A word recognizer system 10 has a probabilistic relaxation process that improves the performance of an image text recognition technique by propagating the influence of word collocation statistics. Word collocation refers to the likelihood that two words co-occur within a fixed distance of one another. The word recognizer 10 receives groups of visually similar decisions (called neighborhoods) for words in a running text. The position of decisions within the neighborhoods are modified based on how often they co-occur with decisions in the neighborhoods of other nearby words. This process is iterated a number of times effectively propagating the influence of the collocation statistics across an input text.

This invention relates in general to a word recognition apparatus and method, and in particular, to a word recognition method an apparatus for recognizing one word in the context of adjacent words.
The recognition of images of words of text is a difficult problem, especially when the image texts are degraded by noise such as that introduced by photocopying or facsimile transmission. Recently, methods for improving the quality of image text recognition results have focused on the use of knowledge about the language in which the document is written. J. J. Hull, S. Khoubyari and T. K. Ho, "Word Image Matching as a Technique for Degraded Text Recognition," in Proceedings of 11th IAPR International Conference on Pattern Recognition, The Hague, The Netherlands, pp. 665-668, 1992; J. J. Hull, "A Hidden Markov Model for Language Syntax in Text Recognition," in Proceedings of 11th IAPR International Conference on Pattern Recognition, The Hague, The Netherlands, pp. 124-127, 1992. These techniques often post-process the results of a word recognition process that provides various alternatives for the identity of each word that are called its neighborhood. The objective of the language model is to choose the alternatives for words that make sense in the context of the rest of the text.
Word collocation data is one source of information that has been investigated in computational linguistics and that has been proposed as a useful tool to post-process word recognition results. H. S. Baird, Private communication about the use of word collocation to improve OCR results, February, 1989; K. W. Church and P. Hanks, "Word Association Norms, Mutual Information, and Lexicography," Computational Linguistics, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 22-29, 1990; T. G. Rose, R. J. Whitrow and L. J. Evett, "The Use of Semitic Information as an Aid to Handwriting Recognition," in Proceedings of 1st International Conference of Document Analysis and Recognition, pp. 629-637, Saint-Malo, France, 1991. Word collocation refers to the likelihood that two words co-occur within a fixed distance of one another. For example, it is highly likely that if the word "boat" occurs, the word "river" will also occur somewhere in ten words on either side of "boat." Thus, if "river" had been misrecognized with the neighborhood "rover, river, ripper" (i.e., rover is the top choice, river the second choice, etc.), the presence of "boat" nearby would allow for the recognition error to be corrected.
Previous work using word collocation data to post-process word recognition results has shown the usefulness of this data. T. G. Rose and L. J. Evett, "Text Recognition Using Collocations and Domain Codes," in Proceedings of the Workshop on Very Large Corpora: Academic and Industrial Perspectives, pp. 65-73, Columbus, Ohio, 1993. This technique used local collocation data about words that co-occur next to each other to improve recognition performance. A disadvantage of this approach was that it did not allow for successful results off:one word to influence the results on another word. In other fields such as in edge detection of an image, it has been proposed to use relaxation techniques. See, e.g., A. Rosenfeld, R. A. Hummel and S. W. Zucker, "Scene Labeling by Relaxation Operations," in IEEE Trans. on Sys. Man and Cyb, SMC-6(6):420-433, 1976.

The Research Foundation of State University of New York


Disclosed are improved cell-permeable Parkin recombinant proteins (iCP-Parkin) which have been developed as a protein-based anti-neurodegenerative agent for efficient BBB-penetration to effectively deliver the recombinant protein into the brain. A Parkin protein, a dopaminergic neuronal cell death inhibitor, has been fused with a newly developed advanced macromolecule transduction domain (aMTD) and preferably with a solubilization domain (SD) to increase the solubility/yield and cell-/tissue-permeability of the recombinant protein. In addition, the aMTD/SD-fused recombinant iCP-Parkin protein has shown BBB-permeability. Both in vitro and in vivo, the iCP-Parkin recombinant protein improved motor skills, a typical phenotype of Parkinson's disease, by increasing dopamine level in the brain by suppressing apoptosis of dopaminergic neuron cells. It also can be applicable as a protein-based anti-neurodegenerative agent to treat Parkinson's disease by protecting dopaminergic neuron cells and regulating the secretion of dopamine.

Parkinson's disease is one of leading neurodegenerative disease that occurs by instable generation and secretion of dopamine (16). In patients with Parkinson's disease, there have been damages in dopaminergic neuron in the midbrain; pathological features, such as formation of Lewy bodies; mobility defects, such as bradykinesia, rest tremor, and rigidity; and non-motor symptoms, such as depression, dementia, and insomnia (17-19).
Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease found mostly in older generations. Statistically, Approximately 1% of people aged more than 55 and 3% in people aged more than 75 have been diagnosed with the disease (20). As the population of aged people increases, patients diagnosed with Parkinson's disease are ever growing in number. Globally, the population of patients with this disease has been projected to increase from 4.1 million in 2005 to 8.7 million by 2030 (21, 22).
The cause of Parkinson's disease has been unclear; however, previous studies reported that it's caused by both genetic and environmental factors in combination; especially, mutation of parkin gene has the highest prevalence among the various genetic factors that cause Parkinson's disease. Parkin gene has been first discovered in Japanese stock that has autosomal recessive juvenile Parkinsonism (ARJP) (23). Parkin gene mutation could be discovered from approximately 50% in early-onset hereditary Parkinson's disease and 18% in sporadic patients below the age of 50 (24).
Parkin is comprised of 465 amino acid sequences that have functions as E3-ligase in ubiquitin-proteasome system. Parkin protein functions to reduce the oxidative stress in the cell by removing damaged, oxidized, and/or irregularly structured protein inside the cell.
When Parkin mutation occurs, it loses its property as an E3-ligase; inclusion body and/or irregular proteins are accumulated inside the cell that lead to reduced secretion of dopamine and apoptosis of dopaminergic neuron (25). There has been a recent study pertaining to Parkinson's disease using the fruit flies that have shown decrease in motor function by the decrease in dopamine secretion. Dopamine secretion has decreased due to an inactivation of dopaminergic neuron in which the function of Parkin and PINK1 (PTEN-induced putative kinase 1) was revealed (26). Moreover, when Parkin was overexpressed in the fruit fly that did not express PINK1, Parkinson's disease-related symptoms caused by PINK1, such as mitochondrial dysfunction and degradation of dopaminergic neuron, were confirmed to be recovered (26-28). Based on these factors, Parkin protein may successfully act as a target protein-based agent to treat Parkinson's related diseases. It functions as a main enzyme in the ubiquitin-proteasome system to destroy inclusion body and suppress apoptosis of dopaminergic neuron by maintaining the function of mitochondria from oxidative stress.

