A device for applying electromagnetic therapy by sequentially generating pulsing electromagnetic fields for treating a patient in need of the therapy, the device comprising a high frequency signal generator, a low frequency signal generator, a comparator and an amplifier for treating the signals generated by the generators for generating pulsing fields that can be applied to a desired part of the body of a patient through a radiating coil, the device also including a monitoring circuit for monitoring the application of the electromagnetic pulsating field.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the medical field of the electromagnetism applied to the therapy of some diseases like osteoporosis, bone and tissue diseases and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to a device for sequentially generating pulsing electromagnetic fields intended for therapeutic use in bone and muscle diseases. The invention also relates to an apparatus, preferably a bed, for applying electromagnetic fields to a patient in need of electromagnetic therapy.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known to provide magnetic therapy by subjecting a patient to a magnetic field from permanent magnets and several magnetic devices applied in different therapies, mainly in kinesiology.
These devices are mainly based on at least two coils that generate a stationary magnetic field. The diseased parts of the patient have to be passed through the magnetic field lines.
The field strength that is necessary for these treatments requires the use of relatively large coils, therefore, these devices are bulky and quite heavy.
It would be therefore convenient to have a new device for applying electromagnetic therapies and capable of being portable and operable with batteries and also capable of being combined with an apparatus, like a therapeutic bed, for treating larger areas of the body of a patient resting on the bed.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a circuit or device overcoming the above problems and drawbacks, the device being capable of sequentially generating pulsing electromagnetic fields and comprising at least two signal generators, one signal being a high frequency signal and another signal being a low frequency signal, a comparator and an amplifier for treating the signals for generating pulsing fields that can be applied to a desired part of the body of a patient through irradiating or radiating means, the device also including a monitoring circuit for monitoring the application of the electromagnetic pulsating field.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a device for applying electromagnetic therapy by sequentially generating pulsing electromagnetic fields for treatment of bone diseases and osteoporosis, the apparatus being of the type generating low power electromagnetic pulses, the device comprising a high frequency signal generator; a low frequency signal generator comprising an astable multivibrator including a controlling means comprising a selector connected to a plurality of capacitive reactances that may be selectively and alternatively enabled for varying the charging time between 1.25 and 1.5 microseconds; a comparator having inputs connected to respective outputs of said signal generators; an amplifier circuit having an input connected to an output of the comparator, for amplifying an output signal of the comparator comprised of a high frequency pulse train; a converter circuit connected to an output of the amplifier circuit, for monitoring the amplifier circuit output; and an inductive reactance connected to the output of the amplifier circuit and comprising a means for radiating the pulsing electromagnetic fields, said radiating means being defined by an open circuit coil, wherein one terminal of the coil is connected to the output of said amplifier circuit by means of a coaxial cable.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a therapeutic apparatus for applying pulsing electromagnetic fields for treating a patient in need of the therapy, the apparatus comprising the above described device and a resting table for receiving the patient, the radiating means comprising at least one radiating strap movably arranged along the table, the strap being selectively located in a proper position for irradiating a desired part of the body of the patient.
It is even another object of the present invention to provide an electromagnetic pulse generator that, unlike the traditional devices using stationary magnetic fields, provides pulsing fields that are extremely effective for treating different bone diseases, and particularly in the case of osteoporosis, with the recovery periods of time which are significantly shorter.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a device with better therapeutic effectiveness by using pulsing fields based on the generation of a train of high frequency waves, preferably 60 microsecond pulses in sequences varying between 1.25 and 1.5 seconds in relation to the position selected, with a controlling means comprising a selector for selecting different capacitive reactances.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be better understood when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and description.

Device for applying electromagnetic therapy


A phase shift circuit may include a ramp generation unit charging or discharging a capacitor connected to a switch device to generate a ramp signal, a reference signal generation unit generating a predetermined reference signal from the ramp signal, and a comparison unit comparing the ramp signal with the reference signal to generate a clock signal, wherein at least one of the reference signal generation unit and the comparison unit changes a negative or positive value of offset components included in the reference signal or the ramp signal within every operating period of the switch device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a phase shift circuit capable of significantly reducing electromagnetic interference (EMI) in input and an output signals by controlling a phase difference between driving signals of switches operating a main circuit and a sub circuit included in a power factor correction circuit, and a power factor correction circuit including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently in the electrical engineering and electronics fields, research into a method of removing harmonic components occurring in an input terminal of an electronic device so as to significantly reduce an effect thereof on a power supply line of the electronic device and interference with other devices has been actively conducted. An efficient method of removing harmonic components may use a power factor correction circuit (PFC) which may be divided into a passive type power factor correction circuit or an active type power factor correction circuit, according to whether the power factor correction circuit includes a switch. The passive type power factor correction circuit has a large form factor and a reasonably small effect. As a result, active type power factor correction circuits are extensively used.
Among active type power factor correction circuits, an interleaved type power factor correction circuit using at least two same power factor correction circuits connected to each other in parallel has characteristics that depend on a phase difference between signals operating a plurality of circuits connected to each other in parallel. For example, in the case that two same power factor correction circuits are connected to each other in parallel in a master-slave scheme, driving signals for operating switches included in each of the two circuits have a phase difference of 180° with respect to each other, such that the electro-magnetic interference of the input and output signals may be significantly reduced. Provided the phase difference between the driving signals for each of the main circuit and the sub circuit is out of 180°, a ripple component of the input current is increased, such that the electromagnetic interference is also increased.
In the interleaved type power factor correction circuit, various types of phase shift circuits have been proposed to maintain the phase difference between the switch devices included in each circuit at a required value. However, the phase shift circuit according to the related art may have limited conditions upon selecting current sources included in the phase shift circuit or there may be a difficulty in generating a phase difference required by the phase shift circuit.
In the Related Art Document below, Patent Document 1 relates to an interleaved type switching converter, a control apparatus, and a method thereof and discloses a method of generating a control signal by switching a power supply using an interleaved type and keeping a phase difference of a required value, 180°. Patent Document 2 relates to a phase shift and synchronous circuit and discloses contents regarding control of sinking between control signals of each switch device in an interleaved type power factor correction circuit. However, both of Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not disclose a configuration of offsetting an overall average of offset components by changing a negative or positive value of the offset components of an input signal every period in the phase shift circuit only including a single current source.

Phase shift circuit and power factor correction circuit including the same

UNIVERSITY OF SEOUL INDUSTRY COOPERATION FOUNDATION


A system for controlling a motor for use in a ventilation system may include a motor, a voltage adjustment system, a user interface, and a motor controller. The voltage adjustment system may be configured to adjust a voltage applied to the motor. The user interface may be configured to receive patient settings input from a user and communicate target ventilation parameters to the motor controller. The motor controller may include a calculation engine configured to calculate motor performance parameters for achieving the target ventilation parameters, and based at least on the calculated motor performance parameters, perform a voltage adjustment analysis for controlling the voltage adjustment system. The motor controller may further include a voltage adjuster controller configured to activate the voltage adjustment system based on a first result of the voltage adjustment analysis and to not activate the voltage adjustment system based on a second result of the voltage adjustment analysis.

Medical ventilators are widely utilized to provide breathing gas to a patient when the patient is unable to breath adequately without assistance. More particularly, a ventilator forces a mixture of air and oxygen into the lungs periodically to enable and assist in the vital transfer of gases into and out of the blood via the lungs when the patient is unable to breathe correctly on their own. Ventilators can employ a wide variety of breathing strategies or ventilation modes, such as pressure controlled ventilation, volume controlled ventilation, Biphase Intermittent Positive Airway Pressure (BIPAP) ventilation, and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) ventilation, for example.
A ventilator typically includes a power system to provide power to the various components of the ventilator. The power system may include one or more various power sources (e.g., an external DC power source, an AC power source, and/or one or more batteries), controllers, and various hardware and/or software. In some systems, the power system architecture and/or various electrical components may cause power losses in the system, which may reduce the system's efficiency and, in systems that use battery power, may reduce the battery life and/or duration of operation.

Systems and methods for regulating power in a medical device


A ladder cage is provided. The ladder cage includes opposite first and second sidewalls each extending parallel to a longitudinal axis. Spaced apart brackets are coupled to one of the sidewalls. Spaced apart rollers extend between the sidewalls. The rollers are each rotatable relative to the sidewalls along a rotation axis that extends transverse to the longitudinal axis. The rollers and inner surfaces of the brackets and the sidewalls define a housing configured for disposal of a ladder.

