Robots and other mobile apparatus, especially robotic bipeds, that exhibit agile capabilities can become easily destabilized by obstacles or particular surfaces. An algorithm for controlling the movement of a robot based on visual cues and learning processes will help to avoid destabilization and movement interruption by altering the gait measurement. As such, when the robot predicts that an obstacle is upcoming, it can make adjustments by either increasing or decreasing stride so that a smooth transition can be made in bypassing the obstacle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to methods of designing autonomous mobile robots and more specifically relates to the prediction of the sensory consequences of movement, learning affordances using neural methods, and exploitation of the natural system dynamics to simplify computation and robot control in autonomous robot explorers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Technology has generally been aimed to make human life easier by taking on the burden of human tasks, or performing tasks that humans cannot perform due to physical constraints. In turn, robots have, and continue to be, developed that are mobile and that have the ability to retrieve or report information in accordance with this technological trend. In other words, robots are being designed to relate to humans while providing them with life simplifying solutions. To meet this goal, robots are taking on forms similar to either humans or animals, for purposes of cognitively and emotionally relating with the technology, as well as for patterning the evolutionary success in mobility of humans or animals (also hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as biological systems). Additionally, a major reason for choosing a legged form, particularly a two-legged humanoid form, is that humans have built a substantial environment based on human mobility needs. As such, robots using wheels and/or tracks generally do not meet the mobility needs for a variety of terrains where legged robots are generally more successful.
Bipedal locomotion over a flat, firm surface does not require visual or other type of distal sensory apparatus. However, if the environment is varied, vision or other type of distal sense is necessary to adjust gait in an anticipatory manner. Various visual cues are used by animals and humans to guide locomotion. These cues include cues that rely on or exploit the geometry of the environment: optic flow, stereopsis, depth from elevation and others as well as non-geometric cues such as the color, texture and surface patterns of the environment.
Movement of an observer (biological or otherwise) gives rise to motion parallax with objects in the environment. Light reflected or emitted by surfaces in the environment give rise to a pattern of luminosity changes on the observer's retina or imaging surface. This pattern of changing luminosity is optic flow. Optic flow is highly correlated with motion parallax. Through the examination of the optic flow field it is possible to determine time to contact, and structure of the environment, and the movement of the observer, including direction and rotation. The latter phenomenon is sometimes referred to as visual kinethesis in the literature. Scientific studies support the hypothesis that optic flow is essential for navigation of legged and flying biological systems in the environment.
Additional geometric visual cues include stereopsis and depth from elevation. Stereopsis is used to determine visual sensory data about the environment of a biological system by comparing two or more images from slightly different view points, the arrangement of human eyes being the archetypal example. Stereopsis can convey information about the size of an obstacle, although, in humans, it is apparently less important than other modalities for judging distance to an obstacle and is not an essential sensory factor for locomotion. Depth from elevation is yet another visual cue which operates under the assumption that the observer is kinematically connected to the obstacle being observed. Thus, if the observer is connected to a plane, obstacles closer to the observer will appear lower in the visual field than obstacles further away. This simple effect is exploited in biological systems to judge distances to points in the environment. However, these geometric cues alone, although helpful, are not sufficient for advanced locomotion.
Non-geometric visual cues mainly include texture, and color, but also encompass specular reflection or any other surface cue indicating the quality of a surface. These visual cues, when combined with geometric cues, can greatly enhance the success of locomotion as they assist the observer in anticipating surface characteristics. These visual cues aid biological systems in determining what characteristics a surface may exhibit, such as if a surface is slippery (e.g. ice).
The environment can 'suggest' desirable foot placement for navigating a region. FIG. 1 illustrates a stone walkway partially covered by ice and snow; the highlighted gray regions indicate the more favorable locations for foot placement within a reasonable proximity to the path of intended motion. The suggestion for a particular foot placement and the motor action necessary to accomplish this action is called an affordance.
Affordance encompasses how to perform an action but not the actual selection of such an action. The environment presents potential actions or affordances, and a choice is made as to which of the potential actions is the best pursuit. A person, seeing a mug, immediately perceives the many ways to grasp it, although there is no need for intermediate processing of 'what' the object is. Likewise, an animal, seeing a rock, immediately perceives a way to step over it, on top of it, or step around it depending upon the perceived size or shape of the given rock. Affordance perception includes the motor capabilities of the observer. It is also largely linked to learning abilities, for example, if a choice was made to step over a rock that turned out to be too large to successfully maneuver over, and as a result the animal fell, the animal would learn not to try to step over the rock, and use an alternative approach instead. Past research has managed to link affordances to neural substrates in the brain.
A key problem in the deployment of robots is that even the most agile robots, quadrupeds and especially bipeds, lack good affordance processes and can therefore be easily destabilized by obstacles. An affordance has the function of intelligent pattern matching: the current environment is matched to the set of possible motor actions that can be successfully executed by the animal or machine at a given time instant. This pattern matching can be quick and is superior in speed to methods that rely on algorithmicly driven geometric motion planning.
Vision can assist in stabilizing the subject's relationship to the environment, as well as being essential for navigation, route adjustment and planning. Without vision, the situation is worsened as the robot moves faster and has less time for appropriate planning based on alternate sensory cues (e.g. tactile). It is desirable to replicate animal visual sensory ability in robots to learn affordances and react to the surrounding environment using the previously described geometric and non-geometric methods. A method for achieving this must be resolved for robots to ensure successful mobility within a given environment.
Currently, there is surprisingly little work on the tight integration of vision and locomotion. Historically, the two fields have been addressed by largely separate groups of researchers.
Honda and Sony robots use vision for navigation (e.g. moving in the general direction of an obstacle). The Honda Asimo bipedal robot—"biped" for short—walks on two legs and can maneuver up and down stairs, turn, and walk with a reasonable gait. Sony has developed several generations of small quadruped robots called "Aibo", but has also developed a biped robot. Sony's robots are viewed more as "content delivery devices" which playback media content developed by others, similar to a VCR, although exhibiting an appearance that is more human or animal in form.
Robotics has become a field yielding many important applications for the U.S. Military as well. However, past declassified reports that tracked robotic vehicles being used in the field during search and rescue operations following the World Trade Center collapse lacked the required mobility to adequately perform in such applications. Legged robots were recommended following this report for increased mobility.
As such, it is clear that there is a current and rapidly growing interest in legged robotic machines as well as a need for fast algorithms to provide these legged robots with visuomotor coordination.

Certain principles of biomorphic robots including foot placement selection using non-geometric visual properties


A liquid toner comprising a hydrocarbon carrier liquid; toner particles; wax particles; and a charge director. Methods of producing embodiments of the toner and components of the toner are disclosed.

Liquid toners comprised of (optionally) colored charged polymer toner particles dispersed in a carrier liquid, are well known.
Liquid toners generally have additional ingredients which improve one or more characteristics of the toners. These include "charge directors" which attach to the toner particles and cause them to be charged, "charge adjuvants" which improve the chargeability of the toner particles by the charge director, etc.
Liquid toner with added silica particles is well known in the art. The object of these particles is to improve the durability of the toner particles after they are fused and fixed to a final substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,923,929, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference, describes a liquid toner in which the toner particles are comprised of both a polymer and a wax.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,852, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference, describes a liquid toner in which wax particles are provided in the carrier liquid. The toner particles do not appear to be polymer particles, since the polymer is dissolved in the carrier liquid.
It should be understood that the above referenced patents and other publications are exemplary and the use of at least some of these substances is described in other publications as well. All of the above referenced patents and publications are incorporated herein by reference.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


Highly wear-resistant sliding bearings with good sliding properties are difficult to manufacture by electrochemical deposition of the sliding alloy, because the corresponding electrolyte solutions are unstable. Conventional sliding alloys are also too hard for a run-in period and wear too rapidly when used in accordance with specifications. The new sliding layer is simple to manufacture and has an extremely favorable run-in period. The soft constituent of the sliding layer is present in a concentration which decreases along a concentration gradient perpendicular to the effective surface of the sliding layer as the distance from the effective surface increases. The sliding layer is particularly suitable for use as a lead-tin-copper alloy in a multilayered bearing.

Essential requirements on a modern plain bearing are high thermo-mechanical load-bearing capacity and a good slip. The first mentioned feature requires a material having a high thermal stability and strength, while soft materials are to be used for a good slip in the region of slide velocities from 15 m/s and above. These requirements are met particularly by multilayer bearings having a soft overlay and a very strong bearing metal layer of bronze or aluminium materials. The overlay which has a particularly good slip is composed, depending upon the method of manufacture, mostly of lead with 8-20% by weight of tin and 2-6% by weight of copper, while occasionally also up to 10% by weight of copper and other metals may be included. Other overlays are also known, such as SnSb7-alloys or PbIn6-alloys.
Such a plain bearing is described in DE-PS 27 22 144. The overlay of the bearing described therein is lead-based with 10-20% by weight of tin and up to 10% by weight of copper. It has been found that permanent load-bearing capacity may be increased with a higher content of copper and tin. It has also been shown, however, that this overlay may be produced by electro-chemical deposition only with difficulties, because electrolytic solutions containing a high proportion of Sn are unstable and that the increase of permanent load-bearing capacity is followed by increased hardness so that increased abrasion of the shaft may take place. It is therefore desirable to increase the proportion of tin in the overlay.

