Specialized saddles and components for specialized saddles. In some embodiments, the saddles may include one or more saddle horns that may be placed nearer one side of the saddle than the other. In certain embodiments, the saddle horn may be detachable, allowing different saddle horns to be used with a single saddle assembly or for multiple positions on a single saddle assembly where the saddle horn may be located for use.

A standard horseback riding saddle, especially a "western" style saddle used for working horses and in rodeos and other competitions, is typically constructed as a solid framework known as a saddle tree which is then covered with leather or another material. A typical tree may include two bars and cantle and a fork. A saddle horn traditionally placed towards the front of the saddle before the rider, as a permanent fixture at the latitudinal center of the fork. The saddle horn is reinforced and strongly secured to the saddle frame, allowing it to be used to tie off a rope that is used for catching and restraining a roped animal, or as a handgrip for mounting or when needed for balance while riding.
Different styles of saddle horns may be intended for use in different situations. For example, a roping saddle may have a horn with a rubber coated stem for dallying, while other horns may be designed for use as handles.
A saddle which had an eccentrically placed horn system that reduced the time needed for a user to dally would be an improvement in the art. Similarly, a saddle that included an interchangeable horn system allowing for an eccentrically placed horn and/or for the use of different horn assemblies would be a further improvement in the art.

Saddles with eccentric or interchangeable saddle horn assemblies


The invention provides an item of clothing in the form of trousers (1) for use outdoors and/or in hunting, having two trouser legs (2, 3) and a device for protecting against pests. To provide effective protection against pests, the device an internal insert (4), preventing the passage of pests, in particular ticks, is provided in at least one trouser leg (2,3), the lower end (5) of which insert reaches as far as the foot area (6) of the user and the upper end (8) of which insert reaches as far as the foot area (6) of the user and the upper end (8) of which is permanently connected or can be detachably connected to the trouser leg (2,3) on the inside, wherein the connection at the upper end (8) is closed circumferentially to prevent passage of the pest through connection (9).

The present invention relates to an item of clothing in the form of pants for use outdoors and/or in hunting, having two pant legs and a device for protection against pests, in particular ticks.
An item of clothing of the aforementioned type is already known from DE 10 2006 020 464 A1. This prior art relates to an item of protective clothing manufactured from a textile material and intended for arrangement on a body part. The item of protective clothing here is equipped with a tick trap pocket provided on a surface of the item of clothing. The tick trap pocket extends along at least a part of the circumference of a garment part which cloaks the body. The tick trap pocket has a walling which delimits the interior space of the pocket and a downward-facing opening which leads into the interior space of the pocket. A poison holder, which holds a contact poison for killing ticks and which is detachable via a hook and loop fastener, is located in said opening. It is disadvantageous in the known solution that chemical substances having a toxic effect are provided for the protection against ticks, said substances indeed killing off ticks but also possibly being detrimental to the health of the wearer.

Item of clothing having a device for protection against pests, in particular ticks


A mobile wireless system includes a transmitter such as a satellite that broadcasts wireless signals such as boundaries for wireless networks to a mobile receiving device. Mobile receiving device may include an antenna. A locating receiver is used to generate locating signals so that a determination may be made to the location of the mobile receiving device. Preauthorizations may be obtained to allow the mobile receiving device to communicate back to business controller to enable functions such as pay-per-view or on-demand, interactive television, gaming, and the like. The preauthorizations enable access to various wireless networks as the mobile receiving device moves.

Satellite television has become increasingly popular due to its wide variety of programming. Entertainment in automobiles such as DVD players has also become increasingly popular. It would be desirable to provide a satellite television system for a vehicle so that the wide variety of programming may be enjoyed by the rear passengers.
Typical satellite systems include a receiving device that is used to receive satellite signals from the satellites and convert them to a usable format for playback on a television or monitor. Home-based systems use a telephone wire coupled to the satellite receiving device for conditional access, interactive services, pay-per-view and other return path applications. A conditional access signal grants the user rights to view the satellite signal content. Mobile receiving devices are not connected to a hard-wired line due to mobility.
As the popularity of the internet grows, wireless internet access such as local area networks, wireless access points, or hot-spots, is increasing.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a system that allows connectivity to a business controller through a wireless access point without the use of the satellite.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for providing preauthorization for a mobile receiving device to access wireless networks


An electrostatic discharge shoe grounding accessory comprises an attachment mechanism (2) and a fastening mechanism, wherein, the attachment mechanism (2) is a U-shape holder attached to the back wall of an opening rim of the shoe, and the fastening mechanism includes at least one smaller loop through (5) which a front portion of the shoe is hitched. An electrostatic discharge shoe assembly comprises a shoe and the electrostatic discharge shoe grounding accessory.

Across the electronics manufacturing industry, it is common that ESD (electrostatic discharge) shoes are increasingly being used as one of the practical and effective tools in the combat against the electrostatic discharge damage threat in a typical microchip manufacturing work station. ESD shoe that described in the current invention is referring to any footwear that exhibits an electrical property that falls within the range of 1×10e3 to 1×10e11 ohm as measured according to the ANSI/ESD STM 11.11 (USA).
In such highly competitive and cost-conscious nature of the electronics assembly activities, there also exists a continual need to develop new or better technology that can replace or bring down the cost of an ESD shoes.
There are numerous prior arts that touch and emphasize on the use of shoe grounding device or attachment in the ESD footwear industry and some of them include the followings.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,226 highlights an electrically conductive strap that secured to an ordinary shoe to ground static electricity accumulated on the body of a person. However, the L-shaped conductive adhesive strap provide weak adhesion onto the bottom surface of the shoe sole during walking as there is no adequate structural design to hold the tip-end of such L-shaped design.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,948 highlights a shoe ground strap with an electrostatic discharge exposed surface and offers protection against static charges building on the wearer and offers protection against electrical hazards if contacting a source of electrical power. However, the "improved" conductive ground strap still clearly inhibits defects. There are loose spaces between the adhesive tape and the side wall of the shoe sole. Such loose space lacks adhesion integrity & become a "defective spot". Longer use can lead to dust & contaminants accumulation on the exposed adhesive surfaces especially used in wet floor like washroom, toilet, etc resulting in cross-contamination particularly in a cleanroom. Such loose space also promote poor bonding between the electrostatic discharge strap and the bottom surface of the shoes during normal walking or brisk walk especially in some demanding rough floor condition, giving rise to "delamination" of the electrostatic discharge strap, exposing the adhesive surface & can cause direct contamination on the floor of the workplace.
KR2010008914U discloses an electrostatic removal device comprising a U-shape foot wear holder attached to the back of an opening rim of the shoe and a thunderon fiber connecting a ground copper contact and a shoe copper contact. The whole electrostatic removal device is lodged to the back of an opening rim of the shoe, then the ground copper contact 2 is grounded and the shoe copper contact 3 contact the bottom of the shoe.
However, the electrostatic removal device not only exhibit weak fastening capability due to lack of strong structure support at the bottom of the shoe sole, it is also not suitable for use in shoe with rough and uneven bottom shoe sole design.
This gives rise to further research and development on ESD grounding strap used on the shoe with the objective of overcoming those shortcomings as highlighted above and yet able to achieve a favorable cost advantage.

Electrostatic discharge shoe assembly and electrostatic discharge shoe grounding accessory thereof

ESD TECHNOLOGY CONSULTING & LICENSING CO., LTD


A component arrangement. One embodiment includes a power semiconductor component having a drift zone arranged between a first and a second component zone. A drift control zone is arranged adjacent to the drift zone and is dielectrically insulated from the drift zone by a dielectric layer. A capacitive storage arrangement is coupled to the drift control zone. A charging circuit is coupled between the first component zone and the capacitive storage arrangement.

In a component arrangement including a power semiconductor component that has a drift zone and a drift control zone composed of a semiconductor material, with the drift control zone being is arranged adjacent to the drift zone, and being dielectrically insulated from the drift zone, the drift serves for controlling a conducting channel in the drift zone when the component is driven in the on state, i.e. is switched on.
The formation of a conducting channel in the drift zone requires charge carriers in the drift control zone, which, in the case of a component realized as a MOS transistor, can be supplied from a driving circuit or gate circuit of the transistor. However, this can lead to considerably higher gate currents than in MOS transistors without a drift control zone, such that conventional gate driver circuits whose current yield is designed for driving power semiconductor components without a drift control zone can no longer be used, under certain circumstances, in these novel power components. What is more, charge carriers can flow from the driving circuit into the drift control zone only when the MOS transistor is first driven in the on state, such that, at the beginning of driving the MOS transistor in the on state, there are not yet enough charge carriers available in the drift control zone to form a conducting channel in the drift zone. A low on resistance, which fundamentally distinguishes such components, is therefore achieved only after a time delay.

Component arrangement including a power semiconductor component having a drift control zone


A semiconductor storage device includes a semiconductor substrate; an insulating layer provided on the semiconductor substrate; a barrier metal layer provided on the insulating layer; an aluminum compound layer provided on the barrier metal layer; an amorphous layer provided on the aluminum compound layer and including a material that vaporizes upon its chemical reaction with fluorine; and a metal layer provided on the amorphous layer.