Service vehicles such as, for example, trucks, vans and cars may carry long and/or cumbersome items that may be used when providing services. Due to the dimensions of such items, conventional shelving systems positioned within the interior of the vehicle are unable to accommodate long and/or cumbersome items, while still leaving room to put other items on the shelves. As such, servicemen typically mount long and/or cumbersome items to an exterior of the vehicle. For example, many servicemen require a ladder to do their job each day, or at least from time to time. Many servicemen will mount the ladder to the exterior of the vehicle, such as, for example, to the roof of a van, when the ladder is not in use. This allows the serviceman to transport the ladder from one job to another, for example. Likewise, many servicemen will store materials used to do a certain job, such as, for example, rebar, pipes, cables, etc. within tubes that mounted to the exterior of the vehicle, such as, for example, to the roof of a van. This allows the serviceman to remove the material from the tube, as needed, after he or she arrives at a job site, for example.
However, when items and/or materials are mounted to the exterior of a vehicle, there is a risk that the items and/or materials will be stolen when the serviceman is away from his vehicle. Furthermore, there is a risk that the items and/or materials may become damaged by environmental conditions, such as, for example, exposure to the sun, temperature, precipitation and/or humidity. Still further, there is a risk that the items and/or materials may fall off the vehicle during transit. The fallen items and/or materials could be lost or damaged. The fallen items and/or materials may also cause damage or injury to people or property if the items and/or materials were to hit another vehicle or person, for example, thus creating liability for the serviceman and/or his company. This disclosure describes an improvement over these prior art technologies.


A composition for adhesion layer that is used for obtaining a multi-layered surface treatment steel sheet in which an adhesion layer is formed onto at least one surface of the steel sheet, and an upper layer and/or an intermediate layer which has a design and which contains a rust preventive pigment and/or a colored pigment is formed onto the adhesion layer; the composition including a cationic urethane resin and a silicon compound in an aqueous medium, and the ratio between the temperature at which the logarithmic decrement for the mixture of the cationic urethane resin and the silicon compound in the rigid-body pendulum type free damped vibration method shows the maximum value and the temperature at which the logarithmic decrement for the cationic urethane resin alone in the rigid-body pendulum type free damped vibration method shows the maximum value is in the range of 1.2 to 3.0.

As for pre-coated metallic material (i.e., metallic material which is provided with a pre-coating. This is the same in the following description.), many characteristics of coating film such as adhesion on working, corrosion resistance, chemical resistance, coin-scratch resistance, design, etc. are demanded. Therefore, two coat type wherein the undercoating that is called a primer is applied onto a metallic sheet which underwent surface treatment in advance, and a colored topcoating is further applied thereon has been widely used. In such a pre-coated metallic material, the adhesiveness to the metallic sheet is secured by providing the surface treatment, and further the adhesion on working, corrosion resistance, coin-scratch resistance, etc., are given by providing the primer which includes resin and rust preventive pigment between the metallic sheet and topcoating.
As the surface treatment for the pre-coated metallic material, chromate treatment with a treating solution which includes chromic acid, a dichromic acid or those salts as a main ingredient has been used in order to provide a good adhesiveness to the surface of the metallic material and to provide an excellent corrosion resistance to the surface of the metallic material. Further, as for the primer, paints which include chromic rust preventive pigment have been widely used in order to obtain an excellent corrosion resistance. However, in recent consideration of the environmental friendliness, chrome-free treatment or paint wherein another cross-linkable metal is used as a substitute for chrome is practically used today.
In the Patent Literature 1, the disclosed is a process for manufacturing one coat type pre-coated steel sheet which has excellent workability, corrosion resistance, adhesion, impact resistance, and scratch resistance, wherein the process is comprised of coating a paint composition which is prepared by blending a polyester resin, a melamine resin curing agent, a rust preventive pigment, organic polymer minute particles, etc., onto a zinc plated steel sheet which underwent chemical conversion treatment in advance. However, owing to the presence of the rust preventive pigment in the paint composition, the appearance of the coating obtained is compelled to deteriorate. As the result, a problem that various designs can not be given to the pre-coated steel sheet arises. Moreover, since this paint composition is applied to the chromate-treated steel sheet, the process comes off the request in the age.
In the Patent Literature 2, the disclosed is a process for manufacturing one coat type pre-coated steel sheet which has an excellent molding workability, wherein the process is comprised of coating a solvent type paint composition which is prepared by blending a polyester resin, an epoxy resin, a blocked polyisocyanate compound, a melamine resin curing agent, etc., onto a zinc type plated steel sheet which underwent chemical conversion treatment in advance. However, since this paint composition is also applied to the chromate-treated steel sheet, the process comes off the request in the age. In addition, when this paint composition is coated to the steel sheet which underwent chemical conversion treatment including the chromate treatment in advance, the obtained pre-coated steel sheet can not have a sufficient corrosion resistance because the formed organic coating film includes no rust-inhibitor.
In the Patent Literature 3, the disclosed is an aqueous primer-cum-surface treating agent for pre-coated steel sheet which includes an aqueous organic resin ingredient, a condensed sodium phosphate, an aluminum tripolyphosphate, a metallic oxysalt, and a phosphoric acid or an aqueous phosphate, and there is a description that the coating film which excels in the corrosion resistance and the workability can be obtained without using a chromate type rust preventive pigment. However, since the coating film formed with this treating agent does not show sufficient compactness and toughness, the coin-scratch resistance and the chemical resistance of the coating film become insufficient.
In the Patent Literature 4, the disclosed is a coating method which is characterized by coating an aqueous paint composition which includes an acrylic epoxy resin and a rust preventive pigment to a metallic substrate which did not undergo chemical conversion treatment in advance, and by which the coating film having an excellent adhesiveness equal to that of the coating film which is accompanied by a chemical conversion coating film can be formed. However, the adhesion on working of the coating film obtained by this paint composition does not attain the level demanded from the pre-coated steel sheet. In addition, the chemical resistance of the coating film obtained by this paint composition is also insufficient.
In the Patent Literature 5, the disclosed is a metallic surface treating agent which includes a urethane resin, a specific organic compound and zirconium compound, and a metallic material which is prepared by using the above-mentioned agent and which has excellent corrosion resistance, molding workability, chemical resistance and moisture resistance. However, this surface treating agent is intended to be used for the purpose of rust prevention of a metallic material used in a non-painted condition. Therefore, even when this metallic surface treating agent is used for another purpose of forming an undercoating for paint layer, the adhesion on working and the coin-scratch resistance of the coating film obtained by using this surface treating agent does not attain the level demanded from the pre-coated steel sheet.
On the other hand, the methods of obtaining corrosion resistance and lubricity, etc., with various resin ingredients and various additives are disclosed in the Patent Literatures 6-13. Moreover, the adhesiveness with the paint is stated in these inventions. However, the adhesiveness of these invention are the ones at the level of obtaining the adhesion in the cross-cut adhesion test parts, but not the one that the extremely excellent adhesiveness which is provided by the present invention.
Incidentally, since the pre-coated steel sheet necessitates the adhesion on working of the coating film which can endure a severe post-processing such as bending or drawing, a surface treatment coating is usually provided on the steel sheet. The surface treatment coating plays the role to give an excellent adhesion on working of the coating film by linking the upper layers (primer and topcoating) to the surface of metal via the surface treatment coating, whereas a sufficient adhesion of the upper layers directly with the surface of metal can be hardly obtained. Herein, the bending test which is an extremely severe test has been adopted in order to evaluate the adhesion on working of the pre-coated steel.
Further, as for pre-coated steel sheet, corrosion resistance which can endure a long term exposure is required. The corrosion on the pre-coated steel sheet comprises mainly the anodic dissolution at the scratched portions or end face parts, and the generation of blister originated in cathodic reaction which is caused below the coating film at a portion little away from the scratched portion. In the case of the two coat type pre-coated steel sheet, the corrosion resistance given by the surface treatment is implemented by the fact that the coating formed thereby has a strong resistance to acids and a strong resistance to alkalis, and the corrosion resistance given by the primer is implemented by the environmental deprivation ability, such as the low water permeability, of the coating, and the inhibitor effect due to the rust preventive pigment which abundantly contains in the coating. In addition, it is also an important characteristic that an excellent anti-scratching property (coin-scratch resistance) brought by the hard coating of the primer contributes to degression in opportunities of generating starting points of corrosion. The corrosion resistance given by the topcoating is implemented by the environmental deprivation ability due to the thick film thickness of the coating which employs a resin having a strong anti-pollution property.
In addition, various designs are demanded from the pre-coated steel sheet. For instance, the topcoatings according to the purposes, such as a lustrous beautiful appearance, or a mat finish with a low-gloss may be applied.

Composition for adhesion layer used for multi-layered surface-treatment steel sheet


In a clock system having active and standby clocks for synchronizing cell data flow in a data system, and for preventing cell data loss during active to standby clock switching, a prevent circuit maintains the active clock cycle signal during the active/standby clock switching to ensure the proper setup time before the active clock is disabled. The prior standby clock will become active during the maintenance period, thereby providing the proper setup time before and after switching, permitting system redundancy without loss of data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to clock circuits for maintaining data integrity in a switching network, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method of preventing cell data loss during clock switching in a network system having redundant clocks in a redundant clock system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) networks require bit and cell timing. At any entrance point to an ATM multiplexer or ATM switch, an individual synchronizer is provided which adapts the cell timing of the incoming signal to the internal timing. Although the ATM network need not be synchronous, it must be able to accommodate Synchronous Transfer Mode (STM)-based applications, including audio and video transmission, as long as they continue in use. To this end the sampling clock of the sender must be provided to the receiver in order to avoid slips. This implies requirements on the network in terms of support for synchronization of the access lines and tolerable slips in the case of synchronization failure.
Redundant clock systems are utilized to ensure standby connections in the event of failure of the main clock. Existing conversion solutions, however, require complex hardware schemes with equally complex timing schemes to convert and transfer the requisite data.
In light of the foregoing, there exists a need for an apparatus and method of preventing cell data loss during clock switching in a network system having redundant clocks.

