In one embodiment, a heat exchanger may be formed using a corrosion-resistant aluminum material to enable usage of water as a working fluid for the exchanger. In one embodiment, the exchanger may have an aluminum substrate with multiple treated layers formed thereon. A first treated layer corresponds to a hydrated aluminum oxide layer, and a second treated layer corresponds to a mono-layer organic molecule layer. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

As computer systems and semiconductor devices become increasingly smaller and denser, great amounts of heat are generated during operation. Accordingly, thermomechanical solutions have been introduced into such systems to aid in removing heat from such devices.
Typically, a processor in a computer, particularly a notebook computer, is adapted with an integrated heat spreader (IHS) to help draw heat away from the semiconductor device. Other systems include so-called heat pipes or thermosiphons to draw heat away from semiconductor or other heat generating components within a system. Such heat pipes typically include a working fluid. Oftentimes such heat pipes are formed of copper. However, copper is an expensive and relatively heavy material.

Enabling an aluminum heat exchanger with a working fluid


A wafer flattening process designed to flatten the entire surface of the wafer including the outer rim of the wafer by inserting dummy data corresponding to the data of the outer rim of the wafer in the data of the outside of the wafer, and a storage medium for the same. An area S is set at an outside position exactly an etching radius r from an outer rim Wc of the wafer Wc ahd the nozzle relative speed at the position-speed data D of points P4-1 to P4-3 closest to an imaginary line L passing through the point P4 inside the area S near the outer rim Wc is set to be the same as the nozzle relative speed of the position-speed data D of the point P4. Due to this, the nozzle spraying the activated species gas G moves as if along the imaginary line L and the portion of the point P4 is etched flat by superposition of the activated species gas G of the nozzle passing through the points P4-1 to P4-3, the point P4, and the point P6.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wafer flattening process for locally etching projecting portions on the surface of a wafer by an activated species gas to flatten the same or locally etching relatively thick portions of the wafer to make the distribution of thickness of the wafer uniform and to a storage medium for the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 9 is a schematic sectional view of an example of a wafer flattening process of the related art.
In FIG. 9, reference numeral 100 is a plasma generator. The plasma generator 100 sprays the activated species gas G generated in the plasma from a nozzle 101 to the surface of the wafer W.
The wafer W is placed on and affixed to a stage 120. The stage 120 is made to move in the horizontal direction so as to guide the portion Wa relatively thicker than the prescribed thickness on the surface of the wafer W (hereinafter referred to as the xe2x80x9crelatively thick portionxe2x80x9d) directly under the nozzle 101.
The activated species gas G is sprayed from the nozzle 101 to the projecting relatively thick portion Wa to locally etch the relatively thick portion Wa and make the distribution of thickness of the surface of the wafer W uniform.
The thickness of the relatively thick portion Wa of the wafer W however is also not uniform, but is diverse.
Therefore, technology has been devised for controlling the relative speed,of the nozzle 101 with respect to the wafer W in accordance with the thickness of the relatively thick portion Wa (for example, the technology described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-2 7482).
This technology calls for the positions and thicknesses of the relatively thick portions Wa to be measured over the entire surface of the wafer W by a wafer flatness measuring device and for two-dimensional data of the positions and thicknesses to be prepared. The data is then converted to position-relative speed data showing the positions of the relatively thick portions Wa and the relative speed of the nozzle 101 by which the relatively thick portions Wa become the desired flatness after etching.
Next, the stage 120 is controlled based on this position-relative speed data to move the nozzle directly above the predetermined relatively thick portions Wa to etch the entire surface of the wafer W.
That is, at locations of relatively thick portions Wa with large thicknesses, the relative speed of the nozzle 101 is slowed to increase the amount of etching, while at locations of relatively thick portions Wa with small thicknesses, the relative speed of the nozzle 101 is increased to reduce the amount of etching, whereby the entire surface of the wafer W is flattened.
In the above wafer flattening process of the related art, however, there were the following problems.
FIG. 10 is a view of the state of spraying of the activated species gas G from the nozzle 101, FIG. 11 is a schematic view for explaining the flattening operation by superposition of the activated species gas G, and FIG. 12 is a schematic sectional view for explaining the problem in the wafer flattening process of the related art.
As shown in FIG. 10, the activated species gas G sprayed from the nozzle 101 spreads out as it heads downward. The portion of the wafer W directly beneath the nozzle 101 is therefore etched deeply, while the portions away from that are etched shallowly.
Accordingly, while the nozzle 101 is scanning the surface, as shown in FIG. 11, the area Wb of the wafer W starts to be etched by the activated species gas G sprayed from the nozzle 101 then heading toward the area Wb.
For example, assuming that the nozzle 101 moves from the left to the right in FIG. 11 and that the edge of the outskirt of the activated species gas G sprayed from the nozzle 101 reaching the position Q1 of the etching radius r from the left end of the area Wb contacts the edge of the area Wb, the area Wb is etched by the activated species gas G from the nozzle 101 moving from the position Q1 toward the position Q2 and is not affected by the activated species gas G at the pont of time when the nozzle 101 reaches the position Q2.
That is, the area Wb is etched by the superposition of the activated species gas G of the nozzle 101 moving between the positions Q1 to Q2. At this time, when the relatively thick portion of the area Wb is thick, the relative speed of the nozzle 101 moving between the positions Q1 and Q2 becomes slower in accordance with that thickness, while when the relatively thick portion of the area Wb is thin, the relative speed becomes faster, whereby the area Wb is etched flat.
With this wafer flattening process, however, there was the problem that the outer rim of the wafer W ended up being left thick.
That is, as shown in FIG. 12, when the nozzle 101 scans from the outside to the inside of the outer rim Wc, the nozzle 101 is moved at a high speed at the outside of the outer rim Wc and changes in relative speed in accordance with the thickness of the outer rim Wc when it reaches the position of the outer rim Wc, so the outer rim Wc is not affected much at all by the activated species gas G of the nozzle 101 when moving from the left. Therefore, when the outer rim is not the above relatively thick portion, there is not that much of a problem with the flattening of the outer rim, but when the outer rim is a relatively thick portion, the amount of etching of the outer rim is halved, the desired amount of etching is not achieved, and, as shown in FIG. 12, the area near the outer rim Wc ends up becoming remarkably thick compared with the inside portion of the wafer W.
The present invention was made to solve the above problems and has as its object to provide a wafer flattening process designed to flatten the entire surface of the wafer including the outer rim of the wafer by inserting dummy data corresponding to the data of the outer rim of the wafer in the data of the outside of the wafer and to provide a storage medium for the same.
To achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wafer flattening process which causes a nozzle to scan the entire surface of a wafer based on position-speed data comprised of coordinates on a plane including the surface of the wafer and a nozzle relative speed set substantially inversely proportionally to the value of thickness of the wafer at those coordinates and flattens the wafer by activated species gas sprayed from the nozzle, the wafer flattening process comprising the steps of: using, as dummy data, position-speed data outside of a predetermined area set on the wafer closest to an imaginary line extending from the center of the wafer in the radial direction; and setting the nozzle relative speed of the dummy data to be substantially the same as the nozzle relative speed of the position-speed data of the outer rim of the above predetermined area and on the imaginary line.
Due to this configuration, when a nozzle is made to scan the entire surface of the wafer based on the position-speed data, the relative speed of the nozzle changes in a state substantially inversely proportional to the values of the thickness of the different portions of the wafer. At this time, since the nozzle, when at a position outside of the predetermined area closest to the imaginary line, scans the surface at substantially the same speed as the nozzle relative speed of the position-speed data at the outer rim of the predetermined area on the imaginary line due to the dummy data, the outer rim is etched like if by the activated species gas of the nozzle heading from the predetermined area along the imaginary line at the identical speed.
Depending on the wafer, it may be sufficient to flatten only a certain area in the inside at a high precision and may be not necessary to flatten the entire surface of the wafer at a high precision.
Therefore, in a preferred embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the above predetermined area is a flatness quality area set at the inside of the wafer.
Alternatively, in another preferred embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the above predetermined area is the entire area of the surface of the wafer.
Further, in a preferred embodiment of the first aspect of the invention and its embodiments, the dummy data exists only within a distance of about half of the etching diameter of the activated species gas from the outer rim of the predetermined area.
Due to this configuration, the nozzle relative speed becomes substantially the same as the nozzle relative speed set for the predetermined area only when the nozzle located at the outside of the predetermined area moves within a distance of about half of the etching diameter of the activated species gas from the outer rim of the predetermined area.
Note that the invention may also cover a storage medium storing the above position-speed data.
Therefore, according to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage medium storing position-speed data comprised of coordinates on a plane including the surface of the wafer and a nozzle relative speed set substantially inversely proportionally to the value of thickness of the wafer at those coordinates, wherein position-speed data outside of a predetermined area set on the wafer closest to an imaginary line extending from the center of the wafer in the radial direction is used as dummy data and the nozzle relative speed of the dummy data is set to be substantially the same as the nozzle relative speed of the position-speed data of the outer rim of the above predetermined area on the imaginary line.
In a preferred embodiment of the second aspect of the invention, the above predetermined area is a flatness quality area set at the inside of the wafer. Alternatively, the above predetermined area is the entire area of the surface of the wafer. Further, preferably the dummy data exists only within a distance of about half of the etching diameter of the activated species gas from the outer rim of the predetermined area.