Highly wear-resistant overlay with improved slip and a method of its production


A process is disclosed for making a silicon wafer with low and uniform surface stress by growing at least approximately 8 angstroms of silicon oxide thereon to produce a wafer for use as a control wafer in ion implantation. The process involves the steps of (a) subjecting a feed wafer substantially free of oxide or having less than approximately 4 angstroms of silicon oxide thereon to hydrogen termination of the silicon surface; or (b) subjecting such a feed wafer to said hydrogen termination followed by subjecting the resulting wafer to treatment with an oxidant having a standard reduction potential less than approximately 1.77 volts; the wafer resulting from either step (a) or (b) having a TWO reading less than approximately 30 across the entire wafer.

This invention relates to a process for making silicon wafers and, more particularly, to such a process which produces silicon wafers with low and uniform surface stress for use as control wafers to be used in ion implantation.
Un-patterned, bare silicon wafers are used by device manufacturers to monitor and control their ion implantation tools. The monitoring procedure involves the following steps: 1) measuring the pre-implantation stress in the witness or control wafer using laser modulated thermal reflectivity; 2) implanting the wafer with ion dosage; 3) measuring the post-implant stress; and 4) using the delta (post-pre) measurement to determine the implant dosage. This method works very well for high dosage implants. However, for low dosage implants, the high variability, both wafer-to-wafer and within-wafer, of the pre-implant stress signal, increases the uncertainty of the measurement significantly. It had been thought that the wafer-to-wafer and within-wafer variability of the stress was caused by residual lattice damage caused by slicing, grinding, lapping and polishing or just uncertainty of the measurement.
In most cases, this has been determined not to be so. Rather, the chemical films that are formed on wafers during post-polish cleaning or post-Epi processing are the primary source of stress in the front surface silicon lattice. Control of these films allows one to control the lattice stress to low and uniform values that are preferred for control or witness wafers used in ion implantation.
The Themaprobe TP420 (made by Therma-Wave of Fremont, Calif.) is one instrument commonly used in the industry to measure laser modulated thermal reflectivity of ion implanted wafers. The xe2x80x9cTW30xe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cTW0xe2x80x9d signals are both measures of residual stress in silicon. For example, TW30 of a wafer before ion implantation may read 100 TW30 units; then, after a 100 keV/W11 ions/cm{circumflex over ( )}2 implantation may read 300 TW30 units. In this example, the post-implant signal is only 3 times greater than the pre-implant signal. This problem becomes worse for lower dose and lower energy implants (Kirby et al., Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B21, 550, 1987). It is therefore highly desirable to have an implant witness wafer that has an initial TW signal that is  less than 30 TW and that is very uniform.
Silicon wafer makers are currently selling wafers with one of three types of surface finishes: SCl oxides, ozone oxides or post Epi air oxides. All three of these oxides have problems with respect to TW. The SCl oxides and ozone oxides have TW30 signals that are 100 and 300, respectively. And, an Epi wafer that doesn""t have an intentionally grown chemical oxide has regions of low TW30 ( less than 30) and high TW30 ( greater than  greater than 30).
There is a need, therefore, for a process for making a silicon wafer having a TW0 reading less than approximately 30 across the entire wafer.
Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision of a novel process for making a silicon wafer with low and uniform surface stress; the provision of such a process in which a wafer is hydrogen terminated or hydrogen terminated and oxidized with an oxidant having a standard reduction potential less than approximately 1.77 volts; the provision of such a process in which the feed wafer is a wafer with a freshly grown epitaxial layer or a wafer freshly stripped of oxide; and the provision of such a process which produces a wafer with at least 8 angstroms of silicon oxide thereon. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.
Briefly, the present invention is directed to a process for making a silicon wafer with low and uniform surface stress by growing at least approximately 8 angstroms of silicon oxide thereon to produce a wafer for use as a control wafer in ion implantation, which method comprises the steps of:
(a) subjecting a feed wafer substantially free of oxide or having less than approximately 4 angstroms of silicon oxide thereon to hydrogen termination of the silicon surface; or
(b) subjecting such a feed wafer to said hydrogen termination followed by subjecting the resulting wafer to treatment with an oxidant having a standard reduction potential less than approximately 1.77 volts; the wafer resulting from either step (a) or (b) having a TWO reading less than approximately 30 across the entire wafer.

Process for making wafers for ion implantation monitoring


A light source based on integrated silicon photonics includes a die of a silicon substrate having at least one chip site configured with a surface region, a trench region, and a first stopper region located separately between the surface region and the trench region. The trench region is configured to be a depth lower than the surface region. The light source includes a laser diode chip having a p-side facing the chip site and a n-side being distal to the chip site. The p-side includes a gain region bonded to the trench region, an electrode region bonded to the surface region, and an isolation region engaged with the stopper region to isolate the gain region from the electrode region. The light source also includes a conductor layer in the die configured to connect the gain region to an anode electrode and separately connect the electrode region to a cathode electrode.

The present invention relates to optical telecommunication techniques. More particularly, the present invention provides a light source based on integrated silicon photonics, a no-wirebond chip platform that enables wafer level burn-in and testing, and a silicon photonics system having the light source, for applications associated with silicon photonics integrated circuits, though other applications are possible.
New technologies are forcing data centers to scale, service providers to increase bandwidth, and chip manufacturers to seek ways to circumvent Moore's Law. Internet traffic continues to grow exponentially, and communication networks must evolve to meet the need for more and faster data. Emerging technologies such as 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT), and virtual reality place unprecedented demands on data centers to manage higher volumes of traffic and provide faster response times than ever before. Distributed data centers need to communicate with each other to share data, balance workloads, provide backups, and scale capacity when needed. In a campus or metropolitan area, distributed data centers need to increase interconnection capacity significantly. Silicon photonics is a technology that promises a new wave of chips, systems and components to address those needs, while providing lower costs, greater energy efficiency and a smaller form factor. Silicon photonics technology involves creating photonic devices with new optical components on a silicon substrate. Optical-based systems use light to transmit data much faster and more efficiently over fiber optics lines compared to systems that transmit data with electrical signals over copper lines.
Driven along these trends, the demands become stronger on increasing bandwidth for optical communication and decreasing package footprint of a silicon photonics-based optical transceiver. It is more and more challenging to integrate all necessary components including laser-based light source within smaller and smaller module package. In particular, conventional packages using wire bonds to couple driver device with a laser chip lead to impedance mismatch due to large inductance, degrading the signal at higher frequencies. As such, it is not practical to use wirebond as electrical interconnect between chips or between chips and board for the applications where high frequency (e.g., >40 GHz) analog signal is transmitted. The large inductance of wire bonds has become a bottle neck of high-speed signal transmission.
It is desirable to have an improved light source package based on a no-wirebond chip platform and enabled with wafer-level burn-in and testing for the integrated silicon photonics circuit.

Light source for integrated silicon photonics


A compact spotting scope includes a housing with an outer surface having a grasping region sized and shaped to fit in a user's hand. An optical element positioned within the housing is adjusted by manually rotating a side-mounted adjustment knob that extends laterally from the outer surface of the housing opposite the grasping region. The side-mounted position of the adjustment knob allows the arm and wrist of the focusing hand to be maintained in an ergonomic position during manipulation of the adjustment knob, thereby further facilitating steady support. An internal support member of the spotting scope includes a frame portion and a generally tubular portion, which are preferably formed together of unitary one-piece construction for aligning optical elements of the spotting scope.

Spotting scopes are specialized optical telescopes used primarily for terrestrial observation, rather than astronomy, and which include a single optical path (monocular) and image-inverting optics. As compared to binoculars, spotting scopes typically have a higher optical power (usually magnifying between 12× and 60×), a narrower field of view, and a larger overall size and weight. While it is often desirable to have the increased optical power of a spotting scope, the relatively large size and weight of most known spotting scopes inhibits portability. The large size, relatively large mass, narrow field of view, and high optical magnification of such spotting scopes generally requires them to be supported on a tripod or other steady support for effective use. Moreover, most known spotting scopes have a limited operational focusing range that does not allow a user to focus on targets located closer than 30 feet (9.1 meters).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,833 of Mise illustrates in FIG. 2 a conventional focus adjustment mechanism used in spotting scopes, including a jack screw that extends through a housing of the scope. The jack screw has an axis of rotation aligned with an optical axis of the scope and is threadably engaged with a carriage that supports a prism inside the housing for linear movement along a pair of guide posts that are precisely aligned with the optical axis. A knob of the jack screw extends longitudinally from the housing and is manually rotated to drive the movable prism along the optical axis. A user rotates the jack screw knob by dragging a finger across the top of the knob or by reaching around the front of the knob to grasp it between the user's thumb and fingers—the latter motion being somewhat awkward. Rotation of the jack screw drives the carriage at a constant rate throughout the entire range of adjustment. The pitch of the jack screw threads is dictated by the fine adjustments required to achieve sharp focus as the focus setting approaches infinity. However, the present inventors have found that at closer focusing distances the effect of such fine adjustments are more subtle, which can make it difficult to quickly visually assess the effect of adjustments and determine the direction in which the jack screw should be turned to achieve sharp focus.
The present inventors have recognized a need for an improved spotting scope having a compact size, light weight, and an optical system that facilitates hand-held use, thereby eliminating or reducing the need for a tripod or other support device. A need has also been recognized by the present inventors for a spotting scope having an optical design that provides for improved close focus capabilities and a mechanical design that facilitates fast adjustment of the focus setting without compromising the user's ability to hold the spotting scope steady.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Compact spotting scope with side focus control


The disclosed technology provides an enriched antibody population, highly specific for an antigen of a surface polysaccharide, from a mycobacterium. In a related embodiment, the antibody is enriched by having been raised in an environment that maintains antigenically active antigen. These antibodies may be used in an immunoreactive environment for detecting the presence of a mycobacterial infection in a sample from a subject.

