A laminoplasty rod and rod system that allows for variable angulation, translation (distraction and/or compression) and rotation of a spinal lamina bone portion associated with a laminoplasty. The laminoplasty rod is used with a polyaxial spinal rod bone screw assembly anchored to the vertebra associated with the laminoplasty, and is attachable to the spinal lamina bone portion. The laminoplasty rod system provides positional attachment of the rod to the spinal components and fixation thereof in various orientations. The laminoplasty rod system includes a configured laminoplasty rod that fits into or onto the head of a polyaxial spinal rod bone screw assembly. A bone screw boss, defining a bone screw attachment configuration, is formed at one end of the laminoplasty rod. Preferably, but not necessarily, the bone screw boss is situated at an angled end of the rod having a pre-defined bend that provides for greater variation in rod orientation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to procedures and devices for treating problems with the spine and, in particular, to procedures and devices for relieving pressure on the spinal cord.
2. Background Information
The spinal cord and nerve roots in the neck are surrounded and protected by the cervical vertebrae. These bones have an opening called the spinal canal through which the spinal cord passes. Ligaments and blood vessels are also present in the spinal canal. The nerve roots start at the spinal cord and pass through an opening between the vertebrae called the intervertebral foramen (or neural foramen). From there, the nerves extend to other parts of the body. It can thus be appreciated that any compromise to or trouble with the spine can cause various medical problems.
One of these problems is known as spinal stenosis. Spinal stenosis is a condition where there is narrowing of the spinal canal (and often the neural foramen), which causes compression of the spinal cord and/or nerve roots. This narrowing is caused by numerous factors including bone spurs, degeneration of the intervertebral disks and facet joints, and thickening of the ligaments. Among the symptoms spinal stenosis can produce are pain and/or numbness in the arms, clumsiness of the hands, and gait disturbances. The spine may also undergo other compression problems. If left untreated, such problems can lead to a loss in mobility and/or permanent physical damage.
One manner of treating spinal stenosis and other such spinal compression problems is to perform surgery. One prior art surgical procedure is known as a laminectomy. In a laminectomy, pressure against the spinal cord is relieved by removing the spinous process and lamina associated with an affected vertebra. With the posterior portion of the vertebra gone, the spinal cord is thus exposed. Since a laminectomy leaves the spinal cord exposed and removes a substantial portion of the posterior portion of one or more vertebra, various surgical alternatives have been sought.
One such alternative technique or procedure for the decompression of the spine, and especially the cervical spine, is a laminoplasty. In a laminoplasty, the spinal canal is expanded by repositioning the lamina rather than removing it completely, as in a laminectomy. With a laminoplasty, decompression is provided while maintaining the stabilizing effects of the posterior portion of the vertebra through retention of a portion of the posterior portion of the vertebra. The advantage of a laminoplasty is that it increases the size of the spinal canal but leaves a posterior portion that helps keep the spine stable.
In a laminoplasty, one side of a lamina is cut through while the other side of the lamina is grooved to create a "hinged" or "swinging" flap or door of bone. The lamina bone flap is then opened (thereby enlarging the spinal canal) to relieve pressure on the spinal cord. In the typical laminoplasty technique, a wedge or the like is placed between the free side of the lamina and the cut vertebra portion. A plate is then attached to the wedge, the lamina bone flap and the cut vertebra in order to fix the position of the lamina bone flap and the enlarged spinal canal.
The above laminoplasty approach, however, has various drawbacks. For instance, the pre-defined geometry of laminoplasty wedges can create the need for in-situ contouring. Additionally, pre-bent laminoplasty plates and/or other laminoplasty components having pre-defined configurations can add numerous iterations to the installation procedure. As is well known, the longer and more complicated the procedure, the greater the likelihood for problems.
In view of the above, it is apparent that there exists a need for a more versatile laminoplasty implant/implant system.
Additionally, it is apparent that there exists a need for a laminoplasty implant/implant system that provides a better fit with existing anatomies.
Moreover, it is apparent that there exists a need for a laminoplasty implant/implant system that provides for less in-situ contouring and fewer implant iterations.


The present invention provides a material suitable for use in a solid oxide fuel cell, wherein the material is of an, optionally doped, double perovskite oxide material having the general formula (I): (LnaXb)e(Z1cZ2d)fOg (I) wherein Ln is selected from Y, La and a Lanthanide series element, or a combination of these and X also represents an element occupying the A site of a perovskite oxide and is selected from Sr, Ca and Ba, and Z1 and Z2 represent different elements occupying the B site of a perovskite oxide and are selected from Cr, Mn, Mg and Fe, and wherein a has a value from 0 to 1, preferably 0.7 to 1.0, b has a value of from 1 to 0, preferably 0.3 to 0, and each of c and d has a value of from 0.25 to 0.75, provided that a+b has a value of 1, and c+d, has a value of 1, and wherein e has a value of from 0.8 to 1, wherein f has a value of from 0.8 to 1, and g has a value of from 2.5 to 3.2. Also provided are SOFCs having an electrode or functional layer of a material or containing a material of the invention, as well as mixed ionic/electronic conducting membranes suitable for use in a syngas reactor or oxygen separator, comprising a layer of a double perovskite material of the invention, and a method of oxidising a fuel in an SOFC having an anode of a double perovskite material of the invention.

There is a great need for and interest in more efficient means of converting chemical energy into electrical energy, which has created great interest in fuel cells. The practical commercial development of these has, though, been held back by numerous practical problems. The SOFC is a particularly attractive system, which can utilize hydrocarbon fuels such as methane with internal reforming of the fuel, and achieve relatively high efficiencies. Significant problems remain, though, in relation to inter alia the design of the anode used.
Many different materials have been tried in the search for improved anode performance, including materials such as Ni/YSZ (YSZ=Y2O3/ZrO2) which has relatively good performance but suffers from the substantial disadvantage of relatively short working life due to the formation of carbon deposits when using hydrocarbon fuels, susceptibility to poisoning with sulphur which is frequently encountered in hydrocarbon fuels and an intolerance to repeated reduction/oxidation cycling, as was encountered in small systems such as CHP units or APUs for automotive applications. It has also been proposed to use LaCrO3 (P. Vernoux et al J. Electrochem. Soc. 145 3487-3492 (1998)), and more recently it has been proposed to utilize LaCrO3 which has been doped with various elements in order to improve its performance (J. Liu et al Electrochemical and Solid-State Letters 5 A122-A125 (2002)). Nevertheless even such doped LaCrO3 has relatively limited electrochemical performance and effective working life.
It is an object of the present invention to avoid or minimize one or more of the above mentioned disadvantages.
It has now, by consideration of a novel approach, been found that by using a double perovskite material based on LaCrO3 instead of a doped LaCrO3, it is possible to achieve electrical and catalytic properties comparable with prior art anode materials such as Ni based anodes (that is with over-potential losses which can be less than 100 mV at current densities of 400 mAcm−2) without the need for using metallic current conducting components, normally nickel and without significant carbon formation and deposition when using hydrocarbon fuels. Unlike previously tried doped LaCrO3 in which a small number of the La and/or Cr atoms in LaCrO3, typically 5 to 10%, or at most 20%, are replaced by different atoms, resulting in a doped form of a "single" perovskite, in a double perovskite material the B sites of the perovskite crystal lattice structure, normally occupied substantially wholly by Cr, are occupied by similar amounts of two different elements. It should be emphasised that the term double perovskite is used here to emphasise double occupation B-site, and not necessarily to imply any structural order that manifests itself as two different structural B-sites existing in the lattice.

Perovskite-based fuel cell electrode and membrane

The University Court of the University of St. Andrews


Novel peptide mimetic compounds are provided which have useful activity as inhibitors of platelet aggregation. These compounds have the chemical structure ##STR1## wherein x=6 to 10,. y=0 to 4, PA0 Z=H, COOH, CONH.sub.2 or C.sub.1-6 alkyl, PA0 Ar=phenyl, biphenyl or napthyl, each substituted with 1 to 3 methoxy groups, or an unsubstituted phenyl, biphenyl, napthyl, pyridyl or thienyl group, and PA0 Asp=aspartic acid residue.

