The present invention is directed to compositions and methods for affecting metallocorrinoid uptake. The compositions and methods of the present invention are particularly useful in enhancing the uptake or availability of biologically active metallocorrinoids (e.g. cobalamin and its analogs). The present invention is particularly useful in the treatment or prevention of conditions that result from low expression or activity of proteins involved in the processing of metallocorrinoids, as well as in conditions which would benefit from enhanced uptake or availability of cobalamin or its biologically active analogs of cobalamin (e.g. cobalamin drug conjugates).

Metallocorrinoids are corrin rings with a metal-atom center, such as Co, Fe, Ni, or Mn. A corrin ring is four reduced pyrrole rings linked together A subclass of naturally occurring metallocorrinoids is known as cobalamin, that is, a cobalt-centered corrin ring. Naturally occurring vitamin B12, for example, is a cobalamin.
Vitamin B12 compounds are known to have many biological functions. They are required by the enzyme methionine synthase, for example, which is involved in the production of DNA. Pregnant women need increased amounts of vitamin B12 which is involved in the production of red blood cells. It is also believed that vitamin B12 enhances the effects of other vitamins and nutrients in tissue repair. Lack of vitamin B12 leads to megaloblastic anemia (characterized by large and immature red blood cells) and neuropathy in man with insidious onset of symptoms. These symptoms include weakness, tiredness, breathlessness (dyspnea) on exertion, tingling and numbness (paresthesia), sore tongue (glossitis), loss of appetite and weight, loss of sense of taste and smell, impotence, psychiatric disturbances (such as irritability, memory impairment, mild depression, hallucinations) and severe anemia (which may lead to signs of cardiac dysfunction). Deficiency of vitamin B12 leads to defective DNA synthesis in cells; tissues most affected are those with the greatest rate of cell turnover, e.g. the haematopoietic system. In small children Cbl deficiency can result in developmental delay, hematological disorders, and neurological disorders. There may be irreversible damage to the nervous system with specific demyelination of the spinal cord.
Increased availability of vitamin B12, on the other hand, appears to have a very beneficial effect. Cbl analogs and cobalamin drug conjugates have been shown to inhibit the growth of leukemia cells by possibly deactivating methionine synthase, thus preventing DNA synthesis. The cobalamins that are analogous to vitamin B12 compounds would appear to be potential therapeutic agents. These include hydroxocobalamin, cyanocobalamin, nitrocobalamin, mehtylcobalamin, and 5xe2x80x2-deoxyadenocobalamin, as well as nitrosylcobalamin.
All forms of vitamin B12 (adenosyl-, cyano-, hydroxo-, or methylcobalamin) are bound by the transport proteins intrinsic factor and transcobalamin II, to be biologically active. Those transport proteins involved in the uptake of vitamin B12 are referred to herein as cobalamin binding proteins. Specifically, gastrointestinal absorption of vitamin B12 relies upon the intrinsic factor-vitamin B12 complex being bound by the intrinsic factor receptors in the terminal ileum. Likewise, intravascular transport and subsequent cellular uptake of vitamin B12 throughout the body is dependent upon transcobalamin II and the cell membrane transcobalamin II receptors, respectively. After the transcobalamin II-vitamin B12 complex has been internalized, the transport protein undergoes lysozymal degradation, which releases vitamin B12 into the cytoplasm.
Cellular utilization of Cbl is preceded by two important receptor-mediated endocytic events. First, the dietary Cbl bound to gastric intrinsic factor (IF), a 50-kDa glycoprotein, is transported across the absorptive enterocyte via an intrinsic factor-cobalamin receptor that is expressed exclusively in the apical or the luminal membranes. The plasma transport of cobalamin to tissues/cells appears to occur via transporter transcobalamin II (TC II), by receptor-mediated endocytosis via transcobalamin II-receptor (TC II-R). Intracellularly released Cbl is then converted to its biologically active forms, (e.g. methyl-Cbl and 5xe2x80x2-deoxyadenosyl-Cbl) which are utilized by the cytoplasmic enzyme methionine synthase (MS) and mitochondrial at enzyme methyl-malonyl-CoA mutase (MMCM), respectively. MS activity is required for folate metabolism and DNA synthesis and presents a promising target to block cell proliferation. TCII and serum Cbl levels are both increased in hepatocarcinomas and leukemias. TCII has been identified as an acute phase reactant in autoimmune disorders and infection. Several studies have shown that high levels of Cbl inhibited L1210, P388D1, CCRF-CEM, and NCTC929 cell proliferation. This is likely due to the activation of an autoimmune response.
Recent studies have shown that TC II-R is expressed as a non-covalent homodimer of molecular mass of 124 kDa in tissue plasma membranes of human, rat, and rabbit. A comprehensive review of transcobalamin II, the transcobalamin II receptor, and the uptake of vitamin B12 is provided in xe2x80x9cTranscobalamin II and Its Cell Surface Receptor Vitamins and Hormonesxe2x80x9d, Vitamins and Hormones, Vol. 59, pgs. 337-366 (2000) which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference thereto. Plasma membrane expression of TC II-R appears important for the tissue/cellular uptake of Cbl since its functional inactivation in vivo by its circulatory antiserum results in intracellular deficiency of Cbl. This intracellular deficiency in Cbl results in the development of Cbl deficiency of the animal as a whole.
The utilization of vitamin B12 as a delivery vehicle is known art. The art describes an oral delivery system that delivers active substances (hormones, bio-active peptides or therapeutic agents) by binding these agents to cobalamin or an analog thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,936,082, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, for example, describes the therapeutic effectiveness of vitamin B12 based compounds. Nitrosylcobalamin (NO-Cbl), in particular, was evaluated for its chemotherapeutic effect. In five human hematological and eight solid tumor cell lines, NO-Cbl exhibited an ID50 that was 5-100 fold lower in tumor cell lines compared to benign cells (fibroblasts and endothelial cells). When oxidized from NO-Cbl, the NO free radical functions in a number of capacities. NO is involved in vasodilation, and is known to contribute to increased oxidative stress, inhibition of cellular metabolism and induction of DNA damage leading to apoptosis and/or necrosis.
Radiolabelled vitamin B12 analogs have also been described in the art as useful in vivo imaging agents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,096,290, which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference thereto, describes the use of radiolabelled vitamin B12 analogs as in vivo tumor imaging agents.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,723, which is also incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes certain other cobalamin-drug conjugates.
The multiple components of Cbl uptake, enzymes, co-factors, and transport systems present several points of attack for the therapeutic delivery of cobalamins. As is described herein, the interrelationship of TCII-R and cytokines make this an attractive target for the therapeutic delivery of biologically active metallocorrinoids. Cytokines, in particular interferon xcex2, are shown to enhance the uptake or activity of biologically active metallocorrinoids, including vitamin B12 analogs, homologs, and derivatives.
Vitamin B12 analogs can be synthesized in a number of ways. In addition to conjugation of the side chains of the corrin ring, conjugation to the Cbl moiety can also be made, as can conjugation to the ribose moiety, phosphate moiety, and to the benzimidazole moiety. The conjugating agent and the drug to be conjugated depend upon the type of Cbl group that is modified and the nature of the drug. One of skill in the art would understand how to adapt the conjugation method to the particular Cbl group and drug to be coupled.
Preferred methods of attaching the drug to the Cbl molecule include conjugation to Cbl via biotin. Biotin is conjugated to either the propionamide or the acetamide side chains of the corrin ring of the Cbl molecule. The initial biotin-Cbl complex can be prepared according to Pathre, et al (Pathre, P.M., et al., xe2x80x9cSynthesis of Cobalamin-Biotin conjugates that vary in the position in cobalamin coupling, Evaluation of cobalamin derivative binding to transcobalamin II,xe2x80x9d incorporated by reference). Vitamin B12 is commercially available in its most stable form as cyanocobalamin from Sigma Chemical (St. Louis, Mo.).
One may most easily obtain transcobalamin II in the following manner: transcobalamin II cDNA is available in the laboratories of Drs. Seetharam (Medical college of Wisconsin) and Rothenberg (VA-Hospital, New York) TC II cDNA can be expressed in a Baculovirus system to make a large amount of functionally active TC II protein (see Quadros, E. V., et al., Blood 81:1239-1245, 1993). One of skill in the art would be able to reproduce the TC II cDNA. The antibodies to TCII-R were obtained through the laboratory of Dr. Bellur Seetharam, Med. College of WI.
One way to make cobalamin drug conjugates is through genetic engineering. In this method, a DNA sequence encoding TC II and the peptide drug may be expressed as one chimeric molecule. For example, it is possible to generate a chimeric construct using the full-length TC II cDNA and the cDNA for a peptide drug (e.g. insulin). The chimeric construct can then be expressed to produce a fusion protein consisting of the TC II-peptide drug. Following synthesis, the chimeric protein should be tested for both TC II activity and drug activity. Cobalamin can then be allowed to bind to this chimeric protein and used for therapy.
The observation that a cytokine (i.e. an interferon such as interferon-xcex2) upregulates or enhances the activity of the TCII-R provides a basis for a number of embodiments of the present invention.
One embodiment of the present invention is a method for increasing cobalamin-binding protein activity in a subject in order to treat a condition favorably affected by an increase in said cobalamin-binding activity, said method comprising the step of administering to a subject in need of such treatment a cytokine in an amount effective to increase cobalamin-binding activity in the subject. This method may further include the step of administering a vitamin B12 analog (which may be a naturally occurring vitamin B12 analog), nitrosylcobalamin or other suitable vitamin B12 drug conjugate. In this embodiment, the cytokine may be administered prior, simultaneously, or consecutively with the vitamin B12 analog. The cytokine and/or vitamin B12 analog may be administered prophylactically or acutely. The increased cobalamin binding protein activity is preferably TCII-R activity. The cytokine is preferably an interferon such as interferon-xcex2.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a composition that is comprised of a metallocorrinoid and a cytokine. It is preferable that the metallocorrinoid be a vitamin B12 analog, homolog, derivative or simply vitamin B12. This is particularly useful when there is a deficiency in vitamin B12 or if the vitamin B12 analog includes a drug conjugated thereto. It is particularly preferable that the vitamin B12 analog be a nitrosylcobalamin, but it may also be others known in the art, (e.g. hydroxocobalamin, cyanocobalamin, and methylcobalamin and 5xe2x80x2 deoxyadenocobalamin or radiolabelled cobalamin derivatives). The composition in accordance with this embodiment of the invention may also include a pharmaceutical carrier. It is preferable that the cytokine be an interferon, and more particularly interferon-xcex2.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a therapeutic composition comprising a cobalamin or cobalamin drug conjugate and a cytokine such as interferon-xcex2. In this embodiment, the therapeutic composition may also further comprise a pharmaceutical carrier. This is a particular advantageous embodiment when the cobalamin drug conjugate is designed for a specific aim in mind. Nitrosylcobalamin is just one cobalamin drug conjugate, and other drug conjugates may be selected from the group consisting of hydroxocobalamin, cyanocobalamin, methylcobalamin, and 5xe2x80x2 deoxyadenocobalamin, radiolabelled cobalamin, or other cobalamin and drug conjugate. This embodiment is particular useful in the treatment of diseases where the delivery of a therapeutic agent via a cobalamin delivery mechanism would be beneficial.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a method of enhancing uptake or activity of a metallocorrinoid comprised of administering a cytokine. It is preferable that the metallocorrinoid be a vitamin B12 or a vitamin B12 analog, homolog, or derivative. In this method it is preferable that the cytokine is an interferon, and more preferably that the interferon be interferon-xcex2.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a method of enhancing cellular uptake of a metallocorrinoid comprising the step of contacting a cell with a cytokine, particularly where the step of contacting a cell with a cytokine occurs through induction of cytokine. In this embodiment, it is preferable that the metallocorrinoid is vitamin B12 or a vitamin B12 analog. As in other embodiments, the vitamin B12 analog may he any suitable vitamin B12 analog, homolog or derivatives such as a cobalamin drug conjugate. In this embodiment it is preferable that the cytokine is an interferon, particularly interferon-xcex2.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a method of treating a patient comprising the steps of inducing cytokine production; and administering a metallocorrinoid. The step of inducing cytokine production may include administering a cytokine, or administering an agent as is known in the art to stimulate cytokine expression or production. The metallocorrinoid of this embodiment may be vitamin B12 or a vitamin B12 analog, homolog or derivative such as a cobalamin drug conjugate. The cytokine is preferably an interferon, more preferably interferon-xcex2.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention is a method of enhancing bio-availability of a metallocorrinoid, comprising the step of administering interferon-xcex2 alone or in combination with a metallocorrinoid.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention is a method of treating a subject to increase TCII-R activity in a cell comprising the step of administering to a subject in need of such treatment a cytokine to increase TCII-R activity in an amount effective to increase TCII-R activity in said cell. In this embodiment, it is preferable that the subject be cobalamin deficient. Another application of this embodiment is wherein the amount is sufficient to increase TCII-R activity above normal baseline levels. Preferably, this method may also be useful when the subject has an abnormally low level of TCII-R activity. This method preferably includes the step of co-administering a substrate (or ligand) of TCII-R, wherein the substrate of TCII-R is a cobalamin based compound (e.g. cobalamin or a cobalamin drug conjugate). The cobalamin drug conjugate is preferably nitrosylcobalamin, but may be any suitable cobalamin drug conjugate such as those known in the art.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention is a method of treating cancer comprised of administering a cytokine (e.g. interferon xcex2) to enhance the uptake or increase the availability of cobalamin analogs, homologs, or derivatives. This can be done either alone or in combination with the cobalamin analog, homolog, or derivative.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a method of imaging tissue or cells through enhanced uptake of radiolabelled vitamin B12 analogs, homologs or derivatives via administration of a cytokine such as interferon xcex2.
Additional aspects and applications of the present invention will become apparent to the skilled artisan upon consideration of the detailed description of the invention, which follows.

