Apparatus and methods for deactivating renal nerves extending along a renal artery of a mammalian subject to treat hypertension and related conditions. An ultrasonic transducer (30) is inserted into the renal artery (10) as, for example, by advancing the distal end of a catheter (18) bearing the transducer into the renal artery. The ultrasonic transducer emits unfocused ultrasound so as to heat tissues throughout a relatively large impact volume (11) as, for example, at least about 0.5 cm3 encompassing the renal artery to a temperature sufficient to inactivate nerve conduction but insufficient to cause rapid ablation or necrosis of the tissues. The treatment can be performed without locating or focusing on individual renal nerves.

Successful treatment of hypertension is important for many reasons. For example, successful treatment of hypertension has significant clinical benefits in preventing or limiting conditions caused by or exacerbated by hypertension, such as renal disease, arrhythmias, and congestive heart failure, to name a few. While drug therapy can be used to treat hypertension, it is not always successful. Some people are resistant to drug therapy treatment or experience significant side effects from drug therapy treatment.
Hypertension can be treated by inactivating conduction of the renal nerves surrounding the renal artery. Sympathetic renal nerve activity plays a significant role in the initiation and maintenance of hypertension. When the brain perceives increased renal nerve activity, signaling low blood volume or a drop in blood pressure, it compensates by increasing sympathetic nerve activity to the heart, the liver, and the kidneys, which results in increased cardiac output; insulin resistance; and most importantly, increased renin production by the kidneys. Renin stimulates the production of angiotension, which causes blood vessels to constrict, resulting in increased blood pressure and stimulates the secretion of aldosterone. Aldosterone causes the kidneys to increase the reabsorption of sodium and water into the blood, increasing blood volume thereby further increasing blood pressure.
It has been established for years that surgically cutting renal nerves results in a decrease in blood pressure and water retention to normal levels; thereby allowing the patients' heart, liver, and kidneys to also return to healthier functioning. It has also been shown a disruption of the renal nerves has no serious ill effects. However, surgically cutting the renal nerves requires a major surgical procedure with risks of undesirable side effects. It would be desirable to produce the same result without major surgery.
In order to explain the difficulties associated with accomplishing this task without causing other damage, the anatomy of the renal arteries and nerves will be described now. Shown in FIG. 1 is an illustration of the renal nerves 8 that surround the renal artery 10, which is connected to the kidney 6. The sympathetic renal nerves 8 include both the afferent sensory renal nerves from the kidney 6 to the brain and the efferent sympathetic renal nerves from the brain to the kidney 6. In addition, FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of a renal artery 10. The renal artery wall includes layers: the intima 3, which includes an inner single layer of endothelial cells; the media 5, which is in the center of the artery wall; and the adventitia 4, which is the outside layer. Also shown are the renal nerves 8 that lie within the adventitia 4, on the surface of the renal artery 10, and adjacent to the renal artery 10. As can be seen from these two figures, the renal nerves 8 surround the renal artery 10. Different individuals have the renal nerves 8 in different locations around the renal artery. Thus, the renal nerves may be at different radial distances R from the central axis A of the renal artery, and also may be at different locations around the circumference C of the renal artery. It is not practical to locate the renal nerves by referring to anatomical landmarks. Moreover, it is difficult or impossible to locate individual renal nerves using common in vivo imaging technology.
The inability to locate and target the renal nerves 8 makes it difficult to disconnect the sympathetic renal activity using non-surgical techniques without causing damage to the renal artery 10 or causing other side effects. For example, attempts to apply energy to the renal nerves can cause effects such as stenosis, intimal hyperplasia, and necrosis. Other side effects can include thrombosis, platelet aggregation, fibrin clots and vasoconstriction. In addition, the inability to target and locate the renal nerves 8 makes it difficult to ensure that sympathetic renal nerve activity has been discontinued enough to achieve an acceptable therapeutic treatment.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,617,005 suggests the use of a radio frequency ("RF") emitter connected to a catheter, which is inserted in the renal artery. The RF emitter is placed against the intima and the RF energy is emitted to heat the renal nerves to a temperature that reduces the activity of renal nerves which happen to lie in the immediate vicinity of the emitter. In order to treat all the renal nerves surrounding the renal arteries, the RF emitter source must be repositioned around the inside of each renal artery multiple times. The emitter may miss some of the renal nerves, leading to an incomplete treatment. Moreover, the RF energy source must contact the intima to be able to heat the renal nerves, which may cause damage or necrosis to the single layer endothelium and the intima, potentially causing intimal hyperplasia, renal artery stenosis, and renal artery dissection.
The '005 patent also suggests the use of high-intensity focused ultrasound to deactivate the renal nerves. The described high-intensity focused ultrasound energy source assertedly emits ultrasound energy in a 360° pattern around the axis of the renal artery, and does not need to contact the intima 3. However, the high-intensity focused ultrasound source applies concentrated energy in a thin focal ring surrounding the artery. It is difficult or impossible to align this thin ring with the renal nerves because it is difficult or impossible to visualize and target the renal nerves with current technology, and because the renal nerves may lie at different radial distances from the central axis of the renal artery. The latter problem is aggravated in patients who have renal arteries with large variations in shape or thickness. Moreover, the thin focal ring can encompass only a small segment of each renal nerve along the lengthwise direction of the nerves and artery. Since nerves tend to re-grow, a small treatment zone allows the nerves to reconnect in a shorter period of time.
For many years ultrasound has been used to enhance cell repair, stimulate the growth of bone cells, enhance delivery of drugs to specific tissues, and to image tissue within the body. In addition, high-intensity focused ultrasound has been used to heat and ablate tumors and tissue within the body. Ablation of tissue has been performed nearly exclusively by high-intensity focused ultrasound because the emitted ultrasound energy is focused on a specific location to allow precise in-depth tissue necrosis without affecting surrounding tissue and intervening structures that the ultrasound energy must pass through.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,117,101, to Diederich, discusses use of highly collimated ultrasound energy rather than high intensity focused ultrasound for ablating tissue to create a scar ring within the pulmonary vein for blocking the conduction of electrical signals to the heart.
US Patent Publication No. 20100179424 (application Ser. No. 12/684,067), the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein, uses unfocused ultrasound for the treatment of mitral valve regurgitation. In the '474 Publication, unfocused ultrasound energy is used to heat and shrink the collagen associated with the mitral annulus. This apparatus uses an inflatable balloon in order to place the ultrasound transducer into the correct location, thereby targeting the mitral annulus. In this apparatus, a part of the balloon contacts the tissue to be heated.

Method and apparatus for treatment of hypertension through percutaneous ultrasound renal denervation


A surface heat-exchanger for a turbojet engine nacelle between a fluid (C) to be cooled down and air (F) includes a circulation duct of the fluid (C) to be cooled down disposed in contact with air. The circulation duct includes a plurality of channels extending substantially in the same direction with a distance (D) between two adjacent channels between two and five times the width (L) of the channels, each channel having a wall with an area intended to be in contact with air and an area opposite to the area intended to be in contact with air.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
An aircraft is propelled by one or several propulsion unit(s) each comprising a turbojet engine housed within a nacelle. Each propulsion unit is attached to the aircraft by a mast, also called pylon, generally located below or over a wing or at the level of the fuselage of the aircraft.
A turbojet engine may also be called engine. In the following description, the terms engine and turbojet engine will be indifferently used.
A nacelle generally has a tubular structure comprising an upstream section comprising an air inlet upstream of the turbojet engine, a middle section intended to surround a fan of the turbojet engine, a downstream section adapted to accommodate thrust reversal means and intended to surround the combustion chamber of the turbojet engine, and generally terminates in an ejection conduit whose outlet is located downstream of the turbojet engine.
Furthermore, a nacelle usually comprises an outer structure comprising a fixed portion and a movable portion (thrust reversal means), and an inner fixed structure (IFS), concentric with the outer structure. The inner fixed structure surrounds the core of the turbojet engine at the rear of the fan. These outer and inner structures define an annular flow path, also called secondary flow path, intended to channel a so-called secondary cold air flow which circulates outside the turbojet engine.
The outer structure comprises an outer fairing defining an outer aerodynamic surface, intended to be in contact with an outer air flow, and an inner fairing defining an inner aerodynamic surface, intended to be in contact with the secondary air flow. The inner and outer fairings are connected upstream by a leading edge wall forming an air inlet lip.
In general, the turbojet engine comprises a set of blades (compressor and possibly fan or non-ducted propeller) driven in rotation by a gas generator through a set of transmission means.
A lubricant distribution system is provided in the turbojet engine to ensure a proper lubrication of these transmission means and cool them down. The lubricant consists of oil. In the following description, the terms lubricant and oil will be indifferently used.
A cooling system comprising a heat-exchanger allows cooling down the lubricant.
For this purpose, a known method consists in cooling down the lubricant by circulation through an air/oil heat-exchanger using cold air from the secondary flow path of the nacelle or from one of the first stages of the compressor, to cool down the oil of the engine. Such a heat-exchanger is a finned heat-exchanger. It comprises fins in the cold air flow which disturb the flow of the air flow in the secondary flow path or in the compressor, which results in pressure drops (drag), and therefore in losses of performances for the aircraft in terms of fuel consumption (the FB (Fuel Burn) parameter).
Another known method consists in cooling down the lubricant thanks to a cooling system comprising an air/oil heat-exchanger using cold air collected from outside the nacelle or in the secondary flow path, by a scoop disposed respectively on the outer or inner fairing of the nacelle, the cold air being circulated through the heat-exchanger and adapted to serve for deicing of the nacelle, once heated up by the lubricant, by circulation in ducts disposed in contact with the walls of the outer structure of the nacelle, for example at the level of the air inlet lip. Such a system allows for a better control of the exchanged thermal energies, but the presence of scoops within the outer or inner fairing of the nacelle results in a loss of aerodynamic performances, in the same manner as a finned heat-exchanger, and therefore in losses of performances for the aircraft in terms of fuel consumption (the FB (Fuel Burn) parameter).
A known solution for limiting disturbances of the air flow, consists in providing a cooling system comprising a so-called hot source heat-exchanger, between a heat-transfer fluid and the engine oil, and a so-called cold source heat-exchanger, between the heat-transfer fluid and air. Such a cooling system comprises a closed-circuit circulation duct of the heat-transfer fluid. More particularly, the circulation duct of the heat-transfer fluid comprises a portion disposed within the nacelle in contact with the outer and/or inner fairing, said portion forming the cold source heat-exchanger. This is referred to as surface heat-exchanger. Even more particularly, the portion disposed within the nacelle in contact with the inner and/or outer fairing of the nacelle comprises a plurality of channels disposed in parallel, said channels being formed by a double-wall of the inner and/or outer fairing. This is then referred to as structural heat-exchanger.
Thus, the pair constituted by the dissipated thermal power and the aerodynamic performances loss, as well as the added mass, are optimized

