A lancet assembly having a blade designed for reduced pain that is used for piercing a patient's skin to cause capillary blood to flow for collection and testing. The blade has a shear percentage greater than conventional lancet blades to provide additional cutting action when the blade is being inserted into a puncture wound and a blade width smaller than conventional lancet blades. Reduced width and increased shear percentage result in reduced skin tear and penetration force, which therefore causes less pain to the patient during skin penetration.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a blade for a lancet and, more particularly, relates to a lancet blade designed for reducing the amount of pain inflicted when being used to draw blood from a patient for diagnostic testing.
2. Background Description
A lancet is a device commonly used in hospitals, doctors offices and homes to pierce a patient's flesh to draw capillary blood for diagnostic testing. Conventional lancets consist of a shank portion having at a distal end a blade or spike, which is sharp and adapted to pierce the patient's skin so to sever capillaries and provide blood for testing. Since the blade or spike is sharp, some lancets are provided with a removable shield for protectively covering the sharp edge or point of the lancet's blade or spike when not in use to protect the patient and users from inadvertent skin puncture.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional lancet assembly 10 described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,630 (Nitzsche et al), which is assigned to Becton, Dickinson and Company. Lancet assembly 10 includes a handle portion 11, a spike 12 extending outwardly from a distal end 13 and a removable shield 14 adapted to mate with spike 12 when the lancet is not in use and protect users from accidental puncture. Spike 12 in lancet assembly 10 can also be replaced with a conventional lancet blade, like that shown in FIG. 2.
As shown in FIG. 2, conventional lancet blade 20 has an included angle .theta. of 60.degree., a blade width A of 1.1 mm, a blade length B of 1.85 mm and a shear length C of 0.635 mm. In addition, blade 20 has a shear percentage of 34%, wherein: ##EQU1## An example of a conventional lancet assembly for holding blade 20, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,649 (Burns), assigned to Becton, Dickinson and Company, which is similar to the 6356 Lancet sold by Becton, Dickinson and Company.
A problem with the lancets described above is that during penetration the blade or spike initially cuts but then tears sensitive nerve endings where the puncture wound is made in a finger, which causes a significant amount of pain to the patient. When using blade 20 shown in FIG. 2, the skin is cut by a shearing action over the shear length C of the blade. However, after the shearing portion of the blade has been fully inserted into the puncture wound, the blade continues to enter the skin without any cutting action being performed by the blade. Since the thickness of blade 20 continues to increase beyond the sheared portion, additional blade thickness is forced into the puncture wound thus causing tearing of the skin, which results in increased pain to the patient. Such pain to the patient is very severe since the nerve endings in the finger are very sensitive.


A rotary cutter assembly employs a wear sleeve to improve the durability of the drill head and to seal off a fluid passageway in the shank of a drill bit which is mounted to the drill head. The shank of the drill bit is releasably secured to the drill head by means of lock pins received in intersecting complementary longitudinally and transversely extending grooves. A lock ring is also employed to axially secure the drill bit to the drill head.

This invention relates to rotary cutter assemblies of the type employed in earth boring applications. More particularly, this invention relates to rotary cutter assemblies which employ rotary cone cutters for drilling wells, blast holes and the like.
Rotary cutter assemblies which employ multiple cutters for rotation about multiple axes of rotation in cooperating fashion to drill earth and hard rock formations are well-known. Many such cutter assemblies employ bit assemblies having legs or connector structures which carry the rotary cutters. The cutter assemblies may also provide means for conducting a flushing fluid from the drill string through the cutter assembly to the bottom of the drill hole. Naturally, the intense work environment of the rotary cutter assembly dictates that the assemblies be constructed in a manner which produces a high degree of structural integrity. Consequently, the connector structures and cutters are commonly pre-assembled at a manufacturing location and are permanently welded together to provide a rotary cutter assembly of an integral form which is then coupled to the drill string of the drill rig.
In the environment to which the rotary cutter assembly of the present invention is ordinarily subjected, frequent replacement of the rolling cutters is common due to the harsh conditions produced by dirt, dust, shock, heat and vibration. During drilling operations the cuttings are commonly blasted against the cutter assembly resulting in pitting, cavitation and other adverse structural damage which ordinarily significantly shortens the useful life of the cutter assembly. Disproportionate wear to one of the multiple rotary cutters or breakage of one of the rotary cutters may effectively disable the entire rotary cutter assembly--especially in light of the fact that the rotary multiple cutters operate in a cooperative fashion. A principal aim of the present invention is to enhance the durability characteristics of a multiple cutter assembly for extending the useful life of the rotary cutter assembly as well as to provide a rotary cutter assembly which permits the replacement of one of the rotary cutters without requiring the replacement of the entire assembly.
A number of rotary cutter assemblies have incorporated features which provide a high degree of structural integrity while also providing for relatively easy replacement of one of the multiple rotary cutters if required. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,794 issued to Robert D. Goodfellow, the inventor herein, and entitled "ROTARY CUTTER", a multi-cone roller bit is disclosed wherein the rotary cone cutter is provided with individual releasable legs that permit replacement of a single defective roller cutter unit without requiring that the entire rotary cutter assembly be replaced. All of the releasable legs of U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,794 are clamped to a pot member by a single plug member so that all the rotary cutter units are essentially clamped in place or are released substantially simultaneously. In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 580,368 filed Feb. 15, 1984 by the inventor herein and entitled "ROTARY CUTTER ASSEMBLY", an improved rotary cutter assembly employs a lock sleeve which connects transverse fluid passageways of the drill head and the bit assembly for releasably securing each rotary cutter bit assembly to the drill head. Transverse locking means in the form of pins which are received in complementary slots parallel to the rotational axis of the rotary cutter assembly are also employed to secure the bit assemblies to the drill head. The present invention incorporates new and improved means for securing the cutter bit assemblies to a drill head to provide a multiple bit rotary cutter assembly having enhanced durability characteristics and an extended useful life.


Embodiments of a computer system are described. This computer system includes a power source that is coupled to a heat pipe, where the power source includes an integrated circuit. This heat pipe may contain a liquid coolant that has a density greater than a first pre-determined value at room temperature. A pump is coupled to the heat pipe is configured to circulate the liquid coolant through the heat pipe. Furthermore, a heat exchanger coupled to the heat pipe is configured to transfer heat from the heat pipe to an environment external to the computer system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to heat-transfer techniques. More specifically, the present invention relates to the use of liquid coolants to transport heat in computer systems.
2. Related Art
The computational performance of electronic devices has increased significantly in recent years. This increased performance has been accompanied by an increase in power consumption and associated heat generation. Furthermore, this additional heat generation has made it harder to maintain acceptable internal and external operational temperatures in these devices.
Portable devices, such as laptop computers (notebook PCs), cellular telephones, and personal digital assistants have additional design constraints which make it even harder to manage thermal load. In particular, size and weight limitations in such devices can make it difficult to achieve desired operational temperatures. For example, in many portable devices the size and weight of metal heat sinks may be prohibitive. Furthermore, battery life constraints in such devices may limit the available power for active cooling mechanisms, such as fans.
Hence what is needed are cooling mechanisms that overcome the problems listed above.


A seat pan diaphragm assembly and a seat assembly including the same, the seat pan diaphragm assembly including a diaphragm subassembly including a flexible fabric panel having a top, bottom, front, back, and opposing lateral sides, a cargo net subassembly for limiting deflection of the flexible fabric panel under load, the cargo net subassembly including a grid of belts and attachment straps having a clip attachable to a seat frame element, and stiffeners received in slotted sleeves of the diaphragm subassembly and engaging the cargo net subassembly for securing the cargo net subassembly to the diaphragm subassembly.

Aircraft passenger seat constructions typically include backrests and seat pans supported between vertically standing frame elements such as spreaders. Spreaders are typically stationary, while backrests typically recline. Some seats may have seat pans that actively adjust with a reclining backrest, while other seats may have stationary seat pans.
As durability against undue wear is preferred in seat components, even a stationary seat pan supporting a seat cushion should permit reclining backrest adjustments without displacing or excessively wearing the seat cushion. The condition and placement of a seat cushion are at least somewhat determinative of passenger comfort. Thus, pressure points are preferably minimized and the distribution of load forces is preferred.
Aircraft passenger seats are typically arranged in rows, with adjacent seats sharing a spreader between their nearest lateral sides. Thus, devices by which the elements of one passenger seat are attached to a spreader should permit the elements of an adjacent seat to attach to the same spreader.
Accordingly, what is needed is an improved seat pan construction that permits a spreader to be shared by adjacent seats, prevents pressure points, and permits reclining backrest adjustments while preventing displacement and excessive wear of a seat cushion.


The invention relates to a method of producing a fertilizer composition from a feedstock that includes alcoholic beverages, waste product derived from the production of alcoholic beverages, or mixtures of the same. The feedstock is subjected to distillation to remove most of the ethanol and pH adjustment using a base. The invention also relates to a method of imparting flavor to a plant starting with the same feedstock, subjecting the feedstock to distillation and pH adjustment, and adding a flavorant to the resultant liquid before fertilizing the plant. The invention also relates to a method of producing a solid or liquid and solid foodstuff suitable for fish, bovine, swine, and the like for increasing dietary efficiency and reducing environmentally harmful solid and gaseous output.

