The method of treatment for a nasal or sinus tissue exhibiting a sinusitis or rhinosinusitis disease or condition in a diagnosed patient is disclosed. The method has the steps of activating an acoustic shock wave generator or source to emit acoustic shock waves; and subjecting the nasal or sinus tissue, or the entire nasal or sinus region of the patient to the acoustic shock waves stimulating said tissue, wherein the tissue is positioned within a path of the emitted shock waves. The method of treatment may further have the steps of administering one or more medicaments prior, during or after subjecting the patient to acoustic shock waves or testing the bacterial count or viability of the treated tissue or region of the diagnosed patient after exposure to one or more acoustic shock wave treatments; or subjecting a tissue or organ to a surgical procedure to remove or repair some or all of any defects or degenerative tissues. The method of treatment is for prevention of infectious disease and may be used with debridement. The treatment is particularly useful in eradicating and inhibiting biofilm formations.

According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Sinusitis simply means your sinuses are infected or inflamed, but this gives little indication of the misery and pain this condition can cause. Health care experts usually divide sinusitis cases into: acute, which last for 3 weeks or less; chronic, which usually last for 3 to 8 weeks but can continue for months or even years; and recurrent, which are several acute attacks within a year.
Health care experts estimate that 37 million Americans are affected by sinusitis every year. Health care providers report nearly 32 million cases of chronic sinusitis to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention annually. Americans spend millions of dollars each year for medications that promise relief from their sinus symptoms.
Sinuses are hollow air spaces in the human body. When people say, "I'm having a sinus attack," they usually are referring to symptoms in one or more of four pairs of cavities, or sinuses, known as paranasal sinuses 300. These cavities, located within the skull or bones of the head surrounding the nose, include the Frontal sinuses 306 over the eyes in the brow area, Maxillary sinuses 302 inside each cheekbone, Ethmoid sinuses 304 just behind the bridge of the nose and between the eyes and Sphenoid sinuses 308 behind the ethmoids in the upper region of the nose and behind the eyes.
Each sinus has an opening into the nose for the free exchange of air and mucus, and each is joined with the nasal passages by a continuous mucous membrane lining. Therefore, anything that causes a swelling in the nose—an infection, an allergic reaction, or another type of immune reaction—also can affect the sinuses. Air trapped within a blocked sinus, along with pus or other secretions may cause pressure on the sinus wall. The result is the sometimes intense pain of a sinus attack. Similarly, when air is prevented from entering a paranasal sinus by a swollen membrane at the opening, a vacuum can be created that also causes pain.
The location of your sinus pain depends on which sinus is affected. Headache when you wake up in the morning is typical of a sinus problem. Pain when your forehead over the frontal sinuses is touched may indicate that your frontal sinuses are inflamed. Infection in the maxillary sinuses can cause your upper jaw and teeth to ache and your cheeks to become tender to the touch. Since the ethmoid sinuses are near the tear ducts in the corner of the eyes, inflammation of these cavities often causes swelling of the eyelids and tissues around your eyes, and pain between your eyes. Ethmoid inflammation also can cause tenderness when the sides of your nose are touched, a loss of smell, and a stuffy nose. Although the sphenoid sinuses are less frequently affected, infection in this area can cause earaches, neck pain, and deep aching at the top of your head. Most people with sinusitis, however, have pain or tenderness in several locations, and their symptoms usually do not clearly indicate which sinuses are inflamed. Other symptoms of sinusitis can include fever, weakness, tiredness, a cough that may be more severe at night and runny nose (rhinitis) or nasal congestion.
In addition, the drainage of mucus from the sphenoid or other sinuses down the back of your throat (postnasal drip) can cause you to have a sore throat. Mucus drainage also can irritate the membranes lining your larynx (upper windpipe). Not everyone with these symptoms, however, has sinusitis. On rare occasions, acute sinusitis can result in brain infection and other serious complications.
Most cases of acute sinusitis start with a common cold, which is caused by a virus. These viral colds do not cause symptoms of sinusitis, but they do inflame the sinuses. Both the cold and the sinus inflammation usually go away without treatment in 2 weeks. The inflammation, however, might explain why having a cold increases your likelihood of developing acute sinusitis. For example, your nose reacts to an invasion by viruses that cause infections such as the common cold or flu by producing mucus and sending white blood cells to the lining of the nose, which congest and swell the nasal passages.
When this swelling involves the adjacent mucous membranes of your sinuses, air and mucus are trapped behind the narrowed openings of the sinuses. When your sinus openings become too narrow, mucus cannot drain properly. This increase in mucus sets up prime conditions for bacteria to multiply.
Most healthy people harbor bacteria, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae, in their upper respiratory tracts with no problems until the body's defenses are weakened or drainage from the sinuses is blocked by a cold or other viral infection. Thus, bacteria that may have been living harmlessly in your nose or throat can multiply and invade your sinuses, causing an acute sinus infection.
Sometimes, fungal infections can cause acute sinusitis. Although fungi are abundant in the environment, they usually are harmless to healthy people, indicating that the human body has a natural resistance to them. Fungi, such as Aspergillus, can cause serious illness in people whose immune systems are not functioning properly. Some people with fungal sinusitis have an allergic-type reaction to the fungi.
Chronic inflammation of the nasal passages also can lead to sinusitis. If you have allergic rhinitis or hay fever, you can develop episodes of acute sinusitis. Vasomotor rhinitis, caused by humidity, cold air, alcohol, perfumes, and other environmental conditions, also may be complicated by sinus infections.
Acute sinusitis is much more common in some people than in the general population. For example, sinusitis occurs more often in people who have reduced immune function (such as those with primary immune deficiency diseases or HIV infection) and with abnormality of mucus secretion or mucus movement (such as those with cystic fibrosis).
It can be difficult to determine the cause of chronic sinusitis. Some investigators think it is an infectious disease but others are not certain. It is an inflammatory disease that often occurs in patients with asthma. If you have asthma, an allergic disease, you may have chronic sinusitis with exacerbations. If you are allergic to airborne allergens, such as dust, mold, and pollen, which trigger allergic rhinitis, you may develop chronic sinusitis. An immune response to antigens in fungi may be responsible for at least some cases of chronic sinusitis. In addition, people who are allergic to fungi can develop a condition called "allergic fungal sinusitis." If you are subject to getting chronic sinusitis, damp weather, especially in northern temperate climates, or pollutants in the air and in buildings also can affect you.
If you have an immune deficiency disease or an abnormality in the way mucus moves through and from your respiratory system (e.g., primary immune deficiency, HIV infection, and cystic fibrosis) you might develop chronic sinusitis with frequent flare-ups of acute sinusitis due to infections. In otherwise normal individuals, sinusitis may or may not be infectious. In addition, if you have severe asthma, nasal polyps (small growths in the nose), or a severe asthma attacks caused by aspirin and aspirin-like medicines such as ibuprofen, you might have chronic sinusitis.
Because your nose can get stuffy when you have a condition like the common cold, you may confuse simple nasal congestion with sinusitis. A cold, however, usually lasts about 7 to 14 days and disappears without treatment. Acute sinusitis often lasts longer and typically causes more symptoms than just a cold.
Doctors can diagnose sinusitis by listening to your symptoms, doing a physical examination, taking X-rays, and if necessary, an MRI or CT scan (magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography).
After diagnosing sinusitis and identifying a possible cause, a doctor can suggest treatments that will reduce your inflammation and relieve your symptoms.
If bacteria cause your sinusitis, antibiotics used along with a nasal or oral decongestant will usually help. Your doctor can prescribe an antibiotic that fights the type of bacteria most commonly associated with sinusitis.
Many cases of acute sinusitis will end without antibiotics. If you have allergic disease along with sinusitis, however, you may need medicine to relieve your allergy symptoms. If you already have asthma then get sinusitis, you may experience worsening of your asthma and should be in close touch with your doctor.
In addition, your doctor may prescribe a steroid nasal spray, along with other treatments, to reduce your sinus congestion, swelling, and inflammation.
Doctors often find it difficult to treat chronic sinusitis successfully, realizing that symptoms persist even after taking antibiotics for a long period. As discussed below, many doctors treat with steroids such as steroid nasal sprays. Many doctors do treat chronic sinusitis as though it is an infection, by using antibiotics and decongestants. Other doctors use both antibiotics and steroid nasal sprays. Further research is needed to determine what is the best treatment.
Some people with severe asthma are said to have dramatic improvement of their symptoms when their chronic sinusitis is treated with antibiotics.
Doctors commonly prescribe steroid nasal sprays to reduce inflammation in chronic sinusitis. Although doctors occasionally prescribe these sprays to treat people with chronic sinusitis over a long period, doctors don't fully understand the long-term safety of these medications, especially in children. Therefore, doctors will consider whether the benefits outweigh any risks of using steroid nasal sprays.
If you have severe chronic sinusitis, your doctor may prescribe oral steroids, such as prednisone. Because oral steroids are powerful medicines and can have significant side effects, you should take them only when other medicines have not worked.
When medical treatment fails, surgery may be the only alternative for treating chronic sinusitis. Research studies suggest that the vast majority of people who undergo surgery have fewer symptoms and better quality of life.
In children, problems often are eliminated by removal of adenoids obstructing nasal-sinus passages.
Adults who have had allergic and infectious conditions over the years sometimes develop nasal polyps that interfere with proper drainage. Removal of these polyps and/or repair of a deviated septum to ensure an open airway often provides considerable relief from sinus symptoms.
The most common surgery done today is functional endoscopic sinus surgery, in which the natural openings from the sinuses are enlarged to allow drainage. This type of surgery is less invasive than conventional sinus surgery, and serious complications are rare.
At least two-thirds of sinusitis cases caused by bacteria are due to two organisms that can also cause otitis media (middle ear infection) in children as well as pneumonia and acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis. NIAID is supporting multiple studies to better understand the basis for infectivity of these organisms as well as identifying potential candidates for future vaccines strategies that could eliminate these diseases.
Scientific studies have shown a close relationship between having asthma and sinusitis. As many as 75 percent of people with asthma also get sinusitis. Some studies state that up to 80 percent of adults with chronic sinusitis also had allergic rhinitis. NIAID conducts and supports research on allergic diseases as well as bacteria and fungus that can cause sinusitis. This research is focused on developing better treatments and ways to prevent these diseases.
Scientists supported by NIAID and other institutions are investigating whether chronic sinusitis has genetic causes. They have found that certain alterations in the gene that causes cystic fibrosis may also increase the likelihood of developing chronic sinusitis. This research will give scientists new insights into the cause of the disease in some people and points to new strategies for diagnosis and treatment.
Another NIAID-supported research study has recently demonstrated that blood cells from patients with chronic sinusitis make chemicals that produce inflammation when exposed to fungal antigens, suggesting that fungi may play a role in many cases of chronic sinusitis. Further research, including clinical trials of antifungal drugs, will help determine whether, and for whom, this new treatment strategy holds promise.
Dr. Jay M. Dutton, MD in a recent article for the American Rhinologic Society, "Complications of Sinusitis", reports when sinusitis is managed properly, complications rarely occur. However, because of the close proximity of such structures as the intracranial cavity and the orbit, in certain circumstances these infections may spread and cause life-threatening sequelae. These complications may occur after either acute or chronic infections but do so more commonly after the former. The following list includes many of the potential complications of sinusitis, but is by no means exhaustive: Intracranial Complications—The frontal, ethmoid and sphenoid sinuses are separated from the intracranial cavity by a layer of bone. If the infection passes through this bone it may infect the tissue and fluid that lines the brain, causing "meningitis". In even more severe cases the infection may spread to the brain itself causing an "abscess", or collection of pus. These problems are life threatening and require prompt and aggressive treatment. Orbital Complications—The frontal, maxillary, ethmoid and sphenoid sinuses sit immediately above, below, between and behind the eyes, respectively (FIG. 13). For this reason, infections of any of the sinuses may spread to the orbit, causing a wide spectrum of complications from mild inflammation of the eyelid to abscesses with possible blindness. Vascular Complications—The carotid artery and cavernous sinus are two large vascular structures that border the sphenoid sinus. Infections that involve either of these structures may lead to aneurysms or infected blood clots in the intracranial cavity, both of which are potentially fatal. Asthma—A number of patients suffer from both asthma and chronic sinusitis and, for these individuals, flare-ups of the sinusitis can lead to asthma attacks. Many studies have shown that resolving the sinus condition will result in dramatic improvement of the asthma. Loss of Smell and Taste—Sinusitis may diminish the senses of smell and taste, since the two are interconnected. This may be either temporary or permanent, depending on the nature of the injury. In most cases, the cause is poor airflow to the olfactory nerve (which detects odors) and by improving the nasal airway the senses of smell and taste improve. This is particularly true in patients who suffer from nasal polyps. However, in some cases chronic sinusitis may permanently injure these nerve endings. Osteomyelitis—Some recent studies suggest that bone becomes actively involved during a chronic sinus infection, making the infection more difficult to treat. This may even cause the destruction of bone that leads to the intracranial and intraorbital complications discussed above.
Many patients are reluctant to undergo endoscopic sinus surgery for sinusitis but surgery may be imperative, as when one of these complications develops or to prevent one from occurring in the face of a chronic infection. While these complications are fortunately rare, their outcomes may be severe and tragic!
The common element in all cases of sinusitis is the presence of an infection caused by a combination of viral, bacterial or fungus deep within the sinus cavities and somewhat protected by the mucus that blocks normal drainage. This environment in the sinus cavities is precisely similar to that describing the formation of biofilms as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,777,223, entitled "Method for Eliminating the Formation of Biofilm", the inventors describe biofilm as:                biological films that develop and persist at the surfaces of biotic or abiotic objects in aqueous environments from the adsorption of microbial cells onto the solid surfaces. This adsorption can provide a competitive advantage for the microorganisms since they can reproduce, are accessible to a wider variety of nutrients and oxygen conditions, are not washed away, and are less sensitive to antimicrobial agents. The formation of the biofilm is also accompanied by the production of exo-polymeric materials (polysaccharides, polyuronic acids, alginates, glycoproteins, and proteins) which together with the cells form thick layers of differentiated structures separated by water-filled spaces. The resident microorganisms may be individual species of microbial cells or mixed communities of microbial cells, which may include aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, algae, protozoa, and fungi. Thus, the biofilm is a complex assembly of living microorganisms embedded in an organic structure composed of one or more matrix polymers which are secreted by the resident microorganisms.
Almost all of the prior art literature on the subject of eliminating or preventing biofilms suggests one or more drugs or chemical agents as the solution to this problem as well as well known cleaning procedures such as debridement in the practice of post surgery sinus treatments.
What is sorely lacking is a safe and reliable method to break down the cellular barrier properties of these complex architectural microbial structures called biofilms.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide such a method to reduce or eradicate microbial biofilms not only on surfaces, but within tissues and organs, such as the sinus cavities.