Surface heat-exchanger for a cooling system of an aircraft turbojet engine


Provided is a relay management apparatus including: a session management unit configured to perform registration of session information for multicast transmission of a data stream that is performed between one or two or more transmission apparatuses and one or two or more reception apparatuses via relay links of a relay apparatus, separately for information on a transmission apparatus side and information on a reception apparatus side; and a band reservation unit configured to perform band reservation of a relay link on the transmission apparatus side or band reservation of a relay link on the reception apparatus side, based on the registration of the session information on the transmission apparatus side or the reception apparatus side performed by the session management unit.

Recently, Internet protocol (IP) multicast transmission is sometimes used for transmitting one data stream to a plurality of reception apparatuses and for the plurality of reception apparatuses to process and display the same data stream. The following patent literature 1 may be cited as the literature describing such multicast transmission.

Relay management apparatus, relay management method, program, and relay management system


A computer-implemented apparatus, method, and article of manufacture manage a plurality of database systems and perform data maintenance tasks in a data warehouse system. A domain includes a plurality of database systems. A virtual regulator manages the domain, detects a request to invoke a data maintenance task on a first system in the domain, routes the data maintenance task, for execution, to a second system in the domain, and applies results from the data maintenance task (executed by the second system) to the first system.

Modern computing systems execute a variety of requests concurrently and operate in a dynamic environment of cooperative systems, each comprising of numerous hardware components subject to failure or degradation.
The need to regulate concurrent hardware and software "events" has led to the development of a field which may be generically termed "Workload Management." For the purposes of this application, "events" comprise, but are not limited to, one or more signals, semaphores, periods of time, hardware, software, business requirements, etc.
Workload management techniques focus on managing or regulating a multitude of individual yet concurrent requests in a computing system by effectively controlling resource usage within the computing system. Resources may include any component of the computing system, such as CPU (central processing unit) usage, hard disk or other storage means usage, or I/O (input/output) usage.
Workload management techniques fall short of implementing a full system regulation, as they do not manage unforeseen impacts, such as unplanned situations (e.g., a request volume surge, the exhaustion of shared resources, or external conditions like component outages) or even planned situations (e.g., systems maintenance or data load).
Many different types of system conditions or events can impact negatively the performance of requests currently executing on a computer system. These events can remain undetected for a prolonged period of time, causing a compounding negative effect on requests executing during that interval. When problematic events are detected, sometimes in an ad hoc and manual fashion, the computing system administrator may still not be able to take an appropriate course of action, and may either delay corrective action, act incorrectly or not act at all.
A typical impact of not managing for system conditions is to deliver inconsistent response times to users. For example, often systems execute in an environment of very cyclical usage over the course of any day, week, or other business cycle. If a user ran a report near standalone on a Wednesday afternoon, she may expect that same performance with many concurrent users on a Monday morning. However, based on the laws of linear systems performance, a request simply cannot deliver the same response time when running stand-alone as when it runs competing with high volumes of concurrency.
Therefore, while rule-based workload management can be effective in a controlled environment without external impacts, it fails to respond effectively when those external impacts are present.
An additional impact on the performance of requests in a computer system is based on the limited resources available in a computer system and the ability to perform data maintenance using such limited resources. Data maintenance tasks in a database system are typically competitors for limited resources and often are overlooked. Typically, these tasks run in the background or are relegated to a low system priority. However, in some cases, performing these data maintenance tasks may actually free up more resources than they consume. For example, this is true in the case of gathering up-to-date statistics, which may lead to more efficient optimizer plans. In other examples, data maintenance tasks may provide other rewards in terms of space savings, compaction, data integrity, etc. Therefore, what is needed is the ability to perform data maintenance tasks and thereby improve/increase the availability of system resources or processing capability.


A method and apparatus for treating a condition associated with impaired blood pressure and/or heart rate in a subject comprising applying an electrical treatment signal, wherein the electrical treatment signal is selected to at least partially block nerve impulses, or in some embodiments, to augment nerve impulses.

It is estimated that approximately 50 million people in the US have high blood pressure. The criteria for diagnosis of hypertension has changed: a blood pressure of 120/80 mm Hg is considered normal; 120-139 or 80-89 mmHg is defined as pre-hypertensive; greater than or equal to 140-159 mm Hg systolic or 90-99 mm Hg diastolic is stage I hypertension; and greater than or equal to 160 mm Hg systolic or greater than or equal to 100 mm Hg diastolic is stage II hypertension. (The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure, (JNC 7), NHLBI publication, Hypertension 42:1206, 2003). Of those who have been diagnosed, about two thirds do not achieve blood pressure control of less than 140/90 mm Hg, and nearly 15% receive no treatment at all. About half of the people with hypertension never know they have high blood pressure because of the lack of specific symptoms. In most cases of hypertension, the cause is unknown, so the diagnosis is called primary hypertension. In about 5 to 10 percent of people, high blood pressure is a secondary symptom of some other medical condition. For example, there might be an organic cause such as kidney disease, tumor of the adrenal glands, heart defects, or disorders of the nervous system.
Aggressive drug treatment of long-term high blood pressure can significantly reduce the incidence of death from heart disease and other causes in both men and women. In people with diabetes, controlling both blood pressure and blood glucose levels prevents serious complications of that disease. If patients have mild hypertension and no heart problems, then lifestyle changes may suffice to control the condition. For more severe hypertension or for mild cases that do not respond to changes in diet and lifestyle within a year, drug treatment is usually necessary. A single-drug regimen is usual to control mild to moderate hypertension. More severe hypertension often requires a combination of two or more drugs. Prolonged-release drugs are being developed so that they are most effective during early morning periods, when patients are at highest risk for heart attack or stroke.
It is very important to rigorously maintain a drug regimen. Patients who discontinue antihypertensive therapy, particularly smokers and younger adults, are at a significantly increased risk for stroke. All drugs used for hypertension have side effects. Common side effects include fatigue, coughing, skin rash, sexual dysfunction, depression, cardiac dysfunction, or electrolyte abnormalities. Because of these side effects finding the best drug for the patient while encouraging ongoing patient compliance may be difficult.
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition where the heart pump efficiency (cardiac output) of the heart becomes so low that blood circulation is inadequate to meet tissue needs. Congestive heart failure is usually a progressively worsening condition resulting in serious disability and death. Approximately five million Americans, with a significant percentage being under the age of 60 years, suffer from CHF. Past research suggests that a slowing an elevated heart rate can improve heart performance.
Despite the availability of many therapies, hypertension and congestive heart failure remain major health issues. Many of the therapies have undesirable side effects, or do not achieve adequate control of blood pressure or heart rate. Thus, there remains a need to develop systems and methods for regulating blood pressure and/or heart rate.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Systems for regulation of blood pressure and heart rate


Described are methods, systems and computer-readable media storing executable instructions for computing, on a per material and per hyperspectrally imaged scene basis, an optimal set of spectrally filtering pass bands for detecting target materials in the scenes, and cueing multispectral imaging of the scenes with the set of pass bands.