Alcohol production using the process of fermentation is practiced throughout the United States and in most of the world. Agricultural products like grapes, sugar cane, sugar beet, and different grains and cereals are either fermented directly or fermented after various sub-processing steps. Whether the resultant alcohol is undistilled (e.g., wine, beer) or distilled (e.g., brandy), the process produces a variety of waste streams. Examples include but are not limited to discarded fruit, discarded lees from wine production, grape pomace, and still bottoms.
In some circumstances, the alcohol beverage itself may become a waste stream. For example, if the wine does not meet quality control standards, it may have no marketable value and thus require disposal. In such circumstances, a once valued product may become a costly burden to the producer.
No standard method exists for handling the waste streams noted above. Some of the waste streams (particularly, the solid waste streams like pomace) are placed in a landfill or composted. Other waste streams leak into the ground on site or are directed to a municipal or industrial sewage system. Such disposal options become a cost and environmental burden.
Thus, there is a real need to eliminate disposal of large quantities of waste streams generated from alcohol production. Accordingly, the principal object of the invention is to provide methods to treat waste streams generated from alcohol production in order to derive value from these waste streams. Another object of the invention is to provide methods to produce both an alcoholic beverage and a fertilizer as part of the same process. Other objects will also be apparent from the following description of the invention.

Method of producing fertilizer from alcoholic fermentation waste


Cutting elements and other hardfacing components of a drill bit or other downhole equipment are provided that include a thermally stable polycrystalline material anodically bonded to a substrate. Methods and systems for making such elements and components are also provided.

Rotary drill bits are frequently used to drill oil and gas wells, geothermal wells, and water wells. Fixed cutter drill bits or drag bits are often formed with a bit body having cutting elements or inserts disposed at select locations of exterior portions of the bit body. Drill bits and other downhole equipment may also have a variety of other abrasive and/or wear-resistant, hardfacing elements. Cutting elements and hardfacing elements can be made from polycrystalline materials.
For example, cutting elements having a polycrystalline cutting layer (or table) have been used in industrial applications including wellbore drilling and metal machining for many years. One such material is a polycrystalline diamond (PCD), which is a polycrystalline mass of diamonds (typically synthetic) that is bonded together to form an integral, tough, high-strength mass. To form a cutting element, a cutting layer is bonded to a substrate material, which is typically a sintered metal-carbide. When bonded to a substrate, a PCD is referred to as a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC). Polycrystalline materials for use in cutting elements or hardfacing structural elements can also be made from other polycrystallline materials such as polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN).
Methods for securing thermally stable polycrystalline material to a substrate for use in drill bit cutting element, or other abrasive and/or wear-resistant, hardfacing structural element that are part of a drill bit body or other downhole equipment have been actively investigated. High temperature high pressure (HTHP) processing is a common method of attachment. However, this method typically uses another catalyst, such as cobalt, and results in reduced thermal stability of the polycrystalline material.

Anodic bonding of thermally stable polycrystalline materials to substrate


A breech lock coupling comprising a stem receivable in a hose, a ferrule configured to receive the stem and hose, a connector, the ferrule comprising a plurality of ferrule lugs on an inner surface, each ferrule lug separated from an adjacent ferrule lug by a ferrule lug gap, the connector comprising a plurality of connector lugs on an outer surface, each connector lug separated from an adjacent connector lug by a connector lug gap, each ferrule lug gap arranged to receive a connector lug and each connector lug gap arranged to receive a ferrule lug upon engagement of the ferrule with the connector, each connector lug axially alignable with a ferrule lug upon rotation (R) of the connector within the ferrule, the connector engages a stem end, a fastener for fixing a connector position relative to the ferrule.

Flexible high pressure hoses typically comprise a rubber polymeric tube and are reinforced using multiple layers of "close wound", high tensile plated steel cables (or wire rope) to withstand flexing and high pressures encountered in oil field and offshore operations for example. This cable reinforcement is typically wire stranded rope. Such hoses also typically include multiple layers of fabric reinforcement disposed under the hose cover, which may be a modified nitrile resistant to abrasion, corrosion, cutting, gouging, oil and weather.
Prior crimped or swaged couplings typically employ a ridged ferrule and barbed stem fitting. The ferrule and stem are typically either welded or stacked together leaving an opening which accepts hose. For example, see Baldwin, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,338,090, which employs a "waved" ferrule and stem that joins an end connector. This ferrule and stem are welded together at the coupling end, leaving an opening, which accepts the reinforced hose. The stem is designed to support the hose which is inserted over it and under the ferrule. The ferrule is swaged or crimped down onto the hose to provide compressive forces, sealing the hose against the stem and retaining the hose in the coupling.
For use with this sort of coupling the cover of the hose is skived so that the ferrule is able to press down on the cable reinforcement, directly, without the need to penetrate the rubber cover.
Other approaches to retaining a fitting on a cable reinforced hose call for unraveling reinforcement cable extending from an end of the hose and welding individual elements (cables) to a coupling.
Breech lock fittings are used where a positive mechanical connection is required. Breech lock fittings typically comprise cooperating lugs that form a positive mechanical link upon insertion and rotation of the cooperating parts.
Representative of the art is U.S. Pat. No. 9,267,335 which discloses a breech lock coupling for coupling riser sections together. The breech lock coupling may be used non-pre-loaded or pre-loaded according to the user's preferences. In addition, the breech lock coupling may be disassembled for inspection and maintenance and reassembled. A locking ring secures two coupling components together. The coupling components may be attached to opposite ends of the riser sections, such as via welding. The locking ring may be pre-attached to the first coupling component for easy storage and fast assembly. Assembly of the riser may be accomplished by inserting the second coupling component into the locking ring and the first coupling component, then rotating the locking ring with respect to the second component. Furthermore, the coupling may be pre-loaded by tightening fasteners on the locking ring to provide a more stable coupling. Unlike with traditional riser couplings, the pre-load fasteners may be tightened via hand-held tools.
What is needed is a breech lock coupling comprising a ferrule locking to a connector with a breech lock connection, and the ferrule locking directly to a stem by crimping or swaging the ferrule to the stem. The present invention meets this need.


A solid pharmaceutical composition for oral administration comprising a cyclosporin and an anionic surfactant, preferably sodium lauryl sulfate, wherein the amount of anionic surfactant is at least about forty percent of the minimum amount needed to dissolve the cyclosporin in water.