Composition and methods for affecting metallocorrinoid uptake


A method for printing a non-aqueous ink onto a printing substrate, using a non-aqueous ink including a coloring material and a non-aqueous solvent is provided, wherein the non-aqueous ink has a total surface free energy, calculated from the Kaelble-Uy theoretical formula, of 25 to 30 mN/m, and a dispersive component ratio of 0.55 to 0.75, and the printing substrate has a coating layer containing inorganic particles, has a total surface free energy, calculated from the Kaelble-Uy theoretical formula, of 30 to 50 mN/m, has a dispersive component ratio of 0.80 to 1.0, and exhibits a liquid absorption property for the inorganic particles of 0.30 or greater. The method for printing a non-aqueous ink enables roller transfer staining to be suppressed while maintaining high image density.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for printing a non-aqueous ink and a printing substrate for a non-aqueous ink that enable roller transfer staining to be suppressed while maintaining high image density.
2. Description of the Related Art
The inkjet printing system is a system in which an inkjet ink having high fluidity is sprayed in the form of ink particles from very fine head nozzles, thereby printing an image onto a printing substrate positioned facing the nozzles, and because high-speed printing can be achieved, particularly in those cases where a line head inkjet printing apparatus containing a plurality of ink heads is used, inkjet printing has become very widespread in recent years.
Inkjet inks can be broadly classified into aqueous inks and non-aqueous inks. Non-aqueous inks are less likely to cause curling or cockling of the printing substrate, thereby facilitating transport of the printing substrate, and are therefore ideal for high-speed printing.
Numerous so-called non-aqueous inks prepared by finely dispersing a pigment within a solvent have been proposed as inks for use within the above type of inkjet printing systems.
For example, the applicant has proposed, in Patent Document 1, a non-aqueous ink comprising a pigment dispersed in a solvent that includes an ester solvent, a higher alcohol solvent and a hydrocarbon solvent. This ink exhibits excellent stability within the printer, and a printed item produced using this ink offers the advantage that, even when laid on top of a printed item printed using a PPC transfer device or a laser printer with the printed surfaces facing each other, the printed images do not stick together.
On the other hand, non-aqueous inks suffer from poor separation of the solvent from the coloring material on the printing substrate, and particularly in those cases where a plain paper is used as the printing substrate, the coloring material and the solvent tend to be prone to penetrating together into gaps between the fibers of the printing substrate, resulting in a reduction in the image density. Here, the term "plain paper" refers to a paper that is not provided with a coating layer.
In response to this problem of reduced image density, a method of obtaining a printed item having high image density has been proposed in which the printed item is produced, using a non-aqueous ink, on a plain paper comprising mainly a pulp and a filler containing mainly a rosette-shaped light calcium carbonate, and also comprising a polymeric compound as a sizing agent, wherein the Stoeckigt sizing degree is within a range from 5 to 80 seconds, and the ash content prescribed in JIS-P8251 is within a range from 20 to 40% (see Patent Document 2).
However, in this method, although the image density increases, the effect of the large ash content of the printing substrate means that the coloring material is more likely to be retained on the surface of the printing substrate. As a result, when the printed item is pressed against a roller, the coloring material may be transferred to the roller, and this transferred coloring material can then be re-transferred to the subsequently transported printed item, thereby soiling the printed item and generating so-called roller transfer staining.    [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-126564 A    [Patent Document 2] JP 2005-193660 A
The present invention has an object of providing a method for printing a non-aqueous ink and a printing substrate for a non-aqueous ink that enable roller transfer staining to be suppressed while maintaining high image density.

Method for printing non-aqueous ink and printing substrate for non-aqueous ink


An electron-emitting device contains a lower conductive region (22), a porous insulating layer (24A, 24B, 24D, 24E, or 24F) overlying the lower conductive region, and a multiplicity of electron-emissive elements (30, 30A, or 30B) situated in pores (28.sub.1) extending through the porous layer. The pores are situated at locations substantially random relative to one another. The lower conductive region typically contains a highly conductive portion (22A) and an overlying highly resistive portion (22B). Alternatively or additionally, a patterned gate layer (34B, 40B, or 46B) overlies the porous layer. Openings (36, 42, or 54.sub.1) corresponding to the filaments extend through the gate layer at locations generally centered on the filaments such that the filaments are separated from the gate layer.

