This invention is a spin draw process for making partially oriented yarn from polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) which comprises the steps of:

This invention relates to the production of partially oriented yarns from polyesters, specifically polytrimethylene terephthalate. More specifically, the present invention is a spin draw process for making partially oriented yarn from polytrimethylene terephthalate.
Partially oriented yarn (POY) is filament yarn in which the draw ratio is less than normal, i.e., less than that used to make fully oriented yarn (FOY), resulting in only partial longitudinal orientation of the polymer molecules. This necessary orientation can be created by normal drawing between godets or just by adjusting the speed of the first godet pair relative to that of the spinneret. Generally, in making POY from polyesters, especially polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the extruded or formed yarn goes through a free drop from a spinneret to a winder. This is the most economical process and it works well for PET because PET has a wide processing window, i.e., a winding speed of from 50 to 10,000 meters per minute. This type of process does not work well for polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) because it has a much narrower processing window, i.e., 500 to 4000 meters per minute. If the speed is higher than this, then the Tg of the polymer increases. This makes it hard to establish stable conditions during the drawing process because the yarn is so sensitive to tension when it is formed from PTT.
Spin draw processes are generally used to make FOY. They generally comprise two or three pairs of godets which are generally heated to various degrees and between which the drawing of the yarn takes place. This type of process is not used to make POY because it is more expensive than the process described in the preceding paragraph.
This invention is a spin draw process for making partially oriented yarn from polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) which comprises the steps of:
(a) extruding and spinning PTT and forming a monofilament or multifilament yarn therefrom,
(b) heating the yarn by contacting it with a first pair of godets (G1), moving at 1800, preferably 2000, to 3500 meters per minute at a temperature to give a yarn temperature of PTT above the glass transition temperature (Tg) and less than the cold crystallization temperature, (Tcc) of the PTT yarn.
(c) moving the yarn between the first godet pair and a second pair of godets (G2) moving at 1250, preferably 2450, most preferably 2560, to 4550 meters per minute and which is set at a temperature to give a yarn temperature of PTT of 45, preferably 60, to 120xc2x0 C., preferably 100xc2x0 C., most preferably less than 100xc2x0 C., at a draw ratio (the ratio of speed of second godet pair to first godet pair (G2/G1) of 0.7 to 1.3, preferably less than 1.3, most preferably 0.95 to 1.28, and
(d) winding the yarns at the speed of 1 to 15% less than that of the second godet pair (or third godet pairxe2x80x94G3) and at temperature less than the glass transition temperature of PTT yarn.
The process may be operated wherein the first pair of godets is moving at greater than 3500 meters per minute. Then the speed of the second pair of godets is from 2450, preferably 2560, to 10,000 meters per minute and the temperature of the second pair of godets should be set to give a yarn temperature of PTT from 80 to 180xc2x0 C. and the draw ratio should be 0.7 to 3.0, preferably 0.7 to less than 3.0, most preferably 0.95 to 2.0.
The other desirable process utilizes three pairs of godets. The first set of godets is at room temperature. A small draw or no draw is achieved between the first two sets of godets. The second is heated and a major draw may occur between the second and the third pair of godets (G3). The third pair is also heated to stabilize the final POY package.
A spin draw process is described herein for making POY from PTT. POY with a range of elongation and tenacity can be produced by varying spinning and drawing conditions (speeds, temperature, etc.). The purpose of using a spin draw machine to make PTT POY is to stabilize the fiber against shrinkage and to improve package stability and shelf life by developing a sufficiently high crystallinity and relax the stress built during drawing between godets using heated godets prior to winding.
The drawing process generally involves two or more pairs of godets. For example, Barmag, Toray, Murata, Zimmer, and Teijin Seiki spin draw machines may be used in making PTT POY. In this process a first pair of take-up godets (G1) is used to heat the yarn to a yarn temperature above the glass transition temperature (Tg) of PTT, generally greater than 45xc2x0 C., but lower than the cold crystallization temperature, Tcc, of PTT (generally less than 60 to 65xc2x0 C.) such that the fiber can be drawn between the first pair (G1) and a second pair of godets (G2). The precise temperature for pair (G1) will depend on the machine used and is determined by the speed and diameter of the godet and the number of wraps on the godet. The second pair of godets (G2) should be at a higher temperature than that of the first set of godets (G1), preferably to give a yarn temperature of 80 to 90xc2x0 C. Again, the precise temperatures will depend on the speed and the diameter of the godets and the number of wraps on the godets. The yarn moves from the second pair of godets (G2) to the winder. The relative speeds of the godets and winder are:
(G1) less than, equal to, or greater than (G2) greater than or equal to Winder
A preferred process for carrying out the invention utilizes three pairs of godets. The first pair of godets (G1) is at room temperature, the second (G2) is heated and achieves a small draw, or no draw, and the third (G3) puts the majority of the draw (if there is to be any drawing at all between the godet pairs) into the yarn with drawing between the second (G2) and third godet pair (G3). This third godet pair (G3) is heated to stabilize the final POY package. In this case, the relative speeds of godets and winder are:
(G1) less than or equal to (G2) less than, equal to, or greater than (G3) greater than or equal to Winder In this situation where there is to be no draw, the draw ratio between the first two pairs of godets (the ratio of speed of the second godet pair to the first godet pair) should be from 0.3, preferably 0.7, most preferably 0.95, to 1.0 and the temperature of the second pair of godets should be set to give a yarn temperature of PTT above the glass transition temperature (Tg) and below the cold crystallization temperature (Tcc) of PTT yarn. If a small draw between the first two pairs of godets is desired, then the draw ratio may be increased up to 1.05. The draw ratio between the second and third pair of godets should be from 0.7 to 1.3, preferably 0.95 to 1.28, and the temperature of the third pair of godets should be set to give a yarn temperature of PTT the same as the temperature of second pair of godets in the previous embodiment depending upon the speed of the godets as discussed above.
Tg and Tcc can be measured with a differential calorimeter (DSC). The procedure normally used with DSC is heating the yarn at 20xc2x0 C./min. and making a temperature scan from xe2x88x9250xc2x0 C. to about 260xc2x0 C. The change in endothermic or exothermic response of the yarn is recorded. Tg is the temperature at which the yarn begins to the endothermic change from glassy state to rubbery state (observed by the deflection of the line from the temperature scan of the calorimeter). Tcc is the temperature when the exothermic change from the supercooling of the yarn due to cold crystallization becomes maximal (i.e., at the peak of the scan.) The yarn specimen for testing can be obtained from the yarns produced with the speed of the first set of godet pair set at the desired speed and the yarns wound on the first set of godet pair.
In another embodiment, the godet pairs used in this invention can be a godet and a follower instead of two godets. Oil mist would be used for slow speed and air bearing for speeds greater than 2000 meters per minute.
When the speed of the first pair of godets (or the second pair in the embodiment where three pairs of godets are used) is 1800, preferably 2000, to 3500 meters per minute, the draw ratio should be from 0.7 to 1.3, preferably less than 1.3, most preferably 0.95 to 1.28, because sufficient bulk (or crimp) can be generated using a draw texturing machine or any other type. This necessary orientation can be created by normal drawing between godets or just by adjusting the speed of the first godet pair relative to that of the spinneret. The temperature of the first pair of godets is set to give a yarn temperature of PTT above the glass transition temperature, 45xc2x0 C. plus or minus 5 to 10xc2x0 C., and below the cold crystallization temperature, 60-65xc2x0 C. The speed of the second pair of godets is 1250, preferably 2450, most preferably 2560, to 4550 meters per minute and the temperature of the second pair of godets is set to give a yarn temperature of PTT from 45, preferably 60, to 120xc2x0 C., preferably 100xc2x0 C. and most preferably less than 100xc2x0 C. This produces a yarn with an elongation of greater than 60 percent and a tenacity of less than 3.0 g/d.
When the speed of the first pair of godets is greater than 3500 meters per minute, then the draw ratio should be from 0.7 to 3.0, preferably less than 3.0, most preferably 0.95 to 2.0. The temperature of the first pair of godets is the same as above but the temperature of the second pair of godets is set to give a yarn temperature of PTT ranges from 80 to 180xc2x0 C. The speed of the second pair of godets is 2450, preferably 2560, to 10,000 meters per minute. This produces a yarn with an elongation of greater than 20 percent and a tenacity of less than 5.0 g/d.
An example of typical operating conditions is shown below:
The speed (draw) ratio is speed of 2nd godet pair /speed of 1st godet pair=1.2-1.7 and speed of 2nd godet pair/speed of winder=1.01-1.10.
The key points in selecting the exact conditions to use on a particular machine and with a particular yarn are as follows. The temperature of the first pair of godets must be set to give a yarn temperature of PTT lower than the cold crystallization temperature of Tcc and greater than its glass transition temperature, Tg. The temperature of the first pair of godets is chosen depending on the diameter of the godet, the number of wraps, and the speed of the godet pair. The draw point of the filaments is controlled at the point of the last wrap just before leaving any godet pair. The speed of godet pair is chosen such that the yarn wraps are stable. The temperature of the next pair of godets develops the yarn morphology and stress relaxation such that it is stable against shrinkage. It also controls the yarn boiling water shrinkage. The relative speeds of the godet pairs, i.e., the draw ratio, control the elongation and the tenacity of the filaments.
The primary purpose of the process of the present invention is to prevent shrinkage of the POY package during winding and a stable package for long shelf life.

