Automotive SLI lead-acid batteries are disclosed which are characterized by enhanced resistance to positive grid corrosion, even when exposed to the current, relatively high under-the-hood service temperatures in use with recent model automobiles. The grids are formed from either a cast lead-based alloy including from about 0.025 to 0.06% calcium, from about 0.3 to 0.7% tin and from about 0.015 to 0.045% silver, the percentages being based upon the weight of the alloy prior to casting or a wrought lead-based alloy including from about 0.02 to 0.05% calcium, from about 0.3 to 0.5% tin and 0.02 to 0.045% silver, the percentages being based upon the weight of the alloy. Aluminum in an amount of from about 0.008 to about 0.012%, based upon the as-added total weight of the alloy may be used to maintain the desired calcium content during casting.

Over the last 15 to 20 years or so, there has been substantial interest in automotive-type, lead-acid batteries which require, once in service, little, or more desirably, no further maintenance throughout the expected life of the battery. This type of battery is sometimes termed a "low maintenance" or "maintenance-free battery". The terminology maintenance-free battery will be used herein to include low maintenance batteries as well. This type of battery was first commercially introduced in about 1972 and is currently in Widespread use.
A considerable amount of attention over the years has been addressed to the type of alloys used for positive and negative grids in such maintenance-free batteries. When maintenance-free batteries were first commercially introduced, the conventional automotive lead-acid battery commonly used grids made from antimony-lead alloys in which the antimony content ranged from about 3-4.5% by weight of the alloy composition. Such alloys were capable of being formed at acceptable commercial rates into battery grids by the gravity casting techniques then widely used. Moreover, the batteries made using grids of those alloy compositions had desirable deep discharge cycling characteristics.
Unfortunately, such high antimony content lead-based alloys could not be used for maintenance-free batteries. Thus, the use of such high antimony alloys resulted in the batteries having undesirably high gassing and attendant water loss characteristics. In other words, batteries with grids made from such alloys accepted high end of charge current during constant voltage overcharge so that excessive gas generation occurred. Accompanying this gas generation was loss of water from the electrolyte.
The assignee of the present invention and its predecessors in interest have been in the forefront of research relating to alloys and maintenance-free batteries. Among the patents relating to this subject are the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,006,035; 4,007,056; 4,166,155 and 4,456,579.
Much commercial interest has centered around the use of calcium-tin-lead alloys for use in making grids for maintenance-free batteries. The calcium content in such alloys for positive grids has varied generally from about 0.06 to about 0.1% by weight of the alloy while the tin has generally ranged from about 0.1 up to 0.8% and even more. More typically, the calcium content in such alloys when used for making maintenance-free battery grids has been at least about 0.08% by weight or more.
Other commercial interest for maintenance-free battery grids has been directed to the use of "low antimony" lead-based alloys, viz.--alloys containing antimony contents of about 1 to about 2%, more typically about 1.5% or so. Employing such low antimony alloys generally required efforts to employ other alloying ingredients since such low antimony alloys were not capable of being made into grids at acceptable commercial rates.
Other approaches for grid alloys in maintenance-free batteries have included the use of "hybrid" alloy systems. Most typically, a low antimony, lead-based alloy is used as the alloy for the positive grids while an antimony-free alloy is employed for the negative grids. Often, the alloy of choice for the negative grids has been a calcium-tin-lead alloy or a calcium-aluminum lead alloy.
It has been well recognized over the years that lead-acid batteries are perishable products. Eventually, such batteries will fail through one or more of several failure modes. Among these failure modes are failure due to positive grid corrosion and excessive water loss. The thrust of maintenance-free batteries has been to provide a battery that would forestall the failure during service for a period of time considered commensurate with the expected service life of the battery, e.g.--three to five years or so.
To achieve this objective, the positive grids initially used for maintenance-free batteries typically had thicknesses of about 60 to about 70 mils or so. The batteries were likewise configured to provide an excess of the electrolyte over that needed to provide the rated capacity of the battery. In that fashion, by filling the electrolyte to a level above that of the top of the battery plates, maintenance-free batteries contained, in effect, a reservoir of electrolyte available to replenish the water loss, during the service life of the battery. In other words, while the use of appropriate grid alloys will reduce water loss during the service life of the battery, there will always be some water loss in service. Having an excess of electrolyte will compensate for this loss.
Over the past several years, the manufacture of such automotive lead-acid batteries, typically termed SLI automotive batteries (principally used for the starting, lighting and ignition requirements of an automobile), has gotten substantially more complex. In addition to forming battery grids by gravity casting (e.g.--the hot metal is fed into what is termed a book mold and is then allowed to solidify, the book mold providing two side-by-side grids), equipment is now commercially available by which battery grids can be continuously cast on a rotary drum grid caster. Additionally, battery grids also can be continuously formed by expanded metal techniques. For example, a rolled or wrought alloy strip or a cast strip is slit and expanded using reciprocating dies or the like and then cut into the desired width and height dimensions to form the grid with a lug.
Automobile manufacturers thus have available a variety of techniques for forming battery grids. However, the effect on performance of the batteries when such techniques are used is not understood all that well. This lack of understanding is particularly evident in view of the factors complicating current SLI battery performance requirements.
One complicating factor in attempting to provide satisfactory service life is the seemingly ever-increasing power and energy requirements demanded in current SLI automotive batteries used in modern automobiles. Many factors have contributed to the need and/or desire for such higher power and energy for such batteries. One major indication of power currently in common usage is the rated number of cold cranking amps. The number of cold cranking amps is considered in the industry as some indication of the relative power of the battery to start an automobile in cold temperature conditions.
Yet another complicating factor is the "under-the-hood" space requirements. Automobile manufacturers have significantly lessened the space available for batteries in the engine compartment. Typically, this has required that battery manufacturers provide a lower profile battery, viz.--a battery having less overall height than previously required so as to meet current aerodynamic styling needs in automobiles.
These complicating factors (i.e., a need for increased power and energy with less available space for the battery) have required battery manufacturers to alter the internal configurations to provide the needed power in a lower profile battery container. These internal alterations have typically involved increasing the number of plates used in each cell by employing battery grids with reduced thickness. For example, the number of plates in a BCI Group 24 battery has increased from about 13 to about 19 or so over the last few years while the thickness of the positive grids has decreased from about 70 to 75 mils or so down to about 45 mils and even less in some cases. The reduction in the thickness of the positive grids together with an increase in the number of plates has allowed battery manufacturers to provide Group 24 batteries having rated capacities of 875 cold cranking amps or so. Battery manufacturers currently offer batteries in other BCI sizes having rated capacities up to 1000 cold cranking amps and even more.
What has occurred in recent years is also a substantial increase in the under-the-hood temperature to which the battery is exposed in automobile service. Obviously, the under-the-hood temperature is particularly high in the warmer climates. One automobile manufacturer has perceived that, in the past three years or so, the temperature to which an SLI battery is exposed in such warmer climates has risen from about 125.degree. .F to about 165.degree. F. in new automobiles.
The specific temperature increase which is involved is not particularly important. What is important is that such under-the-hood temperatures have in fact increased. The impact of this increase in the under-the-hood vehicle service temperatures on the failure modes has been to substantially increase the occurrence of premature battery failures. The incidence of premature battery failures due to excessive positive grid corrosion has been significant.
One attempt to deal with the acute problem of relatively high under-the-hood temperatures by one battery manufacturer has been to provide a battery designed for such high temperature conditions. This recently introduced battery goes back to the use of thicker positive grids (about 70 mils or more) while using a smaller number of plates (back down to about 10 per cell). In addition, the head space in each cell is filled with hollow plastic microspheres. The use of such microspheres is perhaps to serve as a vapor barrier to electrolyte for minimizing evaporative loss of water in the electrolyte or perhaps for limiting heat transfer or the like.
What has not been appreciated in the art is the effect of all of these complicating factors and increased under-the-hood temperature on the requirements for the battery grid alloy. The overall battery requirements have drastically increased the need for a positive grid alloy that will impart, in the resulting battery, enhanced resistance to positive grid corrosion.
As is apparent from the foregoing, a considerable amount of prior work in this field has been directed to calcium-tin-lead alloys for use in battery grids. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,690 to Bagshaw et al. notes that, at calcium contents below 0.075%, the material is insufficiently hard within acceptable periods of time after grid casting and that the corrosion of the alloy is greater as the tin content increases above 1%. Bagshaw et al. found that greatly improved results were obtained with alloys having a selected composition of calcium, tin and aluminum. The calcium content range disclosed for such alloys is from 0.075 to 0.13% by weight.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,860,969 to Walsh is directed to the inclusion of cerium as a grain refiner for lead-calcium, lead-tin-calcium and lead-tin-silver-calcium alloys, which alloys can also contain a small amount of aluminum.
The calcium contents disclosed range from 0.03 to 0.1% with the silver levels exemplified being from 0.1 to 0.5% by weight.
Additionally, and more recently, silver calcium-tin-lead positive grid alloys have been employed in sealed, oxygen gas recombinant lead-acid batteries. Such alloys also contain aluminum in an amount of about 0.02 to 0.03% by weight. The calcium content ranges from about 0.09 to about 0.11% by weight while the silver content ranges from about 0.016-0.02% by weight, and the tin content ranges from about 0.5-0.75% by weight.
In spite of all the considerable work directed to maintenance-free batteries over the past several years, the complicating factors and other aspects previously discussed have created a substantial need for maintenance-free batteries that can meet the power and energy demands required and yet have an adequate service life, particularly when used in warmer climates under current under-the-hood vehicle temperature conditions. The entire environment and requirements for the battery present an extremely complicated situation which is not all that well understood.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a maintenance-free, lead-acid battery capable of satisfactory service life when exposed to relatively high temperature environments.
Another, and more specific, object lies in the provision of an alloy composition useful for making positive grids for such maintenance-free batteries.
A still further object of this invention is to provide an alloy that can be made into positive grids for such maintenance-free batteries using any one of the commercially satisfactory manufacturing methods.
Yet another object provides a positive grid alloy for such maintenance-free batteries that will impart enhanced resistance to positive grid corrosion relative to batteries using positive grids made from alloys presently being used.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide an alloy for a positive grid that may be readily formed into a positive grid without undue loss of an of the alloying ingredients.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent as the following description proceeds, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Calcium-tin-silver lead-based alloys, and battery grids and lead-acid batteries made using such alloys