The term "cyclosporin" as used herein refers to any member of a class of nonpolar polypeptides, as defined in the Merck Index, Twelfth Edition. One such cyclosporin is cyclosporin A, also known as "cyclosporine" and hereinafter referred to as "cyclosporine", known to be therapeutically active as an immunosuppressant.
Cyclosporins are hydrophobic and have low solubility in aqueous media. This makes it difficult to design pharmaceutical compositions (i.e. dosage forms) comprising cyclosporins which exhibit satisfactory absorption into systemic circulation after oral administration.
The cyclosporin can be dissolved in an organic solvent (e.g. ethanol or propylene glycol), but, if the solvent is water-miscible, when the composition is mixed with gastrointestinal fluid or other aqueous medium, the cyclosporin will precipitate.
Methods of overcoming this problem are known in the prior art. The most common approach is to dissolve the cyclosporin in a solvent system that comprises at least one lipophilic (hydrophobic) solvent and a surfactant, so that the composition disperses into an emulsion when mixed into gastrointestinal fluid or other aqueous medium.
Such compositions are called "emulsion preconcentrates".
U.S. Pat. No. 4,388,307 discloses such compositions. A commercial product that has been sold under the trademark Sandimmune (registered trademark) is made according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,388,307, and, more specifically, comprises cyclosporine dissolved in a solvent system comprising ethanol as hydrophilic solvent, a vegetable oil as lipophilic solvent, and a surfactant. The ethanol is required to dissolve the cyclosporine in the composition, as the vegetable oil has inadequate capacity to dissolve cyclosporins.
Sandimmune (registered trademark) is sold in the form of both an oral liquid, which is an emulsion preconcentrate intended to be diluted into an aqueous drink before ingestion, and a soft gelatin capsule containing the emulsion preconcentrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,625 discloses compositions that are superior in certain respects to the compositions taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,388,307. The compositions of U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,625 again comprise, cyclosporine, a hydrophilic solvent, a lipophilic (i.e. hydrophobic) solvent and a surfactant. The hydrophilic solvent is either propylene glycol or an alkyl or tetrahydrofurfuryl di- or partial-ether of a low molecular weight mono- or poly-oxy-alkanediol.
Compositions according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,625, when added to water, disperse into emulsions with droplet size of less than 2000 .ANG. which is smaller than those obtained with prior art compositions, thus leading to improved absorption.
Emulsions with droplet size of less than 2000 .ANG. are defined as "microemulsions". Compositions that, upon addition to water, disperse into microemulsions are called "microemulsion preconcentrates".
A composition made according to the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,625 is now marketed under the trademark Neoral (registered trademark). As is the case with Sandimmune (registered trademark), Neoral (registered trademark) is available as both an oral liquid and soft gelatin capsules.
For both the soft gelatin capsules and the oral liquid, Neoral (registered trademark) microemulsion preconcentrate comprises cyclosporine dissolved in ethanol and propylene glycol as hydrophilic solvents, corn oil glycerides as lipophilic solvent, and polyoxyl 40 hydrogenated castor oil as surfactant. It also contains dl-alpha-tocopherol at a level of about one percent by weight as antioxidant.
For both Sandimmune (registered trademark) and Neoral (registered trademark), the capsule formulations have certain undesirable features.
Specifically:
1. They both contain ethanol, which is volatile. This means that the capsules must be individually packaged in metal pouches to avoid evaporation of the ethanol.
2. The capsules are relatively large and difficult to swallow. This is because the formulations must contain substantial quantities of the hydrophilic and lipophilic solvents, which are needed to keep the cyclosporine and surfactant in solution. The total weight of contents of each capsule is about ten times the weight of the cyclosporine contained therein.
The prior art discloses some attempts to overcome these problems by use of formulations that contain the cyclosporin and surfactant, but no solvent.
Such compositions are solid in form and can be used to make tablets or as a fill for two-piece hard gelatin capsules.
Japanese No. 2536876 of Takada et al discloses powdery preparations comprising a cyclosporin dispersed in a solid, non-surfactant carrier together with a surfactant. All of the examples in this patent use as the surfactant polyoxyethylene hydrogenated castor oil, which is non-ionic. In the examples, the total weight of the compositions is from 5 to 151 times the weight of the cyclosporin, and it appears unlikely that any of the disclosed compositions, particularly those with smaller amounts of the inactive ingredients, would give absorption in humans equivalent to that of Sandimmune (registered trademark) or Neoral (registered trademark).
European Application No. 88305138.5 (publication No. 0294239) of Kurihara and Murano discloses solid compositions comprising a cyclosporin in admixture with an amount of alpha-cyclodextrin or a functional derivative thereof sufficient to solubilize the cyclosporin in water. However, the amount of alpha-cyclodextrin required is generally many times the amount of cyclosporin by weight, so that this approach appears incapable of providing dosage forms smaller than Sandimmune (registered trademark) or Neoral (registered trademark) capsules. Additionally, there is no indication that any of the disclosed compositions will, upon oral administration, give absorption equivalent to that of Sandimmune (registered trademark) or Neoral (registered trademark).
In Pharmaceutical Research, Vol. 8, No. 4, 1991, pp 518-522, Abdallah and Mayersohn disclose a tablet containing cyclosporine 100 mg, mannitol 250 mg, microcrystalline cellulose 200 mg, stearic acid 20 mg, and sodium dodecyl sulfate 10 mg. It is stated that the tablets gave absorption comparable to that of Sandimmune (registered trademark) in a comparative bioavailability study in dogs.
However, the relatively large amount of inactive ingredients used precludes tablets or capsules significantly smaller than Sandimmune (registered trademark) or Neoral (registered trademark), and there is no evidence given that such a formulation would give absorption equivalent to that of Sandimmune or Neoral in humans.
In view of the problems with prior art formulations, it is the object of the present invention to enable pharmaceutical compositions containing a cyclosporin (and in particular cyclosporine) with the following properties:
1. They are solid at room temperature and free of volatile solvents.
2. Upon oral administration, they enable absorption comparable to that of Sandimmune (registered trademark) or Neoral (registered trademark).
3. They enable capsules or tablets of smaller size than Sandimmune (registered trademark) and Neoral (registered trademark). That is to say, they enable compositions wherein the content of the cyclosporin by weight exceeds ten percent and preferably twenty percent of the weight of the composition.

Solid pharmaceutical compositions comprising a cyclosporin and an anionic surfactant


Ranking product information is disclosed, including: determining, for each of a plurality of pieces of product information, a category grading value and a plurality of attribute grading values associated with that piece of product information; determining a plurality of user demand values corresponding to the plurality of pieces of product information based at least in part on the category grading value and at least one of the plurality of attribute grading values associated with each of the plurality of pieces of product information; and ranking the plurality of pieces of product information based at least in part on the corresponding plurality of user demand values.

Typically, search results returned in response to a query are ranked (e.g., to determine the sequence in which the search results appear on the screen) based on commercial factors such as how relevant the results are to the query results and/or the quality of the search results and/or the party associated with the search results. However, such conventional techniques do not always produce a ranking of results that the search users desire. For example, a search result that is determined by a search engine to be relevant and therefore appears earlier in the results may not necessarily be a search result that is actually desired by users.
Sometimes, the ranking of search results based on conventional methods may cause the click-through rates for the search results to be relatively low. A click-through rate of a search result (e.g., link) is determined as the total number of clicks on that link divided by the total number of times that link has been displayed (the total number of impressions for the link). A low click-through rate may be explained by the fact that because the ranking of the search results may not reflect the ranking desired by the search user, the user may be discouraged from clicking on the search results.
One particular drawback to conventional techniques is that they fail to differentiate between search results such as which search results are in higher user demand and which are in lower user demand. The search results with higher user demand typically receive more clicks and those with lower user demand typically receive fewer clicks. Because conventional techniques cannot distinguish between search results of higher and lower user demand, many search results with lower demand can be transmitted from the server to the client without appreciably increasing the overall quality of search results and in fact, unnecessarily increasing network traffic.


A resist composition containing a compound represented by the general formula (1) or (2), a method for forming a resist pattern using the composition, a polyphenolic compound for use in the composition, and an alcoholic compound that can be derived therefrom are described.

Conventional typical resist materials are polymer based materials capable of forming amorphous thin films. For example, a line pattern of about 45 to 100 nm is formed by irradiating a resist thin film made by coating a substrate with a solution of a polymer resist material such as polymethyl methacrylate, polyhydroxy styrene with an acid dissociation reactive group, or polyalkyl methacrylate with ultraviolet, far ultraviolet, electron beam, extreme ultraviolet (EUV), and X-ray or the like.
However, because polymer based resists have a molecular weight as large as about 10,000 to 100,000 and also wide molecular weight distribution, in lithography using a polymer based resist, roughness occurs on a fine pattern surface; the pattern dimension becomes difficult to be controlled; and the yield decreases. Therefore, there is a limitation in miniaturization with lithography using a conventional polymer based resist material. In order to make a finer pattern, various low molecular weight resist materials have been proposed.
For example, an alkaline development type negative type radiation-sensitive composition (see Patent Literatures 1 and 2) using a low molecular weight polynuclear polyphenolic compound as a main component has been suggested. As a candidate of a low molecular weight resist material having high heat resistance, an alkaline development type, negative type radiation-sensitive composition (see Patent Literature 3 and Non Patent Literature 1) using a low molecular weight cyclic polyphenolic compound as a main component has also been suggested.
As a base compound of a resist material, a polyphenolic compound is known to be useful in imparting high heat resistance and improving the resolution or roughness of a resist pattern, in spite of its low molecular weight (see Non Patent Literature 2). Also, various polyphenols are used as raw materials for thermoplastic resins such as polycarbonate and polyarylate, raw materials for thermosetting resins such as epoxy resins, curing agents, modifiers, and the like (see Patent Literatures 4 and 5).
As resin raw materials or resin curing agents, fluorene compounds having a cardo structure are known to have various characteristics (optical characteristics, heat resistance, water resistance, moisture resistance, chemical resistance, electrical characteristics, mechanical characteristics, dimensional stability, etc.) improved by substitution with polyhydric phenol or the like (see Patent Literatures 6 to 9).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Resist composition, method for forming resist pattern, polyphenolic compound for use in the composition, and alcoholic compound that can be derived therefrom


A connector half (2) includes a housing (10) and a bolt fastener (50) having a neck (56) adapted to receive a plate fastener (70) inserted transversely to the bolt through a slot (20) in the connector housing to lock the bolt to the housing. Various embodiments of the plate fastener (70), (70'), and (70") are included, and in one embodiment, the bolt is made to include a neck (54) adapted to receive projections (38) interiorly of a bore (36) in the housing to hold the bolt in position prior to insertion of the fastener plate.

As the electronics used in vehicles becomes more sophisticated and complex, connectors used with electronic devices require more and more contacts. The increase in number of contacts in turn requires a greater axial force between connector halves during mating. For this reason, fasteners in the form of a bolt, typically threaded in a standard manner, and a nut receiving such bolt, are used to effect an interconnection and disconnection of connector housings. The bolt is typically incorporated in one connector housing and the nut in the other. The housings are pulled together by turning the bolt with the bolt threading into the nut. Japanese Utility Model 60-876 shows an application of bolt and nut fasteners in an electrical connector. Japanese Patent 62-188188 shows a further application of a bolt fastened connector which allows the bolt-retaining portion of the connector to be separately made and added to the connector after contact insertion is completed. A continuing problem with existing bolt fastened connectors includes the possibility of threads being stripped or bolts being sheared, and with the nut portion of the fastener buried within the connector housing, removal for replacement can be difficult and time consuming.
Accordingly, the present invention has as a principal object the provision of a bolt operated fastener for an electrical connector that allows the bolt fastener to be removed in the event of damage without operation of the bolt. It is a still further object to provide a simple and inexpensive connector bolt fastener that is readily replaceable in the connector. It is a still further object of the invention to provide an electrical connector having a bolt-nut fastener incorporated into one-half of a connector and readily removable from the connector half without unmating the connector halves.