Germicidal method for treating or preventing sinusitis


Various methods and tools optically analyze downhole fluid properties in situ. Some disclosed downhole optical radiometry tools include a tool body having a sample cell for fluid flow. A light beam passes through the sample cell and a spectral operation unit (SOU) such as a prism, filter, interferometer, or multivariate optical element (MOE). The resulting light provides a signal indicative of one or more properties of the fluid. A sensor configuration using electrically balanced thermopiles offers a high sensitivity over a wide temperature range. Further sensitivity is achieved by modulating the light beam and/or by providing a reference light beam that does not interact with the fluid flow. To provide a wide spectral range, some embodiments include multiple filaments in the light source, each filament having a different emission spectrum. Moreover, some embodiments include a second light source, sample cell, SOU, and detector to provide increased range, flexibility, and reliability.

Spectroscopic analysis is popular method for determining compositions of fluids and other materials in a laboratory environment. However, implementing spectroscopic analysis in a downhole tool is a difficult task due to a number of obstacles, not the least of which is the great range of operating temperatures in which the tool must operate. If such obstacles were adequately addressed, a downhole optical radiometry tool could be used to analyze and monitor different properties of various fluids in situ.
For example, when formation fluid sampling tools draw fluid samples there is always a question of how much contamination (e.g., from drilling fluid in the borehole) exists in the sample stream and how much pumping must be done before the contamination level drops to an acceptable level. A downhole optical radiometry tool can measure various indicators of contamination, identify trends, and determine a completion time for the sampling process. Further, the downhole optical radiometry tool could be used to characterize the fluid composition to measure, e.g., water, light hydrocarbons, a distribution of hydrocarbon types (e.g., the so-called SARA measurement of saturated oils, aromatics, resins, and asphaltenes), H2S concentrations, and CO2 concentrations. Moreover, PVT properties can be predicted, e.g., by measurements of Gas-Oil Ratios. The fluid compositions can be compared to those of fluids from other wells to measure reservoir connectivity. Such measurements can be the basis for formulating multi-billion dollar production strategies and recovery assessments, so accuracy and reliability are key concerns.
It is noted that the drawings and detailed description are directed to specific illustrative embodiments of the invention. It should be understood, however, that the illustrated and described embodiments are not intended to limit the disclosure, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the scope of the appended claims.


The present invention provides a catalyst for forming carbon nanotubes that improves a yield at the time of manufacturing carbon nanotubes and enables continuous mass production of carbon nanotubes with high purity. The catalyst for forming carbon nanotubes of the present invention includes a carrier that includes MgO and a metal catalyst that is supported by the carrier, and the concentration of the MgO in the carrier is set equal to 99 mass % or higher.