This disclosure relates generally to the field of image processing, and more particularly to a system and a method for selecting, on a per material and per scene basis, hyperspectral wavebands that are useful for detecting target materials in scenes, and cueing multispectral imaging of the scenes with the useful wavebands.
Detection of smaller, dimmer targets in cluttered scenes using spectral sensors is typically limited by the sensors' ground sample distance (GSD) and ground resolved distance (GRD), to some extent. In conventional hyperspectral imaging (HSI) systems, HSI sensors collect typically 200-400 narrow spectral bands over a given regime (e.g., VNIR/SWIR, LWIR), and routinely use fast focal lengths (e.g., approximately F/3) to provide a balance of signal to noise ratio (SNR) and ground sample distance (GSD), the latter being the dominant term in estimating image quality of a sensor system on the National Imagery Interpretability Rating Scale (NIIRS). While existing HSI sensors are able to extract targets from cluttered imagery using spectral algorithms, they are generally limited to detection of targets having sizes 50-100% of the sensor GSD.
Multi-spectral imaging (MSI) sensors utilizing the same apertures as HSI sensors can offer higher SNR and much finer GSD (e.g., approximately F/12) spanning the same spectral range. However, MSI sensors typically image non-optimal spectral bands and poorly characterize the atmosphere in a scene, and are generally limited to detecting target sizes spanning several GSDs. For example, prior HSI systems generally employ wide spectral band coverage, due to uncertainty whether an appropriate spectral band, or bands, are being used for target detection. Such systems produce panchromatic images, which have less energy per spectral channel, than images produced by MSI sensors.
Imaging systems are typically designed with a tradeoff between the spectral resolution (i.e., the range of wavelengths that are sampled by an imaging detector) and the spatial resolution. Commercial satellites, such as IKONOS and GeoEye, commonly provide three or more relatively coarse resolution MSI bands along with a finer spatial resolution panchromatic band. Panchromatic sharpening, wherein fine spatial resolution panchromatic imagery is merged with higher spectral but lower spatial resolution multispectral imagery to create a single high-resolution color image, is used in some satellite imaging systems. However, such techniques are computationally burdensome, and are not directed to improving resolution or target detection capability.
Thus, there exists a need for methods and systems for enhanced, efficient detection and identification of targets using a single optical telescope imaging a cluttered scene, especially for applications involving long range air and/or space imaging.

Cued hybrid enhanced spectral system (CHESS)


Provided is a circuit arrangement for attaining an all-pass filter characteristics which have been conventionally attained by bipolar transistors, by using MIS transistors. An alternating-current signal is input to an input terminal of an inversion circuit having a two-fold amplification function through a low-pass filter. When output from the inversion circuit is input to a gate of a lower transistor of two MIS transistors cascaded and an inverted signal of the alternating-current signal is input to a gate of an upper transistor of the two MIS transistors cascaded, the alternating-current signal is subtracted from the output from the inversion circuit. In this manner, the all-pass filter is formed.

The present invention relates to a filter circuit, and particularly to an all-pass filter circuit for use in a delay circuit.
As is known well, filters are classified into a low pass filter (LPF), a high pass filter (HPF) and so forth depending upon which frequency is selected. The low pass filter allows a direct current (DC) signal to a signal having a predetermined frequency to pass through while preventing a signal having more than the predetermined frequency. On the other hand, the high pass filter allows signals having frequencies higher than the predetermined frequency to pass through while preventing signals having frequencies lower than the predetermined frequency.
FIG. 1A shows a low pass filter constituted of the most simple CR (capacitor and resistance). A voltage of FIG. 1A is given by an equation (1) EQU I=(V1-V2)/R=j.omega.CV.sub.2 (1)
The voltage ratio between input and output is given from the equation (1) as follows: EQU V2/V1=1/(1+j.omega.CR) (2)
The equation (2) is called a transfer function of the low pass filter.
FIG. 1B is a high pass filter constituted of the most simple CR circuit. The transfer function is similarly given below: EQU V2/V1=j.omega.CR/(1+j.omega.CR) (3)
On the other hand, an all-pass filter (APF) is known. The APF changes a phase or transfer time of a signal without affecting amplitude. This is used for correcting image disturbance due to distortion in phase or delay time in a wave transfer circuit of a TV tuner, VTR and the like. The transfer function is given by an equation (4): EQU V2/V1=(1-j.omega.CR)/(1+j.omega.CR) (4)
In a conventionally-used integrated circuit, all pass filer (APF) is realized by forming an operation amplifier using a bipolar transistor, as shown in FIG. 2. More specifically, signals, (Vin+Vo)/2 and (Vin/(1+j.omega.C.sub.1 R.sub.1) are input to two input ports of an operation amplifier and then output (1-j.omega.C.sub.1 R.sub.1)/(1+j.omega.C.sub.1 R.sub.1) is obtained.
When an analog filter is realized in the recent digitalization trend in electronic appliances, it is a general way to form an integrated circuit having bipolar transistors for realizing the analog filter and MOS transistors for attaining digital processing, in combination. However, a manufacturing process of such an integrated circuit is complicated, thus increasing cost.


An interactive display system comprising a touch sensitive display surface for sensing pressure applied thereto and in response generating control signals indicating locations of the applied pressure, a personal computer for receiving the control signals and in response generating graph images, and an LCD panel in combination with an overhead projector for receiving and projecting the graphic images onto the touch sensitive display surface at the indicated locations. The LCD panel and overhead projector may be provided an an integral unit.

This invention relates in general to display systems and more particularly to an interactive display system for projecting user drawn script in combination with screen output of application programs onto a touch sensitive display surface which is capable of providing user interaction with the applications programs.
Various devices are known for displaying information generated by a computer as well as for inputting data into a computer. Examples of the former include CRT display screens and projection surfaces. Examples of the latter include keyboards, mouse input devices and graphic tablets.
Although such prior art devices are useful for displaying information and inputting data into a computer, it is believed that no system has hitherto been provided for integrating large scale image projection with data input in an interactive manner.
It is also well known to use a touch-sensitive screen or white board as a drawing surface for receiving and reproducing user input script. In particular, a user draws on the touch-sensitive screen using coloured markers in order to present information. Pressure sensors are provided behind the screen for detecting pressure applied to the screen as a result of drawing using the markers, and in response generating control signals which are then used to create a hard-copy print out of the image drawn on the screen.
According to the present invention, an interactive display system is provided in which a touch-sensitive screen, or white board, is used as a projection surface. Control signals are generated by the touch-sensitive screen in the usual manner responsive to user applied pressure (e.g. due to drawing on the board with a marker, pointer, stylus or finger, etc.). At the same time, a computer is used to execute any one or more well known applications programs, in the usual manner. However, according to the present invention, the computer generated screen is projected onto the touch-sensitive screen utilizing an LCD projector panel in conjunction with an overhead projector. Furthermore, according to the present invention, control signals received from the touch-sensitive screen are integrated with the computer generated graphics so as to be projected therewith onto the touch-sensitive screen. In this way, a completely interactive display system is provided in which the user can highlight and edit information generated by the computer program by simply drawing on the touch-sensitive screen. Thus, the system of the present invention provides a truly unique interactive approach to giving group presentations.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, multiple interactive computer projection systems can be interconnected (i.e. networked) and supported by a voice conferencing system such that any of several groups of users can view the output displays or input information to the system at the same time (i.e. the information is communicated to and updates all on-line computers and display devices).
Therefore, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an interactive display system, comprising:
a) one or more touch-sensitive display surfaces for detecting predetermined events associated therewith and in response generating control signals for identifying said events and indicating locations thereof,
b) one or more computers for selectively executing one or more applications programs and in response generating screen video displays, said one or more computers being connected to respective ones of said touch-sensitive display surfaces,
c) driver means in each said one or more computers for receiving said control signals from an associated one of said touch-sensitive display surfaces and in response generating a command to a selected one of said applications programs for identifying an associated one of said computers and for identifying said events and indicating the locations thereof, whereby said selected applications program executes said command and updates said screen video displays in accordance therewith, and
d) projector means connected to said one or more computers for receiving and projecting said screen video displays onto said one or more touch-sensitive display surfaces.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided an interactive display system, comprising:
a) a touch-sensitive display screen for sensing pressure applied thereto and in response generating control signals indicating locations of said applied pressure, and
b) means for receiving said control signals and in response generating and projecting graphic images onto said touch sensitive display screen at said locations.