This invention relates to novel peptide mimetic compounds having activity as inhibitors of platelet aggregation.
Fibrinogen is a glycoprotein present as a normal component of blood plasma. It participates in platelet aggregation and fibrin formation in the blood clotting mechanism.
Platelets are cellular elements found in whole blood which also participate in blood coagulation. Fibrinogen binding to platelets is important to normal platelet function in the blood coagulation mechanism. When a blood vessel receives an injury, the platelets binding to fibrinogen will initiate aggregation and form a thrombus. Interaction of fibrinogen with platelets occurs through a membrane glycoprotein complex, known as gpIIb/IIIa; this is an important feature of the platelet function. Inhibitors of this interaction are useful in modulating platelet thrombus formation.
It is also known that another large glycoprotein named fibronectin, which is a major extracellular matrix protein, interacts with fibrinogen and fibrin, and with other structural molecules such as actin, collagen and proteoglycans. Various relatively large polypeptide fragments in the cell-binding domain of fibronectin have been found to have cell-attachment activity. See U.S. Pat. Nos. b 4,517,686; 4,589,881; and 4,661,111. These polypeptides include an internal amino acid sequence Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser. Certain relatively short peptide fragments from the same molecule were found to promote cell attachment to a substrate when immobilized on the substrate or to inhibit attachment when in a solubilized or suspended form. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,578,079 and 4,614,517. These peptides were defined as EQU X-Arg-Gly-Asp-R-Y
wherein
X=H or amino acid, PA1 R=Thr or Cys; and EQU X-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser-Y PA1 X=H or amino acid, PA1 Y=OH or amino acid. PA1 y=0 to 4, PA1 Z=H, COOH, CONH.sub.2 or C.sub.1-6 alkyl, PA1 Ar=phenyl, biphenyl or napthyl, each substituted with 1 to 3 methoxy groups, or an unsubstituted phenyl, biphenyl, napthyl, pyridyl or thienyl group, and PA1 Asp=aspartic acid residue.
wherein
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,291, inhibition of platelet function is disclosed with synthetic peptides designed to be high affinity antagonists of fibrinogen binding to platelets. These synthetic peptides have up to 16 amino acid residues with EQU Arg-Gly-Asp-Val or EQU Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser
at the C-terminal.
Similar synthetic peptides which contain the Arg-Gly-Asp sequence and their use as inhibitors of fibrinogen binding to platelets are disclosed by Koczewiak et al., Biochem. 23, 1767-1774 (1984); Plow et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 82, 8057-8061 (1985); Ruggeri et al., Ibid. 83, 5708-5712 (1986); Ginsberg et al., J. Biol. Chem. 260 (7), 3931-3936 (1985); and Haverstick et al., Blood 66 (4), 946-952 (1985).

Thienyl peptide mimetic compounds which are useful in inhibiting platelet aggregation


In some embodiments, an anti-malware system accounts for benign differences between non-malicious data objects, such as differences introduced by compilers and other polymorphisms. A target object is separated into a multitude of code blocks, and a hash is calculated for each code block. The obtained set of target hashes is then compared against a database of hashes corresponding to code blocks extracted from whitelisted objects. A target object may be labeled as whitelisted (trusted, non-malicious) if it has a substantial number of hashes in common with a whitelisted object. Objects which are slightly different from known whitelisted objects may still receive whitelisting status. By allowing a certain degree of mismatch between the sets of hashes of distinct objects, some embodiments of the present invention increase the efficiency of whitelisting without an unacceptable decrease in safety.

The invention relates to systems and methods for protecting users from malicious software, and in particular to software whitelisting.
Malicious software, also known as malware, affects a great number of computer systems worldwide. In its many forms such as computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and rootkits, malware presents a serious risk to millions of computer users, making them vulnerable to loss of data, identity theft, and loss of productivity, among others.
Computer programs dedicated to malware scanning employ various methods of detecting and eliminating malware from user computer systems. Such methods include behavior-based techniques and content-based techniques. Behavior-based methods may involve allowing a suspected program to execute in an isolated virtual environment, identifying malicious behavior, and blocking the execution of the offending program. In content-based methods, the contents of a suspected file are commonly compared to a database of known malware-identifying signatures. If a known malware signature is found in the suspected file, the file is labeled as malicious.
Other methods of combating malware employ application whitelisting, which comprises maintaining a list of software and behaviors that are allowed on a user's computer system, and blocking all other applications from executing. Such methods are particularly effective against polymorphic malware, which is able to randomly modify its malware-identifying signature, rendering conventional content-based methods ineffective.
Some whitelisting applications employ hash values to identify and ensure the integrity of whitelisted software. A cryptographic hash may be created for a file or group of files affiliated with a whitelisted application and stored for reference. The respective application is then authenticated by comparing the stored hash to a new hash generated at runtime.
The performance of anti-malware whitelisting methods may depend on the capability to maintain and update whitelist databases in a efficient and flexible manner.

Fuzzy whitelisting anti-malware systems and methods


A method and apparatus for populating a trusted files database for an anti-virus application. A determination is made from several files stored in a file system of a set of files likely to be accessed from the file system. For each file that is likely to be accessed from the file system, a further determination is made to ascertain if the file is trusted by the anti-virus application. If the file is likely to be accessed from the file system, and is trusted, then it is identified in a trusted files database. By only including files that are likely to be accessed by the file system, the time to populate the trusted files database is greatly reduced.

Malware is short for malicious software and is used as a term to refer to any software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer system without the owner's informed consent. Malware can include viruses, worms, trojan horses, rootkits, adware, spyware and any other malicious and unwanted software. Any computer device, such as a desktop personal computer (PC), laptop, personal data assistant (PDA) or mobile phone, can be at risk from malware.
When a device is infected by malware the user will often notice unwanted behaviour and degradation of system performance as the infection can create unwanted processor activity, memory usage, and network traffic. This can also cause stability issues leading to application or system-wide crashes. The user of an infected device may incorrectly assume that poor performance is a result of software flaws or hardware problems, taking inappropriate remedial action, when the actual cause is a malware infection of which they are unaware.
Detecting malware is challenging as the malware authors design their software to be difficult to detect, often employing technology that deliberately hides the presence of malware on a system, i.e. the malware application may not show up on the operating system tables that list currently running processes.
Computer devices make use of anti-virus software to detect and possibly remove malware. Anti-virus software can make use of various methods to detect malware including scanning, integrity checking and heuristic analysis. Of these methods, malware scanning involves the anti-virus software examining files for a virus fingerprint or "signature" that is characteristic of an individual malware program. Typically, this requires that the anti-virus software has a database containing the signatures. When the provider of the anti-virus software identifies a new malware threat, the threat is analysed and its signature is extracted. The malware is then "known" and its signature can be supplied as updates to the anti-virus software database. However, scanning files for malware can consume significant processing resources potentially resulting in a reduction in the performance of a computing device.
In order to reduce this processing burden, some anti-virus solutions provide for one or more databases of trusted files that are highly unlikely to be a source of malware. These trusted files are those files published or authored by trusted sources. For example, those files that make up a piece of software distributed by a reputable software provider could be considered to be trustworthy such that, provided such files have not been modified since their publication/release, these files need not be scanned for malware.
The provider of the anti-virus software identifies files that can be considered trustworthy and applies a one-way hash function to the file to convert it to a fixed-length string known as a hash value (also known as a digest). For a description of one-way hash functions see Chapter 2 of Applied Cryptography by Bruce Schneier, 1997. The hash value provides a fingerprint of the file that is highly unlikely to be duplicated by another input. Given the extremely small probability of such a 'collision' and the one-way nature of a hash function, it is extremely difficult or almost impossible to calculate the input that has produced a given hash value, even though the hash function used to generate the hash value is publicly available. The list of the hash values of these trusted files is secured against unauthorised modification (i.e. by digitally signing the trusted file list) and provided to a user's device.
Prior to scanning a given file to determine if the file could possibly be or contain malware (for example when prompted by the user, when due to perform a scheduled scan, or when initiated in response to a request to run the file or in response to the receipt of the file), the anti-virus software will determine if the file is in the trusted file database. The anti-virus software applies the same one-way hash function to the file to be checked and then compares the resulting hash value with the trusted file database provided by the supplier of the anti-virus software. If a match is found in the database, there is an extremely high probability that this file can be trusted, i.e. it is from a trusted source and has not been modified since its first publication, and therefore it need not be scanned for malware.
When an anti-virus application is first installed on a device, it must build a trusted file database, as the anti-virus supplier does not necessarily know what files are in use, or are likely to be used, in each user device. Given that there are thousands of files that are published by a variety of trusted sources, these trusted file databases are large and can consume a significant amount of memory. More importantly, it can take many hours for an anti-virus application to build a trusted files database by scanning files stored in a memory. This problem can be exacerbated when the anti-virus application is installed on a device that has been in use for some time; the device may include a large number of data files such as user documents, photographs, cache files, temporary files and other content that must be scanned but is irrelevant for the purpose of populating the trusted files database. Populating the trusted files database can take more time than is saved in subsequent scans.