A carbon nanotube is a carbon polyhedron in a tube shape having a structure in which a black lead (graphite) sheet is closed in a cylindrical shape. Among such carbon nanotubes, there is a multi-walled nanotube having a multi-walled structure in which a black lead sheet is closed in a cylindrical shape and a single-walled nanotube having a single-walled structure in which a black lead sheet is closed in a cylindrical shape.
With regard to multi-walled nanotubes, Iijima found in 1991 that there were multi-walled nanotubes in the body of carbon deposited on the cathode of the arc discharge method (refer to Non-Patent Literature 1). Since then, research on multi-walled nanotubes has been actively conducted, and recently, multi-walled nanotubes have been massively synthesized on an industrial scale.
On the other hand, a single-walled nanotube generally has an inner diameter of approximately 0.4 to 10 nanometers (nm), and synthesis thereof was reported by Iijima and the IBM group at the same time in 1993. An electron state of a single-walled nanotube is theoretically predicted, and an electronic property is believed to change from a metallic quality to a semiconductive quality due to a particular method of spiral winding. Thus, single-walled nanotubes are regarded as a promising future electronic material. As other applications of such single-walled nanotubes, a nanoelectronics material, a field electron emitter, a high-directive radiation source, a soft X-ray source, a one-dimensional conductive material, a highly thermally transmissive material, a hydrogen storage material, and the like are considered. In addition, the application of single-walled nanotubes is expected to further expand due to functionalization of a surface, metal coating, and inclusion of substances.
In the related art, as a method for manufacturing large amounts of single-walled carbon nanotubes, the present inventors and the like have proposed several manufacturing methods that use fluidized beds (for example, refer to Patent Literature 1). According to the method described in Patent Literature 1, carbon nanotubes can be formed in large amounts using fluidized beds with use of granulated catalysts in which active catalytic materials are supported by carriers.
In addition, manufacture of a conductive film is performed in such a way that carbon nanotubes obtained using the above-described method and a resin are mixed, and a film is formed on a substrate (for example, refer to Patent Literature 2). According to the method described in Patent Literature 2, using a method called fluid gas-phase CVD (chemical vapor deposition), a raw material source that includes a catalyst, a reaction promoter, a carbon source, and the like is firstly supplied to a reaction region, and then a carbon nanotube is formed. In addition, Patent Literature 2 describes that an effect as an additive that promotes formation of carbon nanotubes is obtained due to sulfur (S) included in a carrier of a catalyst.
In addition, a method for manufacturing carbon nanotubes has also been proposed in such a way that functional groups are introduced into one end or both ends of a fibrous substance having hexagonal mesh pillar portions and the functional groups of the fibrous substance are caused to react with functional groups of another fibrous substance to connect the plurality of fibrous substances (for example, refer to Patent Literature 3). In addition, Patent Literature 3 also describes that sulfur (S) included in a carrier of a catalyst exhibits an effect of promoting formation of carbon nanotubes.
In addition, a carbon nanotube complex in which a metal is included is expected to exhibit a quantum effect, a conductive characteristic, a magnetic characteristic, and the like, unlike a material of the related art since the complex is in a state in which a nanoscale metal is stably held, and thus a formation method of a CNT complex that includes a metal has been proposed (for example, refer to Patent Literature 4).


A driving integrated circuit of light emitting diodes is used for driving a plurality of series of light emitting diodes. The driving integrated circuit includes a current setting pin, a regulator circuit, and an adjuster. The driving integrated circuit sets a target current for a current flowing through the plurality of series of light emitting diodes according to an outflowing current of the current setting pin. The adjuster adjusts a target voltage according to the outflowing current. Then the regulator circuit provides a supply voltage for driving the plurality of series of light emitting diodes, so as to regulate a terminal voltage of the plurality of series of light emitting diodes to the target voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a light emitting diode (LED) driving integrated circuit, and particularly to an LED driving integrated circuit that can dynamically change a terminal voltage of a series of light emitting diodes with a current flowing through the series of light emitting diodes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, after an LED driving integrated circuit utilizes a reference voltage generation circuit to generate a reference voltage, the LED driving integrated circuit can utilize the reference voltage to control a terminal voltage of a series of light emitting diodes through a closed loop formed by a boost converter. Thus, the terminal voltage of the series of light emitting diodes can be fixed to a target voltage, where the target voltage is used for providing a driving current for the series of light emitting diodes to operate normally.
However, after the target voltage is fixed, the target voltage can not be changed again. That is to say, the target voltage can not dynamically vary with an output current of the series of light emitting diodes adjusted by a user. Therefore, if the target voltage is too high, the LED driving integrated circuit may consume much energy and have lower energy efficiency; if the target voltage is too low, the driving integrated circuit may not operate normally.

Light emitting diode driving integrated circuit and method for driving a series of light emitting diodes


A multi-layer interconnect structure with a self-aligning barrier structure and a method for fabricating the same is disclosed. For example, the method includes forming a via through an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer, an etch stop layer (ESL), and a contact structure, pre-cleaning the via with a metal halide, forming a barrier structure on the contact structure in-situ during the pre-cleaning of the via with the metal halide, and depositing a second metal in the via on top of the barrier structure.

The integrated circuit (IC) industry has experienced exponential growth. Technological advances in IC materials and design have produced generations of ICs, where each generation has smaller and more complex circuits than the previous generation. In the course of IC evolution, functional density (e.g., the number of interconnected devices per chip area) has generally increased while geometry size (e.g., the smallest component (or line) that can be created using a fabrication process) has decreased. This scaling down process generally provides benefits by increasing production efficiency and lowering associated costs.
Such scaling down has also increased the complexity of processing and manufacturing ICs. For example, previously used copper-based interconnect structures that are implemented in multilayer interconnect (MLI) features have presented performance, yield, and cost challenges as MLI features become more compact with ever-shrinking IC feature size. For example, copper interconnects exhibit increased resistance, poor electro-migration performance, and voids during fabrication as IC technologies expand into sub-20 nm technology nodes.

Method for making self-aligned barrier for metal vias In-Situ during a metal halide pre-clean and associated interconnect structure

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.


A dynamic Casimir effect device for moving reflective surfaces rapidly comprising: an epitaxial stack of a plurality of closely spaced semiconductor lamina; each lamina having a band gap within a range of band gaps between a low band gap value a high band gap value; and a variable voltage source capable of producing a range of output voltages that is electrically connected to the plurality of lamina; wherein each said semiconductor lamina is connected to said voltage source such that said variable voltage source can apply a range of voltages to the plurality of semiconductor lamina and wherein each said semiconductor lamina becomes a reflecting conductor when said variable voltage source applies a specific semiconductor band gap dependent voltage within said range of output voltages to said semiconductor lamina.

The general background and math/physics description of the present invention is similar to the disclosure made in Hyland supplemented by the disclosure made in JBIS.
The dynamic Casimir effect is a possible mechanism for the transfer of momentum for propulsion. Previous investigations assumed mechanical motion of a mirror to generate thrust. Because of the finite strength of materials and the high frequencies necessary, the amplitudes of motion must be restricted to the nanometer range.
More than 60 years ago, H. B. G. Casimir and Casimir and D. Polder explained the retarded van der Waals force in terms of the zero-point energy of a quantized field. Both the static and dynamic Casimir effects are discussed in large reviews. The dynamic Casimir effect has involved the interaction between moving conductive surfaces functioning as mirrors and the ground state ("vacuum state") of the electromagnetic field.
When estimating the magnitude of the force that could be generated, Maclay and Forward assumed that the amplitude of high frequency motion of an actual mirror must be in the nanometer range due to the finite strength of materials. This restriction limits the possible propulsive force to very small values.
The well-known static Casimir effect between two conductive plates has been shown to produce a force equal to atmospheric pressure at sea level when the two conductive plates are 10 atomic diameters apart. This pressure is a force of over 100,000 pascals. The magnitude of this Casimir force decreases at the 4th power of the increased distance between the conductive plates.
In a thorough treatment of the pressure on moving mirrors due to the Casimir effect, Neto and his colleagues took a perturbative approach consistent with the assumption that the mirror motion be constrained to very small amplitudes. Wilson and Nature demonstrated the dynamical Casimir effect for the first time in 2011 by producing microwave photons by mechanical movement of a conductive surface about a nanometer at about 5% of the speed of light. The invention creates the effect of moving conductive surfaces that are larger at higher velocity and acceleration over a longer distance. Hyland and IBIS disclose and explain the physics of the momentum transfer.
Wilson confirms that the dynamic Casimir effect does exist because photons are produced from the EM ground state. However, the boundary conditions in Wilson confine the field so no net force is produced. The boundary conditions taught in Hyland do not confine the field thus Hyland can produce force

Propulsive devices that comprise selectively reflective epitaxial surfaces


Method and system for functionalizing a collection of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). A selected precursor gas (e.g., H2 or F2 or CnHm) is irradiated to provide a cold plasma of selected target particles, such as atomic H or F, in a first chamber. The target particles are directed toward an array of CNTs located in a second chamber while suppressing transport of ultraviolet radiation to the second chamber. A CNT array is functionalized with the target particles, at or below room temperature, to a point of saturation, in an exposure time interval no longer than about 30 sec.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have attracted much attention, due to their extraordinary mechanical properties and their unique electronic properties. A CNT is topologically equivalent to a two-dimensional graphite sheet rolled into a cylinder, with a cylinder diameter as small as 0.7 nanometers (nm) and with a cylinder length up to several microns (μm). A CNT can be single walled (SW) or multiple walled (MW) and can also be fabricated as a nanofiber or other CNT structure. A CNT can be characterized by its chiral vector components (n,m), which helps determine tube diameter, electronic properties and other properties. Depending upon the chirality (n-m divisible by 3 or otherwise), a CNT can be conducting (metal-like) or semi conducting.
CNTs are being studied for applications in high strength/low weight composites, membranes, mechanical filters, body armor, space suits, electronics, nano-electro-mechanical systems, heat exchange systems, radiators, chemical sensors, physical sensors, actuators, data storage, computers and other applications. In some of these applications, chemical functionalization (addition of one or more specified chemical groups to a basic structure) may be necessary to alter the CNT properties for particular applications. For example, functionalization of the CNT tip or the side walls with suitable probe molecules can provide chemical sensors that recognize certain target species and ignore all others. Development of functional composites may require functionalization of a collection of CNTs to allow the tubes to be dispersed more easily in a host matrix.
An ideal functionalization process should be clean, produce relatively little residue for disposal, should be efficient, selective, and reasonably fast, should be scalable to large scale production, should not require use of complex apparatus to produce the target species or attach the species to the CNTs, and should not require complex chemical processing.
The CNT functionalization processes reported in the literature use wet chemical procedures and work with liquids or vapors, to which the CNTs are exposed. An example is use of hot flowing fluorine to attach fluorine atoms to CNTs, as reported by E. T. Michelson et al in Chem, Phys. Lett. vol 296 (1998) 188. Large quantities of wet chemicals are often required, with most of the chemicals becoming residues that must be disposed of under hazardous substance guidelines. Recycling of the chemicals used is seldom an option.
What is needed is a CNT functionalization process that is "dry", produces relatively little residue for clean-up, is flexible enough to be used for large numbers of chemical functional groups, is reasonably selective, is scalable, and does not require use of complex apparatus or complex processing to achieve functionalization of a collection of CNTs.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)