Projection display and system with pressure sensing at screen, and computer assisted alignment implemented by applying pressure at displayed calibration marks


A switched capacitor circuit with switching loss compensation mechanism includes a resonant unit and a loss compensation unit. The resonant unit generates a resonant frequency and includes a capacitor switching unit for switching an output capacitor. The loss compensation unit is coupled to the resonant unit for providing loss compensation when the capacitor switching unit outputs different capacitance values.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a switched capacitor circuit, and more particularly to a switched capacitor circuit with switching loss compensation mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows a conventional single-ended parallel resonant circuit with loss. When the parallel resonant circuit is used as a differential circuit, the capacitor C can be realized using the switched capacitor circuit 900 as shown by FIG. 2. The conventional switched capacitor circuit 900 includes a plurality of N type transistors 901˜903 and a plurality of capacitors 904˜905. The switched capacitor circuit 900 is used to perform a capacitor switching action between a positive voltage terminal NVp and a negative voltage terminal NVm of a differential circuit, thereby switching equivalent capacitances of NVp and NVm relative to ground. The N type transistors 901˜903 are responsive to a switching signal Sc. The parallel resonant circuit has the characteristics according to the following formula:
      R    T    =                              (          Q          )                2            ·              R        s              =                                        (                                          ω                                                                                L                                            R                s                                      )                    2                ·                  R          s                    =                                    (                          1                              ω                                                                                CR                  s                                                      )                    2                ·                  R          s
Further referring to FIG. 3, which is a frequency response of a resonant circuit in the switched capacitor circuit 900, when Sc takes the value 0, each of NVp and NVm is still connected to a capacitor (not shown). As can be seen from FIG. 3 and the above formula, when the capacitance value of the switched capacitor circuit 900 is increased, and when the switching signal Sc switches from 0 to 1, the mid-point resonant frequency of the resonant circuit decreases from fc1 to fc2, and the amplitude of the mid-point frequency decreases from Amp1 to Amp2, resulting in the difference in the amplitude on the same usable bandwidth, and further resulting in the unevenness inside the bandwidth and decrease in the operating effectiveness of the resonance of the resonant circuit.

Switched capacitor circuit with switching loss compensation mechanism and compensation method thereof


According to one embodiment, a service execution apparatus controls facility devices in a group. The group includes a plurality of calculation areas. At least one facility device is installed in each calculation area. The service execution apparatus includes a calculation unit and a control unit. The calculation unit is configured to calculate a control value to control a selected facility device installed in one of calculation areas in the group, using weather information relating to the one of calculation areas. The control unit is configured to control other facility devices installed in the calculation areas of the group, based on the control value for the selected facility device.

Recently, a remote energy saving service is mainly executed for medium and minor scaled buildings as a target. The remote energy saving service is a service to provide the medium and minor scaled buildings with an energy saving service via an Internet. In general, the energy saving service is operating on a server (service execution apparatus) of a data center.
Next, conventional technique related to the energy saving service is explained. As a first technique, based on a temperature or humidity, the air taken in a room is controlled. As a second technique, based on a temperature, humidity or CO2 density, air conditioning or lighting is controlled. As a third technique, based on a temperature, humidity or amount of solar radiation, air conditioning is controlled.
Three specific features common to above-mentioned conventional technique are explained. As a first feature, as to each space (calculation area) such as a room (For example, a meeting room, a laboratory) or a passage, calculation to determine a control value for air conditioning or lighting is executed. As a second feature, in order to calculate the control value, weather information (a temperature, humidity, velocity of wind, amount of solar radiation) is used. As a third feature, calculation of the control value is repeated at an interval of several minutes˜several ten minutes.
Here, the calculation of the control value is complicated by using an input of the weather information. In the conventional technique, as to each calculation area as a service target, the calculation of the control value is executed at a predetermined interval. Accordingly, one service execution apparatus cannot provide many buildings with the service.

Apparatus and a method for controlling facility devices, and a non-transitory computer readable medium thereof


The present invention is directed to a CV conversion amplifier which is small in current consumption and capable of securing a sufficient capacitance-voltage conversion gain and a sufficient amplitude range of an output voltage and a capacitive sensor using the same which is low power consumption, low in noise, and wide in an input signal allowable range. A capacitive sensor includes first and second detection capacitors, a CV conversion circuit includes first and second feedback capacitors and obtains a voltage based on capacitance values of the first and second feedback capacitors, an AD converter performs analog digital conversion on an input voltage and obtains a digital signal, a digital control unit receives the digital signal as an input, and first and second digitally controlled variable capacitors have capacitance values that are controlled by the digital control unit.

In MEMS capacitive acceleration sensors, angular velocity sensors, angle sensors, and the like, a CV conversion amplifier that converts a change ΔC in a capacitance value generated in an MEMS capacitive element into a voltage signal ΔV is used. It is necessary for the CV conversion amplifier to make a capacitance-voltage conversion gain ΔV/ΔC as large as possible in to relieve a noise specification of a circuit block at a subsequent stage.
However, in the past, if the capacitance-voltage conversion gain is increased, there is a problem in that an amplitude range of an output voltage of the CV conversion amplifier is remarkably decreased. The reason is that in the case of a pseudo differential CV conversion amplifier in which two single-ended operational amplifiers are used in parallel, if the capacitance-voltage conversion gain is increased, a center voltage level of an output of each single-ended operational amplifier considerably deviates from a desired value (usually, about ½ of a power voltage).
Further, in the case of a fully differential CV conversion amplifier in which one fully differential operational amplifier is used, if the capacitance-voltage conversion gain is increased, a common mode voltage of an input of the fully differential operational amplifier considerably deviates from a desired value. If the amplitude range of the output voltage of the CV conversion amplifier is decreased, an input signal allowable range of a sensor is narrowed. For example, in the case of an acceleration sensor, a range of an input acceleration signal which is normally detectable is narrowed.
In this regard, in the past, the output amplitude range of the CV conversion amplifier is secured such that a signal of a high voltage level among differential output signals of the CV conversion amplifier is determined by an OR circuit, held in a peak hold circuit, and a voltage for adjusting the center voltage level of the output is continuously generated. Further, when a setting of an adjustment voltage is stored as a digital value in advance, it is possible to select a suitable parameter in accordance with characteristics of a capacitive sensor. A configuration to which such a common mode voltage adjustment analog circuit is added is described in, for example, Patent Document 1.


The invention relates to a clutch disk having a torsional vibration damper (19) for motor-vehicle clutches, a delayed friction device (51) being arranged in a space-saving manner radially above a friction ring (45) effective in the load region.

The invention relates to a clutch disk for a motor-vehicle friction clutch and in particular a clutch disk having a torsional vibration damper to which a delayed friction device is allocated, i.e. a friction device coming into effect in a delayed manner during torsional vibration stress.
DE-A-3,545,745 (UK-A-2,184,812) discloses a clutch disk for a motor-vehicle friction clutch having two spring devices which are arranged axially side-by-side on a hub and of which each comprises a hub disk and two lateral disks which are arranged axially on either side of the hub disk and which in each case are coupled in a torsionally elastic manner to the allocated hub disks via a plurality of springs. The first spring device is dimensioned for the load operation. Its hub disk, via a tooth system, is connected to the hub in such a way as to be fixed in terms of rotation but with rotary play, while one of the lateral disks of the first spring device carries clutch friction linings. The second spring device is dimensioned for the idling operation and is arranged axially to the side of the first spring device. Such a clutch disk has comparatively large axial dimensions, and the spring device dimensioned for the idling operation is freely accessible and thus unprotected. In a variant of the known clutch disk, the springs dimensioned for the idling operation sit directly in the tooth system coupling the clutch disk of the first spring device to the hub. This type of construction certainly reduces the axial dimensions of the clutch disk but limits the torsional vibration angle available for the idling operation and furthermore reduces the torque which can be transmitted via the tooth system. A first friction device dimensioned for the load operation is allocated to the spring device, dimensioned for the load operation, of the known clutch disk. A second friction device having "delayed" friction action is provided between the lateral disks of the first spring device and the hub. The delayed friction device is arranged on the hub likewise axially to the side of the spring device dimensioned for the load operation and is thus freely accessible in an unprotected manner, which can lead to faults in operation.
DE-A-3,345,409 (US-A-4,586,595) discloses a further clutch disk for a motor-vehicle friction clutch in which the idling-spring device, consisting of two lateral disks and a hub disk coupled to the lateral disks in a torsionally elastic manner via springs, is arranged axially between .the lateral disks of a load-spring device. The load-spring device comprises a hub disk which is coupled to the lateral disks in a torsionally elastic manner via springs and is in turn coupled via a tooth system to a hub of the clutch disk in such a way as to be fixed in terms of rotation but with rotary play. Separate friction devices dimensioned for the idling operation and the load operation respectively are allocated to the two spring devices, which friction devices are arranged axially side-by-side likewise between the two lateral disks of the load-spring device. Although the friction devices are accommodated in a protected manner between the lateral disks, matching the friction properties to one another can be relatively difficult in the individual case. Similar relationships result in a clutch disk disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,603,767.
Finally, DE-A-3,400,183 discloses a torsional vibration damper for the clutch disk of a motor-vehicle friction clutch whose single spring device dimensioned for the load operation has allocated to it two friction devices. The friction devices are arranged between the lateral disks of the spring device and have friction rings which are arranged coaxially one inside the other and are loaded by an axial force from a common spring.
Thus it is a main object of the invention to provide a clutch disk having a torsional vibration damper which has favorable damping properties in idling operation and which, furthermore, has a comparatively small construction volume. In addition, the clutch disk is to be insensitive to external influences.

Clutch disk with delayed friction device


Compositions and methods are disclosed for evaluating a subject's vasculature integrity, for differentiating between a malignant lesion and a benign lesion, for evaluating the accessibility of a tumor to nano-sized therapeutics, for treating tumors, and for live or real time monitoring of a nano-probe's biodistribution.