During the last decades TB has evolved from a predominantly pulmonary infection into a multifaceted pathology with a growing rate of extrapulmonary cases. Until to date effective TB prevention programs are hampered by the absence of a rapid and field adapted screening assay. In high-income countries mycobacterial culture remains the diagnostic standard, but it is time-consuming and relatively expensive. Ideally, sputum microscopy based on three sputum smears can identify up to 67% of culture positive cases. HIV co-infection has been reported to impair the demonstration of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputa, although some investigators do not report any influence of the HIV serostatus on the AFB diagnosis. The higher percentage of extrapulmonary TB in HIV positive TB patients additionally increases the rate of AFB-negative TB cases. This renders tuberculosis an increasing diagnostic challenge and underlines an urgent need for improved laboratory tools for its diagnosis.
Current approaches for diagnosing TB are not satisfactory. The sputum test for pulmonary TB is not always effective, particularly if there are no detectable bacteria in the sputum, or no sputum sample can be obtained. In addition, this diagnostic test requires microscopy and/or culture of the bacteria to confirm the diagnosis, neither of which is especially suitable to diagnosis in the field. cerebrospinal fluid for diagnosis of TB-meningitis is also problematic, particularly in the field since, once again, microscopy and/or culture of the bacteria and/or an ELISA test is usually required to confirm the diagnosis.
Blood tests for TB are also known, but have a poor track record, being complex and unreliable. Urine tests are simpler and more reliable, but current methods require processing of the urine before performing the diagnostic test—such processing usually involving concentration of the urine.
Among the newly developed methods antibody tests against a number of mycobacterial antigens have been developed, but none of these tests has so far reached the needed specificity for routine diagnostic purpose. The drop of sensitivity in HIV positive cases is also a major constraint. A different approach is to measure immune responses to Mycobacterium tuberculosis specific antigens like ESAT-6, but so far the differentiation between latent TB infection and TB disease is not possible.
Tuberculosis is an extremely complex pathology existing in multiple forms, but always starting as an airborne infection. Pulmonary tuberculosis occurs immediately at the entry point of the microorganism and extrapulmonary tuberculosis is the result of further penetration into the body of the patient with the most widespread examples of tuberculous meningitis and bone tuberculosis. Complexity of the pathology determines multitude of various approaches tried during this century of modern medicine. Furthermore clinical and radiographic manifestations of HIV-related pulmonary tuberculosis are dramatically altered by immunodeficiency. These factors severely limit our capability of early symptomatic recognition of tuberculosis in HIV/TB patients and also increase the danger of TB transmission to relatives and caregivers of such patients.
Mycobacteria can potentially be recovered from a variety of clinical specimens, including upper respiratory collections (sputum, bronchial washes, bronchioalveolar lavage, bronchial biopsies and such); urine, feces, blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), tissue biopsies, and deep needle aspirations of virtually any tissue or organ. Bacterial culture remains the gold standard in the diagnosis of tuberculosis, but it can take up to 6-8 weeks to make a conclusive diagnosis. There are three major technologies used for rapid (faster than bacterial culture) diagnosis of the mycobacterial infections:
Direct microscopy of sputum smears;
PCR-based assays;
Immunodiagnostic methods.
Direct microscopy of sputum smears. More than a century ago, Robert Koch identified the etiologic agent of tuberculosis by staining it and culturing it from clinical specimens. Today, the diagnosis of tuberculosis is usually established using staining and culturing techniques that do not differ substantially from those that Koch used. Direct microscopy of sputum is the norm for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in developing countries today and it is the benchmark against which the efficiency of any new test must be assessed. It is applied to pulmonary tuberculosis, but is not very useful for children or for patients with initial stages of pulmonary tuberculosis.
PCR-based assays. A comparative study of the performance of PCR tests in seven laboratories has shown high levels of false-positive PCR-results, ranging from 3% to 20% (with an extreme of 77% in one laboratory). This relatively poor performance resulted from lack of monitoring of each step of the procedure and underscores the necessity for careful quality control during all stages of the assay.
Immunodiagnostic Methods.
The Tuberculosis Skin Test. This is the probably oldest immunological test for tuberculosis. A small amount of substance called PPD Tuberculin is placed just under the top layer of the skin on the forearm with a small needle. The test is read 48 to 72 hours after it has been given. Generally, a swelling of 10 mm. or more is considered positive. Many developing countries use BCG vaccination to protect against TB. After BCG vaccination, the PPD skin test usually becomes positive. Results of the skin test vary dependent on the quality of the PPD antigen, reactivity of the immune system and probably even race of the individual. This test also does not provide an unequivocal indication about the stage and location of the infection.
Serological tests for M. tuberculosis. This approach, based on the detection of antibody immune response to mycobacterial antigens is one of the most widely used in research and clinical environments. All serological tests have approximately the same sensitivity and specificity if they use purified antigens. The sensitivity of the best tests is in a range of 80% for smear-positive cases and 60-70% for smear negative cases. The reported specificity is generally high and is in a range of 95-100%.
Currently existing technologies are limited in their performance in several ways.
Most widely accepted rapid microscopic test requires several hours to complete, skillful technician and clinical laboratory environment. Test interpretation is far too difficult compared to current standards of rapid POC (point of care) testing in the infectious diseases area. Real cost of one analysis per one patient runs in the range of $100-150 for a US hospital. Clinical specificity of the test is very good, but any improvements in sensitivity will be more than welcome.
Skin test has sufficient sensitivity, but takes a long time and does not provide information about stage of pathological process and does not sufficiently differentiate infected and vaccinated individuals.
Serological tests usually do not have sufficient sensitivity. Test results vary with variations in the individual immune response to TB antigens. These tests practically do not work in HIV patients infected by M. tuberculosis. This factor severely limits their applicability in Africa and many Asian countries. In the US this group of patients constitutes the majority of TB infected patients as well.
PCR tests are widely used in developed countries, but are complex, expensive and are not sensitive enough to justify their use as a screening test in developing countries.
A preferred method for rapid diagnosis of infectious diseases is based on the detection of a bacterial antigen in the patient sample, that provides unequivocal proof of active infectious process caused by specific pathogen. The concept of using a direct antigen test for detection of mycobacterial infections was described in several publications.
For example, the development of one of the first direct antigen assay for M. tuberculosis was reported in 1982—a radioimmunoassay for the detection M. tuberculosis antigens in sputum of patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis, using a rabbit antibody specific to the whole cells of M. bovis (BCG vaccine). Autoclaved and sonicated sputum was used as a sample. The assay detected antigen in 38 of 39 sputum samples from patients with active tuberculosis pulmonary tuberculosis.
Later studies reported the development of the ELISA system for the detection of mycobacterial antigens in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with tuberculous meningitis, also using antibodies specific to the whole cells of M. bovis. Both systems showed surprisingly high specificity. Despite the fact that LAM was the major antigen responsible for the detection, it was reported that M. kansasii showed 5% cross-reactivity, and M. intracellulare, M. avium, M. fortuitum, and M. vaccae cross-reacted only at 2%. Others reported detection, by ELISA, of mycobacterial antigen in the CSF of nine of 12 patients with tuberculous meningitis, corresponding to the sensitivity of 81.25%. Specificity of the test was equal to 95%.
Practically all previous attempts to develop a test for diagnosis of tuberculosis have focused on the detection of the pulmonary form of the disease. Extrapulmonary forms, which are notoriously difficult to diagnose, attracted relatively little attention due to low prevalence rate compared to pulmonary forms. Until the 1950s and 1960s, extrapulmonary TB cases comprised only around 10% of all tuberculosis cases. The onset of the HIV/AIDS pandemic has changed the situation completely. These two diseases eventually merged into a new complex public health problem. Now fully 60% of untreated HIV patients develop active TB during their lifetime and up to 70% of TB patients are HIV infected in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Superimposition of HIV and TB changed not only the epidemiology of tuberculosis, but also the course of the disease itself. During the last decades TB has evolved from predominantly a pulmonary infection into a multifaceted pathology with an ever growing prevalence of extrapulmonary forms. It is estimated that extrapulmonary TB cases currently comprise up to 30% of all cases of tuberculosis; this number might even be an underestimation due to the lack of tools for rapid screening and diagnosis of extrapulmonary forms of tuberculosis. Moreover, even pulmonary tuberculosis in HIV patients frequently exhibits atypical symptoms. For example, such patients typically do not produce sputum. These factors severely limit our capability of early symptomatic recognition of tuberculosis in HIV/TB patients and also increase the danger of TB transmission to relatives and caregivers of such patients. An easy to use screening test, capable of detecting a broad spectrum of pathologies due to M. tuberculosis infection, is urgently needed, including a test for extrapulmonary forms of TB. Such a need has long been discussed with no progress towards realising goal. Today the need has became a public health care emergency.
In other cases of pulmonary bacterial infections, the current screening process of choice is based on the detection of polysaccharide antigens secreted in the patient's urine. Bacterial polysaccharides are composed of monosaccharides uncommon to humans and therefore resistant to cleavage by human enzymes. This enables their secretion in urine in immunochemically intact forms suitable for detection by a polysaccharide-specific immunoassay. Extremely low concentrations of bacterial polysaccharides secreted in urine require very high sensitivity of the immunoassay in order to use it as a screening procedure.
Collaborating research groups from Sweden and Norway attempted development of a LAM-specific ELISA system detecting LAM antigen in patient urine. The system used antigen capture for detecting tuberculosis from urine based on lipoarabinomannan, a polysaccharide present on the surface of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the organism responsible for causing tuberculosis in humans, as disclosed in PCT application no. WO97/34149 to Svenson, hereby incorporated by reference herein. The disclosed diagnostic procedure detected the presence of LAM in patient urine in 81.3% of AFB-positive patients and 57.4% of AFB-negative patients and demonstrated utility of the detection of mycobacterial LAM antigen for diagnosis of mycobacterial infections. At the same time the system failed to demonstrate utility of the disclosed process for screening purposes. Despite use of the affinity purified rabbit polyclonal antibody specific to LAM antigen, the procedure lacked sufficient sensitivity to be used on non-processed un-concentrated urine samples. The diagnostic procedure required approximately 24-48 hrs of sophisticated manipulations in a biochemical lab focused on concentrating patient urine and preparing it for analysis by ELISA test. Overall, the sensitivity of the Svenson assay is not sufficient for practical use of the disclosed method. The complexity and length of the immunoassay also prevents its practical use as a screening test for detection of mycobacterial infections because it proved too cumbersome for use in a clinical setting, where speed, ease of use, and high sensitivity are all critically important for diagnostic tests used to detect disease conditions.

