A test fixture includes a first RS-232 connector and a second RS-232 connector. The data terminal ready (DTR) pin of the first RS-232 connector is connected to the DTR pin of the second RS-232 connector, and the clear to send (CTS) pin of the first RS-232 connector is connected to the CTS pin of the second RS-232 connector. The DTR pins are further connected to a power pin of each of the test computers. The test fixture sets a high level voltage for the connected DTR pins, and sets a low level voltage for the connected CTS pins according to the commands of turning on the test computers sent by the control computer, to turn on the test computers. An auto shutdown software included in each of the test computers is executed to shut down the test computers.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to test technology, and particularly to a test fixture and a method for automatically turning on computers according to commands of a control computer.
2. Description of Related Art
Testing computers usually includes a power button test. The power button test is performed by pressing a power button of a computer thousand times, to turn on and shut down the computer. Previously, the power button was manually tested, which was time consuming and wasteful of manpower.
For solving the above problem, an improved method was introduced. Referring to FIG. 1, the improved method uses a test fixture 1 fixed with a telescopic stick 2 to periodically hit a power button 30 of a computer 3. The stick 2 can automatically extend and retract to repeatedly press the power button 30.
However, in the improved method, the test fixture 1 can only handle one computer at a time. In addition, different computers may have different button configurations. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the power button 30 may be designed at the front of the computer 3, at one side of the computer 3, or on the top of the computer 3. Furthermore, sizes of computers vary as well, meaning the location of the stick 2 on the test fixture 1 should be adjusted to suit different computers, or a plurality of test fixtures 1 provided for testing different computers.

Test fixture and method using the DTR pins and CTS pins of RS-232 connectors for automatically turning on computers

Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (ShenZhen) Co., Ltd.


A system and method for acquiring MR imaging data from a subject includes administering positively-charged nitroxides or gadolinium chelates for in vivo mitochondrial labeling, acquiring MR imaging data from the subject, and reconstructing an image of the subject having enhanced contrast in areas including metabolic and/or mitotic activity.

When a substance such as human tissue is subjected to a uniform magnetic field (polarizing field B0), the individual magnetic moments of the nuclear spins in the tissue attempt to align with this polarizing field, but precess about it in random order at their characteristic Larmor frequency. Usually the nuclear spins are comprised of hydrogen atoms, but other NMR active nuclei are occasionally used. A net magnetic moment Mz is produced in the direction of the polarizing field, but the randomly oriented magnetic components in the perpendicular, or transverse, plane (x-y plane) cancel one another. If, however, the substance, or tissue, is subjected to a magnetic field (excitation field B1) that is in the x-y plane and is near the Larmor frequency, the net aligned moment, Mz, may be rotated, or "tipped" into the x-y plane to produce a net transverse magnetic moment Mt, which is rotating, or spinning, in the x-y plane at the Larmor frequency. The practical value of this phenomenon resides in the signal that is emitted by the excited spins after the excitation signal B1 is terminated.
When utilizing these signals to produce images, magnetic field gradients (Gx, Gy, and Gz) are employed. Typically, the region to be imaged is scanned by a sequence of measurement cycles in which these gradients vary according to the particular localization method being used. The resulting set of received MRI signals is received using a receiver coil. The MRI signals are then digitized and processed to reconstruct the image using one of many well-known reconstruction techniques.
These signals can be decomposed into directional components. The relaxation time T1 is the time required for the z component of M to return to 63 percent of its original value following excitation. It is also referred to as spin-lattice relaxation or longitudinal relaxation. The relaxation time T2 is the time required for the transverse component of M to decay to 37 percent of the initial value. It is also know as the spin-spin relaxation time or transverse relaxation time.
The ability to depict anatomy and pathology using MRI is dependent on the contrast, or difference in signal intensity between the target and background tissue. In order to maximize contrast, it is necessary to suppress the signal intensities of the background tissues. Substances can be contrasted in an MR image by the differences in either their T1 or T2 characteristics.
Contrast agents can be used to modify the T1 or T2 characteristics in vivo. The specific modification in contrast caused by a given contrast agent is due to an effect of shortening the relaxation time T1 and/or T2 of the hydrogen nuclei. If the contrast agent reduces T1, a T1 hypersignal is observed in the reconstructed image. On the other hand, if the contrast agent shortens T2, a reduction in the T2 and T2* signal will be observed in the reconstructed image.
One very common application of MR imaging is in vivo screening for tumors. However, distinguishing a tumor from surrounding tissue can, at times, be difficult. That is, it is often difficult to maximize the signal intensity received from the tumor while suppressing the signal intensities received from the surrounding tissue.
Also, generally speaking, MR imaging is advantageous in performing anatomical analysis. That is, unlike other imaging modalities, such as positron emission tomography, MR imaging is not as readily suited for functional imaging. To perform functional analysis using MR imaging, a contrast agent is typically employed. For example, when performing functional MRI (fMRI) of the brain, oxygen is typically employed as a contrast agent using the BOLD method. On the other hand, when attempting to image arterial or venous flow, a contrast agent such as gadolinium is utilized. In either case, the functional imaging is achieved by monitoring the presence or absence of the contrast agent using MR imaging. However, there are many functional processes within the body that cannot be imaged using traditional contrast agents.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a system and method for enhancing the contrast of specific structures, such as tumors. Furthermore, it would be desirable to have a system and method for imaging functional processes in vivo that cannot otherwise be imaged using traditional functional MR imaging.

In vivo mitochondrial labeling using positively-charged nitroxide enhanced and gadolinium chelate enhanced magnetic resonance imaging


A teeter mechanism for a multiple-bladed wind turbine includes a rotor shaft operable to rotate about a first axis. A spherical member is rotatable about the first axis along with the rotor shaft. A plurality of turbine blades is mounted to a rotor hub. The rotor hub rotationally drives the rotor shaft, and is operable to teeter about the spherical member such that the rotor hub rotates about the first axis in a first position and rotates about a second axis offset from the first axis in a second, teeter position.

This application relates to wind turbines, and more particularly to a teeter mechanism for a multiple-bladed wind turbine.
Wind turbines utilizing long turbine blades on the order of 50 meters (164 feet) or more have been used to generate electricity. Due to the length of such turbine blades, wind speed can vary greatly along the span of the turbine blades, in particular as a function of altitude from ground level. For example, a distal end of the turbine blade may experience significantly different wind speeds at lower and upper rotational positions.
This variation in wind speed, known as "wind shear," can cause the turbine blades to experience unequal loads on each blade. On wind turbines utilizing two blades, an offset pin on the rotor hub has been used to permit the blades to teeter such that an axis of rotation of the blades changes and the wind turbine experiences a more even load. However, this configuration is not effective for wind turbines having more than two blades.

Teeter mechanism for a multiple-bladed wind turbine


This invention provides a communication system, a communication apparatus, a control method of the communication apparatus, and a computer-readable storage medium, which enable to increase the reliability of relay transmission and suppress redundant transmission.

As a technique of causing a transmission apparatus to communicate data to a plurality of reception apparatuses, broadcast communication is known, which transmits the data for the respective reception apparatuses in one packet at once. The broadcast communication is conventionally known as a method capable of efficiently communicating data. In the broadcast communication, however, reception responses readily become redundant. Hence, this method can contrarily be inefficient for communications that require reception responses. Measures for more efficient communication have been proposed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0291410 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-266876.
However, after transmission of a broadcast packet, if a destination node that has received a non-reception response to the broadcast packet resends the packet corresponding to the non-reception response, a communication collision may occur. More specifically, if a receiving-side terminal apparatus which has normally received a broadcast packet receives a non-reception response, the terminal apparatus relays the data to the terminal apparatus that has transmitted the non-reception response. At this time, other receiving-side terminal apparatuses also relay the data to the terminal apparatus that has transmitted the non-reception response.
In this case, collision of relay data disables reliable transmission, and redundant transmission is performed. Especially in a communication method such as a personal area network (to be referred to as a "PAN" hereinafter) where the number of terminal apparatuses is limited, and normal reception occurs at a high probability, each terminal apparatus preferably recognizes the reception states of the remaining terminal apparatuses and sends data only to a terminal apparatus which has not normally completed communication.

Communication system, communication apparatus, control method of communication apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium


A catamenial tampon is assembled from a cylindrical pledget of compressible absorbent material, such as rayon or cotton, and a rectangular blank of foraminous sheet material. The central portion of the blank is placed adjacent one end face of the pledget, and the pledget is then pushed axially through a tubular die with its one end face leading so that the annular portion of the blank around the central portion is draped around the entire peripheral surface of the pledget and the converted blank forms a cup with an annular rim extending beyond the other end face of the pledget. The rim is then folded over the other end face of the pledget, and the resulting assembly is provided with a removal cord subsequent to simultaneous reduction of the diameters of the cup and pledget to complete the making of a tampon which is ready for use or for insertion into the tube of an applicator.