In compromised vasculature and microvasculature systems, blood vessels may display increased leakiness through the blood vessel walls. Diseases where vasculature may be compromised may include cancer, stroke, aneurysm, and internal bleeding. The development of compositions and methods to identify leaky vasculature would be beneficial for early detection and for prognosis of such conditions. Currently, no adequate clinical tool exists to transparently and non-invasively identify and characterize leaky and compromised vasculature.
A related need exists for compositions and methods useful for patient specific, customized tumor characterization and therapy. Nano-systems exist for the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases, especially cancer. Nano-systems offer the possibility of multifunctionality and are being actively developed for in vivo imaging, biomolecular profiling of biomarkers, and targeted drug delivery. Such systems offer the potential to enhance the therapeutic index of anti-cancer agents, either by increasing the drug concentration in the tumor site, decreasing the exposure of healthy tissue, or both.
Most solid tumors require a complex microvasculature network for their growth. This blood microvessel network includes a dense immature blood vessel system with a high degree of tortuosity and increased leakiness through the vessel wall. The success of chemotherapeutic nano-agent therapy for solid tumors is dependent, at least in part, on the access that these agents have to tumors via the so-called leaky vasculature of the tumor. The development and effectiveness of the above described nano-systems is currently limited because no adequate clinical tool exists to transparently and non-invasively predetermine whether the blood vessels of the tumor may be amenable to nano-carrier-mediated therapy in an individualized, patient-specific manner—that is, to determine whether the tumor has a leaky vasculature.
Moreover, no adequate clinical tool exists for co-encapsulation of therapeutic or anticancer agents with non-radioactive contrast enhancing agent to allow for direct X-ray visualization of the biodistribution of the therapeutic or anticancer agents in the body of a subject.

Nano-scale contrast agents and methods of use


A crankset for a pedal-driven vehicle has a frame with a bottom bracket shell. The crankset includes a crank arm rotatably mounted to the bottom bracket shell of the frame; a spindle operatively connected to the crank arm at an end spaced-apart from the bottom bracket shell and rotatable about a spindle rotation axis. A stationary member fixedly mounts to the bottom bracket shell. A rotatable member operatively engages the spindle and is configured to engage the spindle in rotation. A connecting assembly operatively engages the stationary member and the rotatable member. The connecting assembly is configured to engage the rotatable member in rotation upon rotation of the crank arm about the bottom bracket shell. A pedal angular control assembly operatively connects to the spindle and is configured to control an angle of a pedal according to an angular position of the crank arm during rotation.

In traditional cranksets, a pedal is rotatively mounted to a crank arm by a spindle and can rotate freely on the spindle during the rotation of the crank arm caused by the pedaling movement of a cyclist. This free rotation of the pedal on the spindle results in the angle of the pedal being solely controlled by the positioning of the feet of the cyclist during the pedaling movement.
In most cases, when using these traditional cranksets, the angular positioning of the pedal during the rotation of the crank arm does not provide optimal thrust force, which consequently leads to loss of pedaling power.
For example, tests have shown that, when using traditional cranksets, the thrust force is effectively applied only between approximately 30 degrees and 130 degrees from an upward vertical position of the crank arm. Therefore, approximately 80 degrees of thrust force are lost during the downward push of the crank arm, between the upward vertical position and the downward vertical position, as a result of the pedal not being angled appropriately.
In order to address this issue, electronic devices are currently available for indicating the optimal positioning of the feet during the pedaling motion. However, these devices tend to be expensive and constrain the cyclist to permanently concentrate on the position of its feet, which can be tiring.
In view of the above, there is a need for an improved crankset and method for transferring power using same, which would be able to overcome or at least minimize some of the above-discussed prior art concerns.

Crankset and method for transfering power in a crankset


An apparatus and method are provided that enable a computing device to make graceful power state transitions that do no impose unnecessary power surge compensations requirements on associated power sources. The apparatus has power control logic that is configured to determine if the computing device is to enter a low power state. The power control logic includes a plurality of stop signals. Each of the plurality of stop signals sequentially indicates that a corresponding clock signal be stopped, where the corresponding clock signal is operatively coupled to a corresponding sector logic element within the computing device.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to the field of microelectronics, and more particularly to a mechanism for providing measured power management transitions in a computing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most present day computing devices provide some form of a low power state that is entered as a result of asserting an external signal, or executing a special-purpose instruction, or encountering a fatal error condition. For example, within an x86-compatible microprocessor there are two machine states called stop grant and auto halt where the internal clock signals to most of the functional logic blocks on the microprocessor are stopped. Stopping the internal clock signals to these logic blocks significantly reduces the amount of power that is being consumed by the microprocessor. However, not all clock signals are stopped. Those which are provided to a small number of logic blocks (e.g., bus snoop logic, interrupt logic) must remain enabled to allow certain processor events to be handled, but for all intents and purposes, the microprocessor is essentially powered down. That is, power is applied to the microprocessor, but the functional blocks are not consuming power because they are not executing operations. In an x86-compatible microprocessor, the stop grant state is invoked by asserting the STPCLK# pin on the microprocessor. The auto halt state is invoked by executing a HALT instruction. When either of these two states are invoked, an x86-compatible microprocessor is required to stop the clock signals to the appropriate logic elements on the chip. Other microprocessors enter their corresponding low power state via different mechanisms, but the manner by which they "power down" functional logic blocks is the same, that is, by stopping the clock signals that are provided to those functional logic blocks. Thus, to enter a low power state, a present day microprocessor will stop all of the clock signals that are routed to the logic elements that must be powered down. And the clock signals are all stopped during a single clock cycle. To exit from the low power state, the microprocessor will start all of the clock signal during a single clock cycle as well.
This immediate entry into or exit from the low power state creates a significant strain on the supply that provides power to the microprocessor by requiring voltage regulation in the presence of a drastic reduction in current. To compensate for voltage spikes on the supply busses that would otherwise be incurred by this drastic change in current, stringent power surge requirements are allocated to voltage regulation logic associated with the power supply, thus driving up the cost of a system (or of a motherboard if the power supply is embodied as a voltage regulator on the motherboard). Surge compensation mechanisms and filtering circuits within voltage regulators generally take the form of large, costly capacitors to handle low frequency components of a voltage spike along with a significant number of smaller capacitors which are deployed adjacent to logic elements on an integrated circuit itself to compensate for high frequency components of the voltage spike.
The aforementioned surge compensation and voltage filtering components are indeed effective, yet the present inventors have observed that most of the components are required solely to handle the drastic reduction (or increase) in current that is incurred when a computing device enter (or exits) a low power state within a single clock cycle. The present inventors have also noted that entry into or exit from a low power state within a single clock cycle is entirely unnecessary from the standpoint of any application that is being executed on a computing device.
In addition to imposing stringent power surge compensation requirements on the power supply, the drastic change in current requirements of a particular computing device results in a significant compression of its own operating voltage as a consequence of on-die voltage drop due to parasitic loop inductance (i.e., package effect). For example, following packaging of a particular computing device, it is tested and "binned" according to its maximum operating frequency. Because the speed at which a transistor switches is based largely upon its supplied operating voltage, this significant drop in on-chip operating voltage forces designers to operate the computing device at a lower frequency in order to produce correct results.
Therefore, what is required is an apparatus within a computing device for gracefully entering and leaving low power states.
In addition, a method is desirable that would enable entry into or exit from a low power state that does not impose unnecessary surge compensation requirements on a power source.
Furthermore, what is needed is a mechanism for managing power transitions in a computing device that provides for graceful transitions from one power state to the next.

Mechanism for providing measured power management transitions in a microprocessor


A new and distinctive variety of a loblolly pine tree which has been denominated varietally as ‘CF Q7766’ which is distinguished by great resistance to fusiform rust and pitch canker, exceptionally high growth rate, excellent stem straightness, distinctive very long internodes, narrow crown.

A new variety of loblolly pine tree (Pinus taeda), has been discovered. This selection has been designated as 'CF Q7766.'
This new variety is a progeny of a second generation selection pollinated by a first generation selection. Female parent is an open pollinated progeny of Georgetown County, S.C. first generation selection. Male parent is a first generation selection made in Barnwell County S.C.
Cross pollination occurred in early 1998 followed by induction and cryopreservation of embryogenic tissue in 1999. First somatic seedlings were produced in 2000 and planted in early 2001 in seven field experiments. A total of 47 ramets (independent members of a clone) were planted ranging from 4 to 8 ramets per field experiment. The field experiments are located in Mississippi, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.


Methods and systems are provided for facilitating the automated generation of motion-graphics automated training routine content, such as for facilitating the memorization of exercise routines like fitness, dance or other exercise routines.