Electrical connector bolt fastening device


A dryer door mechanism for the opening, closing and sealing of an opening to a dryer enclosure. The door mechanism has a movable door in rolling engagement with a pair of tracks affixed to a door frame. The tracks of the door frame are angularly disposed from both the plane of the enclosure opening and the plane of the movable door. The movable door, while rolling along its track, simultaneously moves perpendicular and parallel to the plane of the enclosure opening. When moved to the closed position, the movable door becomes wedged against the enclosure opening thereby providing a force perpendicular to the opening of the enclosure for creating an airtight seal.

This invention relates to a door mechanism for equipment such as commercial laundry dryers, and particularly to a door mechanism wherein a movable door becomes wedged into a tight seal with the dryer when the door is closed.
A typical commerical dryer includes a tumbler which rotates about a central axis within a tumbler enclosure. The enclosure is pivoted about either a top or bottom pivot in order to expel dried goods. The enclosure has an opening through which wet goods are inserted and dried goods are removed. Some type of door is provided for closing the enclosure opening.
One type of typical dryer door mechanism utilizes one or more pivoting connections between the door and the dryer enclosure. To open such a door, the door must be swung out and away from the enclosure, thereby requiring that the space adjacent to the door be open and unobstructed. These pivoting types of doors move through a circular arc and are held closed by a force that is perpendicular to the plane of the door and the enclosure opening. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,852,236, 2,906,035, 3,064,361 and 2,768,451 disclose doors with such pivoting means.
Another type of dryer door mechanism utilizes a door that slides, in a direction parallel to the plane of the enclosure opening. When these sliding doors are closed, the leading edge of the door exerts a force parallel to the plane of the door. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,509,275 and 4,015,930 disclose such sliding doors. However, such a door is not forced perpendicular to the plane of the door against the enclosure. Without such a perpendicular force, the sliding door is not effectively sealed at the sides and trailing edge of the door.
The pivoting doors and the sliding doors have previously been directly attached to the enclosure. In those instances where the enclosure is pivotable, the door also pivots with the enclosure. This also requires extra unobstructed open space for the door to pivot through.


A system for providing automatic feedback and adjusting transmittal pulling force for transporting glass fragment, where the system comprises a delivery machine, a glass broken machine and a recycle box. The glass fragment is transmitted by the delivery machine and triturated by the glass broken machine, and the triturated glass fragment is then transported to the recycle box, the delivery machine comprises a driving motor, a conveyer belt and two driving rollers, where the conveyer belt surrounds the two driving rollers, the driving rollers are driven by the driving motor to rotate the conveyer belt, and the glass fragment on the conveyer belt is transported into the glass broken machine for triturating and recycling.

In the current system of the glass fragment transmitting, the driving roller is usually rolls some glass fragments. With long time friction of the glass fragment on the driving roller, the conveyer belt will cause to be loose and then the pulling force be reduced, so that the glass fragment cannot be transported to the glass broken machine. As a result, there are a lot of glass fragments resisted on the conveyer belt. It should spend many time and energy to clean the conveyer belt and the driving roller. The cleaning process causes the manufacture efficiency decline and the working life of the transmitting system to decrease.
Therefore, it is necessary to provide a system for providing automatic feedback and adjusting transmittal pulling force for transporting glass fragment, so as to ensure the normal transporting of the glass fragment and improve the manufacture efficiency.

System for providing automatic feedback and adjusting transmittal pulling force for transporting glass fragment

SHENZHEN CHINA STAR OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


An electrochemical cell includes an anode configured to produce multivalent cations during a discharge process, and a cathode comprising a catechol-bearing melanin. The cathode is configured to reversibly oxidize a catechol of the catechol-bearing melanin into a quinone by an extraction of the multivalent cation during a recharge process and reduce the quinone to the catechol by an insertion of the multivalent cation during the discharge process. The electrochemical cell includes an aqueous electrolyte solution in which the anode and the cathode are disposed, wherein the aqueous electrolyte solution is configured to transport the multivalent cations between the anode and the cathode.

Many cathode materials that can support rapid and reversible insertion of lithium ions. Conversely, very few cathode materials can achieve reasonable charge storage capacities and cycling stability in secondary multivalent batteries. There are many practical challenges that limit widespread adoption of secondary multivalent batteries. For example, two such challenges include the design of electrolytes with large voltage stability windows with the appropriate interfacial stability that are able to solvate cation salts sufficiently, and the discovery and development of electrode materials that exhibit sufficient specific capacity at usable current densities. One prominent challenge facing Mg batteries is the sluggish insertion (extraction) kinetics of Mg2+ into (from) cathodes, which can result in in a high redox polarization effect, resulting in a lower than desired round-trip voltage efficiency.

Electrochemical cell with melanin electrode


In general, embodiments of the invention relate to servicing fill request using ad networks and demand-side partners.

An increasing number of companies, agencies, individuals, and other parties (collectively "advertisers") use online advertising to promote their products and services. An advertiser purchases advertising space from an individual publisher, an advertising network, or an advertising exchange that distributes advertisements to one or more publishers. A publisher may display advertisements in several formats depending on the platform the publisher uses to interface with the consuming public. In many existing approaches, publishers enter into arrangements with advertising networks without knowing the amount of revenue they can expect to receive in consideration. Consequently, many publishers earn less income from their applications than they would otherwise.

Ordering of fill requests to send to online ad networks to fill an ad unit in an electronic publisher application with an online advertising impression


What is described is a twin screw extruder having two extruder screws (10, 34), each extruder screw (10) having a cylindrical core (12) and at least one web (14) running helically over the periphery of the outer cylinder face of the core (12), the surface of the web (14) comprising a peripheral side (18) and two flanks (22, 24), and a channel (30) being formed between adjacent web windings. The flanks (22, 24) of the web (14) have a waved progression in the peripheral direction.

Twin screw extruders of this type are used for example in plastics processing. They can be designed with cylindrical or conical screws. Plastics granules or plastics powder, which may consist of a plurality of different components, is normally used as a starting material for the plastics processing.
The extruder screws perform the functions of transporting the plastic, plasticizing said plastic and mixing the individual components thoroughly to form a homogeneous material. The better the plasticization and mixing of the plastic with a predefined extruder screw length, the higher the quality of the products that can be manufactured.


A system for applying a polyurethane coating to a polyolefin floor tile, comprising a conveyor for moving the floor tile past a plurality of treatment devices, including a heater, a plasma generator, an applicator, and an ultraviolet light system. The heater and plasma generator increase the energy of the top surface of the floor tile, and the applicator applies a liquid polyurethane to the top surface while in the energized state. The ultraviolet light system then exposes the polyurethane to ultraviolet light to at least partially cure it.