Method of preparing enriched antibodies for detecting mycobacterial infection


A method of cleaning a contact hole of a semiconductor device, can include: removing a first portion of an object to be removed in the contact hole by a dry cleaning process, where a second portion of the object to be removed remains after the dry cleaning process has completed; and removing the second portion of the object to be removed by a wet cleaning process. The method can further include: forming an interlayer dielectric layer on a semiconductor substrate having a contact region; etching the interlayer dielectric layer to form the contact hole, where the contact hole penetrates the interlayer dielectric layer and exposes the contact region; and after the cleaning of the contact hole, filling the contact hole by a metal material to form a metal plug that is in contact with the contact region.

For semiconductor devices, the contact resistance typically accounts for a high proportion of the interconnect resistance, so it is important to reduce the contact resistance. During a standard semiconductor manufacturing process, there may be residual oxide in the bottom of the hole after the contact hole is formed, or natural oxide may be formed in the bottom of the contact hole in the waiting duration. These oxides can adversely affect the subsequent filling process of the contact hole, which can eventually result in a large or unstable contact resistance.

Silergy Semiconductor Technology (Hangzhou) LTD


An audio processing device is provided. The audio processing device includes a shaper. The shaper receives a digital input audio signal and generates an output audio signal at an output terminal according to the digital input audio signal. The shaper includes a gain adjustment unit and a shaping unit. The gain adjustment unit receives the digital input audio signal and adjusts the digital input audio signal to generate a gained audio signal. The shaping unit receives the gained audio signal. When the shaper operates in a first mode, the shaping unit shapes an envelope of the gained audio signal to generate a shaped audio signal, and the shaped audio signal serves as the output audio signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an audio system, and more particularly to an audio processing device applied for an audio system which can eliminate annoying pop and click sounds during volume adjustment of the audio system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In current digital audio systems, when the volume of the sounds played by the digital audio systems is being adjusted, unexpected pop and click sounds may occur. In this case, users may hear annoying sounds. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing variation of a digital audio signal during volume adjustment in an audio system. In FIG. 1, the digital audio signal Sau1 is showed by a sine wave. Referring to FIG. 1, when the audio system adjusts the volume to be larger at a time point T1, the amplitude of the digital audio signal Sau1 is boosted immediately at the time point T1. The boosting at the time point T1 induces pop and click sounds played by a speaker of the audio system, which degrades the playing quality of the audio system.
Thus, it is desired to provide an audio processing device which can eliminate annoying pop and click sounds during volume adjustment.

Audio processing device and audio systems using the same


A head up display system for a vehicle that includes a compact image source for projecting an image. The compact image source may be foldable up toward or into a cockpit ceiling of the vehicle, be positioned within a dashboard of the vehicle, or located at another suitable position. A combiner reflects the projected image with optical power toward an observer for observation. The combiner is positioned so that the observer, in a line of sight, may see a visual exterior view of an outside scene through the combiner and the projected image in the combiner. In a preferred embodiment, the image source includes an illumination system that includes a high power light emitting diode (LED) array assembly. A Fresnel lens array is operatively associated with the LED array assembly for receiving light produced by the LED and providing a nearly collimated light output. A spatial light modulator receives the nearly collimated light output. The preferred combiner is a meniscus combiner that includes a meniscus lens; a multi-layer dichroic coating formed on a first surface of the meniscus lens; and, an anti-reflection coating formed on a second, opposite surface of the meniscus lens. The meniscus combiner preferably utilizes a non-symmetric aspheric meniscus lens.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of display systems, particularly to a method and optical display system for producing images and presenting the images for observation in combination with an observer's visual exterior view of an outside scene.
2. Description of the Related Art
A Head Up Display (HUD) is a means of projecting information directly into a human's visual field. The HUD was pioneered for military aviation and has since been used in other applications. HUDs are typically used in aircraft to provide pilots with information superimposed onto their forward field of view through the aircraft windshield. The information displayed may be data or symbolic images indicative of flight conditions such as the operating condition of the aircraft, environmental information or guidance information for use in directing the aircraft to its destination. These images are presented in overlying fashion on the pilot's field of view so as not to interfere with the pilot's view of the background scene.
Although HUDs are useful in a variety of applications, there are several problems with conventional HUDs, among which high cost, narrow viewing angles, mechanical constraints, and low contrast of images are of particular concern. Moreover, conventional combiners are either undesirably thick or heavy for most applications, or are thin and undesirably highly curved. The thick combiners often contain a pair of cooperative lens elements, at least one of which includes an embedded spherical surface coated with a spectrally reflecting thin film. The external surfaces of these thick combiners are flat so as to provide an undistorted view of the background scene. Thin combiners, on the other hand, typically employ a pair of spherical external surfaces, one of which carries the spectrally reflecting thin film. Thin combiners thus typically do not provide the necessary undistorted view of the background scene, especially when the combiner is thick enough to be adequately durable.
The combiner of the HUD is a critical component to provide a collimated display image to a pilot for a given Field of View (FOV) at a given design reference point. As noted, the HUD combiner components are generally large in size. The current HUD combiners are typically comprised of two optical components and with reflection holograms or dielectric coatings on some of the surfaces. They are cemented together or co-mounted in the HUD system configuration which induces complicated assembly and high cost to the HUD system.
Often, HUD applications include the use of combiners with doublet lens. The doublet combiner is composed of a convex front lens and a concave back lens. The convex surface of the convex lens is dichroic or holographically coated for reflecting the HUD format information. Since the optical power of the front lens cancels the optical power of the back lens, there is no optical effect when viewing through the combiner.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,907,416, entitled "Wide FOV Simulator Heads-Up Display With Selective Holographic Reflector Combined", issued to M. Cheren et al, discloses a wide field-of-view simulator heads-up display that provides images to a user along an optical axis. A HUD CRT provides images of a predetermined design wavelength, while rear projection screen CRTs provide images that do not contain the predetermined design wavelength. A curved holographic combiner is mounted on the optical axis with a reflective hologram on a concave surface covered with a urethane overcoat. The convex surface has an antireflective coating. A tilted beamsplitter cooperates with a folding mirror in a relay optical system for providing a virtual image of the HUD CRT for reflection from the holographic combiner.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,968,117, entitled "Graded Index Asperhic Combiners and Display System Utilizing Same", issued to Chern et al, discloses an optical combiner that includes a substrate with at least one aspheric surface and an diffraction-type reflective coating formed on the substrate for selectively reflecting radiation within one or more predetermined narrow band ranges of wavelengths impinging on the coating. The asphericity of the surface may be selected to compensate or balance optical aberrations. The coating is advantageously a graded-index coating, which eliminates the possible degradation of gelatin hologram coatings due to moisture. A process for applying the graded-index coating to a substrate is disclosed. The variation in the index profile of the coating can be selected to provide the capability of combiners with multiple color reflectivity responses, or which allow use of display light sources of wider spectral bandwidth, resulting in a brighter image and improved angular bandwidth. In another disclosed embodiment, the combiner is incorporated in a biocular helmet visor display resulting in improved optical performance and a simpler, lightweight structure. In another embodiment, the combiner is incorporated into a head-up display for an aircraft resulting in improved performance, lower weight, improved safety and greater look-up capability.
The design of an advanced compact low cost HUD is also dependent on advancing the state of the art of the image source. The image sources of HUDs that exist today have problems relative to volume, cost, mechanical constraints, and high ambient contrast. Typical overhead mounted HUD systems of today consist of cathode-ray tubes (CRTs), projecting onto a combiner via a series of large and complex lenses. Military HUDs are typically mounted behind the forward cockpit displays. Again, they typically consist of CRTs and a series of large lenses with a turning mirror employed in order to project onto the see-through combiner.
An example of an image source for an HUD is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,436,763, issued to C. W. Chen et al, entitled "Wide Spectral Bandwidth Virtual Image Display Optical System". The '763 patent discloses a vertical image display optical system that uses a CRT in combination with a relay lens group to present an image to a combiner. The relay lens group includes a number of optical elements. U.S. Pat. No. 6,236,511, issued to R. D. Brown, entitled "Beam Combining Optical Element", discloses the use of an image source that is typically a cathode-ray tube that emits an image that includes a green component carried by multiple wavelengths of light within the range of approximately 540–560 nanometers (nm). Both of these patents illustrate the inherent bulkiness of the image sources in prior art HUD systems.
Thus, it is desirable to provide a method and optical display system for producing images and presenting the images for observation in combination with an observer's visual exterior view of an outside scene, which method and system may solve the foregoing-described problems.