Plant growth compositions include a mixture of inert compounds and an active component combination of auxin, gibberellin and cytokinin. The plant growth compositions are auxin-dominant, and the ratio of cytokinin to auxin in the active component combination ranges from about 1:10.5 to about 1:4.5. The amount of cytokinin ranges from about 0.1 to 10 wt % by weight of the active component combination in plant growth compositions formulated for in-furrow application to corn plants. Methods of improving plant growth involve in-furrow, seed and/or foliar application of one or more plant types with a plant growth composition. Improvements in plant growth include increases in the average number of bushels produced per acre.

Improving plant growth and development is a major focus of the agricultural industry. One approach to achieving robust growth involves applying growth stimulants to seeds and young plants. These substances may include plant growth regulators (PGRs), which can comprise combinations of plant hormones that promote cellular growth processes like mitosis, and other substances including, for example, biostimulants, biologicals, and plant extracts. Unfortunately for plant growers, weather and soil conditions around the time of planting can have severe, long-lasting effects on plant performance. Accordingly, improved PGR compositions are needed to improve plant growth regardless of the conditions at the time of planting and beyond.


Compositions of an inclusion complex of nicardipine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and a sulfoalkylated β-cyclodextrin. The compositions being formulated for parenteral bolus administration to a human subject. The compositions being useful in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders.

Dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers are useful in the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders. These agents act by inhibiting calcium uptake into vascular smooth muscle cells and mobilizing calcium from their intracellular stores. The vascular smooth muscle relaxes leading to vasodilation, decreased peripheral vascular resistance and decreased blood pressure. Examples of dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers include: amlodipine (NORVASC®), bepridil, diltiazem (CARDIZEM®), felodipine (PLENDIL®), isradipine (DYNACIRC®), mibefradil, nicardipine hydrochloride (CARDENE®), nifedipine (ADALAT® and PROCARDIA®), nimodipine (NIMOTOP®), nisoldipine (SULAR®), verapamil (CALAN®, ISOPTIN® and VERELAN®) and nilvadipine.
Nicardipine has a number of pharmaceutically acceptable salts, including the hydrochloride salt (e.g., IUPAC chemical name (±)-2-(benzyl-methyl amino)ethyl methyl 1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethyl-4-(m-nitrophenyl)-3,5-pyridinedicarboxylate monohydrochloride). The preparation and use of nicardipine hydrochloride are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,758. CARDENE® (nicardopine hydrochloride) is sold commercially in several forms. For example, nicardipine hydrochloride is available as an immediate release oral capsule, an extended release oral capsule, and as a concentrated preparation provided as an ampule (i.e., CARDENE® I.V.) that is greatly diluted into a pharmaceutically acceptable diluent before administration to a patient. CARDENE® I.V. is indicated for the short-term treatment of hypertension when oral therapy is not feasible or not desirable (see, the product insert for CARDENE® I.V.).
"Injectable" formulations of nicardipine have been described. For example, U.S. Reissue Pat. No. RE. 34,618, a reissue of U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,823, describes an injectable composition of nicardipine hydrochloride that is stored in a light resistant brown ampule and avoids the use of sodium chloride, particularly as a tonicity agent, in the formulation. U.S. Pat. No. 5,164,405 describes a buffered pharmaceutical composition containing nicardipine that is designed for parenteral administration. This composition is also stored in an ampule. A drawback of both these ampule formulations is that they must be greatly diluted into a pharmaceutically acceptable diluent before administration to a patient.
While nicardipine exists in oral and injectable forms, a bolus formulation of nicardipine has not been approved by the FDA. Nevertheless, nicardipine is administered off-label as a bolus injection. Administration requires dilution of the concentrated ampul formulation. See for example, Deanna Cheung, et al., Am Heart J., vol. 119, pp. 438-442 (1990); Albert Cheung et al., Anesth Analg, vol. 89, pp. 1116-1123 (1999); (author), Anesth Analg, vol. 85, pp. 1247-1251 (1997); Yunan Zhang et al., Anesth Analg, vol. 100, pp. 378-381 (2005); John L Atlee et al., Anesth Analg, vol. 90, pp. 280-285 (2000); H J Yang et al., J. Int Med Research, (cite); Jean-Louis Vincent et al., J. CardiothoracicVasc Anesth, vol. 11, pp. 160-164 (1997); Chia-Chen Chen, et al., Acta Anaesthesiol Sin, vol. 34, pp. 197-202 (1996); Y L Kwak, et al., J. Int Med Research, vol. 32, pp. 342-350 (2004); P Colson et al., Acta Anaesth Scand, vol. 42, pp. 1114-1119 (1998); Jean-Marc Bernard et al., Anesth Analg, vol. 75, pp. 179-85 (1992); Hiroshi Endoh et al., J. Clin Anesthesia vol. 11, pp. 545-549 (1999); A G M Aya et al., Intensive Care Med, vol. 25, pp. 1277-1281 (1999); S. Elatrous et al., Intensive Care Med, vol. 28, pp. 1282-1286 (2002); Joseph Flynn et al., J. Pediatr, vol. 139, pp. 38-43 (2001); and other references.
Pharmaceutical compositions that are supplied in ampules have several important drawbacks. For example, these ampule formulations must be diluted into a pharmaceutically acceptable diluent prior to use. Therefore, they are not immediately available for use, such as in an emergency setting. Ampule compositions that must be diluted before use introduce the possibility of dosing errors in making the dilution; and safety hazards associated with the use of glass ampules. In addition, according to guidelines for administration of admixed (premixed) products in hospital settings, admixed solutions should be used within 24 hours in order to minimize the risk of microbial contamination. See The United States Pharmacopeia, vol. 1, p. 349 (2007). In addition to the concerns generally associated with off-label use of ampule formulations, CARDENE® I.V. (nicardipine hydrochloride ampule) presents two additional challenges. First, the pH of the diluted solution varies widely because the concentrated ampule solution can be diluted into various diluents, as described in the product insert for CARDENE® I.V. Second, as shown in the product insert for CARDENE® I.V., the diluted solution is only stable for 24 hours at room temperature. Therefore, the diluted solution must be used relatively quickly or it will expire.
To minimize the possibility of hemolysis, precipitation, phelebitis and pain, drugs which are directly injected into the circulatory system need to have little to no precipitate formed during storage, and upon contact and subsequent dilution in blood following administration (see., e.g., Yalkowsky, et al., 1998, J. Pharmaceutical Sciences, 87(7): 787-796). Nicardipine is a weak organic base, having a pKa of 7.2, and dissolves poorly in water-based formulations, especially at physiological pH. To avoid precipitation of nicardipine when administered in a more concentrated form, its poor aqueous solubility must be overcome. Thus, there is a long-felt need for a low volume, stable aqueous pharmaceutical formulation of nicardipine which can provide a therapeutically effective dosage and which does not appreciably degrade upon storage or precipitate when parenterally administered in a more concentrated, lower volume formulation.
The compositions provided herein address these and other needs by providing a relatively low volume, pre-mixed, ready-to-use, injectable formulation of nicardipine that is stable enough for clinical use, and yet provides a suitable nicardipine concentration for immediate use, without dilution, by parenteral injection.

Compositions of nicardipine and sulfoalkylated β-cyclodextrin


Circuits and methods for testing voltage monitor circuits are provided. In an embodiment, an integrated circuit (IC) includes power management unit (PMU), a set-reset (S-R) latch circuit, a multiplexer, and an AND gate circuit. A voltage monitor circuit of the PMU generates an output signal based on a difference between a received reference voltage and a received sense voltage from a functional supply. A power on reset (PoR) generator of the PMU generates a PoR signal based on a power up condition of the PMU. The S-R latch circuit generates an enable signal based on the output signal of the comparator circuit and the PoR signal. The multiplexer passes-through the output signal of the comparator circuit during a functional condition of the PMU. The AND gate circuit generates an enable signal based on an output of the multiplexer and an output of the S-R latch circuit.

An integrated circuit (IC) may include a CORE domain and an emulation domain; each providing a different set of functionalities to the IC. The CORE domain encompasses the normal functional operation of the IC. The emulation domain is powered independently from the CORE domain and when the CORE domain is not powered may be used to provide a more limited range of functions. Each domain may include an associated power management unit. However, the emulation domain power management unit may be driven by a low voltage supply that is also sensed in the CORE domain power management unit.
A typical power management unit may include multiple voltage monitor circuits that may be used for a variety of built-in testing operations. Each voltage monitor circuit may be used to monitor a different threshold of the voltage supplied by a respective power supply of the power management unit. During production, and to achieve accurate voltage readings, each voltage monitor circuit is calibrated (i.e., trimmed to match a voltage threshold at a voltage value that is to be monitored by the voltage monitor circuit and tested to verify the accuracy of the trimmed value).
To test the entirety of the operational range of the voltage monitor circuits of the power management units, the entirety of the respective voltage domains are tested during trimming and verification.
Generally, in functional mode, the voltage monitors within a power management unit sense a functional supply; whereas in test mode, the voltage monitors within the power management unit sense a test supply.
Instances may arise in existing solutions, where the emulation domain power management unit may be exposed to the medium and high voltages that drive the CORE domain power management unit. Alternatively, a test operation of the voltage monitor circuits in the emulation domain may cause a reset of the test controller by the voltage monitor circuits in the CORE domain.
For example, GPIO pads used to interface with the test supply may exceed safe operating boundaries of the emulation domain power management unit. The emulation domain power management unit may become exposed to the high and medium voltages through an interface between the CORE domain GPIO pads and the emulation domain power management unit.
In another example, the test controller unit, which interfaces with the emulation domain, may be reset when the CORE domain low voltage supply is varied. The resetting of the test unit results in an exit from the test mode and an incomplete test operation by the voltage monitoring circuits of the emulation domain power management unit.
Low voltage to high voltage level shifters and high voltage to low voltage level shifters in the CORE domain continue to work in a power on reset (PoR) threshold of the high voltage supply and the low voltage supply. However, a low voltage to low voltage level shifter, used to translate signals between the low voltage supplies in the CORE domain and the emulation domain, do not work in the power on reset (PoR) threshold of the low voltage supplies.
Typically, a level shifter includes logic circuitry that determines whether the voltage supplies are in their respective ranges before operation. As a consequence of the low voltage to low voltage level shifter not working in the PoR threshold of low voltage supplies, the emulation domain may be in an unknown state during power up.
The trim bits provided to the voltage monitors, to place the voltage monitor circuits in the trimmed state, and the output of the voltage monitor circuits pass through level shifters that are disabled once the voltage monitor circuit has tripped. This forces the trim bits into a reset state.
Thus, during the trimming process of the voltage monitoring circuit in the emulation domain power management unit, as the level shifters are disabled and re-enabled multiple times at every trim code check, test time is increased. Furthermore, a direct observation of the voltage at the output of the voltage monitoring circuit is not possible.
A need therefore exists for systems and methods to reduce test time in devices having multiple voltage monitor circuits for power management units in an IC operating with a CORE domain and an emulation domain.