A field-emission cathode is an electronic device that emits electrons when subjected to an electric field of sufficient strength. The electric field is created by applying a voltage between the cathode and an electrode, typically referred to as the anode or gate electrode, situated a short distance away from the cathode. Field emitters are employed in cathode-ray tubes of flat-panel televisions.
Yoshida et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,164,632, discloses a field-emission structure in which solid elongated gold electron-emissive elements are situated in pores extending through an alumina (aluminum oxide) layer. An address line lying under the alumina layer contacts the lower ends of the electron-emissive elements. Their upper ends are pointed. A gate electrode situated above the electron-emissive elements extends slightly into the pores.
To manufacture their field-emitter structure, Yoshida et al anodically oxidize part of an aluminum plate to create a thin alumina layer having pores that extend nearly all the way through the alumina. An electrolytic technique is used to fill the pores with gold for the electron-emissive elements. The address line is formed over the filled pores along the alumina side of the structure after which the remaining aluminum and part of the adjoining alumina are removed along the opposite side of the structure to re-expose the gold in the pores. Part of the re-exposed gold is removed during an ion-milling process utilized to sharpen the electron-emissive elements. Gold is then evaporatively deposited onto the alumina and partly into the pores to form the gate electrode.
Greene et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,192, discloses a field emitter in which hollow elongated electron-emissive elements extend through a thin electrically insulating substrate. The electron-emissive elements have pointed tips that protrude into cavities provided along the upper substrate surface below a gate electrode. A metal film lies along the lower substrate surface.
In fabricating their field emitter, Greene et al create openings partway through the substrate by etching through a mask formed on the bottom of the substrate. Metal is deposited along the walls of the openings and along the lower substrate surface. A portion of the thickness of the substrate is removed along the upper surface. The gate electrode is then formed by a deposition/planarization procedure. The cavities are provided along the upper substrate surface after which the hollow metal portions in the openings are sharpened to complete the electron-emissive elements.
A large-area field emitter for an application such as a flat-panel television screen where the diagonal screen dimension is 25 cm needs a relatively strong substrate for supporting the field-emission components extending across the large emitter area. The requisite substrate thickness is typically several hundred microns to 10 mm or more. Due to the ways in which Yoshida et al and Greene et al manufacture their field emitters, it would be quite difficult to attach those emitters to substrates of such thickness. Consequently, Yoshida et al and Greene et al are not suited for scaling up to large-area field-emission applications.
Busta, "Vacuum Microelectronics-1992," J. Micromech. Microeng., Vol. 2, 1992, pp. 43-74, provides a general review of field-emission devices. Among other things, Busta discusses Utsumi, "Keynote Address, Vacuum Microelectronics: What's New and Exciting," IEEE Trans. Elect. Dev., October 1990, pp. 2276-2283, who suggests that a filament with a rounded end is the best shape for a field-emission element. Busta also discusses Betsui, "Fabrication and Characteristics of Si Field Emitter Arrays," Tech. Dig. IVMC91, 1991 pp. 26-29, who utilizes a lift-off technique in forming a field-emitter array. Also of interest is Fischer et al, "Production and use of nuclear tracks: imprinting structure on solids," Rev. Mod. Phys., October 1983, pp. 907-948, which deals with the use of charged-particle tracks in manufacturing field emitters according to a replica technique.

Filamentary electron-emission device having self-aligned gate or/and lower conductive/resistive region


A radio frequency module includes: a duplexer for a first communication band; a first power amplifier and a first low-noise amplifier connected to the duplexer; a second power amplifier and a second low-noise amplifier for a second communication band; and a switch that switches a connection of an antenna connection terminal between the second power amplifier and the second low-noise amplifier, wherein the first power amplifier and the second power amplifier are disposed on a first principal surface of a module substrate, the first low-noise amplifier and the second low-noise amplifier are incorporated in a semiconductor IC disposed on a second principal surface of the module substrate, and in a plan view of the module substrate, the distance between the first power amplifier and the semiconductor IC is greater than the distance between the second power amplifier and the semiconductor IC.

In a mobile communication device such as a mobile phone, the disposition and structure of circuit components of a radio frequency front-end circuit are increasingly more complex with the progress particularly in multiband communications.
WO2017/006866 discloses that a front-end module may include not only a frequency division duplex (FDD) signal path, but also a time division duplex (TDD) signal path. Stated differently, WO2017/006866 suggests a system that enables the use of both a communication band in which transmission and reception are concurrently performed and a communication band in which transmission and reception are performed in different time slots.

Radio frequency module and communication device


According to one embodiment, a welding or plasma cutting system is provided that includes a torch having a torch body. Located on or in the torch body are one or more status indicators that provide, for example, a status of a process parameter (e.g. current data, pressure data, etc.) and/or of an operating mode of the torches. Control circuitry coupled to the one or more status indicators is configured to activate the one or more status indicators prior to a carrying out of a welding or plasma cutting operation through use of the torch and to deactivate the one or more status indicators during a time when the welding or plasma cutting operation is being carried out by the torch. An associated method of operating the torch includes activating the one or more status indicators prior to a carrying out of a welding or plasma cutting operation by use of the torch, and during a time when the welding or plasma cutting operation is being carried out by use of the torch, deactivating the one or more status indicators.

The provision of indicators on welding or plasma cutting torches to provide a status of a process parameter and/or of an operating mode of the torches can provide a distraction to the users of the torches during a time when the welding or plasma cutting process is being carried out. Accordingly, a need remains in the art to reduce or eliminate such distractions.


A fault-tolerant control method for a position sensor of a switched reluctance motor, if the position sensor of the switched reluctance motor runs without a fault, detecting, in real time, four equal-interval or equal-angle continuous edge pulses of an output signal of the position sensor, the fourth edge pulse being the current edge pulse, and detecting time intervals (T1, T2, T3) between each two adjacent edge pulses sequentially, thereby calculating a time interval (T4) between the current edge pulse and a next edge pulse following the current edge pulse. If the position sensor of the switched reluctance motor fails, and the next edge pulse following the current edge pulse is lost, reconstructing the next edge pulse after the interval time (T4) of the current edge pulse of the output signal of the position sensor. The method can be used, when one or more position sensors of a rotatory and linear switched reluctance motor having various phases and various topology structures fail, to reconstruct an edge pulse after lost.

The position sensors that provide a basis of rotor position signals for rotation speed calculation and motor phase change in switched reluctance motor systems may fail owing to some reasons, such as dust and collision, etc., resulting in loss of edge pulses, failure of motor phase change, and failure of normal operation. Therefore, it is very important to reconstruct the output signals of position sensors in a switched reluctance motor system and implement fault-tolerant control of the position sensors. The conventional fault-tolerant control methods for reconstruction of output signals of position sensors haven't taken account of variable speed or variable acceleration/deceleration conditions of the switched reluctance motors. Therefore, the reconstructed output signals of the position sensors have large deviation under variable speed or variable acceleration/deceleration conditions of the motors, affecting the fault-tolerant control effect.

Fault-tolerant control method for position sensor of switched reluctance motor

China University of Mining and Technology


A cleaning product in the form of a single or multi-compartment water-soluble pack comprising a cleaning composition and enveloping material, wherein at least one compartment contains an aqueous cleaning composition or an aqueous auxiliary composition enveloped by a warm water soluble material and wherein the aqueous cleaning or auxiliary composition comprises more than 15% by weight of the aqueous composition of free water.

Products in unit dose form are found to be very attractive and convenient to some consumers because they avoid the need of the consumer to measure the product thereby giving rise to a more precise dosing and avoiding wasteful overdosing or underdosing. Lately, products in unit dose form have become one of the preferred forms for the user due to the easiness of use, in particular water-soluble pouches which present the added advantage of no need to unwrap.
Water-soluble packs consist of water-soluble enveloping material which encloses a cleaning composition. It is a common believe that compositions contained in the pack need to be free of water or have a very low level of free water otherwise the enveloping material would dissolve or the free water would negatively impact on the stability of the pack. Traditionally, water soluble packs contain compositions in solid form or in the form of anhydrous liquid (i.e. compositions with very low levels of free water).
Some cleaning ingredients are provided in the form of aqueous solutions. These ingredients can be difficult or costly to include in a solid cleaning composition or to include in an anhydrous liquid composition which would require to dry the water (involving a high use of energy) and to dissolve the active ingredient in an organic solvent. Examples of these cleaning ingredients include polymers, builders, surfactants, etc.
Current methods of incorporating liquid ingredients into solid detergent compositions include absorbing the liquid ingredient onto a solid carrier, for example by mixing, agglomeration or spray-on techniques. Typically, solid detergent compositions comprise only low amounts of these liquid detergent ingredients due to the difficulty and expense of incorporating these liquid ingredients into as solid detergent. Furthermore, the incorporation of liquid ingredients into solid detergent compositions can impact on the dissolution characteristics of the composition (for example as the result of forming surfactant gel phases), can increase the moisture pick-up by water sensitive ingredients and can also lead to problems of flowability. It would be advantageous to have a cleaning composition which allows the different ingredients to be in their natural state i.e., aqueous liquid or solid. This would facilitate the manufacturing process, increase the components stability and furthermore allow the delivery of liquid ingredients prior or post to the delivery of solid ingredients. For example differential dissolution of active ingredients would be beneficial in the case of enzyme/bleach compositions to avoid oxidation of enzymes by the bleach in the dishwashing liquor. It would also be advantageous to separate bleach from perfume.
In recent years there has been a tendency towards the elimination of phosphate from detergents. This elimination does not only have repercussions on the cleaning of the detergent but also on the stability. Phosphate can act as a moisture sink thereby protecting other moisture sensitive ingredients, such as enzymes, contained in the detergent. A present challenge is the stability of moisture sensitive ingredients in compositions free of phosphate.
A problem found with cleaning products in the form of multi-compartment packs, enveloped by water-soluble material, is that the pack can pick up moisture from the surrounding environment and moisture can also migrate between compartments, negatively impacting the stability of the cleaning composition.
In view of the above discussion, an objective of the present invention is to provide a more versatile cleaning product being able to accommodate aqueous compositions.


A progressive decoding method for decoding a bit-stream signal into corresponding image data is disclosed. The bit-stream signal includes a plurality of scans. The progressive decoding method includes receiving the plurality of scans according to a predetermined sequence, decoding each of the scans into a partial decoded pixel and a non-zero indicator, and summing each newly generated partial decoded pixel and updating a non-zero history with the non-zero indicator according to the predetermined sequence.

