A boat trailer depth indicator module and method of installation thereof. The boat trailer depth indicator allows a driver towing a boat trailer to position the boat trailer at an appropriate depth in the water on a boat ramp to launch or recover a boat without the need for an assistant. When the boat trailer is located at an appropriate depth in the water, the boat trailer depth indicator provides a signal to the driver. The signal communicates to the driver and/or the helmsman of the boat, for example, that the boat trailer is sufficiently submerged and ready for launch or recovery of the boat. The boat trailer depth indicator module is independent of vehicle or trailer power and can be installed and adjusted quickly without the use of tools.

Boating is a popular recreational activity. Alas, the nautical joys of boating are often bookended by the difficulty and stresses of launching a boat from and recovering a boat to a boat trailer, for any boat not stored in the water, e.g., at docks. In order to launch or recover such a boat, a boat trailer must be positioned appropriately on a boat ramp. Proper positioning of the boat trailer is critical to a smooth launch and recovery. If the boat trailer is not deep enough in the water (e.g., not far enough down the ramp), then the boat will not be able to move onto or off of the trailer. If the boat trailer is too deep in the water (e.g., too far down the ramp), then the boat will not rest properly on the cradle of the boat trailer. Improper positioning of the boat trailer in the water could damage the boat, the boat trailer, or even the boat ramp. Further, backing a boat trailer with a towing vehicle can be quite difficult, particularly when needing to accurately position the boat trailer while operating the towing vehicle and relying on rearview mirrors to navigate correctly.
Compounding the issues of positioning are the expectations of other boaters waiting to use the boat ramp. Boat ramps are typically busy at the times when boat owners want to enjoy this recreational activity, when weather is nice, for example. In such circumstances, drivers may be queued in line waiting to use the boat ramp to launch or recover their own boats. Thus, it is expected that one using the boat ramp will quickly and accurately position their boat trailer on the ramp, stopping at the correct water depth, and efficiently launch or recover their boat from or to the boat trailer. Failure to launch or recover your boat swiftly will draw the ire of other boaters thereby causing additional, undue stress.
Because there is little tolerance for improper positioning or delays, launching and recovering a boat can require or involve the coordinated efforts of at least three individuals—a driver of the vehicle towing the boat, a helmsman on the boat it, and an assistant on the boat ramp. An assistant is typically necessary because it can be difficult for a driver, towing a boat trailer, to determine when the boat trailer is properly positioned. The assistant relays to the driver when the boat trailer is at an appropriate depth in the water which signals to the driver to stop descending down the boat ramp. At this point, the helmsman of the boat is free to leave the trailer (e.g., in the case of a launch) or enter the trailer (e.g., in the case of a recovery) with the boat 14.
Realistically, a driver will not always have the help of an assistant stationed on the boat ramp. In that scenario, a driver or helmsman would be left to guess whether or not the boat trailer is sufficiently submerged. In view of this technical problem, devices have been developed for helping communicate to a driver regarding correct positioning of a boat trailer relative to the water along a boat ramp. These prior systems include those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,175 to Yeilding; U.S. Pat. No. 7,876,234 to Spears; and U.S. Pat. No. 9,127,940 to Nirenberg, for example. However, these known devices exhibit various shortcomings. For example, many of these known devices require connections to external power or external charging to function, significant tooling work for installation and positioning on a boat trailer, and some do not provide adequate signals to both a towing vehicle driver and a helmsman on the boat itself. Accordingly, it is desired to further improve such boat trailer assist devices to make them more reliable and easier to use and install.


Data in multidimensional space such as a two-dimensional image is encoded with high efficiency. Further, as two-dimensional data can be decomposed to one-dimensional bases, the problem of wiring for two-dimensional parallelizing in a convolution arithmetic unit can be solved. For this purpose, two-dimensional image data f(x,y) to be encoded is inputted, and one-dimensional adaptive bases X(x),Y(y) representing the two-dimensional image are obtained. Next, a reconstructed image is generated based on the one-dimensional adaptive bases, and the one-dimensional adaptive bases are corrected based on an error E between the reconstructed image and the input image. The correction is repeated until the error E is reduced.

As a general technique for encoding multidimensional distribution data such as a two-dimensional image, a data amount compression technique such as a JPEG compression technique is known. Two-dimensional image data is subjected to discrete cosine transform then quantization, and encoding by the Huffman coding or the like.
Further, a method for predictive-encoding image data, block-dividing prediction error data by the predictive coding, and determining whether or not each block has a large amount of prediction error or small amount of prediction error is known (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 11-331852). According to the method disclosed by the document, vector quantization is applied to a block with a large amount of prediction error, then the difference value between a vector value of a codebook retrieved by the vector quantization and the prediction error is calculated, then the difference value and the prediction error in a block with a small amount of prediction error are entropy-encoded, and coded data is generated by using the entropy code, a block error-amount discrimination flag and an index by vector quantization. In this manner, from the viewpoint of space-saving data conservation and high-speed communication, a high efficiency data coding technique is desired.
Further, in an arithmetic unit to perform discrete convolution on a two-dimensional image represented by predetermined two-dimensional weight distribution data, which is frequently used in image processing such as filtering, accelerated computation is expected by use of a large-scale parallelized product-sum arithmetic elements. However, the product-sum operation by two-dimensionally parallelized arithmetic elements cannot be realized without difficulty due to wiring problem and the like. Accordingly, a method for decomposing two-dimensional weight distribution data into one-dimensional base group for convolution is desired.

Coding method and apparatus, and computer program and computer-readable storage medium


Methods and materials used to manufacture a series of substantially identical solar cells which then can be assembled into arrays of various designs, as required, to achieve the desired electrical output. The invention is described with reference to producing dye solar cells.

Solar cells are devices which perform two main functions, the first being the photo generation in light absorbing material/s of electron and hole charge carriers, and the second being the subsequent separation of these charge carriers to a conductive contact to facilitate electron transfer.
Typically, solar cells are assembled together to form an array. Performance of an array of cells is generally improved if the cells in the array are of similar construction and composition. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to produce a large number of very similar cells.
Solar cells of the type known as dye solar cells include a layer or region of electrolyte. Usually, the cell is partially formed and sealed and then filled with electrolyte. The filling takes place by introducing the electrolyte through a fill hole or other aperture which can be technically challenging and/or wasteful. It would be advantageous to devise an improved method of introducing electrolyte to a cell.


Provided is an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection structure including a first and a second well region adjacent to each other, a first and a second doped region disposed in the first well region, a fourth and a fifth doped region disposed in the second well region, and a third doped region disposed in the first region and extending into the second well region. The second doped region is disposed between the first and the third doped regions, forming a diode with the first doped region, forming, together with the first well region and the second well region, a first bipolar junction transistor (BJT) electrically connecting to the diode, and having no contact window disposed thereon. The fourth doped region is disposed between the third and the fifth doped regions, forming a second BJT with the second well region and the first well region.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a semiconductor device and a circuit formed by the semiconductor device, and more particularly, to an electrostatic discharge protection structure and an electrostatic discharge protection circuit.
2. Description of Related Art
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is an effect in which an electric charge moves rapidly (discharge) in a short period of time through a discharge path after accumulating on a non-conductor or an ungrounded conductor. Electrostatic discharge damages the circuit formed by the components of an integrated circuit. For instance, the human body, machines used to package integrated circuits, and instruments for testing integrated circuits are all common charged bodies, and when a charged body comes in contact with a chip, the charged body may discharge to the chip. The instantaneous power of the electrostatic discharge may cause damage or failure to the integrated circuit in the chip.
The known electrostatic discharge protection apparatus is commonly built with an electrostatic discharge clamp (ESD clamp). Alternately, a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) is used to build the electrostatic discharge protection apparatus without the use of an ESD clamp. Currently, issues faced by the SCR technology include the triggering voltage (Vt) being too high and the holding voltage (Vh) being too low. A triggering voltage (Vt) that is too high is more difficult to be triggered by the SCR, often causing the components in the circuit to become damaged before the SCR is triggered. A holding voltage that is too low causes the SCR to activate from being readily affected by noise during operation, leading to a latch-up effect after being triggered.

Electrostatic discharge protection structure and electrostatic discharge protection circuit


A temperature control valve includes a main body, a metal valve assembly and a thermoelectric chip unit. The main body has a first inlet and a first outlet. The metal valve assembly is movably disposed in the main body and includes inlet and outlet ends, the metal valve assembly has a closed end engaged with the main body and an operating end operable from outside of the main body to operate the metal valve assembly, and the operating end is operated to control the first inlet, the first outlet, the inlet end and the outlet end to communicate or non-communicate with one another. The thermoelectric chip unit has a first end abutting against the closed end and a second end and is disposed on the main body, one of the first and second ends is a cold end, and the other is a hot end.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a valve, and more particularly to a temperature control valve.
Description of the Prior Art
To fully present the flavor of coffee, people uses ice water to extract the essence of coffee. A common cold drip coffee pot has an upper pot body for receiving ice cubes, ice water produced after the ice cubes melted flows through a filter unit which has coffee powder to conduct an extraction process in a low temperature, and ice coffee extracted flows into a lower pot body to be saved. During the extraction process, a valve is usually arranged between the upper pot body and the filter unit so as to control a flow velocity of the ice water.
However, in this type of cold drip coffee technique, a user needs to produce a large number of ice cubes first and put the ice cubes in the upper pot body to melt the ice cubes. During the processes of producing and melting the ice cubes, there are unnecessary power losses, the ice water which is produced after the ice cubes melted flows through a tube which is not heat-isolated and exchange heat with outside to make a temperature of the ice water rise, and the flavor of the cold drip coffee becomes less preferable. In addition, a volume of the cold drip coffee pot is great, so it is inconvenient for the user to move the cold drip coffee pot.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages.