Apparatus and method of preventing cell data loss during clock switching


An apparatus is disclosed for storing and dispensing a pen needle for an injection device, including a packaging assembly including a pliable outer cover, the outer cover having a hub portion, a needle portion disposed at a distal end of the hub portion, and a flange disposed at a proximal end of the hub portion, the hub portion having internally protruding splines or other structures for engaging a hub of a pen needle. The hub portion is sufficiently pliable for a user to press gripping portions of the hub portion so that corresponding internal portions of the hub portion between the splines contacts the pen needle hub to increase a surface area contact between the outer cover and a pen needle therein.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to needles for a pen injection device, and more particularly, to an apparatus for dispensing and storing needles for a pen injection device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Medication delivery pens are used for self-injection of precisely measured doses of medication. Pens are widely used, for example, by diabetics to self-inject insulin. A typical medication delivery pen includes a cartridge which contains a volume of liquid medication sufficient for several doses. Using a pen needle attached to the pen device, the dose is injected into a tissue area, such as the intramuscular tissue layer, the subcutaneous tissue layer, or the intradermal tissue layer.
The assembly and operation of a typical pen injection device is described in commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. No. 7,645,264, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Pen injection devices, such, as an exemplary pen injector 50, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, typically comprise a dose knob/button 24, an outer sleeve 13, and a cap 21. The dose knob/button 24 allows a user to set the dosage of medication to be injected. The outer sleeve 13 is gripped by the user when injecting medication. The cap 21 is employed by the user to securely hold the pen injector 50 in a shirt pocket, purse, or other suitable location.
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the exemplary drug delivery pen 50 shown in FIG. 1. The dose knob/button 24 has a dual purpose and is used to both set the dosage of the medication to be injected and to inject the dosed medicament via a lead screw 7 and stopper 15 from a medicament cartridge 12, which is attached to the drug delivery pen through a lower housing 17. The medicament cartridge 12 is typically a glass tube sealed at 1 end with a septum 16 and at the other end with the stopper 15. In standard drug delivery pens, the dosing and delivery mechanisms are all found within the outer sleeve 13. Those mechanisms are not described in greater detail herein as they are understood by those knowledgeable of the art.
A pen needle assembly 10 includes a hub 20, a patient needle 11 extending from a patient end of the pen needle assembly, and a septum-penetrating needle cannula 18 disposed within the hub 20 on a non-patient side thereof. The septum-penetrating needle cannula 18 is in fluid communication with the patient needle 11. The hub 20 is preferably screwed onto the lower housing 17, although other attachment means can be used such as attaching directly to the medicament cartridge 12. In attaching the hub 20 to the lower housing 17 or medicament cartridge 12, the septum-penetrating cannula 18 pierces the septum 16, but the septum 16 does not move with respect to the medicament cartridge 12. The stopper 15, however, is axially displaceable within the medicament cartridge 12 while maintaining a fluid-tight seal. The distal movement of the plunger or stopper 15 within the medicament cartridge 12 (due to advancement of the lead screw 7) causes medication to be forced into the patient needle 11 of the hub 20.
To protect a user, or anyone who handles the pen injector 50, a rigid outer shield 29 that attaches to the hub 20, covers the hub 20. The outer shield 29 can also be used as a handle or grip to screw hub 20 onto or off of pen injector 50. Typically, a teardrop cover or label 32, attached to a top flange 30 of the outer shield 29 and having a tab 34 for a handle (best shown in FIG. 8), provides a sterility barrier for the contents of the outer shield 29. An inner shield or needle cover 28 covers the patient needle 11 within the outer shield 29. The inner shield 28 can be secured to the hub 20 to cover the patient needle 11 by any suitable means, such as an interference fit or a snap fit. The outer shield 29 and inner shield 28 are removed prior to use. The cap 21 fits snugly against outer sleeve 13 to allow a user to securely carry the pen injection device 50.
Pen needle assemblies are usually sold individually packaged inside a plastic cover (such as outer shield 29) with a label covering the opening in the cover to provide a sterility barrier. These individually packaged pen needle assemblies are often sold packed loosely in a container, such as a box. Boxes of various sizes are used for various quantities of the individually packaged pen needle assemblies (for example, a 50 count box or a 100 count box).


Described herein are compositions and methods for the treatment and diagnosis of mesothelioma, and determination of prognosis of mesothelioma patients after surgical operation. Specifically, the invention relates to microRNA molecules associated with treatment, diagnosis and determination of prognosis of mesothelioma, as well as various nucleic acid molecules relating thereto or derived therefrom.

In recent years, microRNAs (miRs, miRNAs) have emerged as an important novel class of regulatory RNA, which has a profound impact on a wide array of biological processes. These small (typically 18-24 nucleotides long) non-coding RNA molecules can modulate protein expression patterns by promoting RNA degradation, inhibiting mRNA translation, and also affecting gene transcription. miRNAs play pivotal roles in diverse processes such as development and differentiation, control of cell proliferation, stress response and metabolism. Recent studies have revealed that miRNA expression in malignant cells can be affected by both genetic and epigenetic events associated with tumor growth. There are currently about 1,100 known human miRNAs. The expression of many of these has been found to be altered in numerous types of human cancer, and in some cases strong evidence has been put forward in support of the conjecture that such alterations may play a causative role in tumor progression via the regulation of tumor suppressors and oncogenes.
Mesothelioma is a tumor that occurs in the mesothelium that covers the surface of the pleura, peritoneum and pericardium that respectively envelop the organs of the chest cavity such as the lungs and heart, and abdominal organs such as the digestive tract and liver. In the case of diffuse pleural mesothelioma, chest pain is caused by invasion of the intercostal nerves on the side of the chest wall pleura, and respiratory and circulatory disorders may occur due to tumor growth and accumulation of pleural fluid in the pleura on the organ side (Takagi, Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, (March Supplement), "Respiratory Diseases", pp. 469-472, 1999). Eventually, there is proliferation into the adjacent mediastinal organs, progressing to direct invasion of the heart or development in the abdominal cavity by means of the diaphragm, or there may be development outside the chest cavity as a result of additional lymphatic or circulatory metastasis.
In the U.S., diffuse pleural mesothelioma is reported to occur in 3,000 persons annually, with the number of cases increasing significantly through the 1980's. The disease is frequently observed in men in their sixties, with the incidence in men being roughly five times that in women. According to recent reports in the U.S. and Europe, the incidence of mesothelioma demonstrates a rapidly increasing trend, and, based on epidemiological statistics from the U.K. in 1995, the number of deaths from mesothelioma is predicted to continue to increase over the next 25 years. In the worst possible scenario, mesothelioma may be found to account for 1% of all deaths among men born in the 1940's.
Numerous different classification schemes for the clinical disease stages have been established for mesothelioma, and since the classification methods differ, comparison of the results of treatment for mesothelioma is difficult (Nakano, Environ Health Prev Med, 2008; 13:75-83).
In addition, malignant mesothelioma (MM) has a causative relationship with exposure to asbestos, and this has also been demonstrated in animal experiments (Tada, Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (March Supplement), "Respiratory Diseases", pp. 406-408, 1999). Asbestos that has been inhaled into the respiratory tract reaches a location directly beneath the pleura where a tumor eventually develops due to chronic irritation for typically 20 years, and this tumor spreads in a thin layer over the entire surface of the pleura. Consequently, although malignant mesothelioma is classified as an asbestos-related disease, not all malignant mesothelioma is caused by asbestos, and well-documented exposure is only observed in about half of all patients. Malignant pleural mesothelioma is resistant to treatment, associated with an extremely poor prognosis, and requires that countermeasures be taken immediately (Nakano, Environ Health Prev Med, 2008; 13: 75-83).
The prognosis for malignant mesothelioma is influenced by the stage of the disease. Surgery, when performed as part of a multimodality therapy with cytotoxic chemotherapy and radiation therapy, as well as adjuvant immunological treatments (e.g., interferon or interleukin) can be an effective treatment, but only in the rare event of diagnosis at an early stage.
In mesothelioma, the 9p21.3 deletions are often homozygous and linked with poor prognosis (Ivanov et al., Int J Cancer 2009; 124:589-599). Two tumor suppressor genes are localized in this area: CDKN2A (cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor), which encodes the cell cycle inhibitory p16INK4A and p14ARF proteins, and the adjacent CDKN2B (p15INK4B) (Ruas and Peters, Biochim Biophys Acta 1998; 1378:F115-177). Combined deficiency of these products may have a synergistic effect in malignant transformation (Krimpenfort et al., Nature 2007; 448:943-946).
Much emphasis has been placed on the discovery and characterization of a unique tumor marker. However, no marker has yet been identified that has adequate sensitivity or specificity to be clinically useful, although a combination of multiple markers has been shown to increase prognostic accuracy. There is an unmet need for identification of specific and accurate markers associated with mesothelioma, especially those which could have prognostic significance in determining the type and extent of therapy necessary or reasonable for survival, and for compositions which could be employed in treating mesothelioma.