The invention relates to tampons in general, especially to digital and applicator type catamenial tampons. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in tampons of the type wherein a wad or pledget of absorbent material is confined in an envelope of foraminous sheet material (called coverstock).
It is well known to confine a pledget of absorbent material (such as cotton or rayon) in an envelope of foraminous sheet material (hereinafter called coverstock for short) so that the fibers of the pledget are prevented from remaining, or are less likely to remain, in the vagina or in another body cavity which receives the finished tampon, either as a result of digital insertion or with the assistance from an applicator. As a rule, coverstock is supplied by the makers of such products in the form of large rolls which are subdivided into blanks for draping around discrete pledgets of absorbent material. In many instances, pledgets are in the form of cylinders called memory cylinders due to their tendency to expand subsequent to (a) draping into coverstock and (b) compression in directions to reduce their diameters to a fraction of the diameter of an uncompressed and undraped cylinder.
In accordance with a presently known proposal, memory cylinders are draped into square blanks of coverstock. One end face of a cylinder to be draped is placed against the central portion of the square blank, and the remaining portion of the blank is folded or draped against the peripheral surface of the cylinder. This results in conversion of the originally square blank into a cup with a bottom end wall which overlies the one end face of the cylinder and with a cylindrical wall which surrounds a substantial portion of the peripheral surface of the cylinder. The cup has a rim with alternating hills and valleys. The hills have tips which project beyond the other end face of the cylinder, and the deepmost portions of the valleys are located between the two end faces. The tips of the hills can be folded over the other end face of the cylinder in order to ensure that at least a portion of the other end face is also overlapped by the material of the coverstock.
In accordance with another prior proposal, coverstock is converted into a bag which confines the pledget of absorbent material not unlike a tea bag confines a supply of tea leaves. It was also proposed to weld the folds or pleats which develop along the peripheral surface of a memory cylinder in order to enhance the stability of the envelope of coverstock. A drawback of such proposal is that the welded pleats resist expansion of confined absorbent material when the latter is in the process of gathering menses or other body fluids.


A substrate processing apparatus includes a holder configured to hold, within a processing container, a substrate having a pattern formed of a resist material for EUV lithography on a surface thereof, a rotation driving part configured to rotate the holder, and a light source part including a plurality of light sources configured to emit light to the surface of the substrate held by the holder rotated by the rotation driving part such that a number of rotations of the substrate is 0.5 rpm to 3 rpm.

Patent Document 1 discloses a process for manufacturing a semiconductor device, in which a step of emitting light having a wavelength of 200 nm or less to the front surface of a resist formed on the surface of a substrate and patterned after exposure, and a step of etching an underlying film of the resist film are sequentially performed. The step of emitting light having a wavelength of 200 nm or less (hereinafter, simply referred to as a "light emission step") is performed for the purpose of improving roughness (irregularity) of, for example, the resist film.

Substrate processing apparatus, substrate processing method, and storage medium


A method is proposed for ascertaining the spatial positions and orientations of at least two implants anchored in a jaw of a patient, said method having the following steps: 1. An adhesive bond aid is produced that bridges the implants and has negative molds of adhesive caps, wherein the negative molds fit on the adhesive caps if these are affixed to the implants, and wherein the negative molds allow a clearance relative to the adhesive caps. 2. The adhesive caps are affixed to the at least two implants in the jaw of the patient. 3. The adhesive bond aid is positioned over the adhesive caps. 4. The clearance between the adhesive caps and the negative molds is filled with adhesive. 5. The adhesive is cured. 6. The adhesive caps are released from the implants. 7. The obtained adhesion key is removed from the patient.

[A] dental prosthesis that is borne by implants must fit very precisely on these implants, since germs may accumulate in potentially present interstices between implant and dental prosthesis, which may lead to inflammation (peri-implantitis). In the manufacturing of the dental prosthesis, there are some sources of error that are relevant to this:                In taking impressions and the production of a plaster model (master model) for the adaptation by a dental technician of a restoration to be created, systematic transfer errors arise, which turn out to be larger or smaller, depending upon the thoroughness of the treating dentist and upon the materials used.        Additional errors and inaccuracies may occur upon scanning in the master model for creating restorations by means of CAD/CAM. However, these errors can be minimized via the use of special scanners having especially high precision.        An alternative procedure, in which a virtual master model is created by means of an intra-oral scan, likewise causes inaccuracies—especially, due to the technical limitations of the available intra-oral scan technology.
Nevertheless, for the creation of restorations that are respectively installed on a single implant, it can be ensured relatively well that the restoration precisely fits on the implant.
However, with multi-element, implant-borne restorations, i.e., restorations that are installed on more than one implant, these errors have severe effects. Namely, the precise relative position, and, especially, also the relative orientation, of the implants here depend upon this, so that no gaps can arise between the implants and the restorations. In such a case, the restoration must possibly even be completely recreated. Many dental laboratories have therefore moved to guaranteeing the fit only for the master model, and making no guarantee as to the fit in the mouth of the patient.

Ascertaining the spatial positions and orientations of implants anchored in a jaw of a patient


A computer-implemented method technique is presented. The technique can include selectively initiating, at a mobile computing device including one or more processors, communication between the mobile computing device and a public computing device. The technique can include transmitting, from the mobile computing device, authentication information to the public computing device. The authentication information can indicate access privileges to a private account associated with a user of the mobile computing device. The technique can include receiving, at the mobile computing device, an access inquiry from the public computing device. The access inquiry can indicate an inquiry as to whether the user wishes to login to the private account at the public computing device. The technique can also include transmitting, from the mobile computing device, an access response to the public computing device. The access response can cause the public computing device to provide the user with access to the private account.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
A computing device can include a user interface and one or more processors. For example, a computing device may be a desktop computer. Computing devices may also include mobile computing devices such as mobile phones, tablet computers, and the like. Computing devices may be further divided into public computing devices and personal (or private) computing devices. Public computing devices, e.g., public desktop computers, may be accessed by a plurality of different users. For example, public computing devices may be located in a public room of an office building or in an Internet café. Personal computing devices, on the other hand, are typically not accessible by more than one user. For example, personal computing devices may include mobile computing devices, which are typically in possession of the user (in a hand, in a pocket, in a bag, etc.).

Techniques for authenticating access to a private account at a public computing device using a user's mobile computing device


A method and system for transmitting a warning message to a driver of a vehicle is provided. Authorization for uploading message data is provided followed by the provision of message data indicative of a plurality of pre-recorded warning messages. The message data are then stored in memory of the transmitter. A responder of the emergency vehicle selects one of the plurality of pre-recorded warning messages. The message data associated with the selected warning message are then encoded and encrypted. The encrypted message data are then processed to generate a RF signal in dependence thereupon which is then transmitted to the vehicle. Upon receipt of the RF signal at the vehicle message data are generated in dependence thereupon which are then decrypted and decoded. The decoded message data are then provided to the entertainment system of the vehicle and the operation of the entertainment system is controlled such that the warning message is broadcast when the entertainment system is turned off and such that provision of other audio signals is interrupted for broadcasting the warning message when the entertainment system is turned on.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of warning systems, and more particularly to a method and system for transmitting a warning message to a driver of a vehicle.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Currently emergency vehicles use loud sirens and flashing lights for alerting drivers from the outside of their vehicle. However, audio alerts from the outside are unreliable. Firstly, modern cars are built soundproof in order to substantially prevent outside noise from penetrating the car for driver and passenger comfort. Secondly, most modern cars have a built-in entertainment system typically comprising a radio, CD player and a DVD player. As a result, drivers are typically exposed to a noisy environment created inside the vehicle preventing the same from becoming aware of the outside audio alert from an approaching emergency vehicle.
There have been various attempts to overcome this problem. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,926,112 and 6,822,580 teach use of a flashing light or a warning tone generated inside the vehicle which is triggered by an approaching emergency vehicle. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 7,061,402 teaches use of the sound waves of the siren of an approaching emergency vehicle to trigger the generation of a warning tone within the vehicle and U.S. Pat. No. 7,663,504 teaches an emergency vehicle sending a signal which triggers playing of a generic message which is stored in the receiver and which can not be customized by an emergency department.
Unfortunately, these and other state of the art systems have shortcomings preventing the same from successful implementation. The state of the art systems can be triggered by other signals then signals transmitted from an emergency vehicle either accidentally or intentionally. Furthermore, the state of the art systems do not interrupt the current operation of the entertainment system to broadcast the warning signal or warning message. Yet further, the state of the art systems do not provide means for muting one transmitter in the presence of another potentially jamming the system in the presence of more than one emergency vehicle.
It is desirable to provide a method and system for transmitting a warning message to a driver of a vehicle that is reliable.
It is also desirable to provide a method and system for transmitting a warning message to a driver of a vehicle that temporarily interrupts a current operation of the entertainment system of the vehicle to broadcast the warning message and that broadcasts the warning message when the entertainment system is turned off.
It is also desirable to provide a method and system for transmitting a warning message to a driver of a vehicle that provides means for muting one transmitter in the presence of another.