1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to the protective coating of polyolefin floor tiles. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system for applying a polyurethane coating to a polyolefin floor tile in a factory environment.
2. Related Art.
The term polyolefin refers to any of the largest genus of thermoplastics, which are polymers of simple olefins such as ethylene, propylene, butene, isoprene, and pentene, and copolymers thereof. Two of the more important members of this group are polyethylene and polypropylene, which together account for just under half of all thermoplastics produced in the United States.
In recent years polyolefins and other polymers have been used to create resilient flooring materials for use in athletic arenas such as basketball courts, tennis and racquetball courts, and so forth. An example of such a tile is shown in FIG. 1. These tiles vary in size, and may range from about 10xe2x80x3 to 12xe2x80x3 square by xe2x85x9cxe2x80x3 to xc2xdxe2x80x3 thick. Because they are typically configured as interlocking tiles having approximately the same size as traditional floor tiles, these flooring materials are easy to install. However, because of the polymer construction, the resulting floor surface is relatively susceptible to scratches and abrasion, and tends to lose its glossy appearance over time. This is a problem for athletic floors where an attractive, durable, and long lasting high gloss surface is desired.
To solve these problems, some sort of coating of the floor tiles is desirable. However, due to the chemical structure and simplicity of polyolefins and other polymers, their surfaces are generally resistant to any kind of permanent coating or decorating. Polyolefins, for example, are generally characterized by a nonpolar, nonporous, low-energy surface structure that does not easily bond to inks, lacquers, and other polymers without special oxidative pretreatment. The resistance of polyolefins to coating or decorating is especially problematic when the substance to be bonded is another polymer such as polyurethane. Polyurethane is well known and has many uses in biomedical and other applications. It""s suitability to these applications is due in large part to its very low reactivity: polyurethane is very inert, and resists reaction with body fluids and other organic and inorganic chemicals. Polyurethane would be an excellent coating for a polyolefin floor material because it can be made to have a scratch and abrasion resistant surface and a long lasting high gloss appearance.
In order to sufficiently bond a coating or decoration to a polyolefin or other polymer, the surface is ordinarily treated in some way, or a secondary adhesion-promoting layer is added to improve bonding. There are a number of common methods for doing this, including the use of heat and pressure, chemical treatment, electron bombardment, flame treatment, and plasma or corona treatment.
The application of pressure and temperature together can cause some coatings and decorations to bond to a polymer surface. An example of this method is hot stamping, which involves the use of a heated applicator and a special ink held by a foil backing. The ink is forced via heat and pressure to transfer to the new substrate. This method works quite well with some small sized parts and certain families of plastics. However, this technique is very sensitive to the size and shape of the objects to be treated. It generally only works well with small or flat surfaces that can be stamped or rolled. Large or convoluted shapes or surfaces that have complex geometric structure or texture are virtually untreatable using heat and pressure. Additionally, this technology requires specialized, stationary equipment. A preferred method of surface treatment will allow the treatment of large or oddly shaped parts and those with textured surfaces in addition to surfaces that may be stamped or rolled, and may be accomplished with small, simple equipment that may be easily moved.
Chemical treatment is of two kinds: chemical abrasion, and the application of a secondary xe2x80x98primerxe2x80x99 layer. Chemical abrasion involves the activation of the polymer surface with a solvent, and is typically used with polar materials. The solvent chemically xe2x80x98etchesxe2x80x99 the surface of the polymer, creating an abraded and/or chemically changed surface that is more conducive to bonding. Examples of chemical abrasion are the application of acetone or MEK to acrylic, styrene, PVC, and ABS. The use of a secondary primer layer involves the application of a material that, because of its own high level of chemical activity, will bond to both the polymer substrate and the coating or decoration. An example of such a primer would be a chlorinated compound held in a solvent emulsion.
There are a number of significant drawbacks to chemical treatment. First, if too strong of a chemical solvent is used, or exposure is too prolonged, the polymer will soften or dissolve. There are also significant dangers posed by human exposure to chemical solvents, and the introduction of these chemicals into the environment. A preferred method of increasing the surface energy of polymers will increase the surface energy enough to promote bonding, while avoiding the possibility of dissolution of the polymer itself, and prevent or limit human and environmental exposure to harmful chemicals.
Electron bombardment involves the direction of a beam or xe2x80x98cloudxe2x80x99 of electrons onto a plastic surface to interact with the surface. The free electrons in the cloud or beam act to knock existing electrons out of their orbital positions in the polymer molecules, creating locations on the surface where other chemicals may bond. The electron beam may also cross-link or cut some polymer chains, creating additional locations for chemical bonding. This process is carried out in a vacuum environment to minimize the effects of air molecules. The automotive industry commonly uses electron bombardment to activate bumper fascias and other large parts.
Electron bombardment is a very expensive method of polymer activation because it requires the placement of the object into a closed vacuum chamber. Moreover, with this method some areas of the surface will receive less treatment than others. A preferred method of polymer surface activation will treat all areas of a surface equally, will have a reasonable cost, and will not require the placement of the item into a vacuum chamber or other device of a fixed size, allowing the treatment of objects of variable size and shape in a normal human environment.
Flame treatment involves the brief application of a flame or heat to the polymer surface. This oxidizes a thin surface layer of the material, creating highly active surface molecules that will bond with inks, dyes and other coatings. However, flame or heat treatment alone does not always produce good results. Many polymers have difficulty withstanding the addition of heat without deforming or changing in clarity or physical structure. If excessive heat is applied, the material may soften or warp. Excess heat may also cause accelerated aging by the introduction of heat history to the material. Consequently, when the added heat is kept below a level which prevents these problems, the polymer frequently will not obtain sufficiently increased surface energy to adequately promote bonding. A preferred method of increasing the surface energy in polyolefins and other polymers will increase the surface energy enough to promote bonding, while limiting surface temperature increase to below a level which will deform or significantly damage the material.
Another method of treating a polymer surface to increase its surface energy that is superior in some ways to each of the above described methods is corona or plasma treatment. In the discipline of physics, the term xe2x80x9cplasmaxe2x80x9d describes a partially ionized gas composed of ions, electrons, and neutral species. This state of matter may be produced by either very high temperatures, such as exist in celestial bodies or nuclear explosions, or by strong electric arcs or electromagnetic fields. An electric arc plasma may be produced by a pair of electrodes spaced some suitable distance, facing each other. The electrodes are then given a high voltage charge (AC or DC), which causes electricity to arc across the gap between the electrodes. The distance between the electrodes primarily depends upon the voltage used. This high energy electric arc produces a plasma in the region immediately around the electric arc.
When a plastic surface is exposed to a high energy plasma produced by a high voltage electric arc, the plasma interacts with the surface molecules, increasing their energy through a variety of mechanisms, depending on the specific polymer involved. In some cases, surface hydrogen molecules are removed, leaving behind active bonding sites. Also, crosslinking or scission can occur in the surface molecules, as in electron bombardment. This will change the surface energy of the material, making it easier for a coating to adhere. Oxides may also form on the surface, as in flame treatment, which are easier to bond to than the actual base polymer. These are just a few of the possible chemical mechanisms which are caused by plasma treatment that increase surface energy. The great benefit of using electric arc plasmas is that they are relatively low temperature, and can be used without damage to the surface of polymers and other relatively delicate materials.
In spite of the variety of methods for surface treatment of polyolefins, each method presents drawbacks and/or limitations which reduce their effectiveness.
It has been recognized that it would be advantageous to develop a floor tile coating system that raises the energy level of the tile surface above what is possible with any one of the prior art treatment methods.
In one aspect, the invention advantageously provides a system for applying a polyurethane coating to a polyolefin floor tile. The system includes a conveyor for moving the floor tile past a number of treatment devices, including a heater, a plasma generator, a first applicator for applying liquid polyurethane, and a first ultraviolet light system. The heater and plasma generator increase the energy of the top surface of the floor tile, and the first applicator then applies a first coating of liquid polyurethane to the top surface of the floor tile while in the energized state. The ultraviolet light system exposes the first coating to ultraviolet light to at least partially cure it.
In accordance with a more detailed aspect of the present invention, the system includes a second applicator, for applying a second coat of liquid polyurethane atop the first coat, and a second ultraviolet light system, configured to at least partially cure the first coat and the second coat of liquid polyurethane, after they have been applied to the tile.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which together illustrate, by way of example, features of the invention.


A multipurpose computerized television system generates a plurality of video images in association with a personal computer. A television circuit associates with the personal computer and is within the personal computer chassis for receiving a plurality of television signals and directing the signals to the monitor for the monitor to display. An audio multimedia circuit associates with the personal computer and the television circuit and is also located within the chassis for receiving and processing audio data from the television circuit. The audio multimedia circuit also communicates the audio multimedia data to the personal computer. Control circuitry associated with the television circuit and the personal computer within the chassis controls the operation of the television circuit through the personal computer. The control circuitry comprises a remote control circuit for remotely and independently controlling the television circuit and the personal computer.

In recent times, numerous electronic technologies including audio signal processing, video signal processing and data processing have become more available to individual users. With more advanced electronic technologies available to users, new and different needs for entertainment and business applications have arisen.
Two areas in which needs for improved entertainment and business applications exist are in generating multimedia presentations and telecommunications. Multimedia refers to the integration of text, audio, graphics, still image and moving pictures into a single, computer-controlled, multimedia product. It includes the combination of computers, video disk or compact disk players, video monitors, optical scanners, audio cards, music synthesizers, etc., all linked together by powerful developmental software. Telecommunications, on the other hand, includes applications for communicating by electronic transmission signals from devices such as telephones, radio, and television. A number of factors, however, have precluded the ability of system designers to develop systems which can fully utilize and integrate multimedia and telecommunications applications in a single workstation. These factors include public acceptance, excessive costs, system complexity, and incompatibilities among the various electronic technologies.
One particular area in which significant improvements are being made is in television technology. Today, for the above states reasons, there is no system that takes full advantage of the television signal display and manipulation capabilities that may be possible by combining a multimedia applications with telecommunications applications. If a television could be combined with a computer, then a user could realize significant increases in receiving and recording television information, as well as making the computer a much more valuable tool for the storage and display of information.
One video workstation described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,562 to Murakami et al. (hereinafter "Murakami") shows the use of a control system that collects multiple asynchronous video, audio, graphic and data signals and retransmits the signals. While the data transmission system of Murakami discloses a system for transmitting various types of audio and video data, it fails to integrate telecommunications and multimedia abilities in a single workstation easily accessible to a user. Moreover, the Murakami invention does not approach the benefits available to the user in having a standardized personal computer platform combined with a high quality television circuit.
Thus, there is a need for a system that effectively combines a high quality television circuit with a personal computer.
There is a need for a system that combines within a single chassis a television circuit with a personal computer for a variety of multimedia applications.
There is a need for a system that permits computer manipulation of television signals to perform operations heretofore only possible with more expensive and complex systems.
Moreover, there is a need for a system that provides to the user an environment of full multimedia and telecommunications capabilities, especially including the ability to receive, store, and communicate video information.


A pressure measurement device is provided. The pressure measurement device includes a pressure gauge having a hermetically sealed cavity. The cavity is filled with pressure transferring media that includes a first material and a compensator material. The first material has a first coefficient of thermal expansion and the compensator material has a second coefficient of thermal expansion that is lower than the first coefficient of thermal expansion. The pressure measurement device includes a pressure reading mechanism coupled to the pressure gauge and operative to convert a displacement of the pressure gauge to a pressure measurement reading.