Spin draw process of making partially oriented yarns from polytrimethylene terephthalate

Abstract: (a) extruding and spinning PTT in forming a monofilament or multifilament yarn therefrom,

Abstract: (b) heating the yarn by contacting it with a first pair of godets moving at a speed in and at a temperature set to give a yarn temperature above the glass transition temperature and less than the cold crystallization temperature of PTT,

Abstract: (c) drawing the yarn between the first godet pair and a second pair of godets moving at a speed and a temperature of from 45 to 120xc2x0 C. and having a draw ratio of 0.7 to 3.0, and

Abstract: (d) winding the yarns at the speed of 1 to 15% less than that of the second godet pair at a yarn temperature less than the glass transition temperature of PTT yarn.


A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code for calibrating a speedometer of a vehicle. First information is received by the vehicle from a first radio frequency identification tag. Second information is received by the vehicle from a second radio frequency identification tag. A first measured speed of the vehicle is determined based on a reading from the speedometer and a second measured speed of the vehicle is determined using an elapsed time between when the first information was read and when the second information was read and a predetermined distance. The speedometer is calibrated based on a speed difference between the first measured speed and the second measured speed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system and in particular, to a data processing system located within a vehicle. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a computer implemented method and apparatus for calibrating a vehicle speedometer.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of computers has become more and more pervasive in society. This pervasiveness includes the integration of personal computers into vehicles. The utilization of computer technology is employed to provide users or drivers with a familiar environment. In this manner, a user's ability to easily use computing resources in an automobile is provided. In addition, it is envisioned that car buyers would be able to use most of the same software elements in an automobile that are used at home or in the office. Further, an automobile owner could completely customize driver information displays to create an optimal environment for the driver's needs. Various platforms have been developed and are being developed for use in automobiles and other vehicles. Many platforms provide the computing strength of a personal computer platform with widely recognized as well as emerging technologies. Widely accepted technologies that may be implemented within an automobile include cellular/global system for mobile communications (GSM), global positioning system (GPS), and radio data broadcast (RDB). These devices allow a driver to navigate, receive real-time traffic information and weather forecasts, access databases of personalized information, and place and receive telephone calls, as well as send and receive email and faxes from an automobile.
Another key feature for adapting computer technologies for use in an automobile is a voice recognition user interface for the driver along with a more conventional graphical user interface (GUI) for passengers. Voice recognition technology is already well developed in multi-media desktop personal computers. For example, VoiceType® family products, available from International Business Machines Corporation, may also be used in the automobile. Voice recognition technology allows drivers to easily control and interact with onboard computers and telephone applications, including productivity software, internet browsers, and other applications while allowing the driver to keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road. Such productivity is especially important when some surveys show that up to twelve percent of a person's waking life is spent in an automobile.
With all of this emerging technology, however, a problem still exits with speedometer and odometer calibration. Many factors may cause differences between a perceived speed or distance as measured by the speedometer and odometer and the actual speed or distance. Most notably, these differences occur because of tires. For example, tires that are oversized, undersized, over-inflated, under-inflated, worn out, or otherwise changed may cause differences between the perceived speed and distance as measured by the vehicle and the actual speed and distance of the vehicle. Incorrect speed measurements may cause a driver to inadvertently violate the law or other driving parameters. The odometer is often used to calculate trip distances and provide useful information to the driver. An incorrect odometer may lead to inaccurate information or driver confusion.

Radio frequency identification tag based speedometer calibration


A drive assembly for connection to the polish rod of a reciprocating pump includes a support frame fixed in proximity to a wellhead. A linear actuator includes a lower portion fixed to the support frame and an upper portion supporting two pairs of direction altering cable guides thereon. Four lengths of cable each include a first portion substantially anchored to relative to the polish rod by a pump bracket, a second portion substantially anchored to the support frame by an anchor bracket, and an intermediate portion extending through a respective one of the direction altering cable guides on the upper portion of the linear actuator between the first portion and the second portion.

As disclosed in Canadian Patent Application 2,514,916 and corresponding issued U.S. Pat. No. 8,082,734 by St. Denis reciprocating pumps are extensively used on oil wells and they generally consist of a polish rod with cooperating valves that serve to pump liquids to surface as the polish rod is reciprocated in the well. According to St. Denis a drive assembly is provided for a reciprocating pump which includes a support structure and a linear actuator mounted on the support structure. The linear actuator has a stationary portion and a movable ram portion. At least one direction altering cable guide is mounted to the movable ram portion of the linear actuator. At least one cable is provided having a first end and a second end. The first end is anchored to one of the support structure or the stationary portion of the linear actuator. The second end is adapted for attachment to a polish rod of a reciprocating pump. As the movable ram portion moves, the cable and cable guide configuration provide a mechanical advantage which results in the polish rod reciprocally moving a multiple of the distance traveled by the movable ram portion of the linear actuator. The movable ram portion is driven by a rotating screw with a travelling nut; however, the mechanism requires use of additional shock absorbers to slow the movement of the travelling nut in the event of a power loss such that the resulting mechanism is complex and may require considerable maintenance to operate.

Amik Oilfield Equipment and Rentals Ltd.


The present invention pertains to an enzyme preparation obtained from e-beam irradiated animal tissue, such as porcine pancreas. The present invention also pertains to methods for making such enzyme preparations, pharmaceutical compositions comprising such enzymes preparations, and methods for using such pharmaceutical compositions and enzyme preparations.