Wafer flattening process and storage medium


As an embodiment of a moving picture encoding apparatus, a moving picture type judgment section judges whether an input moving picture is a stereoscopic picture and, when the moving picture is a stereoscopic picture, a stereoscopic picture identifier is set to “1” and a moving picture rotation section rotates the moving picture clockwise by +90 degrees or −90 degrees. On the other hand, when the moving picture is not a stereoscopic picture, the stereoscopic picture identifier is set to “0” and the moving picture is not rotated. Then, a moving picture interlaced encoding section produces an encoded bit stream by performing interlaced encoding of the moving picture and a stereoscopic picture identifier encoding section produces encoded information by encoding the stereoscopic picture identifier. Further, a multiplexing section produces a multiplexed encoded bit stream by multiplexing the above-mentioned encoded bit stream and encoded information.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to moving picture encoding apparatus and method for encoding a moving picture (so-called stereoscopic moving picture) in which so-called right-eye pictures (also referred to as pictures seen with the right eye) and so-called left-eye pictures (also referred to as pictures seen with the left eye) are arranged alternately in every other column as well as a moving picture (so-called interlaced moving picture) in which pictures of odd number row and pictures of even number row are arranged alternately in every other row. The invention relates to moving picture decoding apparatus and method for decoding the above-mentioned stereoscopic moving picture and interlaced moving picture.
A "left-field picture" means a picture obtained by extracting only the left-eye pictures from a stereoscopic moving picture in which right-eye pictures and left-eye pictures are arranged alternately in every other column, and a "right-field picture" means a picture obtained by extracting only the right-eye pictures from the above-mentioned stereoscopic moving picture.
2. Related Background Art
As one of stereoscopic moving picture display devices, a parallax barrier system stereoscopic video picture display device is known, having a configuration in which a slit plate 12 provided with a lot of slits is arranged in front of a liquid crystal display 11 provided with a filter 10 composed of a plurality of picture arrays as shown in FIG. 1. The stereoscopic video picture display device is configured so that only the left-eye pictures L on the filter are seen with a left-eye 13 of a viewer and only the right-eye pictures R on the filter are seen with a right-eye 14 of the viewer, therefore, the viewer can recognize a stereoscopic picture visually. By the way, a stereoscopic video picture display device having a configuration in which a lenticular plate is to be arranged instead of the slit plate 12 shown in FIG. 1 is also known.
As another stereoscopic moving picture encoding system, for example, "STEREOSCOPIC VIDEO IMAGE TRANSMISSION METHOD AND SYSTEM" disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Hei 11-18111 is known. In this art, a conversion picture or conversion image is produced by composing collectively left-eye pictures on the left half side and right-eye pictures on the right half side for rearrangement, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), from a stereoscopic picture in which left-eye pictures and right-eye pictures are arranged alternately in every other vertical column. Next, processing such as moving picture encoding, encoded data transmission, encoded data reception, and moving picture decoding of the produced conversion picture is performed. After this, the same picture as the stereoscopic picture, which is an input signal, is reproduced by making such pixel disposition of the decoded conversion picture that left-eye pictures and right-eye pictures are again arranged alternately in every other column by rearrangement thereof.

Moving picture encoding apparatus and method, moving picture decoding apparatus and method


An electronic apparatus includes an operation dial, a board disposed at an inner position from the operation dial, a rotary encoder disposed on a surface of the board on the side opposite to the operation dial side, and a connection member which engages with an encoder shaft of the rotary encoder and is connected with the operation dial. The electronic apparatus is capable of reducing a projection of the operation dial from a surface of an operation panel and thus improving design of the electronic apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electronic apparatus having a rotatable element for operation such as a dial.
2. Background
As illustrated in FIG. 6, a conventional electronic apparatus includes an operation dial 101 and a board 103 disposed at the inner position from the operation dial 101. A rotation shaft 105 of the operation dial 101 is provided between the operation dial 101 and the board 103. The operation dial 101 rotates around the rotation shaft 105. This type of electronic apparatus is disclosed in JP-A-2000-133086, for example.
Another example of a conventional electronic apparatus includes an annular operation dial which is rotated for mode setting. This operation dial has a liquid crystal display device on a surface of the annular portion. Compared with the structure in which the liquid crystal display device is provided separately from the dial, this structure requires smaller space for disposing these components. This type of electronic apparatus is disclosed in JP-A-2002-40543, for example.
In these conventional electronic apparatus, however, the rotation shaft of the operation dial projects toward the operator side from the circuit board. Accordingly, the operation dial considerably projects from an operation panel of the electronic apparatus toward the front (toward the operator side). This is not preferable from the viewpoint of design of the electronic apparatus. Moreover, in the structure where the rotation shaft of the operation dial extends toward the operator side, a display component cannot be positioned on the central portion of the operation dial. Examples of the display component involve a VFD (vacuum fluorescent display), an LCD (liquid crystal display), and other devices.


An air mattress or bed is disclosed. The air mattress has a first panel, a spaced second panel, and at least one side panel extending between the first panel and the second panel, each panel being joined to the other along their common peripheral edges to define a single air chamber therebetween. At least one mattress coil is disposed within the air chamber and is affixed to and extends therein from the first panel to the second panel. The air mattress further comprises at least one side support beam extending in the lengthwise direction of the at least one side panel. The side support beam has a first edge affixed to the at least one side panel and a spaced second edge affixed to at least one of the first panel and the second panel.

The use of air mattresses or beds is well known. A great many types of air mattresses are known to exist, and are used widely for recreational purposes, for example as swimming pool floats, as well as for home use as a portable mattress or guest bed.
As first developed and used, air mattresses were typically formed of a single layer or height reinforced internally by a spaced series of elongate beams, referred to by those skilled in the art as I-beams. These I-beams are typically extended in the lengthwise direction of the mattress and were secured to the top and bottom faces or panels of the mattress so that the mattress would hold its shape somewhat as a load, typically a person, was placed thereon. Although well adapted for their intended use as pool floats or as pool-side mattresses for sunning and the like, these first generation air mattresses did not perform as well in the role of bedding, a such.
Accordingly, an entire industry of manufacturing air beds or mattresses developed to meet and exploit this need. As first developed, air mattresses or beds were formed to be somewhat sturdier in construction than the pool float type of air mattress through the use of heavier gauge plastics, typically polyvinylchloride (PVC) and the like, with improved interior constructions. Examples of such a single layer or height air mattress are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,780,388 to Thomas et al., for an inflatable air mattress of single width, i.e., a twin mattress, as well as U.S. Pat. No. 4,371,999 to Reid. An example of a double width, i.e., a full size, single layer air mattress is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,495 to Hsu et al. Common among both of these mattress designs is the use of internal "beams" or web strips for directly tying the top face and the bottom face of the air mattress together.
As the use of air mattresses for bedding continued, the need was perceived for mattresses of greater comfort levels, which resulted in air mattresses of greater height or thickness such that air mattresses more closely resembled a box spring and mattress combination in function, and ultimately height, this type of an air mattress being known as a two layer or a double height air mattress. Examples of this type of mattress are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,919 to Wang; U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,593 to Wolfe, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,568,011 to Fisher et al., respectively. As shown in the '011 patent to Fisher et al., the double height air mattress or air bed is essentially comprised of two stacked single height air mattresses formed with a lower chamber and a separate upper chamber. This is also shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,291 to Davis.
Although this type of double height air mattress construction has provided increased comfort levels over single layer or height air mattresses, problems with these known types of mattress construction remain, chief among them being the inability to internally support the mattress so that any internal beams or columns used to form the mattress extend continuously from the bottom face to the top face of the mattress for more uniformly strengthening the mattress, and for more uniformly limiting the expansion or deflection of the mattress faces during use. This is not possible with the known constructions as an intermediate sheet or layer of plastic material typically divides the two chambers or layers from one another.
Another problem that arises with the use of the known air mattresses, and especially with the double height or two layer air mattresses, is the expansion of the mattress sidewall extended between the top face and the bottom face of the mattress. As known, when a person lays on the mattress a load is introduced which increases the pressure of the air trapped within the mattress, which pressurized air acts on and seeks to expand or deflect the sidewall of the mattress. This expansion needs to be limited so that the mattress holds its shape and will support the user in a comfortable sleeping position more akin to that of a conventional coil and spring mattress.
Efforts have been made to limit the sidewall expansion of air mattresses, examples of which are reflected in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,068,931 and 5,852,839 to Gancy, disclosing spring-like couplings extended between the top face and the bottom face, and along the sidewalls, of a conventional single height air mattress. The devices of the two Gancy patents are somewhat complicated requiring a number of discrete weld or fastening points between the faces and walls of the mattress, thus increasing the likelihood of leaks developing at these fastening points in the mattress over time. Moreover, the devices of the '931 and '839 patents do not seem well suited for use with a double height mattress where the possibility of sidewall deflection is increased due to both to the size of the mattress and the loads that will be received thereon.
Another effort to resolve the problem of bulging air mattress side walls is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,135 to Karpov, which teaches a single layer or height air mattress having an inflatable tube, a second compartment ringing the air mattress, which is itself divided into two sub-chambers. The inflatable tube of Karpov is provided to support to the side walls of the mattress, but is itself an additional air chamber, and in reality two additional air chambers, susceptible to leakage.
What is needed, therefore, but appears to be unknown or otherwise available through the art, is a double height air mattress that may use a single internal air chamber and that will permit an internal support member, or members, to continuously extend between the top and bottom faces of the mattress. Moreover, such a need exists for an improved double height air mattress better adapted for controlling or limiting the expansion or deflection of the mattress sidewall, or sidewalls, during usage.