A micromechanical spring including at least two bar sections which, in the undeflected state of the spring, are oriented substantially parallel to one another or are at an angle of less than 45° with respect to one another, and one or more connecting sections which connect the bar sections to one another, wherein the bar sections can be displaced relative to one another in their longitudinal direction, and wherein the spring has, in the direction of its bar sections, a substantially adjustable, in particular linear force-deflecting behavior.

It is known to use meandering micromechanical springs in order to achieve a, to some degree, linear deflection behavior of an oscillator such as, for example, same mass which is suspended from springs. However, meandering springs have in each case relatively large dimensions or a relatively large surface in the plane of the substrate, for which reason more substrate area is required and the springs have a relatively large mass compared to simple bar springs. Meandering springs also have the disadvantage that the linearity of their deflection behavior depends substantially on the number of their turns, as a result of which meandering springs with a particularly pronounced linear deflection behavior have the disadvantages described above to a greater degree.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Reduction of a number of parts required for servo control in an optical disk reproducing apparatus is achieved by deriving information relating to errors caused by warp or tilt of an optical disk from other error signals produced by other servo devices within the apparatus. A beam spot used to irradiate a disk surface is oscillated, and a frequency and amplitude component arising from this oscillation is extracted from the output of a light detector. The information provided by the frequency and amplitude may be used to compensate for tilt and warp, even though the detected signals are used for tracking and focusing servo devices in the optical disk apparatus. The technique is applicable to various types of discrete producing approaches, including a push-pull, a heterodyne system, and a three-beam system.

The present invention relates to an optical information reading apparatus for reading recorded information from a disk-like recording medium such as a video disk, a digital audio disk, or the like (hereinafter simply referred to as a "disk").
In such an apparatus, a focusing servo for bringing a light beam radiated from an .optical pickup into accurate focus, and a tracking servo for making a beam spot accurately trace a recording track are indispensable for reading recorded information accurately from a disk. In these types of apparatus, if a disk is warped, the information recording surface of the disk becomes tilted relative to an optical axis of an information detecting light beam, and a tracking error signal is generated, since the shape of the beam spot is warped by factors such as a comatic aberration, even when the beam spot is correctly on a recording track. Under these circumstances, the tracking servo can shift the beam spot out of the recording track, and will provide an indication of zero tracking error, despite this mispositioning. The beam spot therefore is not radiated correctly on the recording track in spite of the tracking error being "officially" zero, so that operation may be influenced by pit information from an adjacent track, resulting in crosstalk.
In order to prevent such deterioration in performance, a tilting servo action may be performed, in which tilt of an optical axis of an information detecting light beam relative to an information recording surface of a disk is detected and pickup tilt is adjusted so that the optical axis of the light beam is kept always perpendicular to the information recording surface.
FIG. 5 shows a conventional tilting servo device in which an optical pickup 3 for reading recorded information of a disk 2 which is driven and rotated by a spindle motor 1 includes an objective lens 4. The objective lens 4 is mounted on an optical body 5 for movement in the direction of an optical axis A--A', the objective lens 4 being driven by a focus actuator (not shown). The optical body 5 is attached to a slider base 6 for rotation about a pivot 0 positioned on the optical axis A--A' of the objective lens 4. An adjustment mechanism 7 constituted by a tilt motor M (shown in FIG. 6), a speed reduction mechanism, etc., rotates the optical body 5 relative to the slider base 6 to adjust tilt of the optical axis A--A' of the objective lens 4 relative to an information recording surface. The slider base 6 is movable in a radial direction B--B' of the disk 2 along a guide rail (not shown), and is driven by a driving mechanism (not shown), for example, a slider motor, a reduction gear, etc.
In a plane including the optical axis A--A' of the objective lens 4 and perpendicular to the moving direction of the slider base 6, a tilt sensor 8 for detecting a tilt angle of the disk 2 relative to the optical axis A--A' is provided in the vicinity of the objective lens 4. As shown in FIG. 6, the tilt sensor 8 is constituted by a luminous element 9 and two light receiving elements 10a and 10b, so that the light receiving elements 10a and 10b can receive a light beam which is emitted from the luminous element 9 and then is reflected from the information recording surface of the disk 2. A difference between respective intensities of light received by the light receiving elements 10a and 10b is obtained by a differential amplifier 11, and is supplied, as information related to tilt of the disk 2 relative to the optical axis A--A', to a tilt motor 13 in the adjustment mechanism 7 (shown in FIG. 5) through a driving amplifier 12.
In the FIG. 5 arrangement, when the slider base 6 moves from a position (a) to a position (b) corresponding to a warped portion on the outer circumference of the disk 2, a tilting servo action is performed such that the adjustment mechanism 7 is driven in response to a driving signal in accordance with an output of the tilt sensor 8 so that the optical body 5 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 5 about the pivot 0 to make the optical axis A--A' perpendicular to the information recording surface of the disk 2.
In such a conventional apparatus, tilt of the optical axis of the information detecting light beam relative to the information recording surface of the disk 2 is detected by the tilt sensor 8 provided in the vicinity of the objective lens 4, and the tilt is corrected so that the beam spot is positioned accurately on the recording track. A detection error therefore is large because of a difference between the irradiation positions of the information detecting light beam and the light beam for the tilting servo.
If there is an attachment error or the like in the tilt sensor 8, it is impossible to detect tilt of the optical axis of the information detecting light beam with respect to the recording surface, even if it is possible to detect tilt of the optical axis of the light beam for the tilting servo relative to the information recording surface of the disk 2. Consequently, it has been impossible to correct accurately a displacement of the beam spot relative to the recording track caused by the tilt of the optical axis of the information detecting light beam. Further, because of a requirement of providing an optical system (the tilt sensor 8) for detecting tilt independently of an optical system for detecting information, not only is there an increase in the number of parts, but it is also necessary to provide sufficient space for the additional parts, so that the apparatus is large in size and is expensive.

Optical information reading apparatus with tracking adjustment system


Computer-aided design and manufacture software and hardware automate garment and fashion definition and production. Configurable garment includes ornamental element, pattern display, and personal identifier and wireless sensor electronics.

Conventional fashion industry employs various creative manual processes to design and produce new clothes. However conventional techniques are limited to the extent that garment design and production processes are not easily customized, time-constrained, and are not easily reconfigurable. For example, customer has to wait at cashier, try various kinds of clothes in a changing room, take a lot of measurements, inaccurately customize the garment, or buy standardized garment to speed-up the purchasing process.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved definition and production efficiency by using some electronic automation techniques, for example, to assist prototype design, garment customization, and garment grading. Furthermore to increase customer satisfaction guarantee of manufactured garment, novel computer-aided methods for customers to input their body-profile information and view their appearance with designed garment are presented unobviously herein.

Reconfigurable garment definition and production method


A stereoscopic image aligning apparatus (200) automatically aligns image pairs for stereoscopic viewing in a shorter amount of time than conventional apparatuses, which is applicable to image pairs captured by a single sensor camera or a variable baseline camera, without relying on camera parameters. The stereoscopic image aligning apparatus (200) includes: an image pair obtaining unit (205) obtaining an image pair including a left-eye image and a right-eye image corresponding to the left-eye image; a corresponding point detecting unit (252) detecting a corresponding point representing a set of a first point included in a first image that is one of the images of the image pair and a second point included in a second image that is the other of the images of the image pair and corresponding to the first point; a first matrix computing unit (254) computing a homography transformation matrix for transforming the first point such that a vertical parallax between the first and second points is smallest and an epipolar constraint is satisfied; a transforming unit (260) transforming the first image using the homography transformation matrix; and an output unit (210) outputting: a third image that is the transformed first image; and the second image.