The present invention discloses a progressive decoding method and an apparatus thereof. In particular, the present invention discloses a method and a related apparatus capable of decoding each scan so as to generate a partial decoded pixel and a corresponding non-zero indicator, and summing up the partial decoded pixels generated each time and updating a non-zero history with the non-zero indicator, thereby reducing the demand of memory capacity.
The Joint Photographic Expert Group (JPEG) standard can efficiently compress digital gray scale or color images, and four different operation modes are included in the specification, which use different encoding and decoding algorithm respectively: Sequential Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) based, Progressive DCT based, Lossless, and Hierarchy mode. The JPEG format is frequently used in the Internet to compress still image. Since the image data encoded in the JPEG format are of a certain size, the image can not be completely displayed until all the data are completely received in the Internet environment. When the available bandwidth is limited, it may take much time to display the whole image, and results in Internet resource waste. Thus, among the four different operation modes of JPEG, the progressive DCT based technology becomes the most popular jPEG decoding technology because it can display a rough image first and refine the image over time. Therefore, users can view the image being received roughly before the whole image is completely received.
For the progressive DCT based encoding procedure, a sample block consists of 8×8 samples. When an image is being encoded, the sample blocks are typically input from the left to the right, and block-row by block-row from the top to the bottom. Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram of a related art progressive JPEG encoder 10, and it illustrates a related art progressive JPEG encoding procedure. The JPEG encoder 10 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a forward DCT transformer 12, a quantizer 14, a first memory buffer 16, and a variable length encoder 18. After a sample block is transformed into 64 digital DCT coefficients by a forward DCT transformation operation by the forward DCT transformer 12, and then quantized by the quantizer 14, and prepared for entropy encoding, all 64 of its quantized DCT coefficients can be immediately entropy encoded by the variable length encoder 18, and output as part of the compressed JPEG bit-stream signal. In the progressive DCT based encode procedure; the whole image is encoded by multiple scanning the image, and the compressed JPEG bit-stream signal comprises a plurality of scans. To accomplish multiple scanning, the first memory buffer 16 with storage volume approximating to the size of a single image is intervened between the quantizer 14 and the variable length encoder 18. As each sample block is transformed by the forward DCT transformer 12 and then quantized by the quantizer 14, its DCT quantized coefficients are stored in the first memory buffer 16. When all the sample blocks have finished the DCT transformation and are quantized, the quantized DCT coefficients in the first memory buffer 16 are scanned for multiple times, and the variable length encoder 18 encodes the partial quantized DCT coefficients in each of the multiple scans. Therefore, the data in a scan are formed. As mentioned above, the advantages of the progressive DCT based technology are that the scans in JPEG bit-stream signal received first are decoded first and a rough image could be displayed. The more scans received, the finer the image is. The JPEG bit-stream signal begins to be decoded even before the whole bit-stream signal is completely received.
There are two methods of multiple scanning: the spectral selection and the successive approximation. The spectral selection involves transmitting the data of part of the frequency bands in each sample block. Since most of the data of general images lie in lower frequency bands, the data of lower frequency bands can be firstly transmitted followed by the data of higher frequency bands. The successive approximation involves transmitting the most significant bit (MSB) first followed by the least significant bit while transmitting some part of bits of the digital DCT coefficients. Please refer to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a related art spectral selection method. In the (progressive DCT based) JPEG standard, an image can be separated into a plurality of sample blocks, each of which is the size of 8×8. In FIG. 2, the cube 20 on the top is the set of the whole sample blocks of an image. The smaller cubes (sub-cubes) lining up from the right to the left (sub-cube 0 to 7) represent a quantized DCT coefficient, where each sub-cube represents one bit. That is to say, sub-cubes 0 to 7 distinctly correspond to bits 0 to 7 wherein the left most bit is the MSB and the right most bit is the LSB. The 64 quantized DCT coefficients in a vertical plane are the coefficients of one sample block and each horizontal line is defined as the zeroth to the 63rd quantized DCT coefficients from top to bottom. The total number of bits is 64×8. In FIG. 2, the zeroth quantized DCT coefficient is transmitted and defined as scan(0) when it is scanned the first time; the first and the second quantized DCT coefficients are transmitted and defined as scan(1) when it is scanned the second time; and the third, fourth and fifth quantized DCT coefficients are transmitted and defined as scan(2) when it is scanned the third time. The whole image data are transmitted as the rule described above. Since each quantized DCT coefficient in the sample block corresponds to different frequencies, different quantized DCT coefficients in the sample block are transmitted in each of multiple scans to accomplish spectral selection.
Please refer to FIG. 3. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a related art successive approximation procedure. The cube 30 is the set of the whole sample block of the image. The zeroth quantized DCT coefficient of each sample block is transmitted and defined as scan (0) when it is scanned the first time; the bits 7 to 4 of the quantized DCT coefficients of the sample block are transmitted and defined as scan (1) when it is scanned the second time; and the bit 3 of the quantized DCT coefficients of the sample block are transmitted and defined as scan (2). Transmitting different bits when scanning at different times can accomplish the successive approximation. All the rules described above can be adjusted to achieve different progressive image effects.
The decoding process is the inverse process of encoding. Please refer to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of part of the components in a progressive JPEG decoder 40, and it also illustrates a related art progressive JPEG decoding procedure. FIG. 4 shows a variable length encoder 42(VLD), an inverse quantizer 44, a second memory buffer 46, and an inverse DCT transformer 48. Generally speaking, the encoded JPEG bit-stream signal (transmitted from the JPEG encoder 10 in FIG. 1) is decoded by the variable length decoder 42. In the related art progressive JPEG decoder 40, there is a second memory buffer 46 with storage volume approximating to the size of the image where the quantized DCT coefficients can be stored after the process of the variable length decoder 42. When all the quantized DCT coefficients (after the process of the variable length decoder 42) in one scan of the JPEG bit-stream signal are collected, the progressive image is rebuilt with the decoded pixels generated after the inverse quantized operation of the inverse quantizer 44 and the inverse DCT (IDCT) operation of the inverse DCT transformer 48. However the size of the images may be very large, for example, in the JPEG CCITT T.81 specification the image size could be as large as 65535×65535 pixels. Since the related art progressive JPEG decoder 40 could not incorporate a second memory buffer 46 with giga-byte size capacity, the images may not be able to be decoded successfully. Furthermore, the information application (IA) products are very popular now and equipped with much smaller memory size than traditional desktop personal computer. Hence, it becomes more and more important to develop a new progressive JPEG decoding algorithm and the apparatus thereof to reduce the capacity requirement of the second memory buffer 46 in FIG. 4.

Method and related apparatus for JPEG decoding


A composition of matter is disclosed wherein the composition comprises a polyurethane elastomer prepared by mixing