A semiconductor storage device manufacturing process may include a process of forming a metal layer using a fluorine-containing gas. In some cases, fluorine reacts with a material contained in a layer underlying the metal layer, and the resulting fluorine compound remains in the underlying layer. In such a case, it is possible that the fluorine may be released in a later heating operation. The diffusion of fluorine can deteriorate the insulation resistance of the underlying layer.

Semiconductor storage device having an amorphous layer


A scissor lift mechanism (1) having at least two scissor elements (4, 5) connected in pairs by a swivel axis (3). The drive (11) for raising and lowering the scissor elements (4, 5) is provided by a traction member (13). To reduce the driving power required for operation while at the same time reducing control complexity, the scissor lift mechanism (1) is equipped with two coupling bridges (14, 15) situated on opposite sides of the swivel axis (3) and pivotably supported by thrust struts (22, 23) on each of the two scissor elements (4, 5), respectively. The distance “a” between the coupling bridges (14, 15) and the resulting height of lift “h” are easily variable by applying a tractive force “F” via the traction member (13, 25) which is guided around reversing rollers (16) and back and forth along a plurality of generally parallel paths (18, 19, 20, 21) between the two coupling bridges (14, 15).

This invention relates to a scissor lift mechanism having at least two scissor elements connected in pairs by a swivel axis, so that the swivel axis is arranged between the respective end sections of the scissor elements; and having a drive for raising and lowering the scissor elements by a traction member.
A scissor lift mechanism of this type is described, for example, in published German Patent application no. DE 100 24 075 A1. Through the traction member, the distance between the upper and lower ends of the scissor elements is varied. The traction member is therefore connected to one end of one scissor element and to the drive via a pulley on an upper end of the other scissor element and therefore it can be drawn in. In this case, the traction member acts on an expansion body which in the lowered resting position of the scissor lift mechanism is situated close to the lower end of a scissor element between it and the upper end of the other scissor element resting thereon. By applying the required tractive force, the expansion body is moved in the direction of the swivel axis. The angle formed by the scissor elements thereby becomes progressively larger so that the height of lift is varied accordingly. This traction member is not reeled up by this drive but instead it has an end section that is closed to form a loop to thereby prevent the traction member from slipping off.
It has proven to be a disadvantage with such scissor lift mechanisms that their height of lift is varied by an expansion body; that the lever ratios in the lowered resting position vary greatly from those in the raised working position. The forces required to change the height of lift therefore differ many-fold in the two extreme positions. In practice, this results in wear phenomena. In addition, a high driving power is therefore necessary. In addition, the movement of the expansion body must be adjusted using a complex control system, so the rate of lifting between the extreme positions is approximately constant but at least is not subject to any great fluctuations.
Another embodiment of a scissor lift mechanism is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,544 (=DE 33 31 872 A1) in which the two end sections of the scissor elements are joined by a drive constructed as a hydraulic cylinder. However, this means a large opening path of the hydraulic cylinder, so that here again, the forces required to be applied may vary greatly. Furthermore, hydraulic cylinders have only a limited suitability in many practical applications because of the oil they release.
German Utility Model DE 298 03 330 U discloses a scissor lift mechanism which ensures that relatively high lifting forces can be generated with comparatively low driving forces even in the initial phase of the lifting operation due to favorable lever ratios. However, it is a disadvantage here that this results in two speed levels in the lifting and lowering operations and that a jerky change in speed occurs when the expansion body is gripped by a supporting swivel arm. In this case, the expansion body acts only according to the wedge principle on the upper and lower scissor-type elements before the intervention of the swivel arm, so that the upward movement proceeds very slowly. As soon as the expansion body has been raised by the supporting swivel arm, the result is an operative connection to only the upper scissor halves where the transport movement is accelerated suddenly. Precise positioning is therefore no longer possible in the transition area.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,888 also discloses a scissor lift mechanism in which the free end of the supporting arm is guided by a guide arm that is bent at an angle and is also attached to the first scissor element via an articulated connection.
Additional scissor lift mechanisms are known from WO 99/62813, DE 91 08 825 U, DE 35 02 641 A and U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,462.


The invention provides a sensor for detecting impacts from, for example, a hockey puck striking a target apparatus embodying the sensor. The sensor uses a thin brass disc to which is secured a piezoelectric ceramic disc. In one embodiment an insulating disc having an electrically conductive element passing therethrough is held against the ceramic disc. In another embodiment a plastic spring clip carries an electrically conductive element at one end in contact with the ceramic disc. A wire is soldered to the brass disc and another wire is soldered to the electrically conductive element. The sensor may be incorporated into a spring biased sensor assembly which is positioned adjacent a medium that is expected to receive impact blows. The sensor will detect such blows and provide, consistently, a signal to indicate reception of the blows. The sensor can withstand a vast multitude of impacts without failure as the wires are not physically loaded.

There are several target devices available to sportsmen which are intended to provide sporting enjoyment and/or which can be used to improve the skill level of the participant. A dart board or a target for pistol or rifle shooting come to mind. The targets used in these devices are penetrated by a projectile and thus provide an indication of the position thereon that has been struck by the projectile. Eventually, targets of this type are destroyed by the projectiles.
There are other games which employ game pieces that are projected towards a target, and which are played on a larger scale than, for example, the game of darts. The team sports of hockey, baseball, and lacrosse are examples of games using small projectiles which are propelled at high speed towards a target zone, whether the zone be a goal as in hockey and lacrosse, or a strike zone as in baseball. The projectile must be shot or thrown (pitched) with a high degree of accuracy in order to reward the player with a goal or a strike as the case may be. Usually the player has to practice long and hard in order to hone his skills to the point where he can be confident that his shot or pitch will result in a goal or a strike. Furthermore, since the goal in hockey or lacrosse is protected by an opposing player (the "goalie"), and since the strike zone in baseball is also protected by a opposing player (the "batter"), the shooter or the pitcher must take the opposing player into account with his shot or his pitch. He must send his projectile towards the spot in the target zone where he anticipates that the opponent will not be positioned, so that he has a fair chance of succeeding with a goal or a strike.
There are numerous devices available which can be used by a hockey player, for example, to enable him to practice the accuracy of his shot. Such devices can be found for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,842 or in Soviet Patent No. 961,719. The former requires a lane structure with a frame at one end simulating a net. A target at each corner has a light associated therewith which when illuminated indicates the target to be shot at. The target is pivotally connected to the frame and has a switch that when struck by the target will turn the light out to signal a hit on the target. The latter patent has a frame with a plurality of nets therein, each of which is associated with a signal light that is lit up when a projectile is caught in the net. Both of these devices are intended for "dry land" training of an athlete and do not adequately simulate a game situation where the player may be moving as he is shooting.
There is a need for a more sophisticated target apparatus that can be used by a player to simulate game situations and which can be used anywhere, including on the "playing field", just as the real goal or target would be used. Also, there is a need for apparatus that will withstand the rigors of high impact shots in the order of 100 miles per hour, as can be attained by major league hockey and baseball players. The present invention addresses both of these needs.