A method as well as a device are provided for determining the residual travel duration of a submarine, with which firstly for at least one certain travel situation a reference journey is carried out with which the power consumption of the submarine is detected as stored as a dependent-dependent consumption profile. Later, for the same travel situation, the residual travel duration or a residual capacity of a battery given a predefined travel duration is determined on the basis of the stored consumption profile and the current battery data.

For conventional submarines, the battery in certain situations of application is the only source of energy. In order to be able to compute in advance the remaining travel duration which is possible, it is not sufficient to known the available energy quantity. On the contrary, the residual travel duration is rather dependent on several parameters. These are the battery operating parameters as well as the operating parameters of the remaining units of the submarine. The respective battery data are made available by a battery monitoring installation. For the remaining units of the submarine, calculated consumption values for common operating situations are specified by the shipyard, on the basis of which then with certain battery data the possible residual travel duration given a certain travel situation or the residual capacity of the battery remaining given a predefined travel duration may be determined by calculation.
The disadvantage with these known methods for determining the residual travel duration or remaining travel time of a submarine is the fact that the residual travel duration or the remaining residual capacity of a battery may only be determined relatively inaccurately.

Method and device for determining the residual travel duration of a submarine


A semiconductor device includes two leads spaced apart from each other on a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of first electrodes opposite the leads, a second electrode having a pad portion located between the two leads, and a linear portion between the first and second electrodes, connecting portions, each for connecting one of the first electrodes with one of the leads via an electrically insulating cross-opver, the connecting portions adjacent the pad portion being diagonal to the linear portion of the second electrode. Thus, the width of the first electrode opposite the pad portion is reduced without modifying the other pattern elements. As a result, integration density can be improved.

In a semiconductor device in which electrodes are interconnected by cross-overs or air bridges, the configuration of the electrode connecting region usually influences the chip (cell) size. FIG. 2 shows schematically the structure of a prior art GaAs MESFET.
In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 designates one of two depicted source electrode leads that are spaced apart from each other and disposed on the main surface of semiconductor substrate 6. A plurality of source electrodes 2 are disposed on substrate 6 spaced from each other by the channel regions of the MESFET. A gate electrode 7 having a pad portion 5 located between the source leads 1 and a linear portion 8 generally perpendicular to source electrodes 2 is disposed on the substrate 6. Reference numeral 4 designates a drain electrode having drain fingers 4a which are located generally parallel to the source electrodes 2 on the same surface of the substrate 6. One of the drain fingers 4a is arranged opposite the pad portion 5 of the gate electrode 7. A gate element portion 5a which is electrically connected with a linear portion of the gate electrode 7 is disposed on the channel between the source electrode 2 and the drain finger 4a.
Herein, each source electrode 2 is connected with a source lead electrode 1 by an electrically insulating cross-over such as air bridge. In this example a connection portion 3 between each of the source electrodes 2 and one of the source leads 1 is produced along the shortest straight line between them.
In the device of FIG. 2, the relationships between the widths, lengths and distances between the respective electrodes 2, 4, 4a, 5 and 5a are determined for efficiency and reliability. In the described structure, the width of the drain finger 4a confronting the electrode pad 5 of the gate electrode 7 is unavoidably wider than that of the other drain fingers 4a.
In the prior art electrode arrangement, the width of the drain finger 4a confronting the electrode pad 5 of the gate electrode 7 reduces the integration density where a plurality of cells, i.e., MESFETS, are included in a chip, such as in a high power output element, increasing. The increased chip size in turn results in a reduction in gain due to phase shifting of a high frequency signal.


The present invention has an object to provide a virtual reality video reproduction apparatus that can allow a viewer to experience an impairment due to a disease, such as diabetes, with a strong sense of immersion. The virtual reality video reproduction apparatus of the present invention applies a filter process of simulating a visual impairment caused by diabetes to a predetermined area of images included in a virtual reality video that represents virtual reality content, and causes an electronic display included in a virtual reality headset to display the video.

With widespread of the virtual reality (VR) technology, its application field has been increasing. Also in the medical field, the virtual reality technology has been increasingly used. For example, there is a system that simulates medical procedures in a virtual reality operating room for training a trainee, such as a doctor (Patent Literature 1). The system is for simulating medical procedures in a virtual reality operating room for training a trainee, and includes: a user input device; a medical tool; a medical procedure simulation system that receives input from the user input device and the medical tool to execute the simulation of the selected medical procedure; a virtual reality simulation system coupled to the medical procedure simulation system to render a virtual reality operating room scene that corresponds to the type of medical procedure to simulate, and the simulation of the selected medical procedure into a virtual reality scene; and a virtual reality headset coupled to the virtual reality simulation system for allowing the trainee to view the virtual reality scene. Accordingly, a medical simulator can provide a medical procedure simulation for the trainee in virtual reality. The technology provides a medical procedure simulation for a doctor trainee, and is recognized to have an advantageous effect of being capable of improving the medical skills of the trainee. It is understood that when a patient gets a medical care from the trained doctor, the patient can get a more appropriate medical care for treatment.

Virtual reality video reproduction apparatus, and method of using the same


It is an object of the present invention to search for image data with an intuitive operation to which active elements are added.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image display technique and particularly to an image display device, a method and a program that can display an image by searching with an intuitive operation to which active elements are added, for example.
2. Related Art
An image display device such as a personal computer, a digital photo frame and the like determines image data of an image to be displayed by searching an external memory card or built-in memory for the image data, or searching via a network such as wired or wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or the like for the image data. According to a conventional search method, when a viewer enters a keyword, the image display device searches for image data using the keyword and tag information written in meta data of the image data (see Japanese Patent Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-265780, for example).

Image display device, method, and program

Abstract: A digital photo frame 1 searches a non-volatile data base memory 15 or a network for image data based on parameters respectively related to a position and a direction in which the digital photo frame 1 is arranged, a distance or a depth from the digital photo frame 1, and time. The digital photo frame 1 displays an image expressed by the image data thus searched.


A process for producing higher molecular weight polyester includes heating a polyester to form a melt, and applying and maintaining a vacuum of between about 5 mm and about 85 mm of mercury to the melt while passing bubbles of gas through the melt until molecular weight has increased. The process may involve esterification of a diacid component and a diol component at elevated temperature. After the acid functional groups have essentially reacted, a vacuum of about 5 mm of mercury or less was applied and excess diol stripped off during transesterification, thereby increasing molecular weight.

This invention relates to a process for producing higher molecular weight polyesters.
High molecular weight, crystalline polyesters such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), PPT (polypropylene terephthalate) have found broad commercial utility including films, fibers, injection molded parts and many others. A wide range of technologies have been developed to achieve the high molecular weight needed for strength properties of these materials.
For Example, PET may be prepared by the direct esterification of terephthalic acid with ethylene glycol. Typically, an excess of ethylene glycol is utilized to react with all the terephthalic acid groups at high temperature. A high vacuum is subsequently applied and transesterification catalyzed for the removal of volatile ethylene glycol and the building of high molecular weight in the molten polymer.
Another method involves the use of dimethyl terephthalate (diester) which is transesterified by reaction with ethylene glycol at high temperature. Once the methanol has been removed, a high vacuum is applied and transesterification catalyzed for the removal of volatile ethylene glycol and the building of high molecular weight.
It is understood by those skilled in the art, that removal of the volatile diol component from the polymer melt during transesterification leads to high molecular weight. High molecular weight may be obtained faster if higher vacuum is utilized. Typically, a high vacuum of less than 5 mm mercury is utilized. Vacuums below 1 mm of mercury are preferred. It is also known that as the melt viscosity increases due to increased molecular weight, the removal of diol becomes more difficult. The increase in molecular weight can become diffusion dependent because of the high viscosity of the molten polyester. This means that the released volatile diol from the transesterification reaction reacts back into the polymer before it can diffuse out of the melt, and be removed. Renewing the surface of the melt can facilitate the loss of diol and increase molecular weight.
Because of the high melt temperature of PET and the above issues, fluidized bed technology for achieving high molecular weight has also been utilized. A PET polymer is prepared using the melt processes described above to produce mid to high molecular weight. The polymer is formed into particles and fluidized in a hot stream of inert gas. The hot gas stream helps remove volatile ethylene glycol and increase molecular weight.

