exists a logistic problem of providing transport solutions that are suitable for various types of transport.
Overall, there is a demand for making transport solutions simpler, safer and cheaper. In particular, there is a demand for making such systems more flexible such that adaption to a certain transportation situation is possible. This applies for example for shifting from land transport to sea transport. While height restrictions require lowest possible inter-blade spacings, sea transport may require an increased inter-blade spacing to avoid contact between blades during sea disturbance.
The prior art shows various solutions for transporting more than one rotor blade using a single container or other packaging system, which is an obvious way to reduce the transport costs. However, the afore-mentioned restrictions and limits may increase the difficulty of transporting a plurality of blades using the same packaging system. There is also a need to vary the spatial orientation of blades during transport or prior to transport depending on differences in the dimensions of the blades.
WO 2012/019895 discloses a transportation and storage system for wind turbine blades with a tip end frame assembly and a root end frame assembly. The tip end frame assembly comprises a frame and a tip end receptacle received in the frame. When placed in the tip end receptacle the chord of the blade forms an acute angle with vertical.
WO 2014/064247 describes a transportation and storage system for at least two wind turbine blades. The system is adapted to stack the blades in an alternating root end to tip end arrangement. The tip end of the second wind turbine blade may extend beyond the root end of the first wind turbine blade, and the tip end of the first wind turbine blade may extend beyond the root end of the second wind turbine blade, when the first and the second wind turbine blades are arranged in the packaging system.
WO 2010/125424 A1 discloses an adaptable packing apparatus for aerogenerator blades. The packaging apparatus comprises an external frame and an internal frame. The internal frame is selectively positionable relative to the external frame in at least two positions in order to allow to receive different portions of a blade. The packing apparatus further comprises at least one anchor arm pivotally coupled to the frame and selectively positionable. However, the system requires movable parts and can only provide a single support surface in fixed orientations. Accordingly, the apparatus lacks flexibility in terms of supporting different blade types.
EP 1 813 473 A2 discloses an apparatus for transporting rotor blades. The apparatus comprises a frame with a space to receive a part of the rotor blade. The apparatus further comprises one cushion selectively positionable relative to the frame in at least two different positions. However, the apparatus requires movable parts and can only provide support surfaces in fixed orientations. Accordingly, the apparatus lacks flexibility in terms of supporting different blade types.
While the aforementioned transportation and storage systems are useful for a number of transport situations, there is a need for even more flexible solutions. This applies in particular to the transport of blades of different sizes and having different lengths and chord lengths. Here, prior art systems are found to offer only limited flexibility.
It is therefore a first object of the present invention to provide a transportation and storage system for wind turbine blades which overcomes or ameliorates at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art or which provides a useful alternative.
Particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a more flexible transport solution that is able to accommodate for different transport situations and regulatory requirements.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a transport and storage solution that is simple and cost-efficient.

Modular transportation and storage system for a wind turbine rotor blade