Products derived from animal tissue may exhibit viral and/or microbial contamination. Certain biological contaminants such as bacteria or protozoa may be inactivated during manufacturing processes. However, other biological contaminants such as non-enveloped viruses and certain spore-forming bacteria (e.g., Bacillus cereus) are resistant to established methods for reduction or inactivation of contaminants. A particular challenge is the inactivation or removal of viruses and spore-forming bacteria from enzyme compositions derived from animal tissue without destroying or changing the activity of the enzymes in the process.
Established methods for viral inactivation include, for example, pasteurization, dry heat, vapor heat, solvent/detergent treatment, and low pH. The selection of the methods to be employed for viral inactivation depend on the nature and contamination of the product, the method of purification used, if any, and the nature of the viral contaminant. For example, solvent or detergent treatment can disrupt the lipid membrane of enveloped viruses and has thus been used for inactivation of enveloped viruses. However, many non-enveloped viruses are generally not inactivated by solvent or detergent treatment. Similarly, many spore-forming bacteria are resistant to both heat and organic solvents.
Heat, in particular dry heat, is another established method for viral inactivation. While dry heat treatment may inactivate even highly resistant viruses, such as non-enveloped viruses, the treatment requires extended time periods (of several hours) and monitoring of moisture content. Moreover, heat treatment can compromise the desired biological activity of the product, particularly where the product is an enzyme composition.
Pancreatic enzyme products have long been used to treat exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, a condition associated with cystic fibrosis (CF), chronic pancreatitis, obstruction of the pancreas or common bile duct (such as from a neoplastic disease), surgical procedures such as pancreatectomy or gastrointestinal bypass surgery, as well as other diseases and disorders. The pancreas secretes digestive enzymes, including lipases, proteases, and amylases, into the proximal duodenal lumen, where they facilitate the hydrolysis of macronutrients. Amylases and proteases are secreted by organs other than the pancreas, and these contribute to the digestion of carbohydrates and protein. However, there is relatively little lipase from sources other than the pancreas involved in digestion of lipids. Thus, patients with untreated exocrine pancreatic insufficiency typically have difficulty digesting fat and may suffer symptoms of maldigestion or malnutrition or both, with deficiencies of essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins, weight loss, cramping, flatulence, bloating, and greasy, foul-smelling, loose stools (steatorrhea). For patients with CF, inadequate treatment may have serious consequences, as good nutritional status has been directly correlated with good lung function.
Pancreatic enzyme therapy treats and/or avoids malabsorption and facilitates growth and development in patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. In patients with CF, mucus blocks the pancreatic duct in the pancreas as it does in the lungs. The pancreatic digestive enzymes are not secreted into the intestine, and thereby digestion of starch, fat, and protein is impaired. The lack of digestion results in steatorrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss, among others.
Maldigestion in mammals and humans is usually based on a deficiency of digestive enzymes, in particular on a deficiency of endogenous lipase, but also of protease and/or amylase. If the pancreatic insufficiency is pathological, this may be congenital or acquired. Acquired chronic pancreatic insufficiency may, for example, be ascribed to alcoholism. Congenital pancreatic insufficiency may, for example, be ascribed to the congenital disease cystic fibrosis. The consequences of the deficiency of digestive enzymes may be severe symptoms of under-nutrition and malnutrition, which may be accompanied by increased susceptibility to secondary illnesses.
Substitution with exogenous digestive enzymes or mixtures of digestive enzymes (i.e., pancreatic enzyme therapy) has proved an effective treatment for a deficiency in endogenous digestive enzymes. Most frequently, pharmaceutical preparations containing porcine pancreatin are used for pancreatic enzyme therapy (also known as "enzyme substitution therapy"). For such pharmaceutical preparations, the active ingredient evaluated in clinical trials is lipase and dosage amounts for commercial products are given in lipase units. Nevertheless, such mixtures of digestive enzymes obtained from the pig pancreas comprise lipases, amylases and proteases, and can be used effectively for pancreatic enzyme therapy in humans owing to the great similarity of the enzymes and accompanying substances contained therein to the contents of human pancreatic juices. The pancreatic enzymes are usually administered orally in the form of solid preparations.
Pancreas glands may be obtained from animals, such as pigs, raised and slaughtered for food. Governmental regulations often require that pancreas glands be obtained from a single species slaughterhouse (i.e., no other species are slaughtered and processed at that facility) and, thereby limit the availability of starting material. Wide-spread contamination of facilities with infectious agents may lead to a shutdown of production and to supply shortfall. Current testing procedures may identify contaminated lots and elimination of such lots place further burdens on an already constrained supply of starting material.
Processes to obtain pancreatic enzyme(s) from a mammalian pancreas gland are available. For example, processes are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,624 by which pancreatin is obtained through autolysis of an aqueous isopropanol-containing tissue slurry.
The presence of infectious agents, and in particular viruses and spore-forming bacteria, in porcine pancreas used for manufacture of pancreatin is recognized. Indeed, most swine herds have been infected with porcine parvovirus (PPV), which has a high resistance to inactivation. PPV has been detected in pancreatin as an infectious agent. Although, PPV is not believed to be pathogenic for humans, it is desirable to obtain pancreatin with a reduced PPV load. In addition, PPV is a common model virus as it is difficult to inactivate by standard methods, such as chemical or thermal processing. Likewise, contamination of pancreatin drug substance with Bacillus cereus and/or Bacillus cereus enterotoxin has been reported.
US 2010/0119654 relates to irradiation of an alcoholic or aqueous biological extract which contains solids in the form of a suspension. The radiation employed in US 2010/0119654 is ultra-violet (UV) radiation, x-ray radiation, 0 radiation, or γ-radiation. UV irradiation of a pancreatin intermediate dissolved in 40% isopropanol produced up to 4 log10 reduction in M2 phage. Gamma-irradiation of pancreatin (API) produced an approx. 40% decrease in lipase activity at 27 kGy and a 13% decrease in lipase activity at 5 kGy. Bacterial content was reduced by more than 2.5 log10 but virus inactivation was not reported. When pancreatin (API) was treated with β-irradiation, >85% enzyme activity was reportedly maintained, but "germ count" was only reduced by approx. 1.5 log10.
WO 2003/020324 relates to sterilizing digestive enzymes, such as trypsin, α-galactosidase, and iduronate 2-sulfatase, with irradiation. Lyophilized or liquid enzymes (trypsin, a glycosidase, or a sulfatase) were irradiated alone or in the presence of a stabilizer. γ-irradiation was accomplished using a 60Co source. Viral inactivation was not reported.
WO 2007/014896 relates to reducing the concentration of one or more biological, in particular viral, contaminants of pancreatin by heating the pancreatin.
In US 2009/0233344, heat treatment of pancreatin at 80° C. for 32 hours provided about 2.5 log10 reduction in PPV viral titer but also a 20% loss in lipase activity. Heat treatment of pancreatin at 100° C. for 8 hours provided a greater than 3 log10 reduction in PPV viral titer, but nearly 50% of lipase activity was lost.
Thus, process steps that can be effective against difficult-to-inactivate viruses, such as PPV, have a high potential for changing the nature of the pancreatin product by degrading or reducing the pancreatic enzymes, particularly lipase, to unacceptable levels. Such changes in potency may reduce or alter the efficacy profile of the ultimate product. Therefore, it is desirable to maintain enzyme activity, particularly lipase activity, during the manufacturing process.
Since each of the previously tested viral clearance processes that demonstrated some effectiveness against difficult-to-inactivate viruses (e.g., PPV) resulted in significant loss of enzyme activity, including lipase activity, there was skepticism in the industry that a robust level of viral inactivation/clearance could be achieved without compromising product quality. In particular, there was skepticism in the industry that a suitable robust, orthogonal viral clearance step could be developed without adversely impacting the chemical, physical, or pharmaceutical properties of pancreatin. See, e.g., Letter from Scientific Protein Laboratories to FDA dated Jun. 22, 2004 in Docket No. 2003D-0206.

Enzyme compositions with reduced viral and microbial contamination


An electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a printed circuit board (PCB), a first component disposed in a first region on the PCB and a second component disposed in a second region on the PCB, and a chamber disposed on the first and second components and having a region including the first and second regions, in which fluid absorbing heat radiating from the first and second components is included in the chamber.

Electronic devices, such as smartphones and wearable devices, have been widely used with the development of mobile communication technologies. These electronic devices may include various components to provide a variety of functions. For example, an electronic device may include a graphic processing unit (GPU) to provide a graphical user interface (GUI) through a display module. In addition, the electronic device may include a communication processor to communicate with other electronic devices.
However, the aforementioned components may generate electromagnetic waves, and the electromagnetic waves generated by the components may cause a malfunction of the electronic device. Furthermore, the electromagnetic waves generated by the components may have a harmful influence on a human body. Accordingly, a shield-can needs to be disposed on the components to shield the electromagnetic waves. The shield-can may shield the electromagnetic waves generated by the components.
The components may generate heat, as well as electromagnetic waves. The heat generated by the components may be transferred to a surface of the product to cause a user to feel uncomfortable and degrade the performance of the product, and heat transferred to a PCB may cause a malfunction of other components. Accordingly, it is necessary to prevent and/or reduce the heat generated by the components from being transferred to a surface of the product and neighboring components. However, since the aforementioned shield-can has a low thermal heat capacity, the heat generated by the components may be transferred to a surface of the product and the neighboring components. For example, heat radiating from a processor is not discharged through the shield-can and thus may affect a memory through the PCB.

Electronic device including vapor (two phase) chamber for absorbing heat


Lysine and arginine salts of thionaphthene-2-carboxylic acid (TNCA) are disclosed. These compounds are useful as treatments for osteoporosis and exhibit an increased water solubility.

Osteoporosis is a common and progressive condition occurring in adults which results in a decrease in bone throughout the body. This loss includes the mineral portion of the bone, which is a calcium phosphate material called "hydroxyapatite", as well as the matrix, which is a protein called "collagen". Osteoporosis may begin in early adulthood and progress, inexorably, to middle age and old age with manifestations running the gamut of moderate to severe pain along with X-ray evidence of bone loss and/or deformation to eventual brittleness which we see evidenced, for example, in older people who so easily break a hip bone from a simple, and seemingly not dangerous, fall. It has been stated that osteoporosis is the most common cause of fractures in people over the age of 65.
While the causes of osteoporosis are not well understood and, in many cases quite obscure, it is believed that there is an imbalance between bone production and bone resorption (i.e., bone breakdown).
During the life of an animal, new bone is continuously being formed and old bone resorbed. In osteoporosis, resorption exceeds bone formation.
Present methods for treating osteoporosis are far from satisfactory. Such treatments include the administration of calcium salts, fluorides, calcitonin, estrogens, Vitamin D, and anabolic agents, among others. Anabolic agents and estrogen therapy have been the therapy of choice for osteoporosis in post-menopausal women. Such treatments appear to entail an increased risk of uterine and breast cancer. Other treatments still remain to be proven including the Physical Therapy approach.
Among the newer approaches to the treatment of osteoporosis has been the use of materials with hypocalcemic activity, i.e., lowering of the serum calcium, which is believed to be related to and indicative of a decrease in the rate of bone resorption. Calcitonin, mithramycin (an antibiotic) and certain phosphonates are representative hypocalcemic agents, but adverse effects and lack of effectiveness in bone-loss prevention associated with the use of such agents, make continued research necessary.
In recent U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,101,668 (issued Jul. 18, 1978), 4,125,621 (issued Nov. 14, 1978) and 4,185,108 (issued Jan. 22, 1980), all three having as inventors C. M. Samour and J. A. Vida, there are disclosed a wide variety of benzo-heterocyclic compounds for use as antiosteoporotic agents. Among the specific compounds described are thionaphthene-2-carboxylic acid, thionaphthene-3-carboxylic acid, thionaphthene-4-carboxylic acid, dibenzothiophene-4-carboxylic acid, thioxanthene-9-one-4-carboxylic acid and indole-2-carboxylic acid.
The compounds are compared to thyrocalcitonin (TCT), the latter, a bond-remodeling hormone which is capable of reducing bone resorption rates. In the patented disclosures, the effectiveness of any bone resorption modifying agent is determined by measuring the effect on the production of cyclic adenosine-3'5'-monophosphate (c-AMP) using the methods of Rodan et al, J.B.C. Vol 429, page 306, 1974; Rodan et al, Science, Vol. 189, page 467, 1975. In the comparison, the activity shown by the free acid compounds covered by the disclosure of the aforementioned patents ranges from slightly more than half as effective to twice as effective as TCT in stimulating the production of c-AMP.