A method is provided for fabricating a shaped article from aqueous collagen-containing materials. A dispersion containing collagen and a surfactant is cast upon a mold of thermoplastic material and dried by a ramped drying profile under controlled conditions of relative humidity and temperature. The controlled drying allows for initial renaturation of the collagen dispersion then drying at high humidity to form a product with minimal residual stress.

The present invention is directed to solving a problem which occurs during the manufacture of shaped devices formed from aqueous collagen-containing dispersions. The present invention is particularly useful for forming shaped ophthalmic devices which retain a predetermined curvature. It is therefore imperative that there not be a memory imposed on the device during the manufacturing process which would distort the device into a configuration other than the predetermined desired shape. Although the process of the present invention is applicable to any shaped collagen-containing device, it is particularly useful for the formation of lenticular devices used for ophthalmologic treatment of trauma, post-surgical care, and for delivery of therapeutic agents to the eye. Such devices, in the shape of a thin lens, are usually biodegradable, hydrophilic and lubricous.
The material most commonly used for fabricating such devices is a high-purity collagen protein, such as those available from bovine corium or tendon.
Commonly used methods for producing such devices include film-forming methods, such as the casting of a collagen dispersion over a mold of a predetermined desired shape. A major problem in the production of such devices by these methods is the creation of residual stresses during drying which result in deformation from the cast shape upon rehydration of the device. Such deformation in the instance of a lenticular shape is usually manifested by a flattening or cone shape as opposed to the desired curved shape. The deformation can cause various problems during usage of the device on the eye, such as difficulty in placement, poor retention and discomfort.
Another major problem in manufacturing collagen-containing devices is associated with the drying period. Lenticular devices such as those described above may be dried over a period of several days using heat (at a relatively constant temperature) and high humidity. Under such conditions, microbial growth is a problem, leading to unacceptable products. It is desirable therefore to provide a method for drying collagen devices rapidly to minimize or eliminate microbial and endotoxin contamination.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method for rapidly drying devices formed from aqueous collagen-containing dispersions to minimize or to avoid microbial growth and endotoxin production.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a process for controlling the residual stresses in a casting operation to form films from aqueous collagen-containing dispersions.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a residual stress-free collagen ophthalmic device.
These objects and other objects may be provided by the following description and by practice of the invention.

Process for forming shaped collagen devices


The present disclosure provides for an incubator, which includes a film with a plurality of configurations. The configurations can include a first configuration to block the transmission of light through the film and a second configuration to be transparent to the transmission of light. The film can further allow any number of additional configurations with varying degrees of opacity, each opacity being between the opacities of the first and second configurations. The film can automatically change opacities based on input from an incubator processor or external devices configured to communicate with the incubator processor.

Incubators are used for premature infants to control various parameters of the infants' environment, including temperature, humidity, and oxygen saturation. These parameters particularly require precise regulation in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) environment because premature neonates have underdeveloped organs and immune systems. Although incubators control several parameters, conventional incubators do not currently control light stimulus. NICUs typically have constant light stimulus provided by artificial overhead fluorescents; this constant light can interfere with the infants' sleep schedule and circadian rhythm development. Interference with an infant's sleep schedule causes cascading developmental delays, including: (1) neurodevelopment delays affecting visual recognition and memory, (2) development of photoreceptors, (3) abnormal brain development, (4) increased risk for respiratory and heart disease, (5) predisposition to internal cancer, (6) disturbances in neuroendocrine physiology development, and (7) inability to properly develop a circadian rhythm. Failure to develop a proper circadian rhythm impacts an infant's ability to regulate their: (1) sleep-wake cycle, (2) hormone release, (3) temperature, and (4) other various body functions.
Caretakers in conventional NICUs try to control the amount of light that is passed through the incubator by placing a blanket over the incubator. However, the constant darkness provided by these blankets can hinder the optical development of infants' eyes because no light stimulus is received. Additionally, the constant darkness can interfere with an infant's circadian rhythm, which can be detrimental to the infant's health.
Further, the conventionally-used blankets can be commercially produced or homemade, and are therefore associated with a high-degree of sanitation risk. There is no standard regulation behind the usage of the covers. For example, the covers can be placed back on the incubator immediately even they fall on the floor. These covers can fester bacteria, hold dust, and generally expose the infant to risk of infection. This sanitation risk is especially dangerous for premature infants, who generally have underdeveloped immune systems.
Furthermore, NICUs typically have many incubators—often dozens of units—in a single room. Each incubator can sound an alarm based on vitals of the infants inside the incubator. Conventional incubator covers can lead to delayed caretaker response times when an alarm goes off, because these covers prevent caretakers from readily identifying: (1) which incubator sounded the alarm; and (2) whether the infant inside the incubator actually requires attention. Additionally, the covers require manual action from the caretakers to remove them before checking the condition of the infant—thereby delaying the response time.
Furthermore, conventional covers increase the risk that a caretaker may not take proper notice of alarms. NICUs have numerous alarms every day, some of which may be false alarms. As result, these unnecessary alarms can desensitize the nurses. Covers increase the risk that a nurse might ignore an alarm because the nurse does not have a visual line of sight to the infant to determine whether assistance is actually needed.
Lastly, these conventional covers can pose fire-risks as they can be made of flammable material.
Altogether, conventional means of restricting the light stimulus to an infant in an incubator exposes the infant to numerous additional risks. Therefore, what is needed are systems and methods for restricting light stimulus to an infant in an incubator without exposing the infant to these additional risks.

Systems and methods for controlling light in an incubator


A system for detecting explosive materials. The system includes radiated high power electromagnetic radiation at one or more frequencies in the millimeter wave spectrum or above to interact with a sample and be reflected therefrom. The system also includes at least one electromagnetic sensor to measure emissions at harmonic frequencies and characteristics unique to one or more explosive materials. The system also includes a processor to collate and maintain a lookup table to identify specific explosive material types.

Prior art methods for detecting explosive materials typically involve exciting a sample by physically contacting the sample with an ultrasound excitation source. A temperature sensor is typically used to monitor the thermal properties of the excited sample to determine if the sample material is an explosive material. These methods do not adequately distinguish between explosive materials and non-explosive materials.
A need therefore exists for improved systems and methods for detecting and classifying explosive materials at standoff ranges.


An example system for purifying a supply stream including lactose includes a clarification system configured to separate insoluble impurities from the stream to produce a clarified stream. The system includes an adsorption system fluidically coupled to the clarification system. The adsorption system includes an adsorbent resin configured to purify the clarified stream. An example technique for purifying a supply stream including lactose includes separating insoluble impurities from the supply stream to produce a clarified stream and passing the clarified stream over an adsorbent resin to produce a decolorized stream.

The milk sugar lactose can be produced by concentrating cheese whey or de-proteinized cheese whey, cooling the concentrate to force crystallization of the lactose contained in the whey, separating the crystals from the balance of the whey constituents, purifying the crystals through washing with water, and drying the washed crystals.
Dried lactose product obtained from dairy processing, referred to herein as edible grade lactose, may be used as an energy source, for example, in simulated milk formulations for infants and for baby animals and is used as an ingredient in various confections. Lactose may also be used in pharmaceutical applications, for example, as an excipient in pharmaceutical formulations. However, the purity of lactose required by the pharmaceutical industry is higher than the purity associated with edible grade lactose.
The impurities found in edible grade lactose that typically render it unsuitable for pharmaceutical applications include insoluble impurities and riboflavin. The insoluble impurities may include calcium salts and denatured proteins. Riboflavin, which may be found in milk, whey and permeate, may adsorb to the surface of lactose crystals and impart a yellow color to dried edible grade lactose and to solutions of edible grade lactose. Pharmaceutical grade, high purity lactose may be produced by removing riboflavin and the insoluble impurities found in edible grade lactose. Pharmaceutical grade lactose is substantially white and forms a clear, colorless aqueous solution.
A technique for purifying edible grade lactose may include adding activated carbon to a solution of edible grade lactose to remove the riboflavin by adsorption onto the activate carbon, followed by filtering the solution to remove the insoluble impurities and the activated carbon, evaporating the purified solution, crystallizing lactose, and drying the lactose crystals. Riboflavin may also be removed from lactose using a food grade adsorbent resin such as Amberlite FPX66 resin (Rohm and Hass, Philadelphia, Pa.).


An apparatus and method for securing embroidery hoops to a hooping work surface without requiring substantial movement of the hoops with respect to the work surface during attachment and detachment operations. The apparatus preferably includes a body having a ledge defined by a recessed lower surface beneath the ledge, a lip running along the upper edge of the ledge, and a groove running alongside the lip on the upper edge of the ledge. Preferably, the recessed lower surface has an abutment surface which is in the form of a step. The ledge preferably fits in a conventional hoop attachment device between a wedge and a flat lower surface (facing the wedge) of the hoop attachment device. The wedge of the conventional hoop attachment device preferably fits within the groove of the body, while the flat lower surface of the conventional hoop attachment device preferably fits within and abuts against the abutment surface of the body. Positioned in this manner within the conventional hoop attachment device, the hoop is secured against movement during hooping operations. To attach and detach the hoop within the conventional hoop attachment device with minimal movement of the hoop relative to the work surface, the hoop is swung down or up, respectively, through a small angle with respect to the body, thereby placing or removing, respectively, the flat lower surface of the conventional hoop attachment device into abutting relationship with the abutment surface of the body.