Process for preparing high molecular weight polyesters


A cell phone with software to provide options to auto-respond to incoming text message or phone calls with a pre-stored text message or audio message. In some embodiments, the auto-response text message can be one selected by the user from among a plurality of pre-stored text messages. In other embodiments, the user can also choose an auto-response audio message to play to callers. In some embodiments, the cell system makes a determination of the speed at which cell phones in the system are moving for at least phones to which incoming text messages or phone calls are directed, and automatically determines whether or not to send an automated response message. In some embodiments, the cell phone makes a determination of its speed and asks the user if he or she wants to auto-respond to incoming texts or calls or both if moving at driving speed.

Recent studies have shown that driving while texting on a cell phone is more dangerous than driving while intoxicated. Older studies have linked higher traffic accident rates to talking on cell phones while driving.
However, some people use their cell phones for business and do not want clients or customers to wonder why they did not call back right away. Other people just want to be able to respond promptly in some fashion without endangering themselves or others so the person calling them or texting them knows what is going on or does not start to worry since the person normally responds right away to a text or phone call.
An article in a Nov. 22, 2009 Dallas newspaper described a subscription system called ZoomSafer™ that renders driving when a cell phone is present safer. The system uses the GPS on the phone to detect when the user is driving and then disables the cell phone until the driver stops the car. This system is believed to shut off the user's phone while the user is driving. The problem with such a system is that the user may wish to know who is calling or texting, and, if the call or text is important enough, pull over, stop the car and answer the text or call.
Other companies such as GM assume that drivers' judgment can be trusted and they have implemented handsfree Onstar™ systems to voice dial numbers that have been previously stored and given a nametag by pushing the Onstar phone button and asking the user to speak the nametag. The system then automatically dials the phone number stored in the car's computer using a cell phone built into the car and minutes purchased from Onstar. GM has also implemented Bluetooth™ systems to dial the phone owned by the user by coupling the user's cell phone to the car's audio system and allowing the user to dial a number from a keypad displayed on the navigation system display of the vehicle or from the cell phone or cell phone address book. The audio of the call is played through the car's audio system and a microphone in the car picks up the driver's voice and couples it to the cell phone for transmission using the Bluetooth system. Ford and Microsoft are selling systems that rely on voice commands to dial phones. The systems that disable the cell phone using the GPS have caught the attention of the insurance companies because studies show that driving while talking on a cell phone is dangerous even if the driver is using a headset and has both hands on the wheel. One insurance company has said it will offer discounts to customers who use a call-blocking service to disable their phones. Other companies such as Aegis Mobility and obdEdge employ systems that place restrictions on phones based upon the phone's GPS signal, data from the car itself or from nearby cell towers. Any incoming calls are routed to voice mail or a message explaining that the phone's user is driving. Exceptions can be made for certain numbers. The exceptions are the only control the user of the cell phone has in these systems to allow a call to come through. This puts too much restriction on the driver to anticipate who might be calling and gives the driver no option to see the caller IDs of all incoming calls and decide whether or not to pull over and take the call or just take the call while driving and take the risk.
Another prior art feature found in some phones is called "Quick Text" and it features a menu from which the user can choose "canned" (already typed and stored in the phone) responses to send in response to a text message received. In a "Quick Text" capable phone, all the steps to reply to a text message must be done as they are normally done, but with a few extra keystrokes, the user can choose a message that has already been typed instead of having to type a reply message. That is, the user receives a notification that a text (SMS) message has arrived, does a keystroke or two to select the text application program and select the text message to view, does a keystroke to put the phone into reply mode but then the user may do another keystroke to open a menu of canned messages to send as a reply. Typically, this is a keystroke to select an "Options" icon (give a command to open a menu which includes a command "Add Quick Text"). Then another keystroke is required to select the "Add Quick Text" command. This keystroke brings up a list of canned messages that can be selected and sent such as "thanks", "yes", "no", etc. One or more keystrokes or scrolling action or trackball action is then required to select the canned message to send and then another keystroke is required to put the canned message into the reply screen as the message to be sent. Then another keystroke is required to actually send the canned message just selected. That is quite a few keystrokes and requires too much attention to the phone, its display and its keypad. It would be too many keystrokes and diverted attention to do while driving and still drive safely.
A published Korean Patent Abstract of an unexamined Korean Patent application published under publication number 1020040082363 on Sep. 24, 2004 teaches a mobile phone for "automatically making a character response during a conference" so as to automatically inform a cellular caller about a situation where the callee [sic] cannot take the call. When a cellular call is received during a situation when the called party cannot take the call, the called party presses a special button or performs a special manipulation on a key of the mobile phone. A memory stops receiving the call immediately, and a predetermined suitable character string is read from the memory and then sent to a phone number of the caller who made the incoming cellular call.
Recently, a series of ads run by AT&T have raised public awareness of the dangers of texting while driving. Some cellular phone manufacturers are starting to respond. In the iOS6™ operating system which started shipping in iPhones™, iPads™ and iPod™ Touch™ devices in October 2012, there is a Reject a Call With a Text Message feature to reject an incoming cell call with a text message. When an incoming cell call arrives, the traditional Decline and Answer "buttons" (areas of the touchscreen labeled Decline and Answer, respectively) are displayed on the touchscreen of the display. To the right of those buttons, a small phone icon is displayed. Swiping that phone icon upward on the touchscreen causes two more areas or "buttons" to be displayed on the touchscreen, one labeled Reply with Message and the other labeled Remind Me Later. The Remind Me Later button does not send an automated text message reply. It just automatically schedules a reminder to call that person later. Touching the Reply with Message button brings up three canned (pre-typed or predetermined) text messages the user can select from to have the phone automatically send to the caller (the caller is automatically sent to voicemail when the Reply with Message button is touched). The three canned messages are "I'll call you later", "I'm on my way" and "What's up". A fourth button labelled Custom allows the user to compose a text on the fly. The canned messages can be changed by going to Settings/Phone/Reply with Message.
There has therefore arisen a need for a simple, fast, safe way for the user of a cell phone who is driving to know who is calling or texting, and, with a single push of a button, send a pre-typed message to a text sender or a pre-recorded voice message to a caller who is calling in while the owner of a cell phone is driving or otherwise engaged if the driver chooses not to take the call or reply to the text while driving and chooses not to pull over and take the call or reply to the text.

Automatic response option mobile system for responding to incoming texts or calls or both


A system and method of scheduling and servicing events in a communications network are described. To provide improved efficiency while maintaining fairness to all traffic a two slot dynamic length Weighted Fair Queuing (WFQ) calendar is implemented. The two slot calendar can be transformed to provide fine granularity utilizing a hierarchical WFQ scheme.

Information, including data information, is conveniently communicated over communication channels. These channels may include one or more paths between entities allowing communication of information through one or more types of communication media, for example: wire line, fibre optic cables and wireless connections. Typically, a communication channel has a finite bandwidth, i.e., only a finite amount of information may be communicated through the channel in a given amount of time. Information from several sources may be communicated over a common communication channel by sequencing the information over time.
Different types of information may be subject to different communication requirements. Examples of such requirements include a minimum amount of bandwidth, a maximum amount of permissible delay, and a maximum permissible portion of the information that is not successfully communicated. For example, a teleconferencing application may require communication of information at high bandwidth and with very little delay but may not be seriously degraded if a portion of the information is lost during transmission. Another application, for example an interactive web browsing application, may tolerate greater delay but with little or no tolerance for lost information. As another example, file transfer application may tolerate substantial delay but require complete reliability of the information communicated. Thus, it is desirable to provide communication in a manner that accommodates the various communication requirements of various types of information. It is also useful to be able to fairly allocate communication resources among types of information having similar communication requirements.
Attempts have been made to use calendar structures for the allocation of information to communication channels. However, such calendar structures have generally required storing and processing large amounts of overhead information to control the communication of information through a communication channel. Such requirements have placed limits on the operating speed of the system used to allocate information to the channel. Thus, scheduling and servicing techniques that avoid these disadvantages are desired.
A typical prior art scheduler architectures is a traditional n-slot weighted fair queuing (WFQ) calendar which may contain hundreds of calendar slots in order to meet the diversified bandwidth requirements and variable packet sizes. In view of this, a large amount of memory is required for implementation and this large memory requirement leads to latency issues.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/334,204 filed Dec. 30, 2002 to Olesinski et al., describes one prior art calendar structure. In the Ser. No. 10/334,204 application entitled "Methods and Apparatus for Scheduling and Servicing Events Using a Calendar Structure" a multi-tier structure is presented which means that it consumes less memory than a typical n-slot WFQ calendar. Although it does not require hundreds of calendar slots as in the n-slot WFQ calendar it still requires tens of calendar slots which as indicated previously raises latency issues. The contents of application Ser. No. 10/334,204 are incorporated herein by reference.
One additional problem that exists with both n-slot WFQ calendars and the architecture disclosed in the aforementioned application is that the number of calendar slots in a calendar is fixed. This means that even if some calendar slots are never used the memory used for implementing them is reserved.
In a typical WFQ calendar architecture each calendar slot has to store both head and tail pointers. The more slots required, the more memory is used to store these head and tail pointers. This is a particular issue because internal memory is often used in the implementation to minimize latency. This need to use internal memory is significant for WFQ schedulers that may be implemented in the datapath. For example, a traffic management chip designed in Alcatel supports 3.5 k WFQ calendars and consumes around 4 M bits internal memory. It was desired that further 2 k WFQ calendars be implemented on the chip but this is not feasible due to the large amount of internal memory consumption.
The present invention addresses the aforementioned problems by using resources in a very efficient way while maintaining good performance. Fairness of scheduling and service is provided by using a two-slot dynamic length WFQ calendar. The calendar can be configured to provide a fine granularity by using a hierarchical WFQ scheme.