Water soluble salts of thionaphthene-2-carboxylic acid


A door hooking arrangement on motor vehicles for the protection against a lateral impact in the case of accidents comprises a hook arranged in the lower area of the door which, in the case of a lateral crash impact on the door, interacts with a receiving device provided on the exterior vehicle side member. In order to avoid injury of the vehicle user during the leaving and entering or during the cleaning of the vehicle, it is provided that the hooking elements (hook, receiving device), in the normal condition, are covered by covering parts and that, in the case of a lateral crash impact on the door, starting from a defined effect of force, wall sections of the covering parts arranged adjacent to the hooking elements break open and release the hooking elements.

The invention relates to a door hooking arrangement on motor vehicles for the protection against a lateral impact in the case of accidents with a hook being arranged which forms a hooking element at least in the lower area of the door, said hook interacting with a receiving device provided on the exterior vehicle side member in the case of a lateral crash impact on the door in a hooking manner.
A door hooking arrangement of the initially mentioned type is known from the French Patent Document 2 418 111, in which a reinforcing plate having a hook is arranged on the door, and a corresponding receiving device is arranged on the side member. This arrangement has the disadvantage that, when the door is open, the hooking element on the door side as well as the hooking element on the side-member side form projecting components which may lead to injury during the leaving and the entering as well as during the cleaning of this vehicle area. In addition, the projecting exposed components of the door hooking arrangement have a negative influence on the overall stylistic appearance of the vehicle.
It is an object of the invention to take such measures on a door hooking arrangement that, while the arrangement functions well, the vehicle user cannot be injured while entering or leaving the vehicle or when cleaning the vehicle.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by means of an arrangement wherein the hook and receiving device are covered by covering parts in the normal condition and wherein, in the case of a lateral crash impact on the door, starting from a defined effect of force, wall sections of the covering parts arranged adjacent to the hook and receiving device break open and release the hook and receiving device.
The principal advantages achieved by means of the invention are that the elements of the door hooking arrangement are covered by the arrangement of covering parts provided with predetermined breaking points when the door is open, and thus no injuries can be caused by projecting parts during the entering and leaving or during the cleaning of this vehicle area. However, a good functioning of the door hooking arrangement is ensured in the case of a lateral crash impact on the car because the predetermined breaking points will break open in case of a corresponding effect of force and thus ensure an effective hooking-together of the door and the side member.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Door hooking arrangement on motor vehicles


A queue based technique for handling proof requests in a direct digital color proofing (DDCP) system in a manner which substantially increases the throughput of proof images provided by the system while reducing needed operator interaction with the system. Specifically, proof requests are constructed to contain only parameter values that are necessary for the DDCP system to generate each proof and filename(s) of the accompanying image data therefor, but not the image data itself. These requests are queued in a proof request queue within a raster image processor (RIP) in the DDCP system and sequentially processed thereby on generally a first-in first-out basis. By restricting the requests to parameter values and an accompanying filename(s), a substantial number of these requests can be queued and sequentially processed by the RIP and printed by a proofing engine in the DDCP system without substantial operator intervention. Through an edit facility, a DDCP operator can manipulate the queue to re-prioritize proof requests, change the order through which proof requests will be processed, and add or delete requests as well as change individual parameter values in each proof request, as desired, in order to appropriately change the conditions under which that proof image therefor will be generated. Furthermore, by simultaneously reading and writing image data for two successive proof images to and from two hard files that collectively function on a "ping-pong" basis, pipelined operation occurs which advantageously increases the throughput of proof images for the DDCP system.

Graphic arts applications frequently require the accurate reproduction of a high resolution color image (commonly referred to as an "artwork"), such as a color photograph, a color drawing, a color layout and the like. A typical application might involve printing a high resolution color image or a series of such images on a page of a periodical, such as a magazine, or a corporate annual report.
Images are oftentimes generated either photographically, on suitable film, or electronically, on video tape or other suitable electronic media. When generated, images share a basic characteristic: they are recorded on a continuous tone (hereinafter referred to as "contone") basis. As such, the color existing at any point in the image is represented by a continuous amplitude value.
Color reproduction equipment takes advantage of the principle that the vast majority of colors can be separated into a specific linear combination of four primary subtractive colors (cyan, yellow, magenta and black--C, Y, M and B) in which the amount of each primary color is set to a predetermined amount. In the case of printed reproductions of an image, use of primary color printing obviates the need to use a differently colored ink for each different color in the image. As such, each image is converted into a succession of three or four color separations, in which each separation is essentially a negative (or positive) transparency with an altered tone reproducing characteristic that carries the color information for only one of the primary colors.
Unfortunately, modern printing presses do not possess the capability of applying differential amounts of ink to any location in an image being printed. Rather, these presses are only designed to either apply or not apply a single amount of ink to any given location on a page. Therefore, a printing press is unable to directly print a contone separation. To successfully circumvent this problem, halftone separations are used instead. An image formed from any single color halftone separation encodes the density information inherent in a color image from amplitude modulated form into a spatial (area) modulated form, in terms of dot size, which is subsequently integrated by the human eye into a desired color. By smoothly changing dot sizes (areas), smooth corresponding tonal variations will be generated in the reproduced image. Given this, the art has taught for some time that a full color image can be formed by properly overlaying single color halftone reproductions for all of the primary subtractive colors, where each reproduction is formed from a halftone dot separation that contains dots of appropriate sizes and in one of these primary colors. Clearly, as size of the dots decreases, an increasing amount of detail can be encoded in a dot pattern and hence in the reproduced image. For that reason, in graphic arts applications, a halftone separation utilizes very small dots to yield a relatively high dot pitch (resolution).
With this in mind, one might first think that printing a color image for graphic arts use should be a fairly simple process. Specifically, a color image could first be converted into corresponding continuous tone separations. Each of these contone separations could then be converted into a corresponding halftone separation. A printing plate could then be manufactured from each halftone separation and subsequently mounted to a printing press. Thereafter, paper or other similar media could be run through the press in such a fashion so as to produce properly registered superimposed halftone images for all the subtractive primary colors thereby generating a full color reproduction of the original image.
Unfortunately, in practice, accurately printing a color image is oftentimes a very tedious, problematic and time consuming manual process that requires a substantial level of skill. First, the conventional manual photographic process of converting a contone separation into a halftone separation, this process commonly being referred to as "screening", is a time consuming manual process in and of itself. Second, various phenomena, each of which disadvantageously degrades an image, often occur in a reproduced halftone color image. Moreover, the complete extent to which each of these phenomena is present in the reproduced image is often known only at a rather late point in the printing process thereby necessitating the use of tedious and time consuming iterative trial and error experimentation to adequately eliminate these phenomena.
Specifically, to verify the accuracy of the color printing process and to enable appropriate adjustments to be made at various stages in the printing process in order to correct image defects and improve reproduction accuracy, a test image, frequently referred to as a "proof" is generated from the halftone separations once they are made. After a proof is generated, it is presented as being representative of the reproduced image which will be produced by a printing press in order to determine the accuracy of the printed image. Oftentimes, the proof contains unexpected and unsightly Moire patterns that arose from the interaction of Moire in the image itself with that introduced by use of angled halftone screens that are used to photographically generate the halftone separations. Frequently, these Moire patterns can be rendered invisible by rotation of one or more of the screens to a different screen angle. Unfortunately, the exact change in the screen angle is frequently very hard to discern from the resulting Moire pattern itself and instead must be determined through trial and error experimentation. Unexpected artifacts can also exist in the proof thereby necessitating that various changes must be made to one or more of the separations. As such, this requires that a one or more new halftone separations must be generated or at least changed, a new proof must be produced and then analyzed, with this "proofing" process being iteratively repeated until the objectionable Moire and all objectionable artifacts are eliminated from the proof. Now, once an acceptable proof is made thereby indicating that a printed image based on the separations will likely present a desired depiction of the original artwork, a separate printing plate is then made for each halftone separation. At this point, a full color test print, commonly referred to as a "press sheet" is produced from these plates onto a sheet of actual paper stock that is to be used to carry the reproduced image, with this operation frequently being referred to as a "press run". The press sheet is then examined to discern all imperfections that exist in the image reproduced therein. Owing to unexpected dot gain, existence of any artifacts in the press sheet and tonal variations occurring in the press run between the press sheet and the original artwork, further adjustments in the coloration or screen angle of the separations may need to be made with the entire process, i.e. both the proofing and the press run processes, being repeated until an acceptable press sheet is produced. With experience gained over several years, a skilled color technician can reduce the number of times that this entire process needs to be repeated in order to produce a set of color halftone separations that yields an acceptable press sheet.
As one can now readily appreciate, the iterative manual process of producing an acceptable set of halftone separations, due to the inherent variability of the process, can be very tedious and inordinately time consuming. Unfortunately, in the graphic arts industry, publication deadlines are often extremely tight and afford very little, if any, leeway. Consequently, the available time in a graphic arts production environment allotted to a color technician to generate a set of halftone separations to meet a particular publication deadline, for example, is often insufficient to allow the technician adequate time, due to the trial and error nature of iterative process, to generate that set of separations which produces a very high quality halftone color image. As such, the technician is often constrained by time pressures to produce a set of separations that produces a visually acceptable, though not necessarily a very high quality, image.
In addition, the manual process can be disadvantageously quite expensive. Inasmuch as the manual process, even for a skilled color technician, involves a certain amount of trial and error experimentation, a number of separate proofs is often made with changed or new separations being generated as a result. Each new separation requires another piece of film. Film and associated developing chemicals are expensive. In addition, if an unacceptable press sheet is produced, then additional separations may need to be made along with new printing plates, which further lengthens the process and increases its expense.
In an effort to reduce the time required and expense associated with conventional manual photographic based color reproduction processes, the art has turned away from use of these manual processes in high volume graphic art applications to the use of other technologies, such as electro-photographic techniques. In this regard, U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,459 (issued to C. Cowan et al on Nov. 24, 1987 and assigned to the present assignee hereof) discloses an electro-photographic color proofing system. While this system does produce an excellent quality proof, the throughput of proof images provided by this system, while far in excess of that associated with manual proofing techniques, has nevertheless proven to be somewhat inadequate for use in those segments of the graphic arts industry that routinely experience tight publication deadlines.
Accordingly, in an effort to provide an even greater throughput, so-called direct digital color proofing (DDCP) systems are being envisioned for directly generating a halftone color proof image from digitized contone separations. These systems would manipulate the separations in digital form to electronically generate appropriate halftone separations, including, inter alia, electronic screening and dot gain compensation, and then directly write the proof image using an appropriate marking engine (henceforth referred to as a "proofing engine").
Unfortunately, DDCP systems, as typically envisioned by those skilled in the art, would probably suffer from two drawbacks that could limit both their throughput and ease of use.
First, these DDCP systems would probably produce proof images based upon "spooling" a sequence of electronic proof requests. A proof request in such a system would be expected to contain both appropriate instructions and parameters, for the proofing engine, to generate each separate proof as well as the accompanying halftone image separation data itself. Unfortunately, since the data for each halftone image separation represents a bit-map of the separation at, what is often, a very fine resolution, a substantial amount of memory space, typically on the order of 20 Mbytes, would be required to store each halftone separation. An additional 20 Mbytes may also be required for linework that is to be printed as part of the image. Hence, for a single four color image, the resulting data for all the separations and the linework in a proof request would require upwards of typically 100 Mbytes of storage space. In a spooled environment, each of these proof requests would be entered into a print queue stored on a hard disk from which these requests would be read and serviced by the proofing engine typically on a first-in, first-out (FIFO) basis. As a consequence of allocating 100 Mbytes for each request, a very substantial amount of hard disk space would be required to accommodate this queue. Hence, owing to finite limits on available hard disk space, the queue could only accommodate a relatively small number of proof requests at any one time. Consequently, to operate the DDCP system at its maximum throughput, an operator would need to continually and repetitively enter new proof requests at relatively short intervals as the queue emptied. This, in turn, places a burden on the operator. Furthermore, if these requests were to be transferred from one point to another within the DDCP system, then an appreciable amount of time would be needed just to transfer the large amount of accompanying image data which, in turn, would suppress the throughput of the DDCP system.
Second, the DDCP system itself would need to be properly configured with appropriate parameter values to generate each individual proof, such as for example with proper screen angles and screen rulings for each separation and the proof image resolution and dimensions. As such, one would think that a human operator would be delegated the task of entering the parameters particular to each proof image into the DDCP system to form each proof request. Unfortunately, this task would place a significant burden on the DDCP operator. Furthermore, the reliance on such an operator to manually enter each proof request into the DDCP system may, through inadvertent human error, cause a significant source of proofing errors which, in turn, would force the operator to expend time and system resources to locate each of these errors and re-proof each affected image to generate an acceptable proof image. This, in turn, would also suppress the throughput of acceptable proof images of the DDCP system.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for a technique for inclusion in a direct digital color proofing system that can significantly increase the throughout of such a system while simultaneously reducing the amount of interaction needed between the operator and the system to correctly generate a sequence of proof images.