The field of embroidery has experienced a number of developments in recent years as a result of more efficient embroidery operations, systems, and devices. With an eye toward speeding the embroidery process on objects of all types, including shirts, sweatshirts, sweaters, pant legs, shirt sleeves, bags, towels, sheets, etc., many devices and methods have appeared in the marketplace to make the embroidery process more efficient and accurate. One area in which such developments have occurred is the process (and related devices) by which objects to be embroidered are framed or "hooped".
In the hooping process, an object which is to be embroidered is typically draped over or placed upon a work surface. A pair of mating hoops is then secured around the area of the object to be embroidered. Specifically, one of the pair of hoops is placed on one side of the object and another is placed on the opposite side of the object, and then the two hoops are pressed together (one inside the other) with the area of the object to be embroidered being caught therebetween and within the hoops. This hooping process is necessary to keep the material which is to be embroidered flat, taut, and secured while it is being embroidered. This hooping process is also necessary to properly orient the area of the object to be embroidered with respect to the hoops. In particular, after the object to be embroidered is hooped, it is typically placed within an embroidery machine and secured therein by one or more fasteners. The fasteners mate or secure the hoops and object to the machine while the object is being embroidered.
Many devices have been developed for properly orienting and hooping objects to be embroidered. Examples of such devices and methods are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,111 issued to Guenther and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/127,272, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference insofar as they relate to the process and devices for hooping objects. Orienting and hooping devices and methods such as these normally require that at least one of the hoops used to hoop an object be secured to a work surface during at least part of the hooping operation. To secure the hoop, one or more brackets are typically used. The bracket(s) is usually secured to the hoop and to the work surface via one or more releasable fasteners as described below.
In the normal operation of the orienting and hooping devices just mentioned, one or more brackets are first positioned upon a work surface and fastened thereto via fasteners. For example, the fasteners can be screws which are passed through holes within the bracket(s) and then through precisely spaced and positioned holes in the work surface. Next, one hoop is attached at one or more attachment positions (usually integral with the hoop) to the bracket(s). Then, the object to be embroidered is placed or draped over the secured hoop, and the second hoop is pressed on top of the object and into or around the first hoop. Finally, the hooped object is removed from the work surface by releasing the first hoop from the bracket(s).
It should be noted that the manners by which hoops are attached and/or released from an embroidery machine on one hand and a bracket attached to a hooping device work surface on the other hand often differ significantly. This difference has created a problem in the art to which the present invention is addressed. Specifically, one common type of conventional attachment device used for hoops is illustrated in FIG. 1. To attach the hoop 1 to an embroidery machine (not shown), the attachment device 2 is slid in the direction indicated by arrow A on FIG. 1. By sliding the hoop 1 and the attachment device 2 in this direction, a mating part of the embroidery machine is caught between the wedge 3 and the flat surface 4 of the attachment device 2, thereby securing the hoop 1 to the embroidery machine. To release the hoop 1 from the embroidery machine, the user slides the hoop 1 and the attachment device 2 in an opposite direction indicated by arrow B on FIG. 1. Other attachment devices similar to those shown in FIG. 1 are well known to those skilled in the art, and operate in much the same manner. For example, the V-shaped wedge 3 shown by way of example in FIG. 1 is only one type of wedge commonly used in such attachment devices 2. Other wedge shapes (such as rounded, rectangular, square, etc.) are possible and exist in the art. Unfortunately, the sliding motion required by the conventional attachment device 2 is often not preferred to attach and detach the hoop 1 from a bracket (not shown) attached to a hooping device work surface. In particular, certain objects positioned or draped over a hooping device cannot easily be moved with the attached hoops in the directions indicated by arrows A and B on FIG. 1. For example, the object being hooped can bind upon the hooping device if shifted in the directions indicated by arrows A and B, or the object can be too tight upon the hooping device to easily shift in such directions. Forcing such an object to shift in such directions can pull the object out of the hoops or disorient the object within its place between the hoops. Therefore, although the attachment device 2 may attach in a manner well suited to embroidery machines, the attachment device 2 may not attach or detach in a manner well suited for operations upon a hooping device work surface.
Therefore, there exists a need for an apparatus and method for securing a hoop (and attached object to be embroidered) to a hooping device work surface which permits easy installation and removal of the hoop without the need for shifting the hoop and object and without pulling the object out of its hoops or distorting the object within the hoops. Such an apparatus and method would ensure that the hoops and object are adequately secured to the hooping device work surface throughout normal hooping operations, yet would be engageable to and releasable from the work surface with minimal movement and effort. The present invention provides such an apparatus and method.

Apparatus and method for securing embroidery hoops


Systems and techniques are disclosed relating to communications. The systems and techniques involve transmitting a signal over a plurality of time periods, receiving a plurality of parameters each relating to the signal transmission during a different one of the time periods, filtering a first one of the parameters to generate a first filtered parameter, filtering a second one of the parameters as a function of the first filtered parameter to generate a second filtered parameter, and adjusting the signal as a function of the second filtered parameter. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or the meaning of the claims.

1. Field
The present invention relates generally to communications, and more specifically, to systems and techniques for enhancing the reliability of feedback in a wireless communications system.
2. Background
The ability of a receiver to detect a signal in the presence of noise is based on the ratio of the received signal power and the noise power. Various conventions have been developed over the years for computing this ratio. For example, the carrier-to-interference (C/I) ratio, the signal-to-noise power ratio (SNR), and the energy-per-bit-to-noise plus interference ratio (Eb/Io) are just a few of many different ways to measure receiver performance. Industry usage of these terms, or similar terms, has often been interchangeable, and for the purposes of this disclosure, will have the same meaning. Accordingly, any reference to a C/I ratio will be understood by those skilled in the art to encompass the board concept of measuring the effects of noise in a wireless communications system.
In multi-access communications systems, techniques to increase bandwidth are commonly employed to maximize user capacity. For example, many transmitter designs adaptively increase the data rate to maintain the lowest C/I ratio necessary to achieve a desired quality of service. This can be achieved with what is commonly referred to as an "outer loop control" which estimates the C/I ratio at the receiver and provides feedback to the transmitter to adjust the data rate. This approach works well for receivers in close proximity to the transmitter. However, for those receivers operating at the edges of the transmitter's coverage region, a high probability exists that the estimated C/I ratio fed back to the transmitter will be corrupted resulting in an artificially high estimate. This artificially high estimate causes the transmitter to increase the data rate of the transmission beyond the capabilities of the receiver under the existing channel conditions. The problem becomes even more pronounced in communications systems in which the transmitter only receives estimates of the C/I ratio from the receiver periodically to save on overhead. In these systems, the data rate of the transmission may exceed the capabilities of the receiver for extended periods of time.

System and techniques for enhancing the reliability of feedback in a wireless communications system


Ferroelectric semiconductor devices are provided by including a ferroelectric layer in the device that is made of a material that is not ferroelectric in bulk. Such layers can be disposed at interfaces to promote ferroelectric switching in a semiconductor device. Switching of conduction in the semiconductor is effected by the polarization of a mechanically bi-stable material. This material is not ferroelectric in bulk but can be considered to be when the thickness is sufficiently reduced down to a few atomic layers. Devices including such ferroelectric layers are suitable for various applications, such as transistors and memory cells (both volatile and non-volatile).

When an electric field is applied to an object, the resulting charge separation in the object is referred to as electric polarization. Although most materials exhibit electric polarization only when an electric field is applied to the material, some materials exhibit electric polarization without an applied electric field (i.e., a spontaneous polarization). Such materials are often referred to as pyroelectric materials. For some pyroelectric materials, the direction of the spontaneous electric polarization can be switched using an applied electric field. Such materials are referred to as ferroelectric materials, and the switching of electric polarization in ferroelectric materials is analogous to the switching of magnetic moments in ferromagnetic materials. In particular, the polarization state of a ferroelectric is a non-volatile parameter that retains its value even if no power is supplied to a device including the ferroelectric.
Thus, applications of ferroelectrics to electronic device technology have been under investigation for some time. Representative examples of the state of the art include U.S. Pat. No. 6,093,242, U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,082, U.S. Pat. No. 6,080,235, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,602,720. However, it remains difficult to provide long-term stability of ferroelectric switching in connection with microelectronic devices.

Ferroelectric devices including a layer having two or more stable configurations


In a method of recording digital signals, in which all audio signals of N channels (N=integer) are recorded on M tracks (M=integer>N) where video signals of I fields (I=integer) are recorded, the improvement including: the M tracks being divided into N track groups each having S tracks (S=integer=M/N) arranged successively such that the audio signals of a j-th channel (j=integer) in the N channels are recorded on the tracks of an i-th track group (i=integer) in the N track groups.