Stereoscopic imaging has been studied for many years in the art. Stereoscopic images allow the perception of depth so to bring viewers with the presence feeling, which has become a hot and promising topic now for home entertainment industry. Stereoscopic imaging is also widely used in applications ranging from military navigation, medical imaging, industrial inspection, to consumer electronics, etc. The principles of stereoscopic imaging and displays are well known. To be specific, each of a left-eye image and a right-eye image which constitute an image pair is taken from slightly different viewpoints, which usually are viewpoints with displacements in a horizontal direction). By separately presenting the left-eye image to the left eye and the right-eye image to the right eye, the human brain will combine them and perceive their disparities as depth.
Conventionally, the image pair can be acquired using capturing devices with two image sensors (e.g. a digital stereo camera). If the captured image pair is properly aligned, comfortable 3D feeling is sensed by the viewers/observers when seen. Unfortunately, the captured image pair is usually not well aligned (for many reasons). For example, alignment of the two image sensors (including optical system) during manufacturing is not perfect. Moreover, the captured images may be distorted due to lens distortion or camera configurations. These can result in horizontal and vertical differences. The difference in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction between two images is known as parallax in general. In order to reduce visual discomfort and eyestrain of the observer and obtain stereoscopic viewing effect, at least vertical parallax must be removed and horizontal parallax needs to be properly adjusted.
In addition, the image pair can be captured using single image sensor devices by sequentially capturing from different viewpoints. More specifically, by capturing an image, moving the camera, and capturing another image, an image pair for stereoscopic viewing can be obtained. There are two advantages of using single sensor devices. One advantage is lower cost compared with two (stereo) sensor devices. Another advantage is the flexibility to change the distance between a left image and a right image according to content of the scene. However, the main problem with this method is the misalignment of the left image and the right image, mainly due to hand movement when using handheld DSC (Digital Still Camera).
Patent Literature 1 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,191,809, issued on Feb. 20, 2001) discloses a method and apparatus for correcting optical misalignment of stereo image capturing system, for example electronic stereo endoscope. The method uses calibration target to compute translation, rotation, and scale, thereby determining calibrated information. Then, the determined calibrated information is used to align image pairs.
Patent Literature 2 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-244500) discloses an image pickup system for obtaining the stereo image of an object by time sequentially capturing left and right parallax images. In this invention, LCD viewfinder is used for guiding the users to align the two images during capturing.
Patent Literature 3 (U.S. Pat. No. 7,113,632, issued on Sep. 26, 2006) discloses a method for determining rectification transformation of a pair of images.
Patent Literature 4 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,606,404, filed on Jun. 19, 1999) discloses system and method for computing rectifying homographies for stereo vision processing of three dimensional objects. The object of Patent Literature 4 is to transform left and right images such that the epipoles is mapped to the infinity points and the epipolar lines are parallel with the horizontal axis. This method can output images which are suitable for stereoscopic viewing.

Stereoscopic image aligning apparatus, stereoscopic image aligning method, and program of the same


To reduce the size, weight and cost of an interrogator which is included in an RFID system and required to have a high output power, the interrogator for transmitting a signal shares a radio wave source or a power supply with a portable wireless terminal such as a mobile phone or a portable communication device. For this purpose, a radio frequency transmitter signal is subjected to amplitude modulation by information to be transmitted to a transponder. Furthermore, part of the radio frequency transmitter signal extracted using a coupler is used to perform synchronous detection on a radio frequency receiver signal returned from the transponder, and data coming from the transponder are extracted.

A radio frequency identification system (hereinafter referred to as an "RFID"), together with an interrogator and plural transponders (radio tags), makes up a radio communication system. In Japan, a standard for RFIDs has been established as a standard of ARIB (Association of Radio Industries and Businesses).
A configuration of an RFID system is shown in FIG. 8. A transponder 12 obtains a direct-current (DC) power supply (PS) required to drive internal circuits by rectifying at a detector circuit (DET) 14 a radio frequency power (radio waves) such as microwaves received from a transmitter circuit (Tx) 5 of an interrogator 1 via a transmitter antenna 3 and an antenna 13. At the same time, the transponder 12 extracts a clock signal (information) included in the radio frequency power and supplies both the clock signal and the DC power supply to a logic circuit (LOGIC) 15 and a memory circuit (MEM) 16 thereby letting the two circuits operate.
The logic circuit 15 having received the clock signal and started logic operation reads out relevant data from the memory circuit 16 and sends the data to the detector circuit 14. The detector circuit 14 using the data read out from the memory circuit 16 as a modulation signal subjects the radio frequency power received by the antenna 13 to modulation such as amplitude modulation. The modulated radio frequency power is radiated from the antenna 13 back to the interrogator 1.
The radio waves returned to the interrogator 1 are received by a receiver antenna 2 and are sent to a receiver circuit (Rx) 4 for data extraction. In this manner, data stored in the transponder 12 is transmitted to the interrogator 1.
There are cases in which the logic circuit 15 is caused to read out data from the memory circuit 16 when the logic circuit 15 reads a read command signal transmitted, along with the clock signal, as the information by the interrogator 1.
When data is written from the interrogator 1 to the memory circuit 16 of the transponder 12, a procedure similar to the above procedure is used. For the above write operation, in addition to the clock signal, a read/write command signal is also transmitted as the information to the transponder 12. Normally, in a system like this, the interrogator 1 is operated under the control of a controller (CONT) 6 connected via a communication path 7.
The interrogator 1 that supplies power to the transponder 12 using radio waves and also reads out data is permitted by the standard to radiate radio waves with a radio frequency power of 300 mW in a proximity remote coupling RFID system or with a radio frequency power of 10 mW in a close coupling or proximity coupling RFID system.
When a radio frequency output of as large as 300 mW is required in such an RFID system, the power consumption of the interrogator circuit as a whole reaches nearly 2 W. Hence, it need hardly be said that a large power supply is inevitably required even if the interrogator operation is limited to only when making communications. In the case of a battery-operated handy interrogator, a large-size battery will be required to secure such a large power supply capacity, making it difficult to reduce the size, weight and cost of an interrogator. In the case of a close coupling low-power interrogator, too, a battery power supply will be required inevitably making the interrogator heavy and expensive.

Interrogator of moving body identification device


To increase the efficiency of utilizing protein in feed by ruminants, feed containing a protein and a reducing sugar are mixed. The mixture is heated at a temperature, pH and time sufficient to reduce degradability of the feed protein by rumen microorganisms and provide significant protein digestibility in the post rumen tract. Preferably, the sugar is xylose obtained by mixing sulfite liquor with the feed.

This invention relates to livestock, and more particularly to a livestock feed, the preparation of a livestock feed and the feeding of livestock to increase utilization of protein by ruminants.
It is known to treat feed for ruminants to reduce the microbial degradation of fed protein in the rumen. Various prior art methods of treating feed to reduce the microbial degradation of proteins have included (1) chemical treatment with tannin, (2) chemical treatment with formaldehyde, (3) heat treatment, (4) addition of spent sulfite liquor and (5) pelleting with calcium lignosulfonate.
Chemical treatment of feed with tannin is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,507,662. This patent discloses a process for protecting proteinaceous animal feed from rumen degradation by treatment of the feed with water and tanning agents, forming a paste, and drying at a temperature not to exceed 80 degrees centigrade. Subsequent work by Driedger (1972) J. Anim. Sci. 34:465 showed that tannin could be added to feed prior to pelleting, eliminating the paste forming step, and still effectively protect the protein from rumen degradation. Driedger used 10 percent tannin on soybean meal. Tannins, however, are subject to irreversible oxidative condensation which can render the protein unavailable in the abomassum (Fergusson, 1975, page 453 in Digestion and Metabolism in the Ruminant, Univ. New England Publ. Unit, Armidale, New South Wales, Aust.), and are not widely commercially accepted for use in feed treatment to protect protein.
Chemical treatment of feed with formaldehyde is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,619,200. This patent discloses a feed for ruminants composed of proteinaceous material protected from rumen degradation by chemical modification of the protein through treatment with formaldehyde. Formaldehyde reacts with amino groups at neutral pH to form methylol groups which further condenses to form methylene bridges. In the acid pH of the abomassum, this reaction reverses, rendering the protein available and liberating formaldehyde (Fergusson, 1975). Hemsley, 1973, Australian J. Biol. Sci. 26:961 reported optimum treatment to be 0.8 to 1.2 percent formaldehyde. Higher levels would overprotect the protein and reduce nitrogen retention. Crawford, 1984, J. Dairy Sci. 67:1945 reported that the optimum treatment level will vary depending on the rate of passage of the feed through the rumen. Since this is highly variable, it may be difficult to use formaldehyde effectively, and in fact formaldehyde is not approved for use in feeds in the United States by the Federal Drug Administration.
Heat treatment of feed is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,695,891. Heating proteinaceous feeds reduces degradability by reducing protein solubility and by blocking sites of enzyme attack through chemical modification. The reaction, however, is sensitive, and too little heat will not provide protection while too much heat will render the protein undigestible in the lower digestive tract (Sherrod, 1964, J. Anim. Sci. 23:510, and Plegge, 1982, J. Anim. Sci. 55:395).
Addition of spent sulfite liquor to feed is shown in Larsen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,576. Larsen discloses a method of feeding high producing dairy cows with a feed containing spent sulfite liquor in an amount of 0.25-3.0 percent by weight of the feed to increase milk production. The feed and spent sulfite liquor of Larsen is merely mixed together in a blender without any additional processing prior to feeding dairy cows. Larsen speculated that the lignin present in the spent sulfite liquor operated to protect the proteins in the feed from being destroyed by microorganisms present in the cow's first three stomachs. Additionally, Larsen speculated that the wood sugars in spent sulfite liquor may assist in better digestion of the materials present in the grains and roughage commonly found in feeds. However, as taught herein it has been shown that the lignin present in the spent sulfite liquor does not operate to protect proteins from degradation by microbes in the rumen and the the wood sugars in spent sulfite liquor do not necessarily provide better digestion of feed materials.
Pelleting feed with calcium lignosulfonate is shown in Stern, Can. J. Anim. Sci. 64 (Suppl.): 27-28 (Sept. 1984). Based on continuous rumen culture in vitro studies Stern concluded that pelleting soybean meal with calcium lignosulfonate has potential for protecting protein from microbial degradation in the rumen. However, it has been discovered that calcium lignosulfonate is not the active component in spent sulfite liquor that protects the protein, and in fact pelleting with calcium lignosulfonate per se results in no protein protection.
The prior art methods described above may be economical under some circumstances but it is important to achieve the maximum cost saving and the best utilization of protein such as by increasing the efficiency with which fed protein is used by the animal. The prior art feeds and methods fall short of these goals by, in some cases, providing protein which has reduced nutritional value in an effort to increase the amount of protein actually transferred from the rumen to the small intestine of ruminants or have other disadvantages.
For example, in the prior art use of calcium lignosulfonate and/or spent sulfite liquor with feed protein, it was not understood that: (1) the process requires reducing sugars; (2) the temperature, pH, percent moisture and time of the reaction is critical; and/or (3) the reaction must not continue to a stage where the resulting product is not utilized effectively in the small intestine of a ruminant.
It is known to supplement high protein animal feeds with carbohydrates including sugars.