Technical Field
This application is directed to a pressure gauge and, in particular, a process isolated pressure gauge that mitigates thermal offset in pressure measurements.
Description of the Related Art
Conventional sealed pressure gauges are susceptible to thermal variations. In particular, variations in temperature of a conventional sealed pressure gauge can introduce a thermal offset in the pressure measurements being made by the pressure gauge. The thermal offset is a function of the temperature change to which the pressure gauge is exposed. Thus, as environmental, or process, temperatures fluctuate, the thermal offset of the pressure gauge also fluctuates. Due to these thermal offsets, conventional sealed pressure gauges may provide incorrect and flawed pressure measurements.

System and method for reducing thermal offset in a pressure gauge


Longitudinally adjacent plane mirrors (106-114) are pivotally interconnected in a columnar array (56) by non-stretching linkages (120) which constrain movement of the mirrors such that their normal vectors (115) remain parallel. Pivotable couplings (122, 124) in two mirrors permit movement of the mirrors with respect to mutually perpendicular axes (x, y) and prevent movement of the mirrors with respect to a third axis (z). Two actuators (117A, 117B) coupled to one of the pivotable couplings controllably move a selected mirror with respect to the mutually perpendicular axes (x, y). A first frame (116) couples the mirror columns together so that movement of the selected mirror moves all the mirrors in unison. The actuators controllably move the mirrors to orient the normal vectors such that the mirrors specularly reflect incident light in a preselected direction.

Building core daylight illumination systems would facilitate illumination of the core regions of a building with sunlight, thus reducing electrical lighting requirements and improving lighting quality. Widespread usage of building core daylight illumination systems in the most common workplace environment—substantially open-plan, multi-story office buildings—could significantly reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. To foster their widespread usage, building core daylight illumination systems must be cost-effective. A cost-effective sunlight redirector for a building core daylight illumination system is disclosed below.


A pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of the camptothecin analog class and a platinum coordination compound and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent; a method of inhibiting the growth of tumor cells in a human afflicted therewith which comprises administering to such human an effective tumor cell growth inhibiting amount of such pharmaceutical composition; and a method of inhibiting the growth of tumor cells in a human afflicated therewith which comprises administering to such human an effective tumor cell growth inhibiting amount of the combination of a compound of the camptothecin analog class and a platinum coordination compound.

This invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of the camptothecin analog class and a platinum coordination compound and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent. This invention also relates to a method of inhibiting the growth of tumor cells in a human afflicted therewith which comprises administering to such human an effective tumor cell growth inhibiting amount of such pharmaceutical composition. This invention also relates to a method of inhibiting the growth of tumor cells in a human afflicated therewith which comprises administering to such human an effective tumor cell growth inhibiting amount of the combination of a compound of the camptothecin analog class and a platinum coordination compound.
Cisplatin, or cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum II, has been used successfully for many years as a chemotherapeutic agent in the treatment of various human solid malignant tumors. More recently, other diamino-platinum complexes have also shown efficacy as chemotherapeutic agents in the treatment of various human solid malignant tumors. Such diamino-platinum complexes include, but are not limited to, spiroplatinum and carboplatinum.
Although cisplatin and other diamino-platinum complexes have been widely used as chemotherapeutic agents in humans, they are not therapeutically effective in all patients or agaisnt all types of solid tumors. Moreover, such compounds have to be delivered at high dosage levels which can lead to toxicity problems such as kidney damage.
Topotecan and every compound of the camptothecin analog class are each a specific inhibitor of DNA topoisomerase I. Topoisomerases are enzymes that are capable of altering DNA topology in eukaryotic cells. They are critical for important cellular functions and cell proliferation. There are two classes of topoisomerases in eukaryotic cells, type I and type II. Topoisomerase I is a monomeric enzyme of approximately 100,000 molecular weight. The enzyme binds to DNA and introduces a transient single-strand break, unwinds the double helix (or allows it to unwind), and subsequently reseals the break before dissociating from the DNA strand. Topotecan has recently shown clinical efficacy as the sole chemotherapeutic agent in the treatment of humans afflicated with ovarian cancer, esophageal cancer or non-small cell lung carcinoma.
There is a need for increasing the efficacy of the tumor cell growth inhibiting activity of cisplatin and other diamino-platinum complexes and/or providing a means for the use of lower dosages of cisplatin and other diamino-platinum complexes to reduce the potential of adverse toxic side effects to the patient.
The pharmaceutical composition and methods of this invention fill such a need. It has now been found that a compound of the camptothecin analog class, such as topotecan, demonstrates a therapeutic synergism when administered with a platinum coordination compound, such as cisplatin, thereby potentially increasing the tumor cell growth inhibiting activity of such platinum coordination compound. It has also now been found that such synergism likely results in a need for lower doses of such platinum coordination compound when administered with a compound of the camptothecin analog class as compared to the doses required when such platinum coordination compound is administered without a compound of the camptothecin analog class.


Automated control of a cooling system cooling at least one electronic component is provided. The control includes monitoring over a period of time variation of an operational variable of the cooling system or of the at least one electronic component, and based, at least in part, on variation of the operational variable over the period of time, automatically determining whether to adjust control of the cooling system to limit variation of the operational variable. In one implementation, depending on the variation of the operational variable, and whether control of the cooling system has been previously adjusted, the method may further include automatically determining a probability of fail or an expected residual life of the cooling system, and responsive to the predicted probability of fail exceeding a first acceptable threshold or the expected residual life being below a second acceptable threshold, automatically scheduling for a cooling system repair or replacement.

As is known, operating electronic devices produce heat. This heat should be removed from the devices in order to maintain device junction temperatures within desirable limits. Failure to remove heat can result in increased device temperatures, potentially leading to thermal runaway conditions. Several trends in the electronics industry have combined to make thermal management a significant consideration, including heat removal for electronic devices, particularly in technologies where thermal management has traditionally been less of a concern, such as CMOS. In particular, the need for faster and more densely packed circuits has had a direct impact on the importance of thermal management. First, power dissipation, and therefore heat production, increases as device operating frequencies increase. Second, increased operating frequencies may be possible at lower device junction temperatures. Further, as more and more devices are packed onto a single chip, power density (Watts/cm2) increases, resulting in the need to remove more power from a given size chip or module.
An alternate approach to traditional air-cooling of electronic devices or components is to use a cooling liquid. In a cooling system comprising a cooling liquid, the cooling liquid may be in direct or indirect contact with the electronic component to be cooled. In particular, the performance and reliability of high-power CMOS circuits may be improved using liquid-cooling, such as refrigeration or water, rather than air-cooling. In such a system, performance of the liquid cooling system can be a significant factor in the performance of the electronic component (e.g., processor, multichip module, or server) being cooled.
One method of handling a significant degradation in observed temperature(s) for a component being cooled is to cut the clock speed employed, for example, in half. Such a method lowers the power being generated by the logic device sufficiently so that damage concerns due to high temperatures are eliminated. The approach is essentially simple thermal protection to prevent damage to the logic device or component. More proactive methods of cooling system monitoring and replacement would be commercially advantageous.

Cooling system control and servicing based on time-based variation of an operational variable

International Business Machines Corporation


A content display area that is an area where screen scroll is possible on the basis of an input performed with a pointing device and includes a three-dimensional image area for projecting a three-dimensional image and a two-dimensional image area for displaying a two-dimensional image, the two-dimensional image area being adjacent to the three-dimensional image area, is displayed on a screen. Then, when the content display area is scrolled on the screen, both the three-dimensional image area and the two-dimensional image area are scrolled on the screen together.