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to polyurethane elastomers that are useful in industrial applications, such as railroad side-bearing pads, skate wheels, tires, track pads, friction brakes, scraper blades, and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to polyurethane elastomers having improved abrasion resistance and pressure velocity limits while maintaining their coefficients of friction.
2. Description of Related Art
Polyurethane elastomers are well known, tough materials that are in high demand for a variety of uses. The properties that are most sought after by the users of these materials include superior tear resistance and abrasion resistance.
One method of improving abrasion resistance is to lubricate the surface of the polyurethane that is to be subjected to the abrasive force. The resulting reduction in friction at the surface improves abrasion resistance, since it drastically reduces the energy dissipated there. Surface lubrication can be accomplished by means of external application of a lubricant, or through use of internal lubricants, which are well known in the art. Internal lubricants are generally incompatible materials with lubricating properties that are dispersed as a discontinuous phase in the polyurethane polymer matrix. These lubricants are intended to migrate to the surface either under static or dynamic conditions, or upon the onset of abrasion, by breaking open the tiny droplets of the discontinuous phase.
The mechanism by which these internal lubricants improve abrasion resistance is the same as that of external lubrication. The coefficient of friction is reduced, and the resulting reduction in energy dissipation at the surface has the effect of removing much of the driving force for abrasion. U.S. Pat. No. 4,011,189 discloses urethane compositions that are obtained by curing fluid polyurethane compositions containing incompatible fluids uniformly dispersed therein. Such dispersions are prepared by including in the uncured urethane composition, a specific siloxane-organic copolymer dispersing agent, along with the incompatible fluids. In this patent, a wide range of incompatible fluids are dispersed in a polyurethane elastomer by utilizing a specific siloxane-organic copolymer dispersing agent along with the incompatible fluid. Such systems are said to greatly reduce coefficients of friction and, of course, thereby improve abrasion resistance. Both the incompatible fluid and the dispersing agent formulation may be contributing to the reduction in friction.
While this approach may be beneficial for some applications, such as bearings and bushings, there are many elastomer applications for which it is not acceptable. In tire and wheel applications, for example, reduced traction is often unacceptable. In recreational wheels, such as in-line skate wheels, reduced traction is also unacceptable, since the ability of the skater to accelerate and corner are both highly dependent upon obtaining good traction. In rail car suspensions, polyurethane elastomers are used as side-bearing pads. These side-bearing pads are elastomeric springs that slide across a metal surface, thereby allowing the car to navigate curves in the track. Polyurethanes are used because of their excellent load carrying capabilities, good abrasion resistance, and frictional properties. While improvements in abrasion resistance are desired, any reduction in friction is unacceptable. Maintenance of high friction coefficient is critical to prevent xe2x80x9chuntingxe2x80x9d of the rail car from side to side.
Many other examples can be cited. Braking mechanisms, of course, require excellent frictional characteristics and abrasion resistance. Track pads for tracked vehicles also require both abrasion resistance and excellent frictional characteristics, to allow the heavy vehicle to climb a smooth surface, even when wet.
It is also important to note that friction reducing additives may lead to inaccurate results in lab abrasion tests by lubricating the abrasive surface. In most lab abrasion tests, such as the Taber test, the same surface comes in contact with the sample over and over again. Once the surface is lubricated, it cannot provide anywhere near the same abrasive force. However, in many actual applications, such as in a belt scraper blade, the urethane is usually in contact with fresh, unlubricated abrasive surfaces and excellent results achieved in the laboratory are generally not realized.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,595 discloses a method of modifying the physical properties of urethane elastomers, whereby the properties of the urethane are said to be enhanced. The method involves reacting a specific siloxane-polyoxyalkylene into a urethane elastomer. Specifically, the patentees proposed reactive, primary hydroxy difunctional siloxanes to improve elongation, flexibility, and abrasion resistance of polyurethane elastomers. Since the siloxanes would thus react into the polyurethane matrix, they could not exude to the surface. The patentees disclosed improvements in Taber abrasion resistance in their modified elastomers vs. elastomers without additive. However, in elastomer formulations subject to more aggressive abrasion, it has been found that only mild improvements in abrasion resistance are obtained. In addition, tear strength can be seriously compromised.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,657 discloses an industrial solid tire for heavy-load, off-road use having a cast polyurethane tire thereon produced by a batch method. The tire is a heat cured polyurethane produced from a dispersion of a prepolymer, a curative and an amount of a silicone dispersing and lubricant agent. The amount of silicone is between 1.0 and 4.0 parts per hundred of the prepolymer. A method for manufacturing the tire is included. The silicone additive used was Dow Corning Q2-3238, a reactive, dispersible silicone additive. This patent demonstrates the ability of a silicone additive to improve the abrasion resistance of a polyurethane elastomer without the loss of coefficient of friction. The reactive nature of the silicone had apparently bound it to the polyurethane during cure and prevented it from migrating to the surface. However, the viscosity of Q2-3238 is so high that it is a paste and not truly a liquid. Even at elevated temperatures the material is pasty and does not flow. This high viscosity also makes it difficult to disperse in conventional mixing equipment commonly used to make polyurethane prepolymers. In addition, the material is hygroscopic and is not available in a dry form. The presence of moisture is a major problem when working with polyurethanes, since they are moisture reactive, and removal of the moisture in Q2-3238 is difficult, again because of its high viscosity.
In addition, it can be seen from U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,657 that even low levels of Q2-3238, e.g., 1.0-2.0%, caused a loss in split tear resistance. Tear resistance is very important to a wide range of urethane elastomer applications, including industrial tires. Industrial tires carrying heavy loads often run over debris that can cut the tire and reduce its life if tear resistance is insufficient.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,849,052 discloses abrasive articles containing a polysiloxane in their bond system that is said to result in a cutting performance that is maintained or increased while wear is dramatically decreased, resulting in improved abrasive efficiency.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,952,444 discloses:
(1) a polyurethane resin derivative having a polydimethylsiloxane side chain and an isocyanate group in a main chain of a polyurethane molecule which is obtainable by reacting (A) a polydimethylsiloxane having an alkyl group on one terminal and two hydroxyl groups in the vicinity of the other terminal with (B) a polyisocyanate having two or more isocyanate groups in one molecule;
(2) a coating resin composition which is obtainable by reacting a polyurethane resin derivative having a polydimethylsiloxane side chain and an isocyanate group in a main chain of a polyurethane molecule with a hydroxyl group-containing resin; and
(3) a method for curing the coating resin composition.
The disclosures of the foregoing are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
It has now been found that non-functional silicone fluids of modest viscosity can be used to make polyurethane elastomers having improved abrasion resistance without reduction of the coefficient of friction. It has further been found that such additives can be incorporated without significant loss of tear strength. Finally, it has been found that such additives can be incorporated without the use of dispersing agents, and that stable, polyurethane prepolymers already containing the additive can be produced via direct addition of the silicone fluid during manufacture of the prepolymer.
More particularly, the present invention is directed to a composition of matter comprising a polyurethane elastomer prepared by mixing
A) a polyurethane prepolymer,
B) a curative, and
C) a liquid, non-reactive polydimethylsiloxane,
wherein C) is present in a concentration of about 0.5 to about 25% based on the combined weight of A) plus B),
and curing the mixture to form the elastomer.
In another aspect, the present invention is directed to a method for producing a polyurethane elastomer comprising the steps of:
A) mixing:
1) a polyurethane prepolymer,
2) a curative, in sufficient amount to cure the polyurethane prepolymer, and
3) a non-reactive, liquid polydimethylsiloxane,
wherein 3) is present in a concentration of from about 0.5% to about 25% based on the weight of 1) plus 2), and
B) curing the polyurethane prepolymer.
In still another aspect, the present invention is directed to an article of manufacture comprising a polyurethane elastomer and about 0.5% to about 25% based on the weight of the elastomer of a non-reactive, liquid polydimethylsiloxane, whereby the abrasion resistance of the article is improved with no significant loss in friction.
The silicone employed in the practice of the present invention is a substantially dry, non-reactive silicone or non-reactive silicone oil. It is preferred that the silicone be in a liquid state under ambient conditions. More preferably, these silicones are members of a family of silicone fluids that are commercially available from Wacker Silicones Corporation, 3301 Sutton Road, Adrian, Mich. 49221-9397, under the designation xe2x80x9cSilicone Fluids SWS-101xe2x80x9d. According to the manufacturer, these fluids are stable linear dimethylpolysiloxanes terminated with nonreactive trimethylsiloxy groups that are clear, inert liquids that are available in a number of standard viscosities, have a very high degree of chemical purity, and a narrow uniform molecular weight distribution for each viscosity.
The silicone fluids employed in the practice of the present invention can be of any viscosity (employed here as an indication of chain length) that is effective to improve the abrasion resistance of an article containing them without significantly diminishing the frictional properties of the article. Thus, the viscosity can be as high as 200,000 cst, or higher. Preferably, the viscosity will in the range of from about 5,000 to about 100,000 cst.
The polyurethanes employed in the practice of the present invention can be prepared by the reaction of an organic diisocyanate with a polyol using standard procedures known in the art.
Suitable organic diisocyanates include paraphenylene diisocyanate (PPDI), tolidene diisocyanate (TODI), isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), 4,4xe2x80x2-methylene bis (phenylisocyanate) (MDI), toluene-2,4-diisocyanate (2,4-TDI), toluene-2,6-diisocyanate (2,6-TDI), naphthalene-1,5-diisocyanate (NDI), diphenyl-4,4xe2x80x2-diisocyanate, dibenzyl-4,4xe2x80x2-diisocyanate, stilbene-4,4xe2x80x2-diisocyanate, benzophenone-4,4xe2x80x2-diisocyanate, 1,3- and 1,4-xylene diisocyanates, 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate, 1,3-cyclohexyl diisocyanate, 1,4-cyclohexyl diisocyanate (CHDI), the three geometric isomers of 1,1xe2x80x2-methylene-bis(4-isocyanatocyclohexane) (abbreviated collectively as H12 MDI), and mixtures thereof
In the preparation of polyurethane and polyurethane/urea elastomers, the diisocyanate monomers are reacted with long chain (high molecular weight) polyols to produce prepolymers containing terminal isocyanate groups that can then be chain extended with short chain (low molecular weight) polyols or aromatic diamines to form polyurethane or polyurethane/urea elastomers. Long chain, high molecular weight polyols, e.g., those having a molecular weight (MW) of above 250, are generally utilized to form the prepolymer and the chain extender is generally a short chain polyol, e.g., C2-C15 polyol, or an aromatic diamine. The long chain, high molecular weight polyol provides flexibility and elastomeric properties to the resin, while the short chain polyol or aromatic diamine provides chain extension or cross-links and adds toughness and rigidity to the resulting elastomeric polymer.
High molecular weight polyols, typically polyether polyols, polyester polyols, or hydrocarbon polyols, having a number average molecular weight of at least 250, are often used to prepare the prepolymer. Molecular weights of about 500 to about 6000 are preferred, with molecular weights in the range of about 650 to about 3000 being the most preferred. However, the molecular weight of the high molecular weight polyol may be as high as 10,000 or as low as 250. In addition, low molecular weight glycols and triols, with weights ranging from 60-250, may be included.
Preferred polyalkyleneether polyols may be represented by the general formula HO(RO)nH, wherein R is an alkylene radical and n is an integer large enough that the polyether polyol has a number average molecular weight of at least 250. These polyalkyleneether polyols are well-known components of polyurethane products and can be prepared by the polymerization of cyclic ethers, such as alkylene oxides and glycols, dihydroxyethers, and the like by known methods. Average hydroxyl functionality can range from about 2 to about 8, preferably from about 2 to about 3, and more preferably from about 2 to about 2.5.
The polyester polyols are typically prepared by reaction of dibasic acids (usually adipic acid, but other components such as glutaric, succinic, azelaic, or sebacic acid, or phthalic anhydride, can be present) with diols such as ethylene glycol, 1,2-propylene glycol, 1,4-butylene glycol, 1,6-hexylene glycol, diethylene glycol, polytetramethylene ether glycol and the like. Polyols, such as glycerol, trimethylol propane, pentaerthythritol, sorbitol, and the like may be used if chain branching or ultimate cross-linking is sought. Diesters can be used in place of dibasic acids. Some polyester polyols can also employ caprolactone and dimerized unsaturated fatty acids in their manufacture.
Hydrocarbon polyols can be prepared from ethylenically unsaturated monomers, such as ethylene, isobutylene, and 1,3-butadiene. Examples include polybutadiene polyols Poly-bd R-45 HIT (Atochem) and DIFOL (Amoco Corp.); and KRATON(copyright) L polyols (Shell Chemical Co.).
Polycarbonate polyols can also be used and can be prepared by the reaction of glycols (e.g., 1,6-hexylene glycol) with organic carbonates (e.g., diphenyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, or ethylene carbonate).
The curative, or chain extender, used with the prepolymer can be selected from a wide variety of conventional and well known organic diamine or polyol materials. Preferred materials are either low melting solids or liquids. Specifically preferred are the diamines, polyols, or blends thereof having a melting point below 140xc2x0 C. These diamines or polyols are generally the ones currently used in the industry as curatives for polyurethane. The selection of a curative is generally based on reactivity needs, property needs for a specific application, process condition needs, and pot life desired. Known catalysts may be used in conjunction with the curative.
Preferred curatives can be selected from aliphatic diols, such as 1,4-butanediol (BDO), hydroquinone-bis-hydroxyethyl ether (HQEE), 1,4-cyclohexane dimethanol (CHDM), aliphatic triols, such as trimethyloipropane and aliphatic tetrols, such as the commercial product QUADROL(copyright) (BASF Corp.). Useful aromatic diamines include, for example, 4,4xe2x80x2-methylenedianiline (MDA), 2,2xe2x80x2,5-trichloro-4,4xe2x80x2-methylenediamines naphthalene-1,5-diamine, ortho, meta, and para-phenylene diamines, toluene-2,4-diamine, dichlorobenzidine, and diphenylether-4,4xe2x80x2diamine, including their derivatives and mixtures.
Representative of the most preferred materials are aliphatic diols, such as HIQEE, BDO, and CHDM, and diamines, such as 4,4xe2x80x2-methylene-bis(3-chloroaniline) (MBCA), 4,4xe2x80x2-methylene-bis(3-chloro2,6-diethylaniline) (MCDEA), diethyl toluene diamine (DETDA), tertiary butyl toluene diamine (TBTDA), dimethylthio-toluene diamine ETHACURE(copyright) 300 from Albemarle Corporation), trimethylene glycol di-p-amino-beflzoate POLACURE(trademark) 740 from Air Products Corporation), 1,2-bis(2-aminophenylthio)ethane (CYANACURE(trademark) from American Cyanamid Company), methylenedianiline (MDA), and methylenedianiline-sodium chloride complex (CAYTUR(copyright) 21 and CAYTUR 31, from Crompton Corporation).
Among the polyurethanes, the two part castable urethane made from polyether-isocyanate or polyester-isocyanate prepolymers cured with organic diamine or polyol materials are most preferred, as represented by ADIPRIENE(copyright) and VIBRATHANE(copyright) prepolymers (trademarks of Crompton Corporation).
Various features and aspects of the present invention are illustrated further in the examples that follow. While these examples are presented to show one skilled in the art how to operate within the scope of the invention, they are not intended in any way to serve as a limitation upon the scope of the invention.