Impact sensor and target apparatus embodying the same


When an optical path arrangement is re-arranged, the packet loss amount is reduced by judging whether to perform the shift in one stage or whether to perform the shift in two stages in accordance with the state of the network. This is implemented by an optical communication network comprising a plurality of routers, a plurality of optical switches, optical fiber connecting the routers and optical switches or connecting the optical switches, and a management device. First, the first evaluation value is determined by evaluating the packet loss amount resulting from a one-stage shift. Thereafter, when the optical path arrangement is changed by means of a two-stage shift, the optical path group to be changed is divided into two, one optical path group is selected as the first-order shift optical path, and the other optical path group is made the second shift optical path. Thereafter, a second evaluation value is established by evaluating the packet loss amount when shifting the optical path arrangement by means of a two-stage shift. When the second evaluation value is smaller than the first evaluation value, the first evaluation value is substituted by the second evaluation value. The above steps are repeated until the processing termination condition is satisfied.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical path re-arrangement method for an optical communication network.
2. Description of Related Art
An optical communication network comprises a plurality of routers, a plurality of optical switches, optical fibers connecting the routers and optical switches or connecting two optical switches, and a management device. In the optical communication network, shifting the arrangement of optical paths of the whole optical communication network (known simply as 'optical path arrangement'hereinbelow) dynamically in order to increase the packet transfer capacity, that is, re-arranging the optical path arrangement has been proposed (See Nonpatent Document 1: Nakahira et al., "Dynamic path switching experiment for maximizing throughput on IP optical GMPLS test-bed network", OFC2004, Los Angeles, February, 2004, and Nonpatent Document 2: Nakahira et al. "Study of shifting procedure for dynamic optical path arrangement corresponding with traffic" SB2-5, EICEE, March 2004, for example).
The shift (re-allocation) from the currently used optical path arrangement (known hereinafter simply as 'current path arrangement' to an optimum optical path arrangement (known hereinafter simply as 'optimum path arrangement' is performed by switching the optical switches provided in the optical communication network and by changing the individual optical paths by switching the router settings, for example.
About the methods of shifting (re-allocating) from the current path arrangement to the optimum path arrangement for the whole optical communication network, there is a method that arranges new optical paths by canceling all the optical paths that need to be changed and then using the network resources obtained as a result of the cancellation, for example. Alternatively, there is also a method that makes the shift from the current path arrangement to the optimum path arrangement by arranging new optical paths by canceling half the number of optical paths that need to be changed all together and using the network resources obtained as a result of the cancellation and then arranging new optical paths after canceling the remaining half number of optical paths all together (See Nonpatent Document 2).
However, in the case of the optical path re-arrangement method of the optical communication network of the above prior art example, at the time of the shift of the optical path arrangement, the network resources that can be used decrease temporarily. That is, when the optical paths that need to be changed are canceled, the packets transmitted by the optical paths are transferred to other optical paths and, therefore, congestion and so forth occurs in the other optical paths, routers, and so forth, and there is the risk of a loss of packets occurring.
In the shift of the optical path arrangement, two types of methods, namely methods performed in one stage and methods performed in two stages are executed. Here, performing the shift of the optical path arrangement in one stage involves setting new optical paths after canceling all the optical paths that need to be changed all together. Further, performing the shift of the optical path arrangement in two stages involves dividing the optical paths that need to be changed into two groups, setting new optical paths after initially canceling the optical paths of the one group altogether, and setting new optical paths after canceling the optical paths of the other group altogether.
It is dependent on the constitution of the optical communication network and the state of the network such as traffic in which cases of performing the shift of the optical path arrangement in one stage and performing same in two stages the amount of packet loss decreases. When the shift is made in one stage, although the time required for the shift is short, the optical paths that can be used in the shift decrease. On the other hand, when the shift is made in two stages, there are more optical paths that can be used in the shift than when the shift is made in one stage and, therefore, packet loss is not readily produced. However, because the time required for the shift is longer than in the case where the shift is made in one stage, there is sometimes a larger amount of packet loss as a result.
In the optical path re-arrangement method of a conventional optical communication network, there is no procedure for judging whether the shift of the path arrangement is made in one stage or whether the shift is performed in two stages in accordance with the state of the network. As a result, it has not been possible to make the shift of the optical path arrangement by means of the optimum method with which there is a small amount of packet loss.
The present invention was conceived in view of the above problem and an object of the present invention is to provide an optical path re-arrangement method of an optical communication network that makes it possible to reduce the amount of packet loss during the shift of the path arrangement by judging whether the shift of the path arrangement is made in one stage or two stages in accordance with the state of the optical communication network.

Optical path re-arrangement method for optical communication network


A radio communication device which when transmitting both a first information sequence, on which π/4-shift differential phase shift modulation is performed, as a delayed wave and a second information sequence, on which a differential phase shift modulation is performed, as an advance wave by using a PADM (Per transmit Antenna Differential Mapping) method, interchanges signal points respectively belonging to quadrants which are one of a first quadrant and a third quadrant, a second quadrant and a fourth quadrant, the first quadrant and the second quadrant, the first quadrant and the fourth quadrant, the second quadrant and the third quadrant, and the third quadrant and the fourth quadrant, the signal points being included in signal points mapped onto a complex plane which consists of a real number axis and an imaginary number axis, to change the arrangement of the information sequence.

In PADM (Per transmit Antenna Differential Mapping) transmission diversity, a differential modulation different for each transmit antenna is performed on identical data, and these data are transmitted. For example, by delaying the transmission timing of data to be transmitted via one of two antennas by one symbol and using an equalizer on a receive side, high resistance to variations in the transmission line can be achieved. The PADM transmission diversity is also referred to as a PADE (Per transmit Antenna Differential Encoding) method.
Currently, because modulation methods respectively used for antennas are the same as each other in a transmission time diversity system which is used typically, a blockage of one of the transmit antennas causes an occurrence of uncertainty in the timing and hence causes an error. The PADM is a method which has been proposed in order to solve this problem, and is a time diversity method of applying a different differential encoding mapping to each transmit antenna. When carrying out communications using the PADM, a transmit side performs creation of a modulated signal using the PADM, and a receive side executes a demodulation method using PSP (Per-Survivor Processing). Because demodulation characteristics degrade if a large frequency error occurs during transmission and reception when the receive side performs a demodulation using PSP, the receive side estimates the frequency error and corrects the frequency error on the basis of the estimation result, and then performs the PSP demodulation.
Patent reference 1 discloses a transmitter which, when transmitting signals created on the basis of an identical information sequence by using a single carrier from two transmit antennas, performs a different modulation process on each of encoded sequences respectively corresponding to the above-mentioned two antennas.
Furthermore, patent reference 2 discloses a receiver which estimates a frequency error of a received signal in a communication system which uses the PADM transmission diversity and carries out a demodulation process using PSP (Per-Survivor Processing).

Radio communication device, radio communication method, and communication system using PADM transmission diversity


Compositions and methods for enhancing paracellular permeability at an absorption site in a subject are disclosed. The method includes: (a) administering an effective amount of a phospholipase C inhibitor to a subject at a time in which enhanced paracellular permeability is desired; and (b) enhancing paracellular permeability in the subject at the absorption site through the administering of the effective amount of the phospholipase C inhibitor. The disclosed compositions and methods provide enhanced absorption of a hydrophilic drug in a subject.

Discovery and development of drugs that are orally bioavailable, in addition to being potent and selective, presents a major challenge to the pharmaceutical industry. Compounds that can easily partition into the lipid bilayer of the cell membrane are generally easily absorbed (transcellular route). In contrast, hydrophilic compounds are substantially unable to cross the cell membrane. Their passage across the epithelium via the intercellular route (paracellular route) is also severely restricted by the presence of intercellular junctions, known as tight junctions. Thus, the intestinal epithelium poses a significant barrier to absorption of orally administered hydrophilic therapeutic agents.
The tight junctions are highly specialized multi-protein complexes that are composed of both transmembrane and cytsolic proteins. Denkar, B. M. and Nigam, S. K. (1998) Am. J. Physiol. 274:F1-F9; Fanning, A. S., et al., J. Soc. Nephrol. 10:1337-1345 (1999). The opening of the tight junctions appears to be regulated by complex intracellular signaling mechanisms. Anderson, J. M., et al., J. Cell Biol. 106:1141-1149 (1998); Sakakibara, A., et al., J. Cell. Biol. 137:1393-1401 (1997). Many signaling pathways have been implicated in the regulation of paracellular permeability (e.g., tyrosine kinases, calcium, protein kinase C (PKC)). Anderson, J. M., and Van Italle, C. M., Am. J. Phys. 269:G467-G475 (1995); Collares-Buzato, C. B., et al., Eur. J. Cell Biol. 76:85-92 (1998); Mullin, J. M., et al., Am. J. Physiol. 275:C544-C554 (1998); Tai, Y. H., et al., J. Membr. Biol. 149:71-79 (1996). However, the molecular mechanisms associated with this regulation have not been thoroughly elucidated.
To date, several absorption-enhancing agents have been identified that improve the absorption of drug candidates across intestinal epithelium by modulation of tight junctions. However, most of these agents lack potency and selectivity for action on the tight junctions and thus, must be administered in amounts that produce millimolar (mM) in vivo concentrations. Such concentrations can lead to cytotoxicity and undesirable side effects. Additionally, their mechanism of action is unknown or poorly understood, and frequently, these agents act via multiple mechanisms. Hence, pharmaceutically acceptable absorption enhancers are not available for clinical use.
What is needed, then, is an absorption-enhancing agent that exhibits potency and selectivity for the enhancement of paracellular permeability. Further characterization of tight junction regulation and identification of agents that influence tight junction regulation thus represent long felt and continuing needs in the art.

Compositions and methods for enhancing paracellular permeability across epithelial and endothelial barriers

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill


A method of stimulating nitrification at low SRT by elevating pCO2 during aeration is disclosed. The improvement on solids settling performance when elevated pCO2 was supplied after 2 hours within the React cycle is consistent with the previous results that identified inorganic carbon as a potential remedy to poor settling and bulking sludge problems in activated sludge systems. Elevated pCO2 increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and lowers the pH, which improve nitrification. The specific growth rate of nitrifying bacteria is sensitive to pCO2, pH, and dissolved oxygen (DO). The DO is a function of the aeration rate. Elevating the pCO2 and lowering the aeration rate provides conditions for nitrification rates that are comparable to conventional systems. However, the lower aeration rate yields significant energy cost savings.