Online education platforms have increasingly gone mainstream and students from around the globe can utilize such platforms for learning new skills. These platforms may create educational content in the form of videos and then provide access to such content and other resources to students through network or internet connected user devices such as laptops or smartphones. The use of quality video recording equipment, phones, and cameras to capture video content and video-processing algorithms to process such content means better content can be generated. This content is then distributed through the internet to instructors/students who might not be able to be physically present to attend the training session/class.
The learning methods as well as the instructional aids for learning new skills have also improved substantially and these new learning systems are both smart and interactive.
The teaching of fitness, dance, and other exercise routines like those of the STRONG by Zumba and Zumba programs have traditionally been done through personal instructors in live classroom settings. Instructors themselves have typically been trained by way of the physical distribution of videos containing exercise routines; however, the existing methods to provide such instruction have proved to be costly and challenging. These methods typically involve capturing the exercise routines performed by an instructor in the form of a video lesson and displaying the same to the user. This mode of rendering exercise instruction fails to capture the effectiveness of interactive training, and the users often end up forgetting the subroutines of a complex exercise routine after watching such recorded video instructions, so that repeated viewings must be made in order to learn a single new routine. This makes learning new exercise routines harder and much less efficient. Time and effort to memorize new routines takes away from the time during which an instructor can conduct live classes for students.
To facilitate teaching instructors and the new routines of others, an exercise routine is typically enhanced with graphical elements, referred to as "motion graphics" or "audio-visual elements" in this disclosure. In embodiments, an exercise routine is repeated throughout a training video, such as three phases, with each phase having different supporting content elements presented on the screen; for example, a six-minute song with accompanying exercise movements would result in an 18-minute training video (if three phases are used) a 24-minute training video (if four phases are used), or the like. Each one of the phases may comprise the full music track, plus accompanying audio-visual elements that assist with exercise routine memorization, where the audio-visual elements vary by phase. For a host or operator wishing to train instructors (so they can efficiently learn a new exercise routine and effectively lead a group exercise class) in multiple songs, the creation of custom motion graphics manually for every routine is very time-consuming and requires extensive manual animation time. Depending on the length of a particular exercise routine, it would take weeks for custom motion graphics to be manually created and added to a video of a routine.
A need exists for improved methods and systems for providing improved instruction systems for users wishing to learn exercise routines as well as for methods and systems for generating such improved instruction systems.

Methods and systems for facilitating the memorization of exercise routines to users


The integrated circuit comprises a support substrate having opposite first and second main surfaces. A cavity passes through the support substrate and connects the first and second main surfaces. The integrated circuit comprises a device with a mobile element, the mobile element and a pair of associated electrodes of which are included in a cavity. An anchoring node of the mobile element is located at the level of the first main surface. The integrated circuit comprises a first elementary chip arranged at the level of the first main surface and electrically connected to the device with a mobile element.

The invention relates to an integrated circuit comprising a support substrate having opposite first and second main surfaces and a device with a mobile element integrated in said support substrate.
The invention also relates to a method for producing such a device with a mobile element comprising a mobile element and an electrode.

Integrated circuit comprising a device with a vertical mobile element integrated in a support substrate and method for producing the device with a mobile element


A liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate and a second substrate arranged to face each other; at least one protrusion formed on the first substrate at a first region, the at lest one protrusion having a recess therein; a first column spacer formed on the second substrate corresponding to the at least one protrusion; and a liquid crystal layer filled between the first and second substrates.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly, to a liquid crystal display device, which is capable of preventing a touch defect and gravity defect and has a stable structure resistant to a push test, and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The development of information-dependent society creates a strong demand for various types of display devices. To fulfill the demand, efforts have recently been made to research flat panel display devices, such as liquid crystal display (LCD) devices, plasma display panel (PDP) devices, electro-luminescent display (ELD) devices, and vacuum fluorescent display (VFD) devices. Some types of such flat panel display devices are being practically applied to various appliances for display purposes.
Among the above mentioned display devices, in particular, LCD devices have been used as a substitute for cathode ray tube (CRT) devices because of its outstanding characteristics and advantages, for example, superior picture quality, lightness, thinness, and low energy consumption. Thus, LCD devices are currently most widely used. Various applications of LCD devices are being developed in association with not only mobile image display devices such as monitors of notebook computers, but also monitors of television sets to receive and display broadcast signals, and monitors of laptop computers.
Successful application of such LCD devices to diverse image display devices depends on whether or not the LCD devices can realize desired high picture quality including high resolution, high brightness, large display area, and the like, while maintaining desired characteristics of lightness, thinness, and low power consumption.
A general LCD device includes first and second substrates that are bonded to each other with a certain space therebetween, and a liquid crystal layer formed between the first and second substrates.
More specifically, the first substrate includes a plurality of gate lines that are arranged in one direction while being uniformly spaced apart from one another, and a plurality of data lines that are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the gate lines while being uniformly spaced apart from one another. The gate lines and data lines define pixel regions. The first substrate further includes pixel electrodes arranged at the respective pixel regions, and thin film transistors respectively formed at intersections of both the gate lines and data lines. The thin film transistors serve to apply data signals of the data lines to each pixel electrode in response to signals applied to the gate lines.
The second substrate includes a black matrix layer for blocking incidence of light to regions other than the pixel regions, R, G, and B color filter layers respectively formed at regions corresponding to the pixel regions and adapted to express color tones, and a common electrode formed on the color filter layer and adapted to reproduce an image.
In the LCD device having the above described configuration, liquid crystals of the liquid crystal layer that is formed between the first and second substrates are oriented by an electric field between the pixel electrodes and the common electrode. The quantity of light passing through the liquid crystal layer is regulated based on the orientation degree of the liquid crystal layer, to display an image.
The LCD device described above is called a "twisted nematic (TN) mode LCD device". The TN mode LCD device has a drawback of a narrow viewing angle, and therefore, an in-plane switching (IPS) mode LCD device has been developed to overcome the drawback of the TN mode LCD device.
In the IPS mode LCD device, a pixel electrode and a common electrode are formed on a first substrate at each pixel region of the first substrate such that the pixel electrode and common electrode extend parallel to each other while being spaced apart from each other to generate an in-plane electric field (horizontal electric field), thereby allowing liquid crystals of a liquid crystal layer to be aligned with the in-plane electric field.
Meanwhile, spacers are provided between first and second substrates of the LCD device having the above described configuration, to maintain a predetermined gap for the liquid crystal layer.
The spacers are classified into ball spacers and column spacers based on their shapes.
The ball spacers have a spherical shape, and are scattered on the first and second substrates. Even after the first and second substrates are completely bonded to each other, the ball spacers are relatively free in movement, and have a small contact area with respect to the first and second substrates.
The column spacers are formed during an array process of the first or second substrate. The column spacers are fixedly mounted on a selected one of the substrates, and have a circular cylinder shape with a certain height. Accordingly, the column spacers have a relatively large contact area with respect to the first and second substrates as compared to the ball spacers.
Hereinafter, a conventional LCD device having column spacers will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawing.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the conventional LCD device having column spacers.
As shown in FIG. 1, the LCD device having column spacers includes: first and second substrates 30 and 40 arranged to face each other; at least one column spacer 20 formed between the first and second substrates 30 and 40; and a liquid crystal layer (not shown) filled between the first and second substrates 30 and 40.
The first substrate 30 includes: a plurality of gate lines 31 and data lines (not shown), which are arranged perpendicular to each other and adapted to define pixel regions; thin film transistors (TFT) formed at intersections of the gate lines and data lines; and pixel electrodes (not shown) arranged at the respective pixel regions.
The second substrate 40 includes: a black matrix layer 41 formed at regions other than the pixel regions; color filter layers 42 having a stripe pattern and formed corresponding to the pixel regions that belong to vertical lines parallel to the data lines; and a common electrode or overcoat layer 43 formed over the entire surface of the second substrate 40.
The column spacer 20 is formed corresponding to a certain position on a top of the relevant gate line 31.
Additionally, the first substrate 30 further includes: a gate insulation layer 36 formed over the entire surface of the first substrate 30 including the gate lines 31; and a protective layer 37 formed over the gate insulation layer 36.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are a plan view and a sectional view, showing a touch defect of the LCD device having the column spacer.
As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, in the case of the LCD device having the column spacer as stated above, when a surface of a liquid crystal panel 10 is continuously touched with a finger or object along a certain direction, a spot is generated at the touched portion. The spot may be called a "touch spot" because it is generated by a touch action, or may be called a "touch defect" because it is observed on a screen.
The reason to cause the touch defect in the LCD device having the column spacer is that the column spacer 20 has a large contact area with a first substrate 1 as compared to ball spacers. Therefore, it suffers from a larger frictional force to cause the touch defect. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2B, since the column spacer 20 has a larger contact area with the first substrate 1 than ball spacers, a large frictional force caused by the larger contact area prevents the rapid restoration to the original state when the first and second substrates 1 and 2 are shifted relative to each other by a touch action. This results in the long-lasting spots.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a gravity defect of the LCD device.
As shown in FIG. 3, if the LCD device, in which the liquid crystals 3 are filled between the first and second substrates 1 and 2 and the column spacer 20 is formed between the first and second substrates at a predetermined position, is placed in a vertical direction for an extended period of time while being maintained at a high temperature, the liquid crystals expand due to the high temperature, thereby causing a cell gap extending beyond a height of the column spacer 20. As a result, gravity causes the liquid crystals to move to a lower portion of the LCD device, creating a swollen portion at the lower portion. This swollen portion is called a "gravity defect".
The conventional LCD device having the column spacer as stated above has the following problems.
First, a contact area between the column spacer and the substrate is excessively large. Accordingly, when the substrate is shifted by a touch action, the large contact area causes a large frictional force, thereby preventing the rapid restoration to the original state, and resulting in long-lasting touch defects.
Second, if a liquid crystal panel having the column spacer is placed in a vertical direction for an extended period of time at a high temperature, the liquid crystals expand due to the high temperature, causing a cell gap extending beyond the height of the column spacer. As a result, gravity causes the liquid crystals to move to a lower portion of the liquid crystal panel, creating a swollen portion at the lower portion. The swollen portion is observed as an opaque portion.
Third, when the LCD device is subjected to a push test for the inspection of durability prior to shipping, a predetermined pressure is applied to a certain region of the LCD device. In this case, if the column spacer is insufficient to maintain a cell gap between upper and lower substrates, the column spacer may be crushed, resulting in what is known as a "imprinting spot" at the position of the column spacer.