System for queueing request from remote stations for proof processing of files that are transmitted only when processing resources become available


Apparatuses and associated methods for mounting PCBs and other electronics boards in portable medical equipment and/or other portable and non-portable electronic devices are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the technology disclosed herein can provide PCB mounting systems that isolate the PCB from detrimental shock, vibration, and/or strain, while also providing electrical ground paths that greatly reduce EMI and other electrical disturbances. Some embodiments of the mounting systems described herein include both elastomeric (e.g., rubber) components and resilient metallic grounding members that, when assembled together, provide favorable shock mounting as well as robust electrical grounding without the inconvenience of using separate shock mounts, grounding straps, etc.

Electronic medical equipment, such as portable ultrasound imaging devices, and many other electronic processing devices, such as laptop computers, typically include at least one printed circuit board (PCB) that carries a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), and/or other electronic components for operation of the device. For electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) of such devices, it can be important to shield the components on the PCB from electromagnetic interference (EMI) and reduce radiated emissions that can degrade performance during operation. Additionally, especially for portable electronic devices, it can be important to mount the PCB in such a way that it can withstand inadvertent loads resulting from installation and use. Such loads can include, for example, shock loads that can occur if a user inadvertently drops the device. To meet these challenges, conventional electronic devices are often designed and constructed so that they can withstand a drop of, for example, 3 feet, and provide EMI shielding sufficient to meet Federal Communication Commission (FCC) class B regulations.
In some conventional electronic devices, the PCB is mounted to a metal enclosure or chassis with off-the-shelf rubber grommets and isolators in an attempt to mitigate shock loads. Additionally, such devices typically include one or more grounding straps having a first end attached to a perimeter of the PCB and an opposite end attached to the metal enclosure in an attempt to provide sufficient EMI shielding. Off-the-shelf rubber grommets and isolators, however, often provide insufficient shock isolation. Similarly, the use of grounding straps typically provides only limited EMI shielding. Moreover, the use of grounding straps can make it difficult to mount the PCB in the enclosure, especially if multiple ground straps are installed around the perimeter of the PCB. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide PCB mounting systems that can provide robust protection from shock, vibration, strain and/or EMI, while also being relatively easy to install.


A reinforcement structure that reinforces a boom of a work machine having a top plate, a pair of side plates, and a bottom plate forming an inner space therebetween. The plates are configured to form a curved portion at the middle of the boom along the longitudinal direction. The structure comprises a baffle disposed inside the boom rearward of the curved portion across the inner space. The baffle is a plate laterally bent so as to have a convex shape extending forward in the longitudinal direction. The reinforcement structure helps prevent twisting of the boom while dispersing stress concentrations in rear upper portions of the side plates compare to conventional flat baffle plates.

There are many types of work machines which have a front boom as a component, as exemplified by hydraulic shovels.
The boom is often curved in the longitudinal direction and configured with a top plate forming an upper surface, a pair of side plates forming side surfaces, a bottom plate forming a lower surface, and a baffle. The baffle is a reinforcing wall provided to partition an internal space having the top plate, side plates and bottom plate as the peripheral walls and is welded to the inner wall surfaces of the top plate, the side plates and the bottom plate.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-348903 discloses a boom structure capable of reducing torsional stress. This boom structure simulates a reference line that connects one end portion positioned on the boom base end side in a first bracket for fitting a boom cylinder attached to the bottom surface of the boom, and the center of curvature of a middle curved portion of the boom, wherein a lower reinforcing wall that is fixed to the bottom surface at one end portion is positioned in such a manner that a flange portion of the lower reinforcing wall approaching a top surface is inclined away from the reference line at the boom base end side. In this manner, the torsional stress occurring at a tip end portion of the reinforcing wall is reduced. The disclosed boom structure serves to reduce the torsional stress that occurs in the reinforcing wall and is not designed to prevent the stress from concentrating on the rear upper portions of the side plates.
When longitudinal bending, lateral bending, and twisting are made multiple times in the entire boom, high stress occurs in the boom. This stress tends to concentrate on the part where the baffle in the internal space of the boom and each of the plates (the top plate, the side plates, and the bottom plate) are welded together. The stress tends to concentrate especially on the top plate side of the welded parts between the rear side baffle and side plates, i.e., the rear upper portions of the side plates.
Such concentration of the stress can be prevented and handled by improving the strength of the reinforcement structure by increasing the plate thickness of the side plates and/or the baffle, but it unfavorably leads to significant increases in weight and cost.
The present invention was contrived in view of the foregoing problems, and an object thereof is to provide a reinforcement structure for a boom of a work machine, capable of preventing the stress from concentrating on the rear upper portions of the side plates while preventing the increases in weight and cost.

Reinforcement structure for boom of work machine


A subsea communication system includes addressable nodes in a wellbore and addressable nodes on a floor, where the nodes in the wellbore and on the floor are able to communicate wirelessly with each other, such as through a formation.