An articular support for supporting bones connected to one another by joints, includes at least one support splint, which is structured in at least two segments. The support splint has at least one guide per segment to receive a reinforcing element for longitudinal coupling of the at least two segments and coupling means for transverse coupling of this support splint to at least one additional neighboring support splint.

Bones of the body that are connected in an articulated manner, for example, the fingers and thumbs of the hand as well as the toes but also portions of the spine, in particular the cervical spine and the lumbar spine, must be supported, i.e., supported in their mechanical function and mobility, or immobilized, i.e., secured, permanently or temporarily for medical reasons after a trauma or wear. Fixation of the articular connection is necessary in particular in the event of fractures, capsule tears or tendon injuries as well as in inflammatory processes and similar joint conditions. To do so, the natural mobility, in particular the joint mobility of the bones relative to one another, should be suppressed either temporarily or completely. Bandages or orthotic devices are medical aids, which are applied to the articulated bones, for example, the fingers especially in the form of support plates, support splints and/or pads. In a simple form, these are usually devices formed by cold formable, i.e., malleable, metal splints, which are held on the joint by means of bandages or flexible or elastic textile bodies. One disadvantage here is that a medically required stepwise reduction in mobility of a joint that is initially completely secured with these traditional support orthotic devices, for example, cannot be guaranteed because either a complete immobilization of the joint or mere mechanical support of mobility are available as alternatives. In particular, known orthotic devices of this generic type cannot be adapted sufficiently well to the respective individual degree of support or fixation of the joint that is required, in particular in support of body parts with multiple joints, such as fingers or the various components of the spine.
In addition, in particular in the area of hand orthotic devices, there is often a medical necessity to mechanically support or secure only individual finger joints of the hand or multiple finger joints, depending on the pathological condition. For example, it might be necessary to immobilize the base joint of a finger but to support the end joint of the finger only mechanically while it remains fundamentally mobile. Furthermore, it may be necessary for a single injured finger to be supported mechanically by means of the neighboring healthy fingers in a finger bandage, wherein the injured finger is completely immobilized in an acute stage of injury, but at a later point in time the injured finger joint is to be exercised to an increasing extent by means of the neighboring mobile healthy fingers.


An expandable cargo box assembly for mounting on a side wall section of a cargo bed of a pickup truck includes a base member for attaching the expandable cargo box assembly to the side wall section of the cargo bed, the base member having the form of an outer wall plate. Opposite the outer wall plate is an inner wall plate, the inner wall plate being displaceable from a first position to a second position, the first position defining a collapsed state, and the second position defining a deployed state. The outer and inner wall plates have operably associated therebetween a folding floor assembly, and the outer wall plate supports a forward folding wall and a rearward folding wall. Upon expanding the expandable cargo box assembly to a deployed state, the folding floor assembly and the forward and rearward folding walls are arranged to define an enclosure for receiving cargo.

Pickup trucks have functional attributes that permit them to be used for a range of applications. This is evident in the market, as pickup trucks are immensely popular for both recreational and work-related transport. Pickup trucks are now available in a range of configurations, but are generally regarded as providing an enclosed cab, for the driver and passengers, and an open rear cargo bed. Although the cargo bed is bordered by two sidewall sections, and a rear tailgate, the top side of the cargo bed is open, therein resulting in certain issues relating to security, privacy and general securement of items contained therein.
To ensure items placed within the cargo area are protected from being stolen and/or vandalized, and to prevent inadvertent loss due to items falling out of the cargo bed during transport, a variety of cargo bed storage systems have been proposed. While traditional cargo bed storage systems have found great utility in transporting a range of items, they can be cumbersome and take up valuable cargo space in the cargo bed, which is a disadvantage when the full cargo bed is needed to be used. It is therefore desirable to provide a storage system that is functional yet can be stowed away to avoid taking up space in the cargo bed when not in use.

Expandable cargo box assembly for a pickup truck


A pixel is formed by sealing an insulating liquid and floating particles in an area defined by a first substrate, a second substrate and partitions. The width of the partition has to be reduced in order to improve the pixel brightness by enlarging a flat electrode. In this case, the height of the partition has to be reduced for retaining the mechanical strength. If the height of the partition is reduced, an area of the partition electrode becomes small, thus failing to retain the memory effect. The planar surface of the partition is then formed into a zigzag shape so as to increase the area of the partition electrode.

The electrophoretic display device is configured to generate an image by moving a charged particle (floating particle) for each pixel. The electrophoretic display device may be formed into a thin and light-weight structure with less power consumption. Unlike the liquid crystal display device, the electrophoretic display device employs no polarization plate, which is advantageous in view of brightness. The device further ensures to keep high contrast when it is used outdoors.
Various types of electrophoretic display device have been developed. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-47208 discloses an electrophoretic display device which generates an image by moving floating particles between a flat electrode and a partition electrode for each pixel. According to the document, the resistance film with a sheet resistance ranging from 102Ω to 1015Ω is used as the electrode which attracts the floating particles so as to accelerate movement thereof and increase the response speed.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-83450 discloses an electrophoretic display device configured to control brightness of each pixel by attracting negatively charged white floating particles or positively charged black floating particles to the electrode of the upper substrate under control of the voltage applied thereto so as to generate images.
The electrophoretic display device according to the present invention is configured to have a flat electrode to which the black floating particle is adhered for black display and a partition electrode to which the black floating particle is adhered for white display for each pixel so as to generate the images.
For the display which includes the flat electrode to which the black floating particle is adhered for black display, and the partition electrode to which the black floating particle is adhered for the white display for each pixel so as to generate the image, it is necessary to make the partition electrode area the same as the flat electrode area in order to give sufficient memory property to the image.
Once the floating particle adheres to the flat electrode or the partition electrode, the electrophoretic display device exhibits the memory effect so that its state is retained even if application of the voltage to the respective electrodes is interrupted. Unlike the liquid crystal display device, the electrophoretic display device is not required to keep the pixel electrode at the predetermined voltage for retaining the predetermined state, thus being advantageous in view of power consumption.
For giving the device sufficient memory property, the partition electrode area has to be the same as the flat electrode area. For this, height of the partition has to be increased. If the partition height is increased, its strength may be insufficient, thus requiring increase in the partition width. That is, the partition configured to define the distance between the TFT substrate and the sealing substrate is required to exhibit predetermined strength. If the partition width is increased, the occupancy of the flat electrode for generating the image in each pixel is reduced, resulting in deteriorated screen brightness. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-47208 does not disclose the problem relevant to the flat electrode area and the partition electrode area.

Panasonic Liquid Crystal Display Co., Ltd.


A liquid coffee whitener is disclosed which consists essentially of skim milk having approximately 8.5% milk solids by weight and 1-2% butterfat by weight. Additional milk solids are added to the skim milk within a range of 2-12% by weight, and an all natural fat substitute 0.3-5% by weight is added. The coffee whitener has total solids content within the range of 11-28% by weight and total fat and fat mimetic content to exhibit the organoleptic properties of half and half while being substantially lower in total fat, saturated fat, and calorie content of and not exceeding the cholesterol content of conventional creamers. The formulation includes a fat substitute made preferably from whey protein 2% by weight. The whitener, which can be packaged conventionally or aseptically, may further contain stabilizers and/or emulsifiers, such as K carrageenan polysaccharides 0.025-0.060% by weight. Optionally, flavorings may be added to the whitener which can produce instant flavored beverages by simple addition of the product to those conventionally brewed.

This invention generally relates to dairy creamers or coffee whiteners, and more particularly to a coffee creamer or whitener which has improved nutritional value and enhanced sensory appeal.
More coffee is purchased and consumed in the United States than in any other country of the world. However, coffee is consumed heavily in many other countries, making coffee one of the most popular beverages and second only to oil as a global commodity. Traditionally, coffee has been used with coffee creamers or lighteners to lighten the coffee and to neutralize acids in the coffee, thereby producing a smoother, milder drink; and as of 1991, 54% of those Americans who drink coffee drink it lightened. Most frequently, the public has used fluid, dairy-based coffee creamers or whiteners, such as milk in the home and "Half & Half" in portion control servings outside of the home. While "Half & Half" has been a popular creamer, it is a fluid milk product which has a butterfat content of not less than 10.5% by weight, to provide a creamer containing approximately 19% solids by weight. Although "Half & Half" provides the desired lightening or whitening of the coffee, the product has nutritional shortcomings, being high in cholesterol and saturated fats and typically containing approximately 22 calories per serving. A wide range of whiteners have been developed to compete with milk and "Half & Half," generally falling into three product categories. At the low end, there are powdered non-dairy creamers. The "Half & Half" products together with liquid, refrigerated, dairy creamers fill the high end, while liquid non-dairy creamers fill the middle category.
Powdered non-dairy creamers have the advantage that they are low in price per serving and are typically one-year shelf stable, so that they can be used anywhere, in offices, outdoor activities and anywhere else when there is no refrigeration. The visual appeal of non-dairy powders and the coffee when the powder is mixed into it are generally acceptable, although the taste and the mouthfeel of the product is typically well below average. Nutritionally, powdered non-dairy creamers have little or no cholesterol, although they contain fats (some with a fat content per serving in excess of "Half & Half") and varying caloric values, chemical additives and derived constituents. Too, by large these non-dairy powders contain sodium caseinate, a milk derivative.
Liquid non-dairy creamers are somewhat more costly per serving than the powdered creamers and typically have a 45-90 day refrigerated or frozen shelf life. The liquid non-dairy creamers are typically more appealing in terms of taste and mouthfeel than the powder counterparts, although they still fall far short of the dairy creamers, and tend to have a higher fat content. Both the powder and the liquid non-dairy creamers contain non-natural additives. While liquid non-dairy creamers usually contain no cholesterol, they may contain at least the fat of "Half & Half" and up to 45 calories per serving. The liquid non-dairy creamer product, therefore, appeals narrowly to people who are allergic to dairy products but prefer a creamier taste to the powders. While "Half & Half" is generally more expensive than the non-dairy creamers, it is an "all natural dairy product" which, in and of itself, has appeal to a large segment of the consumer market.
In order to retain the sensory appeal of "Half & Half" and try to enhance its nutritional and health values, numerous creamers have been introduced into the marketplace, many of which are of interest because they enhance one or more of the properties of the creamers, such as ease of handling and (unrefrigerated) shelf stability. One important driving force behind the development of many of these creamers has been to simulate a low cost fluid dairy creamer which has little or no butterfat and is low in cholesterol. However, as suggested, regardless of their physical form, non-dairy coffee whiteners typically contain at least as much fat as "Half & Half," this fat being introduced through the same essential ingredient, namely hydrogenated vegetable fat or oils thereof. Therefore, notwithstanding that non-dairy coffee whiteners contain no cholesterol, their content of highly saturated fats presents the same sort of dietary dilemma as the high cholesterol levels of high butterfat creamers, such as "Half & Half."
By way of a few specific examples, a low-fat dairy coffee whitener is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,689,245 which is made from decreamed milk ultrafiltration retentate. A whitening enhancement is provided in the form of riboflavin and beta carotene. The composition is described as usually being in powdered form, high in protein, low in fat. The aforementioned patent has as its primary objective to provide a low-fat dairy coffee whitener with qualities substantially equal to a non-dairy coffee creamer. The disclosed whitener is also intended to provide substantially the same coloring in coffee as the non-dairy creamers. While the product is low in fat, with 0.5% or less of fat in the dairy coffee whitener by weight, the very low fat levels would appear to decrease the mouthfeel of the popular dairy creamers, such as "Half & Half." None of the ingredients mentioned in the patent would appear to provide an adequate substitute for the levels in fat required to provide the desired mouth feel of the more popular creamers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,784,865 is for a low-fat coffee whitener. The patent discloses a substantially fat and cholesterol free, low calorie, fluid dairy coffee whitener which includes, as its major ingredient, low-fat milk having a butterfat content not exceeding 1.0% by weight and preferably less than about 0.4% by weight and non-fat dry milk solids. The product also includes an emulsifier. The objective of the product is to produce a coffee whitener that has the appearance, taste and mouth feel of conventional high butterfat containing dairy creamers. The creamer has total solid contents of 18-25% by weight and a calorie content of less than 10 calories per serving. With a total solid content of 18-25% by weight, the product contains the approximately 19% by weight of solids contained in "Half & Half." However, while the total solids content of 18-25% by weight overlaps the levels in "Half & Half," the total butterfat is less than 1% by weight and, therefore, it does not appear that the patented product contains sufficient fat levels to provide the desired mouth feel or creaminess of the product.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,849 for a liquid coffee whitener, an aqueous emulsion system is disclosed which contains the essential ingredients fat or oil, water, carbohydrates, as the primary ingredients, and a protein hydrolysate to provide a stable emulsion. The hydrolysate provides an effective alternative, both functionally and organoleptically, for the use of sodium caseinate and buffering salts used in conventional liquid coffee whiteners. The liquid coffee whitener disclosed in this patent contains 3-18% vegetable fat by weight, with a preferred level being at 6.8% by weight. The creamer or whitener disclosed is not an all dairy creamer and contains higher levels of fat than is required to provide the desired mouth feel and other organoleptic properties of "Half & Half" as well as other high end all natural dairy creamers or whiteners.

Low fat, low cholesterol, and low calorie dairy creamer


A machine for the integral processing of hard or soft shelled nuts herein proposed comprises a feeding hopper and at least one receptacle having a first end for connection to said hopper and a second opposite end, where said receptacle is located in a horizontal position according to the longitudinal direction of the machine and comprises therein a central shaft located according to the longitudinal direction thereof and connected at one end to a rotating element, where said central shaft has finger-like elements projecting radially outwards from various longitudinal positions thereof.

A wide variety of machines for processing hard- or soft-shelled nuts performing the functions of cracking and/or shelling these nuts is available today.
Due to the nature of the raw material with which they work, these machines, when carrying out cracking and/or shelling tasks, must, on one hand, allow the exit of the resulting cracked or shelled nut, and on the other hand, take into consideration the discharge of skins and shells resulting from the process.
This discharge of skins, shells, as well as of any other impurity or foreign matter is necessary because, otherwise, the nut outlet areas would collapse due to the accumulation of these residues, reducing machine efficiency and yield.
The function of discharging shells and foreign matters is associated with certain problems due to blockage which may occur in the outlet area for nuts processed by means of the machine.
In the state of the art, machines which successfully process hard- or soft-shelled nuts by simultaneously separating the nuts from shells and impurities are available in the sector.
Reference documents ES1062979, ES1068167, and ES1077665, belonging to the applicant itself, can be mentioned as an example of the state of the art.
Reference document ES1062979 defines a shelling-separating machine, particularly designed for application thereof with products such as almonds, hazelnuts, or others of similar nature, whereby the operation of shelling and separating the nut and residues for utilizing the former and eliminating the latter is performed.
It is structured around a frame in which a receptacle is supported to receive and treat the product, said receptacle being fixed in the frame according to the longitudinal direction thereof. The receptacle has an opening for introducing the product and an outlet located at the end of the receptacle opposite the mentioned opening for extracting and collecting residues resulting from the operation of shelling and separating the nut, with a shaft extending through the inside of the mentioned receptacle, supported on end bearings secured to the frame, and provided at one of its ends with a pulley through which a rotational movement is communicated to said shaft by means of a motor-operated transmission belt.
The receptacle is made up of a series of rods arranged by way of a coil forming a separation between the threads such that it allows the shelled nut to exit towards a collecting hopper or container located below the machine. In turn, the shells, together with the impurities and hard-shelled almonds which usually come with soft-shelled almonds, are directed towards the outlet opening.
Given that in practice, the soft-shelled almond is usually mixed with a certain percentage of the hard-shelled almond which requires a different treatment; this machine presented problems because it was not capable of properly handling the separation of the amount of hard-shelled almonds that come with soft-shelled almonds.
For solving same, the applicant developed a shelling-separating machine, particularly for almonds and other soft-shelled nuts, presented in reference document ES1068167. With this machine, kernel extraction is carried out in good quality conditions with the separation and controlled ejection of the percentage of hard-shelled almonds which are usually mixed with the soft-shelled almonds.
Said machine comprises a receptacle supported by a frame intended for receiving the almonds to be treated, having an access opening at a first end, an outlet opening at the opposite end, and a lower collecting hopper for collecting the kernel already separated from the shell. It furthermore has a rotary shaft extending longitudinally inside the receptacle and provided with a plurality of finger-like filiform elements distributed along its length and in charge of interacting by friction with the almonds for breaking the shell and extracting the kernel, said shaft being supported by bearings associated with each of the respective ends, and being operated in a rotational manner by means of a pulley and a belt driven from a motor.
This machine presents a substantial improvement with respect to the preceding one because the receptacle for cracking the shell of the almonds to extract the kernel, in addition to incorporating a feeding hopper for feeding the product through one of its ends, includes an outlet at the opposite end closed by means of a gate the opening of which is controlled by means of one or more functional parameters of the machine, thereby maintaining a suitable product level inside the receptacle and achieving greater machine operating efficiency.
This machine entails a substantial improvement with respect to the operability and functionality of the existing machines. Nevertheless, both the first proposed machine and this second machine which entails an improvement over the first machine; still present problems in practice due to frequent blockages that occur when some shell parts or other foreign matters are stuck between two consecutive threads of the coil configuration of the receptacle where the cracking operation is carried out.
In this manner, when blockage occurs between the threads of the coil formed by the rods, the machine must be stopped and partially disassembled to enable accessing the inside thereof and performing manual cleaning tasks, removing those foreign matters or the shells themselves that have gotten stuck. This generates significant time losses, with the subsequent increase in production costs that it entails.
Furthermore, both machines have a space for the passage of the nut which does not allow the variation thereof depending on the type and size of the nut being processed, so each machine is intended for a specific type of nut with which it obtains maximum efficiency and it does not present the option of varying some of its characteristics to enable processing different types of nut for which it is not as effective.
To solve this problem, the applicant itself produced a machine with substantial improvements. Reference document ES1077665 describes this machine which is based fundamentally on the two preceding machines, but unlike them, the receptacle is made up of multiple concentric rings aligned according to the longitudinal direction of the machine. These rings are divided into two groups or halves, of which a first group of rings are fixed in the positioning thereof, and a second group of rings are movable according to an upward/downward movement with respect to the fixed rings.
In this manner, when a stuck of foreign element is present, it is possible to actuate the upward or downward movement of the group of movable rings and thereby help to clear the foreign matter.
Furthermore, the movement of a group of rings with respect to the other one provides the additional advantage of being able to regulate the space of passage existing between the rings, according to specific needs depending on the different sizes of the nut.
Nevertheless, it is observed in practice that this machine still presents blockage problems due to shells or foreign matters that cannot be readily removed with the upward-downward movement of the group of movable rings. Therefore, when a branch gets stuck between the rings, for example, the short length of movement of the rings is not enough to clear same, and the machine must again be stopped and disassembled to enable performing cleaning tasks.
This reduces machine yield and operability and increases costs. Furthermore, the ring shape of the receptacle presents constructive difficulties as the welds are more complicated. All this affects the price of these machines. Furthermore, the ring shape of the rods generates greater difficulty in achieving a specific separating space between the rods.
A machine for processing nuts that can handle foreign matters and shells and that, in the event of blockage by the foreign matters and shells, allows a quick and simple cleaning, has not be been found in the state of the art.