Cell-permeable (ICP) parkin recombinant protein and use thereof


A process for producing BaFBr:Eu phosphors in which a slurry of an Eu halide, BaFBr and BaBr.sub.2 is spray dried to produce spherical agglomerates which are then fired and cooled by an inert atmosphere, washed to remove unreacted BaBr.sub.2 and dried to produce a powder.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to an improved process for preparing BaFBr:Eu phosphors for use in x-ray intensifying screens, as well as the phosphors made by the process.
2. Background Art
The development and use of x-ray intensifying screens based on barium halides such as BaFCl:Eu permitted a significant decrease in patient exposure to x-rays because BaFCl:Eu has the ability to absorb a larger fraction of the incident x-rays and convert this absorbed x-ray radiation to a greater amount of visible light than the widely used screens based on calcium tungstate. The speed of BaFCl:Eu based screen systems is generally at least twice the speed of calcium tungstate based screen systems.
BaFBr:Eu has similar chemistry to BaFCl:Eu but has a higher physical density, (D=4.96 g/cm.sup.3 for BaFBr versus D=4.51 g/cm.sup.3 for BaFCl) and, therefore, BaFBr:Eu is able to absorb a larger fraction of incident s-rays per unit volume, thus allowing a further reduction in x-ray dosage.
A. L. Stevels and F. Pingault, Phillips Research Report, Vol. 30 #5, pp 277-290, 1985, describe attempts to prepare BaFBr:Eu using conventional solid state techniques employing dry mixing and firing, followed by milling of the product to the desired particle size. These attempts failed, yielding phosphors with too high an afterglow (lag) for medical applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,897 (1978) discloses the reduction of lag in BaFBr:Eu phosphors by the inclusion of potassium or rubidium ions, typically added as their halide, hydroxide, carbonate or nitrate salts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,157,981 (1979) discloses a process for preparing BaFBr:Eu that comprises forming a suspension of BaF.sub.2 in an aqueous solution of BaBr.sub.2, which solution contains an equimolar amount of BaBr.sub.2 in dissolved form per mole of BaF.sub.2, evaporating said suspension to dryness at a temperature of 50.degree. to 250.degree. C., mixing the resultant BaFBr with an appropriate amount of EuBr.sub.3, heating the resultant dried mixture in a weakly reducing atmosphere of nitrogen and a small amount of hydrogen for effectively reducing trivalent europium to bivalent europium, at a temperature of 600.degree. C. to 1000.degree. C., and then, after cooling, heating the resulting BaFBr:Eu, in an inert atmosphere, at a temperature of 600.degree. C. to 850.degree. C. BaFBr:Eu prepared by this method is deficient with respect to lag compared to both calcium tungstate and BaFCl:Eu.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,071 (1985) discloses a process for preparing BaFBr:Eu phosphors doped with various metal oxides, e.g., SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, MgO, CaO, etc., said phosphors said to be usable in either x-ray intensifying screens or in radiation image storage panels. It is stated that lag is reduced in x-ray intensification applications, but no data are given. The purpose of the oxide is to reduce or prevent sintering of the phosphor during the second of two firing steps. It is also stated that various phosphors, including BaFBr, are not prepared by spray drying a suspension of BaF.sub.2 and, for example, BaBr.sub.2.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,016 (1985) discloses a process for the preparation of spheroidal particulate BaFCl:Eu phosphor having a narrow size distribution which process comprises: (a) spray drying a slurry comprised of BaFCl, or the precursors thereof, a europium halide, and a BaCl.sub.2 flux in a liquid under conditions which produce porous spheroidal agglomerates of BaFCl, or the precursors thereof, BaCl.sub.2, and the europium halide, the agglomerates having an average diameter larger than the desired diameter of the particulate phosphor; (b) firing the porous spheroidal agglomerates of step (a) in a flowing inert atmosphere for about 10 to about 120 minutes at a temperature of about 650.degree. C. to about 950.degree. C.; (c) cooling the fired material of step (b) to ambient temperature in an inert atmosphere; (d) washing the cooled material of step (c) with water to remove BaCl.sub.2 ; and (e) drying the washed material of step (d) to remove the water and to produce a free flowing powder consisting essentially of spheroidal particulate BaFCl:Eu phosphor.
Solid state preparation techniques for BaFBr:Eu phosphors that employ milling or grinding of the product near or at the final stage result in the production of undesirable subsize fine particles and also result in damage to the surface of phosphor particles which is believed to contribute to afterglow (lag) by generating surface traps. In addition to increased afterglow, a consequence of this less than optimum particle morphology on the performance of the phosphor is a lower than optimum light output due to light scattering by generated fines.
The purpose of this invention is to prepare high speed BaFBr:Eu phosphor having very low afterglow, this latter being aided by the avoidance of the grinding or milling of the phosphor. A further goal is to prepare said high speed phosphor while avoiding costly and potentially hazardous firing steps that involve the use of hydrogen.
Phosphor preparation techniques that do not employ milling or grinding generally call for the use of water soluble fluxes which are washed out with water after the firing step. Examples of this are the use of BaCl.sub.2 flux for BaFCl, phosphor (U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,016) and Li.sub.2 SO.sub.4 flux for the preparation of LnTaO.sub.4 phosphors (U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,653). These techniques are not applicable to the preparation of BaFBr because BaFBr is unstable in the presence of pure water where it decomposes via hydrolysis.
It has been found that, in spite of the tendency for BaFBr to decompose in the presence of water, this material, as well as its europium doped analog, can be formed in and precipitated from aqueous media using the present invention. Non-aqueous media can also be employed.
By employment in this process, it is possible to prepare BaFBr:Eu phosphor without any harmful grinding and milling operations. As a consequence of this, the resulting phosphor has a higher light output and a lower lag than reported for BaFBr:Eu prepared by any other method.


A device for performing rapid determinations on a real-time basis of about three to five seconds of the concentration of HCl in the atmosphere includes an air inlet conduit for sampling the HCl laden air, a pump for introducing trapping solution into the air inlet conduit, a spiral impinger for mixing and combining the air and trapping solution, a separator for separating a portion of the trapping solution and entrained air from the remaining trapping solution, and electrode flow cell for receiving the remaining trapping solution and for determining the chloride ion concentration in the trapping solution. The electrode flow cell includes a measuring electrode having a silver wire having a silver chloride coating inserted in the flow path of the trapping solution. A selector valve is inserted between the separator and the flow cell for alternatively feeding either the separated trapping solution to the flow cell or a standardizing solution to the flow cell.

This invention, in one of its aspects, relates to a process for determining the quantity of hydrogen chloride (HCl) in the atmosphere. In another of its aspects the invention relates to improved apparatus for such determinations. In still another of its embodiments the invention provides a rapid process which, on a real-time basis, that is, without a reaction-time delay, can be relied upon by personnal with a need to enter an area after an HCl-generating event.
There is concern within the military community over the potential health effects from combustion products resulting from the firing of various weapons systems. Of particular interest are the relatively high concentrations of HCl produced by combustion of rocket propellants used in U.S. Army weapons systems such as the STINGER and Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS). Some propellants used for rocket fuels are perchlorate-based and form HCl as one of their combustion products. Systems, which use perchlorate-based propellants, create potentially hazardous field exposures for operators. Personnel associated with rocket firings may be exposed to short-term decrements in performance. Monitoring methods used by various agencies and contractors were evaluated in test firings of the STINGER and CHAPARREL rockets. Noticeable limitations in monitoring capability observed during these field testings included the lack of field calibration and the lack of replicate sampling from identical sample points. The primary methods utilized for HCl monitoring were the batch-type midget impinger and the continuous-type Geomet.TM. HCl monitor. The midget impinger traps all forms of HCl, but it does not provide real-time data. The Geomet.TM. HCl monitor measures HCl on a real-time basis, but it has not been established that the Geomet.TM. method detects all forms of HCl. HCl can be present as a gas, as an aerosol, or as HC1 adsorbed on particulate matter.
When the STINGER is fired operators remain in the launch area during the launch. In the case of other launches, there is usually a need to re-enter a launch area as soon as possible after a firing. Such personnel need to know how safe such areas are. In order to assess potential health hazards, all forms of atmospheric HCl must be monitored on a real-time basis. There is an obvious and urgent need to develop an atmospheric monitor that detects all forms of HCl on a real-time basis in order to accurately evaluate potential health hazards. With such information, recommendations can be made relative to personnel protection and weapons design.
In 1985, at the JANNAF Safety & Environmental Protection Subcommittee Proceedings I presented a method for determining hydrogen chloride in the atmosphere on a near real-time basis. The presentation was published by the Chemical Propulsion Information Agency in CPIA Publication 436, November, 1985 herein incorporated by reference. The method described incorporated the principles of both midget impinger techniques and flow injection analysis. The impinger techniques were designed to extract HCl gas, aerosol forms of HCl, and HCl adsorbed on particulate matter into a trapping solution. Flow injection analysis allowed for continuous sampling and replenishing of the impinger reservoir of trapping solution. By using small diameter tubing and reducing quiescent zones, or dead volumes, throughout the system, it was possible to approach, although not as closely as desired, real-time monitoring of total HCl. A response time, the time for obtaining results, of 5 seconds, although not attained, was desirable since such a period would coincide with the frequency of normal breathing.
In my 1985 process air was drawn in through a miniature impinger, at approximately 1,000 mL/min. Trapping solution (water or a buffering solution) was pumped into the impinger at its front end. By the time this mixture reached the end of the impinger, the trapping solution had extracted about 95 percent of the total concentration of HCl in the atmosphere sample. The air/liquid mixture was separated and air was drawn off, while the trapping solution was withdrawn for testing. In testing, the trapping solution, and chloride reagent containing Hg(SCN).sub.2 and Fe(NO.sub.3).sub.3, were mixed, and the mixture was passed through a 37.degree. C. temperature bath and into a flow cell. Therein the absorbance was measured at 480 nm with a colorimeter. The response was monitored by a strip chart recorder. There was a delay of about 15 seconds from the time HCl entered the miniature impinger until a deflection was noted on the strip chart recorder. Another period of roughly 13 to 15 seconds was required for a monitor to reach 90 percent of total response. The response time thus was longer than the desired 5 seconds, and while the monitor responded to all forms of atmospheric HCl, the HCl response was from about 1 to 100 ppm. It was reproducible, but non-linear. There is, then, a need for a monitor meeting such criteria as a response time of 5 seconds or less, and a linear, more accurate HCl response. For this reason the 1985 monitor was not considered finally developed. By this invention a fully developed process, and apparatus for carrying out the process, is provided meeting those criteria.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army


Described is a lighting device for detecting three-dimensional structures, in particular for a gesture recognition apparatus, as well as a gesture recognition apparatus having a lighting device. In order to be able to compactly construct the lighting device, the lighting device includes a prism through which illumination light (L) passes twice in order to illuminate a gesture.

Lighting devices and gesture recognition apparatuses having such lighting devices are generally known. For example, optical gesture recognition apparatuses are used in devices which can be operated by the users thereof, for example mobile devices, for instance mobile phones or smartphones, tablet computers or laptop or notebook computers, in order to be able to operate said devices with the aid of gestures. In addition, gesture recognition apparatuses for optically recognizing gestures can also be provided in a television or a motor vehicle, in order to enable a user of the television or an occupant and, for example, the driver of the motor vehicle to operate the television or the motor vehicle by means of gestures.
Gesture recognition is the automatic recognition of gestures performed with an object. The object can, for example, be a person's hand. In principle, any posture and body movement can constitute a gesture. If, for example, the hand and, for instance, at least one finger of the hand is moved in a certain direction, this can constitute a gesture, which can result in a device being controlled. For example, moving a finger back and forth can correspond to scrolling screen content. Gestures can thereby be performed statically or dynamically, i.e. with or without motion. In order to optically recognize the gesture, the gesture recognition apparatus comprises the sensor which can, for example, be a CCD sensor of a camera. In order to be able to scan the object with the illumination light, the gesture recognition apparatus comprises the lighting device which scans the object, for example the hand, with illumination light. Scanning with illumination light means that the illumination light is guided, for example, in a given direction by means of the object. The illumination light reflected by the object is conducted to the sensor which generates a sensor signal and transmits it, for example, to a computing unit. The gesture is recognized in the computing unit on the basis of the sensor signal and an action can be executed. The computing unit can be a processor of a mobile device or, for example, a control unit for a motor vehicle.
As an alternative to gestures for controlling devices, other gestures, for example sign language performed with the hand, can also be recognized.
In order to minimize as far as possible or avoid distortion of the illumination light reflected with respect to the object caused by the tilting of the reflective element, a neutral location of the reflective element, about which the reflective element is tiltably supported, is aligned at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the illumination light path between the first optical component and the reflective element. However, the lighting device requires a great deal of installation space at such an alignment. Installation space is limited in particular in the case of telephones and mobile computers, but also in motor vehicles.
The problem underlying the invention is therefore to provide a lighting device for a gesture recognition apparatus and a gesture recognition apparatus having a lighting device, wherein the lighting device has a compact construction and illuminates an object performing the gesture with low distortion.