The present invention relates to the general field of treatment and prevention of diseases involving an inflammatory condition, namely sepsis or infectious or viral diseases as well as diseases requiring for the treatment of immunosuppressive activity namely autoimmune diseases and graft rejection. In particular, the invention relates to an inhibitor of the activity or the formation of the PP1/GADD34 complex for the treatment of a condition requiring an immunosuppressive activity or an anti-inflammatory activity.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are regulators of the immune response whose antigen processing activities are controlled in response to pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPS). DCs are most efficient at initiating antigen-specific responses, inducing differentiation of naive T cells. Upon stimulation via pattern recognition receptors, DCs begin a maturation process characterized by functional changes, such as cytokine production (e.g. IL-12) or upregulation of antigen presentation [Mellman, I. et al., 2001]. Double-stranded RNA (ds-RNA) present as viral genome or in virally infected cells is recognized by Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3), which is expressed by several specialized cell types including DCs [Alexopoulou, L., et Al., 2001]. Upon stimulation with poly I:C, a dsRNA mimic, TLR3 triggers a complex signaling cascade leading to type I interferons (IFN) production [Alexopoulou, L., et Al., 2001 and Kawai, T. et Al., 2006]. In addition to membrane bound TLR3, another intracellular dsRNA receptor, the RNA helicase melanoma associated gene-5 (MDA5) induces type I IFN production in response to poly I:C via a different signaling cascade also leading to the nuclear translocation of IRF-3 and IRF-7 [Kawai, T. et Al., 2006 and Gitlin, L. et Al., 2006]. Once bound to their receptor on the cell surface, type I interferons activate the Janus tyrosine kinase/signal transducer and activator pathway, which induces the expression of a wide spectrum of cellular genes. Among these, there is the double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (PKR), a key player of the interferon-mediated antiviral action, which is involved in cell differentiation and apoptosis [Donze, O. et al., 2004 and Scheuner, D. et al., 2006].
PKR is also activated by dsRNA in the cytosol and triggers translation initiation factor 2-alpha phosphorylation on serine 51 (eIF2-α) [Proud, C. G, 1995 and Williams, B. R., 1999] leading to protein synthesis shut-off and inhibition of viral replication. In addition to dsRNA detection, different stress signals trigger eIF2-α phosphorylation, thus attenuating mRNA translation and activating gene expression programs known globally as the integrated stress response (ISR) [Harding, H. P. et al., 2003]. To date, four kinases have been identified to mediate ISR: PKR, PERK (protein kinase RNA (PKR)-like ER kinase) [Harding, H. P., et al., 2000], GCN2 (general control non-derepressible-2) [Zhang, P. et al. 2002 and Berlanga, J. J. et al. 2006] and HRI (heme-regulated inhibitor) [Chen, J. J. et al., 1995 and Lu, L., et Al., 2001]. ER stress-mediated eIF2-α phosphorylation is carried out by PERK, which is activated by an excess of unfolded proteins accumulating in the ER lumen [Harding, H. P., et al., 2000]. Activated PERK phosphorylates eIF2-α, attenuating protein synthesis and triggering the translation of specific molecules such as the transcription factor ATF4, which is necessary to mount part of a particular ISR, known as the unfolded protein response (UPR) [Ron, D. & Walter, P., 2007 and Todd, D. J., et Al., 2008 and Zhang, K. & Kaufman. R. J. et Al., 2008].
Interestingly, dsRNA detection by TLR3, MDA5 and PKR is likely to occur concomitantly in cells like DCs, thus potentially resulting in conflicting signaling events and opposite biological effects (e.g. cellular activation v.s. translational arrest and/or anergy).
The inventors demonstrate here that poly I:C detection by DCs or fibroblasts activates the negative feedback control loop of the UPR and induces eIF2-α dephosphorylation through phosphatase 1 (PP1) and the expression of its inducible cofactor, the growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible protein 34 (GADD34/MyD116) [Connor, J. H., et Al., 2001]. As a consequence, the translational arrest, normally mediated through eIF2-α phosphorylation in response to cytosolic dsRNA detection, tapsigargin or tryptophan starvation, is prevented in activated DCs. This phenomenon allows DCs to perform their immune function, in conditions under which translation arrest would normally impair their activity. This point is illustrated by the demonstration that the absence of stress-induced translational inhibition in activated DCs is essential to produce normal amounts of interferon-β and to prevent caspase-3 cleavage and apoptosis and that DCs inactivated for the GADD34 gene are incapable of producing cytokines.
As is known, DCs play major role in inflammatory condition like autoimmune diseases by releasing inflammatory cytokines like interferon-β or IL-12. So, inhibiting GADD34 could allow controlling the overactive immune response in pathogenic condition like autoimmune diseases or graft rejection by blocking the release of inflammatory cytokines released by DCs or other cells.
As of today, very few treatments are available for the treatment of autoimmune diseases or graft rejection, that have an acceptable safety index.
Thus, there is a permanent need in the art for new molecules for the treatment of autoimmune diseases or graft rejection.

Inhibitors of the PP1/GADD34 complex for the treatment of a condition requiring an immunosuppressive activity


Game systems according to various embodiments are adapted to allow users to assemble an instrument performance for a particular song by: (1) displaying a music loop pallet that includes a plurality of different music loops that each contain music played by a particular musical instrument (e.g., guitar, bass, drums, piano, etc.); and (2) allowing a user to assemble the instrument performance by indicating (a) which of the plurality of music loops will be included in the instrument performance, and (b) in which order the music loops will be played during the instrument performance. In certain embodiments, the system is configured to allow a user to create songs that comprise a plurality of instruments and genres of music into one complete song.

Over the past several decades, video games and other applications have become increasingly popular and have evolved to include highly sophisticated graphics, music, and game concepts. Most popular video games and applications focus on pure entertainment, keeping players busy and engaged, but offer little in the way of education.
While there are several video games and applications that do offer educational opportunities, some users may see these games as "boring", and prefer to spend most of their time playing the sophisticated games that were created purely for entertainment. Accordingly, there is a need for games and applications that tie entertainment and education together, particularly in the area of music composition.


In order when treating printed circuit boards with liquids, particularly during cleaning, etching, metallizing or rinsing, to achieve a precisely time measurable and effective treatment, the area supplied by means of a spray or swell nozzle or a stationary wave is limited by suction devices (24, 25, 41, 42). The latter are positioned upstream and downstream of the application (28, 38). The spray or suction nozzles (22, 24, 25) are arranged in a common casing and the boards (12) to be treated move horizontally passed its lower periphery.

The invention relates to an apparatus for the treatment of board-like articles, particularly printed circuit boards, with a fluid treatment medium, particularly a cleaning, etching, metallizing or rinsing liquid, along a substantially horizontal conveying path, the treatment medium being applied by means of an applicator, particularly a spray, splash or swell nozzle, or by means of a stationary wave to the board surface.
Such apparatuses have been extensively used up to now, particularly for the production of printed circuit boards.
With the increasing integration density of the components on the printed circuit boards, it is necessary to continuously reduce the width of the conductors and the reciprocal conductor spacing. The smaller the dimensions of the conductors, the more important it is to prevent any undercutting of the conductors. Also in connection with various other treatment steps for printed circuit boards, it is becoming increasingly important to allow the treatment medium to act over a precisely controllable time on the surfaces of the boards. With a view to achieving a maximum flow rate the treatment time per board surface also plays a part, so that a minimum board surface treatment time is sought. Simultaneously the treatment result must have a constant quality and it must in particular be ensured that the gaps between the conductors no longer have any residual copper cladding.
These aspects became even more important in connection with the production of multilayer boards, in which the overall board is only obtained after joining together a plurality of individual electronic printed circuit boards and only then can testing for functional characteristics take place. The possibilities of faults are multiplied with the number of layers and simultaneously there in an increase in the damage resulting from the failure of one board.

Apparatus for the treatment of board-like articles, particularly printed circuit boards


A golf club head with a composite body which in turn has a ceramic sponge body defining a number of pores therein and a filler selected from the group consisting of metals, synthetic resins, fiber-reinforced metals and fiber-reinforced resins and impregnated into the pores. The golf club head is fabricated by forming a foamed resin head substantially conforming in configurations and dimensions with the composite body, impregnating the foamed resin head with a ceramic slurry, followed by sintering to form a ceramic sponge body defining pores therein, filling the pores of the ceramic sponge body with a wax, covering the ceramic sponge body with a mold-forming refractory material, applying a heat treatment to remove the wax and to sinter the refractory material, and then casting the filler into the pores.

There is currently considerable growth in the development of golf club heads of improved performance, particularly with the benefit of lighter weight. Analyzing this move from the facet of development of materials, the following golf club heads have been proposed. However, none of them have fully satisfactory performance.
(i) Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 22755/1976 discloses a golf club head having a face plate, which is made of an alumina ceramic material containing at least 90% Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, applied to the face with a view toward achieving a head weight reduction and also providing increased resilience against the ball. The ball however tends to slip when struck, because the face is a smooth surface formed singly of the alumina ceramic material mentioned above. The above golf club head is accompanied by another drawback in that the face plate is prone to separation from the face of the head because they are merely bonded face to face two-dimensionally.
(ii) Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 198170/1985 discloses a golf club head with a casting of Al or an Al alloy in a foamed metal body (metal sponge body) composed principally of Ni, for the ball-striking face of the head, to reduce weight and improve hardness, resilience, abrasion resistance and machinability. The casting is however a foamed metal body and hence has a small effect for the reduction of weight. Furthermore, the foamed metal body forming the ball-striking face and a member forming other portions of the head are made of similar metal materials, so that there is little difference in hardness between them. It is impossible therefore to spin the ball when striking it. In other words, the above golf club head cannot give any large traction to the ball, thereby making it difficult to impart the desired flying characteristics to the ball when striking it.
(iii) Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 25457/1978 discloses a golf club head which is composed of a sponge metal impregnated with a synthetic resin. Because of the use of the sponge metal, the head has a large specific gravity. Therefore, this approach does not contribute much to achieving a lighter head. It is hence impossible to fabricate the large head desirable to facilitate striking the ball.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to avoid the drawbacks of the above-discussed golf club heads, especially the conventional club heads' need to reduce the weight thereof.
It is another object of this invention to provide a golf club head which is lightweight, yet strong and abrasive resistant by having the golf club head composed of a foamed porous ceramic body (hereinafter, referred to as "ceramic sponge body") as a base and a metal, fiber-reinforced metal (FRM), resin or fiber-reinforced resin (FRP) filled in the ceramic sponge, instead of employing a conventional metal sponge; namely, a sponge metal produced by adding foaming agent to a molten metal.