The present invention relates to a method of recording digital video and audio signals.
In comparison with a conventional analog recording type video tape recorder (hereinbelow, referred to as an "AVCR"), the reproduced image quality and reproduced sound quality are more excellent in a digital recording type video tape recorder (hereinbelow, referred to as a "DVCR") in which video and audio signals are recorded digitally. D1-format is one example of formats of DVCRs, a small number of which are put to practical use. As shown in FIG. 1, a D1-format tape has linear tracks on its opposite sides, such as an analog audio cue track AT for recording audio references, a control track CT for recording tracking control signals and a time code track TT for recording time codes and user's data. These linear tracks are provided for improving efficiency of editing.
Meanwhile, between the linear tracks, the D1-format tape has a plurality of helical tracks acting as signal tracks ST, respectively, two of which are illustrated in FIG. 1. Each signal track ST is constituted by two video bursts V for recording video signals, four audio bursts A interposed between the video bursts V, five gaps G among the video bursts V and the audio bursts A and two ambles B for interposing the video bursts V therebetween. Even and odd components of each audio channel are recorded on these four audio bursts A. Namely, in the case of 4-channel audio data, signal tracks 1 to 4 form one unit for recording 4-channel audio data and 4-channel audio data are recorded by repeating sequence of the signal tracks 1 to 4 as follows:
______________________________________ Track 1: Ch 1 - Even, Ch 4 - Odd, Ch 3 - Even, Ch 2 - Odd, Track 2: Ch 2 - Even, Ch 1 - Odd, Ch 4 - Even, Ch 3 - Odd, Track 3: Ch 3 - Even, Ch 2 - Odd, Ch 1 - Even, Ch 4 - Odd, Track 4: Ch 4 - Even, Ch 3 - Odd, Ch 2 - Even, Ch 1 - Odd. ______________________________________
In the above, "Ch" denotes a channel. D1-format is used for broadcasting and therefore, should have sufficiently high image and sound quality. Thus, luminance components and color difference components of video signals have sampling frequencies of 13.5 MHz and 6.75 MHz, respectively. Meanwhile, audio signals have a single sampling frequency of 48 kHz which is phase locked to the sampling frequencies of the video signals.
In VCRs for broadcasting use, it is essential to perform complete and independent editing. However, it is not guaranteed that a mechanical accuracy of 100% cannot be achieved even in VCRs for broadcasting use. Namely, for example, in the case where an already recorded audio burst is rewritten at the time of editing, it is impossible to record new signals at locations completely identical with those of the original audio burst.
Therefore, if a guard between neighboring signal tracks or the gaps are not provided, the audio bursts adjacent to the audio burst to be rewritten are disturbed by rewriting, thereby resulting in an increase of errors at the time of reproduction. In VCRs for broadcasting use, such deterioration in the quality of recording signals is not permitted. On the above mentioned ground, the gaps and the guards are set at sufficiently large values in order to prevent the deterioration in the quality of recorded data.
To this end, the D1-format tape has a width of 19 mm, a maximum length of 1,600 m (maximum recording time of 94 min.). Furthermore, a tape cassette for the D1-format tape is far larger than a commercially available tape cassette for a 1/2-inch tape of a maximum recording time of 480 min. However, in broadcasting, greater importance is attached to editing performance than the large size of the tape cassette and the short recording time. In other words, in order to improve editing performance of the D1-format tape, additional areas which are not used for recording, such as the gaps and the guards are required to be provided even at the sacrifice of the recording time.
On the other hand, in order to put DVCRs for home use to practical use, longer recording time, smaller cassette size and higher reproduced image and sound quality than those of current AVCRs for home use are demanded. Therefore, known D1-format DVCRs for home use have drawbacks (1) and (2).
(1) Since the tape has excessively large additional areas which are not used for recording data, its recording time becomes short.
(2) Since the tape has too many linear tracks for editing, it is impossible to reduce the width of the tape.
Thus, in the known D1-format DVCRs for home use, there has been a keen demand for securing permissible reproduction quality for editing through elimination of the above mentioned drawbacks.

Method of recording digital signals in an interleaving array form with enhanced error interpolation

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A flexplate flywheel has an annular damper ring welded directly to the associated ring gear to substantially reduce starter associated vibrations and the level of sound perceived by the driver of an associated automotive vehicle during engine starting.

It is known in the art relating to flexplate engine flywheels to provide a thin annular ring fixed as by projection welding to the flexplate inwardly of an associated starter ring gear to reduce engine generated flexplate vibrations that may result in undesirable sound transmitted from the flywheel and/or engine. One such prior art arrangement which has been used commercially in automobiles for connecting the engine with a transmission is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
In these Figures, numeral 10 indicates the prior art flywheel which comprises a circular disc 11 of rotatably stiff but axially flexible relatively thin sheet metal. The disc 11 is of generally constant axial thickness although variable thickness discs could be provided if desired. The disc 11 has a generally flat outer annulus 12 contacted with a slightly dished central portion 14 having a central guide opening 15 surrounded by a plurality of smaller openings 16 for attaching the disc 11 to a flanged end 18 of an engine crankshaft 19. The degree of dishing is optional and depends primarily upon the space available between the crankshaft 19 and an associated transmission input member such as a fluid coupling 20.
Beyond the outer annulus 12, the disc 11 has a short axial flange 21 to which is intermittently welded at 22 a steel ring gear 23 having outwardly facing teeth 24 adapted to be engaged by a starter drive gear 26 for starting the engine. (Some prior art arrangements omit the flange 21 and weld the ring gear directly to the flat outer annulus 12 of the disc.)
Between the flange 21 and the central portion 14 a damping ring 27 formed as a thin generally flat annulus is fixed at radially and annularly spaced locations 28 by projection welding or the like to the flat outer annulus 12. Annularly spaced mounting openings 30 extend through the outer annulus 12 and damping ring 27. One opening 30A may be nonround for balancing alignment of the engine and transmission upon assembly. Additional openings 31 may be provided through the disc 11 for controlling its stiffness and lightening the flywheel 10.
The prior arrangement as described for FIGS. 1 and 2 has been effective in reducing or altering engine generated sound vibrations to provide quieter or more pleasing engine and vehicle noise transmission within and outside the vehicle. However, a further reduction in starter drive generated noise to obtain an improved perception of transmitted sound was also desired.

Starting vibration damped flexplate flywheel


A polypeptide having an endonuclease activity derived from a psychrophilic microorganism Shewanella sp. strain Ac10, which exhibits high activity at low temperatures, can remove any nucleic acid present in a protein solution and can reduce the viscosity of a protein extract; and a nucleic acid encoding the polypeptide.