Lighting device for gesture recognition apparatus


A digital-to-analog (DAC) converter that includes a plurality of dynamically operated slave digital-to-analog (DAC) converters, each having a switched current mirror and a storage capacitor, and a static master digital-to-analog (DAC) converter in communication with the plurality of dynamically operated slave DAC converters, that distributes a current to at least one of the plurality of slave DAC converters such that voltage across the storage capacitor of the at least one slave DAC converter controls the switch current mirror so that the at least one slave DAC converter outputs currents that are equivalent to digital codes applied to the static master DAC converter. A ring counter is used to periodically refresh the charges on the storage capacitors that are lost by leakage. In addition to the periodic updates, an end user may perform immediate updates of selected slave DACs if necessary, via the ring counter.

The present invention relates to digital-to-analog converters ("DACs"), and more particularly to the operation of DACs in a master-slave configuration where the master DAC is a high-precision, static DAC driving many dynamically-operated slave DACs. This master-slave configuration preserves silicon area in high-density applications.
DACs are used in applications where an analog value (e.g. current or voltage) needs to be set by means of a digital code at the input of the DAC. The analog value may be used to determine an operation point of an analog circuit. The requirements for DACs are dependent on their application and may encompass features such as high speed, high accuracy and resolution, low power or small area.
A typical current-mode DAC ("IDAC") 100 is shown in FIG. 1. It consists of M identical static IDAC cells 101 that share a common memory block 102. A single IDAC consists of N binary weighted transistors 103 that are controlled by a code stored in the memory block 102. The binary weighted currents sum at the common output node and the resulting output current I0 has a resolution of 2−N. The gates of the turned on transistors 103 are connected to vref in order to keep them in a saturation region so that each transistor 103 can act as current source. The IDAC 100 shown in FIG. 1 is one example of many possible IDAC topologies. To assure linear operation across the entire current range, it might be necessary to replace the binary weights by thermometer-coded weights or a mixture of thermometer-coded most significant bits (MSBs) and binary coded least significant bits (LSBs).
From a surface area point of view, the typical IDAC 100 has at least two drawbacks that limit the integration density. First, each of the M identical static IDAC cells 101 needs N digital control lines. The total number of M×N control lines occupies a significant amount of wiring resources. Second, the area of a single M identical static IDAC cell 101 doubles with every additional bit of resolution. Since the area penalty scales with the factor M. Despite their robust and straight-forward design, M identical static IDAC cells 101 are not well suited for a high integration density.

Small-area digital to analog converter based on master-slave configuration

International Business Machines Corporation


A resistor 1 in which at least one resistance film 4 is embedded in a ceramic sintered body 3, glass is diffused into the sintered body 3 to form a glass diffusion layer 6, and both end faces 4a and 4b of the resistance film 4 are respectively exposed to both end faces 3a and 3b of the ceramic sintered body 3.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a resistor having a structure capable of preventing the variation in the resistance characteristics, improving the environmental resistance to humidity or the like, and further increasing the capacity of power and the mechanical strength, and more particularly, to a resistor having a structure in which at least one resistance film is embedded in a ceramic sintered body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, a cermet resistor mainly composed of a ruthenium oxide or a ruthenium compound has been widely used as a resistance element superior in precision. In fabricating such a resistor, a resistive paste composed of the above described ruthenium oxide or the like is printed on the surface of, for example, an alumina substrate to form a thick resistance film, and the resistance film is baked at temperatures of 800.degree. to 900.degree. C. A glass paste is applied to the surface of the resistance film on the alumina substrate and then, is baked to form a glass film. The glass film increases the environmental resistance to humidity or the like.
In the above described conventional resistor, however, the resistance film is directly coated with the glass film, so that the resistance value is liable to change and the characteristics are liable to vary. In addition, a pinhole may, in some cases, be formed in the glass film. In such a case, water or the like enters the resistor from the pinhole in an atmosphere of high humidity, to degrade the resistance characteristics. Furthermore, in the above described conventional resistor, the alumina substrate, the resistance film and the glass film differ in the coefficient of thermal expansion, so that the adhesive properties of the resistance film to the substrate are low. As a result, a large capacity of power is not obtained. The limit of the capacity of power is approximately 100 mW.

Ceramic resistor wherein a resistance film is embedded


Concepts and technologies disclosed herein are directed to single packet authorization (“SPA”) in a cloud computing environment. A compute node can include a virtual switch operating on at least a portion of a plurality of hardware resources of a cloud computing environment, a virtual firewall, a cloud workload executing a cloud service, and a SPA service. The virtual switch can receive a SPA request from a SPA client executing on a computing device. The virtual switch can forward the SPA request to the virtual firewall and to the SPA service. The virtual firewall can deny the SPA request in accordance with a firewall policy. The SPA service can utilize a SPA validation scheme to validate the SPA request. The virtual firewall can implement a temporary firewall policy to allow incoming packets from the SPA client and directed to the cloud service.

Port knocking is an authentication technique that utilizes a pre-determined sequence of closed port connection attempts to specific Internet Protocol ("IP") addresses. This sequence is known in the art as a knock sequence. Port knocking utilizes a daemon that monitors firewall logs for the correct knock sequence. Port knocking essentially provides a dynamic configuration of a default drop firewall policy to allow temporary connections from authorized sources after an authentication request.
Single packet authorization ("SPA") is a next generation variation of port knocking technology. SPA allows a single "knock" implementation in which the knock consists of an encrypted packet that is captured passively by a SPA service. The SPA service validates the encrypted packet to allow temporary connections from authorized sources.

Single packet authorization in a cloud computing environment


A dual-loop control configuration employs battery temperature as a feedback metric in order to prevent overheating when recharging batteries. Temperature sensors are used to obtain the battery temperature. Depending on the battery temperature that is measured, a processing device such as a battery interface module determines whether that temperature exceeds a temperature threshold. The processing device also determines a charge rate of the batteries. The processing device is configured to vary the fan speed to increase or decrease airflow for cooling the batteries based on this information, and also regulates the charge rate of the batteries as a function of the fan speed. This arrangement may be used as part of a battery backup system, such as in an uninterruptible power supply used in a data center. Alternatively, it may be used in the power supply system of an electric vehicle. Fluids besides air may also be employed.

Batteries are used to power a wide variety of electronic equipment. Examples of such electronic equipment include computing systems that may be used in data centers and other types of computer networks. In many cases, these systems use rechargeable batteries as part of an uninterruptible power supply ("UPS"). Lead acid technology is often used in such rechargeable batteries.
Battery temperature may rise during charging and discharging cycles. The battery temperature may also be affected by external factors. This may include closely spacing multiple batteries within the UPS housing, poor ventilation, etc. While some increase in temperature may provide a short term gain during discharge, a rechargeable battery may lose a significant amount of its expected lifetime (e.g., its design life or service life) if maintained at elevated temperatures. This, in turn, results in increased replacement cost and other associated expenses.

Battery temperature compensation with closed-loop fan control


Diverting pulley arrangement of an elevator, which includes an axle, at least one diverting pulley that rotates while supported on the axle, a faceplate structure, in relation to which and supported by which the diverting pulley is arranged to rotate on the first side of the faceplate structure, which axle is locked so that it does not rotate in relation to the faceplate structure by the aid of a locking element, which locking element is on the second side of the faceplate structure and supported so that it does not move in relation to the faceplate structure. The locking element is placed against the locking surface included in the axle so that the contact point of the locking element and the locking surface of the axle is at least partly visible.

In prior-art diverting pulleys the axle of the diverting pulley is locked into position with a locking plate that extends into a groove made in the axle. The groove is milled into the axle from the transverse direction, in which case the groove comprises a detent surface as viewed in the transverse direction of the axle, against which the locking plate is placed to lock the axle in position so that it does not rotate and does not move in the axial direction. A problem in these prior-art solutions is that when the locking plate breaks and allows the axle to rotate, movability of the axle is also enabled in the axial direction. Another problem in these prior-art solutions is that since the groove is milled in the solutions at a distance from the end of the axle, the detent surface that is against the locking plate has remained hidden behind the end of the axle. That being the case, it has not been possible to visually inspect the contact point of the locking plate and the detent surface of the axle. Inspecting this point is necessary so that, among other things, the condition of the locking plate can be determined and indirectly also the condition of the bearings. If servicing intervals are long, the condition of bearings can deteriorate over time so that the diverting pulley rotating on the axle starts essentially to try to rotate the axle. When the axle tries to rotate, the pressure exerted on the locking plate by the detent surface and also the wear resulting from to-and-fro loading increase. Verifying the condition of the locking plate has been laborious in prior art, because the diverting pulley structure has had to be opened for this purpose.