The invention relates generally to wireless communications in wellbores. As technology has improved, various types of sensors and control devices have been placed in hydrocarbon wells, including subsea wells. Examples of sensors include pressure sensors, temperature sensors, and other types of sensors. Additionally, sensors and control devices on the sea floor, such as sand detectors, production sensors and corrosion monitors are also used to gather data. Information measured by such sensors is communicated to well surface equipment over communications links. Control devices can also be controlled from well surface equipment over a communications link to control predetermined tasks. Examples of control devices include flow control devices, pumps, choke valves, and so forth.
Exploring, drilling, and completing a well are generally relatively expensive. This expense is even higher for subsea wells due to complexities of installing and using equipment in the subsea environment. Running control lines, including electrical control lines, between downhole devices (such as sensor devices or control devices) and other equipment in the subsea environment can be complicated. Furthermore, due to the harsh subsea environment, electrical communications lines may be subject to damage, which would mean that expensive subsea repair operations may have to be performed.

Wireless communications associated with a wellbore


A method for fabricating a heating a element includes modifying the surface state of a substrate in order to obtain at least one smooth area of low roughness and at least one rough area having a higher roughness; applying a highly electrically conductive material to these various areas; and connecting smooth area(s) of the conductive material to an electrical power source.

As known to those skilled in the art, a heating element consists of an area characterised by a low electrical resistance referred to as the "cold zone" and by an area having a much higher electrical resistance that constitutes the actual heating part.
In one heating element design, two cold zones are associated with the hot zone by being connected in series so that the intensity of the electrical current that flows through each of the zones is identical.
The function of the cold zones is to connect the current supply obtained from an external source and to distribute the current uniformly to the terminals of the heating part.
The reader is reminded that power equals resistance times current squared and that the flow of current produces a significant temperature rise in the area which has a higher electrical resistance and is referred to as the hot zone. Conversely, given the fact that the cold zones have the lowest possible electrical resistance, minimal thermal power is released from the electrical connections.
Also, because resistance equals resistivity times the length of the conductor divided by its cross-sectional area, it is possible to modify resistance values by varying any of the above-mentioned parameters Resistivity, length, cross-sectional area.
In one embodiment of thin-layer heating elements using, for example, a vacuum deposition technique, one can employ at least two materials of different resistivity, each of them being deposited through specific masks in order to successively constitute a (hot zone) heating part in the form of a track and one or more collectors or drains. The two materials are selected depending on their intrinsic resistivity, whereas their cross-sectional areas are determined depending on the conductance values required for the cold zones and the resistance value required for the heating part.
If the heating coating does not make it possible to obtain a sufficiently high electrical resistance by adjusting the thickness of said coating, it becomes necessary to alter the length of the resistance deposited in the form of tracks in order to consequently increase the distance over which the current flows.
As stated above, a second highly conductive material is deposited at the ends of the resistances in order to act as a drain. One can cite, for example, the disclosures in Patents JP7226301 and JP8124707.
In another embodiment, if the deposited resistance is not in the form of a track, electrical connections can be made either side of the resistive coating through a conductive coating produced in the form of strips known as drains. Such a solution is disclosed in Documents WO0158213, WO03095251 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,466. As disclosed in Document WO0158213, the heating layer is made of a transparent conductive material and it is associated with a highly conductive layer of silver in order to fulfil the drain function without any temperature rise.
As a result of this state of the art, producing a heating element by depositing thin layers involves two stages:                a first stage to deposit the electrical resistance through a mask in the case of a resistance in the form of tracks or to deposit it directly onto the entire surface of the substrate. Note that tracks may also be fabricated by selectively removing the resistive deposit;        a second stage to deposit another coating through another mask to produce drains.
It is therefore necessary to use two different materials and to manipulate a mask between the two deposition processes.
This state of the art is illustrated schematically in FIG. 1 which shows a heating element produced in two stages. The heating element consists of a substrate (C) made of an electrically insulating material such as a ceramic, glass or plastic etc. A slightly conductive coating (B) is deposited over the entire surface of substrate (C). A mask is positioned on coating (B) in such a way that, for example, it does not cover its ends so as to make it possible to deposit a second highly conductive coating in order to produce drains (A) for connecting an electrical power source such as a generator (G).

Method for fabricating a heating element by depositing thin layers on an insulating substrate and the element thus obtained


A zoom lens includes, in order from the object side, a first lens group having a negative refractive power, a second lens group having a positive refractive power and a third lens group having a positive refractive power, wherein, during magnification change from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, at least the first lens group and the second lens group are moved along the optical axis such that the interval between the first lens group and the second lens group is decreased and the interval between the second lens group and the third lens group is increased. The second lens group includes, in order from the object side, a positive lens, a cemented lens formed by a positive lens and a negative lens, a positive lens and a negative lens. The zoom lens satisfies given conditional expressions.

In recent years, along with the spread of personal computers in ordinary homes, digital cameras that are capable of inputting image information, such as photographed landscapes and portraits, to a personal computer are also widely spreading. Further, recent digital cameras are more and more sophisticated, and there are demands for a digital camera equipped with a zoom lens that allows successful wide-angle imaging.
In order to meet such demands, a zoom lens, such as zoom lenses disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 2003-107348 and 2009-156905 (hereinafter, Patent Documents 1 and 2), for example, which consists of, in order from the object side, a first lens group having a negative refractive power, a second lens group having a positive refractive power and a third lens group having a positive refractive power, where magnification change is achieved by changing an interval between the groups, is used. Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-081185 (hereinafter, Patent Document 3) discloses a zoom lens that has a similar basic configuration to those of Patent Documents 1 and 2 and has a small F-number at the wide-angle end.


A generic notifications framework (GNF) system integrates information from different protocols in a management station interfaced with a network and permits correlation of the information to make more sophisticated management decisions. The generic notifications framework system has one or more protocol-specific translators in communication with the network, a generic notifications framework in communication with the translators, and one or more consumer components in communication with the framework. The translators receive event data elements corresponding with different management protocols from the network and translate the event data elements into respective canonical data structures. Each of the canonical data structures includes (a) a generic field that is common to all of the canonical data structures, (b) one or more attribute fields generated by the translator based upon an examination of a protocol data unit (PDU) associated with each of the event data elements, and (c) a protocol data unit (PDU) that is generally identical to the native PDU that arrived with the event data element. Consumer components register with the framework to receive any canonical data structures having particular attribute fields. The generic notifications framework forwards the appropriate canonical data structures to appropriate consumer components based upon the attribute field values. A correlator may be associated with the framework to correlate the canonical data structures to derive an intelligent event data element, which is essentially the result of an assimilation and logical evaluation of various event data elements. Hence, event data elements are treated and processed generically, and this feature permits more sophisticated decisions to be made.

A data communications network generally includes a group of devices, for instance, computers, repeaters, bridges, routers, etc., situated at network nodes and a collection of communication channels for interconnecting the various nodes. Hardware and software associated with the network and particularly the devices permit the devices to exchange data electronically via the communication channels.
In order to keep track of and manage the various devices situated on a network, various management protocols have been developed. Examples of these management protocols include the simple network management protocol (SNMP), the common management information protocol (CMIP) standardized by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), proprietary protocols that can be found in proprietary network environments, such as SNA.TM. from IBM Corp. and NETWARE.TM. (NW) from Novell Corp., and remote procedure call protocols (RPC), such as the distributed computing environment protocol (DCE-RPC) that was developed by the Open Software Foundation. The use of the foregoing protocols has become extensive in the industry, and numerous vendors now manufacture many types of network devices which can employ these protocols.
Many management software packages ("management platforms") are presently available for implementing "management stations" on a network. Examples of commercially available management software packages include "OPENVIEW".TM. (or "HP OPENVIEW".TM.) from the Hewlett-Packard Company, which is the assignee herein, "NETVIEW".TM. from IBM Corp., "SPECTRUM".TM. from Cabletron Systems, Inc., "NETLABS MANAGER".TM. from NetLabs, Inc., and "SUNNET MANAGER".TM. from Sunconnect Inc. The nodes on the network and their interconnections, oftentimes referred to as the network "topology," are best displayed in a graphical format, and most, if not all, of the available management software packages provide for this feature.
Typically, with these packages, a network can be viewed from different vantage points, depending on the scope of the view that is desired. For example, one view of the network could be a very wide encompassing view of all nodes on the entire network. A second view could be a view of those portions of a network within a local range, for example, within a particular site or building. A third view of a network, often called a segment, could be a view of nodes attached to a particular local area network (LAN) cable.
Hewlett-Packard's very successful "OPENVIEW".TM. has been the subject of several patents, including for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,860 issued to J. C. Wu on Feb. 9, 1993, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,789 issued to Besaw et al., on Jan. 4, 1994. U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,860 describes an automatic discovery system for a management system for determining the network devices and interconnections of a network, or the topology. U.S. Pat. No. 5,276,789 describes a graphic display system for a management station for graphically displaying the topology of a network and provides for various views (including, internet, segment, and node views) that can be requested by a user.
Although the presently available management stations are meritorious to an extent, the art of management stations is still in a state of infancy, and the performance of current management stations can still be enhanced and optimized. A specific area where optimization is envisioned involves the sharing of information derived from events among applications that are associated with the management stations. Herein, an "event" is a notification emitted by any element in the managed environment to indicate a change in state. Events are typically asynchronous relative to the management station. Moreover, there already exist numerous event forwarding and distribution mechanisms, but each is highly tuned to a particular environment or protocol domain. This predicament causes several problems.
First, many applications require access to notifications for more than one of the protocol domains making up the managed environment. However, their implementation is currently complicated due to the number and variety of protocols and interfaces required. Application access to event data should not be burdened by a required understanding of the detailed syntax and semantics of environment-specific protocols, representations of, and interfaces to, the event data.
Second, there is no single, common mechanism for gathering notifications from multiple domains. In the context of this document, a "notification" is any message that is emitted asynchronously with respect to a receiver and in a logically non-directed fashion. In some cases, specific modules have been created to map notifications from one mechanism to another, but this results in an "n by m" problem and often distorts the information because of the target's environment-specific, often nonapplicable elements. In some cases, information from an original notification is lost altogether, because there is no semantically comparable structure in the target.
Third, applications do not have a common integration mechanism for exchanging asynchronous messages among the applications.
Fourth, there is little in the way of shared semantics between applications to allow the creation of generic functions. Specifically, there is no current way to implement a common event management console, a common filtering mechanism, or common tools that can be applied to all variants of event data.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry for a system and method for enhancing operation of a management station on a network by integrating and correlating information from different protocols.