System and method for testing voltage monitors


Techniques for compensating for frequency offset of a frequency used in a translation of a signal from a first band to a second band may include using a frequency reference signal located in a different band from an information-bearing signal, where the different band may be a guard band. The frequency reference signal may be offset from a particular frequency, which may be a center frequency, of the information-bearing signal by a known amount. The frequency reference signal may be received by the transmitting station, a frequency offset may be derived, and the frequency offset may be used to pre-compensate further transmitted signals. At another station, the received frequency reference signal may be used to lock a local oscillator for demodulation and/or transmission of the information-bearing signal based on the known offset of the frequency reference signal from the frequency of the information-bearing signal.

One issue that may arise, particularly in wireless communication systems, is that of frequency coordination and acquisition. This may be of particular concern in a device that needs to be small, low-power and low-cost, such as in many of today's mobile wireless communication systems. A low-cost, low-bandwidth receiver may need to search over many kilohertz (kHz) of bandwidth to locate a transmission to be received because the receiver's local oscillator (LO) may be even only a few parts-per-million (ppm) off from the transmitter's LO frequency. Combined with temporal ambiguities and/or waveform designs that may push the transmission down toward and below the channel noise in order to meet power spectral density (PSD) limits, the receiver's initial acquisition task may become gargantuan.
For example, a device may be required to be able to acquire an incoming signal with a frequency offset of up to +8 kHz (e.g., 2 ppm oscillator offset at up to 4 GHz). Such a device must, therefore, search within a 16 kHz space for its incoming signal. For practical reasons, the device may need to do this in a short enough amount of time that it is not onerous to the user, who may, for example, be standing in place, aiming the device and waiting for it to acquire a signal.
The most efficient mechanism for achieving frequency alignment is to provide a consistent, precise frequency reference—a pilot tone. There are other mechanisms (e.g., chirps, phase-loop tracking of a phase-variant signal, use of a common reference, etc.), but ultimately they all require more resources, meaning ultimately, more time. Therefore, one would ideally like to have a tone-based frequency acquisition that may acquire frequency in a reasonably short amount of time.

Frequency compensation techniques and systems


Method for maintaining and improving reduced kidney function and improving quality of life in patients suffering from diseases that result in reduced renal function comprising administering RENDAYL™ in combination with standard of care treatment.

One of the main functions of the normal, healthy kidney, besides its regulatory, endocrine, and metabolic functions, is the disposal of waste products. Any impairment of excretory function can lead to the accumulation of a variety of nitrogenous waste products including, urea, creatinine and uric acid. High concentrations of waste products in the blood stream can exacerbate renal failure and promote kidney stones. Moreover, nitrogenous solutes in the circulating blood promote osmotic diffusion into the lumen because of the concentration gradient across the intestinal wall. This diffusion mechanism led to the concept of oral sorbents to augment gut-based clearance of nitrogenous waste products. Sorbents or microbes have demonstrated their ability to remove various compounds and nitrogenous wastes within the large bowel.
Urea-specific sorbents such as synthetic polymers and modified polysaccharides have been evaluated for the removal of urea and other nitrogenous wastes via the gut. Other sorbents such as oxidized starch, activated charcoal, and carob flour have also been investigated for the in vivo elimination of uremic toxins with some success. Prakash & Chang ((1996) Nature Medicine 2:883-88) demonstrated that microencapsulated, genetically-engineered E. coli DH5 are effective in removing urea and ammonia in an in vitro system. The same researchers obtained similar results in oral administration of E. coli DH5 cells in a uremic rat animal model. Bliss et al. ((1996) Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 63:392-398) have demonstrated that supplemental gum arabic fiber increases fecal nitrogen excretion and lowers urea nitrogen concentration in chronic renal failure patients consuming a low protein diet. Reinhart et al. ((1998) Rec. Adv. In Canine and Feline Nutr. Iams Nutrition Symposium Proceedings. Vol. II:395-404) found that canine renal patients fed a diet containing a fermentable fiber blend improved clinical end-stage renal disease status, suggesting that specific nutritional alteration allows repartitioning of nitrogen excretion away from the kidney and into the feces by colonic fermentation or additional bacterial growth.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,756,088 teaches a prescription diet for the prevention and treatment of dog and cat dermatosis comprising a composition containing a poly-unsaturated fatty acid such as γ-linolenic acid, γ-linolenic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, and/or biotin, and an antiflatulent such as a lactic acid bacterium, a Bifidobacterium, a Lactobacillus, a butyric acid bacterium or a Bacillus, and optionally an oligosaccharide.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,993,903 teaches a composition for inhibiting cholesterol absorption in the intestinal tract, wherein the composition includes Bifidobacterium, and optionally a Lactobacillus bacterium and carbohydrate.
US 2011/0171283 teaches a composition containing at least one nutrient, at least one disinfecting or decontaminating and/or at least one proteases inhibiting substance and/or complex of substances incorporated in an absorbent dressing for external care and/or treatment of wounds to a human or animal. In one embodiment, the protease inhibiting substance includes non-pathogenic acid producing micro-organisms (e.g., bifidobacteria, lactococci, or lactobacilli) and/or synbiotics (e.g., xylooligosaccharide).
US 2009/0252709 teaches a preventive or therapeutic agent for gastritis or ulcer, which includes as an active ingredient Bifidobacterium bifidum. This reference teaches that other microorganisms (e.g., Bifidobacterium or Lactobacillus bacteria), as well as sugars such as xylooligosaccharide.
WO 2007/140622 teaches a probiotic composition containing a mixture of a Propionibacterium, a Lactobacillus, a Bifidobacterium and a Streptococcus, wherein said composition can further include a prebiotic.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,706,263 and 6,706,287 disclose compositions and methods for alleviating symptoms of uremia comprising a mixture of sorbents and bacteria.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,998,470 teaches compositions and methods for improving renal function comprising a probiotic Streptococcus bacterium that is enterically coated.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,257,693 teaches compositions for improving renal function consisting of L. acidophilus, B. longum, and S. thermophilus.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,481,025 discloses compositions and methods for treating renal failure comprising L. acidophilus, B. longum, S. thermophilus and psyllium husks.