High friction polyurethane elastomers having improved abrasion resistance

Abstract: A) a polyurethane prepolymer,

Abstract: B) a curative, and


The subject matter disclosed herein relates to location-based tracking using geofences.

1. Field
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to location-based tracking using geofences.
2. Information
Location-based applications involving "geofences" have dramatically increased in popularity in recent years, along with an increased popularity of satellite positioning systems (SPSs). A geofence may be implemented by establishing a virtual perimeter of a geographic area for use with a location-based service, so that if a tracked device enters or exits such an area a notification may be generated. Such notification may include information about the location of the geofence-based device that is transmitted to a mobile telephone or an email account, for example. A geofence may be used while tracking a geofence-based device being carried by a delivery truck, a car, a child, and so on. A geofence application, for example, may evaluate whether such a tracked device is inside or outside a geofence.
Implementation of geofences for device tracking is increasingly becoming a fundamental feature of many location-based applications. Such applications attempt to establish a geofence that accurately corresponds to a region of interest. For example, if a boundary of a school does not reasonably match a geofence established for the school, then detection of a child leaving the school may lead to a false alarm, or an actual departure from the school may not be detected.
An application may establish a geofence by obtaining coordinates of a region of interest and then assuming a boundary of a standard size and shape associated with the region of interest. An application may also establish a geofence based, at least in part, upon assumptions regarding dimensions of such particular regions of interest. Alternatively, a geofence may be established manually by allowing a user to "draw" a geofence on a map. Another approach to establishing a geofence includes a process whereby a user edits to improve a geofence created by an application.


An apparatus and method for milling rumble strips into a pavement surface with a cutting wheel. The cutting wheel has rows of a cutting and non-cutting surface and is rotated to alternately present and withdraw a cutting surface and a non-cutting surface to the asphalt and cut a periodic rumble strip pattern as the apparatus moves forward. This alternating pattern is achieved without any up and down motion of the cutting wheel, and the apparatus can be operated a relatively rapid speed.

Rumble strips are typically installed in new asphalt pavement by pressing depressions perpendicular to forward direction of travel when it is still hot during installation of the pavement. This is accomplished by a roller with steel bars of suitable size and spacing with adequate weight to form the depressions.
It is often desirable to install rumble strips in asphalt that is already installed, or to increase the width of the rumble strip depressions to increase the magnitude of rumble effect. To this end, machines have been designed and built to mill wider depressions in cold asphalt pavement along the shoulder of roads. These rumble strip milling machines typically use the same type of cutting teeth used on large asphalt milling machines. The teeth are mounted on a cylindrical cutting head, with a diameter the same as the arch of the depressions to be milled. As the milling machine moves forward, the cutting or milling head is rotated at a rapid rate against the forward motion of the milling machine to cut into the pavement. Since the cutting must be periodic and not continuous to form a rumble strip, the cutting head is raised and lowered at regular intervals to leave unmilled areas between the milled depressions. Accordingly, during the forward travel of the milling machine it is necessary to continuously move the cutting head up and down in a regular periodic motion. This up and down motion must be carefully coordinated with the forward speed of the milling machine. This coordinated motion severely limits the forward speed of the milling machine. Typically the forward speed of these rumble strip cutters can be no greater than one or two miles per hour, making the process a relatively slow procedure.
The up and down motion of the cutting head not only limits the speed of the milling machine, but adds significantly to the mechanical complexity and cost of the machine. Accordingly, there is a continuing need in the art to a rumble strip cutting system that not only permits a faster cutting speed but also is a mechanically simpler method than existing systems. A desirable system would be mechanically simpler, and thus more reliable and allow for a faster forward speed of the milling machine.


A service running on a server includes a method running on a server, for example as a cloud server to provide a decentralized computing solution. The solution includes an audit service, a tax service or a combination thereof. The service includes providing a distributed registry that specifies a plurality of services available to support communications between a user device and a computer related device on a communication network. The pluralities of services specified by the distributed registry are presented to the user device. A request is received from the user device for a particular service from the plurality of services. The request may be made using a zero-knowledge protocol to maintain privacy of a user of the user device. The particular service includes an additional requested service for at least one of an auditability and taxability service. The particular service is provided along with the additional requested service.

The present invention generally relates to services, and more particularly for in particular, to a decentralized computing service with security maximization with tax and/or auditing as part of the service.
Cyber hacking is a widely known and prevalent problem. Many schemes have been tried to prevent or ameliorate the problem. These normally revolve around authenticating a user or building a firewall or setting permissions. These defensive measures have been useful but are limited.
Further, in a decentralized and optionally anonymous ecosystem of cloud services, there is no ability to audit services for the purposes of accounting, law enforcement, troubleshooting, performance tracking, or automated management. Likewise, there is no obvious way to withhold or remit taxes for goods and services in accordance with any local law that requires such taxes.

Decentralized computing with auditability and taxability

International Business Machines Corporation


A programmable logic device includes means for operating a computing element to compile a set of state-machine states in an incompletely specified state-machine. The state-machine states are compiled into a set of cellular array states in a rectilinear format of columns and rows. Multiple memory cells are located on a main diagonal. Function cells are located removed from the main diagonal for transferring information between the memory cells. Compatible sets of sequences are formed of sequences which have non-equal effect. Compatible sets are processed to form a closed cover. A distinct memory cell is then assigned to each compatible set constituting that closed cover. The closed cover can be formed selectively by having a compatible set consist of either a single entry of one sequence, two or more sequences, being at least a pair of sequences, a maximal compatible set or less than maximal compatible set from a pair of compatibles. Moreover, the compatible set could be a prime compatible set or less than prime compatible set being derived from maximal or less than maximal compatible sets. The closed cover tree contains every sequence which does not have equal effect on the internal states of the state-machine. Each implication set corresponding to a compatible set which constitutes the tree is contained as a subset of at least one compatible set.

Providing an efficient programmable logic device and method is vital with the electronics industry and all related industries.
This invention relates to a logic device and method that can be efficiently configured. In particular, the device is operable with fast and powerful microprocessors, thereby enhancing speed and reducing size in electronic applications. Also, the central logic of the cellular array is amenable to desktop processor implementation.
As microprocessors have become faster, circular logic timing has become critical. At the same time, the more information and logic that can be stored on a silicon chip constituting a memory device, the more beneficial is that device to the semiconductor industry.
The invention is directed to a universal cellular array based on a state table method to logically program such cellular array.
Prior art of programmable logic devices are based on Gate array technology. Such technology requires a desired function to be broken into its basic parts such that an end result function is described in terms of a number of latches, shift registers, MUXS, counters and Medium Scale Integration (MSI) building blocks. The construction of MSI building blocks is decided with proximity to I/O buffers and their construction and placement determines the efficiency of the chip. The requirement of MSI building blocks for a typical sequential logic function is generally disadvantageous.
There is the need to provide a different programmable logic device which implements a cellular array, having the advantage of a more replicable circuit design.