Method and system for transmitting a warning message to a driver of a vehicle


A method and device for monitoring a fault of a wind power generator set. The method includes the following steps: performing (101) fault identification on a component in a wind power generator set; and presenting (102) an identified fault using a three-dimensional model of the component. The device includes corresponding identifying module (61) and presenting module (62). By using the method and device, the fault monitor can intuitively observe the fault existed in the component, which not only is beneficial for taking effective fault processing measures before a minor fault evolves into a serious fault and thus reduces the harm of the fault, but also reduces the experience requirements for the fault monitor and avoids the process that the fault monitor in the prior art analyzes a two-dimensional curve to identify whether there is a fault in the component according to his experience.

With the rapid development of wind power generation, a wind power generator set has gained wide application. However, during the application of the wind power generator set, it is inevitable that some faults will occur. How to effectively monitor the fault and thus ensure the normal operation of the wind power generator set become urgent problems to be solved.
With respect to the fault monitoring of the wind power generator set, in the present, it is often only possible to provide a two-dimensional curve obtained after the measurement of a component in the wind power generator set. The fault of the component reflected by the two-dimensional curve is not intuitionistic enough, and an experienced fault monitor is often required to analyze the two-dimensional curve to identify whether there is a fault in the component according to his experience.

Computer storage medium, computer program product, method for monitoring fault of wind power generator set, and device

BEIJING GOLDWIND SCIENCE & CREATION WINDPOWER EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.


A magnetic recording medium having high reliability is provided, in which concave portions between recording elements formed as convex portions of a concavo-convex pattern are approximately completely filled with a non-magnetic material. The magnetic recording medium is a plate-like body including: a substrate; a recording layer that is formed in a predetermined concavo-convex pattern over the substrate and includes recording elements for recording information formed as convex portions of the concavo-convex pattern; and the non-magnetic material filling concave portions between the recording elements. Side faces of the recording elements are inclined to face a surface of the plate-like body on a side toward which the recording elements 16 project in the concavo-convex pattern. An inclination angle of the side faces of the recording elements with respect to a direction perpendicular to that surface is smaller than 90° and 5° or more.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic recording medium including a recording layer formed in a predetermined concavo-convex pattern in which recording elements for recording information are formed as convex portions thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, various types of development such as miniaturization of magnetic particles forming a recording layer, change of a material of the magnetic particles, and improvement of fine head processing have been made for magnetic recording media such as hard discs in order to largely improve the areal density of the recording layer. The improvement of the areal density is expected to continue.
However, many problems including the limitation of the head processing, erroneous information recording to a track adjacent to a target track caused by broadening of a magnetic field, crosstalk during reproduction, and the like are made apparent. This means the improvement of the areal density by the conventional development approaches has already reached the limit. Magnetic recording media such as discrete track media and patterned media, in which a recording layer is formed in a predetermined concavo-convex pattern and recording elements for recording information are formed as convex portions of the concavo-convex pattern, have been proposed as prospective magnetic recording media capable of further improvements in areal density (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publications Nos. Hei 10-222944 and Hei 9-97419, for example). In those magnetic recording media, it is considered that the side faces of the recording element that are approximately perpendicular to a surface thereof are preferable, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 10-222944, for example.
Erroneous information recording to a track adjacent to a target track, crosstalk and the like can be suppressed by recording information to the recording elements formed as the convex portions.
On the other hand, in the case where the surface of the magnetic recording medium is formed in a concavo-convex pattern, the flying height of a head is unstable. This may degrade the recording and reproduction characteristics. Thus, it is preferable to planarize the surface of the magnetic recording medium by depositing a non-magnetic material on the recording layer of the concavo-convex pattern so that concave portions between the recording elements are filled with the non-magnetic material and then removing the excess non-magnetic material on the recording elements. Moreover, the side face of the recording element can be easily damaged by processing. The damage of the side face may degrade the magnetic characteristics. When the damage of the side face of the recording element is left as it is, corrosion or oxidization caused by moisture,
oxygen in the air or the like may progress to further degrade the magnetic characteristics. However, when the non-magnetic material comes into close contact with the side face of the recording element, contact of moisture, oxygen or the like with the side face of the recording element can be suppressed. For this reason, filling the concave portions between the recording elements with the non-magnetic material is preferable.
Dry etching can be used for processing the recording layer in a concavo-convex pattern. Various dry etching methods have been developed in order to process the side faces of the convex portions of the concavo-convex pattern to be approximately perpendicular to the surfaces of the convex portions. Moreover, deposition techniques used in the art of semiconductor manufacturing, such as sputtering, can be used for depositing the non-magnetic material. In addition, process techniques used in the art of semiconductor manufacturing, such as CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing), can be used as a technique for removing the excess non-magnetic material on the recording layer to planarize the surface of the recording layer and non-magnetic material.
However, it is difficult to completely fill the concave portions between the recording elements with the non-magnetic material even when the non-magnetic material is deposited on the recording layer of the concavo-convex pattern by the above technique. That is, voids are often formed in the concave portions. Such voids may allow for entrance of moisture, air, or the like thereto. The entering moisture, air, or the like cause corrosion or oxidization of the side faces of the recording elements, which may degrade the magnetic characteristics.


A heat exchanger has plural tubes and a header tank formed by a first tank portion and a second tank portion. When the first tank portion and the second tank portion are assembled, a protruding portion protruding from a wall of the first tank portion is inserted into a hole formed in the second tank portion. Then, the first tank portion is slidably moved against the second tank portion in a parallel direction with respect to a longitudinal direction of the header tank until the protruding portion engages the hole. As a result, the second tank portion is partially clamped between the wall of the first tank portion and the protruding portion, and the first and second tank portions sufficiently contact each other. Therefore, undesirable clearance is restricted from being formed between the first and second tank portions, and brazing performance therebetween is improved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to heat exchangers, and particularly to a radiator for cooling coolant flowing from an internal combustion engine.
2. Related Art
JP-A-10-132485 discloses a radiator having plural tubes and a header tank connected to the tubes. The header tank includes a core plate to which the plural tubes are connected, and a tank portion brazed to the core plate. The core plate and the tank portion are formed by pressing to reduce manufacturing cost.
However, the core plate and the tank portion may have a distortion such as warping or waviness during a manufacturing process. Therefore, when the core plate and the tank portion are tentatively assembled, a relatively large clearance may be formed between the core plate and the tank portion. As a result, brazing performance between the core plate and the tank portion may be compromised. Even when the core plate and the tank portion are formed by other processes such as drawing, the core plate and the tank portion may also be distorted during the manufacturing process, thereby compromising the brazing performance between the core portion and the tank portion.


A protein having an amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2 or 4 or an amino acid sequence having said amino acid sequence with a single or plural amino acids deleted, replaced or added, and having the nicotianamine aminotransferase activity, a gene encoding said protein as well as utilization thereof for enhancement of ability of absorbing insoluble iron in soil and for improvement of resistance to iron deficiency are provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nicotianamine aminotransferase, a gene therefor and utilization thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
Calcareous soil, a saline illuviation soil in dry ground, occupies about 30% of the soil in the world, including China, the Middle and Near East countries, the Central and North Africa, the Central and West America and soon. In this soil, iron in the soil is insolubilized due to a high pH. A plant can not grow in this soil, developing chlorosis by iron deficiency, unless it can absorb iron in soluble form from the root by any means. When agriculture and environmental afforestation are desired, measures against the deficiency of soluble iron in the soil will be an important problem.
As measures to solve the iron deficiency of plant by agricultural technique, it may be considered (1) to correct pH of the alkaline soil to neutral or slightly acidic one by addition of sulfur, (2) to apply a substance containing a chelated iron or (3) to increase soluble iron in the soil by enhancing soil microorganism activity, for example, by means of application of an organic substance, thereby increasing siderophore (an iron transporter) production by the microorganism.
These means for providing iron by soil treatment, however, are not always satisfactory because there are problems, for example, that a large amount of application material is required, that the effect is very unstable depending on the method of application including time of application, site of application, concentration, kind of spreader or the like and weather conditions. Therefore, development of novel techniques has been demanded.
Under these circumstances, the present inventors have conducted extensive studies and discovered a novel gene which is suitable for enhancing absorption ability on insoluble iron in soil and improving resistance to iron deficiency and thus have completed the present invention.

Nicotianamine aminotransferase and gene therefor


Provided is a column tube for chromatography that can prevent a peak shape abnormality referred to as a foot in a resulting chromatogram. The object is accomplished by the column tube for chromatography, through which a fluid flows, this column tube including a plurality of polishing traces extending on an inner circumferential surface of the column tube in a flow direction of the fluid.

A chromatograph such as a liquid chromatograph or a supercritical fluid chromatograph typically includes a column tube including a separating agent (stationary phase) for separating components to be separated, the components having been introduced into a fluid as a mobile phase.
In the related art, for column tubes that are used in chromatographs, during a process of manufacturing the same, polishing of an inner surface of the tube is omitted, or a method of polishing with no directionality is used, in which the inner surface of the tube is uniformly polished as in electropolishing, or a method is used, in which buffing is performed in a circumferential direction of the tube.
In addition to these methods, a method referred to as honing is well known, in which an inner circumferential surface of a tube material is polished by polishing processing implemented in a combination of a rotating motion and a reciprocating motion.
In addition, it is commonly known in this technical field that the surface of an inner circumferential surface of a column tube has to be as smooth as possible (Patent Document 1).