Golf club heads and fabrication process thereof


In a method for the disposal and recovery of environmentally harmful substances, especially refrigerant from refrigerant systems, in which the refrigerant is aspirated from the refrigeration system with the aid of a compressor and liquefied, and after passing through an oil filter supplied to a disposal container, the invention provides that on its way to the compressor, the refrigerant is kept in the gaseous state by heating and is freed of foreign substances such as oil, water and dirt, which are collected in separate containers, and on its way from the compressor to the disposal container, in the liquid state, is subjected to further cleaning to remove the aforementioned substances.

Among these substances, the group of Freons, such as Freon R12, R22, R512, F11, and so forth, make up a very large proportion. In their free state, these halogenated hydrocarbons, in particular chlorinated fluorocarbons, are one of the primary causes for the destruction of the ozone layer in the atmosphere. These toxic substances are liberated when spray cans are used, for instance, or in the manufacture of plastics.
The most recent figures for the Federal Republic of Germany indicate that 2.3 million household refrigerators and freezers are disposed of annually as trash, or are taken to garbage dumps and scrap dealers. As a rule, the refrigerating cycle is destroyed in this process, so approximately 350 metric tons of refrigerants of the above type escape into the atmosphere each year and contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer. In addition, approximately 900,000 liters of used oil leak out of the refrigerator compressors into the ground every year. Other systems however, such as large refrigeration plants or heat pumps, also contribute in this way to the environmental burden.
Attempts are therefore now being made to regulate the disposal of such systems and equipment by law. Refrigerators, for instance, are to be collected separately. Prior to the final dismantling or scrapping, the refrigerant and the used oil are to be collected and re-used after processing.
In some known methods for disposing of the refrigerant, the refrigerant is simply aspirated from the refrigeration cycle and collected in containers in the gaseous state. These methods have the disadvantage, however, that it takes up to nine hours to aspirate the refrigerant from a single refrigerator. A further disadvantage of these methods is that very large containers must be used to collect the gaseous Freon.
Other methods are also known, for instance from German Patent 30 01 224, in which the refrigerant is extracted from the refrigeration system by means of a compressor and supplied in liquid form to a pressure vessel. This vessel is connected to a weight switch, which switches off the delivery of any further refrigerant once a predetermined total weight is attained. For performing this method, an apparatus is used that is either portable or transportable on a vehicle. A major disadvantage of the previously known system is that it requires a great number of manually actuated valves to control the drainage process. Malfunction-free operation of the system can be done only by carefully trained persons. A further disadvantage is the fact that the recovered refrigerant is highly contaminated, not only by foreign substances such as oil and water that had already been absorbed in the refrigeration cycle, but also by oil and dirt from the compressor in the recovery system. The contaminated refrigerant can then either be reprocessed, which is expensive, or it must be destroyed. If it is to be destroyed, very high temperatures must be generated for combusting the refrigerant; otherwise, the dioxides and other toxic substances that are produced will be liberated. Similar methods and apparatus, having the same disadvantages, are known for instance from German Utility Model 87 08 522 or German Published, Non-Prosecuted Application 36 16 591. In connection with German Utility Model 87 08 522, it should also be noted that in that system, an oil separator is disposed downstream of the compressor; the oil separator is intended for removing oil from the refrigerant to be recovered, and the oil is returned to the compressor. The contaminated refrigerant already in the refrigeration system accordingly reaches the compressor in an uncleaned state, which can damage or even destroy the compressor. The recovered refrigerant from which the oil has been removed still includes other contaminants, however, which prevent immediate re-use of the refrigerant.

Method and apparatus for disposal and reprocessing of environmentally hazardous substances from refrigeration systems

KSR Kuhlsysteme und Recycling GmbH & Co. KG


A device and a method for raising and supporting the foundation of a building, using a mobile assembly comprising facing jaws and an arm pivotable between a first position where an area between the facing jaws is open and a second position where this area is closed, actuating means adapted to draw the mobile assembly driving a pile secured between the facing jaws when the arm is in the second position, downwardly in the ground, the pile being made of a series of pile sections that are connected together. A pile section that needs to be added to the pile is front-loaded into position atop the pile and between the facing jaws when the arm is in the first position.

When a building's foundations have sunk into the ground, it is often desirable, if not necessary, to raise these foundations so that the building is returned to a level attitude.
Canadian Patent No. 2,031,041 issued on Apr. 16, 1996 discloses such a device for raising the foundations of a building using piles that are then secured to the foundations to maintain the latter at a level position. More particularly, in this Canadian Patent, an L-shaped lifting assembly 5 is inserted under the foundation of the building and is bolted to the concrete thereof, as seen by the horizontal support 24 located under the foundation's footing 2 and by the bolts 23 that extend through holes 22 of the lifting assembly 5. The lifting assembly 5 also includes a vertical tubular member 19 with a pile 6, as seen in FIG. 2, being slidable vertically longitudinally therethrough.
The pile 6 is made of a series of pile sections, such as items 10 and 11 of FIG. 2 of the Canadian Patent, which are connected together via inserts 15 as the pile is driven gradually into the ground. The pile 6 is driven into the ground via a jaw assembly 7 that includes two pivotal jaws 33 and 35 that are positioned on opposite sides of the pile 6. A pair of hydraulic cylinders 8 and 9 connects the lower lifting assembly 5 to the upper jaw assembly 7.
When the cylinders 8 and 9 are extended, the jaws 34 and 35 are adapted to pivot so as to enable the jaw assembly 7 to slide upwardly over and along the pile 6. When the cylinders 8 and 9 are subsequently retracted, the jaws 34 and 35 are adapted to pivot so as to firmly grasp the pile 6 and drive the same into the soil. Repeated extensions and retractions of the cylinders cause the pile 6 to be gradually driven into the soil. When the lower end 13 of the lowermost pile section of the pile 6 reaches solid ground, further retraction of the cylinders 8 and 9 causes the lifting assembly 5 to raise along with the foundation, as the pile 6 cannot itself further displace downwardly.
When the foundation has been sufficiently raised (e.g. the building is now level), the pile 6 and the tubular member 19 are welded together to retain the foundation in the desired position. The jaw assembly 7 and the cylinders 8 and 9 are then removed.
Generally, pile sections 10 and 11 are gradually added to the pile instead of having a single unitary very long pile 6. This becomes necessary when the operation is done from inside of a building where a ceiling limits the length of the pile 6 and forces the same to be made of a series of initially separate pile sections that are gradually connected together in a successive and longitudinal manner, thereby forming the pile 6.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,442-B1 issued on Feb. 27, 2001 to May discloses another device for raising and supporting a building foundation via a lifting assembly that includes a bracket adapted to be secured to the base of the foundation, a pier adapted to be driven into the ground until it reaches a layer bedrock, and a support for the pier, which is secured to the bracket and through which the pier extends. A pair of shafts secures a pier plate and a hydraulic plate to the pier support with the pier plate resting atop the pier. A hydraulic jack is positioned on top of the pier plate. The hydraulic plate being rigidly secured to the shafts, when the hydraulic jack is actuated, it forces the pier plate down, as it is held in fixed position by the hydraulic plate, thereby gradually driving the pier into the ground. The hydraulic jack that drives the pier into the ground is located atop the pier and acts downwardly thereon. A separate jack is used to then lift the foundation.
Other systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,311 issued on Sep. 21, 1993 to West et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,209 issued on Jun. 23, 1992 to Nally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,777 issued on Aug. 23, 1998 to Gregory, U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,345 issued on May 15, 1990 to McCown, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,416,255-B1 issued on Jul. 9, 2002 to Carlson and U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,355 issued on May 26, 1992 to Freeman, III.
When the pile driving and the foundation raising operations are carried out from inside of a building, the pile must again be made of separate sections, new pile sections being added one by one to the upper end of the pile that is being gradually driven into the ground. Each pile section is fed from the top into the foundation lifting device and, as the overall height of typical lifting assemblies are about three to four feet and as the ceiling is less than eight feet high in a basement, each pile section is about three feet long such that it can be inserted from above into the pile driving mechanism of the lifting device. As each new pile section must be connected to the uppermost pile section of the pile, for instance by welding the pile sections together, the pile driving operation needs to be frequently interrupted thereby becoming time consuming.