A base module for a control-cabinet system includes a housing with a first housing face and further housing faces, the first housing face having a grid of openings. The housing has connection elements for functional modules, the connection elements each being arranged in the region of the openings of the first housing face, the connection elements comprising data connections, extra-low voltage connections and low-voltage connections. The data connections are interconnected by a data line of the base module and a field-bus connection is provided for the data line, where the data line is arranged within the housing. An extra-low voltage line and a low voltage line are arranged within the housing, where the extra-low voltage line is connected to the extra-low voltage connections and the low voltage line is connected to the low voltage connections.

In modular field-bus systems, which may e.g. be used in automation systems, functional modules may be connected directly to one another or each may be connected to a base module. In the latter variant, data connections and extra-low voltage connections may be provided at the base module to which the functional modules are connected. This allows for a simple structure of the modular field-bus system. In this context, the functional modules may take over a variety of functionalities and be embodied, for example, as input modules, output modules, PLC control modules, motor control modules or power supply modules. A field bus provides both a communication option as well as a power supply with an extra-low voltage. Such a field-bus system is disclosed in DE 100 06 879 A1. The communication option and the power supply may also be provided by separate connections.
The disadvantage of this field-bus system is therefore that a separate mains connection must be provided for functional modules such as a motor controller, for which a higher voltage is required. This complicates the wiring and installation of such a field-bus system if the functionality of a control cabinet is to be provided by the field-bus system. A control cabinet may contain the electrical and electronic components of a process plant, a machine tool or a production facility that are not located directly in the machine (cf.http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schaltschrank).

Base module and functional module for a control-cabinet system


The present invention is directed to small interfering RNA molecules (siRNA) targeted against an allele of interest, and methods of using these siRNA molecules.

Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) can induce sequence-specific posttranscriptional gene silencing in many organisms by a process known as RNA interference (RNAi). However, in mammalian cells, dsRNA that is 30 base pairs or longer can induce sequence-nonspecific responses that trigger a shut-down of protein synthesis. Recent work suggests that RNA fragments are the sequence-specific mediators of RNAi (Elbashir et al., 2001). Interference of gene expression by these small interfering RNA (siRNA) is now recognized as a naturally occurring strategy for silencing genes in C. elegans, Drosophila, plants, and in mouse embryonic stem cells, oocytes and early embryos (Cogoni et al., 1994; Baulcombe, 1996; Kennerdell, 1998; Timmons, 1998; Waterhouse et al., 1998; Wianny and Zemicka-Goetz, 2000; Yang et al., 2001; Svoboda et al., 2000). In mammalian cell culture, a siRNA-mediated reduction in gene expression has been accomplished only by transfecting cells with synthetic RNA oligonucleotides (Caplan et al., 2001; Elbashir et al., 2001).


A data signal compression technique for real-time voice and data processing where the digitized signal is first compressed to obtain a first compressed signal, and the first compressed signal is then compressed again to obtain a second compressed signal. Within a digital signal processor, digital signals first undergo time scale compression after which the compressed signals undergo audio compression to achieve multiple-compressed signals. Upon reception in a second digital signal processor, the multiple-compressed signals are correspondingly decompressed to achieve a high-quality estimation of the original digital signals.

Personal computer users have discovered the Internet (a global network of computers) to be an effective vehicle for data and audio communication with remote sites. Because the Internet provides worldwide communication at a cost much lower than standard telephone rates, there is an increasing demand for expanding the capabilities of personal computers to enable real-time voice communication via the Internet. However, there are several limitations to existing technology that inhibit this goal.
Existing telephone lines, which were originally developed for analog voice communication, provide a narrow bandwidth communication link, typically in the range of 200 Hz to 3400 Hz. Because the transmission time for one bit of data is inversely proportional to the frequency, the rate of data transmission is restricted by the bandwidth limitation of telephone lines.
Another obstacle to the transmission of audio data in particular is the large amounts of computer memory and processing time needed to digitize audio data for use in the digital environment of the personal computer. As is known in the art, in order to transmit digitized audio data for real-time use, a data rate in the range of 20-22 kilobytes per second is typically necessary. However, use of a modem is required for modulating and demodulating digital signals for transmission over telephone lines. Most currently available modems can reliably handle only 1.8 kilobytes (14.4 kilobits) to 3.6 kilobytes (28.8 kilobits) per second.
In an effort to increase the rate of data transmission, encoding has been used to allow more than one bit to be represented by a single pulse shape or signal level. This has expanded to the development of integrated services digital network (ISDN) technology, an all-digital communications network. In the ISDN network, all voice, data, and other information, including still and moving images, is digitized and transmitted at high speed over a single, public switched network. The most common transmission method is to translate the binary digits into pulses, which are then transmitted across the network at up to 64 kbits/second. These digital pulses are less susceptible to noise than are corresponding analog signals.
In order to accommodate the narrow bandwidth of existing telephone lines and the low data transmission rate of modems used by the majority of personal computers, digitized data must be compressed prior to transmission and decompressed after reception. The disadvantage of existing compression programs is their high computational overhead, i.e., the substantial processing required to execute several million instructions per second (MIPS) and the large amount of memory needed to store the data.
Audio compression algorithms that may be used in accordance with the teachings of the present invention will be known to those skilled in the art. One technique is the autocorrelation method, of which one variation is described by Jean Larouche in "AutoCorrelation Method for High-Quality Time/Pitch Scaling," published in 1994 by Telecom Paris, Department Signal, Paris, France. Another technique is the absolute value difference algorithm, which adds the absolute values of the difference between successive signal segments and finds the lowest difference. Also well known is the EIA/TIA IS-54 standard, which discloses an algorithm description that one or ordinary skill in the art could implement as a compression algorithm for use with the present invention. A further method is the well-known GSM coding algorithm publicly available through the European Standards Committee. There is also the G723 and G728 algorithms. All of the aforementioned public documents, codes and algorithms are incorporated herein by reference.
While the compression ratios and data rates achieved by means of the compression techniques described above could be used for audio transmission via the Internet, the cost, complexity and low signal quality is unacceptable for real-time audio communication. Hence, there is a need for a data compression method that has low computational overhead, a high compression ratio, and utilizes existing personal computer hardware and compression algorithms to achieve high-quality compression and decompression of real-time audio signals.


Technology is disclosed for preventing classification of objects, e.g., in an augmented reality system. The technology can identify a set of objects to be classified, determine whether context information for one or more objects in the identified set of objects to be classified is identified as not to be employed during classification, and during classification of two different objects, include context information for one object but not the other.

The availability of third generation (3G) and fourth generation (4G) mobile telecommunications technologies, and Wi-Fi wireless access technologies make it possible to provide wireless data communications. It is generally preferable to use networks for data transmission because Wi-Fi wireless access technologies are typically available at lower cost but with higher throughput than the third generation (3G) and/or fourth generation (4G) mobile telecommunications technologies. However, security for Wi-Fi wireless access technologies has drawn intense scrutiny.

Schemes for connecting to wireless network


A computer-implemented method for answering natural language medical information questions posed by a user of a medical conversational interface of a cognitive artificial intelligence system, the method comprising: receiving from a medical conversational user interface a user-generated natural language medical information query at an artificial intelligence-based medical conversation cognitive agent; extracting a medical question from the query; compiling a medical conversation language sample; extracting internal medical concepts and medical data from the sample, where the internal medical concepts include descriptions of medical attributes of the medical data entities; inferring a therapeutic intent of the user; generating a therapeutic paradigm logical framework for interpreting of the medical question, wherein logical framework comprises a catalog of medical logical progression paths from the medical question to respective therapeutic answers, each of the logical progression paths includes one or more medical logical linkages from the medical question to a therapeutic path-specific answer, and the medical logical linkages include the internal medical concepts and external therapeutic paradigm concepts derived from a store of medical subject matter ontology data; selecting a likely medical information path based upon the therapeutic intent of the user; and answering the medical question.

Population health management entails aggregating patient data across multiple health information technology resources, analyzing the data with reference to a single patient, and generating actionable items through which care providers can improve both clinical and financial outcomes. A population health management service seeks to improve the health outcomes of a group by improving clinical outcomes while lowering costs.