Ruminant feed method of making and method of using

The Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska


A grow light system for growing plants. The grow light system can have a carrier board assembly containing a plurality of apertures and a plurality of LED modules removably engaged with the carrier board in the apertures and forming a gap between LED module and the carrier board. The grow light system can be configured to draw air through the gap over the LEDs and along the heat sink fin to reduce the temperature of the LED module. A plurality of the LED modules can be connected in series and the carrier board can include a dedicated receptacle for a single LED module that is not connected in series with the remaining LED modules.

Grow lights are used for horticulture, indoor gardening, hydroponics and many other uses both at the industrial level and at the personal household level. Many types of light bulbs can be used with grow lights, but typically, grow lights use incandescent bulbs, florescent lights, high-intensity discharge lamps, high-pressure sodium (HPS/SON) and metal halide (MH) HID lights. While these lights are effective for growing systems, many disadvantages of these systems exist. For example, many of these lighting systems are inefficient in that much of the energy used to power the systems cannot be effectively converted to light energy and/or the wavelengths of light produced by these lighting systems does not efficiently contribute to plant growth. Additionally, many typical grow light systems emit too much heat which can cause plants to transpire more and as a result increase the amount of water needed to grow the plants.
Recently LED (light emitting diode) technology has been used for grow light systems. LED grow light systems offer many advantages to typical grow light systems in terms of efficiency. For example, LED systems are more efficient than typical grow light systems at converting electrical energy to light energy necessary for plant growth. Additionally, LED grow light systems can utilize the particular wavelengths necessary for plant growth. For example blue light (455 nm-470 nm) can be used to promote vegetative or leaf growth, and red light (620 nam-665 nm) can be used to promote plant flowering. LEDs can also operate at lower temperatures than some typical lighting systems.
While LED lighting systems offer many advantages over typical grow light systems, many disadvantages still exist. A LED grow light system that overcomes the deficiencies of current systems is desired.


An electrical connector assembly is provided having an electromagnetic interference shield. The electrical connector assembly includes a backshell having a backshell bore and a shielding ferrule positioned within the backshell bore to provide an electromagnetic interference shield. The shielding ferrule includes an outer ferrule portion arranged circumferentially around an internal ferrule bore, and a shielding adapter received within the backshell bore of the backshell. The shielding adapter includes a cable extending longitudinally through the shielding adapter and the internal ferrule bore, the shielding adapter engaging the shielding ferrule such that axial movement of the shielding adapter towards the shielding ferrule radially compresses the shielding ferrule onto the cable. The shielding ferrule provides a substantially 360° electromagnetic interference shield around the cable.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to electrical connectors and, more particularly, to an electrical connector having an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Electrical connectors are common in the nuclear industry. Generally, electrical connectors can include a male pin assembly having conducting pins and a female socket assembly having conducting sockets. The male pin assembly can be attached to the female socket assembly with the conducting pins being inserted into the conducting sockets. However, electromagnetic interference may be present and can cause disturbances in the electrical connectors. Electrical connectors can be susceptible to the effects of electromagnetic interference due to openings in the male pin assembly and/or female socket assembly. The disturbances can interrupt, obstruct, and/or degrade the electrical signal transferred between the male pin assembly and the female socket assembly. Thus, it would be beneficial to modify an existing electrical connector to provide a 360° electromagnetic interference shield.

Electrical connector having a shielding adapter to radially compress a shielding ferrule onto a cable

Curtiss-Wright Flow Control Service Corporation


A method of protecting an inert anode assembly (16) operating in an electrolysis cell (10) for producing metal when an adjacent assembly (16′) is removed exposing remaining assemblies to low ambient temperatures (40) by utilizing heat radiation shields (24) which can circumscribe every inert anode assembly (16), where the shields (24) remain intact and in place in the cell (10) while operating in molten electrolyte (15) at about 850° C.

Aluminum is produced conventionally by the electrolysis of alumina dissolved in a cryolite-based molten electrolyte bath at temperatures between about 900° C. and 1000° C.; the process is known as the Hall-Heroult process. A Hall-Heroult reduction cell typically comprises a steel shell having an insulating lining of refractory material, which in turn has a lining of carbon that contact the molten constituents. Conductor bars connected to the negative pole of a direct current source are embedded in the carbon cathode substrate that forms the cell bottom floor. The anodes are at least partially submerged in the cryolite bath.
Electrolytic reduction cells must be heated from room temperature to approximately the desired operating temperature before the production of metal can be initiated. Heating is done gradually and evenly to avoid thermal shock, which can in turn cause breakage or spalling. The heating operation minimizes thermal shock to the lining, the electrodes and the support structure assemblies upon introduction of the electrolyte and molten metal to the cell. Once at operating temperatures carbon anodes erode and have to be replaced usually one at a time, in what is called a "change out" operation. D'Astolfo Jr. et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 6,551,489B2 addressed change out operations where an inert anode assembly containing from about four to eleven inert anodes on a common conducting support was used to replace standard single, large carbon anodes. The inert anodes were about from 12 cm to 76 cm. in diameter and from about 12 cm. to 38 cm. high.
Carbon anodes can be placed in to the electrolyte cold and heated by the energy of the cell to operating temperatures, at which time the nominal current of the anode will be attained. Ceramic anodes have much longer lives but are more prone to thermal shock and therefore need to be preheated in a furnace outside of the electrolytic cell prior to insertion into the hot electrolyte. During transfer, the cooling or heating of the anodes must be also minimized to avoid thermal shock. The thermal shock/cracking was thought to only occur both during movement of the anodes into position and during their placement into the molten salt. Thermal shock relates to the thermal gradient (positive or negative) through the anode that occurs, usually during the movement from the preheat furnace to the cell, and also upon insertion of the anodes into the molten salt. Depending upon the time frame, a thermal gradient as low as between about 20° C. to 50° C. can cause cracking.
In an attempt to protect electrodes in an electrolysis cell from thermal shock during start-up, U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,717 (Wiltzius), taught protection of hollow cylindrical TiB2 cathodes by inserting aluminum alloy plugs into the cathode cavity and further protecting the cathode with a heat dispersing metal jacket having an inside heat insulating layer contacting the TiB2, made of expanded, fibrous kaolin-china clay (Al2O3.2SiO2.2H2O), which would subsequently dissolve in the molten electrolyte. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,667 B1 (Bates et al.) the inert anode was coated with carbon and/or aluminum as protection against the cryolite bath. Also, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0127339A1 (LaCamera et al.) anodes were first heated and had an insulating boot attached during submersion into the molten bath. A silica or alumina insulating material was found to be effective. However, such silica or alumina boots were made to dissolve in the bath over time, so that at change out they would usually be non-existent.
Aluminum electrolysis cells have historically employed carbon anodes on a commercial scale. The energy and cost efficiency of aluminum smelting can be significantly reduced with the use of inert, non-consumable, and dimensionally stable anodes. Use of inert anodes rather than traditional carbon anodes allows a highly productive cell design to be utilized, thereby reducing capital costs. Significant environmental benefits are also realized because inert anodes produce essentially no CO2 or CF4 emissions. Some examples of inert anode compositions are provided, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,374,761; 5,279,715; and 6,126,799 assigned to Alcoa Inc.
It has recently been found, that, in inert anodes cells, when an anode is replaced by taking it out of an operating bath, at about 960° C., its function as a "heat sink" and radiation shield is lost and the surface temperature of exposed adjacent inert anodes still operating in the molten bath can drop more than 25° C. during the first minute. This could cause adjacent inert anodes to crack and fail in the first 20 seconds. This problem has created a critical need to protect the anodes remaining in the molten bath from temperature drops during change out. It is therefore a main object of this invention to provide some means to protect inert anodes from such temperature drops.

Cermet inert anode assembly heat radiation shield


Methods and computer program products for managing a device connected to a network include querying the device using the network, querying the device using a simulated RFID tag, and querying the device using a suppressible RFID tag to determine status information about the device. A system for managing a device connected to a network comprises means for monitoring status of the device using the network, for receiving status information about the device reported by a simulated RFID tag, and for receiving status information about the device reported by a suppressible RFID tag.

The present invention concerns the field of network management, and more particularly concerns using suppressible RFID tags to determine the status of network connected devices.
Network management applications often determine the status of remote devices such as computers attached to a network by querying the devices through the network. When the network fails and the application is unable to reach a device, however, this method provides no way to differentiate between failure of the monitored device and failure of the network.
One way around this shortcoming is to provide a second and separate network such as a wireless network that is used to carry status information about monitored devices. This is, of course, quite expensive. Another technique sometimes used is to sense the draw of electrical power by the monitored devices. This may be accomplished by placing so-called taps on the monitored devices' power supplies. If a monitored device fails to respond to status queries over the network, but the power supply remains healthy, it may be loosely inferred that the monitored device is working properly but the network has failed. The power tap technique is unable, however, to provide status information about a monitored device beyond the health of its power supply. This limitation may very well lead to an incorrect diagnosis of the problem at hand when a monitored device fails to respond to queries from the network management application via the network.