Methods for maintaining and improving kidney function in patients with kidney disease and on standard of care therapy


A non-volatile memory device is provided. In an aspect, the non-volatile memory device includes two or more common source lines that are included in one memory cell block in order to distribute the current that could have been concentrated on one common source line. As a result, the bouncing phenomenon generated by the nose of the source line can be reduced. That is, at the time of a verifying operation performed during a program operation, the current concentrated on a common source line can be distributed and, therefore, the occurrence of under-programmed cells can be prevented.

The present invention relates to a non-volatile memory device and, more particularly, to a non-volatile memory devices including a plurality of common source lines in order to reduce a source line bouncing phenomenon.
In recent years, there is an increasing demand for non-volatile memory devices which can be programmed and erased electrically and do not require a refresh function of rewriting data at certain intervals.
A non-volatile memory device generally includes a memory cell array in which cells for storing data are arranged in a matrix form, and a page buffer for writing memory into specific cells of the memory cell array or reading memory stored in a specific cell. The page buffer includes a bit line pair connected to a specific memory cell, a register for temporarily storing data to be programmed into the memory cell array or reading data of a specific cell from the memory cell array and temporarily storing the read data, a sense node for sensing a voltage level of a specific bit line or a specific register, and a bit line selection unit for controlling whether to connect the specific bit line and the sense node.
To correctly determine whether a specific cell has been programmed, it is important to maintain sufficient read margin, if possible. In particular, each cell of a non-volatile memory device employing a Multi-Level Cell (MLC) programming method has various threshold voltage distributions compared with cells employing a Single Level Cell (SLC) programming method. Thus, without a sufficient sensing margin placed on distribution basis, source line bouncing phenomenon is unavoidable.
However, even though a program target cell has not been fully programmed at a verify reference voltage or more due to the bouncing phenomenon of a source line, which occurs according to the characteristic of a memory cell array, under-programmed cells that are verified to be fully programmed are generated. The sensing margin is further reduced due to the existence of the under-programmed cells.
This phenomenon becomes more severe as the resistance of a common source line is increased while the process size is reduced.


Systems, methods, and instrumentalities are disclosed for error check-based synchronization. Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) data may be determined. A scrambling (e.g., a first scrambling) of the PBCH data may be scrambled via a sequence (e.g., a first sequence). The first sequence may be based on a cell ID and/or timing information. Error check bits may be attached to the scrambled PBCH data and to the timing information. The error check bits may include one or more cyclic redundancy check (CRC) bits. The scrambled PBCH data, the timing information (e.g., the unscrambled timing information), and/or the attached error check bits may be polar encoded. The polar encoding may result in polar encoded bits. A scrambling (e.g., a second scrambling) of the polar encoded bits may be scrambled via a sequence (e.g., a second sequence). The first sequence and the second sequence may be different. The polar encoded bits may be transmitted.

Mobile communications continue to evolve. A fifth generation may be referred to as 5G. A previous generation of mobile communication may be, for example, fourth generation (4G) long term evolution (LTE). Mobile wireless communications implement a variety of radio access technologies (RATs), such as New Radio (NR). Use cases for NR may include, for example, extreme Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Ultra High Reliability and Low Latency Communications (URLLC) and massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC).

Error check-based synchronization and broadcast channel


A method for determining movement mode in a drill string includes measuring lateral acceleration of the drill string, determining lateral position of the drill string from the acceleration measurements, and determining mode from the position with respect to time. Also disclosed is a method including measuring drill string acceleration along at least one direction, spectrally analyzing the acceleration, and determining existence of a particular mode from the spectral analysis. Also disclosed is a method for determining destructive torque on a BHA including measuring angular acceleration at at least one location along the BHA, and comparing the acceleration to a selected threshold. The threshold relates to a moment of inertia of components of the BHA and a maximum torque applicable to threaded connections between BHA components. A warning is generated when acceleration exceeds the threshold.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of drilling welibores through the earth. More particularly, the invention relates to apparatus and methods for determining the dynamic mode of motion of a drill string used to turn a drill bit.
2. Background Art
Drilling weilbores through the earth includes "rotary" drilling, in which a drilling rig or similar lifting device suspends a drill string which turns a drill bit located at one end of the drill string. Equipment on the rig and/or an hydraulically operated motor disposed in the drill string rotate the bit. The rig includes lifting equipment which suspends the drill string so as to place a selected axial force (weight on bit—"WOB") on the drill bit as the bit is rotated. The combined axial force and bit rotation causes the bit to gouge, scrape and/or crush the rocks, thereby drilling a weilbore through the rocks. Typically a drilling rig includes liquid pumps for forcing a fluid called "drilling mud" through the interior of the drill string. The drilling mud is ultimately discharged through nozzles or water courses in the bit. The mud lifts drill cuttings from the wellbore and carries them to the earth's surface for disposition. Other types of drilling rigs may use compressed air as the fluid for lifting cuttings.
The forces acting on a typical drill string during drilling are very large. The amount of torque necessary to rotate the drill bit may range to several thousand foot pounds. The axial force may range into several tens of thousands of pounds. The length of the drill string, moreover, may be twenty thousand feet or more. Because the typical drill string is composed of threaded pipe segments having diameter on the order of only a few inches, the combination of length of the drill string and the magnitude of the axial and torsional forces acting on the drill string can cause certain movement modes of the drill string within the wellbore which can be quite destructive. For example, a well known form of destructive drill string movement is known as "whirl", in which the bit and/or the drill string rotate precessionally about an axis displaced from the center of the wellbore, either in the same direction or in a direction opposite to the rotation of the drill string and drill bit. Another destructive mode is called "bit bounce" in which the entire drill string vibrates axially (up and down). "Lateral" vibrations and "torque shocks" can also be detrimental to drill string wear and drilling performance. Still other movement modes include "wind up" and torsional release of the bottom of the drill string when the bit or other drill string components momentarily stop rotation and then release. Any or all of these destructive modes of motion, if allowed to continue during drilling, both decrease drilling performance and increase the risk that some component of the drill string will fail.
The foregoing examples are not intended to be an exhaustive representation of the destructive movement modes a drill string may undergo, but are only provided as examples to explain the nature of the present invention. It is known in the art to measure axial and lateral acceleration or related parameters, as well as axial force and rotational torque related parameters, at the earth's surface to try to determine the existence of a destructive mode in the drill string. A limitation to using surface measurements to determine destructive drill string modes is that the drill string is an imperfect communication channel for axial, lateral and/or torsional accelerations which are imparted to the drill string at or near the bottom of the wellbore. In particular, the drill string itself can absorb considerable torsion and change in length over its extended length. Moreover, much of the drill string may be in contact with the wall of the wellbore during drilling, whereby friction between the wellbore wall and the drill string attenuates some of the accelerations applied to the drill string near the bottom of the wellbore.
It is also known in the art to measure acceleration, rotation speed, pressure, weight and/or torque applied to various components of the drill string at a position located near the drill bit. Devices which make such measurements typically form part of a so-called "measurement-while-drilling" (MWD) system, which may include additional sensing devices for measuring direction of the wellbore with respect to a geographic reference and sensors for measuring properties of the earth formations penetrated by the wellbore. A limitation to using MWD systems known in the art for determining destructive operating modes in a drill string is that the data communication rate of MWD systems is generally limited to a few bits per second. The low communication rate results from the type of telemetry used, namely, low frequency electromagnetic waves, or more commonly, drilling mud flow or pressure modulation. The low communication rate requires that very selected information measured by various sensors on the MWD system be communicated to the earth's surface by the telemetry (known in the art as "in real time"). Destructive modes, however, may include accelerations having frequencies of several Hertz or more. Typically, measurements of acceleration, rotation speed, pressure, weight and/or torque are sampled at a relatively high rate, but only average amplitude, average amplitude variation or peak values are transmitted to the earth's surface without regard to whether a peak, average or average variation value corresponds to any particular drill string failure mode. As a result, MWD systems known in the art do not necessarily make the best use of the mode-related measurements made by the MWD system sensors.
It is desirable to have a method and system for identifying drill string movement modes that can communicate the identified mode to the earth's surface for analysis so as to facilitate the appropriate remedial action for each specific movement mode and reduce the chance of drill string failure.