Device for raising and supporting the foundation of a building


A cargo system includes first and second rails extending longitudinally along first and second side walls of a vehicle. A load floor has multiple panels hinged to one another. The rails are configured to support the load floor above a floor of the vehicle. The load floor is movable along the rails between an extended position and a retracted position. The multiple panels of the load floor divide the cargo area into a first portion below the load floor and above the vehicle floor and a second portion above the load floor. The multiple panels substantially uncover the vehicle floor when the load floor is in the retracted position. The cargo system may also include a cargo retainer. The rails support the cargo retainer such that the cargo retainer spans between the rails and is above the load floor when the load floor is in the extended position.

Many customers purchase sport utility vehicles or pickup trucks in part due to their relatively large cargo areas and corresponding cargo-carrying capabilities. Factory and aftermarket cargo storage organizer systems are available that help subdivide cargo area to provide additional support surfaces. These systems are often bulky, require numerous components, and can be difficult to use. For example, some cargo load floors extend horizontally above a vehicle floor. These designs often require that the entire load be lifted to access cargo stored under the load floor. This can be inconvenient and difficult for vehicle owners.

Vehicle cargo system with integrated rails


An embodiment of this invention relates to a motor driving control apparatus for a moto-assisted vehicle, which includes a driving unit configured to drive a motor, and a controller configured to determine a regeneration amount based on a first speed of a vehicle that moves by the motor driven by the driving unit, and control the driving unit according to the regeneration amount, wherein the first speed is a speed at a first timing when it is detected that a brake of the vehicle is changed to OFF, or is determined based on temporal change in an acceleration of the vehicle.

There are various methods for determining when the regenerative control is performed. For example, there is a method for automatically functioning it according to an acceleration (e.g. Patent document 1).
According to this method, the regeneration automatically begins without any user's operation. Therefore, it is expected that an amount of regeneration increases by performing the regeneration even in a running state where the regeneration has not been performed. On the other hand, if the regeneration automatically begins when the user does not intend the deceleration, the user may feel uncomfortable.
Moreover, another document (e.g. Patent document 2) discloses a motor driving control apparatus that includes (a) a detector to detect a start instruction or stop instruction of regenerative control by a driver; (b) a control coefficient calculation unit, upon detecting the start instruction of the regenerative control by the detector, to specify a first vehicle speed at a detection timing and set a predetermined value for a control coefficient for a target amount of regeneration, and to increase a value of the control coefficient when a current vehicle speed is faster than the first vehicle speed, and decrease the value of the control coefficient when the current vehicle speed is slower than the first vehicle speed; and (c) a controller to control driving of the motor by the value of the control coefficient from the control coefficient calculation unit and the target amount of regeneration. According to this document, the start instruction of the regenerative control is detected by an inverse pedal rotation whose angel is equal to or greater than a predetermined phase angle, ON of an instruction switch for the start instruction of the regenerative control or a series of ONs of a brake switch within a predetermined time period.
According to the technique described in this document, it is possible to function a regenerative braking force while taking into consideration the driver's intention and perform the regenerative control so as to keep the first vehicle speed as much as possible. However, it is assumed that the driver remembers an operation to perform the start instruction of the regenerative control with intention to designate the first vehicle speed. Moreover, according to the aforementioned technique, the vehicle speed at the start instruction of the regenerative control is tried to be kept. However, the vehicle speed preferable for the driver may not always be the vehicle speed at the start instruction of the regenerative control.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5655989.
Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-open Patent Document No. 2014-90539
Namely, there is no technique for performing the regenerative control according to a running state presumed as user's intention that appears in the braking operation.

Motor driving control apparatus and motor-assisted vehicle


The invention provides a shipping container apparatus for bulk granulated material, the apparatus having a lower wall with discharge openings therein. Doors are provided for opening and closing the discharge openings, the doors being actuated by an actuating structure which is mounted for vertical movement relative to the container apparatus. The actuating structure has upper portions which serve as conventional lifting connectors or receptacles at corners of the container, which cooperate with conventional hooks or dogs of a conventional container lifting apparatus, so that raising the actuating structure opens the doors, and lowering the actuating structure closes the doors. This permits granulated material within the container to be dumped into a lower container or conveyance without requiring any specialized lifting or opening equipment.

The invention relates to a cargo container apparatus as used in marine and automotive truck applications, the apparatus being adapted to carry and dump bulk granulated material
Much of the worlds' grain, minerals or other granulated material is transported on water by bulk marine carriers, and on land by railway tanker cars. When granulated material arrives in tanker cars at a terminal facility at a dockside, it is often unloaded by dumping through discharge openings in a bottom wall thereof, termed "bottom dumping". The granulated material is emptied from the tanker cars onto conveyors, etc. for loading into an elevator, or open piles, and is then loaded into a bulk marine carrier. The specialized terminal facilities for transferring grain, etc. from tanker cars to elevators as described above is costly, and is only cost effective when handling relatively large quantities of material. Furthermore, particularly with food grain material that might be damaged by dampness, it is usual to agitate the material by pouring it through air from one location in the elevator to another. In this way, excessive dampness is removed by the ambient air, and the growth of mold, fungus, etc. is reduced or eliminated.
When relatively small quantities of granulated material are to be handled or shipped, handling and storage costs increase considerably when compared with the larger quantities that are economical with the specialized bulk handling facilities. In order to reduce the cost of handling relatively small quantities of granulated material, the present inventor proposes modifications to conventional goods container apparatus, which are normally used for handling packaged or non-bulk goods which require individual loading into containers usually using forklift trucks.
Conventional goods containers, are, in general, unsuitable for handling bulk granulated material for several reasons as follows. Most containers have a pair of hinged doors provided at one end of the container, and thus material can only be emptied or loaded through these doors. Consequently, to empty a prior art container filled with granular material, the container would have to be grasped by a gripping or lifting head of a container handling equipment, eg a crane, so that the closed end of the container is raised above the open end, to permit the material to discharge through the open end of the container. This would be inconvenient in any facilities which tend to be restricted on space.
To the inventor's knowledge, food grain materials are not shipped in any quantity by conventional containers. If food grain were stored or shipped in such containers, agitation of the grain to prevent damage from dampness as described would be difficult as emptying containers through the doors at the end of the container is difficult. Because containers are usually stacked four or five containers high in the storage facility, transferring grain from one container to another to permit air drying as described above would be difficult. Furthermore, it would require considerable space, skill and manpower to ensure the grain is handled without excessive loss of grain, or damage to the containers.
While some containers are provided with openings in an upper wall thereof, to the inventor's knowledge no containers are provided with bottom dumping facilities which can be used for discharging granulated material from the container.


Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving a first manifest file from a first server that includes first metadata that identifies a second server where a first portion of data associated with a content item is stored, responsive to the receiving of the first manifest file, determining that a trickplay command is received by a processing system, responsive to the determining that the trickplay command is received, generating or modifying a second manifest file to incorporate the first metadata, and obtaining the first portion of the data associated with the content item from the second server in accordance with the second manifest file. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Users of devices, such as set-top boxes (STBs), have become accustomed to the ability to engage in a trickplay playback of content items. For example, VCR-style commands allow a user to rewind, pause, resume, or fast-forward content during playback. Traditionally, STBs were of a relatively large physical form-factor/profile and accommodated storage (e.g., memory) capacities that enable large amounts of data or metadata to be stored therein. As a result of such large storage capacities, traditional STBs can accommodate trickplay capabilities over the entirety of a typical content item. However, as the form-factor/profile of devices (e.g., STBs, mobile devices, etc.) continues to shrink/decrease, all other conditions being equal the amount of storage capacity that is available for accommodating trickplay playback of a content item decreases.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Apparatus and method for facilitating trickplay playback


A hybrid storage device is provided. The hybrid storage device includes a first storage part that comprises an interface device based on a first standard, a second storage part that comprises an interface device based on a second standard, and a connector for interface devices that is shared by the first storage part and the second storage part and comprises a plurality of pins.

1. Field of the Invention
The following description relates to a hybrid storage device, and an electronic system using the same
2. Description of the Related Art
Devices having a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) interface or a universal serial bus (USB) interface may use a port multiplier such as a hub to connect a plurality of slave devices to one host connector (port).
As the types of optical disc drives (ODDs), widely used storage devices, have been diversified, attempts have been made to couple other types of storage devices to an ODD that uses only an optical disc. An example of a non-optical storage device that may be coupled to an ODD includes a hard disc drive using a semiconductor storage magnetic disc such as a solid-state drive (SSD) or a flash memory. As is well known, in order to couple an ODD to another type of storage device, the ODD and the storage device may be physically coupled to each other via separate interfaces, or the ODD and the storage device may be physically and electrically coupled to each other by installing a port multiplier in the ODD.
One of the technical goals of a hybrid storage device obtained by installing a separate storage device in an ODD is to reduce costs and maintain the function of each storage device.

Hybrid storage device and electronic system using the same

Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology Korea Corporation


A family of peptides with antioxidant and brightening activities is disclosed as well as cosmetic compositions having the peptides and cosmetic uses and methods of the peptides or cosmetic compositions.