Column tube for chromatography, and column for chromatography employing same


An arc welding apparatus includes a single-electrode type welding torch, a single wire feeder supplied with a plurality of welding wires and having a plurality of wire drivers for driving the plurality of welding wires, and a welding controller for controlling operations of the welding torch and the wire feeder. The welding controller selectively operates any one of the plurality of wire drivers to feed only a single welding wire to the welding torch and performs the arc welding. An arc welding robot system includes the arc welding apparatus, a robot mechanical part for holding the welding torch of the arc welding apparatus, and a robot controller for controlling operation of the robot mechanical part.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an arc welding apparatus, and more particularly to an arc welding robot and an arc welding robot system including an arc welding apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional arc welding apparatus 200, for example, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, includes a multi-electrode type welding torch 202, a first wire feeder 204a and second wire feeder 204b, and a first torch cable 206a and second torch cable 206b, all of which are mounted on a robot mechanical part 208. The welding torch 202 is fixed to a wrist element 210 of the robot mechanical part 208. The first wire feeder 204a and second wire feeder 204b are connected to the welding torch 202 by the first torch cable 206a and second torch cable 206b to feed a plurality of types (in the illustrated example, two types) of welding wire to the welding torch 202. The first wire feeder 204a and second wire feeder 204b selectively feed the welding wire to the welding torch 202 in accordance with an instruction from a not shown welding controller.
In another arc welding robot, a plurality of sets of welding torches, torch cables, and wire feeders are provided and the welding torches of the sets are adapted to be exchangeably attached to the robot mechanical part by a not shown tool changing means. In this arc welding robot, for example, the welding torch of the set used is fixed to the wrist element of the robot, while the welding torches of the other not used sets are fixed to holding means as connected with the torch cables and wire feeders of their sets. These welding torches can be changed in accordance with need and used for welding.
In a conventional arc welding robot, since a multi-electrode welding torch was fixed to the front end of the robot and the plurality of torch cables and the plurality of wire feeders associated with these torch cables were necessary, there were the problems that the wire feed section was large and could be easily interfered with other peripheral equipment or structures and also the wire feed section was heavy and the load on the robot mechanical part was great.

Arc welding robot system having arc welding apparatus


The buoyant aerator array with remote air supply has a plurality of aerators disposed in a body of water and supplied with air from a single remote source. The remote source may be land-based or based upon a floating vessel. An air supply line extends from the remote air source to each aerator. Each line is supported by one or more rigid poles or columns anchored into the floor of the body of water. Two aerator embodiments are described herein, with each having a toroidal float. In one embodiment, the entire aerator structure floats to hold the aerator at a constant level, and is held in position by restraining cables. Another embodiment has a plurality legs anchored to the bottom, the float and attached aerator riding along the legs to maintain a constant aerator level below the surface as the water level changes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to liquid aeration systems, and more particularly to a buoyant aerator array with remote air supply that is located on-shore or aboard a ship or other floating vessel.
2. Description of the Related Art
The contamination of various bodies of water by various means is an increasingly serious problem worldwide. The most widespread contaminants may be organic materials that enter the water system due to pollution from human habitation, either directly or indirectly, e.g., pollution from farms and the like. Such pollution can affect inland fresh water supplies (lakes and rivers), and can also be carried to the sea by inland rivers and waterways or by direct discharge of sewage and/or other pollutants into the sea. Organic material in the sewage of treatment plants is another example of such pollution, although contained for processing. The biochemical processes that occur in water due to such organic pollution are known to decrease the oxygen content of the water, thereby reducing or perhaps even destroying fish and other aquatic life in the contaminated body of water. Even if some fish remain in the polluted water, they are almost certainly unfit for human consumption, if caught.
It is generally considered that the most effective means of eliminating such pollutants in contaminated water is by bacteriological processing, wherein bacteria process the contaminants to break them down into harmless organic materials. However, such bacteria are aerobic, i.e., they require oxygen for their metabolism. This is well known in the sewage treatment field, where water is commonly treated by aeration after solids are removed by settling or other means. Such aeration is generally accomplished by mechanical means, e.g., pumping the water up for dispensing into the air from spray booms and nozzles, or by forcing air through underwater pipes for the air to bubble up through the water. Such mechanical systems are relatively costly to operate and require relatively high energy and manpower costs. Even if such systems were less costly to operate, a huge drawback is that they cannot be readily transported to a pollution site for operation at that site. Rather, the water must be transported to the location of the aeration system, a process that is clearly unworkable on a very large scale and/or over very long distances.
Thus, a buoyant aerator array with remote air supply solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

Buoyant aerator array with remote air supply


A client workstation generates a network request for an initial program load. The request is serviced by a server which preferably includes in the reply to the client the addresses of an authentication server (AS), client, and a secure initial program load server (SECIPL). The client then requests an SECIPL service ticket from the AS, also sending a common identifier known to the AS and the client, preferably stored in the client ROM. This identifier is utilized by the AS to validate the ticket request as originating from a bona fide client, whereupon the ticket is provided by the AS to the client, the SECIPL service ticket is then presented by the client to the SECIPL server which then authenticates that the ticket is bona fide and was received by the client from the AS. The SECIPL then provides a secure kernel to the client, either encrypted with a key known to the SECIPL and client, or otherwise secured by a cryptographic checksum utilizing a key known to the client and the SECIPL. In this manner, the client workstation is thereby assured that an authenticated boot image has been received through potentially non-secure communication links.

Computer networks are quite prevalent in the art now which provide for one or more server machines interconnected in a network fashion to multiple client machines generally of lesser capability. There are numerous benefits to this arrangement. For example unnecessary replication of more expensive hardware at the clients is avoided which might otherwise be shared by multiple clients if located at a central repository.
In such networks, it is common to provide the client machines in the form of medialess or diskless workstations. These machines have no substantial (and generally more expensive) non-volatile mass storage devices such as DASD or the like. Rather, they rely upon mass storage devices such as at servers at other locations in the network to store the necessary code and data which must be available to the client machines to perform their functions. In such arrangements, it is conventional for the server(s) to deliver the code and data over the network connection to the particular client at appropriate times. In this manner, the client need only have present in its real memory at any given time only the information stored in the mass storage devices at the server(s) necessary to perform a function at that time. The need is thereby avoided of having mass storage devices at each client containing information which remains in an unused state for long periods of time and which adds to the cost of the network.
Representative such client-server systems may be seen described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,140 entitled "Communication Security Accessing System and Process" and U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,278 entitled "Method for Loading Data or Program to a Plurality of Terminal Stations", for example.
Several problems have come about as a result of the growth of these computer network systems. Not the least of these is the serious problem of unauthorized access to the systems which has been reported with alarming increased frequency. With the proliferation of large multi-user computer systems with enormous banks of extremely valuable data, techniques were highly sought for enhancing the security of these networks.
Accordingly, numerous schemes have developed over the years including encryption, passwords, physical security devices such as keyed switches, and so forth in an effort to deter the rising rates of unauthorized access. Several subtle security exposures arise from the characteristics of the diskless workstation in seeking to secure the previously described network systems which employ diskless workstations. As but one example, in order for such a workstation to become operative upon power up, it is necessary for the workstation to obtain the kernel operating system code from somewhere else in the network. This is because the operating system is not resident at the workstation itself (for reasons previously described that the non-volatile storage necessary to store the operating system at the workstation is undesirable and cost-prohibitive.) One problem with this, however, is that the industry standard boot protocol does not provide for certification of this kernel code delivered from the network to the booting diskless workstation in any way.
The delivery of non-certified boot code to a workstation upon booting is fraught with numerous problems which have beset the industry, particularly in the more security-sensitive areas in which computer networks have been established. As but one example, one of the computers in the network could be configured to provide a kernel to a diskless system when it boots. It may be assumed, for purposes of illustration, that this kernel-providing system may be faster at providing such kernel code than the "officially" designated kernel source machine for the network. In such a case, upon booting of the diskless workstation, the non-certified kernel from the computer will be loaded by the workstations which then, in response, might very typically be asked to supply a password. Upon the password being provided by the operator at the workstation, this password would be received by the computer providing the bogus boot kernel code requested by the workstation. Later, the unauthorized individual, who has thereby surreptitiously obtained the valid password from the workstation operator, could sign onto the network system, utilize the thus-obtained valid password, and unauthorizedly enter the entire computer network.
In an effort to solve the foregoing problems, numerous solutions were attempted resulting in customer requirements for diskless stations, networks and modifications which were not appropriate or cost-effective for systems not requiring such security. This resulted in manufacturing expenses and costs associated with providing two types of systems.
Accordingly, systems and methods were needed which could provide assurances that a diskless workstation was obtaining a certified kernel upon booting, and which could further ensure the kernel server that the workstation machine requesting the kernel was an authorized workstation.
It was accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved boot architecture.
Yet another object of the invention is thus to provide an improved communication security system for diskless workstations which rejects connection to an unauthorized user terminal.
Still another object was to provide for a boot architecture for secure initial program load (IPL) for diskless workstations which nevertheless provided the ability to offer one standard diskless station with only minimal modifications being required for the addition of a secure IPL feature.
These and other objects and features are provided by the invention, a fuller understanding of which may be obtained with reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