Diverting pulley arrangement and elevator


A system and method for identifying a botulinum neurotoxin inhibitor employing a botulinum neurotoxin substrate complex having a peptide substrate, preferably SNAP-25, a reporter domain on one side of said peptide substrate and an immobilization domain on the opposite side of said peptide substrate. The botulinum neurotoxin inhibitor is identified by its ability to decrease the relative amount of cleaved complex, detected through measuring a decrease in complex bound to a solid support. The method of the present invention also utilizes novel cells that express a botulinum neurotoxin substrate complex. The methods of the present invention are adapted for cell based screening to monitor the catalytic activity of a BoNT in living cells and to identify molecules that inhibit the catalytic activity of a BoNT in living cells. Also provided are novel stable cell lines that express the botulinum toxin substrate complex and viral vectors capable of efficiently expressing an active light chain of the BoNT within mammalian cells.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a method for identifying inhibitors of botulinum neurotoxins.
2. Background of the Invention
Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) and tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT) are bacterial proteins that comprise two polypeptide chains connected via a disulfide linkage. The light chain (˜50 kDa) is disulfide linked to a heavy chain (˜100 kDa). The anaerobic bacterium Clostridium botulinum produces seven immunologically distinct but structurally similar neurotoxins designated BoNT/A, BoNT/B, BoNT/C, BoNT/D, BoNT/E, BoNT/F and BoNT/G (collectively, "BoNTs"). After synthesis, highly active neurotoxin is generated by proteolytic cleavage of the clostridial neurotoxins.
These neurotoxins inhibit neurotransmitter release at distinct synapses, which causes two severe neuroparalytic diseases, tetanus and botulism. Many aspects of the cellular and molecular modes of action of these toxins have been deciphered. After binding to specific membrane acceptors, BoNTs and TeNT are internalized via endocytosis into nerve terminals. Internalization of toxin is a rapid event and the toxin shows persistent catalytic activity within neurons. Subsequently, the light chain of the neurotoxin is translocated into the cytosolic compartment where it cleaves one of three essential proteins involved in the exocytotic machinery: (1) synaptosomal associated protein of 25 kDa (SNAP-25); (2) synaptobrevin, also called vesicle associated membrane protein (VAMP); and (3) syntaxin. Specifically, BoNT/A, BoNT/E and BoNT/C cleave SNAP-25; BoNT/C also cleaves syntaxin. BoNT/B, BoNT/D, BoNT/F, BoNT/G cleave synaptobrevin/VAMP. Tetanus neurotoxin cleaves synaptobrevin/VAMP, at the same cleavage site as BoNT/B. See, Schmidt J J, et al., supra; Anne C, et al., Anal Biochem (2001 291:253-61).
The location of the enzymatic subunit of the clostridial neurotoxins has been mapped to the light chain, which has Zn endopeptidase activity. The binding and translocation motifs in a BoNT are located within the heavy (H) chain. All of the BoNT serotypes bind to receptors/acceptors on the presynaptic terminals of motor neurons at the neuromuscular junction. Schiavo G, et al., (1993) FEBS Lett 335:99-103. The binding of the BoNT to the presynaptic terminal is mediated by the C-terminal domain of the heavy chain (HC) of the toxin. Schiavo G, et al., J Biol Chem (1993) 268: 23784-7 and Schiavo G, et al., Nature (1992) 359: 832-5. Binding is followed by endocytosis of the toxin into vesicles at the presynaptic terminal. As the endocytotic vesicle is acidified, the N-terminus of the HC forms a pore in the vesicle membrane. The light chain (LC) disassociates from HC to act as a zinc-dependent protease that cleaves and inactivates SNARE proteins essential for exocytosis of neurotransmitter. Arnon S S, et al., JAMA 2001, 285:1059-70. In the case of BoNT/A (the most potent and persistent of the BoNTs) the substrate is SNAP-25, a SNARE protein which resides on the cytoplasmic surface of the presynaptic membrane. See, Foran P, et al., Biochemistry (1996) 35:2630-6; Lewis J, et al., Nat Med (1999) 5:832-5; and Schmidt J J, et al., Anal Biochem (2001) 296:130-7.
The botulinum neurotoxin cleaves the substrate proteins at highly specific sites. BoNT/A cleaves SNAP-25 at residues 197/198 (amino acids QR). See, Foran P, et al., Biochemistry (1996) 35:2630-6; and Lewis J, et al., (1999) supra. BoNT/E cleaves SNAP-25 at residues 180/181 (amino acids RI).
The unique specificities of BoNT/A and BoNT/E for SNAP-25 was suggested to be directed through the recognition of a nine residue sequence, termed the SNARE motif. The SNARE motif is about 50 amino acids in length and assumes a coiled confirmation. The SNARE motif in SNAP-25 is common to the other two SNARE proteins: VAMP and syntaxin. SNAP-25, VAMP and syntaxin are the only known substrates of the seven clostridial neurotoxins. There are four copies of the SNARE motif present in SNAP-25. Studies on the interaction of SNAP-25 with BoNT/A and BoNT/E showed that a single copy of the motif is sufficient for BoNT/A and BoNT/E to recognize SNAP-25. Washbourne P et al., FEBS Lett. (1997) 418:1-5. The full kinetic activity of BoNT/A and BoNT/E for SNAP-25 requires at least one SNARE motif. Although the copy of the SNARE motif that is proximal to the SNAP-25 cleavage site is clearly involved in recognition with BoNT/A and BoNT/E, in its absence, other more distant copies of the motif are able to support proteolysis. Id.
The proteolytic attack at specific sites in the protein targets for BoNTs and TeNT induces perturbations of the fusogenic SNARE complex dynamics. These alterations can account for the inhibition of spontaneous and evoked quantal neurotransmitter release caused by the neurotoxins.
The botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are some of the most potent and persistent toxins known and can be delivered by an oral or inhalation route. These properties have contributed to attempts by others to use BoNT as a bioweapon. No effective antidote for BoNT intoxication is available. Current therapy consists primarily of long term ventilator support, although early administration of hyperimmune antiserum within the first 12 hours can shorten the duration of paralysis. This therapy currently involves administration of horse serum derived antibodies with the risks of anaphylactic reaction. Human hyperimmune antiserum is used to treat infantile botulism. Human hyperimmune antiserum is too limited a source for use in a bioterrorism attack involving BoNT. Monoclonal IgG antitoxins are being pursued for BoNT therapy, but at least three different monoclonal antibodies are required to inhibit each of the serotypes of botulinum neurotoxin. The cost of producing an oligoclonal treatment consisting of 15-18 monoclonal antibodies is not commercially feasible.
Immunization is currently the major biodefense strategy against BoNT attacks. Although vaccination can clearly protect against the paralytic effects of the toxin, there are clear limitations to this strategy which include: 1) the need to vaccinate a large at risk population to prevent disease in even a small number of exposed individuals; 2) active vaccination must be accomplished well before exposure to the toxin; 3) strains of BoNT can be engineered for bioterrorism, that can evade immune defense or delivered by viral vector overcoming host immunity (See Fishman P S, et al., Nat Toxins 1999, 7:151-6), and; 4) vaccination will interfere with the potential future use of BoNT for medical conditions and deny the current standard of care to immunized patients. Oyler G A, et al., IBRCC (2001).
An alternative strategy to vaccination against BoNT is the development of a clinically useful antidote. Oyler G A, et al., Interagency Botulinum Research Coordinating Committee, 2001. This strategy opens a wide array of possibilities based on the understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of intoxication.
Methods to detect botulinum neurotoxin's catalytic activity have been based on detecting SNARE protein cleavage products in vitro. See, for example, Schmidt U.S. Pat. No. 5,965,699, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The blocking proteolytic activity of the catalytic light chain is a candidate for treatments to inhibit and terminate the action of the toxin. SNARE protein cleavage is a late event in intoxication.
Rapid replenishment of SNARE proteins normally occurs and could result in early restoration of neuromuscular synaptic function. Inhibitors that are able to reach the site of action in the cytosolic compartment of the pre-synaptic terminal of the neuromuscular junction (unprotected by the blood-brain/nerve-barrier) could decrease the neurotoxin's effect in infected individuals. There is a need for a method to identify a clinically relevant botulinum catalytic inhibitor that penetrates to the intracellular site of action of the toxin and is non-toxic to living cells. Therefore, a need exists for a method for screening inhibitors of botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A), to identify neurotoxin inhibitors that function both in vitro and in living cells. There is also a need for a method of screening inhibitors of botulinum neurotoxin type E (BoNT/E), type C (BoNT/C), type B (BoNT/B), type D (BoNT/D), type F (BoNT/F) and type G (BoNT/G) that can be used to identify neurotoxin inhibitors that function both in vitro and in living cells. In order to facilitate the identification and development of such botulinum toxin inhibitors, there is a need for a system to rapidly assess botulinum toxin catalytic activity.


The print system includes a 3D-printer system having a housing, a CNC robot having food silos for storing toppings, an electronic device may be coupled to the 3D-printer system and the CNC robot and receive input via a user interface. The print system also includes a cart that may include a plurality of wheels to facilitate movement of the print system. The cart is also configured to support the 3D-printer system, the CNC robot and the electronic device. The interior of the cart may also house an air compressor as well as a water and food residue receptacle that receives water and food residue resulting from an auto-cleaning process of the print system, which is discussed below in detail. The cart may (i) house a coupling to a clean water source and as containers for storing cleaning solution, and (ii) be configured to support a cleaning compartment.