Numerous methods of treating wastewater are known. The two prevalent methods include the use of suspended growth systems (SGS) and fixed-film systems (FFS). One type of SGS is the sequencing batch reactors (SBR), which are used for the treatment of wastewater such as sewage or output from anaerobic digesters or mechanical biological treatment facilities in batches. Oxygen is bubbled through the wastewater to reduce biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and Chemical oxygen demand (COD) to make the wastewater suitable for discharge into sewers or for use on land.
While there are several configurations of SBRs the basic process is similar.
Generally, the SBR comprises at least two identically equipped tanks with a common inlet, which is used to alternate the flow of wastewater between them. The tanks have a "flow through" system. That is, with substantially untreated wastewater (influent) entering the tank at one end, and treated water (effluent) leaving the tank at the other. While one tank is in a substantially inactive (settle/decant) mode, the other tank is actively aerating and filling. At the inlet is a section of the tank known as the bio-selector. This consists of a series of walls or baffles which direct the flow either from side to side of the tank or under and over consecutive baffles. This helps to mix the incoming influent and the returned activated sludge, beginning the biological digestion process before the mixture enters the main part of the tank.
There are four stages to treatment. These stages include fill, aeration, settling and decanting. The aeration stage involves adding air, usually ambient, to the mixed solids and liquid either by the use of fixed or floating mechanical pumps or by blowing it into finely perforated membranes fixed to the floor of the tank. During this period the inlet valve to the tank is open and a returned activated sludge pump takes mixed liquid and solids from the outlet end of the tank to the inlet. This "seeds" the incoming sewage with live bacteria.
Aeration times vary according to the plant size and the composition/quantity of the incoming mixture. The addition of oxygen to the mixture encourages the multiplication of aerobic bacteria, which consume the nutrients. This process encourages the production of nitrogen compounds as the bacteria increase their number, a process known as nitrification.
In the settling stage, the sludge formed by the bacteria is allowed to settle to the bottom of the tank. The aerobic bacteria continue to multiply until the dissolved oxygen is exhausted. Conditions in the tank, especially near the bottom are now more suitable for the anaerobic bacteria to flourish. Many of these, and some of the bacteria which would prefer an oxygen environment, use nitrogen as a base element and extract it from the compounds in the liquid. This process, know as denitrification, consumes the nitrogen compounds created in the aeration stage.
As the bacteria multiply and die, the sludge within the tank increases over time. A waste activated sludge pump removes some of the sludge during the settle stage to a digester for further treatment. The quantity or "age" of sludge within the tank is closely monitored, as this can have a marked effect on the treatment process. The sludge is usually allowed to settle until clear water is on the top 20%-30% of the tank contents.
The decanting stage most commonly involves the slow lowering of a scoop or "trough" into the basin. This has a piped connection to a lagoon where the final effluent is stored for disposal to a wetland, tree growing lot, ocean outfall, or to be further treated for use on parks, golf courses etc.
Fixed-film systems (FFS) are biological treatment processes that employ a medium such as rock, plastic, wood, or other natural or synthetic solid material to a support biomass on its surface and within its, preferably, porous structure. At least two types of fixed-film systems may be considered those in which the medium is held in place and is stationary relative to fluid flow (trickling filter) and those in which the medium is in motion relative to the wastewater (e.g., rotating biological disk). A third classification includes dual-process systems that encompass both fixed and suspended biomass together or in series.
Trickling filter systems are typically constructed as beds of media through which wastewater flows. Oxygen is normally provided by natural or forced ventilation. Flow distributors or sprayers distribute the wastewater evenly onto the surface of the medium. As the wastewater moves by gravity through the medium, soluble and colloidal organic matter is metabolized by the biofilm that forms on the medium. Excess biomass sloughs from the medium and is carried with the treated wastewater to the clarifier, where the solids settle and separate from the treated effluent. At this point the treated wastewater may be discharged or recycled back to the filter medium for further treatment.
A fixed-film biological treatment process that employs rotating disks that move within the wastewater is referred to as a rotating biological contactor (RBC). Developed in the late 1960s, the RBC employs a plastic medium configured as disks and mounted on a horizontal shaft. The shafts are rotated slowly (1 to 2 rpm) by mechanical or compressed air drive. For a typical aerobic RBC, approximately 40 percent of the medium is immersed in the wastewater. Anoxic or anaerobic RBCs (far less common) are fully immersed in the wastewater. Wastewater flows through the medium by simple displacement and gravity. Biomass continuously sloughs from the disks, and some suspended biomass develops within the wastewater channels through which the disks rotate, making the addition of a secondary clarifier necessary. The rotation of the disks exposes the attached biomass to atmospheric air and wastewater. Oxygen is supplied by natural surface transfer to the biomass. Some oxygenation of the wastewater is also created by turbulence at the disk-water interface. The use of exposed and submerged stages in multiple tanks to create aerobic and anoxic conditions may be employed where nitrogen removal is required.
Commercially available modifications primarily address the media employed, the configuration of the tank, and the mechanical supporting systems (e.g., supplemental aeration, programmable cycling, etc.). Some FFS sludges are wasted directly by pumping of the clarifier, whereas others convey all excess solids back to the pretreatment stage (septic tank) for subsequent removal. Lightweight synthetic media have greater surface area and are easier to install. Numerous variations ranging from extruded foam to high-specific-surface PVC and other plastic shapes are available commercially.

Carbon dioxide stimulation of nitrification in activated sludge reactors


A rinse-added fabric conditioning composition comprising a starch having a gelatinization temperature of less than 150 degrees C. and a method of imparting crispness properties to fabrics treated with same.

This invention relates to compositions and methods for use during the rinse cycle of home laundering operations. The compositions are especially effective for providing crispness and soil release benefits to fabrics.
Modern fabric conditioning compositions, washing machines and dryers are subject to continuous improvement with a view to achieve a series of fabric benefits such as, for example, softening, body, anti-wrinkling, ease of ironing, and improvement in appearance.
One prevalent laundry attribute that consumers desire is that fabrics maintain their original crisp look and feel, particularly those items which are routinely ironed. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a rinse-added fabric conditioning composition which impart crispness to fabrics rinsed therein. It has now been found that the above objective is met by a rinse-added fabric conditioning composition containing starch. According to the present invention, the starch added in the rinse deposits uniformly on the fabric. This starch can then impart crispness to the fabric, particularly after exposure to heat (e.g., steam ironing, tumble drying).
It has also been found that the starching film provides resistance of the fabric to subsequent soiling and allows subsequent soils to be more easily removed. The removal in the subsequent wash can be done by chemical means (e.g., hydrolysis, amylase digestion) or physical mean (e.g., solvation, simple physical desorption and separation from, the fabric).
Detergent compositions comprising starch are not new per se. Example is U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,681 describing substantially water-insoluble starch. The starch is characterised by a granular diameter of 0.1-45 microns and a swelling power of less than 15 at 65xc2x0 C. improves the softness, the ease of ironing, the anti-static and anti-wrinkling performances. As of yet, however, no single fabric conditioning composition is available capable of providing textiles treated therewith in the conventional matter with the fabric-care benefits as referred to hereinabove.
The present invention provides rinse-added fabric conditioning compositions which are capable of imparting crispness and soil release benefits to the fabrics. These compositions comprise a specific starch having a gelatinization temperature of less than 150xc2x0 C. In a preferred embodiment, the compositions further contain, in addition to the specific starch, a perfume.
In its method aspect, the present invention relates to a method for treating fabrics to simultaneously impart crispness and improved subsequent cleaning benefits.
The rinse-added fabric conditioning compositions of the present invention comprise as an essential element a specific starch having a gelatinization temperature of less than 15020  C. The gelatinization temperature for gelatin is determined as setting point, several methods have been used to determine the setting point. Example is F. W. Wainwright, GGRA bull. 17(3), 10 (1966).
Although the final choice of starch which will meet requirements of this invention depends upon the origin of the material and also upon process conditions such as bleaching, degradation, and isolation applied to a given species, suitable starches can for example be selected from
a. naturally occuring (e.g., corn, wheat, rice, tapioca, potatoes) or physically modified (e.g. small particle size such as rice starch or milled to promote smaller particle size and low temperature gelling; highly branched amylopectin content such as xe2x80x9cwaxyxe2x80x9d starch grades; pre-gelatinized; acid treated).
b. chemically modified (e.g. hydroyxalkyl substituted ethers, tertiary and quaternary aminoalkyl starch phosphates, starch acetates).
Preferred starches are starch compounds that are easy to formulate into a solid or liquid product; readily disperse in the final rinse; can be co-delivered with other ingredients such as perfumes; do not promote any adverse effects on fabrics (e.g. yellowing); and are readily strippable in the following wash.
Examples of preferred soluble modified and/or natural starches are waxy starches with PO (hydroxy propyl) groups, quaternary amine groups, a combination of PO and quats, high molecular cross linked and modified starches. Commercially available starch derivatives of this class are: Gelex(copyright), Polar gel(copyright) from American maize, Sta-lok(copyright) 180 and 374, Star-pol(copyright) 480 and 560 from Staley starch, Thermoflo(copyright), National 1658 and Firm-tex from National starch.
The above mentioned benefit of crispness are obtained by the swelling and solvation of starch compounds at high temperature (50-75xc2x0 C.), gelatinization. These mechanisms result in the forming of a hydrophilic film that binds to the cellulose fibers of the fabric. The hydrophilic film retains the hydrophilic character of the fabric and the water vapor perneability.
The benefit of improved soil release removal is a result of the hydrophilic film serving as a protective soil release barrier (e.g., soil repellant, soil absorbent or adsorbent, surface modifier to aid detergency, etc.). During a subsequent wash, these films would be at least partially removed by detergents.
The starch can be added in the rinse as a dry powder or can be formulated and admixed as a cold water dispersion.