Generic notifications framework system and method for enhancing operation of a management station on a network


A method and system for provoking gait disorders, such as freezing of gait; usable, for example, for diagnosing and/or treatment thereof. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, displays of situations calculated to cause freezing of gait are presented to a subject, optionally using virtual reality displays. Optionally or alternatively, incipit freezing of gait is identified using changes in gait parameters, and optionally used to guide attempts at causing freezing of gait. Optionally or alternatively, a portable device is provided which detects incipit freezing of gait and generates a corrective signal to the subject.

The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to methods and/or apparatus for detecting and/or treating gait disorders, in particular episodic gait disorders, more particularly, but not exclusively, freezing of gait disorders, whether associated with Parkinson's disease or not.
Freezing of gait (FOG) is a paroxysmal gait disturbance, a sudden, transient and unpredictable interruption of walking. FOG typically manifests as a sudden and transient inability to move. The patient attempts to move forward, inexplicably however, he/she is unable to. Patients report that their feet are "glued to the ground". FOG is a debilitating phenomenon that significantly reduces functional independence and often leads to wheelchair use.
The population which suffers mostly from FOG are subjects with Parkinson's disease (PD). FOG is common in subjects with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD), however one should bear in mind that FOG is a symptom complex that occurs in several disorders which also often involve cognitive impairment, e.g., progressive supranuclear palsy, multiple system atrophy, corticobasal degeneration, dementia with Lewy Bodies and higher level gait disorders. Manifestation of FOG is variable within and across subjects, yet a few subtypes have been described. These include, for example, freezing that occurs at the start of walking (i.e., gait initiation), during turns, when passing tight quarters and also during simple walking in an open runway. FOG has a grave impact on quality of life as it is largely associated with falls, interferes with daily living functions, and causes reduced activity and self-imposed social isolation.
The pathophysiology behind the symptom is not clear. A number of theories have been proposed mainly in reference to patients with PD. Briefly, the breakup of regular gait that results in a subject who is virtually 'frozen' in one place lacking the ability to produce effective progression, is hypothesized to stem from deterioration of certain gait features, (or inability to start the operation of these gait features in case FOG occurs at the start of walking) to an extent that gait cannot be regulated. Gait features that were implicated with FOG are gait rhythmicity, left-right stepping coordination, step length scaling, gait symmetry and dynamic control of postural stability. Each of these gait features is compromised even during the functional periods of locomotion preformed by PD patients that suffer from FOG (PD+FOG), and their background impaired condition is related to the pathological condition of the brain in PD. For example, bilateral coordination of gait is impaired in PD, possibly due to the un-even neuronal loss seen on both sides of the brain in this neurodegenerative disease. Major dopaninergic depletion in the Basal Ganglia, a brain region that normally facilitates movement scaling, is most likely behind the step scaling problem in this disease. It was also hypothesized that additional pathological conditions overlap with these gait impairments to distinguish those PD patients who will suffer from freezing from those who will not. For example, reduced cognitive capacities, in particular in the executive function domains, were associated with and believed to contribute to freezing in PD.
Methods for diagnosing and treating FOG are quite limited. Often patients who report many freezing incidents during their daily routine fail to exhibit even one under examination at the neurologist's office, most likely due to psychological effects. Therefore the effectiveness of proposed treatments is evaluated only in a limited manner. Even among patients who do present with FOG in the clinic, it is difficult to quantify the magnitude of the problem. This limits the ability to evaluate the effectiveness of any treatments attempts.
Subjective assessment is currently used to determine the severity of freezing. Several questionnaires are in common use in clinical practice that assess if freezing occurs, how often and under which circumstances. These quaternaries sometimes obscure the correct clinical pictures since sometimes patients change their reports between consecutive visits that are separated by only a short period of time. Actually, this problem led to the creation of a questionnaire in which spouses and caregivers both provide information. Recently, mobility sensors were suggested alternative for the assessment of the FOG burden. Current treatments are based on pharmacological treatments. Recently some have suggested using surgical implantation of stimulating electrodes to specific parts of the brain, however, this is not widely accepted, is quite invasive, and the evidence for its efficacy is not yet strong.
FOG is generally not well addressed by current treatment approaches. Immediate, small, short-term improvements in FOG have been demonstrated in a handful of studies. Many of these focus on the use of visual or auditory cues to facilitate movement and reduce FOG. There is evidence that PD+FOG may respond differently to cues than PD-FOG and that appropriate cues can, while present, result in improved velocity and stride length and reduced FOG. A large randomized trial examining the effects of cueing on FOG demonstrated slight improvements in FOG (5.5% reduction) but little retention of benefit six weeks after training. The effects of a comprehensive physical therapy program that included cueing on FOG, demonstrating improvements in FOG immediately following a 6-week intervention but a return to baseline levels of FOG one month later. Preliminary work on turning, e.g., when the subject turns left, right or in a circle, suggests that rotating treadmill training may have a dramatic effect on FOG when the subjects walk in normal daily conditions after the intervention.
To date, methods for diagnosing and treating FOG are quite limited. Often patients who report many freezing episodes during their daily routine fail to exhibit them under testing or examination conditions such as at the neurologist office. Therefore the effectiveness of prescribed treatments is evaluated only in a limited manner. Even among patients who do present with FOG in the clinic, it is difficult to quantify the magnitude of the problem as it is episodic. In addition, due, in part, to the variable nature of the appearance of the symptom, standardized treatment approaches are not effective.

Freezing of gait (FOG), detection, prediction and/or treatment

The Medical Research, Infrastructure amd Health Services Fund of the Tel Aviv Medical Center


In one embodiment, the present disclosure is directed to a method for impedance matching. The RF source provides at least two repeating, non-zero pulse levels, including a high-priority pulse level and a low-priority pulse level. The matching network comprises at least one EVC, which comprises discrete capacitors configured to switch in and out to provide a plurality of match configurations. Each EVC has a switching limit comprising a predetermined number of switches in or out of the EVC's discrete capacitors in a prior time interval. Upon determining that switching to a new match configuration would cause an EVC to reach the switching limit, the method determines whether the new match configuration is for the low- or high-priority pulse level. If for the low-priority pulse level, the method prevents the switching of the EVC. If for the high-priority pulse level, the method switches the EVC to the new match configuration.

The semiconductor device fabrication process uses plasma processing at different stages of fabrication to make a semiconductor device such as a microprocessor, a memory chip, or another integrated circuit or device. Plasma processing involves energizing a gas mixture by imparting energy to the gas molecules by the introduction of RF (radio frequency) energy into the gas mixture. This gas mixture is typically contained in a vacuum chamber, also called a plasma chamber, and the RF energy is introduced through electrodes or other means in the chamber. In a typical plasma process, the RF generator generates power at the desired RF frequency and power, and this power is transmitted through the RF cables and networks to the plasma chamber.
To provide efficient transfer of power from the RF generator to the plasma chamber, an RF matching network is positioned between the RF generator and the plasma chamber. The purpose of the RF matching network is to transform the plasma impedance to a value suitable for the RF generator. In many cases, particularly in the semiconductor fabrication processes, the RF power is transmitted through 50 Ohm coaxial cables and the system impedance (output impedance) of the RF generators is also 50 Ohm. On the other hand, the impedance of the plasma, driven by the RF power, varies. The impedance on the input side of the RF matching network must be transformed to non-reactive 50 Ohm (i.e., 50+j0) for maximum power transmission. RF matching network perform this task of continuously transforming the plasma impedance to 50 Ohm for the RF generator.
A typical RF matching network is composed of variable capacitors and a microprocessor-based control circuit to control the capacitors. The value and size of the variable capacitors are influenced by the power handling capability, frequency of operation, and impedance range of the plasma chamber. The predominant variable capacitor in use in RF matching networks is the vacuum variable capacitor (VVC). The VVC is an electromechanical device, consisting of two concentric metallic rings that move in relation to each other to change the capacitance. In complex semiconductor processes, where the impedance changes are very rapid, the rapid and frequent movements put stresses on the VVC leading to their failures. VVC-based RF matching networks are one of the last electromechanical components in the semiconductor fabrication process.
As semiconductor devices shrink in size and become more complex, however, the feature geometries become very small. As a result, the processing time to fabricate these features becomes small, typically in the 5-6 second range. Current RF matching networks take 1-2 seconds to tune the process and this results in unstable process parameters for a significant portion of the process time. Electronically variable capacitor (EVC) technology (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,251,121, incorporated herein by reference) enables a reduction in this semiconductor processing tune time from 1-2 seconds to less than 500 seconds. EVC-based matching networks are a type of solid state matching network. Their decreased tune time greatly increases the available stable processing time, thereby improving yield and performance.
While EVC technology is known, it has yet to be developed into an industry-accepted replacement for VVCs. However, because an EVC is purely an electronic device, an EVC is not a one-for-one replacement for a VVC in an RF matching network. Further advancements are therefore needed to more fully take advantage of using EVCs as part of an RF matching network.