A computer-implemented method of verifying isolation of a plurality of instances of a redundant module of a circuit design that is implemented within a single, programmable integrated circuit can include counting component failures needed to establish a connection between at least two different ones of the plurality of instances of the redundant module. The method can include determining whether each instance of the redundant module is isolated from each other instance of the redundant module according to the counting of component failures, and outputting an indication whether each of the plurality of instances of the redundant module is isolated.

Programmable integrated circuits (ICs) are a well-known type of integrated circuit (IC) that can be programmed to perform specified logic functions. One type of programmable IC, the field programmable gate array (FPGA), typically includes an array of programmable tiles. These programmable tiles can include, for example, input/output blocks (IOBs), configurable logic blocks (CLBs), dedicated random access memory blocks (BRAM), multipliers, digital signal processing blocks (DSPs), processors, clock managers, delay lock loops (DLLs), and so forth.
Each programmable tile typically includes both programmable interconnect and programmable logic. The programmable interconnect typically includes a large number of interconnect lines of varying lengths interconnected by programmable interconnect points (PIPs). In general, a PIP refers to a circuit component or mechanism that programmably connects or isolates two routing elements, e.g., wires or nodes, of a circuit within a programmable IC. The programmable logic implements the logic of a user design using programmable elements that can include, for example, function generators, registers, arithmetic logic, and so forth.
The programmable interconnect and programmable logic are typically programmed by loading a stream of configuration data into internal configuration memory cells that define how the programmable elements are configured. The configuration data can be read from memory (e.g., from an external PROM) or written into the FPGA by an external device. The collective states of the individual memory cells then determine the function of the FPGA.
Some applications require that portions of the system be implemented in triplicate to improve reliability. This technique, referred to as triple modular redundancy (TMR), seeks to eliminate single points of failure within a circuit design. For example, systems that are to be used within harsh operating environments may require that one or more circuits critical to continued and proper operation of the system be implemented using TMR. A voting circuit can be used to select the majority result, as determined from the output of each of the three instances of the module implemented using TMR, referred to as the "TMR module." An "instance" of a TMR module refers to a single one of the three implementations of a TMR module, or to a single implementation of any module implemented using redundancy of any sort. TMR can improve the ability of a system to function properly despite the occurrence of faults, whether accidental or malicious in nature.
When implementing a TMR module, each instance of that TMR module must be isolated from each other instance of the TMR module. Isolation of instances of a TMR module means that the occurrence of a fault within one instance of the TMR module is independent of whether a fault occurs within any other instance of the TMR module. Proceeding with the presumption that the probability of a single failure is low, then the probability of two independent failures, each occurring within a different instance of the same TMR module, will be even lower. This increases the likelihood that the majority result selected by the voting mechanism will be the intended or correct result.
The conventional technique for achieving isolation in a circuit design among instances of a module implemented with any degree of redundancy is to design the system so that each instance of the redundant module is located within a separate, physical, programmable IC. Implementing a system in this manner, using a plurality of programmable ICs for implementation of a single redundant module, may add significant cost and complexity to the system design. Further, the resulting system will be physically larger and require more power than if a single programmable IC were used.

Isolation verification for implementing modular redundancy within programmable integrated circuits


The stadium with retractable cover includes a peripheral wall defining an open top and a top peripheral edge. At least one floatation device is included which is adapted to rise in air. Next provided is at least one canopy mounted to the floatation device. At least one retraction assembly is adapted for selectively transferring the canopy between a closed orientation for closing the open top of the peripheral wall and an open orientation for exposing the open top of the peripheral wall.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to stadiums with hard-shell retractable covers and more particularly pertains to a new retractable stadium cover for selectively covering an open top of a stadium with a float supported canopy.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of with hard-shell retractable covers is known in the prior art. More specifically, with hard-shell retractable covers heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art with hard-shell retractable covers include U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,481; U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,097; U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,203; U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,792; U.S. Pat. No. 4,682,449; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,800.
In these respects, the retractable stadium cover according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of selectively covering an open top of a stadium with a float supported canopy.


A lead assembly includes a flexible lead body extending from a proximal end to a distal end, and the lead body includes two or more conductors disposed therein. The second conductor is disposed within the first conductor, and the first conductor has a coating of insulation disposed on a portion thereof. In another option, a sleeve of insulative material is disposed between the first conductor and the second conductor.

Leads implanted in or about the heart have been used to reverse certain life threatening arrhythmias, or to stimulate contraction of the heart. Electrical energy is applied to the heart via the leads to return the heart to normal rhythm. Leads have also been used to sense in the atrium or ventricle of the heart and to deliver pacing pulses to the atrium or ventricle.
Cardiac pacing may be performed by the transvenous method or by leads implanted directly onto the epicardium. Permanent transvenous pacing is performed using a lead positioned within one or more chambers of the heart. One or more leads may be positioned in the ventricle or in the atrium through a subclavian vein, and the lead terminal pins are attached to a pacemaker, which is implanted subcutaneously.
The leads include an outer insulative lead body for electrically insulating the conductor, and allowing only the electrodes to make electrical contact with the body tissue. The insulation of the conductor must be reliable, to prevent inadvertent shorting of the conductor. The outer insulation affects the several aspects of the lead structure, for example, lead flexibility and abrasion resistance, and the outer dimensions of the lead body. It is preferable that the lead is flexible since, the more flexible a lead is, the less trauma is induced to the patient as a result of lead pressure. Furthermore, flexibility is an important consideration in light of the repeated movements of the heart, and also the tortuous path through which the lead is inserted. In addition, the outer body must be resistant to abrasive wear, for example, in the event that the lead rubs against another lead, implanted device, or anatomical structure while the lead is in use after it is implanted within a patient.
Some leads incorporate silicone as an insulator for the conductor. However, while silicone is a flexible and biostable material, silicone has poor tensile and wear characteristics. Furthermore, silicone has a high coefficient of friction, which is a drawback, for example when two leads are placed within the patient, or when silicone is used in proximity with moving parts.
Another consideration is the lead body diameter. Physicians prefer smaller leads because a smaller introducer can be used, and a smaller incision for the introducer is used. Furthermore, smaller leads are necessary when the relevant therapies require two or more leads to be implanted.
Accordingly, there is a need for a lead, which has improved flexibility. What is also needed is a lead having a smaller outer diameter that does not sacrifice insulation.