System and method for secure initial program load for diskless workstations

International Business Machines Corporation


An iron-type golf club head comprises a head main portion having a face for hitting a golf ball, and weight members made of metallic material having heavier specific gravity than the head main portion. The head main portion has a tubular portion provided on a heel side of the face and having a shaft inserting hole. The tubular portion is provided continuously on the lower side of the shaft inserting hole with a bottomed hole part for arranging the weight members. The weight members include a heel-side weight member disposed in the bottomed hole part.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an iron-type golf club head having improved directional stability of a hit golf ball.
2. Description of the Background Art
In recent years, an iron-type golf club head a position of whose center of gravity was improved by bonding more than two kinds of different metallic materials has been proposed. FIG. 10 shows one example of such an iron-type gold club head a. The club head a includes a main portion b, and weight members ct, ch having heavier specific gravity than the main portion b, the weight members ct, ch being respectively arranged in a lower part of a toe portion t and a heel portion h on a rear of a face portion of the main portion b. In this type of club head a, great mass is allocated to a toe side and a heel side of a face portion. Hence, a moment of inertia around a vertical axis passing through the center of gravity of the head G (which may be hereinafter referred to as the "moment of inertia Ig") increases, and orientation of a face does not easily change even when a golf ball is hit on the toe side or the heel side of a sweet spot of the face, thus improving the directional stability of the hit golf ball.
However, the gold club head mentioned above tends to have a greater moment of inertia around an axial centerline CL of a shaft (which may be hereinafter referred to as the "moment of inertia Ic"). Such a golf club head a having the great moment of inertia Ic originally had a problem that when a golfer swung it, the face did not fully return to the position at address, thus causing him/her to easily make a slice shot. There are related technologies as shown below:    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-29380,    [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-291488.


Disclosed are methods which include exposing a beetle of the species Pityophthorus juglandis and/or treating surfaces susceptible to infestation by the species or to infection by Geosmithia morbida with compositions including one or more semiochemicals capable of being produced by Pityophthorus juglandis. The semiochemicals can be 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol, conophthorin or chalcogran. Also disclosed are compositions and systems used in the methods.

The walnut twig beetle (WTB), Pityophthorus juglandis Blackman (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), is associated with thousand cankers disease of walnut (Juglans sp.). Spores of a newly identified fungus, Geosmithia morbida, are introduced into the phloem when the beetles bore through the bark. (See Kola{hacek over (r)}ik, M., Freeland, E., Utley, C., and Tisserat, N. 2011. Geosmithia morbida sp. nov., a new phytopathogenic species living in symbiosis with the walnut twig beetle (Pityophthorus juglandis) on Juglans in USA. Mycologia 103: 325-332.) The infection results in numerous cankers that eventually kill the tree, often within 3 years of the first appearance of symptoms.
Thousand cankers disease is a walnut disease of national significance that threatens the health and longevity of a variety of walnut species and their rootstocks, including walnuts of the edible crop (Juglans regia) industry and walnuts of the timber (Juglans nigra) industry. (See Tisserat, N., Crenshaw, W., Leatherman, D., Utley, C., and Alexander, K. 2009. Black walnut mortality in Colorado caused by the walnut twig beetle and thousand cankers disease. Plant Health Progress. Published 11 August 2009; Seybold, S. J., Haugen, D., O'Brien, J., and Graves, A. D. 2011. Thousand cankers disease. USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry Pest Alert, NA-PR-02-10, May, 2010, reprinted August 2010 and October 2011, 2 pp.; Tisserat N., Cranshaw W., Putnam, M., Pscheidt, J. Leslie, C. A., Murray, M., Hoffman, J., Barkely, Y., Alexander, K., and Seybold, S. J. 2011. Thousand cankers disease is widespread on black walnut, Juglans nigra, in the western United States. Online. Plant Health Progr. (Published Jun. 30, 2011) doi:10.1094/PHP-2009-0811-01-RS.). Notably, one of the most susceptible species, Juglans nigra is an economically valuable hardwood tree species in North America, with a standing timber value in the range of $500 billion. The WTB, vector of the fungus causing the disease, is expanding its range and causing increased tree mortality in the western U.S. and was recently discovered near Knoxville, Tenn. (July 2010), Richmond, Va. (July 2011), and Bucks Co., Pa. (August 2011). (See Seybold, S. J., Coleman, T. W., Dallara, P. L., Dart, N. L., Graves, A. D., Pederson, L., and Spichiger, S.-E. 2012a. Recent collecting reveals new state records and the extremes in the distribution of the walnut twig beetle, Pityophthorus juglandis Blackman (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), in the United States. Pan-Pacific Entomol. (accepted, in press May 30, 2012) and Seybold, S. J., Haugen, D., O'Brien, J., and Graves, A. D. 2011. Thousand cankers disease. USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry Pest Alert, NA-PR-02-10, May 2010, reprinted August 2010 and October 2011, 2 pp.) Northern California black walnut, Juglans hindsii, is rapidly succumbing to this threat in California. Id. Unfortunately, little is known about the semiochemicals that may mediate the colonization of host trees by WTB. Moreover, WTB is an unusual species in that it is an angiosperm-infesting Pityophthorus, as compared to other twig beetles, which infest conifers, and in that it colonizes the largest branches and main stem of the tree, whereas other species are confined to the twigs. Few products or methods exist for detecting and combating thousand cankers disease of walnut and none have demonstrated any significant effectiveness at combating the disease.

Methods of monitoring and controlling the walnut twig beetle,

The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of Agriculture


An arc chamber barrier for a circuit breaker is provided. The arc chamber barrier has a body with a first interlock component that is structured to engage a second interlock component disposed in the circuit breaker primary cover. The arc chamber barrier body is further structured to be disposed in an elongated contact chamber at the interface of an arc chamber portion and an operating mechanism portion. In this configuration, the arc chamber barrier first interlock component resists displacement of the arc chamber barrier body when a pair of separable contacts moves between the second, closed position and the first, open position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a molded case circuit breaker and, more specifically to an arc chamber barrier of a molded case circuit breaker.
2. Background Information
Circuit breakers, including molded case circuit breakers, have at least one pair of separable contacts. A first contact is fixed within the molded case housing and the other contact, the "movable contact," is coupled to an operating mechanism. Both contacts are disposed on conductive "arms" that are in electrical communication with either the line or load coupled to the circuit breaker. The operating mechanism is structured to move the movable contact between a first, open position wherein the movable contact is spaced from the fixed contact, and a second, closed position wherein the fixed and movable contacts are in contact and electrical communication. The operating mechanism may be operated manually or by the circuit breaker's trip mechanism. When a circuit breaker has multiple poles, each pole has its own set of separable contacts. Each set of contacts is disposed within a separate contact chamber within the molded case housing.
The housing, typically, has a base portion, in which the majority of components are disposed, and a primary cover. Both the base portion and the primary cover include a plurality of internal walls which define the contact chamber(s). Each contact chamber has an arc chamber portion and an operating mechanism portion. The operating mechanism, or part thereof, coupled to each contact arm is disposed in the operating mechanism portion. The arc chamber portion encloses the separable contacts as well as an arc chamber and, possibly, a slot motor. An arc chamber is structured to dissipate an arc following separation of the contacts. That is, when the contacts are separated an arc may form, especially during an over-current event. The arc is dissipated in the arc chamber but the arc still creates gases and possibly a spray of molten debris. A slot motor is a ferro-magnetic device structured to increase the speed of contact separation. That is, the slot motor is a loop of ferro-magnetic material disposed about the movable contact arm. Electro-magnetic fields within the circuit breaker effect the slot motor which in turn creates a magnetic field that increases the speed of the movable contact arm during separation. The stronger the electrical current, the stronger the magnetic field. Thus, during an over-current event, the magnetic field is strong and the speed of separation is increased. This configuration causes certain problems.
One problem is the blowback of arc gases and molten debris into the operating mechanism portion of the contact chamber. The arc gases are typically vented through an exhaust; however, the arc gases, which may be corrosive, and the molten debris also impact on the operating mechanism components causing damage thereto. Further, movement of the movable contact must be arrested prior to the movable contact or the movable contact arm impacting upon the slot motor or the housing. This is especially true during an over-current event when the movable contact arm is moving at great speed. Both of these concerns have been addressed by introducing an arc chamber barrier.
The arc chamber barrier is a non-conductive body shaped as an inverted "U" which is disposed between the arc chamber portion and the operating mechanism portion. The arc chamber barrier is typically fitted into the base portion of the housing and does not extend into the area occupied by the cover. Further, the size of the arc chamber barrier is slightly smaller than the size of the contact chamber so that it may be easily installed. When installed, the arc chamber barrier, which has two tines and a bight, is disposed over the medial portion of the movable contact arm so that the movable contact arm travels in the space between the tines. The bight is structured to arrest the movement of the movable contact arm. That is, the movable contact arm impacts the bight and is stopped. The arc chamber barrier body substantially fills the contact chamber. As such, debris is substantially blocked from traveling into the operating mechanism portion of the contact chamber. Further, because the gap between the tines is relatively small, the arc gases will typically pass through the exhaust. While arc chamber barriers are an improvement, the barriers create other disadvantages.
For example, a typical arc chamber barrier is not attached to the base portion of the housing. This lack of attachment along with the smaller size of the arc chamber barrier allows the arc chamber barrier to be moved, typically upwardly, when impacted by the movable contact arm. When the arc chamber barrier is moved from its original position, the arc chamber barrier may move into the path of travel of the movable contact arm, e.g. the tines may pinch the movable contact arm. Further, if the arc chamber barrier is not in the proper position, an additional impact from the movable contact arm may cause the arc chamber barrier to break and allow the debris therefrom to interfere with the operating mechanism. Also, because the size of the prior art arc chamber barrier is slightly smaller than the size of the contact chamber, the prior art arc chamber barrier allows arc gases and debris to pass around the arc chamber barrier.
Further, the prior art arc chamber barriers were structured primarily as a debris shield and not structured to optimize the separation speed of the movable contact arm. That is, in addition to other factors, such as, but not limited to, the strength of the magnetic field created by the slot motor, the impact speed of the movable arm during separation is controlled by the configuration of the circuit breaker housing and the operating mechanism configuration. One additional factor related to the configuration of the circuit breaker housing is the pressure within the contact chamber during an arc. That is, when an arc occurs and gasses are created, the pressure within the contact chamber increases. It has been determined that the greater the pressure, the greater the separation speed of the movable contact arm. In a three pole circuit breaker, the contact chambers extend parallel to each other. While the two outer contact chambers have a relatively small volume, the middle chamber is larger as it must accommodate additional components of the operating mechanism, such as, but not limited to, the operating handle. As such, the contact chamber of the "mechanism pole" of the circuit breaker has a larger volume than the contact chambers of the two outer poles. Thus, because the arc gases have a larger volume to fill, the increase in pressure within the mechanism pole contact chamber is less than the increase in pressure of the other contact chambers.
There is, therefore, a need for an arc chamber barrier structured to resist displacement when the separable contacts move between a second, closed position and a first, open position.
There is a further need for an arc chamber barrier structured to interlock with the circuit breaker housing cover.
There is a further need for an arc chamber barrier structured to fill a greater volume of the contact chamber thereby increasing the pressure within the contact chamber during an arc event.