Hitherto, a technique to scroll a two-dimensional image displayed on a screen in accordance with an operation on a touch panel is known.
The above technique assumes the case where an image displayed on the screen is a two-dimensional image. Thus, the technique does not particularly assume the case where a virtual three-dimensional space image obtained by capturing a virtual three-dimensional space with a virtual camera is displayed on the screen. In addition, the technique does not assume the case where a two-dimensional image and a virtual three-dimensional space image are simultaneously displayed on the single screen.
Therefore, it is an object of the exemplary embodiments to provide a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having an information processing program stored therein, and the like, which enable screen scroll control that enhances convenience of a user, in the case of displaying a virtual three-dimensional space image and a two-dimensional image on a single screen in a smart device or the like.
In order to attain the object described above, the following configuration examples are exemplified.
A configuration example is directed to a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored therein an information processing program executed by a computer of an information processing apparatus capable of receiving an input performed with a pointing device, the information processing program causing the computer to execute: positioning an object in a virtual three-dimensional space; positioning a virtual camera in the virtual three-dimensional space; generating a three-dimensional image by capturing the virtual three-dimensional space with the virtual camera; generating a predetermined two-dimensional image; displaying, on a screen, a content display area including a three-dimensional image area for projecting the three-dimensional image and a two-dimensional image area for displaying the two-dimensional image, the two-dimensional image area being adjacent to the three-dimensional image area; and performing screen scroll on the basis of an input performed with the pointing device. When the content display area is scrolled on the screen, both the three-dimensional image area and the two-dimensional image area are scrolled on the screen together.
According to the above configuration example, the limited size of the screen can be effectively used in accordance with the degree of interest of a user in each of the three-dimensional image area and the two-dimensional image area, so that the convenience of the user can be enhanced.
In another configuration example, the information processing program may further cause the computer to execute determining whether an input has been performed with the pointing device with respect to the three-dimensional image area or the two-dimensional image area. When a predetermined operation having a starting point of an input at a position within the two-dimensional image area has been performed, the content display area may be scrolled on the screen. Further, the information processing program may further cause the computer to execute controlling the virtual three-dimensional space without scrolling the content display area on the screen when a predetermined operation having a starting point of an input at a position within the two-dimensional image area has been performed.
According to the above configuration example, the content area can be scrolled on the screen, for example, by a swipe operation having a starting point at a position within the two-dimensional image area. In addition, in the case of a swipe operation having a starting point at a position within the three-dimensional image area, control of the virtual three-dimensional space can be performed. Accordingly, intuitive operability can be provided.
In another configuration example, the information processing program may further cause the computer to execute enlarging a size of the three-dimensional image area when a first operation has been performed with respect to the three-dimensional image area with the pointing device. In addition, an angle of view of the virtual camera may be changed on the basis of an aspect ratio of the three-dimensional image area after the enlargement of the size of the three-dimensional image area. Moreover, the information processing program may further cause the computer to execute performing control of moving the virtual camera in accordance with a content of a second operation different from the first operation when the second operation has been performed with respect to the three-dimensional image area with the pointing device.
According to the above configuration example, intuitive operability with respect to the virtual three-dimensional space can be provided. In addition, for example, the three-dimensional space image can be maximized and displayed by a tap operation with respect to the three-dimensional image area, so that the operability with respect to the virtual three-dimensional space may be further enhanced. Moreover, when the maximization display is performed, a virtual three-dimensional space image that causes no feeling of discomfort can be provided.
In another configuration example, the information processing program may further cause the computer to execute updating a content displayed in the two-dimensional image area, in accordance with a predetermined operation performed with the pointing device. The three-dimensional image projected to the three-dimensional image area may be updated at a predetermined time interval regardless of presence/absence of the predetermined operation performed with the pointing device.
According to the above configuration example, for example, whereas a process having a high real-time property, such as notification of new arrival data, is realized as a process using a virtual three-dimensional space, a process having low necessity of being performed in real time can be executed as a process using a two-dimensional image. Furthermore, regarding the process using the two-dimensional image, the content displayed on the screen can be updated at any timing in accordance with an operation of the user, so that the convenience of the user can be enhanced.
In another configuration example, the three-dimensional image area may be positioned in the content display area and at a position corresponding to a head of scroll when the screen scroll is performed. In addition, the three-dimensional image area and the two-dimensional image may be positioned such that a direction in which the three-dimensional image area and the two-dimensional image are adjacent to each other is parallel to a direction of the screen scroll.
According to the above configuration example, for example, as a screen displayed in the initial state, both the three-dimensional space image and the two-dimensional image can be displayed within the single screen. In addition, when the user desires to display the three-dimensional image area, the three-dimensional image area can be included in the screen by merely performing scroll to the head, so that an intuitive operation can be provided.
In another configuration example, the information processing program may further cause the computer to execute controlling the virtual three-dimensional space regardless of whether an operation for the screen scroll is being performed. In addition, the three-dimensional image projected to the three-dimensional image area may be updated even when the three-dimensional image area is not displayed on the screen.
According to the above configuration example, the state in the virtual three-dimensional space can be continuously updated regardless of presence/absence of an operation of the user. Therefore, processes can be selectively performed such that, whereas a process having a high real-time property, such as notification of new arrival data, is realized as a process using a virtual three-dimensional space, a process having low necessity of being performed in real time can be executed as a process using a two-dimensional image.
In another configuration example, the content may include a plurality of contents, and the information processing program may further cause the computer to execute switching display of the plurality of contents in accordance with an input performed with the pointing device. Only a displayed content in the two-dimensional image area may be changed in accordance with a content switching operation, further when switching of a content occurs, information indicating a display range of the content display area on the screen immediately before the switching may be stored, and then when switching to the content is performed in a state where another content is displayed, the display may be switched so as to reproduce the stored display range. Moreover, when the switching of the content occurs, it may be determined whether at least a part of the three-dimensional image area is included in a display screen immediately before the switching. When switching from a first content to a second content occurs, if the three-dimensional image area is included both in a display range, on the screen, of the content display area regarding the first content and in a final display range of the content display area regarding the second content, a display range of the content display area regarding the second content may be adjusted and the switching may be performed, such that a displayed position of the three-dimensional image area regarding the first content before the switching is reflected as a displayed position of the three-dimensional image area regarding the second content after the switching.
According to the above configuration example, when display of a plurality of contents is switched and used, it is possible to enhance the convenience of the user.
According to the present embodiment, when the three-dimensional image area and the two-dimensional image area are displayed on the single screen, the convenience of the user can be enhanced while the limited size of the screen is effectively used.

Computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having stored therein information processing program, information processing system,information processing method, and information processing apparatus


An electric fuse having plug terminals. The fusible elements are connected to the plug terminal by the intermediary of metal strips having three sections. One section is inserted into the grooves of the plug terminals and conductively connected with the latter. Another section is arranged in a plane parallel to, but spaced from, the plane defined by said first mentioned section. A third section of the metal strips conductively interconnects the first section and the second section thereof. The aforementioned strip, if of sufficient length, greatly increases the flexibility of the fusible-element-and-strip-unit, minimizes the voltage drop across the fuse if the strip is considerably thicker than that of the fusible element of the fuse, and permits an arrangement of the fusible elements within the casing of the fuse that does not depend on the arrangement of the grooves on the axially inner end surfaces of the plug terminals and allows the pulverulent arc-quenching filler to exert a maximal arc-quenching action.

This invention relates to electric fuses having terminal plugs inside the casing and closing the ends thereof. Plug type terminal fuses are distinguished from ferrule type terminal fuses by their large dimensional stability. Such fuses are disclosed, for instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,658,974; Nov. 10, 1953 to Frederick J. Kozacka for HIGH CURRENT CARRYING CAPACITY CURRENT LIMITING FUSES, and in many other patents.
One of the disadvantages of prior art plug terminal fuses consists in that the fusible elements thereof were easily distorted by bending or twisting forces.
Another of the disadvantages of prior art plug terminal fuses consists in that the positioning of the fusible elements thereof was determined by the positioning of the grooves in the axially inner end surfaces of the plug terminals. This made it difficult to position the fusible elements in the best way required for any particular application.
Another limitation of prior art plug terminal fuses resides in the relatively large cross-section and length of the blade contacts which are in excess of the cross-section and length required to reduce the voltage drop to a predetermined minimal value and thus constitute a waste of material, or an over design.
It is the principal object of the present invention to provide plug terminal fuses which are not subject to any of the above limitations.


A small portion of oil being circulated by the engine's pump is constantly diverted to a specially-constructed filter where solid contaminant particles are intercepted. The oil still under pressure is then directed to a dehydration chamber wherein its pressure is reduced and it is directed through a heat-exchange pipe and drops onto a horizontal spreader plate pierced by a multiplicity of small apertures distributed over its relatively large area. Spreading of the oil in a thin layer over the plate effects vaporization of liquid contaminants therein. The vapors are drawn off from the top of the chamber by vacuum and dispensed to ambient air or recirculated to the carburetor. Purified oil flows by gravity from the chamber to the crankcase.

The present-day practice with many millions of internal combustion engines, especially those powering motor vehicles, is to periodically drain the crankcase oil, on a time-of-use or mileage basis and to simply throw it away. The fact is, however, that the oil does not wear out. It merely becomes contaminated with dirt, particles of carbon and metal, water, acid and vaporizable fuel components. This waste of oil amounts to millions of gallons each year and is obviously a very important consideration in the present shortage of domestically-produced petroleum and which at this time requires the purchase and importation from abroad of about one-half of the nation's petroleum requirements.
Clearly, too, if those solid and vaporizable liquid contaminants could be continuously separated from the oil while in use, a given charge of crankcase oil could be used indefinitely, and certainly for 50,000 miles in the case of a motor vehicle, possibly much longer. As the twenty billions of dollars and more, required annually to pay for petroleum imported from foreign countries, are the principal cause of our huge balance-of-payments deficit, it is very clear that the waste of oil involved in the present practice of simply throwing away contaminated crankcase oil, is intolerable and inexcusable. The practice also results in increased pollution of sewers and streams.

By-pass oil filtration system for internal combustion engines


A wellbore injection system comprises a tubing hanger mountable within a wellbore tubular, an injection conduit supported by the tubing hanger to extend into the wellbore tubular, and an injection valve mountable within the wellbore tubular and arranged in fluid communication with the injection conduit. The injection valve is removable from the wellbore tubular independently of the tubing hanger and injection conduit.