A method of treating a waste solution resulting from the processing of a photographic material with a working solution is disclosed, wherein at least part of said waste solution is absorbed by a resin capable of absorbing at least 50 times its own weight of a liquid.

Photographic processing of a silver halide photographic material generally contains steps of development, fixing, washing and so on if the material is a black-and-white light-sensitive material, and involves steps of color development, bleaching, fixing, washing, stabilization, etc. if a color light-sensitive material is to be processed. The working solutions employed in either case have the ability to perform one or more photographic functions.
In processing a large amount of light-sensitive material, it is customary to keep the make-up and hence the performance of each working solution constant not only by compensating for the components consumed in a specific step but also by eliminating any component in the working solution which increases in amount (e.g., bromide ions in the developing solution and silver complex salts in the fixing bath). In order to compensate for the consumed component, a replenishing solution is added to a specific working solution, and for the purpose of eliminating the excess of the component which has increased in amount, part of the working solution is discarded.
Primarily for environmental and economic reasons, concerted efforts are being made by modern photofinishers to drastically reduce the use of replenishers including the washing water which is a replenisher for the washing step. Even in this modern system, the waste working solution is discharged from each of the tanks in the automatic developer and, after being guided through a drain pipe, the solution is diluted with the waste washing water for disposal in sewage or other appropriate places.
With a view to coping with limited water resources and the increased cost of water feeding and drainage and in order to provide ease in the installation of the automatic processor and to improve the working environment around the machine, photographic processing with a water-less automatic processor has been designed and is gaining commercial acceptance.
This machine performs a stabilizing step as an alternative to washing and requires no water feed/drain piping other than what is installed within the machine. It is generally understood that in this sort of photographic processing, the use of cooling water for stabilizing the temperature of working solutions is also desirably reduced. The effluent from the water-less automatic developer is comprised solely of the replenished waste working solutions and is much smaller in amount than when a washing step is included in the process. Because of this feature, the need for installing pipes for water feeding and drainage is eliminated and all of the following problems associated with the conventional types of automatic developer can be solved: a machine with water pipes is difficult to replace after installation; the machine reduces the amount of floor space available for free movement of the operator; additional costs are incurred in attaching pipes to the machine after it is installed in the proper place; and energy costs with feeding hot water are comparatively high. The water-less automatic processor is free from these disadvantages and its small size and operational simplicity will allow its use as an office machine.
However, processing with such water-less automatic processor results in the discharge of fairly large quantities of waste solutions; even in a comparatively small-scale operation, the daily effluents are no less than 10 liters for the processing of X-ray light-sensitive materials, 30 liters for platemaking light-sensitive materials, and 30 liters for color photographic materials. In the absence of external water pipes, the treatment of the effluents from the water-less automatic developer is relatively complicated; first of all, when a certain waste solution tank in the developer is filled with the waste solution, this event must be detected either with a sensor or by visual checking so as to allow for a timely replacement of the tank, and if this is not done, the waste solution will overflow the tank and foul the floor, thereby cancelling the advantages offered by the water-less automatic processor (i.e., the machine does not have to be equipped with external piping and can be installed on a clean floor or a carpeted floor). Aside from the high cost of the sensor, processing with the water-less automatic processor involves one major problem associated with aesthetic appeal in that the container for accommodating the recovered waste solution is more likely to be fouled than when the waste solution is discharged into sewage through the drain pipe.
Most of the photographic processing solutions used today contain easily oxidizable components and are liable to form tar or precipitates as a result of aerial contact during storage. If, as in the usual practice, two or more working waste solutions are recovered in the waste solution tank, the chance of oxidation or precipitation is further increased to form tar or precipitates which are deposited on the bottom or side wall of the tank and will solidify to foul or otherwise degrade the working environment. The tendency of tar formation is particularly great in waste solutions containing hydroquinones or phenidones (black-and-white developing agents), or phenylenediamine derivatives (color developing agents) and splashes of such waste solution will soil the operator's clothes or cause rashes on his skin. A waste solution containing thiosulfate ions will be oxidized to form a sulfur precipitate. If these two types of waste solution are mixed, the degree of tar formation and precipitation is even more increased, and in the presence of a certain substance such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid iron (III) salt, troubles such as the precipitation of iron hydroxide or oxide that will cause considerable difficulty in handling may occur.
The last, but by no means least, problem associated with the processing with the water-less automatic processor is that it discharges an aqueous solution which cannot be immediately disposed of by incineration. A processing system in which no waste washing water occurs will yield waste solutions with high BOD and COD loads which cannot be directly discharged into sewage. The most advantageous way to dispose of such waste liquors is incineration.


The invention relates to a TEE (Trusted Environment Execution) structure which comprises: (a) a main domain defining a domain of operation for a main OS; (b) a privileged trusted domain defining a domain of operation for a trusted domain OS; and (c) a low level hypervisor which is separated from both of said main OS and said trusted domain OS, said hypervisor is used for: (c. 1) receiving packets from a network; (c.2) examining an address included in each of said received packets; and (c.3) based on the determined address in each of said packets, targeting respectively the packet to either said main OS or to said trusted domain OS, while in the latter case any interaction between the received packet and said main OS is eliminated.

Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) are commonly used as a "safe container" for executing processes or services in a trusted manner. Examples of TEE implementations are the ARM TrustZone, and Intel TEE. The common TEE architecture combines the main operating system (OS) running on the main processor(s) and having its own "main domain" (also referred herein as the "normal domain"), and a single process or a set of processes that run within another, more privileged and trusted section of the processor, which is commonly referred to as a "trusted domain" or "secured domain". Typically, a "Trusted Domain OS", which is separate, and most often also different in structure, language and layer from the main OS, operates within said privileged secured domain. The access to the Trusted Domain OS can be performed (in a privileged manner) only via the main OS, both for the purpose of its configuration, and for the purpose of receiving service from it in run time.
In one example, the trusted zone is typically used to store encryption and decryption keys. The main OS, in turn, submits data to the trusted-domain OS, which in turn uses a respective process running within the trusted domain to encrypt or decrypt said data, respectively, and return the results to the main OS.
The TEE structure is not so commonly used in embedded systems, and moreover, when used, it is commonly applied for performing limited and specific functionalities.
As described, a user or a process may receive service from the trusted domain only via the main OS. However, the main OS is typically accessible to a wide range of users, devices, and processes, particularly when the system includes a network. Although the ability to access and receive services from the trusted domain is limited and privileged, still the main OS itself is susceptible to malicious code manipulations, in view of its availability to such a wide range of users and processes. Therefore, even though the trusted domain is relatively secured in itself, the fact that the interaction with the trusted domain is implemented via the relatively susceptible environment of the main OS, significantly degrades the security of operation with the trusted domain and its resources.
In another aspect, a hypervisor is commonly used in computer systems as a privileged, low level layer below the operating system. The hypervisor, also called a "virtual machine manager", or a "virtual machine monitor", is a piece of low level software, firmware or hardware. In one example, the hypervisor is commonly used to create and run virtual machines, allowing multiple operating systems to share a single hardware host. Each operating system appears to have the host's processor, memory, and other resources all to itself. In such a manner and structure, a plurality of "virtual machines" is implemented on a single hardware machine.
Even though the TEE and the hypervisor are sometimes implemented on a same machine, their typical functions are totally isolated, namely, one allows receiving services from a trusted-privileged zone, and the other virtually provides the possibility for a plurality of virtual machines to operate on a single machine.
In still another aspect, many systems are required to be turned off relatively frequently to allow performance of maintenance or software updates. However, the turning off becomes almost impossible in essential systems like embedded systems that handle very sensitive processes. The fact that such systems can only rarely be turned off (for example, for maintenance and software upgrade purposes), leads to a situation where the security and performance of the system are compromised.
Moreover, the inspection and analysis with respect to the integrity of the main OS during runtime, even when they are performed by services of the trusted domain OS, are also compromised, as the interaction with said services of the trusted domain OS must be performed via the relatively unsecured environment (i.e., domain) of the main OS.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a structure which significantly improves the security of interaction with the trusted domain of a TEE structure, and with the resources running therewith.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a structure that enables performance of a secured maintenance and software updates during runtime, particularly in embedded systems.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

System and method for monitoring and protecting an untrusted operating system by means of a trusted operating system

B. G. NEGEV TECHNOLOGIES AND APPLICATIONS LTD., AT BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY