An assembly (10) for a stringed musical instrument, the assembly (10) including an elongate neck (11) to which one end of a string arrangement (41) of the instrument can be anchored and a structural member (17) depending from the neck (11). The structural member (17) being substantially aligned with the lengthwise extent of the neck (11) and extending in the opposite direction thereto so as to overlie a sound box to which in use, the assembly (10) is connected. The structural member (17) is arranged to cooperate with and to bear string tension load of the string arrangement (14) applied to the assembly (10). A bridge (30) for a stringed musical instrument, which bridge (30) includes first and second parts (31, 32) which are pivotable relative to one another.

This invention relates to musical instruments of the stringed kind. By way of example, the invention is applicable to musical instruments such as the violin, viola, cello, bass, guitar and mandolin. It will be convenient, however, to hereinafter describe the invention with particular reference to violins.
Violin manufacture is a highly specialised art requiring the use of special timbers and the application of special skills which require many years to achieve. As a consequence, the violins of only a few manufacturers are recognised as satisfactory for use by concert musicians, and those violins are extremely expensive. Even violins of lesser quality, however, are expensive because of the care and time involved in their manufacture.
The quality of sound derived from a particular violin is largely dependent on the skill with which certain components have been manufactured and installed, as well as the materials chosen for their manufacture. A violin, as well as the majority of other instruments to which the invention relates, includes a sound box, which, amongst other components, includes top and bottom plates. Due to the construction of the traditional violin, the sound box is subjected to tensile and compressive load, and bending loads, and the top and bottom plates are forced to move in a very complex manner when activated by the strings of the instrument and all of this movement contributes to the sound quality of the instrument. For this reason, correct selection of the timber used in the manufacture of those plates is very critical. The standard manufacturing dimensions of violins have been perfected over a period of 400 years and those dimensions apply to produce satisfactory results only if a timber of a very specific kind is used. The type of timber has always been in limited supply, but it is now becoming increasingly difficult to secure and that which is available is often of poor quality or inadequately seasoned. It is also very expensive.
Stringed musical instruments of the kind to which the invention relates also include a bridge support for the strings, that supports the strings above the sound box. Traditionally, a bridge is formed from timber and includes decorative carvings and/or cutouts. Traditional bridges further include a pair of feet which are fashioned to sit flush against the top surface of the top plate and are held in position against that surface by the string tension, which imposes a downward force on the bridge towards the top plate. Vibration from the strings is transmitted through the feet of the bridge to the top plate which moves in response to the vibrations and it is normal for one of the feet of the bridge to be positioned over a sound post, which is located inside the sound box extending between the top and bottom plates thereof, so that vibration is also transmitted to the bottom plate.
In a typical construction of a bridge, the feet have a relatively broad engagement area with the top plate, and that broad engagement area, along with the string tension force pressing the feet into engagement with the top plate, tends to prevent relative movement between the feet and the top plate. The bridge however, can undergo movement under the influence of loads experienced for example, when the tension of one or more of the strings is altered for tuning purposes, or as a result of downward pressure exerted by a bow on one or more strings, and that movement is generally a bending movement. The bending movement can affect the transmission of string vibration through the bridge, and in extreme cases, the bridge can fail. Accordingly, most bridges are constructed to have a gradually diminishing thickness from adjacent the feet to the top, string supporting edge and in this manner, bending movement of the bridge can be minimised, because a substantial portion of the bridge can be of a thickness suitable to resist the forces that promote such bending, while still retaining acceptable sound quality because the critical portions of the bridge, ie. adjacent the string supporting edge, are maintained at a thickness that vibrate sufficiently under string activation. Bridges of this kind however, are not generally good transmitters of high frequency vibrations, which are desirable for high quality sound, and are still subject to some bending, albeit reduced.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a stringed musical instrument that produces reasonable to higher quality sound, which may be manufactured at a significantly reduced costs compared to instruments manufactured by traditional methods and which enables the use of materials of a less expensive nature than those traditionally used. A further object of the invention is to provide an assembly for a stringed musical instrument that facilitates releasable attachment of a sound box thereto, so that sound boxes of different quality can be attached to the assembly. A still further object of the invention is to provide a bridge which can be manufactured to produce reasonable to high quality sound at reduced cost compared to traditional bridges.
According to the present invention there is provided an assembly for a stringed musical instrument, said assembly including an elongate neck to which one of a string of the instrument can be anchored and a structural member depending from said neck, said structural member being substantially aligned with the lengthwise extent of said neck and extending in the opposite direction thereto so as to overlie a sound box to which in use, the assembly is connected, and being arranged to cooperate with and to bear string tension load of a string arrangement applied to said assembly.
The load bearing capacity of the structural member is preferably such as to eliminate or substantially reduce the load on the sound box due to string tension. In such an arrangement, the material from which the sound box is constructed can be chosen with greater emphasis on the musical characteristics required from the instrument and not the mechanical characteristics required to bear the tension load. Thus, a less complex shape can be adopted and less expensive materials can be used in the construction of the sound box while still maintaining a sound quality of acceptable standard.
An instrument according to the invention will typically have a neck which extends from adjacent the sound box to a position at which the strings are anchored. In such an instrument, the structural member preferably extends from the neck to the opposite end of the sound box and is preferably in the form of an elongate member, which extends across the sound box, preferably in a plane substantially parallel to the top plate. The member can be a rod which is solid or tubular and made of any suitable material. It can alternatively take other forms, such as a plurality of rods or struts. Preferably, the member is highly rigid and lightweight, such as a tubular aluminium or plastic construction.
The member can be fixed to the neck in any suitable manner and in one preferred arrangement, an opening is provided to receive a locating portion of the member. That opening may be formed in any suitable manner and conveniently, in an instrument in which a finger board extends along the neck, such as a violin, the opening may be formed between the finger board and the neck. This is particularly convenient in an instrument in which the finger board is formed separately from the neck.
In the above arrangement, the neck is typically set at an angle to the plane of the top plate of the sound box and in that arrangement, the member may also include a locating portion which extends at that angle, relative to the remaining or major portion of the member.
The strings, or a string arrangement, engages the member at a position remote from the neck connection, so as to cause the rod to bear the string tension. A string arrangement may for example, take the form of that typically provided in a violin, in which the ends of the strings remote from the neck are connected, sometimes adjustably, to a tail piece, which is normally made of wood, and which itself is anchored (in a traditional violin) to the sound box by suitable fastening means. In the assembly of the invention, the strings or the string assembly may be directly fastened to the member, or may be fastened to a different part of the assembly or instrument when fully assembled (such as the sound box), but still be in engagement with the member to transfer tension load thereto. Preferably the engagement position is at the distal end of the rod and that end may be suitably configured, or be provided with suitable engagement means for that purpose.
The invention advantageously facilitates an arrangement in which different sound boxes can be releasably attached to the assembly so that assemblies need not be manufactured for a specific sound box. This reduces the overall cost of an instrument. Also, it reduces the cost of maintenance and repair and facilitates adoption of non-traditional materials.
An assembly according to the invention includes a neck and a structural member extending from the neck and defines a position for attachment of a sound box to the assembly. The sound box can be releasably attached to the assembly in any suitable manner and in a preferred arrangement attachment of the sound box to the assembly is facilitated at two positions, the first being adjacent the neck and the second being at a position opposite the neck. The attachment means may take any suitable for, such as threaded fasteners, pins, clips etc.
The assembly may include a bridge for supporting the strings above the sound box and that bridge may be of a traditional kind or of a kind according to the invention. Preferably, the bridge may be partly supported by the structural member, with the arrangement being such as to facilitate transmission of string vibration to the top plate of the sound box. In one form, the assembly is arranged so that the structural member overlies the sound box top plate when the sound box is fitted to the assembly and the bridge is supported on the structural member, with a pair of feet extending from the bridge into contact with the top plate. One of the feet is preferably located over the sound post of the sound box.
In one form, the structural member is an elongate rod and the bridge includes a first component which is fixed to the rod in the longitudinal direction thereof, and a second component which is fixed to the first component in a direction substantially perpendicular thereto. The second component may engage the top plate of the sound box, such as by way of feet extending into that engagement, and may include means to facilitate pivoting movement of a third component which is upstanding from the second component and which includes a string supporting surface. That pivoting movement may be provided by a bridge support according to the invention as hereinafter described.
The present invention further provides a bridge for a stringed musical instrument, said bridge including first and second parts which are pivotable relative to one another.
A bridge of the above kind has several advantages over known bridges. In particular, such a bridge is less prone to bending, because of the available pivotal movement between the two parts. That is, instead of a distortion of the bridge occurring by bending, the two parts can pivot relative to one another while substantially remaining free from bending distortion, so that the bridge is less prone to breakage and vibration transmission through the bridge is relatively undisturbed.
The two parts of the bridge may be integrally formed and may pivot about a pivot region therebetween, such as a region of reduced thickness, but preferably, the parts are separately formed to be assembled together in a manner which facilitates the pivoting movement. In one preferred arrangement, the first of the two parts includes an edge surface for supporting engagement of the instrument strings and, according to conventional construction, that edge surface may include notches or grooves for locating the strings against that surface and may be arcuately formed laterally, relative to the longitudinal direction of the strings. The second of the two parts is arranged to be fixed to the top plate of the second box of the instrument in a permanently or releasably fixed manner and may include feet that engage the top plate in a spaced-apart manner, one of which can be positioned in use, over the sound post which may be located internally of the sound box.
In the above arrangement, the second part can include means to locate the first part pivotably thereto. That locating means can take any suitable form, and in one preferred form, the locating means includes a laterally extending groove for receiving a lower edge of the first part. While additional locating means may also be employed, in this arrangement, the string pressure imposed on the string engaging surface may be sufficient to maintain the lower edge within the groove, so as to maintain the two parts in engagement.
The first part can be formed in any suitable manner, but advantageously, given the reduced need to resist bending by its pivotal engagement with the second part, it can be formed of a substantially constant thickness although it can equally be formed to have varying thickness, if that results in a more desirable sound. As described earlier, the string engaging surface is preferably arcuate, laterally of the longitudinal direction of the instrument strings and that surface preferably extends between opposite side edges that are preferably straight. However, the side edges may be inclined, or alternatively may be curved or otherwise shaped.
As known in the art, the arcuate string engaging surface distributes the strings across the surface at different heights to facilitate contact of the bow with separate strings, while the provision of straight edged sides is considered to provide better string vibration transmission through the first part to the second part, although that may be influenced by the type of strings employed, ie traditional animal gut strings, or steel or synthetic strings.
The first part according to the above arrangement also includes a lower edge extending between the side edges and that edge is preferably straight or includes a relief between the side edges, such as a concave relief. In a preferred arrangement, the lower edge is formed by a pair of feet spaced apart on either side of a concave relief. Formed in this manner, transmission of string vibration can be through the feet, which can be located over the feet of the second part, as may be provided.
The bridge can be formed of any suitable material and the first part can be formed to have a thickness through at least a substantial portion of its height which is substantially reduced compared to known bridges. For example, the first part of the bridge can be formed from plastics, carbon fibre, kevlar, or plywood and can have a thickness to about 1.5 mm. The material chosen and the dimensions in which it is constructed, can be tailored to suit different sound requirements and, when formed separately from the second part, the first part can be formed of a different material to the second part and can be replaced as necessary for changing conditions or particular sound characteristics desired. The second part can be formed from a variety of different materials, such as timber of the traditional kind, or of non-traditional materials, such as plastics.

Gondwana Musical Instrument Company Pty Ltd.


Technologies for using an inferred relationship between data sets to computationally align the data sets and generate actionable output include obtaining, from an online system, a set of member records; inferring a job category based at least partly on job function data extracted from the set of member records; obtaining, from the management system, a set of job records that correspond to the inferred job category; calculating an aggregate alignment score by comparing member skills data extracted from the set of member records to job skills data extracted from the set of job records, where the aggregate alignment score is a measure of a mismatch between the member skills data for the set of member records and the job skills data for the set of job records; based on the aggregate alignment score, identifying a skill that is actionable to address the mismatch between the member skills data and the job skills data; generating actionable output that replaces, modifies, or supplements first course recommendation data that does not map to the identified skill with second course recommendation data that maps to the identified skill.

Online systems can be used to match end user data with opportunity data. Some online systems can generate recommendations as to next opportunities to be considered by an end user, such as job opportunities and recommendations for personal growth.
A limitation of the existing technologies is that they are biased to look for similarities, rather than differences, between the individual data records being matched. As a result, existing systems are not effective when there are substantial differences between the end user's data record and the opportunity data record. For example, existing systems cannot generate actionable output that is specifically targeted to address mismatches that are identified by the data record comparison processes. Moreover, existing approaches do not measure the degree to which an entire group or category of member data matches opportunity data across an entire group or category of opportunities. Still further, existing approaches do not determine the set of opportunity data records based on an inferred data relationship with the end user records. These limitations of existing approaches are due in large part to the inability of the prior data processing technologies to handle the high computational requirements of more sophisticated analyses.
The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.

Inference-based computational alignment of data sets


Various embodiments provide a two-way interface between a URC driver (URCD) and various Protocol Adaption Layer (PAL) drivers. The two-way interface can enable bandwidth to be shared and managed among multiple different PALs. The two-way interface can also be used to implement common radio functionality such as beaconing, channel selection, and address conflict resolution. In at least some embodiments, the two-way interface can be utilized for power management to place PALs in lower power states to conserve power and to support remote wake-up functionality. Further, at least some embodiments can enable vendor-specific PALs to interact with vendor-specific hardware.

Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology enables information to be transmitted over a large bandwidth and can enable high data rate wireless connectivity. UWB technology is described in a set of specifications defined by the WiMedia Alliance (referred to hereinafter as "WiMedia"). In a typical scenario, a host controller wirelessly communicates with one or more devices. A host controller can be embodied on a computing device such as a desktop or laptop computer.
Ultra-Wideband hardware includes a radio controller sub function called the "URC" and one or more sub-functions which run on top of the radio and are considered clients of the radio. Each of the clients is referred to as a Protocol Adaption Layer or "PAL". Today, PALs exist in the form of Wireless USB PALs, but in the future different bus technologies will inevitably lead to the incorporation of different PALs such as, for example, WUSB PALs, WLP PALs, Bluetooth PALs, vendor-specific PALs and the like.
Individual PALs are utilized to establish connections with associated devices and can share the same UWB radio. As such, hardware and software stacks can be designed to support multiple different types of PALs. One of the challenges associated with enabling wireless connectivity between host controllers and associated devices is to develop two-way interfaces that enable communication between a URC driver (referred to as "URCD") and PAL drivers.

Ultra-wideband radio controller driver (URCD)-PAL interface


When an exhaust gas sensor is mounted to an exhaust pipe into which exhaust gas from an engine is introduced, an intermediate member is made to intervene between the exhaust gas sensor and a boss provided in an exhaust manifold, the intermediate member being fastened to the boss by bolts and the exhaust gas sensor being screwed into a screw hole formed in the intermediate member, so that a sensor portion at a front end of the exhaust gas sensor is inserted into the inside of the exhaust pipe. Though the screw hole formed in the intermediate member is to be exposed to high-temperature gas of the exhaust manifold, stainless steel, whose high-temperature strength is high, being used for the intermediate member, a female screw of the screw hole is hard to be softened and an occurrence of torque down can be suppressed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mounting structure of a component to an exhaust pipe, the structure being suitable to be used in a case that a material whose high-temperature strength is low is used for an exhaust pipe.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a vehicle such as a motorcycle, a low specific gravity material such as titanium and a titanium alloy is sometimes used for an exhaust pipe in order to save weight. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a catalyst pipe is formed of stainless steel and an exhaust manifold connected to the catalyst pipe is formed of titanium or a titanium alloy, whose specific gravity is smaller than that of the catalyst pipe.    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2007-51571
In a vehicle to which an engine is mounted, an air-fuel ratio sensor is sometimes mounted to an exhaust pipe in order to perform air-fuel ratio feedback control, for example. More specifically, the air-fuel ratio sensor is screwed into a boss provided in a predetermined position of the exhaust pipe and a sensor portion at a front end of the air-fuel ratio sensor is inserted into the inside of the exhaust pipe.
In this case, if the exhaust pipe is formed of titanium or a titanium alloy, it is necessary that the boss provided in the exhaust pipe is also formed of titanium or a titanium alloy because of difficulty in welding titanium and a dissimilar metal. However, since a screw portion formed in the boss for screwing the air-fuel ratio sensor thereinto is exposed to high-temperature gas, usage of titanium or a titanium alloy, which is low in a high-temperature strength, for the boss leads to a possibility that the screw portion formed in the boss is softened and that torque down occurs.

Mounting structure of component to exhaust pipe


The present invention intends to provide a fundus camera which enables an examiner to easily place a position for presenting the fixation target at an intended position. The fundus camera comprises an observation optical system having an objective lens and a photographic element for photographing a fundus of an eye to be examined via the objective lens, the fundus being illuminated by illumination light for observation, a monitor on which an image of the photographed fundus is displayed, a fixation-target presenting optical system for presenting a fixation target via the objective lens so that the fixation target is visually identified by the eye, a fixation-target moving unit by which a position for presenting the fixation target is moved to a desired position, a first display control unit by which the position of the fixation target to be moved is superposed on the fundus image to be displayed on the monitor, and a second display control unit by which a guide index for moving the fixation target is displayed at a desired position on the monitor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fundus camera for photographing a fundus of an eye to be examined.
2. Description of Related Art
A fundus camera having a fixation target (fixation light) guiding a line of sight of an examinee (the eye to be examined) has been known, and it is configured such that the fixation target is movable to a desired position for presenting it in order to photograph a peripheral portion of the fundus. Further, as this kind of fundus camera, such has been proposed that a fixation target image is optically or electrically synthesized and displayed with a fundus image on a monitor for observation, whereby the position for presenting the fixation target can be confirmed.
The fundus camera described above has flexibility in placing the fixation target at a position for presenting it. However, in the case where the examiner intends to photograph the fundus at a position (including an angle) where the fixation target has been previously presented, it is difficult for him to bring the fixation target back to that position. Accordingly, there has been a problem that photographing is a time-consuming task.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and has an object to overcome the above problems and to provide a fundus camera which enables an examiner to easily place a position for presenting the fixation target at an intended position.
To achieve the objects and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a fundus camera comprises an observation optical system having an objective lens and a photographic element for photographing a fundus of an eye to be examined via the objective lens, the fundus being illuminated by illumination light for observation, a monitor on which an image of the photographed fundus is displayed, a fixation-target presenting optical system for presenting a fixation target via the objective lens so that the fixation target is visually identified by the eye, a fixation-target moving unit by which a position for presenting the fixation target is moved to a desired position, a first display control unit by which the position of the fixation target to be moved is superposed on the fundus image to be displayed on the monitor, and a second display control unit by which a guide index for moving the fixation target is displayed at a desired position on the monitor.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.


An image forming apparatus supporting a near-field communication (NFC) function generates scan data by scanning a document, transmits the scan data to a server, receives access information for accessing a preview image of the scan data stored in the server, tags a mobile terminal on which the preview image is to be displayed through NFC, and transmits the access information to the tagged mobile terminal.

1. Field
One or more exemplary embodiments relate to an image forming apparatus supporting a near-field communication (NFC) function and a method of previewing scan data of the image forming apparatus on a mobile terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus includes not only a printing function but also a function of generating scan data by scanning a document. However, a user cannot rapidly view a formed image when a display unit is not included or a display unit capable of displaying only text is included in the image forming apparatus.

Image forming apparatus supporting near-field communication (NFC) function, and method of previewing scan data of image forming apparatus on mobile terminal


A fuzzy-neuro method uses a neuro network to discriminate optical disk type. The fuzzy-neuro method establishes a plurality of characteristic signal sets corresponding to the optical disks of various formats; and uses the neuro network to match the optical disk under question to the characteristic signal sets for finding the type thereof.

The present invention relates to a fuzzy-neuro method for discriminating optical disk, especially to a fuzzy-neuro method using a simple architecture to discriminate optical disk type for an optical disk driver.
The conventional optical disks have many different kinds of formats such as CD, CD-R, CD-RW, single-layer DVD (DVD5), double-layer DVD (DVD9), DVD-R and DVD-RAM. The different kinds of optical disks have different data formats and physical characteristics. Therefore, the optical disk driver read different kinds of optical disks in different schemes. For example, the optical disk driver uses 780 nm laser for reading CD and 650 nm laser for reading DVD, some of the signals read from optical disk even requires amplification. The optical disk driver compatible to a plurality of kinds of optical disks needs an optical disk discriminating step to determine suitable accessing scheme.
The conventional optical disk driver uses the electrical signals such as focus error (FE), sub-beam add (SBAD) or RF envelope (RFENV) to discriminate the disk type. The electrical signals are converted from the optical signals detected by the pick-up head thereof. The optical disk driver sets different threshold levels corresponding to those electrical signals and uses bi-sectional method to compare each electrical signal with corresponding threshold level. The optical disk driver can discriminate the disk type by the comparison results of those electrical signals. However, bi-sectional method is not immune to measurement error and the discrimination may be deteriorated by the measurement error.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a fuzzy-neuro method using a simple architecture to discriminate optical disk type for an optical disk driver.
To achieve above object, the present invention provides a fuzzy-neuro method to discriminate optical disk type by using a neuro network. The method fuzzy quantizes a plurality of electrical signals measured from optical disks of various formats and establishing a plurality of characteristic signal sets (Wcd, Wcdr, Wcdrw, Wdvd5 and Wdvd9) corresponding to the optical disks of various formats (including CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD5, DVD9). The electrical signals include focus error (FE) signal, sub-beam add (SBAD) signal, and RF envelope (RFENV) signal. The plurality of electrical signals from an optical disk to be discriminated is measured to obtain an input signal set. The signal set is sent to an input layer of the neuro network and the characteristic signal sets are stored in a distance layer of the neuro network. The distance layer of the neuro network computes the distances (dcd, dcdr, dcdrw, ddvd5 and ddvd9) of the input signal set with respect to the characteristic signal sets stored in the distance layer of the neuro network. The distances of the input signal set with respect to the characteristic signal sets are sent to a distance value compare block of the neuro network. The distance value compare block select the minimal one among the computed distances; the characteristic signal set with minimal distance determines the type of the optical disk under question.
The various objects and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the appended drawing, in which:

Fuzzy-neuro method for discriminating optical disk type


A data acquisition system for gathering geophysical data, a corresponding method, and a data acquisition unit for use with the system and method are disclosed. The system (10) comprises a plurality of data acquisition units (14) for gathering geophysical data, each data acquisition unit (14) being connectable to at least one sensor (15) and being arranged, during use, to gather geophysical data from the at least one sensor (15). Each data acquisition unit (14) comprises time referencing means (48) arranged to generate time reference data usable to control the time at which samples of geophysical data are taken. The system (10) further comprises means for calculating spatial derivatives between samples associated with adjacent sensors (15) connected during use to the data acquisition units (14).

It is known to provide a data acquisition system which includes a plurality of networked data acquisition units, each data acquisition unit being connected to at least one sensor and being arranged to gather survey data from the sensors. The received survey data is passed via the network to a central computing device for processing. Synchronisation of the received survey data is also carried out via the network.
However, a disadvantage of this arrangement is that the gathered survey data often includes a significant amount of noise which can be of sufficiently large magnitude to obscure the desired signal response associated with a relatively deeply buried target.
In the claims which follow and in the preceding description of the invention, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention.

Data acquisition unit, system and method for geophysical data


A display device (liquid crystal display device 100) includes a display panel (10) (liquid crystal panel 10), light receiving sensors (first light receiving sensors 122), and an image changing section (250). A display region (10a) of the liquid crystal panel (10) has a plurality of pixels (30) located therein. The first light receiving sensors (122) receive external light directed to the liquid crystal panel (10), at a plurality of positions in the display region (10a). In the image changing section (250), a reference value is predefined for light receiving information (a1 through d1) obtained by the first light receiving sensors (122). When light receiving information (a1 through d1) exceeding the reference value is obtained by the first light receiving sensors (122), the image changing section (250) changes an image to be displayed on the display region (10a), based on the light receiving information (a1 through d1).

Display devices include, for example, liquid crystal display devices (LCD devices), organic electro-luminescence (OEL) display devices, plasma display panels (PDPs) and the like. A liquid crystal display device includes, for example, a liquid crystal panel including a pair of substrates which are combined together to face each other, and a backlight unit located so as to face a rear surface of the liquid crystal panel. The liquid crystal panel includes a liquid crystal layer between the pair of substrates, and can control the light transmissivity by controlling the voltage to be applied between the pair of substrates. The liquid crystal display device displays an image in a display region of the liquid crystal panel by irradiating the display region with light emitted from an illumination section located in the backlight unit while controlling the form of the liquid crystal layer of the liquid crystal panel. When the display region of such a liquid crystal display device is irradiated with external light, the external light is reflected by a surface of the liquid crystal panel, which may decrease the contrast of the displayed image. Herein, the term "external light" means light emitted by an other element than a display device (encompassing a liquid crystal display device). In the case where, for example, a liquid crystal display device is located in a room, light from an illumination device located in the room and light from outside the room are both "external light".
Patent Document 1 discloses a method for controlling the backlight unit. According to this method, a plurality of optical sensors are attached to a plurality of different positions in a peripheral portion on a front surface side (display surface side) of a liquid crystal display device, and light receiving information obtained by the optical sensors is subjected to comparative computation. Based on the comparative computation result, the backlight unit is controlled. As can be seen, according to the method disclosed in this publication, the contrast of the displayed image is adjusted based on the brightness of external light in the peripheral portion of the display region.
With a liquid crystal display device disclosed in Patent Document 2, a plurality of optical sensors are located in the display region to sense the distribution of external light in the display region. This liquid crystal display device controls the voltage to be applied to the liquid crystal layer of the liquid crystal panel based on the distribution of the external light in the display region, and adjusts the light transmittance of the liquid crystal layer area by area. As can be seen, the liquid crystal display device disclosed in this publication adjusts the contrast of the displayed image by adjusting the light transmittance of the liquid crystal layer.
Although not disclosing a method for adjusting the contrast of a displayed image, Patent Document 3 discloses a display control system including a management section for managing the display region. The management section of this display control system manages an unoccupied part of the image screen. When, for example, one image is displayed on the display region, the management section performs processing such as enlargement/reduction, movement or the like on another image, such that the another image is displayed in the unoccupied part of the display region where no image is displayed. In this manner, the display control system displays a plurality of images on one image screen at the same time.


Machine learning using relational databases is described. In an embodiment a model of a probabilistic relational database is formed by augmenting relation schemas of a relational database with probabilistic attributes. In an example, the model comprises constraints introduced by linking the probabilistic attributes using factor statements. For example, a compiler translates the model into a factor graph data structure which may be passed to an inference engine to carry out machine learning. For example, this enables machine learning to be integrated with the data and it is not necessary to pre-process or reformat large scale data sets for a particular problem domain. In an embodiment a machine learning system for estimating skills of players in an online gaming environment is provided. In another example, a machine learning system for data mining of medical data is provided. In some examples, missing attribute values are filled using machine learning results.

Machine learning systems are known which perform approximate inference using complex and large scale probabilistic models. For example, to learn features of sensor measurement data to be used in controlling communications networks, manufacturing systems, and other mechanical systems. Other applications including learning features of complex data such as image data for object recognition, image segmentation, intelligent image editing, medical image analysis and the like. Also, machine learning systems are known for learning or measuring the skill of players of online games, for predicting click events in the field of online advertising and for many other applications.
Many existing machine learning systems have been built by writing suitable bespoke software using conventional programming languages or other languages. The software has typically needed to be designed on a per-application basis to introduce appropriate variables for the problem domain, build suitable data structures and also to provide appropriate interfaces to receive data to be used for the machine learning. The true power of machine learning using probabilistic models comes into play when large scale data collections are used for learning. However, there is then a need to collect that data which may be at different sources, to format and preprocess it appropriately before use in the particular machine learning application. For large scale data sets this is a significant problem which is time consuming and complex to address. Once the data has been appropriately provided, and the probabilistic model formed, the machine learning process itself typically takes place using custom machine learning application software or commercially available software applications for performing inference.
More recently, software has become available which enables the probabilistic model and the learning process to be achieved as an integrated process. However, there is still a need to collect, pre-process and appropriately format the data required for the particular machine learning application.
The embodiments described below are not limited to implementations which solve any or all of the disadvantages of known machine learning systems.


A wireless power transfer pad for wireless power transfer with active field cancellation using multiple magnetic flux sinks includes a ferrite structure, a center coil positioned adjacent to the ferrite structure, and a plurality of side coils positioned around a perimeter of the center coil and positioned adjacent to the ferrite structure. A direction of current flow of the center coil is opposite a current flow in each of the plurality of side coils such that current flowing in a portion of the center coil adjacent to a portion of a side coil of the plurality of side coils is in a same direction as current in the portion of the side coil.

Wireless power transfer ("WPT") is used to transfer power from a primary pad to a secondary pad typically over an air gap. Wireless power transfer is currently being used to transfer power to a vehicle without the need to plug in the vehicle. Wireless power transfer may also be used to transfer power to a vehicle while the vehicle is moving. Efficiency in the WPT process is important for safety as well as for reducing power loss.

Wireless power transfer with active field cancellation using multiple magnetic flux sinks


The invention provides an ink composition including water, a colorant, a water-soluble organic solvent, a surfactant and a water-soluble silicate, the water-soluble silicate being comprised in an amount of from 0.0001% by mass to 0.5% by mass with respect to a total mass of the ink composition, and the water-soluble organic solvent including a water-soluble organic solvent having a value of solubility parameter (SP) of 27.5 or less in an amount of 40% by mass or more with respect to a total mass of the water-soluble organic solvent; an ink composition including a water-soluble alkali metal silicate and a pigment coated with a water-insoluble resin, the water-insoluble resin including a structural unit having an acidic group; and an ink composition including a water-soluble alkali metal silicate, self-dispersing polymer particles, and a pigment.

Although various kinds of recording media for recording using an ink jet recording method are commercially available, such as plain paper, coated paper, glossy paper, OHP sheets, back print film, and the like, low-price plain paper is usually used for business applications in a normal office environment. Examples of the required properties in such an environment include alleviation or suppression of a curling (warping or rounding of paper) phenomenon caused when a large amount of ink is provided onto the paper, as well as the satisfaction of ordinary requirements. Herein, it is important to alleviate or suppress curling during recording, as well as curling after recording caused by drying or evaporating of moisture.
Furthermore, as for the formed image, it is also important to suppress the occurrence of an uneven image caused by deformation of the image.
In this regard, as an ink having favorable fixability without image deficiency or unevenness, an ink containing a diglycerin derivative is known (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-168373).
Further, as a method for alleviating or suppressing the occurrence of curling, for example, a method for suppressing curls by using a water-based ink containing a solvent having low polarity in an amount of 30% or more with respect to the total mass of the ink is known (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-152873).
Furthermore, as a method for suppressing the clogging of a nozzle, preventing decoloration of a recording solution, and suppressing generation of mold, a water-soluble recording solution for ink jet, containing a water-soluble dye, an alkali silicate as a water-soluble antifungal agent, and water is disclosed (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-165936).
Furthermore, as an ink that exhibits excellent ink ejection, dissolution, and dispersion stability, and thus used in an ink jet printer formed from a film provided with silicone, glass or the like, a water-soluble ink composition having specified pH value and zeta potential is disclosed (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-279074).
However, with the ink described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-168373, occurrence of curling may not be suppressed. In addition, with the ink described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-152873, there is a tendency that storage stability of ink or deformation of an image may deteriorate.
Moreover, with the water-soluble recording solution described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-165936, occurrence of curling may not be sufficiently suppressed. Further, with the ink described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-279074, suppression of occurrence of curling and improvement of light resistance may not be sufficient.
In addition, recently, an ink jet recording system has been rapidly distributed due to the advantages that its main body is small and it makes little noise. Examples of the ink jet printer used in the ink jet recording system include those using glass or silicon for a member in view of ease of microfabrication, processing accuracy, processes, or the like.
The ink used in the ink jet printers generally contains a colorant which is dispersed or dissolved in a solvent, a wetting agent, and an aqueous medium. If the ink is filled in an ink jet printer using a member containing glass or silicon as above, and is used or left for a long period of time, the glass or silicon contacting the ink may be eluted. As a result, the design accuracy of the ink jet printer may be lowered, and degradation in the image quality may be caused.
In order to solve these problems, for example, a water-soluble ink composition containing a pigment dispersed by a surfactant, a phosphonium compound, and silicate ions is disclosed (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-165936). Further, an ink composition containing a water-soluble dye and an alkali silicate as a water-soluble antifungal agent is disclosed (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-279074).
However, it may be difficult to say that the ink dispersion stability of the water-soluble ink composition described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-165936, when a pigment is used particularly as a colorant, is satisfactory in some cases. Further, it may be difficult to say that the light resistance or the water resistance of the water-soluble ink composition described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-279074 is satisfactory.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Ink composition, ink set, and image forming method


Conventional broadband RF power amplifiers use a xc2xc wavelength transmission line to decouple the gate bias DC source from the gate circuitry and a second xc2xc wavelength transmission line to decouple the drain bias DC source from the drain circuitry, taking up considerable printed circuit board space. A novel broadband RF power amplifier uses a transistor with separate terminals for injection of gate bias and drain bias DC sources, eliminating the need for xc2xc wavelength transmission lines, thereby freeing up space and allowing higher density packaging. The power amplifier transistor can be implemented with a single die circuit or multiple die circuits operating in parallel.

The present invention pertains generally to the field of radio frequency (RF) amplifiers and more specifically to high frequency, high power transistors used in wireless communication applications.
The use of RF power amplifiers in wireless communication applications is well known. With the recent growth in the demand for wireless services, such as personal communication services, the operating frequency for wireless networks has increased dramatically and is now in excess of two gigahertz. RF power amplifier stages are commonly used in wireless communication network radio base station amplifiers. Such power amplifiers are also widely used in other RF-related applications, such as cellular telephones, paging systems, navigation systems, television, avionics, and military applications. At the, high frequencies that such circuits must operate, impedance matching and biasing of the active elements is an important factor for efficient operation of the power amplifier. The input and output circuits used to match power transistors to external devices are typically implemented with a combination of bondwire inductance, stripline or microstrip structures on a printed circuit board, and discrete capacitors.
A typical common source power amplifier stage, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, has an RF feed, a power transistor 200, and an RF output. The power transistor 200 is a three terminal device, having an input terminal 210, an output terminal 220, and a common terminal that is the flange 205 which is grounded. The power transistor 200 amplifies the low power signal coming from the RF feed, into a high power signal delivered from the RF output to a load. An input bias network provides a DC voltage, called the input bias feed, to the power transistor 200 establishing an input operating point for the transistor 200. An output bias network provides a DC voltage, called the output bias feed, to the power transistor 200 establishing an output operating point for the transistor 200.
An input impedance transformer 231 transforms the impedance of the RF feed (typically 50 ohms) into the impedance at input terminal 210 (typically 8-10 ohms) at the frequency and power level of operation. The input impedance transformer 231 is typically a microstrip transmission line of xc2xc wavelength (lambda) at the operating frequency.
Similarly, an output impedance transformer 241 transforms the load impedance at the output terminal 220 (typically 1 to 10 ohms) into the impedance at the RF output (typically 50 ohms) at the frequency and power level of operation. The output impedance transformer 241 is also preferably a microstrip transmission line of xc2xc lambda at the operating frequency.
Input blocking capacitor 232 prevents DC voltages from entering the wrong amplifier stage. Output blocking capacitor 242 prevents loading by the RF output circuits by blocking DC voltages from the RF output.
In addition, it is important to prevent high frequency signals generated inside the power amplifier stage from escaping along unwanted transmission paths. In order to prevent the high frequency signals in the power amplifier from contaminating the sources of DC voltage which bias the amplifier, designers typically use a xc2xc lambda transmission line, implemented with a microstrip structure. Transmission line theory predicts that a xc2xc lambda transmission line terminated at its distal end with a short circuit has an input impedance, at the proximal end, that is equal to an open circuit. As a practical matter, a one-quarter wavelength transmission line terminated with a relatively low impedance presents a high impedance to the driving source. This approach prevents RF power directed toward the input terminal 210 from leaking into the input bias network, and provides a method of coupling a DC voltage into the power transistor 200, without disturbing the impedance matching structures.
For instance, on the input bias circuit illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, an input bias transmission line 233 is a xc2xc lambda transmission line which has its distal end coupled to the DC voltage source of input bias feed. The proximal end is coupled to the power transistor input terminal 210. The combination of the DC voltage source of input bias feed, and decoupling capacitors 234 and 235 approaches a short circuit over a broad range of frequencies at the distal end of line 233.
Capacitor 234 has a small capacitance value and is selected to have series resonance at or near the operating frequency. Typical values for capacitor 234 are 5 to 50 pF with ceramic dielectric. Capacitor 235 has a large capacitance value and is selected to have high capacitive reactance and moderate inductance for lower intermediate frequencies. Typical values for capacitor 235 are 0.05 to 0.5 uF with tantalum dielectric. Should the amplifier be operated as a Continuous Wave (CW) amplifier, capacitor 235 is not required for adequate decoupling.
The DC voltage source of input bias feed voltage forms a short circuit for low frequency AC signals and DC. Since the distal end of the line 233 is terminated with a short circuit, the input impedance of the line 233 at the proximal end appears to be an open circuit to the high frequency signals near the input terminal 210. This open circuit blocks RF signals from escaping along unwanted paths, and in particular from contaminating the DC voltage source of input bias feed.
Similarly, a xc2xc lambda transmission line is used to prevent RF signals from the output terminal 220 from flowing back into the DC voltage source of the output bias feed. An output bias transmission line 243 is a xc2xc lambda transmission line which has its distal end coupled to the DC voltage source of output bias feed. The proximal end is coupled to the power transistor output terminal 220. The combination of the DC voltage source of output bias feed, and decoupling capacitors 244 and 245 form s a short circuit over a broad range of frequencies at the distal end of line 243. Capacitor 244 has a small capacitance value and is selected to have series resonance at or near the operating frequency. Typical values for capacitor 244 are 5-50 pF with ceramic dielectric. Typical values for capacitor 245 are 0.05 to 0.5 uF with tantalum dielectric. Since the distal end of the line 243 is terminated with a short circuit, the input impedance of the line 243 at the proximal end appears to be an open circuit to the signals near the output terminal 220 which blocks RF signals from contaminating the DC voltage source of output bias feed.
Although using a xc2xc lambda transmission line for providing input and output bias to transistor 200 has been found to be a practical biasing solution, there are several factors that make its use less than optimal. Considerable area on the printed circuit board is required for its implementation, reducing the packaging density for the amplifier. In addition, the xc2xc lambda transmission tends to radiate RF energy, reducing the overall amplifier efficiency. Further, coupling the xc2xc lambda transmission line to the power transistor input is difficult to model due to unequal distributed element effects that complicate the design process.
The physical configuration of a typical power transistor 200 is illustrated, in more detail, in FIG. 1A, and an equivalent circuit for transistor 200 appears in FIG. 3. The power transistor 200 has a transistor die 219, a gate tuning network, and a drain tuning network. The transistor die 219 is preferably a field effect transistor die and particularly a lateral diffused metal-oxide-silicon device (LDMOS) with a gate and drain region formed on the upper surface. A high conductivity sinker region is formed to provide a low resistance conduction path between a source region and the lower surface of the die 219. The die 219 is bonded to the flange 205, thereby thermally and mechanically coupling the die to the flange and electrically coupling the source to the flange. In the figures and text that follow, the transistor die is illustrated to be an LDMOS device, a skilled practitioner will appreciate that there are numerous other die type choices which will produce an acceptable amplifier.
Bond wires are used to electrically couple the gate of a die 219 to the input terminal 210 and the drain of the die 219 to the output terminal 220. Bond wires are also used to interconnect other components. These bond wires have self-inductance that cannot be neglected at typical frequencies of operation. The gate tuning network is required to effectively couple RF power coming from the RF feed to the gate of the die 219. Similarly, the drain tuning network is also required to effectively couple RF power coming from the drain of the die 219 to the RF output and load.
The gate matching network provides compensation for the bond wire inductors, as well as the input capacitance associated with the gate of the die 219. The gate tuning network includes a xe2x80x9cT-network,xe2x80x9d and a xe2x80x9cshunt network.xe2x80x9d The T-network includes a first bond wire inductance 211 coupled to the input terminal 210, a second bond wire inductance 212 coupled to the gate of the die 219, and a first input capacitor 216 coupled to ground on the flange 205, each coupled to a central node. The shunt network includes a third bond wire inductance 213 coupled to a second input capacitance 217 of relatively high capacitance. Second input capacitance 217 is a blocking capacitor, which prevents the inductance 213 from shorting the DC bias at the gate of the die 219 to ground. The third input bond wire inductance 213 is coupled to the gate of die 219, and the second input capacitor 217 is coupled to ground on the flange 205.
The T-network transforms the impedance xe2x80x9clookingxe2x80x9d into the transistor input terminal 210 at the fundamental frequency to match the output impedance of line 231. The shunt network provides resonance at the fundamental signal frequency, while negating gate reactance.
The drain matching network provides compensation for the bond wire inductors, as well as the capacitance associated with the drain of die 219. The drain tuning network includes a shunt network and a series inductance. The series inductance is the result of a fifth bond wire 215 connecting the drain of the die 219 to the output terminal 220. The shunt network includes a fourth bond wire inductance 214 coupled to an first output capacitor 218. The fourth bond wire inductance 214 is coupled to the drain of the die 219, and the first output capacitor 218 is coupled to ground on the flange 205. These components provide broadband matching at a predetermined load impedance, to provide a desired power level for efficient amplifier operation.
FIG. 1B illustrates the physical configuration of an alternate form of a power transistor. 100 with two circuits similar to those of transistor 200 coupled and operating in parallel. Like transistor 200, transistor 100 has three terminals: an input terminal 110, an output terminal 120, and a flange 105. A first die circuit has a die, a gate tuning network, and a drain tuning network. A second die circuit has a die, a gate tuning network, and a drain tuning network. Within economical and practical manufacturing tolerances, the two die circuits are matched so that the load is shared by each die circuit approximately equally. Each circuit functions as described above with transistor 200. The skilled practitioner will also appreciate that three or more die circuits can be coupled in parallel to provide additional power handling capability.
The input bias transmission line 233 and output bias transmission line 243 take up considerable and valuable space on the printed circuit board that contains them. Three terminal RF power transistor packages have limited the choices that designers have available to them for providing input bias voltage and output bias voltage. The need for increasingly high density packaging in RF amplifiers suggests that reducing the board space consumed by an amplifier stage is desirable and lowers cost. Thus there is a need for an input biasing circuit and output biasing circuit which makes more efficient use of printed circuit board space, without substantial performance loss.
In accordance with a general aspect, inventions disclosed and described herein are directed to high frequency, high power, broadband RF amplifiers designed and constructed to overcome the above-described problems, and allow for easier large-scale manufacturing.
In one embodiment, the broadband RP amplifier includes a power transistor package with 5 terminals. As illustrated in FIG. 4A, power transistor 300 has an input terminal 310, an output terminal 320, a flange 305, an input bias terminal 350, and an output bias terminal 360. The addition of the input bias terminal 350 when used in cooperation with a novel biasing circuit, eliminates the need for a xc2xc lambda input bias transmission line, thereby reducing the total area occupied by the amplifier stage. The output bias terminal 360 is treated in a similar way, eliminating the need for a xc2xc lambda output bias transmission line.
In another embodiment, the broadband RF amplifier includes a power transistor package with 7 terminals. As illustrated in FIG. 4B, power transistor 500 has an input terminal 510, an output terminal 520, a flange 505, a first input bias terminal 550, a second input bias terminal 551, a first output bias terminal 560, and a second output bias terminal 561. The addition of the first and second input bias terminals, 550 and 551 respectively, when used in cooperation with a novel biasing circuit, eliminates the need for a first and second xc2xc lambda input bias transmission line, thereby reducing the total area occupied by the amplifier stage. Similar for the first and second output bias terminals.
Other aspects and features of the inventions disclosed herein will become apparent hereinafter.

RF power transistor with internal bias feed

Infineon Technologies North America Corp.


Embodiments of the present disclosure describe pre-catalysts comprising including one or more of indium oxide, indium hydroxide, indium oxyhydroxide, an active oxide, and a refractory oxide. Embodiments of the present disclosure also describe method of making pre-catalysts based on one or more of impregnation, precipitation or co-precipitation, ball milling, and metal-organic framework (MOF)-mediated synthesis. Embodiments of the present disclosure further describe methods of activating pre-catalysts and synthesizing one or more of methanol and olefins using catalysts obtained from the pre-catalysts.

Carbon dioxide hydrogenation into a valuable feedstock carries a two-fold positive effect: i) reducing the amount of CO2 emitted to the atmosphere and ii) producing fine chemicals from an abundantly available Cl building block. Methanol is a chemical that is currently of high importance and demand. Traditionally, methanol is synthesized using a benchmark Cu—ZnO—Al2O3 catalyst and CO2, CO and H2 mixtures. When the same catalyst is applied to directly hydrogenate CO2, severe deactivation and low selectivity to methanol are achieved.

Indium-based catalysts and pre-catalysts

KING ABDULLAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


The present invention relates to the use of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the prevention and alleviation of asthmatic symptoms. In contrast to other therapeutic agents now in use, CGRP combines both bronchoprotector and anti-inflammatory properties. Furthermore, it prevents both early and late phase bronchial responses associated with an asthma attack and its effective dose is small enough that undesirable haemodynamic side effects are not present.

The present invention teaches that calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a neurotransmitter present in sensory nerves of several mammalian species, including humans, displays potent and efficient bronchoprotector and anti-inflammatory properties. More specifically, the present invention discloses that CGRP, when administered by inhalation to mammals, is capable of reducing the accumulation of eosinophils in the bronchial walls and of preventing bronchospastic airway responses, especially reversible airway hyperreactivity such as that encountered in bronchial asthma.
Bronchial asthma may be defined as a clinical syndrome characterized by outbursts of suffocation and of severe discomfort, especially when air is exhaled from the lungs. These asthma outbursts or asthma attacks often occur after exertions or during the night, are reversible either spontaneously or following treatments and are generally the result of bronchial obstructions. Three major factors contribute to these obstructions: a spasm (contraction) of the smooth muscles surrounding the airways, an inflammation of the bronchial walls accompanied by an effusion of fluid (oedema) and an hypersecretion of mucus. Although the relative contribution of each of these conditions is unknown, the net result is an increase in airway resistance, hyperinflation of the lungs and thorax, as well as abnormal distribution of ventilation and pulmonary blood flow. Thus, when an asthma attack occurs, breathing becomes difficult and may be accompanied by wheezing, coughing and dyspnea.
A major feature of this disorder is the propensity of the airways of asthmatics to respond in an abnormally exaggerated way (bronchial hyperreactivity) to a large variety of apparently unrelated stimuli such as allergic triggers, cigarette smoke, dust, pollens, chemical products, irritating vapours, cold air, food substances, physical exertion, stress, etc. Because of this increase in the sensitivity of the airways (10 to 1000 times normal), asthma has for a long time been regarded as a disease of the large airways which was believed to be caused mainly by mucus secretion and extensive narrowing of the tracheobronchi which consequently made breathing difficult for asthmatics.
This view started to change when morphometric studies on the bronchi of asthmatics revealed the presence of major inflammatory reactions within the mucosa of the bronchi. It is now recognized that another hallmark of this pathology is the massive influx of inflammatory cells, particularly eosinophils, in the bronchial walls and lung parenchyma. These cells are attracted to the airway mucosa by sequential processes involving adhesion molecules and a subset of helper T-lymphocytes designated Th2 that secrete an array of cytokines and chemokines. Eosinophils, for which the survival time is prolonged by these same cytokines, remain in the bronchial mucosa and release, among others, cysteinyl leukotriens, several hydrolytic enzymes, toxic mediators such as eosinophilic cationic protein and TNFxcex1 as well as Th2 cytokines, all of which cause further tightening of the airway smooth muscles cells and increased inflammatory reaction including increased eosinophilia. The importance of pulmonary inflammation to asthmatic response has been appreciated only recently but it is now well accepted that this inflammation paves the way for non-specific hyperresponsiveness and worsens airway obstruction.
Several subtypes of asthma have been identified during the last few years and it is estimated that in its different forms (i.e. allergic asthma and idiosyncratic asthma), this disease affects approximately 8 to 10% of the world""s general population, of which 5 to 10% are children.
If asthma attacks are mild, patients can take a medication (generally a bronchodilator) to suppress spasms (contractions) of the bronchi. If, however, attacks are severe and/or frequent, steroids can be added to the bronchodilator in order to reduce the inflammation occuring in the lungs. There are currently five types of remedies available on the market to treat asthma: (1) aerosol dosers (inhalators) which dispense bronchodilators, or agents that cause the relaxation of the bronchi (such as xcex22-adrenergic agonists administered with tiny delivery systems); (2) methylxanthines (such as theophylline), which are bronchodilators in tablet or capsule form; (3) corticosteroids (such as fluticasone or budenoside), used to reduce inflammation, available in aerosol, liquid or tablet form; (4) inhibitors of mast cell degranulation (i.e. chromones such as cromolyn sodium), most often used to prevent asthma triggered by physical activities, available either in tablet or aerosol form; and (5) antagonists of leukotrienes D4 and E4 (such as zafirlukast and montelukast), used as prophylactic substitutes to aerosol dosers, available in tablet form.
None of the medicines currently in use combines both bronchoprotector and anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, none constitutes a cure for asthma, but each medicament can control its symptoms to varying degrees depending on the patient and/or the severity of his or her affliction. As a common feature, these medicines are comprised of synthetic or modified molecules and consequently, most cause secondary, undesirable effects, either at the moment of administration or following prolonged usage. For example, some xcex22-adrenergic agonists can bring about hand tremors, tachycardia and hypotension. Theophylline can induce nausea, diarrhea, headaches, muscle cramps, irritability, etc. Inhaling corticosteroids can irritate the vocal cords, resulting in hoarseness, as well as interfere with adrenal gland activity. They also induce several systemic effects such as elevated blood sugar, rounding of the face, changes in mood, high blood pressure, etc.
In view of the clinical importance of asthma, there is clearly an urgent need to identify new factors which can play a role in preventing, alleviating or correcting disfunctions such as inflammation and bronchial hyperactivity, such as those encountered in bronchial asthma. Thus, it is a feature of the present invention to prevent, reduce and/or alleviate the pathophysiological manifestations of asthma by the administration of a new and natural compound which combines both bronchoprotector and anti-inflammatory properties and which also has less undesirable side effects than those induced by the medicines now in use. It is another feature of the present invention to provide a method for the reduction and/or alleviation of the symptoms of asthma, by the use of a new therapeutic tool (i.e. CGRP) which is rapid acting and of relatively long duration.
Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a mammalian peptide containing 37 amino acid residues with a disulphide bridge between (Cys2 and Cys7. It is generated by tissue-specific RNA processing of the primary transcript of the calcitonin gene and is expressed mainly in thyroid parafollicular cells as well as in nuclei and nerve fibers of the central and peripheral nervous systems. In humans as in rats, this peptide is known to occur in two highly homologous forms, designated xcex1- and xcex2-CGRP, which differ in their primary sequence by one and three amino acids, respectively.
CGRP is widely distributed in the lung innervation of several mammalian species including humans. Peripheral branches of CGRP-containing nerve fibers are located beneath and within the airway epithelium, around blood vessels and seromucous glands, and within the smooth muscle layers of the tracheo-bronchial tree. Co-stored with substance P (SP) and neurokinin A (NKA) in primary afferent sensory neurons, CGRP is released (together with SP and NKA) from nerve endings upon capsaicin stimulation and after exposure to chemical irritants. Although the possible roles of this neurotransmitter in lung physiological and pathological processes are unknown, its production in the vicinity of bronchial smooth muscle cells led several investigators to suggest that CGRP could also affect (as do SP and NKA) adjacent tracheobronchial tone.
Numerous in vitro and in vivo investigations have been carried out with the aim of determining the role of CGRP on tracheobronchial smooth muscle cells. Although several of these studies have, to a large extent, focused on the putative myotropic activity of CGRP (i.e. contractile- or relaxant-induced responses), its main effect on airway smooth muscle tone still remains unclear, as considerable controversial data have been reported. For example, in human isolated airways, evidence has been provided for (1) and against (3) a bronchoconstrictor action of CGRP. Similarly, Luts and coworkers (5), Bhogal and coworkers (6), and Pinto and coworkers (7) showed that CGRP does not exert any contractile or relaxant effect in guinea pig trachea, whereas Hamel and Ford-Hutchinson (8) and Tschirhart and coworkers (9) reported that CGRP is one of the most potent contractile agents on guinea pig trachea yet identified. On the other hand, CGRP has been found to have no effect on hilus bronchi and parenchyma in the guinea pig in vitro (3, 7, 8) and to cause no changes in airway resistance in guinea pig in vivo (2, 3, 10-12).
More recently CGRP has been reported to potentiate the cholinergic contractions elicited by electrical field stimulation (EFS) in guinea pig trachea (7), to produce no bronchoconstriction in isolated and perfused guinea pig lung (13), to induce relaxations in guinea pig trachea precontracted with KCI and prostagiandin F2xcex1 (PGF2xcex1) (6), but to be without any relaxant effect in human and guinea pig bronchi precontracted with NKA (3) and in guinea pig trachea precontracted with histamine (7). In other animal species, CGRP has been shown to have no contractile effect on the airway smooth muscle in the rabbit (14), pig (15, 16), rat (4, 8), and mouse (17) in vitro and in sheep in vivo (18). Finally, CGRP has been noted to cause relaxations in pig trachea (15) and bronchi (16) precontracted with carbamylcholine and histamine, respectively, and in mouse airways precontracted with carbachol (17). Given this wide spectrum of reported pharmacological activities for CGRP, it may be easily understood that no investigator has really succeeded in ascribing a specific role for this neuropeptide with regard to its involvement in the regulation of airway smooth muscle tone. This issue has been in debate for some time in the scientific literature. Because no concensus has been reached yet, it is generally suggested that either the pharmacological effect of CGRP greatly differs between animal species and different levels of the tracheobronchial tree or that this sensory neuropeptide is related to pulmonary physiological processes other than those involved in the regulation of bronchomotor tone.
The present invention relates to the use of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the prevention, reduction and/or alleviation of the pathophysiological manifestations of asthma. The invention further concerns the use of active molecules (such as members of the calcitonin family of peptides i.e. CGRP, adrenomedullin, amylin, calcitonin and/or their respective functional derivatives; analogs and fragments) that are able to bind to the receptors that activate the intra and/or intercellular signaling pathways that mediate either or both the anti-inflammatory and bronchoprotective effects of CGRP in the lung.
The invention additionally pertains to an improved method for preventing or controlling ailments encountered in asthma (i.e. bronchial hyperreactivity and inflammation) which comprises administering to the host suffering therefrom an effective therapeutic amount of CGRP. The invention also provides improved means for preventing, alleviating and/or reducing bronchospastic airway responses characterized by reversible airway hyperreactivity by administering an amount of CGRP (or of its natural homologs and/or of their respective functional derivatives) sufficient to reduce airway hyperreactivity. In accordance with the foregoing, the invention also proposes a mode of administration having properties superior to those of other medications, especially superior properties in terms of bronchoprotection and anti-inflammation, and with less secondary side effects.
CGRP is produced in the lung and is released during asthma attacks. We found that it prevents mucosal inflammation and constriction of the tracheobronchial tree in a natural way (see Examples, below). CGRP is therefore a natural substance present in mammalian species (including man), and one of its primary functions at the level of the respiratory tract is to exert a protective effect on the airways and, more specifically, to reduce the intensity of the bronchospasms induced by an asthma crisis. Other advantages attributable to CGRP are that it exercises a non-specific bronchoprotector effect, it does not cause undesirable haemodynamic side effects when administered by inhalation and that it also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent in the lung. CGRP is thus a molecule that highly surpasses everything in the arsenal of therapeutic agents currently available to prevent and attenuate ailments and symptoms associated with asthma.
These and other objects, features and many of the attendant advantages of the invention will be better understood upon a reading of the following detailed description of the invention when considered with the accompanying drawings.

Use of calcitonin gene-related peptide in the prevention and alleviation of asthma and related bronchospastic pulmonary diseases


A practice device for use by golfers to improve their putting ability comprising a putter club having a grip portion, a shaft portion and a head portion with a putting face, and a target adapted to be positioned at a distance from the user, the club comprising a source of high intensity light housed in the grip portion, optical fibers for conducting light from the source to the putting face, and a lens enabling light from the source to be projected from the face of the club as a narrow beam of high intensity light in a direction perpendicular to the face, with the target comprising reflective device for indicating the point at which a projected light beam contacts the target, and including a plurality of parallel, vertically arranged side-by-side reflective strips, so that light projected from the club contacts the target in such a manner as to be visible to the user to indicate his point of aim.

A large variety of devices have been produced in the past for helping a golfer to improve his golfing game. Such devices have included a variety of practice aids for a golfer to use outdoors, either on a golf course or on a practice range, and indoors, again in a specially designed practice area or simply in any convenient room. The prior devices have generally focused either on the putting portion of the golfer's game, i.e. that portion which uses a putter club and only a partial swing or a "putt", or alternatively on the full swing portion, in which the golfer uses one of the other clubs, either wood or iron, and takes a full swing to hit the ball.
The present invention is directed at improving the putting portion of the golfer's game, by helping the golfer to develop an improved putting swing or stroke, and in particular by helping the golfer to aim.
Prior art devices known for improving the putting game have included a large variety of aids such as practice holes or cups, pieces of carpet for simulating greens, sights mounted on the clubs, target devices for the holes, and so forth.
Some optical devices have also been produced in the past to provide a visual indication of whether the full swing is properly carried out, or is more likely to produce a slice or a hook. Such optical devices typically have used a series of mirrors or lenses to produce the desired result. However, as the number of mirrors and/or lenses increases, so does the complexity of the device along with the cost.
More recently, practice devices have become more technologically advanced, and one such device currently on the market uses a laser light source in the grip portion of a club, for projecting a light beam out of the end of the club. In this manner, on the back swing of the club and during the initial portion of the downswing, the golfer can observe the path of the light on the floor as an indication of whether that portion of the swing has been properly carried out.
One drawback with such a device, however, is that it only is functional on the uppermost portion of the backswing and the beginning portion of the downswing, since at other times the light beam is directed upwardly, toward the ceiling or elsewhere. Further, the light source is essentially limited to indoor use, since interference from sunlight makes it difficult to see the light path in a brightly lit area.
Practice putting devices have tended to concentrate on rather complex and cumbersome optical systems to carry out their aiming function, although they do work to some extent to help the golfer. Clearly, however, anything which attaches to the club can affect the balance and feel of the club, and thus the practice sessions do not exactly simulate the real situation. Of course the size and location of devices attached to the club can alter the swing, and thus the ball contact, when the devices are removed or a similar club without the devices is used.
The present invention seeks to overcome the disadvantages of prior art practice devices, and is particularly intended to improve a golfer's putting game. In particular, the invention seeks to provide a practice aid which incorporates a laser light source into a putter, for use in practice situations, to enable a golfer to develop a repetitive stroke when aiming and putting, and to help the golfer to aim a putter.
To this end, a primary object of the invention is to provide a putter having a light source mounted therein for being directed at a target, as an indication of the aim of the putter.
Another object of the invention is to provide a putter which incorporates a light source which does not significantly affect the balance of the club.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a golf putter which can be used with a simple, yet unique target, to provide a visual indication of the aim of the club.
Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a new golf practice putter which can help the golfer to develop a consistent putting stroke.
Still a further object is to provide a new putting practice system using optics to provide a sight.


Biocidal formulations prepared by: (a) blending predetermined amounts of pre-gelatinized starch, natural starch, biocide such as Bacillus thuringiensis and water to form a mass; (b) drying said mass by heating prepared by with a hot roller at temperatures between 50.degree. and 100.degree. C., preferably between 60.degree. and 90.degree. C., to form a dried mass; and (c) crushing the dried mass to form the final product having the shape of flakes with a diameter preferably less than about 900.mu.. With the method disclosed in the present invention, the process time can be reduced from 24 hours in the prior art to no more than 30 minutes, preferably about 3 to 15 minutes. The present invention represents substantial economic benefits as well as reductions of potential health risks as a result of the reduced contact by operators with biocides during the preparation process.

The invention relates to the preparation of biocidal formulations. Conventionally, the extermination of agricultural pests always involves the application of large amounts of chemical pesticides. It is well-known that chemical pesticides may cause pests to develop resistance to pesticides, and that residuals of pesticides often cause pesticidal pollution to the environment. Since chemical pesticides have potential danger to human beings (and animals) and the environment, the use of chemical pesticides should be judiciously controlled and the amount of usage maintained to a minimum. It is preferred to develop biocides which can selectively and effectively kill pests while they can be degraded in the environment. It is also highly preferable to develop biocides that will not cause harms to human beings and the crops.
One of the main disadvantages of biocides is that they cannot resist high temperature. If the preparation of biocidal formulations is conducted at elevated temperatures, the biocides may be destroyed or their activities substantially reduced. Therefore, conventionally, the preparation of biocidal formulation must be processed at low temperatures in order to protect biocides and to maintain the activity thereof.
R. L. Dunkle et at. disclose a method for the preparation of starch-encapsulated Bacillus thuringiensis in "Environmental Entomology" (vol. 17, PP. 120-126, 1988). In this reference, the method for the preparation of starch-encapsulated biocide is described as follows. Refined corn oil (2 g) was mixed with pre-gelatinized starch powder (25 g). Chilled distilled water (60 ml, 2.degree. C.) containing a suspension of Bacillus thuringiensis spores and crystals at a desired concentration was stirred into the starch-oil mixture to form a gelatinous mass. The mixture was allowed to stand for 30 minutes at room temperature to produce a rubbery, non-sticky mass which was processed in a blender with 25 g of starch powder to produce pesticide-containing small particles. After air dried for 24 hours at room temperature, the particles were sieved into various mesh sizes. This process, which involved cooling at room temperature for 24 hours, was employed in order to avoid the reduction of the activity of biocide due to heat or high temperature. This process is cumbersome and cannot be performed as a continuous process.

Method for the preparation of a biocidal formulation containing starch and Bacillus thuringiensis

Industrial Technology Research Institute


A spatial median filter determines a median of a plurality of values by dividing the plurality of values into a plurality of groups of values. The values in each of the groups are sorted to determine its median. Then, the medians of the plurality of groups are fully sorted. Certain of the sorted values are eliminated from prescribed ones of the groups in accordance with prescribed criteria based on the number of values in the group and the median value of the group values. The remaining values are sorted to determine the median of the plurality of values.

This invention relates to filters and, more particularly, to determining the median of a plurality of values.
A standard prior known approach in finding a median of N values is to fully sort the sequence of N values by arranging the N values in the sequence in either ascending or descending order, e.g., 4, 10, 20, . . . or . . . , 20, 10, 4, respectively, and then picking the middle value of the sorted sequence of N values. The optimal number of comparisons needed to sort N values is in the order of K*N*log(N), where K is some constant independent of N. This process of finding a median is not optimal, because the sorting is more than what is needed to locate the median. Sorting arranges all values in an ascending or a descending order. It produces the location of every value in the sequence, not only the median. In locating a median, only the median itself is of interest, it is not necessary to know the order of other values in the sequence. Therefore, using a full sorting process to locate the median is not optimal, and it requires making significantly more comparisons than are actually necessary.
The problems and limitations of prior spatial median filters is overcome in determining a median of a plurality of values, in accordance with the invention, by dividing the plurality of values into a plurality of groups of values. The values in each of the groups are sorted to determine its median. Then, the medians of the plurality of groups are fully sorted. Certain sorted values are eliminated from prescribed ones of the groups in accordance with prescribed criteria based on the number of values in the group and the median value of the group values. The remaining values are sorted to determine the median of the plurality of values.
A technical advantage of the invention is that fewer comparisons are required to determine the median of a plurality of values than in prior known arrangements. Consequently, this results in a significantly simpler implementation of a spatial median filter including an embodiment of the invention.
Another technical advantage of the invention is that in the process of determining the median values that are less than or equal and values that are greater than or equal to the median are also identified without any additional processing.


A device for forming a mold for a dental prosthetic includes a dental tray that provides connection to a vacuum source. Additionally, the device includes a dam that may be used to selectively block suction from the vacuum source. The method for forming a mold for a dental prosthetic includes forming an impression with a dental tray including a dam and then forming a mold within the impression after portions of the dam are selectively removed to allow suction to draw in moldable material to the desired teeth.

In order to make an artificial tooth, crown, or other dental prosthetic, dentists usually require a dental model. Conventionally, such a model is formed by the impression left in a dental impression tray filled with a self-hardening, gum-like compound. To form the impression, the tray is inserted into the patient's mouth and the compound fills in the area around the teeth before hardening. After removing the tray and compound from the mouth, a model material is poured into the dental impression and hardens to form the model of the patient's teeth.
When preparing a crown for a tooth, the tooth is typically prepared by reshaping and reducing its size. This enables the crown to fit over the tooth without disrupting the patient's other teeth. Once the tooth is reshaped, a thin piece of retraction cord is typically placed around it before a dental impression is taken. This impression is used to form the model that the dentist will use when constructing the crown.
As can be imagined, the crown must be formed to fit precisely on the reshaped tooth and between the adjacent teeth. Furthermore, the crown must not obstruct the patient's bite. Therefore, it is vital that the dental impression be accurate so that the proper crown can be prepared. Unfortunately, dental impressions prepared under the currently practiced method often suffer from significant inaccuracies. Some inaccuracies are caused by the movement of the patient's tongue, lips, cheeks or jaw. Other inaccuracies are due to the fact that the impression material tends not to adhere tightly to the teeth since it is designed to be easily removed from the teeth. As a result, the models prepared from these faulty dental impressions share their inaccuracies. More importantly, the crowns or other dental prosthetics formed using the models also include their inaccuracies. In order to overcome this, dentists often must alter the crown when mounting it to the reshaped tooth—a process that can be difficult for both the dentist and the patient.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide devices and methods for forming a mold for a dental model having improved accuracy. Another object of the present invention is to provide devices and methods for forming a mold for a dental model that uses suction to draw the moldable material into contact with the teeth. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide devices and methods for forming a dental impression in which an impression of the patient's tooth is taken before a final mold of the reshaped tooth is taken within the impression. Another object of the present invention is to provide dental impression devices and methods that allow for selective suctioning of moldable material within the patient's mouth. Still another object of the present invention is to provide devices for forming dental impressions, and methods of using the devices, that are relatively easy to manufacture, simple to use and comparatively cost effective.

Device and method for vacuum assisted dental impression


A piston compressor, particularly a refrigerant compressor includes a compression chamber in a compressor block, the compression chamber being delimited by a cylinder head (10), the cylinder head (10) comprising at least one valve plate arrangement with at least one suction valve (23, 24) and at least one pressure valve (21, 22), as well as a valve cover (12). To achieve low manufacturing costs, though maintaining a good efficiency, the valve plate arrangement (16) is formed by a carrier plate (17) that comprises the suction valve (23, 24, 26, 27) and the pressure valve (18, 19, 21, 22) and is connected by at least one gas-tight connection seam (28, 31) to the valve cover (12), the connection seam (28, 31) separating a suction area (32) and a pressure area (29, 30) from one another and sealing at least the pressure area (29, 30) towards the outside.

Such a piston compressor is, for example, known from DE 10 2004 047 159 B4. The valve plate arrangement comprises a pressure valve plate and a suction valve plate. The pressure valve plate and the suction valve plate are connected to each other and the valve cover by welding. The pressure valve plate has several pressure valve elements, which are part of the pressure valve plate. In a similar manner, the suction valve plate has several suction valve elements, which are part of the suction valve plate.
DE 103 30 760 B4 shows a further piston compressor, in which, additionally to the pressure valve plate and the suction valve plate, the valve plate arrangement comprises a reinforcement plate.
Piston compressors, which are used to compress refrigerants, that is, for example, hermetic or semi-hermetic refrigerant compressors, are manufactured in large numbers. Accordingly, there is an interest in keeping the manufacturing costs low. Usually, however, low manufacturing costs involve the risk that the application properties of the compressor are deteriorated. In particular, there is a risk that the efficiency is reduced.

Piston compressor, particularly refrigerant compressor