Compositions and methods for treatment, diagnosis and prognosis of mesothelioma


A trash can device, comprising an upper housing and a lower housing. The lower housing is sized to fit within the upper housing. A chemical disk containing both pesticide and deodorizing agents is located within the lower housing. The lower housing has lower housing circumference openings. The upper housing has upper housing circumference openings. The lower housing and upper housing are coaxially rotatable to selectively bring the upper housing circumference openings into alignment with the lower housing circumference openings to allow selective release of the pesticide and deodorizing agents or prevent premature release thereof. The upper housing may have a lid having a lid flange for use upon a trash can having an upper lip, such that the device covers the trash can with the lid flange extending over the upper lip of said trash can.

The invention relates to a deodorant and pesticide releasing trash can device. More particularly, the invention relates to a trash can component which selectively dispenses both deodorant and pesticide agents.
Although the smells and health hazards associated with the storage of trash is well known, it is a reality that trash must often be stored for several days before it is picked up by municipal or private trash collecting services. Thus, trash often must be stored relatively close to living areas.
The dual problems of resulting health hazards and unpleasant odors often coexist in most garbage storage areas, since rotting garbage often produces scents which are unpleasant to humans, but which attract pests which themselves carry diseases.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,047,775 to Wolbrink discloses a trash compactor which incorporates a deodorizer for continually releasing a scent to the air in the compactor cabinet to mask odors emanating from the compacted trash. Unfortunately Wolbrink simply masks the odors from the trash, but does nothing to prevent pests from infesting the garbage therein.
While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose employed, or for general use, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as disclosed hereafter.

Deodorant and pesticide releasing trash can device


A DC to DC converter includes a first transistor having a first power terminal connected to one side of a DC power supply and a second power terminal connected to one end of an inductor. A second transistor has a first power terminal connected to the other end of the inductor and a second power terminal connected to the other side of the DC power supply. A pair of capacitors is connected in series and defined therebetween a node which is connected to a ground potential. A third transistor has a first power terminal connected to the one end of the inductor and a second power terminal connected to one end of the pair of capacitors. A fourth transistor has a first power terminal connected to the other end of the pair of capacitors and a second power terminal connected to the other end of the inductor. Each transistor includes a diode connected between the first power terminal and the second power terminal thereof. Each diode is oriented to conduct current in a direction opposite its corresponding transistor. A controller is connected to a control terminal of each transistor for controlling the switching thereof. The DC to DC converter can be operated to increase or decrease a DC voltage between the DC power supply and the pair of capacitors connected in series. Connecting the ground potential to the node between the pair of capacitors avoids generating large potential differences between the DC power supply and the pair of capacitors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to power converters, and more particularly, to DC to DC converters.
2. Background Art
Turbine generator systems often include a gas powered turbine to provide motive force to an alternator which provides single phase or polyphase AC power to a load. When starting the turbine from a rest position, the alternator can be driven as a motor to provide motive force to the turbine until it is running at a self-sustaining, operational speed. When starting the turbine utilizing the alternator as a motor, it is often necessary to convert DC voltage generated by one or more batteries into an AC voltage of sufficient potential for use by the alternator when driven as a motor. Typically, a power inverter system electrically connected between the batteries and the alternator is utilized to increase the potential of the DC voltage and to convert the increased potential DC voltage into an AC voltage for use by the alternator. More specifically, the power inverter system includes a DC to DC converter to increase the DC voltage of the batteries and a DC to AC power inverter to convert the increased DC voltage into an AC voltage usable by the alternator.
A problem with prior art power inverter systems is that the ground potential of the batteries can float such that when the turbine generator is operating, a large potential difference can exist between the batteries and electrical components of the power inverter system. This large potential difference requires that instrumentation connected between the chassis and the electrical components of the power inverter system be isolated from ground potentials that can achieve 1000 volts DC or more.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a power inverter system which avoids large potential differences between the chassis of the turbine generator and the electrical component of the power inverter system. It is an object of the present invention to provide a power inverter system which can charge the batteries after the turbine generator is running at operating speed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a power inverter system having a DC to DC converter which boosts and controls both the positive and negative DC bus voltages and which provides a common electrical voltage reference which can be adjusted to a potential between, preferably intermediate, the positive and negative voltages of the DC bus. It is an object of the present invention to provide a power inverter system that can generate a low impedance electrical voltage reference (hereinafter "neutral") that can be utilized as a current return path for the electrical components of the power inverter system. It is an object of the present invention to utilize this low impedance electrical neutral as a ground reference for a three-phase output voltage generated by the power inverter system. It is an object of the present invention to provide this neutral without additional electronic components and associated control circuitry. Still other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description.


A method includes providing a gasifier with a fuel source comprising a heavy oil, a light oil, and recovered soot. The gasifier may gasify the fuel source to generate a syngas and soot. The method also includes recovering the soot in a first separation unit that may receive a portion of the heavy oil and separate the soot from an extraction oil used to recover the soot. The first separation unit generates soot bottoms that include the portion of the heavy oil and the recovered soot. The method also includes flowing a first separation co-fractionate to a second separation unit. The first separation co-fractionate includes the extraction oil and the light oil. The second separation unit may separate the extraction oil and the light oil, and direct the light oil towards the first separation unit. The method further includes mixing the soot bottoms from the first separation unit with the light oil from the second separation unit to generate the fuel source and directing the fuel source to the gasifier for gasification.

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to gasification systems and, more particularly, to systems for carbon recovery processes.
Fossil fuels, such as solid coal, liquid petroleum, or biomass, may be gasified for use in the production of electricity, chemicals, synthetic fuels, or for a variety of other applications. Gasification involves reacting a carbonaceous fuel and oxygen at a very high temperature to produce synthesis gas, commonly referred to as syngas, which is a fuel containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Syngas may combust more efficiently and cleaner than the fuel in its original state before gasification. However, the syngas generated by the gasifier typically contains particulates that may include inorganic contaminants (e.g., fine particles of ash, metals, and ammonia) and unconverted organic matter. The particulates and unconverted carbon are typically removed before use of the syngas. Unfortunately, disposal of the unreacted carbonaceous particulates (e.g., unconverted organic matter, soot) in gasification waste discharge streams decrease the carbon conversion efficiency of gasification systems.


A differential voltage signal (LVDS) driver circuit and/or a Current Mode Logic (CML) driver circuit. The circuit includes two current switches, each coupled to a corresponding input node. In a complementary manner, when a differential signal is applied across the input nodes, one current switch is open, while the other current switch is closed, and vice versa. A current allocation component allocates current between the two input current switches such that, when the first current switch is closed and the second current switch is open, increasing current is allocated through the first current switch and the intervening current path between the current allocation component and the first current switch, and vice versa. The circuit includes complementary pre-emphasis and/or current-aided pre-emphasis mechanisms that boost differential output transmission edges.