Extendable/retractable lead having downsized lead body


An electronic device charging platform and portable electrical outlet enclosure providing a secure, accessible location for the placement and charging of an electronic device on the exterior of the enclosure, while having an interior space to house, use, and conceal a portable electrical outlet device, such as a surge protector or outlet strip, with any power cords and plugs, transformers, or consumer electronic product charging components that are associated with the surge protector is disclosed. The electronic device charging platform and portable electrical outlet enclosure will preferably include a right half and left half, configured so that, as they attach together to create the interior space, slots or notches in each half align to form conduits through which the cords can be routed to the exterior. Additional conduits to the exterior may also be provided for convenience in cord placement and routing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus specialized to mount, support, and house an electrical device, and more specifically to an electronic device charging platform and portable electrical outlet enclosure configured for use with electronic devices and with a portable electrical outlet device such as a surge protector or power strip.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The number and types of consumer electronic devices continue to grow phenomenally. These consumer electronic devices, such as cell phones, cameras, music and video players, music and video recorders, wireless headsets, cordless phones, computer accessories, and the like, each come with their own cord, plugs, wiring, transformer, charger, and/or other accessories requiring power. For the average home and office, this results in a tangle of cluttered cords around some type of portable electrical outlet device such as a surge protector, power strip, or the like. Powering and charging of these consumer electronic devices in a safe, suitable, convenient, and attractive location has become a problem. The extent of the problem and the huge numbers of devices involved are exemplified by the 200 million cell phones owned by about 70% of the population of the U.S. (CTIA—the Wireless Association) and by the 62 percent or 70 million U.S. households owning one or more computers typically attached to a surge protector (U.S. Census Bureau, 2003).
Not only is this tangle of cords unsightly and inconvenient, but it is also a safety hazard. There is a need to control access and to provide spill resistance. Cords are more likely to become entangled or damaged when they are exposed. When children and pets have ready access to these electrical components they can pull, jerk, or chew on cords damaging the wires and presenting both an electric shock hazard and a fire hazard.
There have been a number of attempts to address these problems. Some enclosures that provide a centralized location for portable electrical outlet devices, connections, and associated wiring do not conceal the connections in an interior space, thereby not solving the safety, access, or aesthetics issues. Some enclosures do enclose the electrical outlets, connections, and wiring, but do not allow for ease in accessing the connections or for ease in plugging and unplugging components. A portion of the enclosures currently available are cumbersome or bulky, occupying a large footprint of floor or desk space. It would be advantageous to provide an attractive enclosure solution that was designed to efficiently use and conserve space, as generally space is at a premium in the locations where the enclosure would be used in a home or office.
Other enclosures contain portable electrical outlet devices, such as surge protectors or power strips, but are additionally adapted for a particular use rather than for general home and office use with consumer electronic products. They include enclosures that, for example, are specialized for use with hair care appliances, medical devices, or multimedia cables, or that are specifically designed for insertion in furniture units or other specific applications, such as an office conference table.
Another need is for a secure area or platform to hold and charge a readily-accessible consumer electronic device, while also having an enclosure to conceal a portable electrical outlet device such as a power strip or a surge protector and to organize the many cords, plugs, wiring, transformers, chargers that are associated with the portable electrical outlet device. There is a need for this platform and enclosure to use orthodox and readily available portable electrical outlet devices, and to be used with orthodox and readily available electronic products. Also, there is a need to provide an attractive platform and enclosure solution that does not occupy a large footprint by consuming a lot of floor or desk space.
Accordingly, there is an established need for an electronic device charging platform and portable electrical outlet enclosure configured for use with consumer electronics and for use with a portable electrical outlet device that increases safety, aesthetics, and convenience by providing for attractive concealment and organization of a portable electrical outlet device and a wide variety of cords, plugs, wires, transformers, and chargers of electronic devices, while allowing good access to the interior of the enclosure/organizer, while being space-efficient and only occupying a small footprint, and while additionally providing a handy, secure, and accessible location to store and charge a consumer electronic device.

Electronic device charging platform and portable electrical outlet enclosure


A method and system for optimizing the efficiency of an LNG liquification system of the gas expansion type, wherein an incoming feed gas is first separated in a fractionation column by counter current contact with a cold reflux fluid, and a gaseous stream introduced into the heat exchanger system at a reduced temperature such that an intermediate pinch point is created in the warm composite curve.

As used herein, the term LNG shall refer to Liquefied Natural Gas, that is Natural gas that has been cooled down such that it condenses and becomes liquid.
As used herein, the term Natural Gas shall refer to a gaseous mixture of hydrocarbons where an essential part is methane.
As used herein, the term LPG shall refer to Liquid Petroleum Gas, that is a gaseous mixture of hydrocarbons comprising propane and butanes.
As used herein, the term "mixed refrigerant cycle" shall refer to a liquification process, known in the art, employing an optimized mixture of a plurality of refrigerants.
As used herein, the term "gas expansion process" or "gas expansion cycle" shall refer to a liquefaction process, known in the art, employing a gaseous cooling agent, wherein the gaseous cooling agent at a higher pressure is first fed to a heat exchanger system and cooled but such that the cooled cooling agent is a gas. Thereafter the cooled cooling agent is expanded in a gas expander to a lower pressure lower than said higher pressure to generate a cold gaseous cooling agent stream. The cold gaseous cooling agent is led back to the heat exchanger system where it cools down the cooling agent stream at the higher pressure and for heat exchange with the fluid that is to be cooled, such as a gas to be liquefied, and such that the said cold gaseous cooling agent becomes a heated cooling agent. The heated cooling agent is thereafter compressed for reuse.
As used herein, the term "warm composite curve", as known in the art, shall refer to the heat flow versus temperature relationship for the sum of warm streams being cooled down in a heat exchanger or a system of heat exchangers.
As used herein, the term "cold composite curve", as known in the art, shall refer to the heat flow versus temperature relationship for the sum of cold streams being heated in a heat exchanger or a system of heat exchangers.
A used herein, the term "warm end" of a liquefaction heat exchanger, as known in the art, shall refer to the area or range of the heat exchanger where the warmest streams involved in the heat exchange is entering or leaving the heat exchanger.
As used herein, the term "split gas expansion cycles" shall refer to a gas expansion cycle wherein the cooled refrigerant is split into a plurality of streams, the streams being utilized at different stages and at different temperatures in the cooling of the target fluid.
As used herein, the term "fractionation column" shall refer to an arrangement, known in the art, for distillation separation of a mixed hydrocarbon fluid, in particular a column that generates an overhead fraction and bottom fraction
It is known in the art to produce LNG from a feed gas comprising a mixture of hydrocarbons, wherein the feed gas first passes through a fractionation column and an overhead fraction subjected to the liquefaction process, for example the system disclosed in EP 1715267. Such systems are employed in large scale, so-called "base load" liquefaction systems. Such systems typically employ a mixed refrigerant cycle, due to the superior efficiency of the mixed refrigerant cycle compared to the gas expansion cycle. Because the mixed refrigerant mixture is optimized, the overhead fraction must be cooled by an external source prior to being fed into the liquefaction circuit. As it is the intention of such systems to achieve an LNG product with as high a relative content of methane as possible, these systems are further arranged such that the bottom fraction from the fractionation column comprises a relatively high content of hydrocarbons heavier than methane.
The simplest way to limit the content of heavier hydrocarbons in the liquid gas is to partially condense the gas and then separate the condensed liquid from the gas, which is further cooled to be liquefied. The separation is normally carried out as an integrated part of the cooling down process at typical temperatures of between 0° C. and −60° C. Separated condensate can be heated up again as a part of the cooling process to utilise the cooling potential.
In large land based LNG installations (so called "base load" installations) most of the propane and heavier hydrocarbons are normally removed and in many cases also a considerable part of ethane, before or as a part of, the liquefaction. This is done to meet the sale specifications and to be able to produce and sell the valuable ethane, LPG and condensate/naphtha. Elaborate processes are normally used with low temperature fractionation columns both as a part of the cooling down process and as separate units outside the cooling system.
Because of the complexity of large, "Base load" systems, the arrangements used therein are not suitable for many applications, for example offshore applications. In addition, it is undesirable to handle products other than the LNG, as hydrocarbons lighter than C5 can, on the whole, not be stored or transported safely without being cooled down or under pressure.
In such offshore applications it is known to utilize the gas expansion cycle for the liquefaction of natural gas. The gas expansion cycle is relatively simple, but is less efficient than the mixed refrigerant cycle. While the use of the "split gas expansion cycle" can improve efficiency there is nonetheless a need for greater efficiency, as even relatively small changes in efficiency can result in very large economic gains.

Method and system for producing liquefied natural gas (LNG)


A roof integrated photovoltaic mounting system includes a plurality of aluminum rails mountable in horizontal spaced relationship on a roof for receiving courses of photovoltaic panels or photovoltaic tiles. The PV panels or tiles have an extruded attachment feature along their forward edge portions that defines a downwardly projecting forwardly facing hook. Panels or tiles are installed by placing each panel or tile on a pair of rails and sliding the panel or tile down until its forward facing hook engages beneath a rear facing tongue on a rail below. A PV panel or tile in a next lower course is installed by slipping its rear edge beneath the forward edge of a panel or tile in a next higher course. The panel is then hinged down about its rear edge until its forward edge portion engages a support rail below. The panel is then slid down until the hook of its attachment fixture engages beneath the tongue of the downslope rail. When the entire array is installed in this manner, the forward edges of the panels are held down by the hook and tongue engagements and the rear edges are held down by being underneath the forward edges of panels in a next higher course. The procedure is reversed to remove a panel for servicing or replacement. In the case of solar glass tiles, water troughs are installed on the rails underlying abutting ends of tiles in a course to collect rainwater and direct it onto the upper surface of a tile in a next lower course.

Roof integrated photovoltaic (RIPV) solar energy systems generally include solar panels or solar tiles mounted on the roof of a home. RIPV systems are designed to prevent rainwater from passing through the system, thereby protecting the roof below. A downside, however, is that the mechanical mounting substructure below the panels or tiles is not readily accessible. Further, the perimeter of the photovoltaic array includes flashing that is highly integrated with the surrounding roofing materials to create a weatherized installation. Accordingly, if a Photovoltaic (PV) panel or tile of the array needs to be removed for repair or replacement (i.e. service), the integration with the roof must be undone to gain access to the mechanical mounting substructure below. This integration must be rebuilt when the replacement panel or tile is installed. This is very tedious and costly for contractors and homeowners.
A need exists for an RIPV system that, once installed on and integrated into a roof, allows a PV panel or tile to be replaced without the need to access and disassemble the mechanical mounting substructure below, without the need to disturb weatherization flashing around the perimeter of the installed array, and without tools. It is to the provision of such an RIPV system that the present invention is primarily directed.