Network management using suppressible RFID tags

International Business Machines Corporation


A vehicle wheel suspension system that achieves increased width in the passenger and/or luggage compartment is provided. The suspension system utilizes a (i) a wheel support member that is positioned between the inner and outer tire planes; (ii) a nonlinearly-shaped damper-spring support member that is attached to the wheel support member and includes a damper-spring mounting platform that is positioned above, and at least partially overlaps, the tire; and (iii) a damper-spring assembly mounted to the damper-spring mounting platform and coupled to a vehicle body structure.

When configuring a vehicle's suspension, the primary considerations for the automobile designer are the design goals set for passenger ride comfort and overall vehicle performance. In general the designer first selects the type of suspension required by the style of vehicle, i.e., high performance car, luxury sedan, compact economy car, SUV, etc., and then configures and adjusts the selected type of suspension to meet the specific design goals set for the vehicle.
Various suspension types exist, each of which provides specific driving characteristics. One common characteristic of each type of suspension, however, is the in-board mounting of the damper and spring assembly regardless of whether or not the damper and spring are coaxially mounted. This in-board mounting scheme is illustrated in the torsion beam rear wheel suspension system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,946,600. In this system one end of each arm of a pair of trailing arms is pivotally supported by the vehicle body via a rubber bush joint. The other end of each trailing arm extends outward and rearward and supports the corresponding rear wheel via a hub bearing unit. At intermediate locations, the two trailing arms are connected to, and separated by, a torsion beam. Located between the torsion beam coupling and the hub bearing unit of each trailing arm is a spring seat, thus providing means for resiliently supporting the trailing arm with a coil spring interposed between the spring seat and the vehicle body. A damper, located behind the coil spring, extends between the corresponding trailing arm and the vehicle body. A similar suspension configuration is disclosed for use with an in-wheel motor in U.S. Pat. No. 8,220,808.
A different type of suspension, typically referred to as a multi-link suspension, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,938,908. In the disclosed suspension assembly each wheel support is connected to the vehicle body using five links. A coaxially arranged damper-coil spring assembly is interposed between the vehicle body and an inward projection of the wheel support. When viewed from the side, the damper-coil spring assembly extends in a substantially vertical direction while the assembly, when viewed from the rear, angles slightly inward towards the vehicle's centerline. A similar suspension configuration is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,510.
Yet another type of suspension, commonly referred to as a double wishbone suspension, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,945,541. In this type of suspension the wheel mount is coupled to upper and lower control arms via ball joints, where each substantially horizontal control arm is approximately parallel to the road surface. A coaxial damper-spring assembly is interposed between the wheel mount and the vehicle body and positioned such that it is substantially vertical when viewed from the side, and angled inwards towards the vehicle's centerline when viewed from the rear.
Regardless of the type of suspension, in general the damper-spring assembly angles inwardly towards the vehicle's centerline when viewed from the rear of the car. The degree to which the assembly intrudes upon either the passenger compartment or the luggage compartment depends both on the angle of the assembly and the mounting location of the assembly to the wheel mount. The configuration of the assembly, for example whether or not the damper and spring are coaxially mounted and where the spring is mounted relative to the damper and wheel mount, also impacts the degree of interior space intrusion. Accordingly, what is needed is a damper-spring assembly that minimizes interior space intrusion while still achieving the desired level of ride comfort and vehicle performance. The present invention provides such a damper-spring assembly.

Compact rear suspension damper-spring assembly


An adjustable spirit level having a plurality of spirit levels therein. A first spirit level measures vertical orientation, a second adjustable spirit level is adjustable to a true horizontal position, and a third spirit level is adjustable to any desired position between vertical and horizontal. The second level may be adjusted with a rotatable cam-shaped end piece secured within the level body, while the third level is ratcheted to a predetermined angle. The third level may be held in place by a spring member biasing the level against the level body.

This invention relates to a spirit level which is easily adjusted to true horizontal using a known level surface. The inventive apparatus also comprises a rotatable spirit level adjustable to any desired angle relative to the horizontal, such that a surface may be aligned at the predetermined angle. In a preferred embodiment. The device comprises a plurality of bubble vials; one parallel to a flat contact surface of the device, one perpendicular to the contact surface and a third rotatably adjustable and calibrated between 0 and 90 degrees for angular measurement.
Adjustable spirit levels are well-known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 716,001, issued Dec. 16, 1902, discloses a spirit level having multiple vials, rotatably adjustable by loosening threaded cylinders containing the vials. U.S. Pat. No. 1,133,936, issued Mar. 30, 1915, discloses a level utilizing a rotatably adjustable vial that was held within a toothed circular disc that allowing coarse adjustment by rotating and then clamping the disc, and vernier adjustment by a second rotatable internal disc. U.S. Pat. No. 1,264,161, issued Apr. 30, 1918, disclosed a combination square, spirit level and protractor having a calibrated and rotationally adjustable spirit level for use in measuring or laying out angled surfaces. U.S. Pat. No. 2,993,281, issued July 25, 1961, discloses a combination spirit level and protractor wherein the level can be rotated and in any angularly position by loosening a plurality of fasteners. U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,767, issued Oct. 4, 1988, discloses an angularly adjustable spirit level which can be secured in a desired position by a clamping jaw.
Carpenters and electricians have experienced two primary problems with available levels: firstly, the levels are manufactured with inexact tolerances that produce variability which is unacceptable in many construction trades, and secondly, the levels are not adjustable so as to permit either correction of the manufacturing inaccuracies or measurement of precise angles other than vertical or horizontal.
It is the purpose of this invention to provide adjustability to a fixed spirit level and to provide simple adjustability to a calibrated rotatable spirit level, such that the rotatable position can be securely fixed once adjusted.


Aspects of the present invention are directed to a computer-implemented trading exposure management method and system for centrally managing trading exposures within an industry. The method may include receiving a client request for additional exposure capacity above a predetermined client exposure limit with respect to a particular counterparty and selecting a third party with available exposure capacity with respect to the particular counterparty. The method may additionally include transferring at least a portion of the selected third party's available exposure capacity with respect to the particular counterparty to the client.

Managing counterparty exposures in a trading environment has become increasingly complex and time-consuming for traders managing large portfolios of concentrated risk. In many industries, trading limits are often imposed on corporations with respect to various counterparties. For example, in the energy industry, oil, gas, and other energy related corporations often have trading limits with respect to other corporations in the energy industry. The trading limits are generally instituted by internal management policies of each corporation, but alternatively may be set by an industry governing board or a government agency. The trading limits ensure that a corporation will not have credit exposure to a counterparty exceeding a predetermined dollar amount. Accordingly, given the trading limit, if a counterparty is driven out of business or experiences losses, the losses of the trading partners are limited by their own internal trading limits.
The types of transactions between counterparties may involve derivative transactions such as futures, forwards, swaps, or the like, for various commodities like oil, gas, power, and others. For example, in the energy commodities market (oil, gas, power), parties will regularly enter into forwards whereby an amount of oil will be sold at a certain price for a certain amount of time. For example, an oil company may enter into oil forwards at a fixed price for the next five years with a counterparty. However, the oil company may have an exposure limit with respect to the counterparty so that if the counterparty dissolves, goes bankrupt, or otherwise becomes unavailable to fulfill it's obligations, the oil company's losses will be cemented by the exposure limit.
Often, corporations have a desire for highly correlated non-diversified exposures. In the example provided above, even though the oil company may have other trading partners, it may desire to exceed its trading limit with respect to the above-mentioned counterparty. For example, the oil company may have a trading limit of $10 million with respect to the counterparty. A situation may occur in which the oil company needs to take a position with respect to the counterparty which requires the oil company to exceed this $10 million credit limit. Depending on the internal policies or industry rules, the oil company will either be prohibited from taking this action or will be severely penalized by regulators for taking this action.
Existing solutions to this problem include requiring the traders to seek approval from internal management and/or to obtain insurance against the over-exposed position. In order to seek approval from internal management, the corporate investors may be required to consult a Board of Directors or predetermined officer to obtain permission to engage in a transaction that exceeds the normal restrictions. Management may require the traders to purchase insurance or a credit default swap (CDS). A CDS may refer to a bilateral contract between a protection buyer and a protection seller. The CDS will reference the creditworthiness of a third party and will relate to the specified debt obligations of the third party which fulfill certain pre-agreed characteristics. The protection buyer will pay a periodic fee to the protection seller in return for a contingent payment by the seller upon a credit event affecting the obligations of the reference entity specified in the transaction. The relevant credit events specified in a transaction will usually be selected from amongst the following: the bankruptcy of the reference entity; its failure to pay in relation to a covered obligation; it defaulting on an obligation or that obligation being accelerated; it agreeing to restructure a covered obligation or a repudiation or moratorium being declared over any covered obligation. Both insurance and CDS solutions can be prohibitively expensive.
Thus, taking large exposures to energy industry counterparties can be challenging due to internal counterparty credit limitations specific to counterparties, the desire for highly correlated non-diversified exposures, and lack of availability of low-cost and term specific hedges, which are investments that are designed to reduce or cancel out the risk in another investment. Lack of efficient solutions can lead to lost trades and profits for clients.
Accordingly, a solution is needed that facilitates trading between organizations within an industry while simultaneously avoiding the expenditures required for insuring against overexposure as well as the procedures required for seeking management approval for an over-exposed position.