Arc chamber barrier with interlocking top for circuit breaker


A system and method for monitoring a critical component (e.g., an electrical deicing heater) on an aircraft. A first electrical current is input into the critical component, a second electrical current is returned from the critical component, and an electrical differential current of the critical component is detected. The electrical differential current is the difference between the first electrical current and the second electrical current. An electrical differential current signal is generated from the detected electrical differential current. The electrical differential current signal is compared to a differential current threshold, and precautionary action is triggered based on the comparison. A deterioration trend of the critical component is monitored by tracking variations in the electrical differential current of the critical component over time.

Airplane flight relies on various control surfaces, sensors, transducers, and probes to function properly. Many of these critical components are externally mounted on aircraft, and are therefore subject to several environmental challenges. Accumulation of ice, snow, or frost on leading edges and horizontal and vertical stabilizer surfaces may alter their aerodynamic shapes, which may ultimately lead to loss of control or insufficient lift to keep the aircraft airborne. Accumulation of ice, snow, or frost on sensors, transducers, and probes may lead to erroneous data readings, which may also have a deleterious effect on the functioning of the aircraft, which may be catastrophic.
To prevent ice formation in flight, hot bleed air from one or more engine compressors is used to melt, and therefore prevent dangerous build up, of ice, snow, or frost on the critical components exposed to the external environment. However, air ducts are required to convey the hot bleed air from the engine compressors to the critical components, thereby increasing the weight, engine thrust requirements, and fuel burn. For this reason, hot bleed air heating systems have been replaced by electric deicing heaters on newer aircraft. These deicing heaters are composed of resistive coils or elements embedded in metal cases, metal parting strips, or carbon fiber composite structures, which are typically incorporated into the sensors, transducers, and probes to form structurally integrated units.
Salt, sand, pollutants, volcanic ash, ice, moisture, insects, plus shock, vibration, pressure, temperature cycles, etc., degrade the performance of these deicing heaters, thereby reducing the component's service life to four to five years. From field returns, it has been discovered that, over time, corroded deicing heaters, due to degraded insulation that loses its electrically insulative properties, develop conductive paths to the heater case, which is bonded to the chassis of the aircraft. Such conductive paths shunt away the heating current, allowing ice, snow, or frost to form, rebuild, and accumulate in flight.
Airplane onboard systems monitor the electrical current of these deicing heaters to determine the existence of a fault condition. A warning indication is generated based on monitoring the operating current of these heaters. However, due to manufacturing tolerance, supply voltage variations, and transient behaviors of the deicing heater current, existing onboard monitoring systems are designed to operate with large fluctuations of the heater current under all operating conditions. For example, as the temperature of the heater increases, the heater resistance increases, thereby decreasing the heater current. As such, current onboard monitoring systems are designed to only determine two distinct fail conditions based on two predetermined current thresholds: a "fail-open" if measured heater current reaches its minimum threshold (e.g., 30 mA) and a "fail-short" if measured heater current reaches its maximum threshold (e.g., 3 A). In fact, cases for "fail-open" can be either "cable-open," or "connector-open," or "heating element-open," and cases for "fail-short" can be either "cable-short" or "connector-short." However, many failed or failing electrical deicing heaters draw electrical current in the range between the minimum and maximum failure thresholds, and are therefore interpreted as being in a "no-fault" condition by the on-board monitoring system.
Thus, today's on-board monitoring systems are unaware of the timely deteriorations of electrical deicing heaters until the current magnitude gradually becomes sufficiently high to trip an upstream circuit breaker, which results in the identification of a "fail-short" condition, or the deicing heater is burned open, resulting in the identification of a "fail-open" condition. Thus, not until the deicing heater has completely failed, which typically occurs in-flight, will there be any indication that a failure has occurred. As such, the existing on-board monitoring systems cannot recognize a large percentage of deicing heaters that have failed in service. A degraded electrical deicing heater will no longer perform its intended function, causing instrument errors, disagreement in altitudes and airspeed from these "no-fault" probes, which may lead to cockpit confusion and aircraft stall absent intervention.
For example, wide-body aircraft typically have multiple probes measuring airplane's air speed, total air temperature, and angle-of-attack. These external mounted sensors often have embedded electrical deicing heaters that respectively receive power from the left, center, and right control panels in the cockpit, and provide data to the corresponding onboard flight control systems. With respect to air speed probes, failure of one or more of the electrical deicing heaters may cause substantially different air speed readings among these probes. There is no flight deck warning-indication until an air-data split, i.e., airspeed readings for captain and first officer are in disagreement due to an icing event. Upon noticing an air-data split, airline pilots are trained to first disengage the autopilot and auto-throttle, fly the aircraft manually, and land the airplane at a nearby airport. When ice forms and melts during flight, intermittent errors often result in the pilots' decision for Air Turn Back (ATB). Since the 1990s, the worldwide wide-body fleet has had numerous incidents of such event occurring in-flight. On the ground, maintenance crew will remove these air probes and measure the insulation resistance of each to determine which one is faulty. To eliminate failure of air data probes in-flight, airlines are forced to shorten the removal and replacement schedule, which may be as short as 13,000 flight hours or three years for the wide-body fleet. As such, air data probes are typically prematurely replaced even when they are properly functioning. This costly issue has been frequently raised by airlines, since the early 1990s.
There, thus, remains a need for an on-board monitoring system that monitors and reports the trend in the health status of critical components, including electrical deicing heaters, detects the failure of critical components in advance, and annunciates cockpit warnings at an early stage before complete failure of the critical components (e.g., before airspeed disagreement).

Early detection of faulty deicing heaters on wide-body aircraft


A bulk acoustic wave gyroscope has a primary member in a member plane, and an electrode layer in an electrode plane spaced from the member plane. The electrode layer has a first portion that is electrically isolated from a second portion. The first portion, however, is mechanically coupled with the second portion and faces the primary member (e.g., to actuate or sense movement of the primary member). For support, the second portion of the electrode is directly coupled with structure in the member plane.