Endonucleases are enzymes that are useful as reagents for genetic engineering, and are widely used for purposes including the following: elimination of genomic DNA prior to RT-PCR; reactions for degrading template DNA following RNA synthesis reactions using T7 or SP6 RNA polymerase; synthesis of DNA libraries; footprinting methods; elimination of nucleic acids from protein solutions; reduction in viscosity of protein extracts; and pretreatment of samples for two-dimensional electrophoresis.
Macromolecular nucleic acid-degrading enzymes (nucleases) are classified based on the modes of action as follows: (a) endonucleases which hydrolyze internal phosphodiester bonds of sugar phosphate chains (main chains) of macromolecular nucleic acids; and (b) exonucleases which successively cleave from 5′ and/or 3′ ends of main chains.
Endonucleases can be further classified based on their substrates as follows: (a) deoxyribonucleases (DNases) which degrade DNA; (b) ribonucleases (RNases) which degrade RNA; and (c) enzymes that degrade DNA and RNA (which may be simply called nucleases).
Among the endonucleases, deoxyribonucleases (a) are exemplified by the following: (i) deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I) which acts on double-stranded DNA and single-stranded DNA to degrade them into oligonucleotides each having a 3′—OH end and a 5′—P end; (ii) deoxyribonuclease II (DNase II) which acts on double-stranded DNA and single-stranded DNA to degrade them into oligonucleotides each having a 3′—P end and a 5′—OH end; (iii) endodeoxyribonuclease IV which selectively cleaves phosphodiester bonds on the 5′ side of cytosines in single-stranded DNA molecules to degrade it into oligonucleotides each having a 3′—OH end and a 5′—P end; and (iv) restriction endonucleases (restriction enzymes) which recognize and cleave specific nucleotide sequences.
For example, the following is known about deoxyribonuclease I which is classified under EC 22.214.171.124 (see, for example, Non-patent Document 1) in addition to the above-mentioned activity: it has an activity of hydrolyzing phosphodiester bonds at distinct sites on two strands of double-stranded DNA to cause cleavage of single strands (nicking), resulting in gradual conversion of a macromolecular nucleic acid into smaller molecules; its reaction velocity varies depending on substrates and declines in the following order: double-stranded DNA>single-stranded DNA>oligonucleotide; and it has no or very low specificity for a nucleotide sequence.
It has been confirmed that deoxyribonuclease I exists in pancreas, kidney, liver, heart and blood of human, bovine, pig, sheep, rat, mouse, rabbit, chicken and fish, bacteria of the genus Streptococcus, Escherichia coli, T4 phage, λ phage and the like.
Deoxyribonuclease I is utilized for preventing false positive (pseudopositive) results in nucleic acid amplification reactions.
Deoxyribonuclease I is used as follows. DNase I is added before template DNA and DNA polymerase are added to a PCR reaction system in order to degrade contaminating nucleic acids, nucleic acids nonspecifically bound to primers and the like (see, for example, Non-patent Document 2).
It is necessary to inactivate deoxyribonuclease I before carrying out PCR. In order to inactivate deoxyribonuclease I which has the activity even at high temperatures, one must boil it for 30 minutes.
Methods using enzymes that exhibit their activities at low-to-normal temperatures and are readily inactivated at moderately high temperatures have been developed in order to solve the problems.
For example, it is described in Patent Document 1 that the DNase derived from shrimp (Pandalus borealis) does not exhibit its activity at 12° C. but exhibits the activity at 22 to 37° C. This enzyme cannot degrade single-stranded DNA. It is necessary to hold the enzyme at 94° C. for 5 minutes in order to completely inactivate it.
DNases and proteases derived from microorganisms isolated from seawater or marine organisms are described in Patent Document 2. The DNases exhibit their activities at 20° C. or above and inactivated at 50 to 60° C. or above although the thermosensitivity may vary more or less depending on the microorganisms from which they are derived. Although it is described therein that the DNases degrade double-stranded DNA, it is not described whether or not they degrade single-stranded DNA. No disclosure is contained therein concerning their physical and chemical properties except the thermosensitivity, the amino acid sequences, or the nucleotide sequences of nucleic acids encoding the DNases.
Among the endonucleases, endonucleases having activities of degrading DNA and RNA (c) are enzymes that are useful as reagents for genetic engineering. Furthermore, they are used for purposes including the following: elimination of nucleic acids from protein solutions; reduction in viscosity of protein extracts; and pretreatment of samples for two-dimensional electrophoresis.
For example, Serratia marcescens nuclease (see, for example, Patent Document 3 and Non-patent Document 3), silkworm nuclease SW, mung bean nuclease, potato nuclease and Azotobactor agilis nuclease (see, for example, Non-patent Document 4) are known. As to their reaction mechanisms, they specifically cleave intramolecular phosphodiester bonds in double-stranded DNA, single-stranded DNA and synthetic polynucleotides to generate 5′-dinucleotides and 5′-trinucleotides.
Among endonucleases having the above-mentioned activities, ones that act on all types of DNA and RNA substrates regardless of the forms (single-stranded, double-stranded, etc.) are used for elimination of nucleic acids from protein solutions, reduction in viscosity of protein extracts, or pretreatment of samples for two-dimensional electrophoresis (see, for example, Patent Document 3). For example, Benzonase (registered trademark) Nuclease from Novagen is used for this purpose.
An endonuclease having the above-mentioned activity can be used by adding it to a cell homogenate supernatant in order to reduce viscosity of a protein extract. When the protein of interest is extracted by cell disruption, the protein may be denatured due to heat generated during disruption or mechanical force, leading to decrease in the activity. Thus, cell disruption is generally carried out using an ice-cold buffer or cooling on ice in order to prevent the denaturation. In addition, it is necessary to cool the extract after disruption of course in cases where the protein of interest is thermolabile and also for suppressing the action of proteolytic enzymes in the extract.
An extract obtained from a rapidly growing cell (e.g., a microorganism) contains a large amount of nucleic acid materials. It is important to reduce the viscosity of the extract for facilitating subsequent sample processing.
Thus, it is necessary to reduce viscosity of a cooled cell extract. Furthermore, it is necessary to develop an endonuclease that exhibits the above-mentioned activity at low-to-normal temperatures for avoiding influence on the protein of interest if the protein of interest is thermolabile.
No endonuclease is known to retain an activity of degrading DNA and RNA even at low temperatures.
Patent Document 1: WO 99/07887
Patent Document 2: WO 01/18230
Patent Document 3: U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,418
Non-patent Document 1: Nomenclature Committee of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (http://www.chem.qmul.ac.uk/iubmb/enzyme/)
Non-patent Document 2: Furrer, B. et al., Nature, 346(6282):324 (1990)
Non-patent Document 3: Eaves, George N. et al., J. Bacteriol., 85:273-278 (1963)
Non-patent Document 4: Stevens, Audrey et al., J. Biol. Chem., 235:3016-3022, 3023-3027 (1960)


A lighting unit having a source of illumination on a support with there being simulated vegetation on the support. The support includes a base that simulates a natural stem for the vegetation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to decorative lighting and, more particularly, to a lighting unit that blends into natural outdoor landscaping while at the same time performing a desired lighting function.
2. Background Art
Landscape lighting is commonly used in both commercial and residential environments. It is common to use ground lighting to border walks and driveways, and to accent buildings, trees, yard ornamentation, etc.
Typically, a low voltage light is used for this purpose. The illumination source is typically an area light which projects through 360.degree. or may be focused in a much narrower range as to be directed at an object to be illuminated. These structures commonly employ a vertically extending stake atop which the illumination source is mounted. The stake is pressed into the ground in the vicinity of where the light is desired.
It is also known to couple the lights in series and to run a group of such lights off a single timer or a light sensitive switch. While of late solar powering is utilized, more commonly, the lights are interconnected by an electrical line which is fed from a conventional power supply. A transformer is provided between the supply and the lights.
One problem with this ground lighting is that the lights tend to stand out and commonly detract from the appearance of the landscaping into which they are incorporated. The user generally has few options as to what type of light will be employed. Aside from the fact that the lights themselves may not be attractive or fit into a landscaping scheme, the power supply lines further compromise aesthetics. While the lines may be buried under some circumstances to be out of sight, in other places this is not possible, as when the lights are installed on grounds that are covered with concrete, asphalt, brick, etc.


A method for preparing a highly potent glycan extract from Mycobacteria by admixing at least one Mycobacterium with an aqueous solution of concentrated urea.

(1) Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a method for preparing a highly purified glycan extract, as well as the purified glycan product.
(2) Description of the Art
Bacillus Calmette Guerine (BCG) vaccine is an attenuated form of Mycobacterium bovis that has been used as tuberculosis vaccine for more than 70 years. BCG has proved to be a general immunostimulant and intravesicular BCG immunotherapy is currently an approved and effective clinical intervention against superficial bladder cancer, providing long-term protection from tumour recurrence, progression and mortality. BCG has also been demonstrated to be effective against other tumours such as melanoma, sarcoma, lung cancer and leukemia. Success in the treatment of these tumours with BCG has proved to be variable since direct contact between BCG and the tumour cells is apparently required.
The mode of action of BCG against bladder carcinoma is not well understood, but activity has been attributed to a nonspecific stimulation of the lymphoreticuloendothelial system. BCG vaccine consists of a mixture of dead and living whole organisms with associated cell debris and approximately 5% of cancer patients treated with BCG experience adverse reactions to the therapy associated with the use of viable bacteria. These reactions include mild fever, urethritis and, in extreme situations, disseminated mycobacterioses. Thus, it is preferable to identify and isolate non-viable bacterial components of BCG with anticancer activity which could provide material with potential clinical application.
Hardham & James (1980) reported the presence of a covering material on the surface of the Glaxo substrain of BCG vaccine. This observation was shown to be more general for other BCG substrains and accounted for the lack of effect of wetting agents on the state of dispersion. The composition of the interfacial integument appears to be substantially polysaccharidic although cell-surface proteins account for the major part of cellular surface charges. Rastogi et al., (1986) found polysaccharide-rich outer layers in 18 mycobacterial species but Kristensen et al. (1992) showed that the cationic charge of BCG could be abolished with proteolytic enzymes, suggesting that it was essentially due to surface protein. The anionic charge, on the other hand, was provided by carboxylic acids, phosphoesters and strong acidic groups such as sulfate. Accordingly, it was of interest to note that the cellular integument could be removed with bacterial pronase, apparently without killing the cells. Electron microscopy and light microscopy demonstrated that aggregates of BCG cells were often covered by variable amounts of the integument. A more detailed study suggested that the integument separated by pronase was substantially carbohydrate in composition. The integument was patchy in appearance and of variable thickness, leading to the suggestion that growth of integument may be provoked by environmental stresses such as oxygen tension. Klegerman et al. (1996) recently reported that the electron transparent zone associated with the integument varied in thickness from 1-250 nm and suggested that it may be the source of complex glycans extracted from BCG from boiling water. These glycans, accounting for as much as 12% of the dry cell weight of the Tice.RTM. BCG substrain, were shown to possess considerable antineoplastic activity. Of the mixed glycans separated by boiling water extraction from the Tice.RTM. substrain of BCG vaccine, one glucan, PS1 A1, was shown to have the highest specific activity against a murine sarcoma model in vivo but no in vitro activity was detected against a wide variety of tumour models, indicating an immunostimulant mechanism (Wang et al., 1995).
Various methods have been developed for obtaining extracts of glycans and other popolysaccharides from various sources such as bacteria, yeast and plants. Furthermore, it has previously been demonstrated that complex high molecular weight antineoplastic glycans can be extracted by boiling intact cells of Mycobacteria, especially M. bovis (BCG vaccine), M. vaccae and M. phlei. Despite these advances in processes for obtaining therapeutic glycans from various natural sources, there remains a need for processes capable of producing glycan extracts in high purities and yields.

Method for isolating high molecular weight antineoplastic glycans using urea

Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois


Newly discovered lipoglycopeptide antibiotic A84575 complex, comprising factors A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H, is produced by submerged aerobic fermentation of a culture selected from Streptosporangeum carneum NRRL 18437, Streptosporangeum carneum NRRL 18505 or an A84575-producing mutant thereof. The antibiotics are active against Gram-positive bacteria.

New, improved antibiotics are continually in demand, particularly for the treatment of human diseases. Increased potency, expanded spectrum of bacterial inhibition, increased in vivo efficacy, and improved pharmaceutical properties are some of the goals for improved antibiotics.
One class of antibiotics is the glycopeptide class. The glycopeptide class includes, for example, the known antibiotics vancomycin, parvocidin, actinoidin, and ristocetin. Common to all of these complex antibiotics is the presence of at least one carbohydrate and at least one peptide portion. The A84575 antibiotics are most similar to parvocidin.