System and method for trading exposure clearing house


The present invention relates to molecules which function as modulators (i.e., inhibitors and agonists) of the Ras-homologous (Rho) family of small GTPases (e.g. Rac, Cdc42 and Rho GTPases) and their use to treat diseases, including cancers (including solid tumors-medulloblastoma, ovarian, breast, head and neck, testicular, prostate among others and hematologic malignancies-B cell lymphoma, where these GTPases are overexpressed or hyperactivated), sporadic and genetic diseases where activation of Rho GTPases plays a pivotal role (Menkes disease, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, diabetes (type 1), Huntington's disease and Alzheimer's disease) which are mediated through these proteins. Compounds according to the present invention may also be used as a therapy for the treatment of Entamoeba spp. or Acanthamoeba spp, infections, especially including Entamoeba histolytica.

The Ras-homologous (Rho) family of small GTPases (Rac, Cdc42 and Rho) are key regulators of actin reorganization, cell motility, cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) adhesion as well as of cell cycle progression, gene expression and apoptosis (FIG. 1) [1-8]. In many human cancers (including colon and breast), aberrant Rho-family signaling due to changes in the GTPase itself or in its regulation loops is a critical underpinning of tumor growth and survival, invasion and metastasis [9-13] (FIG. 1). RhoA and RhoC correlate with advanced ovarian cancer and peritoneal dissemination [14; 15]. Although Rac1 and Cdc42 have been recognized as attractive therapeutic targets, specific Rac GTPase inhibitors while effective in culture [16; 17] have not been translated to clinical use and there are no established Cdc42 specific inhibitors. Lovastatin was shown to inhibit Rho GTPase and reduce ovarian metastasis in a xenograft model [15]. However, the use of statins to block GTPase membrane association has met with only modest success due to their broad spectrum inhibition of protein prenylation resulting in pleiotropic effects on many GTPases and pathways [18]. Furthermore, recent animal studies wherein the effects of geranylgeranlytransferase type I deficiency were analyzed revealed an unexpected hyperactivation of Rho GTPases and concomitant severe joint inflammation {Khan, 2011}. Thus, more specific agents for clinical application are urgently needed.


An apparatus which may use non-toxic, non-solid attractant and non-toxic, non-solid material to kill attracted insects. A base is formed as a tapered cylinder with a solid bottom. The attractant is poured onto the bottom. Access holes are formed in the sides of the base above the bottom so that the attractant does not leak out. An insert is fabricated of a truncated hollow cone and an apron to form a trough in which diatomaceous earth may be poured and placed inside the base forming an attractant chamber below the insert and an killing chamber above the insert. A cover encloses the insert inside the base. The insect enters the access hole to drink the attractant, flies up the inside of the hollow cone, enters the killing chamber through tile truncated cone top. Upon contact with the diatamesous earth in the trough, the insect is inflicted with cuts, looses bodily fluids and dies.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the art of insect control, and more particularly, to an improved apparatus which may be used in conjunction with non-toxic attractant and non-toxic killing substance to capture and kill wasps such as yellow jackets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The modern history of insect control is replete with proposed solutions to the problem of attracting and removing undesirable insects from the environment in which people wish to conduct activity.
Should a movie company wish to conduct a shoot in a remote location which is infested with wasps, the expense of any delay caused by the fear of being stung may ultimately cause the project to be abandoned or moved to a more controlled site.
Most current insect control procedures utilize chemical warfare to "control" the environment with a massive spray program. Unfortunately, this tactic may also inflict irreparable damage upon the environment.
Some new methods rely upon ferimons to attract the insects into a trap but then use poison bait in the trap to kill the insects. The poison bait is still harmful to the environment and a potential threat to the users and unsupervised children and pets of the users.
One of the insects usually found at remote sites, camp grounds, etc. is the yellow jacket.
The yellow jacket is a small wasp with black and yellow stripes. They belong to the group called social wasps, and are related to hornets. This insect is capable of inflicting multiple stings. They eat the nectar and juices of ride fruit and do some damage to orchards and market gardens.
Thus, there has long been a need for an environmentally friendly method of insect control.
It is desired that such an arrangement use a non-toxic attractant to entice the insects into a trap.
It is further desired at the trap arrangement utilize a non-toxic substance to kill the insects.

Non-toxic insect capture and killing apparatus


An upper limb exercise apparatus comprises a base, a frame, and a display mounted on the frame. The apparatus further comprises 5-bar linkage-type movable parts positioned on the display and including a first link and a second link. The first link comprises a 1-1 member having one end attached to the frame and being rotationally driven, and a 1-2 member having one end rotatably attached to the other end of the 1-1 member, the other end having attached thereto a handle for gripping. The second link comprises a 2-1 member having one end attached to the frame and being rotationally driven, and a 2-2 member having one end rotatably attached to the other end of the 2-1 member, the other end having attached thereto the handle and the other end of the 1-2 member. Series elastic actuators attached to the 1-1 member and the 2-1 member provide torque.

The upper limb rehabilitation apparatuses have been developed, which are applicable for the stroke patients who have been increasing as the society is moving into the aging or graying stage, and also for the increasing number of spinal cord injury patients in traffic accidents, and the patients who lack active mobility of their hands due to various diseases such as brain injury such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, or nervous system damage caused by spinal cord injury, and so on.
The related upper limb rehabilitation apparatus is configured such that rehabilitation procedure is mainly focused on movements of the upper arm such as shoulders and elbows, and the treatment is mostly performed in the form of performing a special motion on the work table. An example of such a related art is disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-1620633.
To explain the related art briefly, the above Korean patent discloses an augmented reality-based upper limb rehabilitation apparatus including an upper limb apparatus module that is positioned to be visible through a transparent display unit and that supports an arm and a finger of a user to move, a sensor that is provided at an end of the upper limb apparatus module and detects a position and a movement of the finger of the user, and a controller that receives a signal from the sensor and analyzes whether a mission on an image provided through the transparent display unit is accomplished or not, and performance. The transparent display further includes a display support for supporting it to be tilted with respect to a horizontal plane at a predetermined height, and the sensor is embedded at a distal position of the finger supported by the upper limb apparatus module.
According to the related art with the configuration described above, when the mission is selected by the controller, a mission image in virtual environment is provided on the transparent display unit, and the user performs the mission in the real environment with the arms and fingers placed on the upper limb apparatus module. The Korean patent discloses that the arms and fingers placed on the upper limb apparatus module can be directly moved as intended by the user or can be automatically moved according to a program set by the controller, and also discloses implementations of various forms.
However, with such a related upper limb rehabilitation apparatus, there is a difficulty in exercising various arm muscles required for movements relating to daily life tasks because the arms of the user are allowed to move only on a plane parallel to the horizontal plane during exercise.

Upper limb exercise apparatus and control method therefor


The invention relates to an electric winding body which has improved performance characteristics as a result of being impregnated with a thermoplastic material filled with phase change material. These performance characteristics relate to improved heat dissipation, vibration damping, fixing of the coils, and improved protection against overheating by utilizing the sensitive and latent heat storage properties when the polymer units transition from the semi-crystalline state into the amorphous state.

Electrical winding forms comprise windings, usually insulated copper wires, wound around a core. The electrical winding form includes any kind of coils in the form of windings and wound goods that are suitable for production or detection of a magnetic field. These winding forms are used in electrical equipment such as transformers, transducers, rotors and stators of electrical machines. It is known (DE19928323) that relatively highly stressed coils that are processed in winding forms can be impregnated with synthetic resins in order to improve efficiency by minimizing power loss. The idea behind that is to replace the air-filled cavities between the windings with a synthetic resin. The synthetic resin has higher heat conductivity than air, meaning that it can better dissipate heat that arises in use. Moreover, the synthetic resin also has a higher density than air and can thus better compensate for imbalances and reduce vibrations. The impregnating serves to increase insulation resistance and additionally also to fix the windings and to improve the removal of heat from the winding form, and for corrosion protection. Thermosets are used in order to fill the cavities between the windings since these have very good flowability in the liquid state and hence can penetrate more easily into the cavities and are more thermally stable. A disadvantage of the thermosets is that these have to be cured in an additional operation and the phase transition to the solid phase is irreversible and the materials are very brittle after curing. If there is excessive thermal stress, these materials cannot compensate for or absorb this overload and are destroyed. Such a thermal overload can frequently occur in the case of electrical winding forms that are only ever in operation briefly, i.e. in the range from seconds up to a few minutes (<10 min), but repeatedly at greater or lesser intervals. For such winding forms, closed-loop temperature control by adjustment of the current is often not envisaged or not viable.
US20130264896 describes a cast body composed of a stator consisting of a magnetic coil on an iron core, encapsulated with an injection resin comprising a thermoset resin and a thermoplastic resin incompatible therewith, and containing inorganic additives (metal hydrates) and satisfying a thermal conductivity of ≥1.5 W/m·K and a flame retardancy to UL94 V-0. The amount of metal hydrate is ≥2 parts of casting resin. A cast motor comprises this cast body. The problem addressed was that of finding a plastic as insulator that simultaneously offers low shrinkage, high thermal conductivity and flame retardancy. The injection resin forms a kind of housing for the stator; the manner of manufacture and the composition do not permit displacement of all the air between the windings by the injection resin; improved heat management and vibrational stability are achieved, but large amounts of injection resin are required and this manner of encapsulating the winding is suitable only for stators. Moreover, the solution in this patent is designed for sustained stress on the coil, for continuous removal of the heat by means of a plastics housing of high thermal conductivity that releases the heat to the surface.