In the recent years, there has been a growing interest in the population to prevent, reduce or eliminate skin imperfections and damage caused by endogenous and environmental stressors, in order to maintain the skin with a healthy and youthful appearance. This has led to an increasing interest in the reasons that lead to the appearance of skin imperfections and in the search of compounds and compositions which can prevent or alleviate skin imperfections.
Oxidation and oxidative stress are probably the most harmful contributors to skin aging and skin damaging, leading to degradation of the skin extracellular matrix (ECM) and to inflammatory processes among others (Bickers, D. R. Athar, M., Oxidative Stress in the Pathogenesis of Skin Disease, J. Inv. Dermatology, 2006; 126: 2565-2575). The origin of oxidation and oxidative stress is varied and can be induced by, for example, intrinsic factors, as a consequence of physiological ageing and more importantly by environmental factors such as pollution, smoking, photo-aging (due to the effect of UV radiation) or other environmental factors that clearly contribute to ageing (Farage, M. A., Miller, K. W., Elsner, P., Maibach, H. I., Intrinsic and extrinsic factors in skin ageing: a review. Int J Cosmet Sci, 2008; 30: 87-95). Oxidation as a consequence of external factors (for example, pollution—ozone loss, greenhouse gases levels being higher than ever and particulate matter from anthropogenic sources becoming more frequently related to damaging health effects—) is, nowadays, one of the main accelerators of skin aging and the appearance of skin imperfections.
Oxidation and oxidative stress, among other consequences, generates oxygen-derived radicals and inflammation which, in turn produces, for example:                Peroxidation of cellular and subcellular polyunsaturated fatty acids (hereinafter, PUFAs) of lipid bilayers, which can lead to a decreased fluidity, loss of function and even cell death. Malondialdehyde (hereinafter, MDA) is one of the main lipid hydroperoxide-derived bifunctional electrophile from lipid peroxidation which binds covalently to deoxyribonucleic acid (hereinafter, DNA) generating adducts seriously damaging cellular metabolism and integrity.        Glycation, which is a non-enzymatic reaction between reducing sugars and proteins, lipids or nucleic acids which is accelerated due to the aforementioned factors. Schiff bases and Amadori products derived from the reaction between sugars and free amino groups can react irreversibly with other residues of peptides or proteins forming protein adducts or crosslinks or undergo further oxidative reactions yielding Advanced Glycation End products.        Other DNA damage. As already stated above, DNA is highly susceptible to oxidation. Both the sugar phosphate backbone and the nucleobases are direct targets for oxidizing agents. Guanin (G) is especially sensitive to oxidation by a variety of oxidants including hydroxyl radical (—OH), singlet oxygen (1O2) and derivatives of peroxynitrite (ONOO—). A common oxidized form of G is 8-oxoG and has been involved in genotoxic and mutagenic lesions.        Hyperpigmentation: Pigmentation can be due to multiple factors associated to an increase in oxidative stress such as UV radiation, inflammation, hormonal changes, lifestyle and environmental pollutants. In the latter case, aryl hydrocarbon receptor (hereinafter, AhR) is of special interest as it has been described that it plays a role in pigment formation by regulating the expression of genes coding for enzymes of the melanogenic pathway (Jux, B., Kadow, S., Luecke, S., Rannug, A., Krutmann, J. and Esser, C., The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Mediates UVB Radiation-Induced Skin Tanning, J. of Inv. Dermatology, 131 (2011) 203-210), consequently, its activation by pollutants, such as those contained in tobacco smoke, causes hyperpigmentation (Nakamura, M., Ueda, Y., Hayashi, M., Kato, H., Furuhashi, T. and Morita, A., Tobacco smoke-induced skin pigmentation is mediated by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, Experimental Dermatology, 22 (2013) 554-563).
Multiple strategies and compounds have been developed in order to fight against these undesirable ageing processes, such as topical antioxidants, such as, vitamins, retinoids, flavonoids, contained in plant extracts, or anti-inflammatory actives (Pillai, S., Oresajo, C., Hayward, J. Ultraviolet radiation and skin ageing: roles of reactive oxygen spices, inflammation and protease activation, and strategies for prevention of inflammation induced matrix degradation—a review, Int J Cosmet Sci, 2005; 27:17-34). However, some of these compounds are just able to act on one of these extrinsic factors, or are not compatible with sun exposure, making it necessary to use multiple products in order to obtain a complete effect on the skin.
The idea behind using antioxidants for skin-lightening activities lies in the hypothesis that the oxidative effect of UV-irradiation contributes to activation of melanogenesis. UV irradiation can produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the skin that can induce melanogenesis by activating tyrosinase. Redox agents can also influence skin pigmentation by interacting with copper at the active site of tyrosinase or with o-quinones to impede the oxidative polymerization of melanin intermediates. Antioxidants can also reduce the direct photooxidation of pre-existing melanin.
Besides this antioxidant mechanism, there are several other strategies to reduce the level of pigmentation in the skin. Many of the existing brightening active ingredients have a tyrosinase-inhibiting effect on the melanocyte leading to reduced total melanin production (for example, kojic acid or arbutin). Others have an effect on the transfer of melanin from melanocytes to keratinocytes (for example, nicotinamide and soyabean) or increase the desquamation of the skin to remove excessive melanin content (Gillbro J M, Olsson M J. The melanogenesis and mechanisms of skin-lightening agents—existing and new approaches. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2011 June; 33(3):210-21). Paracrine communication between human fibroblasts or keratinocytes and melanocytes also contributes to cutaneous pigmentation (Imokawa G, Yada Y, Morisaki N, Kimura Biological characterization of human fibroblast-derived mitogenic factors for human melanocytes. M. Biochem J. 1998 Mar. 15; 330 (Pt 3):1235-9; Hirobe T, Keratinocytes regulate the function of melanocytes, Dermatologica Sinica, 2014; 32(4)). Thus, modulation of soluble factors (for example, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), stem cell factor (SCF, also known as KIT-ligand), Proopiomelanocortin (POMC), Endothelin (EDN1), nerve growth factor (NGF) and Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK1 or TP53) is also a target in the study of skin-lightening agents.
Hence, it is desirable to find substances or active ingredients with a wide-spectrum antioxidant and/or brightening activities which can be applied in the field of cosmetics to prevent or treat skin imperfections appearing as the result of environmental oxidative stress (for example, pollution and UV radiation), to correct undesirable pigmentation of the skin and/or to prevent or treat aging or photo-aging skin imperfections.

Peptides and compositions for use in cosmetics


A contained pipeline and leak detection system includes a primary pipeline section surrounded by a secondary pipeline section and an interstitial space formed between the primary pipeline section and the secondary pipeline section. A pressurized fluid reservoir having a volume of fluid, and in fluid communication with the interstitial space is provided. The fluid in the interstitial space has a pressure greater than the pressure of a fluid inside the primary pipeline section. A sensor detects changes in the volume of fluid in the fluid reservoir, which are indicative of leakage or system malfunction.