Liquid crystal display device, method for manufacturing the same and spacer structure


A pair of multi-purpose glasses includes a frame body having a bridge portion, two side portions at opposite ends of the bridge portion respectively, two temples pivotally secured to the frame body at distal ends of the side portions respectively, and two movable lenses on the frame body. The glasses allow eyes to see through the lenses, or the lenses can be moved away from vision lines of at least one of the eyes. The lenses can be positioned at two sides of the frame body to serve as a pair of normal glasses. Alternative, each lens can be moved away from one eye to be positioned on the other side of the frame. The glasses can then serve, for example, as a pair of cosmetic glasses, or for applying eye drops.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to glasses, and more particularly to multi-purpose glasses.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically a person has to take off her glasses to put on eye shadow. But, with her glasses off, she might have difficulty clearly seeing her face in a mirror to apply the make-up.
FIG. 1 shows conventional glasses 10 for one to wear while applying make-up. It is commonly known as xe2x80x9ccosmetic glassesxe2x80x9d. The glasses 10 only have one lens 12 that can be pivoted on a frame body 14. One can wear cosmetic glasses 10 and switch the lens 12 around to apply make-up on the exposed eye.
The cosmetic glasses shown in FIG. 1 are not applicable in everyday normal use. In other words, if a lady is near-sighted and prefers seeing where she is applying her eye shadow, she needs two pairs of glasses-one for normal everyday use, and the other for cosmetic use. Not only would this tend to lead to additional expenses, she also has to deal with storing two pairs of glasses and switching glasses for different applications.
One of the main objectives of the present invention is to provide a pair of multi-purpose glasses. Instead of owning two pairs of glasses, one for normal use, and the other for, as an example, cosmetic use, a user only needs one pair of the multi-purpose glasses. This should be more convenient for the user, both in terms of storage and usage.
In one embodiment, a pair of multi-purpose glasses includes a frame body having a bridge portion and two side portions at opposite ends of the bridge portion respectively; two temples, each pivotally secured to one end of one of the side portions; and two movable lenses, each being able to be rotated at the bridge portion. During normal everyday use, each lens would be generally located in or coupled to one of the side portions. During cosmetic or other applications, each lens can be rotated to the opposite side so that both lenses would be coupled to one side portion of the frame. This would allow exposing the eye at the other side portion of the frame. Through this embodiment, one pair of glasses can serve multiple purposes.

6 Industrial Fifth Road, Tou Chiau Industrial Park


A synthetic slag is produced by a high temperature combustion reaction between coal ash having a high carbon content, and a source of lime such as cement kiln dust. The carbon content of the coal ash is oxidized by oxygen gas, which typically is derived from air or an air/oxygen combination in an exothermic reaction and the heat generated is exploited in the melting process. In this way the gaseous products will typically comprise nitrogen, unreacted oxygen and carbon dioxide, and heat energy can be readily recovered from the hot off gas products evolving during the combustion reaction. The synthetic slag may be pelletized and employed as lightweight mineral aggregate or milled to cement fineness to provide slag cement.

i) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of producing a value product from a source of lime, which may be an industrial inorganic byproduct such as cement kiln dust and a coal ash of high carbon content which is an industrial inorganic byproduct.
The method exploits heat generated from combustion of the carbon content of the coal ash and hot combustion gases evolved also provide a source of heat energy which can be recovered.
ii) Description of Prior Art
Coal ashes, namely bottom ash and fly ash are produced as byproducts in the burning of coal and are collected in industrial installations in a particulate form for disposal. Fly ash is produced in a fine particle form.
Coal ashes are pozzolanic and are employed as supplementary materials in cements, however, a significant carbon content in coal ashes limits their use in cements in the absence of steps to remove the carbon from the coal ash.
In the case of coal ashes having a carbon content above about 3%, by weight, methods have been developed which can remove the carbon so that the coal ash can be employed as a cement supplement. The methods include separation systems which produce a waste stream of mixed ash and carbon as well as a low carbon ash stream; and combustion of the carbon producing an ash stream and heat which may not be usable. These methods are not as practicable or economical for high carbon coal ashes having a carbon content above about 10%, by weight.
Thus, coal ashes of high carbon content can not be employed as supplementary cement material, and represent a disposal problem.
Cement kiln dust is a byproduct of cement processing and is produced in fine particulate form and is composed of partly and fully calcined calcium carbonate, thus it comprises calcium carbonate and calcium oxide (lime).
Cement plants may produce cement kiln dust (CKD) in differing quantities, even as high as 200,000 tons of cement kiln dust annually, and the CKD represents a disposal problem.
Cement kiln dust has been employed in cement production, but its fineness represents a handling problem and its use limited by chemistry.
Blast furnace slag is a significant supplementary cement material, however, manufacture of such cement material is limited to slag supplied by iron blast furnaces having slag quenching facilities.
It is an object of this invention to produce a synthetic slag comparable to blast furnace slag and which can be employed as a supplementary cement material, or lightweight aggregate.
It is a further object of this invention to produce such a synthetic slag employing a source of lime, which may be, for example, cement kiln dust; and coal ash of high carbon content.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a method for producing such a synthetic slag, which exploits heat of combustion of the high carbon content of coal ash.
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide such a method with removal of hot combustion gases and recovery of the heat energy of such gases.
In accordance with the invention there is provided a method of producing a value product from a source of lime and coal ash comprising: a) establishing an initial melt of an inorganic material providing a source of lime and a coal ash having a high carbon content, b) adding fresh amounts of said inorganic material and said coal ash to said initial melt, c) oxidising the carbon content of said coal ash in said melt with generation of heat, and exploiting the generated heat in the melting of said fresh amounts to produce an enlarged melt of molten calcium aluminosilicate material, and d) recovering a value product from said enlarged melt.


Described embodiments provide systems and methods for running virtual machines based by probing installation media. A media probe executing on one or more processors may identify an installation media for configuring a virtual machine on a type of operating system. The media probe may detect the type of operating system from the installation media. A virtualization manager executing on the one or more processors may determine a virtualization mode for configuration of the virtual machine based on the type of operating system detected from the installation media. The virtualization manager may create the virtual machine in accordance with the virtualization mode determined based on the type of operating system.

Multiple virtual machines may execute on a single host physical computer, allowing each virtual machine to behave as if the virtual machine were a separate physical computer with distinct portions of the hardware of the host computer. Templates may be used to encapsulate virtual machines. Each template may contain setup information specifying various parameters for deploying new virtual machines across different physical computers. Certain templates, however, may be compatible with particular hardware and/or software-related configurations, while other templates may be compatible with other configurations. Moreover, it may be difficult and perplexing for end users to navigate an assortment of templates to create and deploy a properly functioning virtual machine.


The present invention relates to novel 3-aminoalkyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-indol-2-one derivatives, to their preparation and to their therapeutic application.