Electric winding body with optimised performance characteristics and improved protection against overheating


A platen roller comprises a rubber material having a glass transition temperature within the range of from -10.degree. C. to 40.degree. C. mounted around a core metal material.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a platen roller, more particularly to a platen roller to be used in a printing device such as a typewriter, etc.
2. Related Background Art
Printing device such as a typewriter, etc., conventionally has a platen roller which acts as the base plate during printing. The platen roller is ordinarily columnar with a rubber material or resin material 2 wound around a core metal portion 1 as shown in FIG. 1, and characters of the daisy wheel 5 are printed on the paper for printing 3, by pressing of the daisy wheel 5 struck by the printing hammer 6 at the portion where the ink ribbon 4 is contacted on the paper for printing 3 around the platen roller as shown in FIG. 2.
The present inventors have confirmed by experiments that the performance of printing on the paper for printing as obtained above is influenced by the shock load when the daisy wheel 5 is pressed against the paper. The shock load is determined by the hardness of the rubber material, and the strength of the force, speed, etc., of the hammer which strikes the daisy wheel. If the shock load is deficient, inferior printing such as lacking of a part of letter, indistinct outline of letter, etc., will be generated.
Generation of such inferior printing is a serious problem in typewriter of the prior art, and is frequently generated generally when the environment temperature is higher. This inferior printing occurs not only in typewriters of the manual type wherein the shock load becomes irregular, but also in electronic typewriters in which a machine applies constant shock force on a daisy wheel, and particularly the phenomenon of further frequent occurrence is observed when the temperature of the platen roller is elevated by continuous printing for a long time.
Whereas, the present inventor has found that the printing performance is influenced not only by shock load, but also by shock attenuating ability. Printing performance can be improved by improving the shock attenuating ability as represented by resilient elasticity (making smaller resilient elasticity). Also in the case of a rubber material, the shock attenuating ability was found to become greater at a temperature around the glass transition point.


A composite is provided that includes, but is not limited to a first steel plate, which is welded via a weld seam to a second steel plate, in which the two steel plates and the weld seam bonding them are hardened and the composite has a broadening in the area of the weld seam. Furthermore, a B-column is provided for a motor vehicle body that includes, but is not limited to a reinforcement B-column, the reinforcement B-column including, but not limited to a first steel plate, which is welded via a weld seam to a second steel plate, and the two steel plates include, but are not limited to a heat-treated steel and are hardened like the weld seam bonding them, and the reinforcement B-column has a broadening in the area of the weld seam.

In the production of motor vehicle bodies, plates made of hardened steel are frequently used, which must be welded to one another. For this purpose, the plates may be joined using lasers to form tailored welded blanks The hardened steels are used, inter alia, for the purpose of meeting the increasingly strict requirements which have been set for the protection of the vehicle occupants. For this purpose, in the particular countries in which the motor vehicle is to be approved, there are standardized impact tests which a vehicle model must withstand before approval, in order to be approved. In Europe, for example, these are the tests according to Euro-NCAP (European New Car Assessment Program).
However, the goal in vehicle construction is not only to use stronger or harder steels, but rather also to improve their welded bonds, because, as tensile experiments in the laboratory often show, weld seams represent the weakest point in the composite.
If one transfers this finding to vehicle body construction, the goal is to improve the strength of the weld seams in vehicle body parts which are welded to one another.
It is at least one object of one embodiment of the invention to provide a composite made of at least two high-strength steel plates, which are welded to one another, and/or a steel plate blank, whose weld seams have a higher strength. The object of a further embodiment of the invention comprises providing a B-column, whose weld seams have a higher strength. In addition, other objects, desirable features, and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.


Disclosed is a vehicular lamp. The vehicular lamp includes an LED, a light guide guiding light emitted from the LED, and a light transmissive cover disposed in front of the light guide. The light guide includes a first end surface, a second end surface, a rear side surface with a plurality of steps, and a front side surface. A notched portion is formed on the front side surface. A notched surface is formed in the notched portion to cross the extension direction of the light guide. The steps reflect first light toward the front side surface and second light toward the notched surface. The light transmissive cover includes first and second emission portions causing the first and second lights to pass therethrough, respectively. An angle formed by the notched surface and the incidence surface of the second emission portion is within a range of 0 to 45 degrees.

A vehicular lamp has been known which includes a light guide that is disposed to extend in a left-and-right direction and a front-and-rear direction (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2011-216279). In such a light guide, a plurality of steps are formed on the rear side surface of the light guide along the extension direction of the light guide. Hence, light traveling through the light guide is reflected by the plurality of steps, and the reflected light is emitted toward the front side of the vehicular lamp through a front cover. By providing the steps on the rear side surface of the light guide, the entire light guide may be made to uniformly glow.


A plastic corner device for installing drywall to form an inside corner. The corner device has a large corner with a smaller corner facing it to form a right parallelepiped, whose sides equal in length the thickness of the drywall panels. The corner device and/or the panels have adhesive applied to them, and the edges of the panels abut the smaller corner to form the inside corner. Adhesive is then applied to the rearward surfaces, and the assembly of the corner device and the panels is adhered to a building structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to drywall and other panel installation. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device for forming inside corners from drywall and other panels, and to preparing inside corners from drywall and other panels.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The installation of drywall is an essential element in the fabrication of many structures, such as houses or buildings. The conventional process for drywall installation employs two separate panels of drywall which are abutted together in the requisite corner. In order to form the required smooth surface, joint tape is creased and applied to the inside corner and kept in place with joint compound. Once the joint compound has dried, generally within 24 hours, the joint compound must be sanded. This process of joint compound application and subsequent sanding is generally repeated at least twice. The result is that the conventional process for drywall application is quite tedious, repetitive and time consuming.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,223,486 (Dunham) describes a corner trim strip having a pair of metal or plastic strips and a flexible bead running along the gap between the strips. A paper layer is attached to the strips with adhesive with the bead forming an outer rib. The strips can be configured to engage a corner. The patent describes a type of joint tape.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,916,101 (Gibolt) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,969 (Stibolt) relate to a finishing device for forming a corner between two panels of drywall. The device has two wings which are connected to a flexible joint which forms a corner. Drywall sheets fit into the outer ends of the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,953 (Koenig et al.) describes an interior corner joint for joining wallboard panels primarily for wall or tile boards in bathrooms or kitchens. The joint has channels for receiving the edges of wallboards and has a rib which forms part of the corner.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,393 (Pierce et al.) describes the assembly of wallboards to form a corner and placing sheets of polyvinyl chloride over the corner which are secured by pressure-sensitive adhesive.
As is evident from the aforementioned prior art, there is an unsatisfied need to have a more efficient and less tedious process for the installation of drywall.
The present invention is a device and method that allows both contractors and lay individuals to quickly and effectively install drywall and other panels in inside corners of structures, and to prepare inside corners from drywall and other panels. The device is a corner device having a generally xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d corner incorporating a smaller cubical parallelepiped, including the portion of the legs of the xe2x80x9cLxe2x80x9d where the legs intersect. In other words, there is a large corner having relatively wide walls connected transversely at a juncture (i.e., to form a corner), and a smaller corner joined to and facing the larger corner. A cross section of the device reveals a cube with outwardly extending walls. The method employs using the corner device by applying adhesive to its surfaces and/or the surfaces of the panels being attached thereto and pressing them together. Adhesive is also applied to the rearward surface of the corner device and the attached panels and/or to the structure to which the panels-corner device is to be attached, and pressing them together.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device and a method for making inside corners from drywall and other panels without the use of nails, and without the use of joint tape, joint compound, and the requirement of sanding the compound.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a device and a method for installing drywall that is more efficient than conventional processes.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide a device and a method for forming inside corners from drywall and other panels that provides a product having no paint discoloration.
A further object is to avoid the necessity for scaffolding for cathedral ceilings.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device and a method for forming inside corners from drywall and other panels that provides a product having no paint differentiation.
It is still another object to avoid such problems as cracking of corners and popping of nails due to such movements as truss uplifting.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a device and a method for forming inside corners from drywall that provides a product having a smooth surface on a consistent basis.
It is a general object to provide a device and a method for using the device for forming inside corners from drywall and other panels in a fast, efficient and inexpensive manner.


A gold-lined pyrolysis reactor is used to pyrolyze compounds to form fluoroolefins like tetrafluoroethylene and hexafluoropropylene in high yield, with minimum to no formation of perfluoroisobutylene, chlorotrifluoroethylene, coke, salts, or polymer.

Tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and hexafluoropropylene (HFP) are important monomers in the preparation of fluoropolymers. TFE is commercially prepared by pyrolyzing CHClF2 (CFC-22) (U.S. Pat. No. 2,551,573). Hexafluoropropylene is commercially prepared by pyrolyzing TFE (U.S. Pat. No. 2,758,138). Thus on a commercial basis, the TFE and HFP are prepared sequentially. HFP is disclosed in other patents as being preparable by pyrolysis of a wide variety of fluorocarbons, e.g. a mixture of TFE and saturated fluorocarbon or C4 to C10 fluoroolefin (U.S. Pat. No. 2,970,176), TFE/carbon dioxide mixture (U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,630), 2-chloro-1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoropropane (U.S. Pat. No. 3,397,248), TFE, perfluorocyclobutane, or mixtures thereof, all in the presence of excess superheated steam (U.S. Pat. No. 3,446,858), and chlorotetrafluoroethane and/or chlorohexafluoropropane or a mixture of chlorotetrafluoroethane with perfluorocyclobutane (EP 0 337 127 A1). TFE and HFP are reported to be preparable simultaneously, i.e. co-synthesized, by pyrolyzing                a) chlorodifluoromethane to a mixture of TFE and HFP (U.S. Pat. No. 3,306,940),        b) a mixture of chlorodifluoromethane and 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoro-2-chloroethane (British Patent 1,062,768), or c) a mixture of chlorodifluoromethane and TFE formed by partial pyrolysis of chlorodifluoromethane to TFE, followed by removal of HCl (U.S. Pat. No. 3,459,818).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,783 discloses a process for the preparation of hexafluoropropylene by thermal cleavage which uses a mixture (e.g., an azeotropic mixture) of chlorotetrafluoroethane and perfluorocyclobutane. Various reactor wall materials are mentioned including "platinum or similar noble metals". The use of a platinum-tube reactor is exemplified. This patent suggests that where mixtures of chlorotetrafluoroethane isomers are employed, the ratio of CHClFCF3 to CHF2CClF2 is preferably not more than 1:4.
The prior art describing materials of construction for pyrolysis reactors used for producing TFE and HFP is non-specific, except that the material of construction has to withstand the reaction conditions and the chemical action of the reactants and reaction products. U.S. Pat. No. 3,306,940 discloses noble metals, silver, carbon, and Inconel® alloy, which is a nickel alloy. U.S. Pat. No. 2,551,573 compares performance in a carbon tube with and without a coil of gold wire in the reaction zone: the conversion rate and the product composition is the same in both cases. Inconel® alloy, because it is lower in cost than such metals as platinum and silver and lends itself to periodic cleaning to remove coke and/or polymer deposits, has become a standard material of construction for the pyrolysis reactor.
All of these processes can suffer from one or more of the problems of salts, of coke and/or polymer forming in the tubular pyrolysis reactor, eventually plugging the reactor and causing it to be shut down for cleaning, and of excessive by-product formation. These byproducts include perfluoroisobutylene (PFIB) (U.S. Pat. No. 5,705,719), which is toxic, and CF2═CFCl(CFC-1113), which is also undesirable in the process. Other products observed in some of these processes include the cyclic dimer of tetrafluoroethylene, namely perfluorocyclobutane, and 2-chloro-1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane. The sequential processes, i.e. first make TFE and then convert the TFE to HFP, while tending to provide high yields of these desirable perfluoroolefins, have the disadvantage of the extra expense of sequential operation and high production of the toxic PFIB and by-products in the second stage, plugging of the pyrolysis pipes/tubes and their high rate of erosion/corrosion causing low onstream efficiency and costly maintenance and shutdowns.
It is desirable to develop a reactor and a process for pyrolyzing fluoromonomer reactants for fluoropolymer production by which increased levels of such fluoromonomers are produced, while also reducing levels of undesirable by-products such as coke, polymer and PFIB.


A mobile chair (10) includes a padded seat portion (12) which carries a backrest portion (13). At least five legs (15) support the underside of the seat portion (12) and are each provided with a caster assembly (16). A shelf (22) is carried by the legs (15) near the bottom thereof. A tray assembly (24) is pivotally carried on one of the legs (15) and is attachable to an adjacent leg (15) by a magnet (30) or the like.

This invention relates to a chair particularly adapted for use by a mechanic. More particularly, this invention relates to a wheeled chair which is extremely stable and which is provided with a plurality of trays for the readily accessible storage of items.
Mechanics and other workmen often use devices which provide them with a degree of comfort, and yet provide them with mobility, while working on an automotive vehicle or other object. For example, a mechanic, when working on an area with little headroom, such as underneath a vehicle, may use a creeper wherein the mechanic lies prone on the creeper and maneuvers himself to the area of the vehicle to be worked upon. Where headroom is not a concern, a mechanic is often provided with a chair upon which he may rest, and yet move around, while performing his duties.
However, prior art chairs for mechanics are subject to several deficiencies. For example, normally such chairs are provided with four conventional castered legs to render the chair moveable. However, when, as is often the case, the mechanic is required to shift his weight or otherwise lean to gain better access to a work site, such chairs may have a tendency to roll or tip dependent on the orientation of the wheels of the casters.
Moreover, the obvious purpose of such a chair is to provide comfort and convenience to the mechanic while servicing a vehicle. But if the user must get up and down out of the chair to locate tools which may be necessary for his trade, the purpose of the chair is somewhat eliminated. While some prior art chairs have provided some type of integral tool storage capacity, the provision of such has been with undue complexity requiring a number of additional operating parts thereby significantly adding to the cost of the product.
The need exists, therefore, for a chair for a mechanic which is stable, which can provide means to store a variety of tools for facile access by the mechanic, and which can be efficiently and economically manufactured.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a wheeled chair which is stable and less susceptible to tipping or the like than the prior art.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a chair, as above, with at least five legs, each of which supports the underside of a seat, and each of which carries a caster.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a chair, as above, in which a shelf may be carried by the legs.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a chair, as above, in which tool storage trays may be pivotally carried by a leg of the chair.
These and other objects of the present invention, as well as the advantages thereof over existing prior art forms, which will become apparent from the description to follow, are accomplished by the improvements hereinafter described and claimed.
In general, a chair made in accordance with a concept of the present invention includes a seat portion having an upper and lower surface and a backrest extending upwardly from the upper surface of the seat portion. A plurality in excess of four legs each have a caster assembly at one end thereof and are configured so as to be attached at their other end to the underside of the lower surface of the seat portion.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a chair includes a seat portion with a backrest portion extending upwardly therefrom. A plurality of legs to carry the seat portion. A tray assembly is pivotally carried by one of the legs and is attachable to a leg which is adjacent to the leg pivotally carrying the tray assembly.
A preferred exemplary chair for a mechanic incorporating the concepts of the present invention is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings without attempting to show all the various forms and modifications in which the invention might be embodied, the invention being measured by the appended claims and not by the details of the specification.


The invention provides novel methods of using viral replicase polypeptides and polynucleotides. Included are methods for modulating endoreduplication and increasing crop yield.

The present invention relates generally to plant molecular biology.
Cell division plays a crucial role during all phases of plant development. The continuation of organogenesis and growth responses to a changing environment requires precise spatial, temporal and developmental regulation of cell division activity in meristems (and in cells with the capability to form new meristems such as in lateral root formation). Such control of cell division is also important in organs themselves (i.e. separate from meristems per se), for example, in leaf expansion, secondary growth, and endoreduplication.
A complex network controls cell proliferation in eukaryotes. Various regulatory pathways communicate environmental constraints, such as nutrient availability, mitogenic signals such as growth factors or hormones, or developmental cues such as the transition from vegetative to reproductive. Ultimately, these regulatory pathways control the timing, frequency (rate), plane and position of cell divisions.
Plants have unique developmental features that distinguish them from other eukaryotes. Plant cells do not migrate, and thus only cell division, expansion and programmed cell death determine morphogenesis. Organs are formed throughout the entire life span of the plant from specialized regions called meristems.
In addition, many differentiated cells have the potential to both dedifferentiate and to reenter the cell cycle. There are also numerous examples of plant cell types that undergo endoreduplication, a process involving nuclear multiplication without cytokinesis. The study of plant cell cycle control genes is expected to contribute to the understanding of these unique phenomena. O. Shaul et al., Regulation of Cell Division in Arabidopsis, Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences, 15(2):97-112 (1996).
In spite of increases in yield and harvested area worldwide, it is predicted that over the next ten years, meeting the demand for corn will require an additional 20% increase over current production (Dowswell, C. R., Paliwal, R. L., Cantrell, R. P. 1996. Maize in the Third World, Westview Press, Boulder, Colo.).
The components most often associated with maize productivity are grain yield or whole-plant harvest for animal feed (in the forms of silage, fodder, or stover). Thus the relative growth of the vegetative or reproductive organs might be preferred, depending on the ultimate use of the crop. Whether the whole plant or the ear are harvested, overall yield will depend strongly on vigor and growth rate. It would therefore be valuable to develop new methods that contribute to the increase in crop yield.
It is an object of the present invention to provide methods for modulating cell division in a transgenic plant.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for influencing endoreduplication in a plant.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for increasing crop yield.
Therefore, in one aspect, the present invention provides a method for modulating endoreduplication comprising introducing into a plant cell a viral replicase nucleic acid, a viral replicase polypeptide or a functional derivative thereof.
In another aspect the present invention provides a method for increasing crop yield comprising introducing into a plant cell an isolated viral replicase polynucleotide or a functional variant thereof operably linked to a promoter driving expression in a plant.

Methods of using viral replicase polynucleotides and polypeptides

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