Rinse-added fabric conditioning composition based on specific starch and method using same


There is provided herein cross-linked, phosphorescent micro- and nano-particles and applications of those particles. The invention uses halogen-containing polymers and co-polymers (HCPs) as an encapsulation matrix for organic and organometallic phosphorescent compounds to form micro- or nano-particles. The phosphorescence of these encapsulated phosphorescent particles is substantially unaffected by phosphorescence quenchers such as oxygen and water molecules at ambient conditions. The invention provides methods of making cross-linked phosphorescent particles. HCPs may be directly cross-linked through linking moieties that are a part of the polymer, or cross-linked through other separate bridging or cross-linking materials Cross-linked particles are more stable than the non-cross-linked counterparts and more resistant to temperature, surfactants, and organic solvents.

Phosphorescence is the result of a three-stage process. In the first stage, energy is supplied by an external source, such as an incandescent lamp or a laser, and absorbed by the phosphorescent compound, creating excited electronic triplet states (as opposed to fluorescence, which only has a singlet excited state). In the second stage, the excited states exist for a finite time during which the phosphorescent compound undergoes conformational changes and is also subject to a multitude of possible interactions with its molecular environment. During this time, the energy of the excited states is partially dissipated, yielding relaxed states from which phosphorescence emission originates. The third stage is the phosphorescence emission stage in which energy is emitted, returning the phosphorescence compound to its ground states. The emitted energy is lower than its excitation energy (light or laser) and thus of a longer wavelength. This shift or difference in energy or wavelength allows the emission energy to be detected and isolated from the excitation energy.
Quenching of phosphorescence is a phenomenon in which various reactants will bond with the triplet states and decrease the effective amount of phosphorescent compound available for use, thus interrupting the phosphorescent signal. Oxygen and water are strong quenchers of triplet states and may cause decay of the phosphorescence signal, thereby limiting its use in applications such as, for example, most practical biological assay applications. In order to obtain strong phosphorescence, oxygen often must be removed during the phosphorescence measurement.
One way to avoid oxygen quenching of the phosphorescence is to encapsulate phosphorescent molecules inside a solid matrix to shield them from quenchers such as oxygen and water molecules. Selection of the encapsulation matrix is important. The matrix should have relatively low oxygen permeability and have relatively high solubility of the phosphorescent molecules so that high loading of the phosphorescent molecules can be achieved and strong phosphorescence can be obtained. For many applications, mono-dispersed phosphorescent particles of different sizes are desired. In those cases, the matrices should be capable of forming mono-dispersed particles. For other applications, the phosphorescent particles may also be desired to have various surface functional groups to allow further surface modifications.
Different types of matrices have been used for encapsulation of phosphorescent molecules to form phosphorescent particles. These matrices include inorganic materials and polymers. Of the polymers used for encapsulation of phosphorescent molecules to form particles, polystyrene (PS) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and their derivatives have been commercially used. These polymeric systems, however, do not allow for maximal phosphorescence intensity at ambient conditions. Nor do the existing systems provide the ability to cross-link the encapsulated phosphorescent particles. The polystyrene matrix is not ideal for encapsulation of phosphorescent molecules because of the poor solubility of many phosphorescent molecules (sometimes referred to as "phosphorescent dye" or "dye") in polystyrene, which results in low dye loading and relatively low phosphorescence. The oxygen solubility of polystyrene is also believed to be relatively high. PAN and its derivatives have been found to have low oxygen permeability but they have limited solubility for many phosphorescent molecules as well, which also limits their application for encapsulation of those phosphorescent molecules.
There is a need for new matrix systems for the encapsulation of phosphorescent molecules to provide high phosphorescence intensity. The new matrix systems are cross-linked systems so they can be more stable than the non-cross-linked counterparts and are also more resistant to temperature, surfactants, and organic solvents.

Cross-linked encapsulated phosphorescent molecules


A snubber circuit and corresponding power converter topology for controlling the voltage across the resonant capacitor at turn on of a control switch so as to suppress a spike at the switch caused by the large current pulse and parasitic inductance of the power converter. The suppression of the spike reduces conduction losses and increases efficiency. According to one embodiment, the snubber circuit in a boost converter topology includes a second winding tapped from the main boost inductor and connected in series with a first diode and a second diode. A resonant capacitor and the second diode are connected in a series combination which is in parallel with the main boost diode. The second winding is connected in series with the first diode and the second diode between the output terminals of the converter. Alternatively, the snubber circuit is used in flyback, buck, and forward converter topologies.

A boost converter is a power converter where a smaller input DC voltage is increased to a desired DC voltage level at the converter's output. A typical prior art boost converter 10 is shown in FIG. 1. Boost converter 10 has input terminals 2, 4 for enabling an input voltage Vin to be coupled to converter 10, and output terminals 6, 8 where the output DC voltage is provided. The boost converter 10 includes an inductor 18, to which the input voltage Vin is coupled, that is in series with a boost diode 16 connected to an output capacitor 12 across which the load (not shown) is connected at terminals 6, 8. A transistor switch 14 is connected to a node 15 between the inductor 18 and boost diode 16 and a ground return line 20 to provide regulation of the output voltage. The switch 14 is typically a MOSFET having a control input, a drain and a source terminal. A control circuit 42 (details not shown) is coupled to the control input for providing a control signal for controlling the timing of the on and off transition of the switch 14. The control circuit 42 typically includes a pulse width modulation circuit (PWM). In operation, when the switch 14 is on, the inductor current in inductor 18 increases, storing energy in its magnetic field. When the transistor switch 14 is off, this energy is transferred via the diode 16 to the output capacitor 12 and the load. Drawbacks of such conventional boost converter circuits include the creation of switch voltage and current stresses, which result in low efficiency power conversion.
FIG. 2 shows a prior art boost converter 20 having a snubber circuit 24 added to the boost converter 10 of FIG. 1. The snubber circuit 24 is designed to suppress the spike generated at the drain of MOSFET 14 caused by the large current pulse and the leakage (parasitic) inductance in the circuit when MOSFET 14 is turned off and to transfer this energy to the output. The snubber circuit 24 includes a series combination of a capacitor 22 and a diode 36 connected across a diode 16. The capacitor 22 is connected at one end to the junction of inductor 18 and diode 16 at a node 25. Snubber circuit 24 also includes a series combination of a diode 26 and an inductor 28 connected between the junction of the capacitor 22 and the diode 36 and the negative output terminal 8.
In operation, when the MOSFET switch 14 in boost converter 20 switches from ON to OFF, the spike that is created at node 25 is clamped due to the voltage across capacitor 22 which causes turn on of diode 36 before diode 16 is turned on. Thereafter, the voltage at node 25 will become slightly higher than the output voltage at terminal 6 causing diode 16 to conduct and transfer the energy stored in inductor 18 during turn ON and clamp the voltage of node 25 to Vout. Capacitor 22 and inductor 28 form a resonant network that, through half resonant action after MOSFET 14 is turned ON, reverses the polarity of the voltage across capacitor 22.
A drawback of the circuit in FIG. 2 is that the voltage across capacitor 22 cannot be controlled at turn on and so, after the half resonant period, the reverse voltage is less than before. The voltage across capacitor 22 cannot be controlled on turn on of MOSFET 14 because the energy stored in inductor 28 is not sufficiently controlled. Consequently, the performance of the circuit in FIG. 2 is not suitable, particularly in high power applications. For one exemplary converter in an experiment setup, just after the MOSFET 14 turns off, the voltage across capacitor 22 becomes +50V, and on turn on of MOSFET 14, after the half resonant period, the voltage across capacitor 22 becomes −40V. The voltage loss is due to the resonant choke, i.e., inductor 28 and diode 26. Thus, although an improvement over converter 10 of FIG. 1, converter 20 has the similar drawback of having an unacceptably high voltage spike (>Vout) at the drain of MOSFET 14 for high current applications so as to require higher voltage rated MOSFETS with higher Rdson and corresponding higher conduction losses.
A need therefore exists for a snubber circuit and power converter topology which solves the above described drawbacks of the known circuits by controlling the voltage across the resonant capacitor at turn on of the main MOSFET so as to enable the use of lower voltage and lower Rdson rated MOSFETs and to provide increased efficiency by reducing conduction losses.


An electrically actuated valve for regulating a working pressure of a closed volume load includes an inlet valve (24) for controlling fluid flow between a supply port (16) and a working port (18) and an outlet valve (26) for controlling fluid flow between the working port (18) and an exhaust port (20). A solenoid actuator (70) applies an adjustable force to a movable valve element (44) for closing the outlet valve (26) and opening the inlet valve (24). The adjustable force is opposed by a reactionary force that is generated by the working pressure. The movable element (44) includes opposing areas exposed to the working pressure for scaling the reactionary force to the working pressure.