1. The Field of the Invention
The principles of the present invention related to differential transmitter circuitry; and more specifically, to a differential signal driver that may have either or both of complimentary and current-aided pre-emphasis for faster signal transitions, and that may act as either or both of a Low Voltage Differential Signal (LVDS) driver, or a Current Mode Logic (CML) driver.
2. The Relevant Technology
Electronic circuitry provides complex functionality that is proving ever more useful. Electronic circuitry pervades our modern lives in areas such as communication, entertainment, travel, productivity, and the like. One useful circuit is the differential signal transmitter.
Differential signaling offers several advantages over single-ended signaling. One is a significant reduction in Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI). Magnetic fields induced by one differential signal path tend to cancel out with magnetic fields induced by the other differential signal path. Differential signaling is also more resistant to negative effects of common mode noise. Differential signaling has been employed for some time.
More recently, Low Voltage Differential Signaling (hereinafter also referred to as LVDS) standards have been developed to employ differential signaling at higher throughputs and lower power than more traditional differential signaling technologies. There are many driver circuits that conventionally conform to the LVDS standards. In addition, Current Mode Logic (CML) drivers are used for high speed differential signal transmission.
As the speed of LVDS and CML differential transmission increases even now into the Gigahertz range, transmission losses (such as conduction or dielectric type losses) can have significant impact upon the ability to receive and properly interpret the transmitted signal. Because of such transmission loss, the eye diagram measured at the receive end closes in due to electronic dispersion effects as the line length and data speed increase. This makes it very difficult for receivers to recover the data.
Conventional differential LVDS drivers do incorporate some pre-emphasis to allow for sharper transitions from one differential signal output polarity to the opposite differential signal output polarity. Such sharper transitions at least partially compensate for transmission losses, thereby reducing the error rate or risk of error for the transmission.
FIG. 9 illustrates a conventional LVDS driver 900 that incorporates pre-emphasis. N-type Metal Oxide Semiconductor (NMOS) Field Effect Transistor (FET) 906 is a current source biased by input signals 901 (NB). The output differential voltage between output nodes 915 (PADMN) and 916 (PADMP) is a sum of two voltage drops: one across resistor 908 and one across resistor 909. By switching node 902 (RISE) and 903 (FALL) in the opposite direction, the direction of the current flowing through the two resistors is reversed, which changes the polarity of the differential voltage between output nodes 915 and 916.
For example, when the input voltage on node 902 is high (with the complementary voltage on 903 being low), NMOS FET (NFET) 914 is on and NFET 907 is off. In that case, current flows from supply 913 through resistors 912, 910, 908 and 909, NFET 914 and current source 906, and sinks into ground 905. The current creates a positive differential across output nodes 916 and 915. Conversely, when the input voltage on node 902 is low (with the complementary voltage on 903 being high), a negative differential is created between node 916 and node 915.
The differential voltage Vd across nodes 916 and 915 is equal to the effective resistance across those two output nodes multiplied by the current set by the bias NFET 906. Usually the effective differential resistance across nodes 916 and 915, which is determined by the values of resistors 908 through 912, needs to match the impedance of the transmission line. Thus, the effective differential resistance should not change significantly. Therefore, the differential output voltage Vd and its transition rate (also referred to as "edge rate") is dependent only upon the bias current as the effective resistance is or needs be a constant. More specifically, the bias current (and thus the differential output voltage Vd) is dependent upon the size of the NFET 906 in a low voltage case such as this when the over drive voltage of the NFET 906 should be at relatively small value to keep it in saturation region with minimal drain to source voltage overhead.
As previously mentioned, as the transmitted differential signal travels through the transmission channel to the receiver, there is high dielectric transmission loss for high frequency components of the transmitted signals. To compensate for this, the LVDS driver circuit 900 has a pre-emphasis component for sharpening the edge transition. Specifically, this may be done by having a larger bias current thereby reducing switching time.
This cannot be accomplished by increasing the size of the NFET 906, since that would result in an increase in the steady state differential voltage. This could violate standards such as CML, and in particular low voltage standards such as LVDS. The lower voltage swing is one of the main grounds why LVDS or CML can operate at much higher speed than standard CMOS driver in the first place.
Typical implementation of the prior art on pre-emphasis is realized using NFET 918 and pre-emphasis signal 917 as shown in FIG. 9. The technique shown is what is being called current-assistant method. This method relies on turning-on the additional bias NFET 918 for just a short period time during the transition of the output from high to low or from low to high. The addition bias current gives a burst of higher driving current for this short period of time, and therefore boosts the edge of output waveform without an increase in static voltage swing. Dynamically, the voltage swing will have some overshoot or undershoot right after its transition completes and before it is completely settled out.
In this conventional technology, it is important to line up the controlling pulse 917 for pre-emphasis with the switching signals RISE 902 and FALL 903, to achieve edge emphasis during transition, and not distortion for steady state, of the output signal 915 and 916. This requires that the pre-emphasis signal should not arrive at node 917 before the data signals arrive at nodes 902 or 903. It is also important for the pre-emphasis signal 917 to conclude and thus turn off the transistor 918 before the signals at the output nodes 915 and 916 complete their transitions in order not to overshoot or undershoot the output signals.
Accordingly, what would be advantageous is a differential voltage signal driver circuit (such as a LVDS) driver circuit, or a Current Mode Logic (CML) driver circuit that operates at low voltage, and that uses effective pre-emphasis techniques that have controlled mechanisms for sharpening the transition of the differential output waveform, thereby facilitate higher data rate applications.

Differential signal driver having complimentary and current-aided pre-emphasis


Disclosed is an information transmission method and device, and a computer storage medium. The method is applied to a local end in a flexible Ethernet (FlexE) network structure and includes: when receiving an information block of a FlexE frame, acquiring, by the local end, bit error state information in the received information block according to a preset acquisition policy; storing, by the local end, the bit error state information at a preset position in a FlexE protocol overhead frame; and transmitting, by the local end, the FlexE protocol overhead frame storing the bit error state information to an opposite end.

The rapid development of network technology and the rapid increase of network information traffic have facilitated the rapid development of the transmission bandwidth of communication networks. The interface bandwidth speed of the communication device is increased from 10M (unit: bit/second) to 100M, and then increased to 1G and 10G. Currently, the interface bandwidth speed of 100G has been achieved, and a large number of commercial 100G optical modules have been put on the market.
At present, 400G optical modules have been developed, but the 400G optical modules are expensive, exceeding the price of four 100G optical modules, which results in the lack of commercial economic value of 400G optical modules. Therefore, in order to deliver 400G services on 100G optical modules, International Organization for Standardization has defined the Flexible Ethernet (FlexE) protocol.
The basic content of the FlexE protocol is to bundle multiple 100G transmission channels to form a deliver channel having a larger bandwidth speed. As shown in FIG. 1, a FlexE shim is added between the MAC layer and the physical coding sublayer (PCS) through the FlexE protocol, and four 100G physical channels are bundled through the FlexE shim so as to form a 400G logical channel, thereby meeting the deliver requirement of the 400G service without increasing the cost.
Because in the FlexE protocol, multiple physical channels are bundled into one logical channel for service delivery, when one physical channel fails, the entire logical channel fails. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the interrupt of one physical channel causes the interrupt of the entire logical channel. That will reduce the reliability of the entire logical channel. Generally, the probability of fault on the logical channel is an integer multiple of the probability of fault on a single physical channel, and the integer multiple is the number of bundled physical channels for forming the logical channel.
However, in the current FlexE protocol, the indication function of transmitting the bit error state between the local end and the opposite end has not been defined. As a result, the local end and the opposite end are isolated from each other, and the signal bit error state of the opposite end may not be known. Therefore, the negotiation and the adoption of the alarm and protection action may be performed, thereby affecting the reliability and application value of the FlexE protocol.

Method and device for transmitting bit error rate information in FlexE overhead frame, and computer storage medium


A liner system for a bed of a material hauling machine is provided. The liner system includes a first panel having a first surface and a second surface. The second surface includes a plurality of projected sections and defines a recess between each of the plurality of projected sections and a keyway recess. The liner system also includes a second panel having a first lip portion and a second lip portion configured to interconnect with the second and first lip portion of adjacent second panels respectively. The second panel also includes a first protruding portion configured to be received into the recess and a second protruding portion configured to be received into the keyway recess. The liner system further includes a locking panel having a first extension member, a second extension member and one or more fastening means configured to fasten the second panel to the first panel.

Material hauling machines such as a haul truck, a mining truck, a pickup truck, and so on include a bed for hauling material from one location to another. Due to continuous use, impacts and friction from the material may cause wear and tear of the bed. Complete replacement of the worn out bed may be a costly solution.
Hence, the bed may be protected with the use of liners. These liners may cover a load bearing surface of the bed and act as a sacrificial surface to protect the bed from damage or wear. After considerable wear and tear of the liner, a selective portion or the complete liner may be replaced with a new one.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,708,391 describes a system for providing replaceable wear surfaces on abrasive-material handling-equipment. The system includes at least one replaceable surface structured and arranged to provide the replaceable surface onto the abrasive-material handling-equipment. The replaceable surface includes at least one wear-resister element structured and arranged to resist wear of the replaceable surface. The replaceable surface includes at least one magnet structured and arranged to magnetically attach the replaceable surface to the abrasive-material handling-equipment. The magnet includes at least one permanent attached structured and arranged to permanently attach with the replaceable surface.
Currently used liners may use mechanical fasteners or magnetic materials to attach the liners to the bed. However, such systems may be expensive and may require considerable effort during installation and/or uninstallation thereof. Hence, there is a need for an improved design of the liner for installation on the bed of the machine.


Techniques for providing ion source feed materials are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a container for supplying an ion source feed material. The container may comprise an internal cavity to be pre-filled with an ion source feed material. The container may also comprise an outer body configured to be removably loaded into a corresponding housing that is coupled to an ion source chamber via a nozzle assembly. The container may further comprise an outlet to seal in the pre-filled ion source feed material, the outlet being further configured to engage with the nozzle assembly to establish a flow path between the internal cavity and the ion source chamber. The container may be configured to be a disposable component.