Bulk acoustic wave ("BAW") gyroscope use has increased in recent years. This trend is driven by their many benefits including, among other things, their high gain factor, which causes them to use less power than conventional gyroscopes. In addition, such gyroscopes generally cost less to manufacture.
To those ends, many bulk acoustic wave gyroscopes known to the inventors have a disk with a crystal lattice that, during either or both an actuation or detection phase, vibrates/resonates at a very high frequency, typically in the megahertz range. This is in contrast to gyroscopes having a disk mechanically moving back and forth about a substrate in both phases. When the crystal lattice of the disk vibrates, the disk is considered to be operating in a "bulk" mode.


The topology of a computer network may be by the process of discovery in which each of the devices of the network is interrogated to thereby produce details of the network and its operation, preferably in the form of a network map which may be displayed on a visual display unit showing the devices and links between the devices. At its simplest, and where the device is a “managed” device, this information is usually provided by interrogation using a known protocol, such as the SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), of the so-called ‘agent’ of each device which stores the device's unique MAC address, the type of device and the MAC addresses embedded in the data passing into a particular port which thereby gives the MAC addresses of the origin of the data and hence the MAC address of the devices which are connected to the ports directly or indirectly.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for discovering non managed devices (e.g. devices that do not have an SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) agent) in a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or other network. The preferred embodiment of the present invention relates to the discovery of devices that do not have an SNMP agent but do include an embedded web agent.
The present invention relates to the process of discovery of the devices on network, that is a network of electronic devices comprising, for example, workstations, personal computers, servers, hubs, routers, bridges, switches, (hereinafter referred to as devices of the network), and links between these devices which may be in the form of physical cable or wireless links. The network may be a local area network (LAN), such as an Ethernet network, wide area network (WAN) or other types, including wireless networks.
Computers and other devices connected to a network may be managed or unmanaged devices. A managed device has processing capability, which enables it to monitor data traffic sent from, received at, and passing through the ports of the device. Monitored data associated with the ports of the network device is stored in memory on the network device. For example, data relating to the origin of a data packet which is received at a port is stored along with the identity of the relevant port.
After such a network has been installed, it is desirable for the person appointed network manager to be able to understand the technical operation of the network. In known network management systems, the manner in which the relevant data is retrieved from the managed devices, compiled and displayed "discovered" has been problematic in several respects. Primarily the data does not provide information about unmanaged (eg non SNMP enabled) devices.
The topology of the network may be deduced by the network manager's computer by the process of discovery in which each of the devices of the network is interrogated to thereby produce on a network manager's workstation details of the network and its operation, preferably in the form of a network map which may be displayed on a visual display unit showing the devices and links between the devices. At its simplest, and where the device is a "managed" device, this information is usually provided by interrogation using a known protocol, such as the SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), of the so-called 'agent' of each device which stores the device's unique MAC address, the type of device and the MAC addresses embedded in the data passing into a particular port which thereby gives the MAC addresses of the origin of the data and hence the MAC address of the devices which are connected to the ports directly or indirectly.
Many devices are not SNMP enabled and so the discovery or interrogation of the network produces a result which indicates that these non SNMP enabled devices are displayed as "generic" devices.
It would be desirable if one were able to deduce more information about these generic devices, that is non-SNMP enabled devices, and the present invention provides a method of doing so.

Discovering non managed devices in a network such as a LAN using HTTP

Abstract: However, many devices are not SNMP enabled and so the discovery or interrogation of the network produces a result which indicates that these non SNMP enabled devices are displayed as “generic” devices.

Abstract: There is described a device for use in a network, said device including information identifying the device, which information is made accessible during HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) authentication procedure.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A needle alloy wherein the nickel content is between 6.3% and 9.5%, the chromium content is between 11.5% and 12.5% and the molydenum content is between 3% and 4%. In addition, tantalum and titanium should be present at a combined level of no more than 2.1%. Favorable results from this alloy cause needles to have a greater than 400,000 psi ultimate tensile strength.

Presently, many types of alloys are used in the production of surgical needles Some such alloys are martensitic stainless steels, austenitic stainless steels, and plated plain carbon steel. These alloys range from materials which exhibit acceptable characteristics regarding corrosion resistance, strength and ductility. Of course, primary among all these factors is strength. Naturally, the ultimate tensile strength of an alloy is ideally as high as possible for manufacture, while not compromising any of the other characteristics of the material. The ultimate tensile strength of the precipitation grade steel can be described as a combination of an annealed strength added to a work hardening response, which is aged hardened. In general, it is desirable for current chemistries from which needles are formed to have an ultimate tensile strength greater than 400,000 pounds per square inch (400 ksi).
In general, the alloys on which this application focuses are called maraging stainless steels. This terminology indicates hardening by martensitic transformation, with precipitation hardened by aging. Stainless steel means a relatively high chromium level in the alloy, usually 12 percent or greater.
The first stage in processing these steels is annealing, or solution treatment. This entails heating the material to a suitable temperature (between 1500.degree. F. and 2100.degree. F.), sufficiently long to place one or more constituent elements into solid solution in the base metal. More preferably, maraged steels are solution treated between 1980.degree. F. and 2080.degree. F. The phase change of the solution from an austenitic state to its martensitic state commonly occurs in these alloys during cooling from the elevated temperature of the solution treatment. A rapid cooling rate insures that constituents remain in super saturated solid solution, also avoiding unwanted precipitation that might occur during a slow cool. The transformation to martensite is therefore a diffusionless phase change. Alloy additions remained trapped in solution within resulting martensite, filling interstitial sites of the base metal. In this regard, the additions block dislocation propagation and further strain the structural lattice of the alloy. Certain alloy additions may also cause martensite refinement, thus hardening or toughening the alloy due to finer martensite plate spacing.
Next, the alloy is work hardened to gain additional strength. Work hardening is a process which increases the strength of a metal by the addition of mechanical deformation. Any process that increases the resistance to slip or the motion of dislocations in the lattice structure of crystals will increase the strength of the material. In work hardening this resistance is caused by immobile obstacles generated during the deformation process itself. They can be arrays of other dislocations or grain boundaries, the number of which is also increased by the mechanical work.
Finally, precipitation or age hardening is accomplished by aging the alloy at intermediate temperatures, high enough to reactivate both diffusion and the formation of intermetallic compounds. Generally age hardening occurs between temperatures of 750.degree. F. to 1050.degree. F. Preferably maraged steels are precipitation hardened between about 825.degree. F. and 975.degree. F. A dispersion of fine precipitates nucleate at dislocations and at martensite plate boundaries, resulting in further hardening of the alloy.
Balancing ultimate tensile strength with corrosion resistance and ductility in the maraged steel is difficult to arrange. Many attempts yield high tensile strengths and yet low corrosion resistance, or low ductility. Ultimately therefore, it is the goal of this alloy to balance these criteria, and to produce a strong, ductile and corrosion resistant alloy.

Nickel titanium martensitic steel for surgical needles


Magnetic cores and method and fixtures for forming the same are disclosed. The magnetic core may comprise a magnetic body including magnetic grains and a magnetic flux path, the magnetic grains aligned in a plurality of distinct directional alignments to conform to the magnetic flux path. The grain orientation of the cores may be provided by fixtures including electrical circuits and/or permanent magnets. The fixtures may be configured to produce magnetic fields that approximate, mimic, or correspond to a magnetic flux path in the magnetic core, once it is consolidated and in use. The magnetic fields may orient the grains of the magnetic core when they are in an unconsolidated state, such that the grains are aligned in a plurality of directional alignments that approximate, mimic, or correspond to a magnetic flux path in the magnetic core.

Electric machines convert energy through electromagnetic interactions, such as electricity to electricity (transformer), electricity to mechanical power (motor), or mechanical power to electricity (generator). A factor that influences the energy conversion is the magnetic core materials, which are generally formed from laminations of electric steels (also called silicon steel). In addition to electric machines, magnetic cores in inductors also play a role in their performance. However, core loss (also called iron loss) in the magnetic core occurs due to the AC magnetic field inside the materials, especially during high frequency operation. Core loss generally includes three components: hysteresis loss, eddy current loss and excess loss (or anomalous loss). Hysteresis loss is frequency independent, while both eddy-current and excess losses are frequency dependent.
As fuel economy is an important factor in electric vehicles (EVs), such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid EVs (PHEVs), and battery EVs (BEVs), reducing core loss and increasing induction (flux density) in the magnetic cores (such as rotor and stator cores) of electric machines and power electronics (such as inductor cores) may be a goal. Conventional core forming processes generally reduce losses by sacrificing other magnetic properties or enhance magnetic properties such as flux density but sacrifice loss performance.
One common way to reduce core loss in a magnetic core is to reduce the lamination thickness of the electric steel through mechanical rolling, including hot and cold rolling. Magnetic cores with thinner laminations have significantly lower eddy-current loss, and therefore lower core loss, than thicker laminations. Another way to reduce core loss is to control the chemical composition in electric steels, e.g., Si and Al content. Since Si and Al increase resistivity in electric steels, they are generally controlled during manufacturing in order to reduce the eddy-current loss. Usually 2-3% Si is used in non-oriented electric steel and about 6% in grain-oriented electric steel. Although core loss is significantly reduced by these two approaches, it is still problematic, especially for high frequency applications. Another approach to reduce core loss is to produce magnetic powders that are sintered into a bulk core directly, with or without an insulating coating on the magnetic particles. A similar approach is to mix magnetic powders with a binder and then press them into near-shape devices. However, the use of a binder may reduce the flux density and permeability of the core.