Proportional control valves include actuators that apply an adjustable force to a directional control valve connecting a closed volume load with both supply and exhaust fluid flow paths. The directional control valve reacts to the adjustable force by directing fluid through one of the two fluid flow paths until an equilibrium is reached with a reactionary force applied by the working pressure. For example, when the adjustable force is greater than the reactionary force, the supply path is opened and the exhaust path is closed. Conversely, when the adjustable force is less than the reactionary force, the supply path is closed and the exhaust path is opened. However, both paths are closed when the two forces are equal.
One way of generating the adjustable force is by applying a pilot pressure to one face of a piston that operates the valve. The reactionary force is generated by applying the working pressure to an opposing face of the piston. The piston is movable in opposite directions by differences between the pilot and working pressures and is balanced against movement when the two pressures are equal.
However, the pilot pressure itself is difficult to accurately regulate and limits the response time of proportional control valves for varying the working pressure, especially when the source of pilot pressure is located at a distance from the proportional control valve. Some uses for proportional control valves require much faster response times. For example, anti-lock braking systems require faster response times including pulsed responses to maintain maximum braking force over varying traction conditions without significant wheel skid.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,194,762 to Maliphant discloses an early attempt to replace pilot pressure with a solenoid actuator to regulate brake pressure. The solenoid actuator applies an adjustable force against a piston that isolates a working pressure of a brake cylinder from an exhaust pressure. In other words, the adjustable force applied by the solenoid actuator is opposed by a reactionary force applied by the working pressure against the piston. The piston has a very large area exposed to the working pressure, and the solenoid must be very large to match reactionary forces corresponding to a range of working pressures. In addition, a valve seating force generated by a supply pressure also opposing the adjustable force distorts the valve's performance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,527 to Stumpe and U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,046 to Bissell disclose more recent examples of proportional control valves which supplement pilot pressures with electromagnetic actuators for regulating braking pressure. However, Stumpe's electromagnetic actuator has just two excited positions that are selected by an electronic circuit on the basis of a signal provided by a remote pressure sensor. Bissell's actuator is a stepper motor combined with a threaded thrust member and a spring for converting rotary positions of the motor into predetermined forces against a piston. Pilot pressure is also applied to the piston. Therefore, both a measurement of the pilot pressure and a summing calculation are required to determine the total adjustable force against the piston. In addition, the piston has a very large area exposed to the working pressure, and a correspondingly large amount of electrical power is required to move the piston with the stepper motor against the reactionary forces.
My U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,718 discloses a proportional control valve that regulates brake pressure proportional to an adjustable force applied by a solenoid actuator. A directional control valve connecting a brake to both supply and exhaust fluid flow paths is made up of an inlet valve that regulates a flow of fluid from a supply port to a working (delivery) port, and an outlet (control) valve that regulates a flow of fluid from the working port to a primary exhaust port.
The solenoid actuator of my prior valve is sized to apply an adjustable force proportional to a predetermined range of working pressures applied over an area enclosed by a seat of the outlet valve. A product of the working pressure and the area of the outlet valve seat is equal to a reactionary force that opposes the adjustable force. An outlet valve poppet attached to the solenoid actuator is urged by the adjustable force in a first direction for opening the inlet valve and closing the outlet valve and is urged by the reactionary force in a second direction for closing the inlet valve and opening the outlet valve.
The area enclosed by the outlet valve seat is limited to reduce the size of the solenoid that is required to match the reactionary forces. However, the limited area of the outlet valve seat also restricts the rate of fluid flow along the exhaust path to the primary exhaust port. Accordingly, a separate exhaust path is provided through a dump valve to a secondary exhaust port for discharging higher rates of fluid flow. In addition, a vent valve is used to distinguish between high and low rates of fluid flow for controlling operation of the dump valve.

Proportional control valve with differential sensing area


Systems and methods to correct misties across multiple 2D seismic surveys using a correction solution calculated based only on the intersecting points between different surveys.

In the oil and gas industry, seismic reflection surveys can reveal many structural details about a subterranean formation, including the location of subterranean faults, mineral deposits, and the like. It is desirable to accurately image and model the location and extent of these geologic structures for commercial applications. For example, in hydrocarbon exploration, it is important to accurately model geological structures within the subsurface formation for purposes of identifying areas of the formation in which significant amounts of oil and gas may be trapped.
A common and widely used technique for generating seismic images of a geological structure from 2D seismic reflection surveys is to define the boundaries of the structure using horizons or height fields. The data representing the horizons is usually stored and processed by imaging software using a 2D array, or grid, where the elements in the grid represent points along 2D lines on the surface of the geological structure in the horizontal direction (i.e., X and Y axes), and the value contained in each element indicates the depth (i.e., Z axis) of the boundary at that point.
A 2D seismic survey contains a logical set of lines (also known as lines of geophone that record the reflection of seismic energy) that are acquired and processed at the same time, for example, by applying the same parameters to derive a seismic image with a good match across the lines. However, the seismic differences (or "misties") of the seismic image are generally observed at points where 2D seismic lines from different seismic surveys intersect. The seismic misties at the intersection are revealed as discontinuities in the seismic image, which may lead to inconsistencies in the seismic interpretation of subsurface geological formations.
Conventional mistie correction techniques have a number of disadvantages. For example, conventional mistie analysis generally involves computing misties and applying corrections to each of the 2D lines separately. However, this requires very extensive computations to be performed at every line intersection. Additionally, correcting misties one line at a time may introduce even more misties across other 2D lines within the same 2D survey. Furthermore, conventional solutions for correcting misties typically require a user to apply the correction multiple times, which can be a very time-consuming and tedious process.

Automated MisTie analysis and correction across two-dimensional (“2D”) seismic surveys


A method according to an embodiment includes obtaining calibration measurement data, with an optical detection apparatus, from a plurality of marker structure sets provided on a calibration substrate. Each marker structure set includes at least one calibration marker structure created using different known values of the process parameter. The method includes obtaining measurement data, with the optical detection apparatus, from at least one marker structure provided on a substrate and exposed using an unknown value of the process parameter; and determining the unknown value of the process parameter from the obtained measurement data by employing regression coefficients in a model based on the known values of the process parameter and the calibration measurement data.