Method and apparatus for determining drill string movement mode


An absorbent article includes an absorbent composite which comprises substantially water-insoluble, water-swellable, non-regenerated, carboxyalkyl cellulose fibers. The fibers have a surface having the appearance of the surface of a cellulose fiber and comprise a plurality of first intra-fiber multi-valent metal ion crosslinks and a plurality of second intra-fiber crosslinks selected from ether crosslinks or ester crosslinks. In addition, the absorbent composite has been subjected to a treatment to create interfiber bonding between the fibers of the composite either throughout the composite or only on the surface of the composite.

Articles, such as absorbent articles, are useful for absorbing many types of fluids, including fluids secreted or eliminated by the human body. Such articles, such as infant diapers, child training pants and adult incontinence products for example, typically comprise an absorbent composite (often as a component referred to as the "core") which, among other things, performs the function of absorbing and/or retaining fluids which are insulted into an absorbent article. Absorbent composites typically comprise superabsorbent materials in particulate form, as well as cellulose fibers. In general, the superabsorbent material provides fluid absorption capacity while the cellulose fibers function as an aid to enhance fluid wicking and wet integrity, which can allow fuller utilization of the article by allowing fluid to be transported to regions that are away from the point of insult. Thus, while the absorbent composite's liquid retention or storage capacity is due in large part to the superabsorbent particles, the absorbent composite's fibrous matrix provides the essential functions of liquid wicking, intake, distribution, pad strength and integrity, as well as some amount of absorbency under load. These desirable properties are attributable to the fact that the matrix includes cellulosic fibers, typically wood pulp in fiber form, such as cellulose fibers ("fluff"). Cellulose fibers and superabsorbent materials are therefore frequently used in absorbent articles to help improve the absorbent properties of such articles.
There is a continuing effort to improve the performance of such absorbent composites, especially at high levels of fluid saturation, to thereby reduce the occurrence of leakage and to improve fit and comfort. This is particularly significant when such articles are subjected to repeated fluid insults during use. This has become an increasing challenge as recent efforts in absorbent article design have generally focused on using higher concentrations of superabsorbent materials and less fluff to make the absorbent structures thinner and more flexible. However, notwithstanding the increase in total absorbent capacity obtained by increasing the concentration of superabsorbent material, such absorbent articles may still nevertheless leak during use. Such leakage may in part be the result of the absorbent composite component of an absorbent article having an insufficient intake rate (i.e., the rate at which a fluid insult can be taken into and entrained within the absorbent composite for subsequent absorption by the superabsorbent material) due to low permeability and lack of available void volume. Such leakage may in part be the result of the absorbent composite component of an absorbent article having an insufficient utilization efficiency of the entire absorbent composite due to low fluid wicking and low wet integrity.
The inclusion of superabsorbent materials in a fibrous matrix and their incorporation into absorbent composites typically has the effect of reducing an absorbent article's overall bulk while at the same time increasing its liquid absorbent capacity and enhancing skin dryness for the products' wearers. Superabsorbent materials ("superabsorbents") are generally polymer based and may be available in many forms, such as powders, granules, microparticles and films, for example. Upon contact with fluids, such superabsorbents swell by absorbing the fluids into their structures. In general, superabsorbents are water-swellable, generally water-insoluble absorbent materials having a liquid absorbent capacity of at least about 10, preferably of about 20, and often up to about 100 times their weight in saline or more. In general, superabsorbent materials can quickly absorb fluids insulted into absorbent composites, and can retain such fluids to prevent leakage and help provide a dry feel even after fluid insult.
A variety of materials have been described for use as absorbent materials in absorbent articles. Included among these materials are natural-based materials such as agar, pectin, gums, carboxyalkyl starch and carboxyalkyl cellulosic, such as carboxymethyl cellulose. Natural-based materials tend to form gels rather than maintaining a solid form and are therefore typically not favored in these products. Synthetic materials such as sodium salts of polyacrylates, polyacrylamides, and hydrolyzed polyacrylonitriles have also been used as absorbent materials in absorbent articles. Although natural-based absorbing materials are well known, these materials have not gained wide usage in absorbent articles because of their relatively inferior absorbent properties compared to synthetic absorbent materials, such as sodium polyacrylates. The relatively high cost of these materials has also precluded their use in consumer absorbent products. Furthermore, many natural-based materials tend to form soft, gelatinous masses when swollen with a liquid. The presence of such gelatinous masses in a product's core tends to limit liquid intake, transport and distribution within the core and prevents subsequent liquid insults from being efficiently and effectively absorbed by the product.
In contrast to the natural-based absorbents, synthetic absorbent materials are generally capable of absorbing large quantities of liquid while maintaining a relatively non-gelatinous form. Synthetic absorbent materials, often referred to as superabsorbent polymers ("SAP"), have been incorporated into absorbent composites to provide higher absorbency under pressure and higher absorbency per gram of absorbent material. Superabsorbent polymers are generally supplied as particles having a diameter in the range from about 20-800 microns. Due to their high absorbent capacity under load, absorbent composites that include superabsorbent polymer particles provide the benefit of skin dryness. Because superabsorbent polymer particles can absorb many times their weight in liquid under load, these particles provide the further significant advantages of thinness and wearer comfort. In addition, superabsorbent polymer particles are about half the cost per gram of liquid absorbed under load compared to fluff pulp fibers. For these reasons it is not surprising that there is a growing trend toward higher superabsorbent particle levels and reduced levels of fluff pulp in consumer absorbent products. In fact, some infant diapers for example include 60 to 70 percent by weight ("wt %") superabsorbent polymer in their liquid storage core. From a cost perspective, an absorbent composite made from 100 wt % superabsorbent particles may be desirable. However, as noted above, such a composite would typically fail to function satisfactorily due to the absence of any significant liquid wicking and distribution of acquired liquid throughout the absorbent composite.
Furthermore, such a composite would tend to lack strength to retain its wet and/or dry structure, shape, and integrity. For example, as superabsorbent content in these products is increased, the absorbent composite suffers in terms of fluid wicking capability as well as wet integrity. When superabsorbent particle content in an absorbent composite is higher than 50 wt %, and particularly as the superabsorbent particle content draws closer to 100 wt %, the absorbent composite exhibits a limited capability of wicking fluid (a function typically performed by fluff) which reduces significantly its utilization efficiency. At the same time, such absorbent composites tend to have almost no wet integrity, particularly after the product is fully loaded with fluid. In order to improve wet integrity of the absorbent composite having high content of superabsorbent particles, binder fiber or adhesive material is often used which can help improve integrity, but at the cost of further reducing fluid wicking capability since the binder fiber and adhesive material are generally hydrophobic in nature. In addition, such materials could add cost to the product.
Another drawback concerning synthetic superabsorbent polymers is their lack of ability to biodegrade. The synthetic polymers' non-biodegradability is disadvantageous with regard to the disposal of used absorbent products containing these polymers.
Cellulosic fibers provide absorbent products with critical functionality that has, to date, not been duplicated by particulate superabsorbent polymers. For absorbent articles comprising absorbent composites, U.S. southern pine fluff pulp is used most often and is often the preferred fiber for such composites. The preference is based on the fluff pulp's advantageous high fiber length (about 2.8 mm) and its relative ease of processing from a wetlaid pulp sheet to an airlaid web. However, these fluff pulp fibers typically only absorb about 2-3 g/g of liquid (e.g., water, saline or bodily fluids) within the fibers' cell walls. Most of the fibers' liquid holding capacity resides in the interstices between fibers. For this reason, a fibrous matrix readily releases acquired liquid on application of pressure. The tendency to release acquired liquid can result in significant skin wetness during use of an absorbent article that includes an absorbent composite formed exclusively from cellulosic fibers. Such articles also tend to leak acquired liquid because liquid is not effectively retained in such a fibrous absorbent composite. This, in turn, reduces product performance as well as confidence by the user.
In some instances, superabsorbent materials have been introduced in synthetic fiber form seeking to provide a material having the functionality of both fiber and superabsorbent polymer particles. However, these superabsorbent fibers are not biodegradable and are difficult to process compared to fluff pulp fibers. In addition, they tend not to blend well with fluff pulp fibers. Furthermore, synthetic superabsorbent fibers are significantly more expensive than superabsorbent polymer particles and, as a result, have not competed effectively for high volume use in absorbent articles.
Attempts have been made to render cellulosic fibers highly absorptive regeneration and by chemical modification to include ionic groups such as carboxylic acid, sulfonic acid, and quaternary ammonium groups that impart water swellability to the fiber. Although some of these modified cellulosic materials are soluble in water, some are water-insoluble. Regardless, none of these highly absorptive modified cellulosic materials possess the structure of a pulp fiber. Rather, these modified cellulosic materials are typically granular or have a regenerated fibril form.
Accordingly, a need exists for a highly absorbent material suitable for use in absorbent articles, where the absorbent material has absorptive properties similar to synthetic, highly absorptive materials and at the same time offers the advantages of liquid wicking and distribution associated with fluff pulp fibers. There is also a need to have an absorbent composite having a superabsorbent content greater than 50 wt %, such as greater than 60 wt %, or greater than 80 wt %, or greater than 90 wt %, or even up to 100 wt %. An absorbent composite having a high superabsorbent content can mean a thinner, lower mass and low cost product. Therefore, there is a further need to develop an absorbent composite which has improved fluid wicking capability while achieving an improved wet integrity for an absorbent composite comprising as much as 100% superabsorbent material.
In addition, there is a need for an absorbent composite comprising a fibrous superabsorbent that combines the advantageous liquid storage capacity provided by superabsorbent polymers and the advantageous liquid wicking and wet integrity provided by fluff pulp fibers. Ideally, the fibrous superabsorbent would be economically viable for use in absorbent articles and would be biodegradable thereby making the disposal of used absorbent products environmentally friendly.