In semiconductor manufacturing, ion implantation is used to change the material properties of portions of a substrate. Indeed, ion implantation has become a standard technique for altering properties of semiconductor wafers during the production of various semiconductor-based products. Ion implantation may be used to introduce conductivity-altering impurities (e.g., dopant implants), to modify crystal surfaces (e.g., pre-amorphization), to created buried layers (e.g., halo implants), to create gettering sites for contaminants, and to create diffusion barriers (e.g., fluorine and carbon co-implant). Also, ion implantation may be used in non-transistor applications such as for alloying metal contact areas, in flat panel display manufacturing, and in other surface treatment. All of these ion implantation applications may be classified generally as forming a region of material property modification.
In a typical doping process, a desired impurity material is ionized, the resulting ions are accelerated to form an ion beam of a prescribed energy, and the ion beam is directed at a surface of a target substrate, such as a semiconductor-based wafer. Energetic ions in the ion beam penetrate into bulk semiconductor material of the wafer and are embedded into a crystalline lattice of the semiconductor material to form a region of desired conductivity.
An ion implanter system usually includes an ion source for generating ions. Associated with the ion source may be a supply mechanism that supplies an ionizable gas into an ion source chamber or other ionizer. The ionizable gas is obtained either directly from a gaseous feed material (e.g., a canister of compressed gas or safe delivery system (SDS)) or indirectly from a solid feed material that has been vaporized in a vaporizer crucible. In either case, it is desirable that the feed material be of a consistently high quality to ensure repeatable ion generation results.
A number of factors may affect the quality of a feed material. For example, a feed material may become contaminated during storage or transportation. If the feed material has been exposed to atmosphere, moisture or other contaminants may be introduced. Some feed materials may deteriorate over time and cannot be safely used or re-used after a designated period of time. Some feed materials are shipped with co-fillers or additives which can also become contaminated. When a non-gaseous feed material is supplied from a vaporizer, internal surface properties of the vaporizer may also contribute to the deterioration or contamination of the feed material. For instance, the vaporizer crucible may become contaminated after being heated for a period of time and may contribute to molecular break-ups and/or other unwanted processes. More novel types of feed materials (e.g., boranes and carborane) may be even more susceptible to contamination and therefore require an even tighter control.
Currently, however, there lacks a systematic approach to effectively and efficiently control the supply of ion source feed materials in semiconductor manufacturing environment.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide a technique for providing ion source feed materials which overcomes the above-described inadequacies and shortcomings.

Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.


A pair of spaced tubular half-shells are stamped in each of two separate sheets of metal which are then joined at their margins to form two mixer tubes each having an inlet end with a venturi for connection to a fuel gas supply and an outlet end adapted for connection to a burner. The space between the mixer tubes is stamped to form a pair of grooves which lock and seal the sheets together to prevent the fuel/air mixture from leaking from one mixer tube to the other.

The present invention relates to the supply of fuel and air mixture to a gaseous fuel burner and particularly relates to supplying a fuel/air mixture to gaseous fuel burners employed for cooking. In particular, the invention relates to supplying a fuel/air mixture to gaseous fuel burners for rangetops and cooktops utilized in household cooking appliances which are manufactured in high volume mass production.
Heretofore, the tubular supply arrangements for the fuel/air mixture, or mixer tubes widely used in the manufacture of household rangetop and cooktop burners have been formed with an individual air-aspirating venturi tube connected for supplying the top burners individually from a gas supply manifold. It is known to form the fuel/air venturi supply or mixer tubes by stamped shells or half tubes joined together at their margins to form a completed tube assembly. In a co-pending application, Ser. No. 609,203 filed Mar. 1, 1996 entitled "Mixer Tube Assembly For Fuel Gas Burner" and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, it was disclosed to form the fuel/air supply or mixer tube for plural top burners from stamped half shells formed from individual sheets of material joined together to form individual spaced venturi mixer tubes or passages for connection at the inlet end of the tubes to a manifold and at the outlet end to individual burners. However, in fabricating such plural burner mixer tubes from sheet material and joining the sheets, it has been found that there is leakage of the fuel/air mixture between the sheets from one tube to the other. If this leakage is not controlled, the fuel/air mixture can flow between the passages and to a burner which has not been ignited, thereby creating a hazardous condition.
Accordingly, it has been desired to provide a relatively low cost way or means of forming a fuel/air supply or mixer tube assembly from individually formed shells made from sheet stock and joined in such a manner as to prevent leakage between the individual burner tube passages and in such a was as to minimize the manufacturing costs.

Fuel/air supply assembly for gas burners


A microprocessor system is provided for extending an address space. To effectively use a program in the original address space and to reduce the processing time to return from the extended address space to the original address space, the microprocessor system includes a basic memory having a first address space for storing at least one program and a second address space for storing data. In addition, the microprocessor system provides an extended memory having an extended address space used in place of a part of the first address space, for storing at least one additional program and an address extending hard register for storing a flag and extending addresses of the extended memory. The flag indicates which part of the first address space and the extended address space is to be used, and the extending addresses being used to designate the extended memory when the flag indicates that the extended address space is to be used. Further, the microprocessor system includes a microprocessor, operatively connected to the basic memory, to the extended memory, and to the address extending hard register, for generating an address signal and for processing data. The address signal either the basic memory or the address extending hard register, and the program stored in the part of the first address space is transferred by the microprocessor to the second address space when the flag indicates that the part of the first address space is to be used.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microprocessor system having an extended address space, and particularly to an address extending technique for a microprocessor system.
Microprocessors are easy to use, have a good cost performance, and therefore, are frequently employed in electronic controllers such as trunks or other equipment in an electronic exchange system. Such a microprocessor as mentioned above is, for example, an eight-bit microprocessor. They have, however, only a 64-kilobyte basic address space, which is not sufficient to store a large program for providing complicated functions. To solve this problem, an extension of the address space has been developed. Instead of the eight-bit microprocessor, a sixteen-bit microprocessor may be employed to provide a required address space. This, however, enlarges the circuitry and adversely affects the cost performance.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Cross references related to the present invention are: Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 62-25348 and Japanese Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 62-25348.
A conventional address space extending technique provides a basic address space with an extended address space that supplants a part of the basic address space. For example, the eight-bit microprocessor has a basic address space ranging from 0000 to FFFF, and for instance, a region of 8000 to 9FFF in the basic address space is supplanted by an extended address space ranging from 0000 to 8000. In this case, a basic memory is not provided for the region of 8000 to 9FFF of the basic address space, and instead a memory having a required capacity such as 8 kilobytes or smaller, is provided for the extended address space. This is possible when memory chips each having a memory capacity of 8 kilobytes are employed.
In recent years, however memory capacity has been increased greatly. Memory chips are no longer limited to a capacity of eight kilobytes (64 kilobits), but now comprise 32 kilobytes (256 kilobits) or larger. With such memories having a large capacity, e.g., a basic address space of, for example, 64 kilobytes may be filled by only two of 32-kilobyte RAM and ROM memory chips. Therefore, even when a part of one memory chip is to be supplanted by an extended address space, the whole space of the memory chip should be supplanted.
It may be possible to return to an address of the original 32-kilobyte memory chip after the extended address space has been used. This, however, requires a complex program including the steps to return to the original address space, resulting in a long processing time and a large memory space for the program.
Further, according to the conventional technique explained above, the part of the basic address space, 8000 to 9FFF, for example, supplanted by the extended address space may be a wasted space that is never used.

Microprocessor system for effectively using a part of an address space


An intake structure for internal combustion engine includes an intake passage which is communicated with a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine and through which air to be supplied to the combustion chamber flows; and a valve which is provided in the intake passage and which controls the airflow in the intake passage. The intake passage has a recess which is formed in the inner wall face of the intake passage and in which the valve is arranged; and a groove that is connected to the recess, at a substantially center position of the recess in a width direction of the recess, and that extends from the recess toward the downstream side of the intake passage.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to an intake structure for an internal combustion engine, and more specifically to an intake structure for an internal combustion engine, which includes a valve that controls the airflow.
2. Description of the Related Art
Technologies relating to an intake structure for an internal combustion engine have been developed. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-124836 (JP-A-2004-124836) describes an air-intake apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which is designed to allow the gas to flow more efficiently in a cylinder without excessively reducing the opening ratio at an intake port. According to Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-124836 (JP-A-2004-124836), an intake-air control valve that produces gas flows such as a tumble flow and a swirl flow in the cylinder is provided in the intake port. The intake-air control valve includes a rotating shaft connected to an actuator, and a flat plate-like valve element that is supported, at one end thereof, by the rotating shaft. When the intake-air control valve is at the opening position, the intake-air control valve is housed in a recess formed in a lower portion of the inner face of the intake port.
According to the aforementioned Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-124836 (JP-A-2004-124836), when being at the opening position, the intake-air control valve is housed in the recess formed in the intake port to suppress the hindrance to the airflow in the intake port. However, if oil, fuel, water, etc. contained in the intake air accumulate in the recess, the deposits may interfere with the rotation of the rotating shaft of the intake-air control valve. This may hinder the smooth operation of the intake-air control valve, or increases the load placed on the actuator due to an increase in the torque required to operate the intake-air control valve.