A grease interceptor system with a corrugated pipe stub that can be obtained and cut to size in the field during installation.

Commercial food service establishments, such as restaurants, produce considerable amounts of organic material in their waste or drainage water which often includes high levels of grease or oil. Such materials can clog or adversely affect public wastewater and sewer systems. Most jurisdictions therefore require that such grease and oil be removed from the wastewater at the commercial establishment before it is permitted to enter the wastewater system.
To effect such removal, the commercial establishment will typically install a grease interceptor on its wastewater outlet line from its food preparation area, such as its kitchen. The purpose of the grease interceptor is to permit the free flow of wastewater, while capturing any grease or oils contained in the water. The process of grease interception involves the separating and retaining of globules of grease, fats and oils from wastewater as it passes through the grease interceptor. Typically the oily wastewater passes into the grease interceptor at one end and as the water flows through the interceptor it is slowed down, allowing the lighter than water components, such as grease and oil, to rise within the water accumulating in an upper layer in the interceptor. A fluid outlet from the grease interceptor is positioned below the level of the grease layer to permit substantially grease free wastewater to pass through the interceptor. In this way, the grease is collected in the grease interceptor and it may be periodically removed from the top of the grease interceptor. The grease is then disposed of as solid waste in accordance with local regulations, for example, by removal to landfill sites.
Grease interceptors are typically installed below grade and in line with wastewater outlet or effluent pipes. The distance between the finished grade and the top of the grease interceptor will typically vary depending on the distance of the grease interceptor from the building, the slope of the land, and other factors. Accordingly, the distance between the top of the grease interceptor and the finished grade may vary widely between installations. As a result, there is a need for an adjustable height lid.

Grease interceptor system and method of installing a grease interceptor system


A control system for an internal combustion engine having at least one fuel injection valve for injecting fuel to an intake pipe or a combustion chamber of the engine. Intake gas state parameters indicative of a state of the intake gases supplied to the engine are detected. Demand values of the intake gas state parameters are calculated according to operating condition parameters indicative of an operating condition of the engine. The intake gas state is controlled so that the intake gas state parameters coincide with the demand values. A control value is then calculated according to the operating condition parameters and deviations of the intake gas state parameters from the demand values. Accordingly, an amount of fuel injected by the at least one fuel injection valve is controlled according to the control value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control system for an internal combustion engine and, particularly, to a control system that accurately controls an air-fuel ratio in a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine having an exhaust gas recirculation mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. H08-61112 discloses a control system for a diesel engine having an exhaust gas recirculation mechanism. According to the disclosed control system, a gas amount Gf supplied to a combustion chamber is calculated using a map which is set according to a depressed amount of an accelerator and an engine rotational speed, and an intake air amount Ga is detected by an intake air amount sensor. Further, the intake air amount Ga is subtracted from the gas amount Gf to calculate a recirculated gas flow rate Ge. An air amount Gae in exhaust gases recirculated through the exhaust gas recirculation mechanism is calculated according to the recirculated gas amount Ge and an oxygen concentration OX in the exhaust gases detected by an oxygen concentration sensor provided in the exhaust system. An air amount Gcyl supplied to the combustion chamber is calculated as (Ga+Gae), and a fuel injection amount is calculated according to the air amount Gcyl.
With respect to the internal combustion engine, especially to the diesel engine, an emission amount of NOx or particulate matter (PM) has been strictly regulated in recent years. Accordingly, it is extremely difficult to obtain the required performance using the conventional control method which supplies an excessive amount of air compared to the fuel supply amount. Therefore, it is necessary to appropriately control the intake air amount of the engine and the air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber.
In the conventional control system described above, a technique, wherein a target value of the intake air amount is set according to an engine operating condition and the actual intake air amount is controlled based on the target value, is not implemented. Consequently, according to the conventional control system, in recent years it has been difficult to perform the intake air amount control and the fuel supply control which satisfy a strict demand of the engine performance.

Control system for internal combustion engine


This invention pertains to a controller for electric heaters for preheating temperature sensitive components of internal combustion engines operating in very cold climates. The controller reduces energy consumption by turning on the engine component heater no sooner than necessary for the object to achieve the desired temperature. The device monitors ambient air temperature and when it is cold enough, projects the rate of the change of temperature forward to predict the temperature at the time the engine must next be started. Using manufacturers' heater specifications, the air temperature ambient to the engine components and an heating function derived from heat conduction theory, the device calculates the amount of time required for heating the engine components and turns on the heater when the appropriate time arrives. For vehicles going into service on fixed daily schedules, the controller automatically controls the start and duration of heating without user intervention for both daily and weekend schedules.. A key pad and display panel allow entry and verification of data for each heater, including desired use time(s) for each day of the week, vehicle/heater circuit identification, and the heating time parameter for the engine/heater.

This invention pertains for device which control the application of electric energy to heaters that preheat temperature sensitive engine components such as the engine block, the engine oil/transmission and the battery of internal combustion engines before starting after they have been exposed to temperatures that may range to -60 degrees Fahrenheit. Specifically, with a knowledge of the next use time of a vehicle, this invention automatically controls the initiation and duration of engine component heating such that significant savings in energy consumption are realized when compared to existing the methods of preheating engines in cold climates.
The manufacturers of engine component heaters publish recommended combinations of heaters for each available engine size, crankcase oil/transmission type and battery size for private and most commercial vehicles. These heaters are manufactured for the specific application in which heat energy is conducted from the point of component contact with the heater throughout the component with the maximum temperature of the component being reached after approximately five hours of heating. These heaters are also manufactured to standards such that, when properly installed, the maximum temperature of the component being heated does not exceed a temperature which will lead to damage of the component even when heating is continuous or when ambient temperatures exceed those that would normally require heating of the engine components before use.
In the typical daily use cycle of vehicles during the winter in very cold climates, vehicles are not in continuous use for 24 hour periods. Therefore, after a time period in which the vehicles are not in use and exposed to cold ambient temperatures, the engine components of the vehicle will have to be electrically heated before next use. For example, the heaters may be turned on at the end of the day and left on all night so that the components will be warm enough to start in the morning. However, since only a maximum of five hours is typically required to heat the components to their maximum temperature, leaving the heaters on all night wastes a substantial amount of electrical energy even at the lowest expected ambient temperature of the region.
The present art adds a timer or clock between the energy source and the component heaters to reduce energy consumption and engine wear when the desired engine component temperatures are not required until hours or days after the heater is set up. The timer or clock is manually set to supply energy to the component heaters at a time in the future which is long enough before the desired use time of the vehicle to give the user some confidence that the engine components will be heated sufficiently to enable starting. Examples of such clock or timer switched controllers which may be used for engine heaters are contained in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,213,994 (Hohler), 3,740,564 (Wong) and 3,870,855 (Edlund et al.). These applications manually set the clock or timer to start component heating easily enough so that the user has some confidence that the components will be warmed sufficiently at the time of next use, given the ambient temperature at next use time. The ambient temperature available to the user will normally be a weather bureau forecast which at best is an area estimate which may differ significantly from the local temperature at the time of next use, especially if the weather bureau estimate is for a 24 hour or longer period of time.
In the present art, the length of time that electrical energy is applied to the heaters is an estimate made by the user and not on a computation based on manufactuer's specifications for the components being heated. If the future temperature is milder than predicted, then energy will be wasted because the clock or timer initiates heating sooner than necessary. Or, if the the length of time for heating was not set conservatively, the engine components will not be heated sufficiently at the desired time to allow starting without excessive engine wear.
The present art requires manual adjustment of the start and duration of heating time to account for daily temperature changes. Automatic methods to accomplish engine heating before next use time on a daily basis with confidence that the engine components will be adequately heated are not presently available in the art. Furthermore, the general user does not have access to the manufacturers' heater data nor the knowledge of large object heat conduction dynamics. The random approach to heating engine components employed by the present art leads to the inefficient use of electrical energy, hard starting and/or excessive engine wear during starting.

Controller for electric heaters for internal combustion engine


A transporter for transporting a first person and one or more riders over a surface. The transporter includes a first support platform for supporting the first person, the first support platform having left and right sides and defining a fore-aft vertical plane and a lateral plane. At least one ground-contacting element is coupled to the first support platform such that the first support platform is capable of tilting in the fore-aft plane about a tilt axis. The at least one ground-contacting element is driven by a motorized drive arrangement so as to cause locomotion of the transporter. A controller commands the motorized drive arrangement. The controller is configured so that at least one of fore and aft sustained motion of the transporter is based at least on fore-aft tilting of the first support platform. One or more passenger platforms support one or more riders, the passenger platforms coupled to the first support platform such that fore-aft tilting of the first support platform is substantially independent of the one or more passenger platforms.