AVP is a hormone known for its antidiuretic effect and its effect in regulating arterial pressure. It stimulates several types of receptors: V1 (V1a, V1b) or V2. These receptors are located in particular in the liver, vessels (coronary, renal, cerebral), platelets, kidney, uterus, adrenal glands, pancreas, central nervous system or pituitary gland. AVP thus exerts cardiovascular, hepatic, pancreatic, antidiuretic and platelet-aggregating effects and effects on the central and peripheral nervous system and on the uterine sphere.
The localization of the various receptors is described in: S. Jard et al., Vasopressin and oxytocin receptors: an overview, in Progress in Endocrinology, H. Imura and K. Shizurne ed., Experta Medica, Amsterdam, 1988, 1183-1188, and in the following articles: J. Lab. Clin. Med., 1989, 114 (6), 617-632 and Pharmacol. Rev., 1991, 43 (1), 73-108.
More particularly, AVP V1a receptors are located in numerous peripheral organs and in the brain. They have been cloned in the rat and man and they regulate the majority of known effects of AVP: platelet aggregation; uterine contractions; vessel contraction; contraction of renal mesangial cells; the secretion of aldosterone, of cortisol, of CRF (corticotropin-releasing factor) and of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH); hepatic glycogenolysis, cell proliferation and the main central effects of AVP (hypothermia, memory, anxiety, affiliation, and the like).
The adrenal cortex is also rich in V1a receptors involved in the production of gluco- and mineralocorticoids (aldosterone and cortisol). Via these receptors, AVP (circulating or synthesized locally) can bring about production of aldosterone with an effectiveness comparable to that of angiotensin II (G. Guillon et al., Endocrinology, 1995, 136 (3), 1285-1295). Cortisol is a powerful regulator of the production of ACTH, the stress hormone.
Recent studies have also shown that the adrenal glands are capable of directly releasing CRF and/or ACTH via the activation of the V1a and/or V1b receptors carried by the cells of the medulla (G. Mazzocchi et al., Peptides, 1997, 18 (2), 191-195; E. Grazzini et al., J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., 1999, 84 (6), 2195-2203).
The V1a receptors are also a more specific label for small cell lung cancers (SCLC) (P. J. Woll et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 1989, 164 (1), 66-73). Thus, the compounds according to the present invention are obvious diagnostic tools and offer a novel therapeutic approach for controlling the proliferation of these tumours and their detection, at an early stage too (radiolabelling; SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography); PET scan (Positron Emission Tomography Scan)).
The V1b receptors were initially identified in the adenohypophysis of various animal species (rat, pig, cow, sheep, and the like), including in man (S. Jard et al., Mol. Pharmacol., 1986, 30, 171-177; Y. Arsenijevic et al., J. Endocrinol., 1994, 141, 383-391; J. Schwartz et al., Endocrinology, 1991, 129 (2), 1107-1109; Y. de Keyser et al., FEBS Letters, 1994, 356, 215-220), where they stimulate the release of adrenocorticotrophic hormone by AVP and potentiate the effects of CRF on the release of ACTH (G. E. Gdjjes et al., Nature, 1982, 299, 355). In the hypothalamus, the V1b receptors also induce a direct release of CRF (Neuroendocrinology, 1994, 60, 503-508) and are, in these various respects, implicated in stress situations.
These V1b receptors have been cloned in the rat, man and mouse (Y. de Keyser, FEBS Letters, 1994, 356, 215-220; T. Sugimoto et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1994, 269 (43), 27088-27092; M. Saito et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 1995, 212 (3), 751-757; S. J. Lolait et al., Neurobiology, 1996, 92, 6783-6787; M. A. Ventura et al., Journal of Molecular Endocrinology, 1999, 22, 251-260) and various studies (in situ hybridization, PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction), and the like) reveal ubiquitous localization of these receptors in various central tissues (brain, hypothalamus and adenohypophysis, in particular) and peripheral tissues (kidney, pancreas, adrenal glands, heart, lungs, intestine, stomach, liver, mesentery, bladder, thymus, spleen, uterus, retina, thyroid, and the like) and in some tumors (hypophyseal or pulmonary tumors, and the like), suggesting a broad biological and/or pathological role of these receptors and potential involvement in various diseases.
By way of examples, in the rat, studies have shown that AVP, via the V1b receptors, regulates the endocrine pancreas, stimulating the secretion of insulin and of glucagon (B. Lee et al., Am. J. Physiol., 269 (Endocrinol. Metab. 32), E1095-E1100, 1995) or the production of catecholamines in the adrenal medulla, which is the site of a local synthesis of AVP (E. Grazzini et al., Endocrinology, 1996, 137 (a), 3906-3914). Thus, in the latter tissue, AVP, via these receptors, would have a crucial role in some types of adrenal pheochromocytomas which secrete AVP and which, for this reason, bring about a sustained production of catecholamines which are the cause of hypertension and which are resistant to angiotensin-II receptor antagonists and to converting enzyme inhibitors. The adrenal cortex is also rich in V1a receptors involved in the production of gluco- and mineralocorticoids (aldosterone and cortisol). Via these receptors, AVP (circulating or synthesized locally) can bring about production of aldosterone with an effectiveness comparable to that of angiotensin II (G. Guillon et al., Endocrinology, 1995, 136 (3), 1285-1295). Cortisol is a powerful regulator of the production of ACTH, the stress hormone.
The V1b receptors are also regarded as a label for ACTH-secreting tumors, which are some pituitary tumors and some bronchial (small cell lung cancers or SCLC), pancreatic, adrenal and thyroid carcinomas, resulting in some cases in Cushing's syndrome (J. Bertherat et al., Eur. J. Endocrinol., 1996, 135, 173; G. A. Wuinert et al., Lancet, 1990, 335, 991-994; G. Dickstein et al., J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., 1996, 81 (8), 2934-2941). The V1a receptors are, for their part, a more specific label for small cell lung cancers (SCLC) (P. J. Woll et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 1989, 164 (1), 66-73). Thus, the compounds according to the present invention are obvious diagnostic tools and offer a novel therapeutic approach in the proliferation and detection of these tumors, at an early stage too (radiolabeling; SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography); PET Scan (Positron Emission Tomography Scan)).
The lavish presence of the messenger of the V1b receptors in the stomach and intestine suggests involvement of AVP via this receptor in the release of gastrointestinal hormones, such as cholecystokinin, gastrin or secretin (T. Sugimoto et al., Molecular cloning and functional expression of V1b receptor gene, in Neurohypophysis: Recent Progress of Vasopressin and Oxytocin Research; T. Saito, K. Kurokawa and S. Yoshida ed., Elvesier Science, 1995, 409-413).
1,3-Dihydro-2H-indol-2-one derivatives have been disclosed in some patent applications as ligands of the arginine-vasopressin and/or oxytocin receptors: mention may be made of Patent Applications WO 93/15051, EP 636 608, EP 636 609, WO 97/15556, WO 98/25901, WO 01/55130, WO 01/55134, WO 01/64668, WO 01/98295, WO 03/008407, WO 06/080574 and WO 08/025,735.
International application WO 95/18105 relates to compounds of formula:
in which in particular:                X represents SO2;        RI, RII, RIII, RIV, RV, RVI and q have different values.
The compounds of formula (A) have an affinity for generally vasopressin and/or oxytocin receptors. In addition, this patent application does not describe any example in which RII is in the 6 position of the phenyl and represents a radical methoxy and RIV is always bonded in the 3 position of the indole-2-one ring via a nitrogen atom.
In particular, 3-[4-[[5,6-dichloro-3-(2-chlorophenyl)-2-oxo-3-[(2-(piperidin-4-yl)ethyl)amino]-2,3-dihydro-1H-indol-1-yl]sulfonyl]phenyl]-1,1-diethylurea (compound α) is described in Example 220 and 3-[4-[[5-chloro-3-(2-chlorophenyl)-6-methyl-2-oxo-3-[(2-(piperidin-4-yl)ethyl)amino]-2,3-dihydro-1H-indol-1-yl]sulfonyl]phenyl]-1,1-diethylurea (compound β) is described in Example 277 of WO 95/018 105.
Compound α exhibits a good affinity for human AVP V1a receptors but also for human AVP V2 receptors and oxytocin receptors; it is therefore not selective for human AVP V1a receptors and for human AVP V1b receptors.
Compound β exhibits a good affinity for human AVP V1a receptors but also for human AVP V2 receptors; it is therefore not selective for human AVP V1a receptors and for human AVP V1b receptors.

3-aminoalkyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-indol-2-one derivatives, preparation thereof and therapeutic use thereof

Abstract: The compounds of the present invention correspond to the formula (I):

Abstract: in which the variables are as set forth in the specification.

Abstract: These compounds exhibit a strong affinity and a high selectivity for human arginine-vasopressin (AVP) V1a receptors and some compounds additionally exhibit a strong affinity for AVP V1b receptors.


Systems and methods presented herein are generally directed to enhancing electrical discharge. A hollow conical electrode may be provided to discharge electrical energy in a directed manner. The conical electrode has two openings: a larger entrance opening; and a smaller exit opening. These openings are configured to allow radiated energy to pass therethrough and form a preferential path of electrical conduction. The larger entrance opening has a surface with a radius of curvature that is larger than that of the second smaller exit opening. The smaller exit opening directs electrical energy to the path because of stronger electric fields. In one embodiment, a protruding electrode element is configured with the smaller exit opening to further enhance electrical discharge by focusing electric fields in the vicinity of the protruding electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to enhancing electrical discharge. More specifically, the invention relates to selecting electrode geometries such that electric discharges from the electrode in a desired manner.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
An electrode is an electrically conductive device that is often used to deliver or receive electricity. One example of an electrode is a rounded metallic electrode configured with a Tesla coil. Such a rounded electrode is typically charged with electrical energy by the Tesla coil. The rounded electrode may maintain the electrical energy until there is an electrical breakdown in the gas surrounding the electrode. For example, when the electric potential between the rounded electrode and another point of conduction is high enough, the gas between the electrode and the point of conduction dielectrically breaks down and electric current conducts from the electrode to the other point of conduction. Dielectric breakdown of gas is well known to those skilled in the art.
Typically, the rounded electrode of a Tesla coil discharges electrical energy in a substantially random manner. For example, the electrical charge maintained by a rounded electrode may be fairly uniform. Uniform electrical charge densities have uniform electric fields, or "E fields", with no tendency to discharge in any particular direction. Accordingly, the electrical discharge may be substantially uncontrollable, or random.

Systems and methods for enhancing electrical discharge