System and method for answering natural language questions posed by a user


A method and a system is provided for persistently storing and restoring objects of an object oriented environment established on a computer system having a volatile memory and a persistent storage. Pieces of memory, referred to as segments are allocated in the volatile memory. Then, a first list is created that contains first references to said segments. The segments are further divided into blocks. The blocks are indicated by second references. The second references are stored in a second list. In order to store an object present in the volatile memory, a block is allocated. Then an object description is created by saving the object's values of its variables. After saving the object description in the allocated block, a new element is added to the second list containing the particular reference to said created object description. Then, the references of the object descriptions of all other objects referenced in the present object are determined. These references to other objects are stored in the created object descriptions by setting the address of said referenced object description as the reference in the created object description. Finally, the second list, the segments referenced by the first list and the first list are stored on said persistent storage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a mechanism for storing and retrieving dynamically changing data. Particularly, the present invention is related to a method and system for persistently storing objects of an object oriented environment and restoring such objects respectively.
2. Description of the Related Art
An object oriented environment provides all necessary mechanisms, tools and functionality to realize a method and system according to the concepts of object oriented design. Object oriented design is a design method in which a system is modeled as a collection of cooperating objects wherein individual objects are treated as instances of a class within a class hierarchy. Four stages can be identified in object oriented design, i.e., identifying the classes and objects, their semantics, their relationships and specifying class and object interfaces and implementation. Object-oriented design is one of the stages of object-oriented programming.
In object-oriented programming the expression "object" refers to a unique instance of a data structure defined according to a template provided by its class. Each object has its own values for the variables belonging to its class and can respond to the messages and methods defined by its class.
A class, on the other hand, is a prototype for an object in an object-oriented language, analogous to a derived type in a procedural language and may also be considered to be a set of objects which share a common structure and behavior. The structure of a class is determined by the class variables which represent the state of an object of that class whereas the behavior is given by a set of methods associated with the class.
Classes are related in a class hierarchy. One class may be a specialization, a so called "subclass" of another or it may be composed of other classes or it may use other classes in a client-server relationship.
The state of an object is its configuration, attributes, condition, or information content. The state of an object is usually temporary, i.e. it changes with time, and is volatile, i.e., it will be lost or reset to some initial state, if a system running in an object oriented environment is switched off. Therefore, there is a major need for mechanisms to store the state of an object persistently in a way that a new object having the particular state can be created at any time. In other words, a concept needs to be implemented where created objects and variables continue to exist and retain their values between runs of the system.
To improve readability, in the following, the expression "to store an object" will be used synonymously to the expression "to store the state of an object".
During operation of a system running in an object oriented environment multiple objects get created, modified and deleted. In many cases existing objects need to be available after the termination of the system's operation and a restart of the system respectively. In order to extend the availability of an object beyond the operation of the respective system, the object needs to be saved to a persistent storage, i.e., a device into which data can be entered, in which they can be held, and from which they can be retrieved at a later time, such as a tape, a floppy, a hard drive or some optical storage. However, the data structure used to access the persistent storage might also differ. It can be organized like a data base, files, queues or directories.
More generally, in order to provide persistency in an object oriented environment a persistent medium is required, i.e., the medium in which the objects get stored. Such a persistent medium can be formed, e.g., by a data base, files, queues or directories. Between the objects which reside in a volatile memory during operation of the system and the persistent medium an intermediate layer is required that functions as an adapter. This adapting layer will be called "persistent data layer". It is the task of the persistent data layer to conduct the storing and recreating of the objects persistently stored in the persistent medium.
In a known concept for persistently storing objects all objects to be stored get serialized into a stream and saved on the persistent medium. This concept, however, realizes a static persistence, i.e., after storing the objects loose their accessibility. New objects cannot be added to the stream, obsolete objects cannot be deleted and changed objects cannot be altered directly in the stream stored on the persistent medium.
A more flexible way of persistently storing objects is by using an object oriented database, i.e., a system that encapsulates a database management system functioning as the persistent data layer and the persistent medium. The access to the persistent medium is conducted by the database management system and it is completely hidden from the point of view of the objects to be stored. However, additional measures have to be taken in order to convert the objects from their internal run-time representation into a format suitable for the object oriented database. Especially, in case the objects contain data fields of a variable length, the conversion process from the run-time representation into a database representation of the objects adds additional overhead to the object oriented environment. Such overhead might reduce the performance of a system running in such an environment drastically. This holds true especially for systems frequently storing modified or newly created objects.

Method and system for persistently storing objects in an object oriented environment


The present invention relates to an apparatus for reforming of a web of flexible packaging material into tube form by rotatable forming rollers which define a material opening. The apparatus is at least one of the forming rollers is displaceable in relation to the material web when an opening device disposed on the material web passes through the material opening.

In a number of today's packing and filling machines for manufacturing, for example, parallelepipedic packaging containers substantially for liquid foods, a web-shaped, flexible packaging material is progressively reformed into tube form in that both of its longitudinal edges are brought together so as to overlap and are sealed. Thereafter, the desired contents are fed to the packaging material tube and this is transversely sealed at uniform intervals in transverse sealing zones. The sealed-off sections of the tube thus filled with their contents are thereafter separated from the tube by means of incisions in the sealing zones and are formed, where applicable, by folding to the desired geometric configuration depending on how the two seals disposed transversely of the longitudinal direction of the tube have been oriented. The packaging container may, for example, be given parallelepipedic configuration.
The reforming of the originally planar packaging material into tube form takes place with the aid of a number of forming apparatuses which int.al. include forming rollers. These forming rollers are disposed annularly around a circular opening for the packaging material. The forming rollers are freely rotatable, and together force the packaging material to assume a substantially circular cross section, so that their longitudinal edges can be sealed to one another. At the last of the forming devices, the material tube has attained its final cross section and the longitudinal sealing can be carried out.
Such a forming apparatus is described, for instance in European Patent Specification EP 0 427 027.
Recently, it has become common practice to provide packaging containers with opening devices of the type comprising a pouring opening which is defined by a neck which, on its outside is provided with threading, and a cap which is disposed to be able to be threaded on and off the neck. The opening device may also include a tear-off membrane which initially covers the pouring opening and is an integral part of the neck. Many of these opening devices are applied in their entirety, by gluing or hot-melt welding, on the packaging containers when these are finally formed. However, technology is in place to injection mould the neck direct on the planar material web in holes punched specifically for this purpose. This technology is described, for instance in International Patent Publication WO 98/18609 and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,851. In the case involving opening devices of the type described by way of introduction, this technology is employed to injection mould the neck as well as the membrane direct on the web before the tube forming, while the cap is not applied until after the final forming of the packaging container.
On use of relatively planar opening devices, for example those which include a folding lid, and which lack the previously described neck, the above-considered technique necessitates no or extremely slight modifications to the tube forming apparatuses. Opening devices with necks and membrane, which may project roughly 10 mm out from the material web, are however not as simple to handle in the prior art forming apparatuses. As was mentioned previously, the lower, last of the forming apparatuses is dimensioned in response to the desired final diameter of the material tube and it is there that the longitudinal sealing operation takes place. When the material web with a projecting opening device is thereby to pass through said forming apparatus, the tube is forced to bulge inwards towards the centre of the tube, possibly in combination with the opening device being compressed together somewhat in order for the opening device to be able to pass. This may result in undesirable stresses on both the web and the opening device. In the upper forming apparatuses, this problem is resolved in that the roller that is placed in the path of the opening devices is permanently removed. One negative effect of this solution is that, because of the inherent rigidity of the material web, there will be a certain outward flexing of the tube in the gap. This is of no consequence in the upper early forming apparatuses. However, such an outward flexing is not desirable at the lowermost, last forming apparatus, since, with the forming of the longitudinal seal, it is important at this position to be able to maintain the cross-sectional configuration unchanged.


According to one embodiment, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor memory device includes forming a plurality of pillars and a plurality of sidewall films on a stacked body including a plurality of electrode layers stacked alternately with a plurality of insulating layers. The pillars are arranged in a first direction and a second direction intersecting the first direction at different pitches in the first direction and the second direction. The sidewall films are provided on outer circumferential surfaces of the pillars to extend in the first direction to be linked in the first direction and separated in the second direction. The method includes making a slit to divide the stacked body in the second direction by etching the stacked body under a region between the sidewall films adjacent to each other in the second direction using the pillars and the sidewall films as a mask.

A memory device having a three-dimensional structure has been proposed in which memory holes are made in a stacked body in which insulating layers are multiply stacked alternately with electrode layers that function as control gates of memory cells, and silicon bodies used to form channels are provided on the side walls of the memory holes with a charge storage film interposed between the silicon bodies and the side walls.
As the density of the memory holes is increased to increase the bit count per unit surface area, the requirements of the alignment precision between the memory holes and the slits that divide the electrode layers into pluralities are becoming even more stringent; and there is a fear of formation defects of the memory holes.
Although a method may be considered to simply make the memory holes and the slits simultaneously by lithography, the technical degree of difficulty is high; and in the current state of the art, it is difficult to ensure process margins.

Method for manufacturing semiconductor memory device and semiconductor memory device


A trailer having a tiltable main deck and a shiftable undercarriage includes an undercarriage assembly having a deck support structure mounted thereon for supporting the deck. The deck support structure includes lifting arms for lifting the elongated deck assembly relative to the undercarriage independently of the undercarriage shifting mechanism so that the deck may be lifted relative to the undercarriage without simultaneouly shifting the undercarriage along the deck. The trailer may include a hitch assembly that permits the trailer to be pivotally connected to a towing vehicle to permit the forward deck to be tilted away from the main deck to increase the angle between the main deck and the forward deck when the trailer is in the unloading position. Further, a deck angle adjustment assembly is disclosed for adjusting the relative positions of the decks.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to trailers and, more particularly, to a trailer for loading and transporting large specialized vehicles such as farm and construction machinery, buses and tractors, and for use in other industrial applications.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
It is known to provide a trailer having a shiftable undercarriage which includes a pair of tracks on the bed and a pair of ramps for raising the bed relative to the undercarriage when the latter is shifted from a roading position to provide sufficient spacing between the bed and the undercarriage for clearance of the bed understructure during movement of the undercarriage. Examples of such a construction are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,125,198 and 4,231,710 to Landoll.
It would be desirable to further improve the construction and operation of these known devices by reducing the roading height of a trailer to permit the trailer to be used in transporting taller machinery than was permitted to be transported with previous trailers. In addition, it would be advantageous to provide a trailer having a still lower angle of loading than presently exists on known trailers so as to increase the utility of the trailer and to permit loading of machinery having very little ground clearance such as buses, asphalt laydown equipment, fork lifts and aerial lift equipment.

Low load angle step deck trailer having shiftable undercarriage