A pizza is a flatbread generally topped with tomato sauce, toppings and cheese, baked in an oven. Today, pizza has become a favorite cuisine among numerous people. However, pizzas have been criticized as having an unhealthy balance of ingredients. Pizzas can be high in salt, fat and food energy.
Typically, pizzas come in a circular shape. Some pizza restaurants offer a limited number (two or three) of pizza sizes. As a result, it becomes almost impossible to configure a pizza to a specific calorie requirement or make a pizza crust of different ingredients.
In light of the above discussion, there appears to be a system and method for customizing and making pizzas on a pizza maker.
Among one of the most challenging and important factors related to the consumer health and safety is a 3D-printer system's ability to be cleaned without leaving traces of microorganisms. For example, connections or couplings within the food path of current systems, disconnects, luer fittings and NPT fittings are present, which provide opportunities for food residue to remain after printing. In several areas within the food path of current systems, viscous food may be reefed around the cracks and, as a result, cannot be cleaned easily with unidirectional hot water and detergent cleaning. Additionally, viscous food may end up being stuck around the outer surface of a print nozzle of current systems, which requires frequent manual cleaning. When a user forgets to clean outer surface of the print nozzle, opportunities are created for microorganism growth. Frequently, biofilm formation is observed around poorly cleaned disconnects, luer fittings, national pipe threading (NPT) fittings and print nozzles. Microorganisms on wet surfaces have the ability to aggregate, grow into microcolonies, and produce biofilm. Growth of biofilms in food processing environments leads to increased opportunity for microbial contamination of the processed product. These biofilms may contain spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. Microorganisms within biofilms are protected from sanitizers increasing the likelihood of survival and subsequent contamination of food. This increases the risk of reduced shelf life and disease transmission
Currently systems may regularly dispose of all parts that come into physical contact with food including food pipes, couplers and nozzles to prevent microorganism contamination, which can become very expensive. Thus, what is needed is a proper and permanent automatic cleaning system within a 3D-printer system that ensures no biofilm formation, removes food residue within tubing and print nozzles in an affordable manner.

3D-print system with integrated CNC robot and automatic self-cleaning mechanism


Electronic devices having input structures that are operative to translate a relatively small travel of an input surface to a larger travel elsewhere. For example, force exerted on an input surface of an input body may cause a corresponding input body to move a first distance. An arm, lever mechanism, or the like may have an end or other portion that moves a second distance in response to the input body's motion. The second distance may be greater than the first; in some embodiments, the second distance may be an order of magnitude or more than the first distance. The travel may close or open a switch in response to the force exerted on the input surface.

Many electronic devices employ mechanical switches, such as collapsing dome switches, as input mechanisms. Mechanical switches are generally reliable and provide inherent haptic feedback, as a user can often feel the mechanism of the switch closing.
However, as electronic devices have become more space-constrained, mechanical switches have presented problems. Many mechanical switches need a minimum amount of space to operate. For example, a typical dome switch needs about 200 microns of travel for the dome to collapse and close the switch. This is especially problematic in very thin electronic devices.
Solid-state input structures may greatly reduce required space and particularly travel. Many solid-state buttons travel 10 microns or less when force is exerted thereon. Solid-state buttons can use force sensors to determine when the button is pressed, for example. The force sensor registers a change in capacitance, resistance, current, voltage, or other electrical value when the solid-state button moves or flexes, even though such motion may be very small.
Solid-state input structures tend to require much more power than classic mechanical input structures and also have relatively high latency. Further, solid-state input structures are relatively complex and expensive when compared to mechanical input structures. However, a mechanical switch configured to amplify and transfer input travel to another location may combine several advantages of traditional mechanical switches and solid-state input structures. For example, such a low-travel mechanical switch would provide the lower-cost and increased simplicity of a traditional mechanical switch with the low vertical switch profile typical in solid-state input structures.

Electronic device having travel-magnifying input/output structure


Described herein are molding compositions of blends of a poly(aryl ether) resin and a polyetherimide resin. These compositions have improved environmental stress crack resistance.

This invention is directed to a molding composition comprising blends of a poly(aryl ether) resin and a polyetherimide.
Poly(aryl ether) resins are tough rigid high strength thermoplastics which maintain their properties over a wide temperature range of from -150.degree. F. to above 300.degree. F. They have a high continuous use temperature of about 300.degree. F. They are hydrolytically stable and have excellent mechanical and electrical properties which allows them to be molded into a variety of articles.
Poly(aryl ether) resins are highly resistant to mineral acids, and salt solutions but when exposed to polar organic solvents, they readily stress crack.
Thus, it is desirable to increase the environmental stress crack resistance of poly(aryl ether) resins to make them more acceptable for use in a solvent environment without essentially effecting their mechanical or electrical properties.
It has now been unexpectedly found that the addition of a polyetherimide to a poly(aryl ether) yields compositions which have significantly improved environmental stress crack resistance. Also, surprisingly, the blends of polyetherimide and poly(aryl ether) resins exhibit excellent mechanical compatibility over the entire compositional range. Further, addition of the poly(aryl ether) to the polyetherimide results in improved impact strength of the polyetherimide.

Blends of poly(aryl ether) resins and polyetherimide resins


Embodiments of the present invention are directed to techniques for removing epitaxy defect regions (or nodules) from a semiconductor structure. In a non-limiting embodiment of the invention, a sacrificial gate is formed over a channel region of a fin. The sacrificial gate can include a gate hard mask and a spacer. A source or drain region is formed adjacent to the channel region, resulting in a defect region being formed on a surface of the gate hard mask or the spacer. An organic planarization layer (OPL) is formed on a surface of the source or drain region and the defect region is removed.

The present invention generally relates to fabrication methods and resulting structures for semiconductor devices, and more specifically, to the removal of epitaxy defect regions (or nodules) from transistor features such as dummy gates, hard masks, and spacers.
Traditional metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) fabrication techniques include process flows for constructing planar field effect transistors (FETs). A planar FET includes a substrate (also referred to as a silicon slab), a gate formed over the substrate, source and drain regions formed on opposite ends of the gate, and a channel region near the surface of the substrate under the gate. The channel region electrically connects the source region to the drain region while the gate controls the current in the channel. The gate voltage controls whether the path from drain to source is an open circuit ("off") or a resistive path ("on").
In recent years, research has been devoted to the development of nonplanar transistor architectures. Some non-planar transistor architectures, such as fin-type field effect transistors (finFETs) and nanosheet field effect transistors (NSFETs), employ semiconductor channels with various replacement metal gate (RMG) and gate-all-around (GAA) technologies to achieve increased device density, greater power efficiency, and some increased performance over lateral devices. In a finFET, for example, a gate runs along the sidewalls and top surface of each semiconductor fin, enabling fuller depletion in the channel region, and reducing short-channel effects due to steeper subthreshold swing (SS) and smaller drain induced barrier lowering (DIBL). Epitaxial growth processes are used to form many of the features (e.g., the source/drain) of these non-planar transistors.

Removal of epitaxy defects in transistors

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


There is disclosed an improved clasp formed by a clasp bar including a pair of clasp arms extending outwardly from a central junction point, each of the clasp arms terminating in an outer end, the opposed outer ends being provided with cooperating lock means such that the clasp bar may be utilized to encircle a substantially flexible article and the lock means manipulated to encircle and lockingly engage the flexible article within the confines formed by the clasp arms and central junction point and the locking means. Various of the embodiments disclose a clasp bar wherein the clasp arms are formed of a resilient material and may be biasingly urged into touching contact in order to permit the lock means to cooperatively engage one another thereby to encircle and lock the flexible article therein.

The extensive use of plastic packaging to preserve a variety of articles has become well known and extensive. Perhaps the most prevalent use of flexible plastic packaging relates to the preservation of food products once a food package is opened and the food article is to be retained in a storage facility such as a refrigerator. For example, the extensive use of polyethylene plastic bags for the preservation of open food articles is in extensive use today.
Typically, the plastic bags or other flexible plastic packaging articles have one open end to permit the insertion and removal of the article from the bag. Once an article is inserted within the confines of the bag, the bag is twisted into a closed position, and a clasp fastener of some type is then used to encircle the stem of the bag and fastened. The most common form of the fastener utilized today consists of a wire which is encased in a paper casing, the fastening accomplished by simply manipulating the wire around the stem of the bag, and fastening the ends of the wire by a twisting motion. Another form of a plastic fastener consists of a flat piece of substantially resilient plastic which has a slot cut into one side of the plastic terminating in an open slot area which permits the operator to insert the plastic stem of the bag through the slot and into the open area in a bayonet fastener type arrangement. However, this type of fastener has been found to be less than desirable since the plastic bag cannot be adequately closed and hence, air is permitted to leak into the bag which causes a spoilage of any food product contained therein.
With respect to the wire type fastener, it has been found that with use, the paper or cardboard casing surrounding the wire often wears extensively which then exposes the ends of the wire to the operator. The exposed wire presents a potential threat of injury to the user since the ends of the wire can puncture and penetrate the fingers of the operator during the fastening procedure.
It has been deemed desirable to develop a fastening system especially adapted for fastening relatively flexible articles, such as the stems of plastic bags, and also useful for any other fastening procedure for encircling and retaining a relatively flexible article, which is easy and simple to use, economic to manufacture, and minimizes the possible exposure of injury to the user thereof. It has therefore been deemed desirable to develop a clasp formed of a resilient material, such as a resilient plastic material, which minimizes or eliminates moving parts, and is basically as easy to utilize as the wire type fastener described hereinabove.


High-performance amagnetic gap layers for electromagnetic transducers are thermally conductive and electrically insulative, as well as providing a dense amorphous surface for forming magnet resistive sensor elements. The amagnetic gap layers include nonmonocrystalline compounds of AIN, SiC, SiO.sub.2, Si.sub.3 N.sub.4, BeO and Ta.sub.2 O.sub.3. The layers provide greatly increased thermal conductivity and breakdown voltage as compared with alumina, and are particularly suited for giant magnetoresistive and spin-valve heads.