Double containment pipelines are in common use for transporting contaminants and toxins underground. They are commonly used as underground gasoline transporting pipelines. A double containment pipeline section is in essence a pipeline section within a pipeline section. An inner or primary pipeline section is the primary carrier of the fluids while the outer or secondary pipeline section is used to contain any leakage from the primary pipeline section. An annulus or interstitial space is formed between the primary and secondary pipeline sections. Typically, double containment pipeline sections are formed by slipping a secondary pipeline section over the primary pipeline section. The secondary pipeline section is typically the next largest size after the primary pipeline section.
Slipping one pipeline section over the other is a cumbersome, time consuming process because the primary pipeline section is formed separately from the secondary pipeline section and then the two are put together. Moreover, this approach is not conducive to forming double containment pipeline sections having curvatures such as double containment fittings. Sometimes the primary pipeline section is impact damaged before or during the process of being slipped into the secondary pipeline section. If the primary pipeline section is made from a composite material, such damage may not be capable of being detected by the human eye. As a result, double containment pipeline sections formed using this method may be undetectably damaged from the onset.
To detect leakage of the primary pipeline section, a sump is generally placed at the lowest point of the pipeline. The sump is typically connected to a lower portion of the annulus formed between the primary and secondary pipeline sections. Any fluid leaked from the primary pipeline section will travel in the annulus and will collect in the sump. The sump is periodically monitored to determine if there has been leakage. A sensor may be placed in the sump for detecting the accumulation of fluids. A disadvantage with this leak monitoring approach is that it is not instantaneous, i.e., a leak from the primary pipeline section that is located far enough upstream from the sump would not be detected until the leaked fluid has traveled down the pipeline and into the sump.
During installation and initial inspection of double containment pipeline sections, leakage may be detected by visual inspection of the primary pipeline section. To accomplish this type of inspection, the secondary pipeline section is telescoped away from the primary pipeline section. This is also a time consuming, costly process.
Furthermore, the use of a continuous leak detection monitoring system that places a fluid, such as brine, in the annulus (or interstitial space) has been impractical and costly for double containment pipeline. In such monitoring systems, the interstitial space is filled with a fluid substance, such as brine, and connected to a fluid reservoir where the brine levels are monitored. This allows for continuous monitoring of leaks in both the primary and secondary pipeline sections because a leak in either would change the volume of fluid in the interstitial space and, thus, the fluid reservoir. The use of fluid for continuous monitoring has been practical in double-walled tanks, but not in pipeline systems. Unlike underground storage tanks that are assembled in factories, double containment pipeline systems must be assembled in the field, which makes filling the interstitial space with fluid difficult. Additionally, known double containment pipeline sections having one pipeline section mounted over another pipeline section typically have a large interstitial space, which requires large volumes of fluid.
Another type of contained pipeline system that has been used for conveying fuel from tanks to dispensers is extruded, flexible hosing. Typically, in such contained systems the flexible hosing has a "coaxial" construction, wherein the primary layer and secondary layer are in close proximity. Although the coaxial construction lowers the volume of the interstitial space and the amount of brine required to fill the interstitial space, the material properties of flexible hoses are not stiff enough to resist the significant changes in volume that occur in the primary hose when it is under internal pressure (i.e. the diameter expands). This change in volume is a reason why a continuous monitoring leak detection system has been practical for underground storage tanks, but not for flexible hosing.
Underground storage tanks are typically filled with fuel and remain at atmospheric pressure. Therefore, no pressure differential exists between the tank interior and the interstitial space between the walls. In contrast, pipeline used for dispensing or transporting fuel from the underground storage tanks are typically operated with internal pressure on the interior pipeline section. The internal pressure changes, for example, when a submersible turbine pump (STP) located at the tank is turned on by a consumer at a fuel dispenser and when a nozzle at the dispenser is turned off when a full tank of gas is detected. The pressure change at the starting of the pump is typically approximately 30 psi, and the spike in pressure at the nozzle shut-off can be over 200 psi. Thus, the fuel dispensing pipeline sections must be able to withstand tremendous pressure. With respect to the flexible hosing, the primary layer cannot sufficiently withstand the high pressure changes without expanding under pressure, thus affecting the volume of the interstitial space. Therefore, although the coaxial construction of the flexible hosing has a low volume interstitial space, continuous monitoring of the interstitial space has been impractical and unreliable.
Furthermore, attempts to use continuous monitoring in double containment pipeline sections or coaxial flexible hoses have only been able to monitor the pipeline sections themselves and not the fittings that connect the pipeline sections. Rather, in such systems, where the pipeline sections are joined together by a fitting (which includes elbows, tees, etc.), the interstitial spaces of the two pipeline sections are not continuously joined and are not in fluid communication with each other. Instead, the fittings only maintain a continuous connection between the primary pipeline sections, and the interstitial spaces of the two pipeline sections are separately connected by some form of bypass hose, jumper device, or boot device. Therefore, known systems fail to maintain a continuous leak detection system for the entire system, including at the fittings.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a contained pipeline system with a double containment pipeline section having a coaxial construction that exhibits high strength and has a low volume interstitial space. Moreover, there exists a need for a system where the fittings that connect the various pipeline sections maintain a continuous connection between the primary pipeline sections and the secondary pipeline sections. Use of such pipeline sections and pipeline fittings would allow for a contained pipeline system where brine could be filled in the interstitial space to provide a continuous leak detection monitoring system of both the primary and secondary pipeline sections, as well as at the pipeline fittings.
Furthermore, regulations in force in Europe, and for which adoption is being considered in the State of California, require the interstitial space in product piping to be pressurized to at least one atmosphere above the pressure the pressure in the primary pipeline. Additionally, Underwriters Laboratories Inc. requires a containment system that is closed (i.e., capable of being pressurized) to be rated, according to their rating method, to a minimum of 50 psi. Consequently, there exists a need for a system that can be pressurized and meet these requirements.

Contained pipeline system with brine filled interstitial space and method for detecting leakage in same


Roof side rails are in a closed cross-section structure, each formed by a rail outer member and a rail inner member. A reinforcing member is disposed in the closed cross-section structure at a position where each roof side rail is connected to a roof cross member. The reinforcing member includes a base bonded to the rail outer member, a facing plate facing the rail inner member, and a supporting wall standing on the base to support the facing plate.

A roof side rail extending longitudinally on left and right sides of a roof of a vehicle is in a closed cross-section structure to enhance rigidity and strength of the vehicle.
PATENT DOCUMENT 1 discloses a roof side rail (12) including a rail inner panel (16) and a rail outer reinforcement (20) which form a closed cross section. A reinforcement patch (40) is disposed in the closed cross section to decrease inward deformation of the roof side rail (12) in a width direction of the vehicle. The reference numbers in the brackets above have been used in PATENT DOCUMENT 1 and are in no way relevant to the reference numbers used in the description of an embodiment of the present application.


Embodiments described herein include a delivery system having unmanned aerial delivery vehicles and a logistics network for control and monitoring. In certain embodiments, a ground station provides a location for interfacing between the delivery vehicles, packages carried by the vehicles and users. In certain embodiments, the delivery vehicles autonomously navigate from one ground station to another. In certain embodiments, the ground stations provide navigational aids that help the delivery vehicles locate the position of the ground station with increased accuracy.

Modern local transportation networks rely heavily on ground infrastructure for the transportation of goods and people. More than half of the earth's population now lives in cities, with more than half a billion people living in megacities with populations exceeding 10 million people. In these high-density urban environments demand on ground transportation infrastructure has increased and continues to increase to the point that many metropolitan areas are heavily congested and road transportation networks are very inefficient. For example, the Texas Transportation Institute estimated that, in 2000, the 75 largest metropolitan areas experienced 3.6 billion vehicle-hours of delay, resulting in 5.7 billion gallons (21.6 billion liters) in wasted fuel and $67.5 billion in lost productivity. Traffic congestion is increasing in major cities and delays are becoming more frequent in smaller cities and rural areas. The inefficiencies are also dramatic in cities in many emerging countries or other locations where ground infrastructure has not scaled quickly enough to follow the population increase or the growth in the economy. In these places a new, scalable method of transportation that would reduce the demand on road infrastructure would be very desirable
At the same time, road infrastructure is non-existent or, at best, underdeveloped in many places in the developing world. More that one Billion people do not have access to all season roads today and are disconnected from all social and economic activity for some part of the year: they are unable to receive medicine or critical supplies reliably and they cannot get their goods to market in order to create a sustainable income. In Sub-Saharan Africa, for instance, 85% of roads are unusable in the wet season. Investments are being made, but at the current rate of investment, it's estimated it's going to take these nations more than 50 years to catch up.
In much of the developed world, the cost efficiencies of many courier systems rely on the 'spoke-hub' distribution model. For example, to ship a package between two neighboring districts in a city, a vehicle has to pick up the parcel, take it to the sorting center (a facility usually several miles away from the city center), then back into the city center to deliver it to the destination. This model works well for reducing the cost of shipment where it's possible to aggregate packages that share a big part of the journey from origin to destination; it becomes inefficient though, if the ability to aggregate is diminished, as is the case in 'last mile' delivery problems.
At the same time personalized and decentralized access to information has become ubiquitous enabled by the expansion of the Internet and wireless telephony. Access to physical goods, however, remains hindered by the sometimes inflexible, inefficient (in energy, time and cost) transportation solutions of the present day. Modern digital connectedness amplifies the need for disruption of the current way goods and people are transported. Modern transportation solutions have significantly lagged behind the digital revolution.

Transportation using network of unmanned aerial vehicles


A hybrid composite nanomaterial comprising a hydrotalcite like layered double hydroxide compound provided with one or more lanthanide elements inserted into the 2D layers and one or more organic-inorganic (DONOR/ACCEPTOR) compounds, or acids or salts thereof, intercalated between them as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 31. The innovative co-axial design for encapsulating the active layer(s) of a hybrid organic-inorganic solar cell, together with the insertion of the hydrotalcite like nanocomposite, for light energy down and up conversion, thereby not only providing the active material more convertible energy, but also providing the opportunity to incorporate in situ the co-axial geometry or envisage a standalone pair of a Photoelectrochemical (PEC) and Fuel cell (FC), to work in parallel to the organic inorganic solar cell, or as standalone respectively.