Machine for the integral processing of hard-or-soft-shelled nuts


A camera is provided with a focal length variable photo-taking optical system in which a focal length varying cam groove for varying the focal length of the phototaking optical system and a barrel sinking cam groove for stowing the optical system inside a camera body are continuously arranged. In photographing, a focal length varying action can be accomplished continuously from moving the photo-taking optical system out of the camera body. In addition to that, a lens protecting cover is arranged to be automatically openable in association with the action for moving the photo-taking optical system out of the camera body.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improvement on a camera of the kind having a focal length variable photo-taking optical system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, in a focal length variable optical system such as a zoom lens mounted on a camera, in general, a variator 1 and compensator 2 are arranged to be shiftable in the direction of an optical axis with rollers 1a and 2a, which are provided on the variator 1 and the compensator 2, guided by a straight moving slot 3a provided in a straight moving barrel. The rollers 1a and 2a are fitted in zooming cam grooves 4a and 4b of a cam ring 4 which is arranged to rotate on the optical axis. A zooming operation is thus arranged to be performed with the variator 1 and the compensator 2 shifted to predetermined positions according as the cam ring 4 rotates. The illustration includes a focusing lens 5.
The zoom lens of this kind is arranged to have a plurality of lenses movable relative to each other. Therefore, the zoom lens is generally larger than an ordinary photo-taking lens. With such a zoom lens incorporated in a camera, the thickness of the camera increases in the direction of the optical axis of the lens. This greatly impairs the portability of the camera.

Camera with variable focal length optical system


A method of analyzing a well sample for a well treatment additive includes contacting the sample with functionalized metallic nanoparticles that contain metallic nanoparticles functionalized with a functional group including a cyano group, a thiol group, a carboxyl group, an amino group, a boronic acid group, an aza group, an ether group, a hydroxyl group, or a combination including at least one of the foregoing; irradiating the sample contacted with the functionalized metallic nanoparticles with electromagnetic radiation at a selected energy level; measuring a Raman spectrum emitted from the sample; and determining presence, type or concentration of the well treatment additive in the sample from the Raman spectrum.

The present disclosure is directed to a method for detecting chemicals, and, in particular, to a method of using Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) to detect, identify and/or determine concentrations of trace chemicals in oil and gas applications.
Petroleum is recovered from subterranean reservoirs through the use of drilled wells and production equipment. Oil and natural gas are found in, and produced from, porous and permeable subterranean formations, or reservoirs. Generally, the life cycle of an oil and/or gas well includes drilling to form a wellbore, casing, cementing, stimulation, and enhanced or improved oil recovery.
Many fluids are employed during the life cycle of an oil and/or gas well. For example, in order to improve extraction of oil and/or gas, well treatment additives are incorporated into various fluids utilized during the life cycle of an oil and/or gas well. The concentration of well treatment additives such as phosphonate scale inhibitors is currently measured by phosphorous content via Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) which measures the intensities of element-specific atomic emissions produced when the solution components enter the high-temperature plasma. Additional methods for detection of typical additives like scale and corrosion inhibitors include colorometric UV/visible spectroscopy, the hyamine turbidity chemical method, fluorescence, HPLC, HPLC/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS), GC/MS (mainly corrosion inhibitors) and Time-Resolved Fluorescence (TRF). However, each of these methods has limitations in terms of the detection limit and specific analytes to be detected, and generally involve tedious data analysis, particularly HPLC/MS and GC/MS. What is needed are new methods which allow the determination of well treatment additives, particularly at low concentrations, which are applicable to a wide range of well additives, are not complex in terms of the method and data interpretation and can also be used on site for "near" on line measurements.

Detection of trace chemicals in oil and gas applications


A module for processing a biological sample for an analysis test is disclosed. The processing module includes, in at least one embodiment, an interface at which the processing module can be connected to a cartridge with a lab-on-a-chip, in which cartridge the analysis steps are carried out. A biochip kit is also disclosed. In at least one embodiment, the biochip kit includes one or more processing modules which are intended for different sample materials and which can be connected to the same cartridge type.

In numerous tests, particularly in diagnostic tests, certain target substances in a biological sample, in particular in a tissue sample or a body fluid, are to be detected. The target substances are, for example, certain cells such as viral or bacterial pathogens, or specific proteins or nucleic acids of a cell type, tissue type or organism.
For routine clinical practice, systems are desirable in which all the processing and analysis steps are integrated on what is called a cartridge. The word cartridge designates new kinds of biochips with which microbiological tests in particular can be carried out.
Cartridges generally include a microfluidic system of cavities and channels which are necessary, for example, for breakdown of the sample, for cleaning the target molecules, and possibly for amplification and detection (on a microarray). Biochips of this kind can be miniaturized to a check card format and are also referred to by the expression "lab-on-a-chip". In the text below, the terms "biochip" and "cartridge" are used alongside one another and each designate a "lab-on-a-chip" of this kind.
It would be desirable to be able to use such a cartridge for different sample materials. However, this is not yet possible at present, since different procedures for sample breakdown are needed for different sample materials (for example blood, sputum, biopsies, etc., in the case of samples from humans). Depending on the aim of the test, different sample-processing steps are also needed:
To be able to detect certain intracellular or membrane-bound proteins or nucleic acids in blood or plasma, cell breakup (lysis) is required in the first instance, in order to free the desired target molecules and bring them into solution. For this purpose, only small amounts of blood are generally needed, for example if the aim is to detect human genes or ubiquitous proteins. By contrast, a more complicated type of sample-processing is necessary if the sample material is more compact, e.g. in the case of tissue samples from biopsies, if the cells are robust to chemical agents (e.g. Mycobacterium tuberculosis) of if they are present only in low concentration in the sample (e.g. HIV viruses or Staphylococcus aureus pathogens in urine). In samples of this kind, it is necessary to employ more aggressive chemical lysis reagents, higher temperatures, freeze/thaw cycles and, in some cases, mechanical methods in order to efficiently break up the cells and bring the target molecules into solution. For detection of low concentrations of viral and bacterial pathogens, large quantities of body fluid (>1 ml) have to be processed in order to obtain sufficient material for the subsequent analysis steps. In some cases, the concentration of the pathogens in the tissue sample would have to be increased. For this purpose, ultracentrifugation is used for example, or binding to matrices or resins (chromatographic methods).
Complicated sample-processing steps of this kind can presently only be carried out manually or semi-manually, although this is undesirable in routine clinical practice, on grounds of cost, and for reasons of reproducibility and risk of infection. Alternatively, different cartridges would have to be developed for different sample materials, or an extremely complex and large "universal cartridge" integrating all possible methods would have to be made available.
To avoid the problem of increasing the concentration of viral and bacterial pathogens, it would also be possible to process larger quantities of sample material, but this would again have the consequence of the size of the cartridge increasing and of the assay no longer being able to be carried out at check card size (for example, as in the EDD system from directif).
A particular problem arises when the same test has to be applied as standard to different sample materials. For example, a human genetic test can be carried out both with blood samples and with smear material. However, this requires a different input of the sample and a different processing of the sample. In the fully integrated systems known today, different cartridges would have to be produced for the same test. This would mean disadvantages in terms of production costs and of the work involved in the corresponding approval procedures.

Module for processing a biological sample, biochip kit, and use of the module