Many wellbore operations utilise injection systems which facilitate injection of fluids into wellbore regions. Such injection may be utilised for treating purposes, such as to treat specific regions of a subterranean formation, for example to improve permeability of the geology. Further, such injection may be utilised as a means of assisting the recovery of fluids to surface, for example by modifying the viscosity or effective density of the produced fluid or the like.
Known injection systems may include an injection conduit, sometimes referred to as a capillary conduit, which extends through a wellbore to the required depth. One or more valves are typically included within the system, coupled to the injection conduit, wherein the valves function to check any reverse flow through the conduit back to surface. The injection system is typically suspended within the wellbore via a tubing hanger. However, in some cases if a valve ever needs to be recovered it may be necessary to recover the entire injection conduit, which in some applications might extend for thousands of meters, thus involving a complex and time consuming process.
It has been proposed in the prior art to provide a subsurface safety valve (SSSV) which is operated by fluid pressure applied through an associated wellbore injection system. For example, US 2006/0021750 discloses an injection system which includes a surface controlled subsurface safety valve which incorporates an injection valve, with an injection line suspended directly from the safety valve. The arrangement disclosed in US 2006/0021750 is such that as the injection line is suspended directly from the safety valve, in the event of recovery of the safety valve, for example to replace the injection valve, the injection line would also need to be recovered.
EP 2481882 discloses a subsurface safety valve which incorporates injection capabilities for injecting an additive into a wellbore.


The present invention provides a resin composition containing the following components (1) and (2): (1) 100 parts by weight of a resin blend formed of an aromatic polycarbonate resin (A) in an amount of 40-80 wt. % and an aromatic polyester resin (B) in an amount of 60-20 wt. %; (2) 2-10 parts by weight of an epoxy-modified block polymer (G) or (H), wherein the epoxy-modified block polymer (G) is a polymer which is obtained by epoxidation of double bonds derived from the conjugated diene compound in a block copolymer (E) which comprises in the molecule a polymer block (C) predominantly comprising an aromatic vinyl compound and a polymer block (D) predominantly comprising a conjugated diene compound; and the epoxy-modified hydrogenated block polymer (H) is a polymer which is obtained by epoxidation of residual double bonds in a partially hydrogenated block polymer (F) which is formed by partial hydrogenation of double bonds derived from the conjugated diene compound in the above block copolymer (E).. The present invention also provides a thin-walled molded product obtained by molding the resin composition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a resin composition useful for thin-wall molded products such as integrated circuit (IC) cards, playing cards, and floppy disks; structural components for office-automation appliances, communications equipment such as portable phones, and household electrical appliances; and automobile parts. More particularly, the present invention relates to an impact-resistant resin composition which comprises a polycarbonate resin and a polyester resin as main components thereof and which has improved impact resistance through the aid of an added specific epoxy-modified block copolymer, and to a molded product obtained by molding the resin composition.
2. Background of the Invention
It has recently been thought that electronic-commerce cards (electronic money) will be rapidly developed and put into full-scale practical use in the near future. Heretofore, polyvinyl-based materials have been used for manufacturing cards; however, it is assumed that substitution for polyvinyl resin will be strongly promoted due to the environmental problem of dioxin.
Plastic cards have a thickness as thin as 1 mm or less, and material used in production thereof requires high fluidity and impact resistance. ABS resin, polycarbonate resin, polybutylene terephthalate, and polyethylene terephthalate resins have been developed as a substitute for vinyl chloride; however, these resins have never combined high fluidity with high impact resistance. In an effort to improve the impact resistance, a method of adding elastomer to these resins has been tested; however, the elastomer suffers the problem of lacking affinity and dispersibility to the resins.
In view of the foregoing, the present inventors have disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 25984/1995 an epoxy-modified block polymer or a partially-hydrogenated-epoxy-modified block polymer which is useful as an impact-resistance enhancer.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,676,525 discloses a composition which is obtained by dispersing a modified hydrogenated block copolymer (b) obtained by the following method in a thermoplastic resin (a) including polycarbonate resin, or polycarbonate resin and polyester resin. The modified hydrogenated block copolymer (b) is obtained by grafting a glycidyl-group-containing unsaturated compound to a hydrogenated block copolymer obtained by partially hydrogenating an aliphatic double bond based on a conjugated diene compound of a block copolymer including a conjugated diene and a vinyl-group-containing aromatic hydrocarbon. However, the glycidyl-group-modified hydrogenated block copolymer (b) which is used herein involves the problem of being likely to gel due to heat applied in the manufacturing process thereof and in the process of producing molded products therefrom.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 157504/1997 discloses a hydrogenated or nonhydrogenated block copolymer modified with an ethylenic-unsaturated-group-containing carboxylic acid (e.g. maleic anhydride) or derivatives thereof.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 48861/1996 discloses a hydrogenated block copolymer modified with an hydroxyl-group-containing .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated carboxylic acid and an aromatic vinyl compound.
However, the disclosed polymers heretofore do not adequately meet the requirement of high impact resistance and mold-processability, especially for material used for thin-wall molded products such as IC cards.

Impact-resistant blend compositions of polycarbonate and polyester resins


A spacecraft thermal disturbance control system for controlling the torque exerted on the main portion of a spacecraft as a result of a thermal gradient being applied to a portion of the spacecraft that projects from the spacecraft's main portion. The spacecraft thermal disturbance control system includes a network of distributed temperature sensors located on the surfaces of the projecting portion of the spacecraft, a microcomputer operatively connected to the temperature sensors for receiving temperature information from the temperature sensors and a reaction wheel assembly operatively connected to the microcomputer. The microcomputer provides command signals to the reaction wheel assembly based upon temperature information received from the temperature sensors to cause the reaction wheel assembly to generate a torque that counteracts the torque exerted on the main portion of the spacecraft as a result of the thermal gradient applied to the projecting portion of the spacecraft.

Thermal elastic shock (TES) that spacecraft can experience is attributed to a disturbance torque created by the presence of a sunlit and a shadowed section of the orbit plane. The darkened region is formed as the Earth moves between the satellite and sun, thus eclipsing the satellite view of the sun. The eclipsed portion of the orbit is referred to as the umbra and the transition to and from this region is called the penumbra. Thermal elastic shock is a result of a rapidly changing temperature difference between the hot (sun pointing) and cold (anti-sun pointing) surfaces of a large flexible appendage extending away from the spacecraft. The temperature offset across the two surfaces quickly decreases at umbra entrance when the solar heat flux is turned off in a stepwise fashion, thus subjecting the flexible structure to a rapid cooling effect. In a similar respect, the thermal gradient quickly increases as the appendage experiences rapid heating during umbra exit when the solar flux turns on in a stepwise manner. The rapid change of the thermal gradient causes the hot surface of the structure to bend due to either thermal compression (sunset) or thermal expansion (sunrise). The thermally induced bending motion of the flexible member generates a disturbance torque which is then transferred back onto the space vehicle core-body.
To minimize or eliminate the TES disturbance torque, feasible solutions, other than the solution offered by this invention, do exist. One obvious solution is to alter the material properties of the disturbing member so that the thermal gradient at umbra entrance and exit is not so dramatic. However, this solution must be pursued during the design phase of a spacecraft before the hardware development begins. If the hardware phase is already underway, redesigning the structure will be quite costly. Furthermore, prior to the research leading to this invention a detailed TES disturbance model was unavailable to determine the effect of the TES disturbance on the spacecraft attitude pointing performance. Thus an accurate upper bound of the allowable thermal gradient to maintain pointing accuracy was also unavailable.
Another solution is to impose structural constraints on the appendage to increase rigidity and structural damping. As in the case of the first alternative solution, this solution also requires additional analysis to determine the required stiffness to minimize pointing errors introduced by the TES disturbance. Although this solution may not be as costly as the first alternative approach, some additional costs would be involved. Again, the use of the TES disturbance model is needed to produce estimates of the vehicle attitude pointing performance.
A final approach would be to use feed forward compensation techniques in the vehicle attitude control system to minimize the effect of the TES disturbance. Although this solution seems to be the easiest and cheapest to employ, it can be quite deceiving. This approach would require a software change in the vehicle on-board computer and some resource to obtain thermal gradient measurements. The TES disturbance equations would be an integral part of the software needed to predict the magnitude of the TES disturbance. However, current reaction wheel assemblies (RWA's) reach their maximum torque authority responding to the TES disturbance as evidenced and predicted for some spacecraft (i.e. TOPEX, LANDSAT). Thus the feed forward torque prediciton method may provide little or no compensation. An actuator capable of generating larger torques would be necessary for the feed forward compensation technique to be valid. Unfortunately, current RWA designs do not produce enough torque and new RWA's would be costly to develop. Large torque actuators, such as a control moment gyroscope (CMG), could provide the necessary torque to eliminate the TES disturbance, but CMG's are bulky, heavy and require a large power input. Also, for small satellites, CMG's are not a practical solution.
All of the preceeding described solutions would only be valid for the individual spacecraft under consideration. Furthermore, these solutions would require the use of the previously mentioned TES torque equations. The spacecraft thermal disturbance control system invention overcomes these previous problems. With this invention it is possible to effectively counter the effects of thermal elastic shock without changing the materials used in the manufacture of portions of the spacecraft. Moreover, this invention does not require the redesign of the spacecraft. In fact, it is possible to retrofit many spacecraft to use this invention without any extensive redesign or increases in cost. The localized active control system solution of this invention on the other hand, would still require the use of the TES disturbance model, but would not be limited to a specific vehicle.

Spacecraft thermal disturbance control system