Intake structure for internal combustion engine


A pipe or pipeline for use in the oil and gas industry for conveying lines, collection pipelines and transport pipelines with reduced operating risk and increased lifetime is provided. The pipe contains: a) an external reinforcement layer and b) an internal liner which comprises securely bonded to one another: I) a layer made of a thermoplastic molding composition selected from a polyolefin molding composition and a fluoropolymer molding composition and II) a layer made of a polyamide molding composition, wherein not only the polyamide molding composition but also the molding composition of the layer according to I) in essence comprises no blend component which is composed of another polymer and which has disperse distribution in the molding composition.

The invention relates to pipes which comprise an exterior reinforcement layer and an internal multilayer liner which comprises a polyamide layer and a functional layer made of another polymer. These pipes are in particular used for the conveying or transport of crude oil or natural gas or for the transport of supercritical CO2 especially under conditions where relatively rapid pressure changes are likely to occur. Pressure changes of this type are a phenomenon known in the oil and gas industry as "Rapid Gas Decompression" (RGD).
Methods of handling such pressure changes are therefore required in, for example, tertiary mineral oil production. Tertiary oil production uses supercritical CO2 as solvent for residual oil, reducing its viscosity and facilitating extraction from the oil-bearing strata. The critical temperature for CO2 is 31° C., the critical pressure being 73.8 bar. In practice, markedly higher pressures are used, since the solvent power of supercritical CO2 increases with pressure. Typical pressures are in the range from 75 to 220 bar, and the temperature under these conditions can be up to 150° C.
The pipes which transport supercritical CO2 often have a polymeric inliner in order to protect the usually metallic structure from corrosion. In the case of transport pipes, the liner is usually composed of polyethylene; however, it can also be composed of polyamide or of PVDF.
Rapid pressure changes can moreover occur during the operation of crude-oil pipelines and gas pipelines, for example, when the pipeline is depressurized for maintenance operations, with a sudden pressure decrease. A sudden pressure decrease can also occur in such conveying lines, collection pipelines or transport pipelines in the event of an emergency shutdown.
Inliners made of polyethylene exhibit severe swelling in contact with crude oil or natural gas, in particular at the pressures and temperatures used, and this leads to undesired changes in length. This phenomenon can be mitigated if there is a polyamide layer protecting the polyethylene layer on the inside, i.e. on the side facing towards the fluid conveyed. At higher usage temperatures, polyamide is often used as inliner material; it is preferable that this layer is protectively covered on the inside by a polyolefin layer, a fluoropolymer layer or a combination of polyolefin layer and fluoropolymer layer, in order that the polyamide, which is susceptible to hydrolysis at relatively high temperatures, is protected from the water present in the fluid conveyed.
Flexible pipes of multilayer structure with unbonded layers are described in WO 2011/128175 and WO 2011/128197. The pipes described in those documents comprise an inner liner in the form of a multilayer pipe, where the individual layers of said multilayer pipe do not necessarily have adhesive bonding to one another. These pipes can comprise, on the inside of the inner liner, a reinforcement which is usually termed carcase, in order to prevent collapse of the inner liner under high external pressure.
Particularly in the cases where the pipe does not comprise any carcase, it is important that the individual layers of the liner adhere securely to one another. If there is no adhesion, a gas-filled annular space forms between the layers during operation. The gas pressure of the annular space is in equilibrium with the partial pressure of the gas in the conveyed fluid. In the event of pressure variations in the pipeline, the gas located in the annular space can expand; in the worst case, the gas of the annular space can assume a volume which can lead to radial contact between parts of the interior layer of the liner. This leads to blockage of the cross section of the pipe and, in the worst case, prevents any further passage of the fluid conveyed. This type of failure is known to the person skilled in the art as collapse and is the predominant type of failure of inliners. If the gas volume accumulated between the layers is large, the forces arising on expansion of the gas due to pressure reduction in the pipe can also cause collapse of an internal carcase. This type of failure is known to be fatal in the pipes concerned.
However, secure layer adhesion is not a sufficient precondition for preventing collapse of the inner liner layer. It has been found in practice that in many cases where there is initially secure adhesion between a polyamide layer and a polyolefin layer or fluoropolymer layer the adhesion becomes progressively weaker during operation, and the layers finally separate, and the innermost layer can collapse if pressure within the pipe falls.
The object of the invention was to provide a pipe which has exterior reinforcement layer and multilayer liner, and in which a polyamide layer and a polyolefin layer or fluoropolymer layer adhere securely to one another, and in which this secure adhesion is in essence retained during operation.


A non-volatile semiconductor memory is provided having a memory cell formed in a semiconductor substrate and arranged in rows and columns to form an X-character shape array. Each cell includes a control electrode and a first region and a second region having a conductivity-type different from that of the substrate. Alternate first and second column lines are provided wherein the first region and the second region of each cell in each column are coupled to the first column line and the second column line, respectively. The first column lines selectively function as ground lines for inputting data during a data writing mode. The first column lines function as bit lines, and the second column lines function as ground lines for outputting data during a data reading mode.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a non-volatile semiconductor memory.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An EPROM (Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory) is a non-volatile rewritable read only memory. In the EPROM, data is stored by accumulating charges into a floating gate and data is erased by escaping the charges accumulated in the floating gate to the outside by irradiating ultraviolet rays.
To realize a large capacity of the EPROM, in addition to the realization of a high integration density of memory cells by reducing an area of each memory cell, it is necessary to accomplish both the improvement of the writing characteristic and the improvement of the reading reliability by the improvement of the soft write (phenomenon such that a writing operation gradually occurs upon reading) resistance.
As a prior art literature of the invention, there can be mentioned the literature of ISSCC 80, page 146 which disclose an EPROM having what is called an X cell structure in which memory cells are arranged like an X-character.
When data is written in the EPROM, a program voltage V.sub.pp is applied to a control gate and a drain region and hot carriers generated by an avalanche breakdown or hot carriers generated in a channel portion are injected into a floating gate, thereby changing a threshold voltage V.sub.th of a memory transistor.
In the EPROM, on the other hand, when data is read out as well, a voltage is applied to the control gate and the drain region. Therefore, even when data is read out, hot carriers generated in portions near the drain region are likely to be injected into the floating gate. Particularly, in the case of using the EPROM for a long time, consequently, there is a problem such that the soft write occurs and a fluctuation of the threshold voltage V.sub.th of the memory transistor is caused and the reading reliability deteriorates.
To improve the soft write resistance, a method whereby the memory transistor is formed so as to have an LDD (Lightly Doped Drain) structure is considered. If the above method is used, however, since a field concentration near the drain region is weakened, the hot carriers are hardly injected into the floating gate. Thus, there is a problem such that the writing characteristic deteriorates.

Non-volatile semiconductor memory having commonly used source or drain regions of floating gate type transistors


A voltage reference generator is disclosed that includes a current generator for generating a current that is proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT), the current generator having an internal resistance. This provides a PTAT current that is proportional to the resistance and wherein the temperature coefficient of the PTAT current is defined by the resistance. An output node is driven by the current generator with the PTAT current. A stack of serial connected MOS devices is connected between the output voltage and a ground reference voltage. The stack of transistors has a transimpedance associated therewith which has a temperature coefficient that is opposite in polarity to the temperature coefficient of the internal resistance and of a magnitude to provide a voltage on the output node that is substantially stable over temperature.

Many analog circuits require voltage references, such as A/D and D/A converters, voltage regulators, etc. A voltage reference must be, inherently, well-defined and insensitive to temperature, power supply and load variations. The resolution of an A/D or D/A converter, for example, is limited by the precision of its reference voltage over the supply voltage range of the circuit and the operating temperature range thereof. A band gap reference voltage generator is a well utilized circuit that is typically used for the purpose of generating such a temperature independent reference voltage. These voltage references exhibit both high power supply rejection and possess a low temperature coefficient, and these type of voltage reference circuits are probably the most popular high performance voltage references utilized in integrated circuits. However, integrated circuit design is predominated by the need for low power, low voltage operation. This inherently will lead to the need for utilizing CMOS process technology, the technology of choice. Since the band gap reference is bipolar in nature, solutions are required to create the reference voltage without the use of the costly BiCMOS process. Further, for low power operation, there will typically be provided in the band gap reference ratiometric related resistors. In order to provide for a low current, one of these resistors is typically on the order of many times the size of the other resistor and this can lead to some fairly large resistors to realize the low current operation. The area required for these larger resistors is of concern and presents a disadvantage when considering an area efficient reference generator.

Voltage reference circuit using PTAT voltage


A system and method for adjusting dipping time in a continuous steel pipe manufacturing line. The system manufactures a steel pipe of which inner and outer faces or any one face thereof is subjected to molten metal-plating from a steel sheet in a continuous manufacturing line, and includes an inner-face plating performing part for molten metal-plating by pouring molten metal to the upper side of the steel sheet corresponding to the inner face of the steel pipe, a steel pipe forming part that obtains a continuous steel pipe by continuously cold-forming the steel sheet subjected to the inner-face plating into a tubular shape and seam-welding a longitudinal end face joint portion of the steel sheet formed in the steel pipe, and an outer-face plating performing part for molten metal-plating by dipping the outer face of the steel pipe into the molten metal, in which a dipping length of the molten metal is adjusted in the inner-face plating performing part and/or the outer-face plating performing part.