Absorbent composites having improved fluid wicking and web integrity


A method for assisting a physician track a surgical device in a body organ of a subject during a procedure includes fluoroscopic based registration, and tracking. An initial registration step includes receiving a 3D image data of a subject in a first body position, receiving a real time fluoroscopy image data, and estimating a deformation model or field to match points in the real time fluoro image with a corresponding point in the 3D model. A tracking step includes computing the 3D location of the surgical device based on a reference mark present on the surgical device, and displaying the surgical device and the 3D model of the body organ in a fused arrangement.

Minimally invasive surgery is surgery performed with only a small incision or no incision at all and is typically performed with an endoscope, bronchoscope, laparoscope, or like instrument.
In a bronchoscopic procedure, for example, a bronchoscope is inserted through the nose or mouth of the patient, advanced through the trachea and into a desired airway. The surgery may then be performed through the working lumen of the bronchoscope. A light source and camera at the tip of the bronchoscope enables the physician to observe the airway wall in real time. A skilled physician can identify his location along the airway and navigate to the desired location along the airway wall.
It is often desirable, however, to supplement endoscopic visualization with radiological guidance (e.g., by taking real time X-ray images of the region with a fluoroscope). In certain procedures radiologic guidance is necessary.
In a transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) procedure, for example, a long flexible catheter comprising a needle at the tip is advanced through the working lumen of the bronchoscope to the target site. The needle is then advanced through the airway wall outside of view of the bronchoscope to aspirate a sample of tissue. It is highly desirable or necessary to have fluoroscopy or an alternative means to view and track the needle once it is outside of view of the bronchoscope.
Tracking devices using a fluoroscope, however, is not straightforward. To track a device, multiple 2D X-ray images from multiple different fluoroscopic camera views are taken. Based on the information provided by these two images, the physician determines the position of the device. Determining the position based on two 2D X-rays relies on the skill and experience of the physician. Even for the most skilled physicians there is a considerable degree of uncertainty. This is undesirable.
One approach to address the above mentioned problem is described in US Patent Publication No. 2003/0181809 to Hall et al. (hereinafter referred to as "the Hall Publication"). The Hall Publication describes a method of visualizing a surgical instrument that has been introduced into an area of examination within a patient, in particular a catheter that is used during a cardiological examination or treatment, comprising the following steps: using a 3D image data set of the area of examination and generating a 3D reconstructed image of the area of examination, taking at least one 2D X-ray image of the area of examination in which the instrument is visualized, registering the 3D reconstructed image relative to the 2D X-ray image, and visualizing the 3D reconstructed image and superimposing the 2D X-ray image over the 3D reconstructed image on a monitor.
Although the Hall Publication addresses visualization of the heart and central vasculature tree using a rigid registration technique, and compensates for the rhythmatic motion of the heart, the Hall Publication does not appear to address body organ applications in which the shape and position of the body organ is affected by the position or posture of the patient. In such unfixed or non-rigid body organ applications, it is difficult to visualize the non-rigid body organs because the position (or posture) of the patient's body during the pre-operative image scans may be substantially different than his position during the surgical procedure. Although this is of no consequence for certain organs that are generally rigid in one body position or another such as the heart, spine and brain, a change in patient position for non-rigid body organs presents a challenge because previously acquired 3D image data and the 3D model arising there from will not match the real-time image organ data. In addition to the difference in posture/position of the patient, the "static" pre-operative scans may also differ from the real-time "moving" images due to the motion induced by breathing. Stated another way, the shape of the organ from the pre-operative scans shall not match the shape of the organ during the procedure. This thwarts live tracking and guidance.
A method and system to assist surgeons to track surgical devices in a body organ, that has application to non-rigid organs such as the lung, and that does not suffer the above identified drawbacks is therefore desired.