The employment of magnetoresistive (MR) elements as sensors for electromagnetic transducers has led to improved performance of heads for disk and tape drives. As is well known, the resistance of an M element varies according to the magnetic field impinging upon the element, so that flowing an electric current through the element can be used to determine that magnetic field by measuring the change in resistance.
While bulk materials may exhibit some MR effect, such effects generally become more pronounced as an element becomes smaller relative to the applied electrical and magnetic flux. Thus it is known that films formed of materials such as Permalloy, which is an alloy of nickel and iron having a high permeability and low coercive force, are useful as sensors for heads when the film thickness is less than about 500 .ANG.. Even thinner films exhibit quantum mechanical effects which can be utilized in devices such as spin valves for MR sensing. Higher storage density associated with smaller bit size also requires smaller MR elements.
Generally speaking, the thinner the film used for MR sensing, the more important that the film have a uniform thickness and structure. As such, the material surface or template upon which the film is formed is important. Heads for hard disk drives commonly include an MR sensor in a gap region located between or adjacent to a pair of magnetically permeable layers that are used for writing signals onto a disk. The conventional material forming the gap is alumina (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3), which is known to be easy to form and work with, and which provides suitable template for forming thin MR films. Alumina, however, has a strong affinity for moisture and tends to form a columnar molecular structure, which is porous, both of which can undermine the quality and integrity of an adjoining MR sensor.
MR elements are also sensitive to a change in temperature, as such a change typically leads to a change in resistance, which can be misinterpreted as a change in magnetic flux or false signal. Thermal asperities caused by ephemeral contact between a head and disk, for example, can cause such signal errors, and for this reason it can be advantageous to thermally isolate an MR sensor. Higher magnetoresistance also generally implies increased heat generation by an MR film, however, and thus greater temperature increases during operation of the sensor. This higher operating temperature can also be deleterious to reading of signals.

Magnetoresistive read/write head with high-performance gap layers


A fullerene composite comprises a matrix formed of ultrafine fullerene such as, for example, C.sub.60 crystallite having diameters in the range of from 5 to 50 nm and a reinforcing member formed of a mixture consisting of carbon nanotubes, carbon nanocapsules, and inevitable indeterminate carbonaceous impurities and incorporated in the matrix. The amount of the reinforcing member incorporated in the matrix is in the range of from 15 to 45% by weight based on the amount of the matrix. Owing to the use of the reinforcing member which contains carbon nanotubes and carbon nanocapsules, the produced fullerene composite is enabled to acquire improved mechanical strength and resistance to deformation, and the wide applicabilities are endowed with fullerene composites.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fullerene composite having a fullerene represented by C.sub.60 as a matrix thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
The fullerene represented by the C.sub.60 molecule, buckminsterfullerene, has a highly symmetrical structure where the carbon atoms are arranged like a soccer ball shape with equivalent covalent bond. The C.sub.60 molecules are packed into fcc structure interacting through van der Waals forces, which exhibits such mechanical properties as plastic deformation and work hardening.
The fullerene molecule is distinct from conventional carbon allotropies, graphite and diamond, for its metallic characteristics as plastic deformation and work hardening as noted above.
The expectation towards utility in various applications of the fullerene as a carbonaceous materials having good properties such as workability.
The study is now under way for application to such functional materials as superconducting materials, semiconducting materials, catalysts and materials for nonlinear optics based on the properties inherent in the fullerene.
However the fullerene has the disadvantage in being deficient in mechanical property because the molecules are bound by the van der Waals forces as described above.
An attempt at using the fullerene for various functional materials in place of the conventional carbonaceous materials, therefore, solves the problem in handling and finds utility with limited applications.
As described above, the fullerene molecule is distinct from conventional carbon allottopics, graphite and diamond, for its metallic characteristics as plastic deformation and work hardening. Further, the fullerene manifests such specific property as superconductivity. Thus, it is expected to find utility in such applications as are capable of making the most of these properties.
Since the fullerene such as C.sub.60 is packed in a fcc structure by the van der Waals forces, it has the deficiency in mechanical property and this causes problems of poor handling.
In view of making the most of such inherent properties of the fullerene as plastic deformation and work hardening and, at the same time the increase of the materials made of the fullerene to promote the utilization of the fullerene. To utilize the fullerene as the materials applicable in various ways with such inherent properties as plastic deformation and work hardening, it is enthusiastically expected to promote the mechanical properties made of the fullerene represented by C.sub.60.

Research Development Corporation of Japan


A decorative lawn ornament for providing inspirational three-dimensional ornamentation. The decorative lawn ornament includes a main body frame formed in the shape of an angel and having a plurality of elongate frame members, a plurality of main body lights, a secondary frame formed in the shape of a bird, a plurality of secondary lights coupled to the secondary frame, a wing motor interior to the secondary frame, a rod motor interior to the main body frame, a rod, and a linkage assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lawn ornaments and more particularly pertains to a new decorative lawn ornament for providing inspirational three-dimensional ornamentation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of lawn ornaments is known in the prior art. More specifically, lawn ornaments heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 2,646,497; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 373,097; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 371,987; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 304,347; U.S. Pat. No. 4,601,924; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,571.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new decorative lawn ornament. The inventive device includes a main body frame formed in the shape of an angel and having a plurality of elongate frame members, a plurality of main body lights, a secondary frame formed in the shape of a bird, a plurality of secondary lights coupled to the secondary frame, a wing motor interior to the secondary frame, a rod motor interior to the main body frame, a rod, and a linkage assembly.
In these respects, the decorative lawn ornament according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing inspirational three-dimensional ornamentation


Large diameter catheters for drainage of body cavities and infusion are disclosed. A removable assembly comprising a stiffening cannula, hollow dilator and wire guide facilitate insertion, reduce trauma and reduce the risk to delicate tissue. The distal tip of the stiffening cannula interfaces with a shoulder within the catheter adjacent to the tip, and insertion is accomplished by application of axial pressure on the cannula which is transmitted to the catheter via the shoulder. The tapered tip of the dilator conforms to and reinforces the pliant tip of the catheter during insertion. The catheter includes a branch line for infusion and sampling.

Catheters for the drainage of body cavities, such as the bladder or the peritoneal cavity or the thoracic cavity, are known to the art. One example of such a catheter is provided as a set with a stiffening cannula which is inserted into an axial lumen extending to the distal tip region and has, as an additional second element, an elongated trocar stylet which is inserted through the stiffening cannula with its sharpened tip projecting through the distal tip of the catheter. The sharpened stylet tip is pushed through the skin and the cavity wall. Thereafter, the stylet is removed and a wire guide may be inserted through the stiffening cannula and the catheter advanced off of the cannula until it is properly placed within the cavity. The stiffening cannula and the wire guide are then removed, and the catheter is connected to the appropriate drainage system. Although the product described above is satisfactory for many applications, the size of catheter employed is relatively small in diameter since, in larger sizes, the pressure which must be applied to the proximal end of the catheter in inserting it into the cavity tends to cause the catheter material to bunch up on the stiffening cannula with the result that insertion becomes quite difficult and traumatic, particularly when catheters made of a very soft and pliable material are employed.
The prior art also includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,199 which discloses apparatus for inserting a catheter into the intercostal space of a human body for the removal of unwanted fluid, such as air or blood. According to the '199 Patent, a syringe having a hollow needle is first inserted into the intercostal space. After verification that the distal tip of the needle is within the space, the syringe is detached from the needle and a wire guide inserted through the needle lumen. The needle is then withdrawn over the wire guide and a catheter having an elongated trocar projected from its distal tip is threaded over the wire guide. The trocar has a flared proximal end portion which interfaces with a similar flared portion of the catheter. As the trocar is pushed into the cavity, the force is transmitted to the catheter and the two are moved as a unit into the intercostal space. The wire guide and the trocar are then removed, and the catheter is attached to the conventional suction or drainage equipment. Like the drainage set first described, the catheter material has a tendency to bunch up as the catheter is inserted, making insertion more difficult and more traumatic to the patient.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,828,744 to Hirsch et al discloses a vascular catheter in which a shoulder on a needle cooperates with a mating surface formed by the end of a sleeve so that the needle fits within what is termed an "external needle". The internal needle imparts stiffness to the end portion of the external needle to facilitate insertion into a blood vessel.

Arrow International Investment Corporation


A three-dimensional printing system includes a light source unit, at least one image-capturing module, a processing unit and a printing device. The image-capturing module includes an image-capturing unit and a focus-adjusting lens group. The processing unit controls a zooming lens to change a shooting focal length and controlling multiple images of the object to be measured captured by the image-capturing unit under the different shooting focal lengths, wherein each of the plural images includes focused and unfocused local images therein, and the processing unit calculates out a three-dimensional profile data of the object to be measured according to the focused local images in the images and the shooting focal lengths corresponding to the focused local images. The printing device prints multiple cross-sectional profiles corresponding to the object to be measured. Further, a method for three-dimensional printing is also provided.

Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a printing system and a printing method, and more particularly, to a three-dimensional printing system and a method for three-dimensional printing.
Description of Related Art
Along with the staggering advancements of science and technology today, people are no longer satisfied with the two-dimensional copying technology. In recent years, solid printing technology, namely three-dimensional (3D) printing technology makes a solid object can also be printed for reproduction, which thus is able to quickly and inexpensively mass-produce products.
The 3D printing technology can be used in mold manufacturing, industrial design and other fields in order to create models. In recent years, some products are also directly manufactured with the 3D printing technology. In particular, for some high-value applications (such as hip or teeth, or some aircraft parts), the 3D printing technology have been used to make the above-mentioned parts. In general, the three-dimensional printing technology design process is: first, through a computer-aided design (CAD) or a computer animation modelling software, performing modelling; and then, slicing the built 3D model into a plurality of cross-sectional layers so as to guide a printer for printing layer by layer.
However, for an existed physical object, people need to additionally use artificial means and through a CAD or a computer animation modelling software to scan the physical object followed by performing 3D printing. In this way, not only it is difficult to improve the accuracy of the reproduction, but also it spends additional time and labor, thereby increases the cost of reproduction. Therefore, how to accurately and efficiently obtain the profile of an object to be reproduced has become one of the issues to be solved in the three-dimensional printing technology now.