The present invention relates to a technique of manufacturing a metal-plated steel pipe, of which inner and outer faces or any one of them are subjected to molten metal-plating, by a continuous steel pipe manufacturing line.
Hitherto, as one of representative methods of performing molten metal-plating on a steel pipe, there is a known hot-dipping method. Further, in recent years, a method of manufacturing a molten metal-plated steel pipe in a continuous steel pipe manufacturing line has been proposed from the viewpoint of a decrease in the cost. As one of the methods, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. S52-43454 discloses a technique of manufacturing an outer-face plated steel pipe in a manner such that a steel sheet is continuously cold-formed into a tubular shape and the result is welded and is plated with molten metal. Furthermore, there is a growing need to perform an inner-face metal plating in recent years. Therefore, JP-A No. H05-148607 discloses a method of easily plating both inner and outer faces of a steel pipe with molten metal in a continuous line in a manner such that one face in a steel sheet corresponding to the inner face of the steel pipe is subjected to plating in a steel pipe manufacturing line, the result is cold-formed into a tubular shape, a longitudinal end face of the steel sheet is welded, and the outer face of the steel pipe is subjected to molten metal-plating.

Method and system for manufacturing metal-plated steel pipe


A display apparatus in which a display module in a state of a curved surface is provided. The display apparatus includes: a display panel configured to display an image and which is bendable; a light guide plate which guides light toward the display panel; and a guide unit which guides the light guide plate to be maintained in a state of a curved surface, wherein the guide unit includes a shape of a curved surface in which both ends of the guide unit protrude forward relative to a center portion of the guide unit.

1. Field
Apparatuses consistent with exemplary embodiments relate to a display apparatus in which a display module in a state of a curved surface can be used.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a display apparatus is an apparatus including a display module on which an image is displayed. The display apparatus includes a television (TV) or monitor. Some display apparatuses use a display module including an organic light-emitting diode panel.
Since the organic light-emitting diode panel is formed of a bendable material in a predetermined range, a display apparatus in which the display panel is fixedly installed in a state of a curved surface and in which a user can partially feel a three-dimensional (3D) effect like in a 3D image, through a two-dimensional (2D) image, has been recently suggested.

Bendable display apparatus having a guide unit which guides a light guide plate


A compact laser-scanning microscope that allows in-vivo observation, particularly of cells, with wavelengths ranging from the visible to the infra-red, can be provided. The laser-scanning microscope includes a laser light source unit, an optical fiber, a collimator optical system, an optical scanning unit, a pupil projection optical system, an objective optical system, and a detection optical system that detects fluorescence or reflected light from the specimen, via the objective optical system, the pupil projection optical system, the optical scanning unit, the collimator optical system and the optical fiber. The objective optical system can be attached to and detached from the pupil projection optical system near the intermediate image position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laser-scanning microscope used in fluorescence examination or confocal fluorescence examination in applications such as imaging and the study of cellular function.
2. Description of Related Art
In the related art, a laser-scanning microscope is a known apparatus for examining cellular function and so on. Such an apparatus functions by irradiating a specimen, such as a living organism, with excitation light from the surface thereof and selectively detecting fluorescence emitted from a position at a predetermined depth in the specimen. (See, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. HEI-3-87804 (page 2, etc.) and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. HEI-5-72481 (FIG. 1, etc.).)
In addition to standard microscope examination, this laser-scanning microscope can obtain images by scanning laser light converged onto a minute spot on the specimen with a scanning unit such as galvano mirrors or the like and detecting the fluorescence emitted by the specimen.
This laser-scanning microscope affords an advantage in that, since the minute spot allows excellent resolving power and light outside the minute spot can be eliminated, it is possible to obtain sharp observation images with a high signal-to-noise ratio.
However, the known laser-scanning microscope suffers from the drawback that the size of the apparatus is large because, in addition to optical systems for standard fluorescence observation, such as an objective lens and an imaging lens, it is also necessary to include optical systems such as a pupil projection lens and a scanning mechanism.
In general, therefore, the optical system of the laser-scanning microscope has an objective lens focal length of approximately 180 mm. As a result, the overall length from the specimen to the scanning mechanism located close to the conjugate position of the pupil of the objective lens is 400 to 500 mm, which makes the overall size of the apparatus relatively large.
Accordingly, to allow confocal fluorescence examination or fluorescence examination, the specimen must be positioned on a stage of the microscope. In practice, therefore, when carrying out in-vivo fluorescence examination of cells or small animals such as rats under incubation conditions, there is a restriction in that a suitable examination environment must be created on the stage.
Furthermore, the laser-scanning microscope is generally constructed so that examination is carried out in a state where the optical axis of the objective lens is orthogonal to the surface of the stage. As a result, it is difficult to carry out examination from an oblique direction with respect to the specimen. Also, it is difficult to carry out examination while the main body of the laser-scanning microscope is tilted with respect to the specimen or while the specimen or the stage is tilted.


There is provided a method and system for sorting mailpieces in which data objects that are relevant for the sorting of the mailpieces are processed, and a result of the processing of a data object in a first data processing system is transmitted to a second data processing system for further processing. An exemplary method comprises providing in the first and second data processing systems a definition list that contains associations between the data objects and an unambiguous identifier and in which attributes of the data objects are indicated, whereby the unambiguous identifier of the data object is contained in the result of the processing of the data object, and whereby the second data processing system ascertains the attributes of the data object on the basis of the definition list and carries out the further processing of the result of the processing of the data object in the first data processing system on the basis of the ascertained attributes.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a method for sorting mailpieces in which data objects that are relevant for the sorting of the mailpieces are generated and/or processed, whereby a result of the processing of a data object in a first data processing system is transmitted to a second data processing system for further processing.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention also relate to a device that is suitable for carrying out the method.
Mailpieces mailed in a certain region are normally collected in a distribution center of a postal service provider and distributed among the destination regions within the scope of the so-called outgoing sorting. In the distribution centers of the destination region, a fine sorting is then normally carried out in which the mailpieces are distributed among the delivery depots. Moreover, as a rule, sorting according to the sequence of the delivery route is also carried out. Here, the sorting of the mailpieces is done on the basis of sorting data that contains the association of mailpieces with the sorting compartments of a sorting machine. In order to generate the sorting data, with an eye towards the capacity of the available sorting machines, it is necessary to know the expected mail volume, which is usually ascertained on the basis of the mail volume accumulated during preceding sorting procedures.
The generation of the sorting data and the evaluation of the mail volumes accumulated during the sorting are very complex processes in which, as a rule, several different data processing systems are used.
Normally, several systems are provided in which sorting destinations are set up and maintained. Typically, the term sorting destinations, in addition to referring to delivery addresses, also refers to delivery districts in which the delivery points serviced by a single mail carrier are combined, as well as to additional sorting-relevant groupings of delivery addresses and delivery districts.
The information about the existing sorting destinations is transmitted to systems that generate the sorting data for the outgoing sorting and for the incoming sorting, taking the expected mail volume into account. The sorting plans are then transmitted to the appertaining distribution centers, where they are loaded into the sorting machines in the form of sorting programs.
Moreover, sorting data is transmitted to data processing systems that detect and evaluate mail volumes accumulated during the sorting so that production planning can be carried out as a function of the accumulated mail volumes. As a rule, in addition to the sorting data, these systems require not only the sorting data but also information about the existing sorting destinations on the basis of which the sorting plans are generated.
In the state of the art, this information is transmitted from the systems that are provided for generating and maintaining this information, via the data processing systems that are provided for generating the sorting plans, to the systems that perform the evaluation of the mail volumes accumulated during the sorting.
This entails the disadvantage that, in addition the sorting data, the information about the sorting destinations also has to be compiled by the in-between system for generating the sorting plans so that it can be made available for transmission to the evaluation system, and for this purpose, special functionalities and interfaces have to be made available. Moreover, the problem exists that the information about the sorting destinations has to be linked in a suitable manner to the sorting data in order to ensure a smooth automatic further processing of the sorting data in the systems for evaluating the accumulated mail volumes.
Another drawback of the approach according to the state of the art is especially the fact that, due to the consecutive transmission of the information via various data processing systems, data inconsistencies or data distortions and data losses can occur that especially impair the evaluation of the mail volume on the basis of the sorting data and on the basis of the transmitted information about the sorting destinations.
Moreover, it is disadvantageous that the information about the sorting destinations taken into account in the sorting data only becomes available in the systems that further process the sorting data once the processing has been completed in the upstream system for generating the sorting data and once the information has been transmitted.

Method and device for processing relevant data for sorting postal items