A lithographic apparatus is a machine that applies a desired pattern onto a target portion of a substrate. Lithographic apparatus can be used, for example, in the manufacture of integrated circuits (ICs). In such a case, a patterning structure, such as a mask, may be used to generate a circuit pattern corresponding to an individual layer of the IC, and this pattern can be imaged onto a target portion (e.g. comprising part of, one or several dies) on a substrate (e.g. a silicon wafer) that has a layer of radiation-sensitive material (resist). In general, a single substrate will contain a network of adjacent target portions that are successively exposed. Known lithographic apparatus include so-called steppers, in which each target portion is irradiated by exposing an entire pattern onto the target portion at once, and so-called scanners, in which each target portion is irradiated by scanning the pattern through the projection beam in a given direction (the "scanning"-direction) while synchronously scanning the substrate parallel or anti-parallel to this direction.
Although specific reference may be made in this text to the use of lithographic apparatus in the manufacture of ICs, it should be understood that the lithographic apparatus described herein may have other applications, such as the manufacture of integrated optical systems, guidance and detection patterns for magnetic domain memories, liquid-crystal displays (LCDs), thin-film magnetic heads, etc. The skilled artisan will appreciate that, in the context of such alternative applications, any use of the terms "wafer" or "die" herein may be considered as synonymous with the more general terms "substrate" or "target portion", respectively. The substrate referred to herein may be processed, before or after exposure, in for example a track (a tool that typically applies a layer of resist to a substrate and develops the exposed resist) or a metrology or inspection tool. Where applicable, the disclosure herein may be applied to such and other substrate processing tools. Further, the substrate may be processed more than once, for example in order to create a multi-layer IC, so that the term substrate used herein may also refer to a substrate that already contains multiple processed layers.
The terms "radiation" and "beam" used herein encompass all types of electromagnetic radiation, including ultraviolet (UV) radiation (e.g. having a wavelength of 365, 248, 193, 157 or 126 nm) and extreme ultra-violet (EUV) radiation (e.g. having a wavelength in the range of 5-20 nm), as well as particle beams, such as ion beams or electron beams.
The term "patterning structure" used herein should be broadly interpreted as referring to a structure that can be used to impart a beam of radiation (e.g. a projection beam) with a pattern in its cross-section such as to create a pattern in a target portion of the substrate. It should be noted that the pattern imparted to the beam may not exactly correspond to the desired pattern in the target portion of the substrate. Generally, the pattern imparted to the beam will correspond to a particular functional layer in a device being created in the target portion, such as an integrated circuit.
A patterning structure may be transmissive or reflective. Examples of patterning structures include masks, programmable mirror arrays, and programmable LCD panels. Masks are well known in lithography, and include mask types such as binary, alternating phase-shift, and attenuated phase-shift, as well as various hybrid mask types. An example of a programmable mirror array employs a matrix arrangement of small mirrors, each of which can be individually tilted so as to reflect an incoming radiation beam in different directions; in this manner, the reflected beam is patterned.
The support structure supports, i.e. bares the weight of, the patterning structure. It holds the patterning structure in a way depending on the orientation of the patterning structure, the design of the lithographic apparatus, and other conditions, such as for example whether or not the patterning structure is held in a vacuum environment. The support can use mechanical clamping, vacuum, or other clamping techniques, for example electrostatic clamping under vacuum conditions. The support structure may be, for example, a frame or a table, which may be fixed or movable as required and which may ensure that the patterning structure is at a desired position, for example, with respect to the projection system. Any use of the terms "reticle" or "mask" herein may be considered synonymous with the more general term "patterning structure".
The term "projection system" used herein should be broadly interpreted as encompassing various types of projection system, including refractive optical systems, reflective optical systems, and catadioptric optical systems, as appropriate for example for the exposure radiation being used, or for other factors such as the use of an immersion fluid or the use of a vacuum. Any use of the term "lens" herein may be considered as synonymous with the more general term "projection system".
The illumination system may also encompass various types of optical components, including refractive, reflective, and catadioptric optical components configured to direct, shape, or control the projection beam of radiation, and such components may also be referred to below, collectively or singularly, as a "lens".
The lithographic apparatus may be of a type having two (dual stage) or more substrate tables (and/or two or more mask tables). In such "multiple stage" machines the additional tables may be used in parallel, or preparatory tasks may be carried out on one or more tables while one or more other tables are being used for exposure.
The lithographic apparatus may also be of a type wherein the substrate is immersed in a liquid having a relatively high refractive index, e.g. water, so as to fill a space between the final element of the projection system and the substrate. Immersion liquids may also be applied to other spaces in the lithographic apparatus, for example, between the mask and the first element of the projection system. Immersion techniques may be used to increase the numerical aperture of projection systems.
The continuous trend towards smaller design features and higher device densities requires high resolution lithography. In order to meet the requirements, it may be desirable to control the lithographic process in as many details as possible. Two of the most important process parameters that may need accurate monitoring and control are dose and focus. Generally the critical dimension (CD) variations are measured to monitor and control these parameters. However, it may be difficult to discriminate between dose and focus data when measuring CD-variations.
In general, special or multiple features are used in combination with special or time consuming metrology. The focus can for instance be determined by a phase shift focus monitor. The focus error results in an overlay error that can easily be detected with an overlay readout tool. In a second technique, the monitoring of the focus is achieved by using the concept of line-end shortening. However, with this technique the sign of defocus may be extremely difficult to determine. Additionally, most present-day techniques are only applicable on test structures.
The need to monitor the quality of the pattern that is exposed by a lithographic apparatus calls for a fast and reliable technique, which can be used at many locations, for example within a chip area or in a scribe line, on all kinds of substrates to be exposed, like test or product wafers. An optical metrology technique, called scatterometry, can meet these requirements to a certain extent. The terms "optical" and "light" used herein encompass all types of electromagnetic radiation, including light with a wavelength of 400-1500 nm, ultraviolet (UV) radiation (e.g. having a wavelength of 365, 248, 193, 157 or 126 nm) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation (e.g. having a wavelength in the range of 5-20 nm), as well as particle beams, such as ion beams or electron beams.
In scatterometry, a light beam is directed towards a target, generally a specially designed structure like a diffraction grating. Then, the target reflects, refracts and/or diffracts the light. Finally the light from the target can be detected by a detector including a suitable sensor. The detection by the detector can be in reflection or in transmission, measuring the diffracted and/or non-diffracted light. For the incoming light, i.e. the light directed at the target, one or more sets of properties can be varied simultaneously. The terms "scatterometry" and "scatterometer" used herein encompass all types of measurement techniques and tools in which light is generated and analyzed after interaction with a target. The term "scatterometer" thus includes, for example, an ellipsometer and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The term "spectrum" used herein encompasses all types of formats in which the light after interaction with the target can be detected. It thus includes images created by scattered electrons in a SEM.
Scatterometry is conventionally used to determine the values of process parameters, like focus and dose. Generally, however, several assumptions are made regarding the relationship between process parameters and scatterometry measurement parameters. Examples of such assumed relationships are a linear relationship between focus and side wall angle (the slope at the side of a line-shaped structure) and a linear relationship between dose and mid-CD (the width of a line-shaped structure at half its height). In reality, there may be no unique relationship between one single scatterometry measurement parameter and a process parameter like focus or dose. There may be, for example, additional effects, besides focus, that contribute to the characteristics of a side wall angle. By the aforementioned assumption, these effects would then be abusively interpreted as focus.
The detected spectrum (or, in the case where particle beams are used, the detected signal may be an image rather than a spectrum) is analyzed by comparing it with data, stored in a library. A so-called "best match" between the detected spectra and the spectra in the library determines the parameter values that best describe the target structure. For lithographic purposes, the identified parameter values, i.e. focus and dose, can be applied to increase the performance of a lithographic apparatus. The quality of lithographic process parameter control and monitoring may strongly depend on the quality of the library. A library is generally filled with theoretical spectra constructed by calculating values for different scatterometry measurement parameters such as grating parameters like grating height, line width and side wall angle, and different substrate parameters, such as material properties and properties related to layers in the substrate processed earlier. It can easily be understood that the creation of an extremely reliable library can be time-consuming and highly complex, especially when the properties of the substrates to be exposed change regularly.
Furthermore, scatterometry measurement parameters, like the thickness of the underlying layers and the optical constants of the used materials, may be extremely difficult to determine in a production situation. The use of empirical data, i.e. experimentally obtained data, has been suggested. (See for instance Allgair et al., Yield Management Solutions, Summer 2002, pp 8-13). In such a case, the empirical library is then generated from a substrate with a number of structures processed by a varying set of process parameters covering the process space to be controlled. However, as mentioned in this reference, the characterization of these structures is non-trivial, due to the required level of control over the process parameters and an important influence of noise introduced by 'natural variation', i.e. not deliberately induced variations.

Method to determine the value of process parameters based on scatterometry data


A stirrer device (1a, 1b) includes at least one shaft (13), a first blade-type stirrer assembly (3) and a second blade-type stirrer assembly (2), characterized in that the blade-type stirrer assemblies are movable relative to each other in the axial direction. Also provided is a method of adjusting the above stirrer device.

The present invention relates to a stirrer device and to a method of adjusting it.
The present invention relates in particular to a device for stirring a can of paint suitable for can depths corresponding to capacities of 0.5 liters (L) and 1 L and that can be placed in stirring cabinets in which the cans of paint are placed on a shelf or suspended by their lid.

Stirrer device and a method of adjusting it


A connector for ribbon-to-wire conductors includes a clip for holding a ribbon conductor and a housing for retaining a series of wire conductors. To connect the system, a ribbon conductor containing exposed conductors on one surface of its free end is extended over the free end of an upper segment of the clip which is then inserted into the opening of the housing until a shoulder on the base of the clip engages the back wall of the housing locking the clip containing the ribbon conductor to the housing. In another embodiment of the electrical connecting system, a housing and a retainer snap together to sandwich exposed electrical contacts of two ribbon conductors and/or electrical surface contacts of a flexible or rigid circuit board. To connect the system, the ribbon conductors are placed over opposite ends of the circuit board to engage contacts thereon and the retainer is snapped to the housing. In yet another embodiment of the electrical conductor connecting system, a ribbon conductor is placed on a mandrel that has locating posts at its outer edges to align the apertures of the ribbon conductor with the apertures in the mandrel. To connect the system, a female connector/wire harness is pushed onto the mandrel so the pins of the female connector/wire harness pass through the deformable apertures in the ribbon conductor and the mandrel to provide an electrical connection between the exposed electrical contacts of the ribbon conductor and the pins of the wire conductors. In another embodiment, ribbon connectors are to be located over a mandrel and interconnected by use of a clip.

The present invention relates to electrical connectors and particularly to electrical connectors for connecting ribbon conductors to either wire conductors or other ribbon cable conductors.
Various press-fit type structure and methods of interconnecting electrical circuit components and conductors which use multiple connector structures are known and function generally to eliminate the need for using hard wire, e.g., solder, connections. One type of connector includes a two-piece structure. One piece is a member over which a ribbon conductor having exposed conductors at one end is placed, and the other is a housing for holding a series of conductors and a corresponding series of electrical contacts. One way to maintain electrical and mechanical connection in such a system is to incorporate a force generating feature in one of the structures which operates to press and hold the electrical contacts against each other when the two structures are engaged. However, in such systems, the force-generating feature is subject to deterioration over time and adds a degree of complexity and expense to the system.
In another press-fit type structure of interconnecting electrical circuit components or conductors, two ribbon conductors are connected to a third flexible or rigid circuit board. In such systems, the circuit components or conductors are sandwiched by a series of connecting structures. In these systems, the connector structures are of a size that accommodates the mounting of circuit components on the circuit board. An undesirable characteristic of known electrical connectors of this type is that they require separate fastening means such as screws. Therefore, although these electrical connectors can connect three separate electrical components or conductors, the user must utilize tools to connect/disconnect the system. In addition, these systems are limited in their application because they can only connect flat electrical conductors, i.e., they cannot connect electrical connectors that have electrical components mounted thereon.
Another press-fit type connector includes a first structure containing a means for holding a ribbon cable, and a second structure, such as a wire harness, containing a means for mounting wire conductors. In such a system, the two structures can be snapped together to bring the conductors of each component into contact to maintain an electrical connection. These systems have separate connecting means in the wire harness to provide the mechanical connection between the wire harness and the ribbon cable mounting structure. The connecting means in such systems often contains mechanisms which are complicated, expensive to manufacture and can be easily destroyed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,488 overcomes some of these mechanical limitations by providing a mounting system which connects an electrical component to a flat flexible circuit. The flexible circuit is attached to a substrate and contains apertures which align with apertures in the substrate. When the connecting pins of an electrical component pass through these apertures, an electrical and mechanical connection is maintained. However, this system is limited in its application. Specifically, it does not couple the conductors of a ribbon cable to corresponding conductors of a wire harness. As a result, there exists a need for adaptable systems for connecting a variety of ribbon-type conductors to wire conductors which minimize the complexity of the connecting structures while still maintaining the integrity of the mechanical and electrical connection of the different style conductors.