Roof integrated photovoltaic system with improved serviceability

Building Materials Investment Corporation


A steel measuring element is provided. The steel measuring element is made of an austenitic chromium-nickel steel with a low carbon and nitrogen content for measuring pressure, with an edge zone being provided with increased hardness.

It is known to optimize steel or stainless steel tubes for use with respect to service life and other characteristics, which can change disadvantageously over time and temperature, through autofrettage. It is further known that steel can be hardened, and that, for example, surface and edge layers can be hardened within limits in a targeted manner through a wide variety of methods, such as by influencing the temperature. For this purpose, the material is brought to certain temperatures, for example in furnaces or by means of electrical induction, and then further processed. Moreover, special corrosion-resistant steels or stainless steels are described for special applications which cannot be hardened by the means described above.
The application of additional layers is also known in order to protect steel from certain influences, such as the application of paint in especially corrosive environments. Such problems also arise particularly for tubes in an industrial setting or in measuring elements such as manometers, for example.

Measuring element made of steel with hardened edge zone


A towable bag comprises a body having at least one wheel, a tow bar comprising a plurality of articulated sections, one end of the tow bar being releasably attached to the body of the bag and the second end of the tow bar being adapted to releasably engage a coupling means being worn by the user.

Carrying excessive weight using backpacks has been recognized as a major cause of back pain among children and adults. Backpacks are popular among school children and adults because they arc easy to use and do not require one's hands for operation. However, there are health concerns arising from the repetitive use of back packs when loads in excess of 10–15% of one's body weight are carried on the back for extended period. Wheeled bags have been designed in an attempt to relieve the back and shoulders from bearing most of the weight. However, existing wheeled bag designs have some disadvantages.
Wheeled backpacks and wheeled bags are not as popular as traditional backpacks and bags for a number of reasons, such as: (i) they are operated by hand and therefore appear as being impractical; (ii) they need to be supported and controlled actively by one hand to maintain balance; (iii) a significant part of the weight is born by the arm which may be stressed after extended operation; and (iv) pulling a wheeled device by hand while walking interferes with correct body posture and may also induce stress on the shoulder and spine.


Disclosed herein are short interfering nucleic acid (siNA) molecules comprising modified nucleotides and uses thereof. The siNA molecules may be double stranded and comprise modified nucleotides selected from 2′-O-methyl nucleotides and 2′-fluoro nucleotides. Further disclosed herein are siNA molecules comprising (a) a phosphorylation blocker, conjugated moiety, or 5′-stabilized end cap; and (b) a short interfering nucleic acid (siNA).

RNA interference (RNAi) is a biological response to double-stranded RNA that mediates resistance to both endogenous parasitic and exogenous pathogenic nucleic acids, and regulates the expression of protein-coding genes. The short interfering nucleic acids (siNA), such as siRNA, have been developed for RNAi therapy to treat a variety of diseases. For instance, RNAi therapy has been proposed for the treatment of metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and pathogenic infections (See e.g., Rondindone, Biotechniques, 2018, 40 (4S), doi.org/10.2144/000112163, Boudreau and Davidson, Curr Top Dev Biol, 2006, 75:73-92, Chalbatani et al., Int J Nanomedicine, 2019, 14:3111-3128, Arbuthnot, Drug News Perspect, 2010, 23(6):341-50, and Chernikov et. al., Front. Pharmacol., 2019, doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2019.00444, each of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety). However, major limitations of RNAi therapy are the ability to effectively deliver siRNA to target cells and the degradation of the siRNA.
The present disclosure improves the delivery and stability of siNA molecules by providing siNA molecules comprising modified nucleotides. The siNA molecules of the present disclosure provide optimized combinations and numbers of modified nucleotides, nucleotide lengths, design (e.g., blunt ends or overhangs, internucleoside linkages, conjugates), and modification patterns for improving the delivery and stability of siNA molecules.

Modified short interfering nucleic acid (siNA) molecules and uses thereof


A fuel delivery unit for a motor vehicle, wherein a swirl pot has a base formed from an upper part and a lower part, and an outer wall connected to the base, forming a seal. The upper part and the lower part bound fuel-delivering regions of a suction jet pump and of a section of a feed line. This arrangement allows the fuel delivery unit to be produced at particularly low cost.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a fuel delivery unit for a motor vehicle, having a fuel pump arranged in a swirl pot and configured to deliver fuel from the swirl pot into a feed line, a suction jet pump for delivering fuel into the swirl pot, a propellant line that leads from the fuel pump to a nozzle of the swirl pot, and a mixing tube, which opens out into the swirl pot, of the suction jet pump, with the swirl pot having a casing that is fastened to a base.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fuel delivery units of this type are frequently used in modern motor vehicles and are known from practice. In the known fuel delivery units, individual components are inserted into the swirl pot, which is usually formed in one piece, and are connected to one another. A port, which projects away from the fuel pump, for a feed line usually projects out of the swirl pot. However, since a fine filter which is arranged in the feed line is often arranged within the swirl pot, the feed line from the fuel pump is guided back into the swirl pot to the fine filter. Furthermore, a branch is usually guided from the feed line to the suction jet pump which is provided for filling the swirl pot. This leads to a very large installation space of the known fuel delivery unit and a complex assembly.


A lipstick tube for one-hand operation in which a sanitary case is opened at its top end, a lipstick extended for use and then retracted, and the case closed. The tube operating components include a support frame for receiving and guiding a lipstick carrier and lipstick, closure cap for opening and closing the open top of the assembled lipstick tube, a drive mechanism for engaging and axially moving the lipstick carrier and for opening and closing the closure cap, an upper and lower exterior case members.