Fixtures and methods for forming aligned magnetic cores


A system on chip includes an interconnect circuit having an input interface and a number of output interfaces. A source device is coupled to the input interface. A target device includes a sectorized addressable memory space and a number of access ports respectively coupled to the output interfaces. The source device is configured to deliver a transaction containing an address word to the target device.

There is a need to be able to manage such routing, for example depending on an address-priority and/or quality-of-service (QoS) criterion, and flexibly depending on the envisaged application. Specifically, different applications may employ different devices and/or may require different addressing-priority criteria to be assigned depending on the nature of the source devices.

Method for managing transactions routing between source equipment and target equipment


A method for inhibiting polymer build-up in a heat exchanger during the gas phase polymerization of alpha-olefins which comprises introducing upstream of the heat exchanger para ethyl ethoxybenzoate in an amount sufficient to inhibit polymer build-up.

Although the invention is herein described with reference to systems for copolymerization of propylene and ethylene, it will be understood that the invention can be readily applied to the copolymerization of other alpha-olefin monomer combinations such as propylene-butene, propylene-hexene and also terpolymer systems produced from three or more olefinic monomers.
"Propylene impact copolymers" are polymers which are composed of a polypropylene homopolymer phase which is intimately mixed with one or more ethylene-propylene copolymer phases. This mixture results in a product which has good impact resistance and good stiffness.
Impact copolymers are typically produced by two or more reactors in series. The first reactor typically produces polypropylene homopolymer which is then fed to a second reactor. Alternatively, the first reactor can be used to produce random copolymer which would then be fed to the second reactor. In the second reactor (and subsequent reactors, if any) the reactant composition is varied such that copolymers with varying fractions of ethylene and propylene are produced in each reactor and intimately mixed with the polymer from the previous reactors.
Typically, the reaction in the reactors, which can be gas phase reactors, is catalyzed by a transition metal catalyst. In most cases the transition metal is titanium.
In general, the equipment for producing propylene impact copolymers is conventional equipment such as two or more reactors, heat exchangers, compressors, discharge systems and piping connected to the various equipment.
Unfortunately, however, during normal operations, the surfaces of the tubes of the heat exchanger or cooler tend to foul with undesirable polymer deposits. These deposits tend to reduce the heat exchanger capability in cooling the recycled gas which removes the heat of reaction, and also it increases the pressure drop across the heat exchanger, which adds to the load on the cycle gas compressor. Because of increasing pressure drop and/or decreased heat exchanger capability the reactor must be shut down within a short time for cleaning.
According to EPA publication No. 0282929 there is disclosed a method for producing a Propylene-alpha-olefin block copolymer without polymer agglomeration in the reactor, by supplying at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an aromatic carboxylic acid ester, a phosphorous ester, an unsaturated dicarboxylic acid diester, amine compound and an amide compound, to the reactor or recycle line. The preferred carboxylic acid ester can be ethyl benzoate and ethyl ethoxybenzoate. Unfortunately however polymer build up in heat exchangers is still a problem when using the method disclosed in the EPA publication 0282929.

Process for reducing polymer build-up in heat exchangers during polymerization of alpha-olefins

Union Carbide Chemicals and Plastics Technology Corporation


A drive mechanism for a pedalled vehicle employs foot levers mounted on the vehicle frame, a rotary drive mechanism, and one way rotary members. A chain or toothed rack can engage the rotary members to provide reciprocal oscillatory motion, which is then converted to one-way rotary motion. A synchronizing mechanism ensures that motion of each lever produces corresponding motion in the opposite direction by the other lever.

This invention relates to foot propelled vehicles, such as bicycles, tricycles, or pedaled boats, and is more particularly directed to a pedaled propulsion system in which reciprocating levers are worked by the rider or operator, rather than a rotary crank, to power the wheels or other propulsion mechanism. The invention is certainly not limited to wheeled vehicles but can also be applied to boats or float-supported vehicles, or runner-supported vehicles for snow or ice travel.
A number of foot lever or pedal lever based systems for propelling bicycles have been proposed and some of these are described in the U.S. patent literature. Of some general interest here are Silvano et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,872,695; Hege 3,984,129; and White 1,148,419. Silvano et al. combines a conventional crank and front sprocket with a pedal and slide bar system to change the mechanical advantage of the cranks. Hege describes a reciprocating foot lever system for propelling a bicycle. A strap is coupled to the rear wheel hub and to a respective foot lever arm, and turns the rear wheel, the two sides of the wheel hub operating in turn. The levers are connected to a gear mechanism inside the wheel hub. This is a rather complex arrangement, and requires drastically modifying the rear wheel from the standard chain drive configuration. White employs a rack and pinion system where an arcuate toothed sector engages a toothed sprocket on a rear wheel hub. Spring returns are included to return the foot levers to their upwards positions.
These systems tend to be rather complex and fail to achieve optimal mechanical advantage for the rider.


One object of the present invention is to provide a method for preparing a polyorganosiloxane without using any catalyst having corrosivity and toxicity such as an alkaline earth metal catalyst in a condensation reaction of at least one organic silicon compound having a silanol group and/or an alkoxy silyl group. The present invention is a method for preparing a polyorganosiloxane, wherein the method includes a step of condensation reacting at least one organic silicon compound having at least one —OX group bonding to a silicon atom in the molecule, wherein X is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or an alkoxyalkyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, in the presence of a catalyst, wherein the catalyst is at least one selected from the group having hydroxides or oxides of elements in Groups 3-15 of the periodic table.

In recent years, a polyorganosiloxane has attracted attentions as a material having good light permeability, good heat resistance, low gas permeability and good chemical stability. Polyorganosiloxanes having various properties are provided by changing a type of siloxane monomers, composition of raw materials and reaction conditions in the production process. On account of this, polyorganosiloxanes have been put to practical use in the various fields.
The organopolysiloxane is generally prepared by hydrolysis and condensation reaction which are caused by contacting a chlorosilane and/or alkoxysilane with a stoichiometric amount of water in an organic solvent and in the presence of an acid or base catalyst. However, in this method, a significant amount of silanol groups remains often in the obtained polyorganosiloxane and react between each other in storage to increase the viscosity to cause a problem in storage stability. Further, the unstable silanol group remaining in the polymer may cause cracks and decrease of the adhesiveness in a long-term use. Further, because the polyorganosiloxane obtained from the hydrolysis and condensation reaction has a random structure, polyorganosiloxane with desired properties is not always obtained.
Examples of the other methods for preparing a polyorganosiloxane include a method where an organic silicon compound having a silanol group, i.e., —SiOH, condensation reacts with each other; a method where an organic silicon compound having a silanol group, i.e., —SiOH, condensation reacts with an organic silicon compound having an alkoxysilyl group, i.e., —SiOR; and a method where an organic silicon compound having a alkoxysilyl group, i.e., —SiOR, condensation reacts with each other, wherein R represents an alkyl group or an alkoxyalkyl group. In the aforesaid condensation reactions, an amount of a silanol group remaining in the polyorganosiloxane obtained is small. However, these methods need chemically fierce catalysts to cause condensation reaction, for instance, strong acids such as sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid; strong bases such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and tetramethylammonium hydroxide; and Lewis acids. When the aforesaid catalysts are used, siloxane bonds (Si—O—Si) are cut to cause rearrangement during the reaction and, therefore, the polyorganosiloxane obtained has a random structure.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H02-235933 describes that a borate or phosphate of sodium or potassium is used as a catalyst and a silanol-containing siloxanes is subjected to a condensation reaction in the presence of the catalyst to prepare an organosilicone condensate. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H03-197486 describes that silanol-containing siloxanes is subjected to a condensation reaction in the presence of a catalyst selected from the group consisting hydroxide, chloride, oxide and basic metal salt of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal to prepare a polyorganosiloxane. Japanese National Phase Publication No. 2006-508216 describes that hydroxide of magnesium or calcium can work as a catalyst in condition of the presence of a protonic solvent to promote a condensation reaction between a silanol-containing siloxane and an alkoxysilane. Japanese National Phase Publication No. 2010-506982 describes that a silicon containing compound having a silanol group and/or an alkoxysilyl group reacts in the presence of a catalyst selected from the group consisting of strontium oxide, barium oxide, strontium hydroxide, barium hydroxide and a mixture thereof to prepare an organosilicone condensate.
In the methods described in the afore-mentioned patent literatures, rearrangement of the polyorganosiloxane chain is minimized and, thus, a polyorganosiloxane having a controlled structure is obtained. Further, these methods have an advantage that the catalyst can be easily separated from the obtained polyorganosiloxane by filtration because these catalysts are solid. These advantages are favorable particularly in fields where accurate control on materials is required and no remaining impurity is tolerable, for instance, the fields of optical materials, electronic materials and medical materials.

Method for preparing a polyorganosiloxane