In recent years non-vacuum deposition techniques with a capability to prepare uniform thin films using low cost techniques such as paste coating and electro chemical deposition has gained much attention among the researchers. From among the various low cost synthesis techniques, solution based synthesis process is considered to be as a promising alternative among expensive techniques with relatively simple procedures and low initial costs for its industrializing.
Thus, there is a need to provide an effective and low cost synthesis process for producing such uniform thin films.
It is known that Copper Indium Gallium (di)Selenide (CuIn1−xGaxSe2 or CIGS where x can vary from 1, corresponding to pure copper indium selenide, to 0, corresponding to pure copper gallium selenide) is a I-III-VI2 semiconductor material, in particular a direct bandgap semiconductor useful for the manufacture of solar cells. In particular, CIGS is a tetrahedically bonded semiconductor, with the chalcopyrite crystal structure and a bandgap varying continuously with x from about 1.0 eV (for copper indium selenide) to about 1.7 eV (for copper gallium selenide). The material is a solid solution of copper indium selenide (often abbreviated "CIS") and copper gallium selenide. [0006] CIGS is used as light absorbed material for thin-film solar cells. Device made with CIGS belong to the thin-film category of photovoltaics (PVs). Typically, because the material strongly absorbs sunlight, a much thinner film is required than other semiconductor materials. Solution phase synthesis of CIGS materials, via mechano-chemical synthesis approach are known e.g. in the reference entitled "Structural studies of mechano-chemically synthesized CuIn1−xGaxSe2 nanoparticles".
WO 2007/065859 discloses a process for preparing organically modified layered double hydroxide, while WO 99/35185 on the other hand discloses a process for preparing organically modified layered double hydroxides (LDHs) where the organic anion is introduced into the LDH via ion exchange, carried out by suspending the LDH in water, following which the pH<4 condition is imposed externally. Further the authors describe the addition of organic anions to the suspension adjusting the pH of the solution to >8. Moreover as observed by WO 2007/065859 this process is rather complex and generally renders ionic waste stream.
WO 00/09599 on the other hand describes the preparation of LDH comprising organic anions as intercalating anions. These modified LDHs can be prepared in various ways, with use being made of the salts of divalent and trivalent metal ions, such as the chloride salts of magnesium and aluminium or sodium aluminates. The processes described in WO 00/09599 require salts which will at least partially end up in the waste stream, still an undesirable effect.
In summary, the synthesis processes described into the present state of the art, urges a strong need for a less waste recurring and faster synthesis scheme.
There is thus a need to provide a simpler and faster process for preparing innovative composite nanomaterials.
Organic photo voltaic (OPVs) offer the potential to greatly decrease the cost and availability of photovoltaic energy due to lower material and manufacturing costs. A typical organic photovoltaic device architecture uses the so called bulk hetero junction (BHJ) configuration which consists of a polymer electron donor (p-type) and fullerene-derivative electron acceptor (n-type) mixture in the active layer. A typical organic photovoltaic bulk hetero junction device includes a glass or PET layer, a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)poly(styrenesulfonate), or PEDOT:PSS layer, which is a transparent, conductive polymer mixture of two ionomers, a donor(p-type):acceptor(n-type) layer and a metal cathode layer. Generally, the modern p-type electronic polymer may include poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) or new generation of low-bandgap conducting polymers, while until now, as the n-type material, methanofullerene phenyl-C61-butyric-acid-methyl-ester ([60]PCBM) has been almost exclusively used and some attempts have also been made with [70]PCBM. Various strategies have been tried to improve the performance of the fullerene derivative (n-type), with varying degrees of successes into: increasing the optical absorption of the formed active layers, improving its solubility with the constituent specie forming the BHJ, improving its miscibility with the p-type polymer and increasing the energy level of the Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO). In context of the LUMO "tuning" of the acceptor (n-type) molecule; it has been shown that the open circuit voltage (Voc) of the solar device is a function of the energy gap between the Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO) in the donor and the LUMO in the acceptor. As a result, increasing the LUMO in a wide range of donors could significantly increase Voc when they are paired with e.g. P3HT and other acceptor polymers with similar properties.
However, there are drawbacks with current organic photo voltaic (OPV) technology which can be summarized as: 1). Not efficient Absorption, 2). Not enough charge separation, 3). Not enough charge transport.
There is thus a need to provide and improve hybrid composite nanomaterials to overcome at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art, such as to obtain efficient light absorption, enough charge separation and enough charge transport in OPV cells and apparatuses.


A luminaire comprising a housing having a first main face opposite a second main face at a distance W. The first main face comprises a light exit window transmissive for light source light, is bordered by at least one sidewall connecting the first and second main face, and has a length L. The sidewall comprises essentially over its full length L a light emission window which is transmissive for light source light and which has a height H, with H in between 0.1*W to 0.8*W.

A luminaire of the type as described in the opening paragraph is known from EP2634474A1. It is a known problem with these types of luminaries that a relatively large thickness, i.e. a relatively high sidewall, is required, for example, because of the space required to accommodate luminaire components such as voluminous, acoustic material, light sources, wiring, electronics, heat sinks etc. Often these luminaires are applied as pendant luminaires and thereto are suspended from the ceiling to give the impression of a floating luminaire usually to illuminate office desks and conference tables for people to work. However, due to the large width, or height or thickness of the sidewall of these pendant luminaries, the issue arises that people working below these pendant luminaires feel uncomfortable because of the impression of rather heavy and thick luminaires being suspended over their heads. The known luminaire solves this issue by positioning luminaire components of relatively large height at a central region of the first and second main face, i.e. remote from the sidewall. The housing then being thick in its central region and being slim in a peripheral region, i.e. close to the sidewall. However, this solution involves the disadvantages of elongated wiring and relatively little room being available for the accommodation of luminaire components with the subsequent risk on early failure of electronic components because heat generating or heat dissipating component, for example heat sinks, and heat sensitive electrical components are positioned relatively close to each other.
DE102012205188A1 discloses a luminaire having a light exit window in a first main face and a light emission window in a sidewall which both are associated with the same light source.

Luminaire with multiple light emissive surfaces


The present invention relates to a recording speed determining method of a disk device. The present method, when data record is requested from a host through an interface, a disk device can receive size information about data to be recorded and/or the present time from the host, and determine a recording speed of a disk to be suitable for the received size information and/or for a time zone where the device is located. The disk device can determine such data size and time zone information internally. Thus, it is possible to reduce a noise that is caused from disk rotation if the size of data to be recorded is small or when a noise is felt relatively big. Further, it is possible to determine a data recording speed in accordance with a data size.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk device.
2. Background of the Related Art
In general, a disk device can read or write data to/from a compact disk (called 'CD'), a digital versatile disk (called 'DVD'), or a high-density DVD (called 'HD-DVD'). As technologies of compressing and transmitting video/audio data develops, performance of a disk device improves.
A disk device generally writes data received from a host such as a PC onto a writable optical disk. To prevent possible damage of a writable disk, a disk device conducts a continuous writing operation at a constant speed without servicing any interrupt during the writing operation.
A default maximum recording speed of a disk device is set in its manufacturing process. Owing to developments of a servo mechanism and laser technology, for example, a default recording speed has been increased up to 1800 kbits/s.
Further, to shorten a data recording time, a disk device also tends to increase a rotation speed of a writable disk. For example, a spindle motor to drive a placed disk rotates at about 10,000 RPM.
The above references are incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for appropriate teachings of additional or alternative details, features and/or technical background.

Method and apparatus for changing a recording speed of a disk device


Systems and methods are disclosed for determining personal characteristics from images by generating a baseline gender model and an age estimation model using one or more convolutional neural networks (CNNs); capturing correspondences of faces by face tracking, and applying incremental learning to the CNNs and enforcing correspondence constraint such that CNN outputs are consistent and stable for one person.

The present application relates to video analysis systems.
In recent years, intelligent video analysis systems, e.g. automatic gender and age estimation, face verification and recognition, and wide-area surveillance, are flourishing nourished by steady advances of computer vision and machine learning technologies both in theory and in practice. In general, certain statistical models are learned offline from a huge amount of training data in the development stage. However, when being deployed to real-world scenarios, these systems are often confronted by the model mismatch issue, that is, the performance degradation originated from the fact that training data can hardly cover the large variations in reality due to different illumination conditions, image quality, and noise, etc. It is extremely hard, if not impossible, to collect sufficient amount of training data in that the possible factors are unpredictable in different scenarios. Thus, it is desirable to allow the statistical models in visual recognition systems to adapt to their specific deployment scenes by incremental learning, so as to enhance the systems' generalization capability.
To address this model mismatch issue, people have developed various strategies working with training data block 10 and developing a model to apply to testing data block 20. The most straightforward and ideal way is to obtain the ground truth labels of the testing data block 20 in the deployment scene and utilize them to perform supervised incremental learning, as shown in FIG. 1(a). Nevertheless, manual labels are costly and sometimes impractical to obtain. Alternatively, these systems can trust the predictions by the model and simply employ them in incremental learning in a self-training manner as illustrated in FIG. 1(b). However, these positive feedbacks are very risky in practice. Another alternative way is to explore the structure and distances of unlabeled data using semi-supervised learning approaches as in FIG. 1(c), while, whether the heuristic distance metric can capture the correct underlining structure of unlabeled data is in question.
Inferring biological traits like gender and age from images can greatly help applications such as face verification and recognition, video surveillance, digital signage, and retail customer analysis. Both gender and age estimation from facial images have attracted considerable research interests for decades. Yet they remain challenging problems, especially the age estimation, since the aging facial patterns are highly variable and influenced by many factors like gender, race, and living styles, not to mention the subtleties of images due to lighting, shading, and view angles. Thus, sophisticated representations and a huge amount of training data have been required to tackle these problems in real-world applications.

Systems and methods for determining personal characteristics