Three-dimensional printing system and method for three-dimensional printing


A fixed bed reactor for cyclic, catalytic dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons, such as alkanes and a reactor-internal device for improving distribution of hydrocarbon feed into the fixed catalyst bed of the reactor. The device comprises a vertical deflector plate with multiple horizontal slits and a frustum cone with multiple perforations on the lateral surface, connected to the bottom end of the plate. The reactor includes a main horizontal reaction vessel containing a fixed catalyst bed and a cactus-shaped inlet assembly sub-divided into three inlets at the upper half portion to supply fluid streams, including hydrocarbon feed, to the catalyst bed. The distributor device is positioned inside a main central vertical arm of the inlet assembly form by the convergence of the three inlets. Various embodiments of the distributor device where the slit thicknesses, distance between slits, perforation diameter, distance between perforations are varied, are also provided.

The "background" description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description which may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the present invention.
The dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons, involves the breaking of two carbon-hydrogen (C—H) bonds with the simultaneous formation of a hydrogen molecule (H2) and a molecule containing a double carbon-carbon bond (C═C). The double bond is a highly reactive point that permits the use of double bond-containing molecules as intermediates for the production of typical petrochemical products such as polymers. Dehydrogenation reactions that are of significant industrial interest include dehydrogenation of low paraffins (C2-C5 alkanes) to produce corresponding olefins or alkenes, dehydrogenation of C10-C15 linear paraffins to yield linear-alkyl-benzenes and ethyl benzenes that provide starting points for the production of polystyrene plastics.
Dehydrogenation of alkanes to olefins can generally be classified as either oxidative or non-oxidative reactions. Disadvantages associated with oxidative dehydrogenation include high exothermicity and low desired product selectivity and quality. Non-oxidative processes (i.e., direct dehydrogenation or catalytic dehydrogenation) can suffer from the requirement of a continuous heat supply to initiate the endothermic reaction. The temperatures that are required to shift the equilibria favorably to alkene products during direct dehydrogenation can promote rapid deactivation of the catalyst by coking, resulting in the need for frequent catalyst regeneration. These high temperatures can also lead to thermal cracking of the alkanes, which can lead to undesirable non-selective side reactions that result in formation of byproducts.
Dehydrogenation reactions may appear simplistic; their thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics have, nevertheless, contributed to make the development of technologies that allow for a reliable and efficient industrial application, rather complex. Presently, CATOFIN™, Oleflex, STAR and FBH (Fluidized Bed Dehydrogenation) are technologies used industrially to dehydrogenate propane, n-butane, isobutane and isopentane to the corresponding monolefins.
The CATOFIN™ process uses multiple horizontal reactors that are each equipped with a fixed catalyst bed. The CATOFIN™ process includes three main steps: preheating, catalytic dehydrogenation and regeneration of the catalyst (decoking). The dehydrogenation and the regeneration are cyclic, and are designed to run adiabatically with the catalyst on hydrocarbon feed for very short cycles, followed by the regeneration. A key principal of the process is that the consumption of heat during the endothermic dehydrogenation reaction is closely in balance with the heat restored to the bed during the regeneration cycles. In recent years, the CATOFIN™ process has emerged as a competitive production process for propylene and isobutylene due to its higher product selectivity, energy efficiency and low operating cost with the advance of the catalyst.
In any reaction involving a solid catalyst bed, uniform distribution of fluids and uniform fluid flow are crucial to achieving high process efficiency. The state of the art addresses mostly vertical reactors with two phase charge in downward flow.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,734,728 discloses the design of a gas distributor with ring sparger for an ammonia oxidizer (a vertical reactor). The feed inlet is from the center and the oxidizer is a vertical vessel with a catalyst bed. The bed velocities are uniform and are lowered by the distributor, which is designed with computational fluid dynamics (CFD).
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2012/0079938 discloses a radial flow distributor design for a vertical reactor. The ratio of mass flow rates of process gas is kept proportional to the flow areas of flow channels.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,372,354 describes devices and a system that improves fluid mixing and distribution to the underlying catalyst bed of a vertical reactor. The devices and system also offer other advantages such as decreased mixing tray height, easier maintenance, assembly and disassembly.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2013/0221123 discloses a reactor inlet distributor and a perforated deflector for a vertical reactor. A relation between the diameter of the perforated distributor, the height of the opening of the inlet distributor pipe of the reactor inlet distributor and the outer diameter of the inlet distributor pipe is given.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,032,894 discloses a device for distributing a gas into a monolith bed of a vertical reactor. The distributor consists of a plurality of flow channels stacked in order of decreasing diameter. The flow channels successively split a flow stream into multiple flow streams prior to flow streams entering the monolith bed.
European Patent Application 2075056 discloses a distributor nozzle for a two phase charge to be used in fixed bed reactors, with the aim of increasing the area over which the mixture is dispersed and making its flow rate equal over the whole area of the bed in the reactor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,298,226 discloses a perforated plate fluid distributor device that provides uniform gas flow in pressure swing, fixed adsorbent bed vessels.
All of the aforementioned references are incorporated by reference in their entireties.
Reactions of fluid starting materials with a fluid oxidant stream over a fixed-bed catalyst are usually carried, out in upright reactors in which the solid catalysts are present as catalyst beds through which the reactants flow axially or radially. In the CATOFIN™ process, the introduction and mixing-in of the hydrocarbon feed, air and steam, generally has to be effected very uniformly over the entire entry area into the catalyst upstream of the catalyst beds, with very little inhomogeneity of the mixture and within a very short time, frequently less than 0.1 seconds, in order to suppress secondary reactions such as flame formation, cracking, soot formation, etc.
These requirements are virtually impossible to realize in the case of vertical axial reactors and can be realized only with great difficulty in radial reactors. Hence, horizontal fixed-bed reactors, i.e. reactors having a horizontal longitudinal axis and generally a cylindrical shape, are better suited to meeting the above requirements of the CATOFIN™ process.
Thus, what is needed is a horizontal reactor and a device placed inside the reactor and/or a reactor feed line or feed port that improve the distribution of hydrocarbon feed over the catalyst bed for CATOFIN™ processes.

Reactors and reactor-internal devices for dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons


The present invention relates to a modified diene elastomer predominantly comprising a species coupled via a group bearing a function comprising a silicon atom predominantly hydrolyzed into silanol and a tertiary amine function, linked to the diene elastomer via the silicon atom, and to the process for synthesizing the modified diene elastomer. This elastomer has the particular feature of not undergoing any change in Mooney viscosity during its storage.

1. Field
The present invention relates to a modified diene elastomer comprising a group bearing a function comprising a silicon atom predominantly hydrolysed into silanol and a tertiary amine function, and also to a process for synthesizing this diene elastomer. The present invention also relates to a reinforced rubber composition, which can be used especially in the manufacture of tires, comprising this modified diene elastomer.
2. Description of Related Art
Now that savings in fuel and the need to protect the environment have become a priority, it is desirable to produce blends that have good mechanical properties and hysteresis that is as low as possible in order to be able to use them in the form of rubber compositions that may be used in the manufacture of various semi-finished products included in the composition of tires.
Many solutions have already been explored to achieve the objective of lowering hysteresis. Mention may be made in particular of modification of the structure of diene polymers and copolymers by means of functionalization agents, with the aim of obtaining good interaction between the polymer thus modified and the filler, whether it is carbon black or another reinforcing filler.
Among numerous diene elastomer modifications, it has especially been proposed to improve the properties of rubber compositions by using elastomers functionalized with a silanol function.
Patent applications EP 0 778 311 A1, EP 0 786 493 A1 and EP 0 877 047 A1 have described a rubber composition reinforced using, respectively, as reinforcing filler, silica, carbon black and carbon black bearing silica fixed onto its surface, based on a diene polymer functionalized at the chain end with a silanol function or a polysiloxane block bearing at least one silanol end group or a diene polymer functionalized along its chain with silanol functions.
Patent application EP 2 139 703 proposes a functional elastomer having monomodal distribution of the number-average molecular masses of the chains, bearing a silanol function located essentially in the middle of the chain. This functional elastomer offers a composition containing it an improved compromise in terms of use in raw form/hysteresis especially relative to an elastomer essentially functionalized at the end of the chain with a silanol function.
It has also been proposed to combine the functionalization of diene elastomers by combining a silanol function with another function. Thus, patent application WO 2009/077 837 A1 describes an elastomer functionalized at one chain end with a silanol function, the other chain end bearing an amine function.
Moreover, patent application EP 2 266 819 A1 proposes, in view of its properties of attenuating heating and its synthesis limiting the production of volatile organic compounds, a diene elastomer functionalized at the end of the chain with a silanol function bearing a function promoting bonding between the silanol function of the elastomer and the reinforcing filler in a rubber composition.
Nevertheless, it appears that certain diene elastomers modified with a group bearing both an amine function and a silanol function pose problems of evolution of the macrostructures especially during storage, which leads to degradation of the potentially advantageous properties of these elastomers. Most particularly, it turns out that certain diene elastomers functionalized at the end of the chain with a silanol function bearing an amine function lead to large changes in Mooney viscosity.
The problem of evolution of macrostructure during the synthesis or storing of modified diene elastomers is known especially in relation with modified elastomers comprising alkoxysilane functions.
Numerous studies have focused on Mooney stabilization during the synthesis of this type of modified elastomer and during its storage. As an illustration, mention may be made of patent EP 0 801 078 B1 claiming the addition of a carboxylic acid to the elastomer solution, before the stripping step, in order to neutralize the basicity introduced by the anionic polymerization initiator and to minimize the hydrolysis of the alkoxysilane groups. Patent EP 1 198 506 B1 proposes to add a compound of alkyl alkoxysilane type (R1nSi(OR2)4-n) to the elastomer solution, before the stripping step, with a high (20/1) n(R1nSi(OR2)4-n)/n(Polymer-SiOR′) mole ratio so as to promote the reaction between the alkyl alkoxysilane and a part of the polymer that is in its totally or partially hydrolysed form, Polymer-SiOH, on stripping. Finally, mention may be made of patent EP 1 237 934 B1 which describes the addition of a long-chain alcohol to the elastomer solution, before the stripping step, so as to minimize the hydrolysis reactions on stripping and consequently the formation of Si—O—Si bonds during storage.
Nevertheless, these processes do not adopt the approach initiated in patent application EP 2 266 819 A1 of minimizing the impact of the synthetic process on the emission of volatile organic compounds.