A method of determining springback in metal forming with a fluid cell press through establishing a computational formulation to determine bend angle and compensated die radius based on factors of geometry of the part being formed, material properties of the sheet material and the forming process, and computing additional iterations of springback until a specific tolerance between the formed part angle and the desired part angle are reached.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to bending methods for forming sheet metal parts and more specifically for calculating springback when forming parts by hydroforming with a fixed die and hydraulic pressure exerted by a flexible diaphragm.
2. Description of Prior Art
With the advent of metal airplanes, it became necessary to find a method of forming complex sheet metal parts economically. Traditional stamping methods, also referred to as draw forming, involve high tool costs that could not be justified for the relatively small quantities of parts produced. Traditional stamping required two mating precisely aligned dies. Hydroforming, also referred to as fluid forming, involves only a single die wherein the hydraulic pressure was applied against a flexible diaphragm, which forms the sheet material against a die.
Various other metal forming methods are utilized in the various industries such as a stretch press, wherein the work piece is stretched over a single die. The brake press is another commonly used method, which deals with more simplified two-dimensional bends.
When a metal workpiece is deformed during a metal forming operation, the deformation thus given has two components—elastic and plastic. Upon removal of the forming load, while the plastic component remains unchanged, the elastic component is recovered. The magnitude of this recovery is called springback. All metal forming methods thus have to deal with the springback problem. During sheet bending, this recovery or springback is manifested in the workpiece in the form of an increased part angle and radius of bend than that desired. The shape of the workpiece springs back to a shape, which is almost never the shape optimally desired nor the shape of the bending die. In the prior art this required re-cutting the forming die numerous times, which is very costly and time consuming.
One method to solve this problem has been to cause the workpiece to be excessively bent in the bending direction such that upon springback the workpiece can assume the proper shape. This method requires the die designer to guess at the shape of the bending die, which can be very costly if incorrect.
Solving the springback problem has been addressed in various other metal forming methods such as the patent to Ewert, U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,439 in a stretch press process; the patent to Jones, U.S. Pat. No. 4,802,357 and Ooenoki et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,408, both of which deal with methods for compensating for springback in the brake press field of metal forming. The patent to Yamano et al, Pub. No. US 2003/0061852 deals with calculated springback in the conventional draw forming method of metal forming.
Research to predict springback in hydroforming, has been very limited and is exemplified in a publication entitled "Sheet Metal Forming in the Quintus® Fluid Cell Press" published in April of 1980 and authored by Eric Enroth, published by the Quintus Press Department. This publication provides some rules of thumb for springback allowances for different materials irrespective of geometric or process conditions. Commonly used springback prediction tools in the industry are based on experiments done for a specific bend angle (90 degrees) for specific materials, and springback charts obtained by doing tests on specific geometric conditions. The springback is predicted for different geometric conditions on the basis of limited data and arbitrary extrapolations; therefore, their prediction is not precise. Process parameters are not considered in these methods and any process variation during manufacturing alters springback. There is no single tool available that can accurately predict the total springback for all parts irrespective of material, process and geometric condition.

Method of predicting springback in hydroforming


Apparatus and methods for reducing the amplitude and frequency of web-edge flutter associated with drawing web materials are provided. The apparatus includes a pair of air foils disposed proximate to a pair of opposing planar surfaces of the web. Each of the air foils includes a first convex surface facing the web and disposed in contact with air flowing on the web for producing a venturi effect which reduces at least the flutter amplitude in the open draw.

In the manufacture of web-like products, such as paper, textiles and plastics, a web of material is typically moved along a serpentine path during the manufacturing operation. The web moving through such a path can measure several hundred feet in length and can measure a number of feet in width. Should the web break during the manufacturing process, significant down time can occur while the web is being rethreaded. Such down time can result in substantial cost to the manufacturer as well as being detrimental to product quality if breaks occur too frequently.
One major cause of breaks is flutter. Flutter is a phenomenon in which the web moves in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel, with one or more amplitudes and frequencies. Flutter in a paper machine is generally known to be caused by two components of air flow: a cross-machine-direction component caused by large volumes of ventilated air injected into pockets between dryer cans by blow boxes to reduce humidity, and a machine-direction component represented by the laminar air flow on the web as it moves through the paper machine. As the paper moves around the dryer cans, it stretches along the center of the sheet, resulting in slack at the edges of the paper where there is less tension. This slack is susceptible to vertical motion when subjected to the multiple air flow components, and flutter develops.
Artisans have employed various foil and forced air designs for use in large scale drying and web production processes, with varying results.
King, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,358, discloses an apparatus for air drying a slurry, such as reconstituted tobacco slurry, which is conveyed on a moveable support. The apparatus includes means for directing air flow against the supported web.
Mair, U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,796, discloses the use of a current of air for flattening the bent edges of a flexible web-type work piece, such as a textile weave or knit, synthetic resin foil or paper. The air is blown from a guide in a flow direction extending transverse to the transport direction of the work piece, outwardly from the center of the work piece. This reference illustrates a pair of converging air-directing plates for ensuring that the flattened work-piece remains flat and that the flattening effect is optimized, such as to reduce curling of the edges.
Stanley, U.S. Pat. No. 3,198,499, discloses the use of an air flow to support an advancing member during heat treatment. This reference illustrates the concept of laterally flowing a gas beneath the member in a cross-machine direction.
Andrews, U.S. Pat. No. 2,574,083, discloses the use of a baffle strip for increasing a downward air pressure against an edge of a moving web which is disposed on tenter pins in a drawing chamber.
Vits, European Patent application Ser. No. 0313806 discloses a system whereby air jets are blown in a machine direction over a moving web to stabilize the web between rolls.
While, in the main, these artisans have contributed significantly to the field of web processing, they have not provided means for efficiently reducing the amplitude and frequency of flutter in modern web handling operations. Accordingly, a need exists for a flutter suppression system which includes non-contact, low energy means for reducing the flutter of a moving web in a paper machine. Such a system should be able to employ existing cross currents of air flow and, thus, minimize energy costs while reducing the number of breaks.


There is provided a power coupling device comprising first and second coupling members, at least one of which is capable of rotating about a common axis and relative to each other. The first coupling member has a pocket, and the second coupling member has notches. The power coupling member also comprises first and second struts arranged at least partly in the pocket. Each of the first and second struts is urged to emerge from the pocket and capable of engaging with one of the notches. The first strut is capable of transmitting torque between the first and second coupling members only in a first direction, and the second strut is capable of transmitting torque between the first and second coupling members only in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction. The power coupling device further comprises first and second retainer plates arranged between the first and second coupling members capable of moving in a plane perpendicular to the common axis, for example, of rotating about the common axis, and independently from each other. The first retainer plate has a first hole which the first or second strut can pass through. The second retainer plates has a second hole which the first or second strut can pass through when the second hole is aligned with the first hole and the first or second strut. By moving the first and second retainer plates, this power coupling device can achieve the neutral state and the bidirectional lock state in addition to forward and reverse lock states.

The present description relates to a power coupling device which can switch a torque transmission state between two coupling members.
There is known a power coupling device which may engage and disengage two rotational coupling members depending on a direction of torque transfer. When a torque transfer between the two coupling members is in one direction, the power coupling device engages the two coupling members and transfers torque from one to the other. When the torque transfer is in the other direction, the power coupling device disengages the two rotational members and permits a freewheeling overrunning motion between the two coupling members.
There is known and presented, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,965, a two-way overrunning coupling device which controllably takes forward and reverse lock states. When the device takes the forward lock state, a first strut pivoted at its one end on the first coupling member penetrates through a hole of a retainer plate arranged between the first and second coupling members. The relative rotation between the first and second coupling members in one direction is prevented by engaging the first strut with a recess of the second coupling member. But it is permitted in the other direction by the second coupling member running over the first strut.
When the overrunning coupling device takes the reverse lock state, the retainer plate retains the first strut in a pocket of the first coupling member, and instead a second strut pivoted at its end opposite to that of the first strut in the circumferential direction penetrates a hole of the retainer plates. Then, the relative rotation between the first and second coupling members in the other direction is permitted by the second strut running over the first pivot, but it is prevented in the one direction by the second strut engaging with the recess of the second coupling member.
The coupling device of the '965 patents can lock the relative rotation between the first and second coupling members in either of the forward and reverse directions, and a forward lock state and a reverse lock state can be achieved. However, it can not enable a free rotation in the both directions nor a complete engagement between the first and second coupling members.