The present invention relates to lipstick tubes and particularly to a new and improved tube for encasing a lipstick that enables a user to open the tube, extend the lipstick from the tube, apply the lipstick, retract the lipstick, and reclose the tube with one hand.
The tube described and claimed in this application is suitable for use with lipstick as well as cosmetic brushes, eye shadow, lip liners, blushes, and other cosmetics congealed into stick form. Reference to lipstick herein is intended to embrace these and other products of this kind.
For many years lipstick has been packaged in two-piece tubes including a base portion for mounting, extending, and retracting the lipstick, together with a separate closure cap which is removed and replaced with each application of the lipstick. For applying lipstick, the cap is removed from the tube, the base portion twisted or turned to project a tip of the lipstick from the tube for application, after which the lipstick is retracted with a turn of the base, and the closure cap is replaced. In ordinary use, two hands are normally required to manipulate the tube and apply the lipstick.
Over the years, there have been attempts to develop improved lipstick tubes in sanitary casings with particular emphasis on the idea of combining the functions of opening and closing the tube and of extending and retracting the lipstick in the tube. A primary objective has been to achieve one hand operation of a lipstick tube freeing the other hand for holding a mirror as the lipstick is applied.
The patent art on the subject reveals several structures directed to efforts to improve the design and operation of lipstick tubes by incorporating a cover mechanism to uncover a lipstick tube in the motion devoted to projecting the lipstick from the tube, and to close the cover with the reverse motion for retracting the lipstick into its case.
Fullmer U.S. Pat. No. 1,979,828 discloses a lipstick case with a split movable cover that slides down the sides of the case. The cover divides into halves and is moved downwardly on the exterior of the case as the cover halves drive an internal lipstick carrier upwardly by means of a spring confined to an axially oriented U-shaped track. The Fullmer case requires two-hand operation with the apparent need for a firm grip as pressure in applying the lipstick tends push the lipstick back into the case.
Fullmer U.S. Pat. No. 2,091,312 discloses an automatic lipstick holder including an elongate case with a finger piece slidable along a slot in the side of the case for extending and retracting the lipstick. An internal cam plate linked to the fingerpiece serves to actuate a pivoted split cover member to open and close the case as the lipstick emerges and returns to position in the case. This patent discloses one hand operation as an object of the invention.
Richter U.S. Pat. No. 2,002,716 discloses a cosmetic holder having a rectangular box-like outer casing with closure doors pivoted to opposite sides for opening and closing the top end of the casing. The doors are actuated by means of limited movement of an inner casing which is actuated, along with a lipstick carrier, by means of a thumb tab moving along a slot in the outer casing. The holder is of sheet metal construction including two door panels each with four sharp corners presenting an evident hazard to the face while applying lipstick.
Kasdan U.S. Pat. No. 2,089,832 discloses a lipstick holder designed for one-hand operation. The holder is a rectangular case with an open top and includes an actuator button that slides along a slot in a side panel of the case. A flat rectangular plate opens and closes the open top. The lipstick is mounted on a carrier positioned within cooperating stationary and rotary cylindrical tubes each having cooperating slots. To operate, the actuator button slides down its slot and pulls the cover panel down into the casing opening the top for an emerging lipstick. Concurrently, the actuator button moving along its slot rotates the cylindrical tube causing the lipstick carrier to advance the lipstick through the top opening. Specifically, the rotating tube moves a pin affixed to the carrier upwardly along a cooperating slot in the stationary cylinder. So, a downward sliding movement of the actuator button causes the top to open and the lipstick carrier to move upward. Upward sliding movement of the actuator button closes the cover as it withdraws the lipstick into the casing.
Satz et al U.S. Pat. No. 2,404,815 discloses a sanitary applicator for lipstick constructed of plastic wherein lipstick is mounted on an elongate support slidably positioned in an outer casing. A thumb knob attaches to the lipstick support through a slot in the outer casing. A split cover defines a pair of pivoting doors carried by the open end of the casing. There are cooperating cam and follower surfaces on the lipstick support and on the pivoting doors so that when the thumb knob is moved forward in the slot, the cam and follower surfaces engage to open the doors as the lipstick emerges from the applicator. The patent cites manipulation by one hand as an advantage of the design. The straight axial movement of the lipstick requires the user to maintain a firm grip on the thumb knob to resist return movement of the lipstick as a result of pressure developed at the tip of the lipstick as it is applied to the lips.
Satz et al U.S. Pat. No. 2,443,361 discloses an article holder for lipstick comprising an outer open-end case with a split cover pivoted at the open end of the case. An inner sleeve has limited axial movement for camming open the cover halves. The lipstick itself is mounted on a carrier within the inner sleeve. A cup-shaped rotary actuator is fitted to the bottom of the case and when rotated actuates the inner sleeve to cam open the cover doors. Continued rotation of the actuator advances the lipstick carrier to extend the stick through the open doors. To close the device, the actuator is rotated in the reverse direction. The claim for one hand operation appearing in the earlier Satz et al patent is not repeated here.
Chabbert U.S. Pat. No. 2,463,086 discloses a control mechanism for opening and closing containers specifically a lipstick holder. The holder includes an outer tubular casing with an open top covered by a spherical cap split into two sections to act as an open and shut cover. The cap sections are pivoted to the case and to each other and are opened and closed by longitudinal reach rods connected to an actuating mechanism in the bottom of the outer casing. By rotating a handling knob at the base of the casing, the rods are moved axially to open the cover and when open, continued rotation of the knob moves the lipstick axially out of the casing for applying the lipstick. Reverse rotation withdraws the lipstick and closes the cover.
Tursky U.S. Pat. No. 2,552,697 discloses a lipstick holder defined by a generally rectangular, elongate casing with an open end for extending a lipstick on a sliding carrier. The open end is opened and closed by a shutter formed by cooperating shell shaped sections. The lipstick is advanced and withdrawn axially, and the shutter is opened and closed by a sliding the carrier forward and back on the casing. Spring fingers attached to the carrier manipulate the shutter between open and closed positions. Tursky also provides for periodic longitudinal adjustment of the position of the carrier with respect to the open end to compensate for wearing down of the lipstick with use.
Calhoun U.S. Pat. No. 2,610,732 has a pair of cover halves carried by spring fingers. The springs are bowed outwardly by upward movement of a carrier. The carrier itself is spring loaded and the finger piece is used to retract the carrier, and thereby close the case. Movement is purely axial.
Gruska U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,618 discloses a holder for a stick of pasty material mounted on a sliding carrier and covered by a split shell within a casing. As the covered lipstick advances out of the casing, the shell splits apart exposing the lipstick for application.
Perrotti U.S. Pat. No. 5,432,622 discloses a lipstick holder with movable covers wherein a rotary mechanism turning in one direction projects a lipstick and moves a closure member to open position, and by turning in the reverse direction retracts the lipstick and moves the closure member to fully closed position. The lipstick holder housing has an enlarged generally rectangular upper portion to accommodate to closure mechanism. As a result, the lipstick holder has a large housing perimeter surrounding a projecting lipstick, and as the lipstick is consumed and diminishes in length, there is an increasing tendency of the housing perimeter to interfere with lipstick application. That is, there is objectionable contact of the lip area by the housing perimeter while applying lipstick.
Perrotti U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,096 is also directed to a lipstick holder that has a more complex and detailed set of internal working parts for accomplishing the purposes of the '622 patent. The '096 housing contour is similar to that of the '622 patent with the same objectionable contact of the lip area by the housing perimeter.
French Patent No. 940,758 to Gallice is of interest in disclosing a lipstick tube with a split pivoting cap actuated by a spring member.
The foregoing patents represent an extensive effort over the last seventy years to develop a lipstick tube comprising a covered sanitary casing, reliable and repeatable one hand operation for manipulating a lipstick and opening and closing the casing, using minimal number of operating parts with inexpensive materials, and simple assembly requirements all within the space constraints attending the packing and using of lipstick.
In spite of this effort, the most widely used lipstick tube on the market today continues to be a two piece tube including cap and base wherein the cap is manually removed from the base, the lipstick is extended and retracted by a rotor and carrier in the base requiring two hand operation.


A nozzle for cleaning-in-place of a vessel has a nozzle body to be connected to a wall of the vessel and defining an opening, a nozzle insert is contained within the nozzle body and is able to assume at least two distinct positions relative to the nozzle body, a first position in which the nozzle insert is retracted into the nozzle body and a second position in which the nozzle insert is advanced in the axial direction relative to the nozzle body and protrudes into the vessel. Apertures are exposed in the second position to allow distribution of a cleaning fluid. The nozzle insert has two nozzle insert parts, in mutual abutment in the first position and spaced from each other in a direction transverse to the axial direction in the second position to form a gap between adjacent nozzle insert parts, the apertures being exposed in the gap.

In process equipment, including components containing one or more of gases, liquids and/or powders, such as for instance spray drying chambers, cyclones, bag filters, fluid bed chambers, process chambers, containers, tanks, ducts or any similar vessel, regular cleaning is necessary in order to meet the requirements set by governmental regulations and/or manufacture specifications. Such cleaning is carried out at suitable intervals to avoid product degradation, contamination and build-up of deposits in the components. In order to keep the time needed for cleaning as short as possible without the disassembly of any components, cleaning-in-place (CIP) systems have been developed, which make it possible to clean the interior of such components in an effective manner and thereby minimize cleaning time and maintain high plant productivity. The CIP systems are possibly automated in order to render the cleaning even more efficient, thus making use of computer programmed cleaning sequences. In addition to providing an increased degree of cleaning, efficient cleaning entails that less CIP fluid is used. This in turn provides for a better overall process economy, but is above all more environmentally sound, as the amount of CIP fluid to be filtered and possibly cleaned and/or disposed of is reduced as well.
Use of nozzles for distributing cleaning fluid in such CIP systems is well-established and examples of cleaning nozzles in the prior art are numerous. The nozzle or nozzles should be located in such a manner in the component that the required area of the inner walls of the component is covered by cleaning fluid during the cleaning procedure to an appropriate extent. This may be achieved as in US 2008/0053482 A1, in which a plurality of stationary nozzles is located on a shaft inside the rotatable vessel and the individual nozzles are directed to different sections of the vessel. In the kind of nozzle disclosed in DE 102 08 237 C1 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,122, a rotatable nozzle head is connected to a stationary nozzle body. Off-center apertures formed in the nozzle head cause the nozzle head to rotate by the reaction forces exerted by the cleaning fluid. In this manner, a larger area of the interior of the vessel may be covered by a single nozzle. A structurally similar nozzle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,346, however, the driving force for rotating the nozzle head is provided by the transmission of a magnetic force.
The above-mentioned nozzles are at least partly permanently located inside the vessel to be cleaned. This configuration is not desirable or possible in all applications, as the nozzles themselves firstly may cause disturbance to the process, and secondly they are prone to the formation of deposits and possible contamination; this applies especially to dairy plants, in which the hygiene requirements are particularly strict, not least in the infant food sector of this industry.
In a commercially available nozzle traded by GEA Niro, this disadvantage is alleviated by a nozzle design, in which the nozzle body has a flange welded to the wall of a component such as a vessel of a plant, and the nozzle insert is movable from a first or retracted position, in which a front surface of the nozzle insert is substantially flush with the flange of the nozzle body, to a second or an advanced position, in which the front of the nozzle insert protrudes into the vessel. The nozzle insert is fitted with a spray ring provided with a number of off-center apertures that are exposed in the advanced position. When cleaning fluid is supplied to the nozzle, the spray ring rotates according to the feed pressure. The translational movement of the nozzle between its retracted and advanced positions may be carried out by the pressure of the cleaning fluid itself, or the nozzle may be pneumatically operated.
Although this nozzle design has proven well over a number of years and provides a well-functioning compromise between the need to have a smooth front surface of the nozzle during operation and the desire to spray in several directions during cleaning, it has some disadvantages. For instance, due to the design of the nozzle, the spray angle is limited to a circumferential sector ranging from 0 to approximately 60 or 70 degrees. Thus, spraying in angles close to the axial direction is not possible. This must be considered when designing the configuration and number of the individual nozzles in the vessel and nozzles must be provided to cover the area opposite each individual nozzle, thus increasing the overall number of nozzles necessary to clean the vessel. Furthermore, the cleaning effect is dependent on the self-rotation of the spray ring, and if small impurities or deposits get caught in any of the rotating parts of the nozzle, rotation of the spray ring may be impeded, possibly to such an extent that the spray ring does not rotate at all.
CIP systems are used in both food, dairy, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. The cleaning fluid may be water or possibly an alternating use of water and suitable detergents or cleaning agents. For some purposes, CIP may be used in combination with a further sterilization process.

Pop-up nozzle, cleaning device and method of operation