Diene elastomer modified by coupling having silanol functions, synthesis method for same, and rubber composition comprising modified diene elastomer

COMPAGNIE GENERALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS MICHELIN


The document holder described herein is portable and comprises tangible document compartments for reversible insertion of tangible documents. Each tangible document compartment preferably attaches to an integral uppermost holder layer while it horizontally and laterally aligns with each remaining adjacent tangible document compartment. The document holder is flexible and comprises magnetic components and attaching components that reversibly attach to a curved surface or a flat surface. When initially attached to an interior curved or flat vehicle surface, the document holder is rapidly manually removed and reattached to the exterior curved or flat surface of the same vehicle. A third person exterior to the vehicle may then read or access the tangible documents without a driver or passenger manually retrieving the documents from the vehicle's interior.

The disclosed invention generally relates to a portable document holder from which inserted tangible documents may be quickly and manually retrieved. More particularly, this invention relates to portable flexible document holder that reversibly and repeatedly attaches to a flat or curved surface and where the flat or curved surface comprises any one of a number of diverse materials. This invention further relates to a portable flexible document holder which (i) reversibly and repeatedly attaches to a curved surface or flat even surface whenever that surface is subjected to weather exterior, and where (ii) the document holder flexibly and reversibly reverts to its original physical configuration and dimensions whenever no external force(s) acts upon it.
More particularly this invention relates to a document holder that reversibly and repeatedly attaches to a vehicle interior flat or curved surface so tangible documents inserted within the document holder are easily viewed by a third person positioned exterior to this same vehicle. Even more particularly, this invention relates to a document holder which reversibly and repeatedly attaches to a vehicle interior curved or flat surface, and thereafter is rapidly manually and reversibly transferred to a vehicle exterior curved or flat surface for view by a third person positioned exterior to the same motor vehicle.
The document holder disclosed herein preferably reversibly attaches to an interior or exterior surface of a building, fixture or vehicle. In particular, this document holder reversibly attaches to a steering wheel, dashboard, or other vehicle interior surface. In those states where a vehicle owner may attach devices to a dashboard, the cardholder may reversibly and repeatedly attach to a windshield interior surface. For law enforcement officials observing through a driver's side door window, the disclosed document holder provides an improved means for submitting vehicle related information without or use of the driver's or passenger's or law enforcement official's hands. The preferred document holder preferably displays tangible documents within transparent horizontally aligned substantially transparent compartments for this purpose.
In the most preferred utility the method of use comprises                (i) the initial reversible attachment of the document holder to an interior vehicle surface during routine driving and parking activities, but which is        (ii) thereafter manually removed from the interior vehicle surface and immediately        (iii) attached to the same vehicle's exterior curved or flat surface immediately below the driver side window.
In this manner, after the third person's arrival at the driver's vehicle door, such as a law enforcement officer, the requested tangible documents are already displayed upon the exterior surface of the vehicle door. Neither the driver nor the passenger requires further manual activity or display of hands and arms for the third person to read or otherwise observe the documents within the horizontal aligned compartments of the document holder.
Furthermore, after the third person departs the driver may then quickly reach through the vehicle window and detach the document holder device from the exterior vehicle surface. The driver may then rapidly and securely attach the document holder to the steering wheel or other easily observed and accessible vehicle interior surface.
Previous document holders, and especially those which are designated for use with motor vehicles, do not solve reading or access of tangible documents by third persons exterior to a motor vehicle. In particular, previous card holders do not require a driver or exterior third person at the exterior of a vehicle to easily and rapidly view or physically access written information                (i) Within a vehicle interior, or        (ii) along an exterior vehicle surface, and        (iii) in an easily readable accessible position with all tangible documents simultaneously readable and retrievable in a lateral configuration.
For example, U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. US 2008/0127543 A1 (Brown) discloses a message card holder along a windshield adjacent to a dashboard. The card holder's posterior surface includes a non-slip or adhesive strip which contacts the dashboard and prevents the holder from sliding whenever the vehicle turns. However, Brown does not disclose structural features for reversibly attaching to a vehicle exterior surface or any other interior surface, and where this exterior surface generally comprises a painted metal. Furthermore, unlike this holder, the disclosed card holder does not comprise adhesives, as explained infra.
U.S. App. Pat. No. US 2014/0373987 A1 (Ming) disclose a card holder which is reversibly secured to a safety belt, and the belt is clasped between opposing portions of the card holder. However, Ming does not disclose structural features by which to reversibly attach and remove his card holder to a vehicle interior surface or a vehicle exterior surface without clasps or other metal attaching devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,796,338 (Kim) discloses a card holder that is secured to a vehicle interior structures such as a console, dashboard or armrest. However, this card holder cannot be removed from these interior surfaces and thereafter manually, rapidly and securely attached to the exterior surface of a vehicle door. U.S. Pat. No. 6,782,998 (Koran) discloses a credit card holder displaying flexing of inserted cards for easy removal from protective holders. However, this credit card holder does not comprise structural features by which to reversibly attach to either an interior or exterior curved or flat surface in a flexible manner. U.S. Pat. App. No. US 2008/0127534 A1 (Brown) disclose a card holder which is both supported upon and fastened to a vehicle dashboard with non-slip or adhesive strips. However, the document holder disclosed herein does not comprise adhesive strips for reversible and repeated attachment to a flat or curved surface.
Amazon discloses a card holder that adheres to a vehicle exterior surface with a peeling strip but without means to reversibly attach or re-attached either an interior vehicle surface, an exterior vehicle surface or other surfaces which do not comprise part of a vehicle. https://www.amazon.com/Business-Exterior-Included-Pictured-S1-O . . . (Jul. 16, 2018). Ebay discloses business card and brochure holders that attach to exterior vehicle surfaces by, although not exclusively, detachable mounting plates and adhesive tape pads, mounting brackets, exposed magnets, adhesive strips, Velcro® hook and loop fasteners, and suction cups. See https://www.ebay.com/bhp/vehicle-business-card-holder (Aug. 6, 2018). Still other card holders require clips to attach to a vehicle interior surface. https://www.bing.com/images/search/view+detailV2&ccid=bYrpkjvT. . . . Other card holders comprise a single compartment that suspends from a rearview mirror or self-adheres to a vehicle window interior surface. https://www.mvparkingpermpit.com/prking-permit-holders?engine=m. . . .
None of the previously existing card holders described supra accomplishes all of the following as does my novel document holder:
(i) display of tangible documents in a lateral manner so a third person exterior to the vehicle may easily read them without manual activity by a person within the vehicle or this third person,
(ii) display of tangible documents upon curved metal surfaces after the document holder's reattachment thereto,
(iii) absence of scratching, residue or otherwise marring of the painted finish on these curved metal surfaces after repeated attachments and removal of the document holder,
(iv) repeated reversible attachment to any curved or flat surface surface,
(v) with absence of any adhesive component, and
(vi) attachment to an exterior vehicle driver's side door surface after previous attachment to an interior vehicle surface within approximately five seconds.
Furthermore, none of the above previously existing card holders are structurally adapted to
(i) be sufficiently illuminated for observation and reading during adverse weather and nighttime conditions; and
(ii) attach to surfaces made of one or more of a number of diverse materials, and
(iii) without assistance from additional mechanical or adhesive attachments.
The document holder described herein preferably retrofits to any curved or flat surface on either the interior or exterior of a motor vehicle, and even when the surface exhibits moisture or otherwise contains debris. The presence of both sticky segments and magnets as described infra, and which comprise the surface of the document holder that contacts an adjacent non-holder surface, insures that attachment is independent of the properties of materials comprising this adjacent non-holder surface. This feature is particularly important when the driver attaches the document holder to a driver's side door exterior surface (i) within no more than five seconds and (ii) where vehicle surfaces are not necessarily free from dust, other debris, and are not necessarily flat.
In sum, Applicant's invention by virtue of its physical features, and combined materials behavior, is not limited to use in either a vehicle interior or exterior surface. Instead, it can be securely yet reversibly attached to vehicle surfaces, as well as other surfaces which do not comprise part of a vehicle. In part because of its combination of adhesive and magnetic attaching features, the document holder can be used in any building, motor vehicle or outdoor structure because of                (i) attachment to curved or flat surfaces,        (ii) in any weather conditions,        (iii) in a repeated reversible manner,        (iv) attachment upon a surface for an indefinite time period, and/or
thereafter removed and attached to a second surface for an indefinite time period.

Portable document holder and method of use