The present invention generally relates to a transporter and method for transporting one or more persons, and more particularly, to a transporter whose sustained motion is controlled, at least in part, by leaning.
A prior art, dynamically balanced transporter 18 whose sustained motion may be controlled by a rider leaning, is shown, in one embodiment, in FIG. 1, which is described, along with other such transporters, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,701,965 and 5,971,091, both of which are herein incorporated by reference. Transporter 18 is statically unstable with respect to tipping in the fore-aft plane and requires a control loop to maintain dynamic stability. Transporter 18 includes a support platform 12 for supporting a person 10 over the ground or other surface. A handlebar 14 is attached to the support platform 12 for gripping by the person 10. Ground-contacting elements 13, which may be wheels, are movably attached to the support platform 12 and serve to suspend support platform 12 over the ground. The person 10 stands or sits on the support platform 12 such that transporter 18 of this embodiment may be operated in a manner analogous to a scooter. A control loop is provided so that leaning of the person 10 in a forward or backward direction results in the application of torque to wheel 13 about axle 15 thereby causing an acceleration of the transporter 18. The control loop actively maintains stability of the transporter 18, typically by keeping the center of mass of the vehicle above the point of contact of the ground-contacting elements with the ground, regardless of disturbances and forces operative on the transporter 18.
Another such prior art transporter whose motion is controlled by leaning is shown in FIG. 2, which is described, along with other such transporters, in U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/395,589, which is herein incorporated by reference. Unlike the transporter described in FIG. 1, transporter 20 in FIG. 2 is statically stable to tipping in the fore-aft plane. Transporter 20 includes a support platform 21 for supporting a person. Support platform 21 is flexibly coupled to wheels 23, 24, such that the attitude of the support platform 21 is capable of variation based on the load's center of mass relative to the wheels. Such variation may, for example, be caused by an operator leaning on the support platform 21. A sensor module 27, 28 generates a signal characterizing the attitude of the support platform. Based at least on the attitude, a controller commands sustained motion of transporter 20.
As discussed above, sustained motion of each of the above-described transporters may be controlled, at least in part, by a subject leaning on a support platform. However, a problem arises when there is more than one rider. While it may be relatively simple for a single rider to lean in a given direction so as to control the motion of the transporter, placement of a second person on the transporter may make it hard or impossible for either person to govern motion of the device by leaning.


An anisotropically conductive connector, by which expected electrical inspection can be conducted even to a circuit device having a clock frequency of, for example, at least 1 GHz, and an electrical inspection apparatus for circuit devices, which is equipped with this connector. The anisotropically conductive connector includes an elastic anisotropically conductive film having a plurality of conductive parts for connection arranged in accordance with a pattern corresponding to electrodes to be connected and extending in a thickness-wise direction of the film and an insulating part mutually insulating these conductive parts for connection, wherein conductive parts for high-frequency shielding extending in the thickness-wise direction are formed in the elastic anisotropically conductive film. The electrical inspection apparatus for circuit devices includes the above anisotropically conductive connector.

An anisotropically conductive elastomer sheet is a sheet exhibiting conductivity only in its thickness-wise direction or having pressure-sensitive conductive conductor parts exhibiting conductivity only in the thickness-wise direction when they are pressurized in the thickness-wise direction. As such anisotropically conductive elastomer sheets, there have heretofore been known those of various structures.
As anisotropically conductive elastomer sheets exhibiting conductivity only in the thickness-wise direction in a non-pressurized state, there have been known, for example, those obtained by arranging conductive fiber in a sheet substrate composed of insulating rubber in a state oriented so as to extend in the thickness-wise direction, and those (see, for example, the following Prior Art. 1) obtained by alternately laminating conductive rubber with carbon black or metal powder incorporated therein and insulating rubber in a plane direction thereof.
On the other hand, as anisotropically conductive elastomer sheets exhibiting conductivity only in the thickness-wise direction when they are pressurized in the thickness-wise direction, there have been known those (see, for example, the following Prior Art. 2) obtained by uniformly dispersing metal particles in an elastomer, those (see, for example, the following Prior Art. 3) obtained by unevenly distributing particles of a conductive magnetic substance in an elastomer, thereby forming a great number of conductive parts each extending in a thickness-wise direction thereof and an insulating part mutually insulating them and those (see, for example, the following Prior Art. 4) obtained by defining a difference in level between the surface of each conductive part and an insulating part.
Since such an anisotropically conductive elastomer sheet has such features that compact electrical connection can be achieved without using any means such as soldering or mechanical fitting, and that soft connection is feasible with mechanical shock or strain absorbed therein, it is widely used as a connector for achieving electrical connection between a circuit device, for example, a printed circuit board, and a leadless chip carrier, liquid crystal panel or the like in fields of, for example, electronic computers, electronic digital clocks, electronic cameras and computer key boards.
On the other hand, in electrical inspection of circuit devices such as semiconductor integrated circuit devices such as packaged IC and MCM, wafers, on which integrated circuits have been formed, and printed circuit boards, an anisotropically conductive elastomer sheet is used as a connector for achieving electrical connection between electrodes to be inspected formed on one surface of a circuit device, which is an object of inspection, and inspection electrodes formed on the surface of a circuit board for inspection.
In this electrical inspection of the circuit device, a test of direct current characteristics for measuring a source current, input-output voltage, input-output current and the like in the circuit device, a test of alternating current characteristics for measuring a propagation delay time between input and output terminals, transition time of an output waveform, maximum clock frequency and the like in the circuit device, or the like is conducted.
With the demand for speeding-up of processing in an electronic apparatus such as a computer, in resent years, a device having a high clock frequency has been used as a circuit device such as CPU installed in the electronic apparatus. In order to conduct the expected test of alternating current characteristics without causing a misfunction in electrical inspection of such a circuit device, it is important to sufficiently control noises to high-frequency signals.
As a means for controlling the noises to the high-frequency signals in an anisotropically conductive elastomer sheet used in the electrical inspection of the circuit device, there has been proposed a means for supporting the anisotropically conductive elastomer sheet by a frame plate having conductivity and connecting the frame plate to a ground (see, for example, the following Prior Art. 5 and Prior Art. 6).
However, according to such a means, it is difficult to sufficiently control the noises to the high-frequency signals when electrical inspection is conducted as to a circuit device having a clock frequency of, for example, at least 1 GHz.
Prior Art. 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 94495/1975;
Prior Art. 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 93393/1976;
Prior Art. 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 147772/1978;
Prior Art. 4: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 250906/1986;
Prior Art. 5: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-164041;
Patent Art. 6: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-33358.

Anisotropic conductive connector and circuit-device electrical-inspection device


Provided is a method for producing an aqueous modified polyolefin dispersion composition that is industrially excellent, the method comprising the steps of preparing an aqueous modified polyolefin dispersion that does not contain a surfactant, and then mixing a specific surfactant, whereby foaming can be suppressed during the removal of the organic solvent, and the processing time can be significantly reduced. The method for producing an aqueous modified polyolefin dispersion composition comprises the steps (1) and (2):                (1) step 1 of obtaining an aqueous modified polyolefin dispersion using a modified polyolefin, an organic solvent, a base compound, and water as starting materials; and        (2) step 2 of mixing a surfactant with the aqueous modified polyolefin dispersion in an amount of 0.1 to 10 wt. % based on the weight of the modified polyolefin.

Polypropylene and other polyolefin resins are inexpensive and have excellent properties, such as mechanical physical properties and chemical properties. Hence, they are used in large amounts in a wide range of fields, including automobile etc. However, since polyolefin resins do not have a polar group in the molecule, they generally have a low polar surface, which problematically makes coating and bonding difficult.
For this reason, modified polyolefins are used for coating and bonding of polyolefin resins after being dissolved in organic solvents, such as toluene and xylene. However, making modified polyolefins water soluble is desirable in terms of environmental problems, safety-and-health problems, and the like, and many studies are being conducted on how to make modified polyolefins water soluble.
For example, PTL 1 discloses a method for obtaining an aqueous resin composition, the method comprising adding an amine to a toluene solution of acid-modified chlorinated polypropylene, adding a surfactant after mixing the mixture, gradually adding water for emulsification, and removing the toluene under reduced pressure. However, foaming is likely to occur in the step of removing the toluene due to the presence of the surfactant. This causes a problem of longer processing time because it is necessary to remove the toluene while suppressing foaming.
Moreover, PTL 2 discloses a method for obtaining an aqueous resin dispersion, the method comprising melting a modified polyolefin, mixing a surfactant and/or alcohol and amine as an auxiliary agent for making the modified polyolefin water soluble, and adding water at a high temperature and high pressure. However, since the modified polyolefin is made water soluble by melting, it is difficult to make the modified polyolefin water soluble if the melt viscosity is too high when the modified polyolefin is made water soluble. Thus, the molecular weight of usable modified polyolefin is limited. Furthermore, since it is substantially necessary to add a large amount of auxiliary agent for making the modified polyolefin water soluble, there are problems such that it is necessary to reduce the water resistance of the dry film of the aqueous resin dispersion, and that the device used for making the modified polyolefin water soluble should be a reactor having resistance under high temperature and high pressure.
In order to improve these problems, methods for producing an aqueous resin composition by reacting a modified polyolefin with a surfactant are being investigated. For example, PTL 3 and PTL 4 disclose production methods wherein an acid modified polyolefin is reacted with a hydrophilic polymer, and dissolved in an organic solvent, followed by addition of water for dispersion. However, since a large amount of hydrophilic polymer is substantially used in the reaction, there are problems such that the physical properties of the coating film as a coating agent are adversely affected; for example, the water resistance of the dry film of the aqueous resin dispersion is reduced.
In order to improve these problems, methods for producing an aqueous resin composition without using an auxiliary agent for making modified polyolefins water soluble are being investigated. For example, PTL 5 discloses a production method using a specific type of organic solvent.

Method for producing aqueous modified polyolefin dispersion composition