Fluoroscopy-based surgical device tracking method


The functions performed by a mobile switching center (MSC) may be divided between two entities. A mobile control function performs mobility management functions such as roaming control, implementing hand-off, and coordinating bearer traffic flow. A call agent performs call control functions such as call setup, call tear down, and advanced call features such as call hold, call waiting, etc. The call agent is preferably unaware of mobile specific interfaces and can support multiple access network types including cable, DSL, PSTN, etc. This provides feature transparency for users as they use devices in each of the access domains.

The present invention is related to mobile wireless communication systems and more particularly to core networks for such mobile wireless systems.
Wireless communication systems typically include both a radio access network that provides connectivity to mobile stations and a backbone or core network that interconnects radio access points and provides connectivity to wireline networks such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN). In so-called second-generation systems, the radio access network portion is based on a digital mobile wireless communication standard such as GSM, IS-95, TDMA, etc. These standards are primarily oriented towards voice communication. The geographic area to be covered is divided into a number of cells, each cell being equipped with one or more base stations.
A mobile switching center (MSC) connects the public switched telephone network to a radio access network (RAN) linked to the base stations. One of the tasks of the MSC is to manage the wireless connection. This includes handling hand-offs, both between RANs or cells controlled by an MSC and to and from RANS or cells controlled by other MSCs, handling roaming, and providing a connection to and from the PSTN. The MSC is also responsible for handling call management including the signaling and call control functions to set up and tear down mobile originated calls, set up and tear down mobile terminated calls, and handled advanced calling features such as call waiting, call forwarding, etc.
Mobile wireless communications systems are now in the process of transitioning to a third generation. In a third generation wireless system, the radio access network is typically based on UMTS (the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System defined by ETSI) or the CDMA2000 standard (defined by TIA/EIA) and has been optimized to handle both voice and data. The core network is often based on IP and can provide connectivity to both the PSTN and the Internet. Simultaneously, voice telephony is undergoing its own transition from a circuit switched architecture where connection control systems, call control systems, and other services interact via proprietary interfaces in TDM switches to an open packet telephony model where services, call control, and connection control are handled by different entities that interact via interfaces specified by open standards.
There is a need for an architecture that performs the functions of the MSC of prior wireless communication systems while taking advantage of the flexibility provided by IP based core networks and packet based telephony.

Mobility manager in a wireless IP core network


A club head for a golf club a front surface and a rear surface and defines a front surface recess having a bounding interior wall of arcuate configuration. A member is resident at least in part in the club head recess and defines a front surface for hitting engagement with a golf ball and a rear surface secured to the interior wall of the club head and having the same arcuate configuration as the interior wall of the club head. The member front surface defines pyramid-like projections thereon and has the same arcuate configuration as the member rear surface.

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,290, applicants introduced a putter having top spin facility afforded by an insert for a golf club head having an arcuate golf ball engaging surface.
Particularly, in the '290 patent, applicants disclosed in combination:
(a) a club head for a golf club, the club head having a front surface and a rear surface; and
(b) a member secured to the front surface of the club head and comprised of a material different from material constituting the club head, the member defining a front surface for hitting engagement with a golf ball, the member front surface having an arcuate configuration frontally of the club head front surface, the front surface of the club head adjacent the ends of the member having the same arcuate configuration as the member front surface.
By way of further introduction to the present invention, applicants noted golf club heads having inserts in the prior art as follows, as set forth in the '290 patent.
Another consideration of long-standing in the design of golf clubs is so-called "top spin" facility. Lawton U.S. Pat. No. 1,525,137 advised in 1925 of the value of imparting curvature to a putter ball engaging surface to impart "overspin" to the ball.
The following patents show various top spin surface arrangements: Barr U.S. Pat. No. 3,989,257; Thompson U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,074; Nebbia U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,015; Tucker U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,639; Garcia U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,923 and Sneed U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,019.
Limitation is seen in that all such top spin surfaces are constituted by the same material as the club head.
By way of further indication of prior art practices in the design of golf clubs, note is made of Clark et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,667 and Tucker U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,639. Clark et al. advise of weighting practices, such as forming cavities in club heads and loading the cavities with shot held in place by a matrix. Tucker discloses application of a resilient member, such as a polyurethane rubber, to the front face of a putter to provide "feel" and protection.


A method for determining cell states to adjust antenna configuration parameters includes receiving, at a radio access nodes in a network, measurement reports from a plurality of user equipment devices. The radio access node performs a weak coverage analysis in response to the measurement reports to determine whether a cell provided by the radio access node is assigned a good coverage state or a weak coverage state. The radio access node performs an overshooting analysis in response to the measurement reports to determine whether the cell provided by the radio access node is assigned an overshooter state or a non-overshooter state. The radio access node performs an interference analysis in response to the measurement reports to determine whether the cell provided by the radio access node is assigned an interferer state or a non-interferer state. The radio access node performs a quality analysis in response to the measurement reports to determine whether the cell provided by the radio access node is assigned a good quality state or a bad quality state. Adjustments are made to antenna configuration parameters of the cell provided by the radio access node in response to the various states assigned to the cell.

A self-organizing network (SON) is an automation technology designed to make the planning, configuration, management, optimization, and healing of mobile radio access networks simpler and faster. SON functionality and behavior has been defined and specified in generally accepted mobile industry recommendations produced by organizations such as 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN). SON is considered critical to operators' strategy for meeting the exploding demand for data in the coming decade—the era of the Internet of Things. SON is considered necessary to automate operations and optimize performance in a scalable manner for small cell driven heterogeneous networks (HetNets). As SON evolves it will be run on Big Data platforms in the cloud powered by "intelligent" predictive analytics algorithms.
Coverage Capacity Optimization (CCO) is a SON use case that initially configures and adjusts key RF parameters (antenna tilt and azimuth configuration and power) post-deployment to maximize some measure of user quality of experience (QoE) (in particular, coverage, quality and capacity) and adapt to changing traffic patterns and changes in environment. CCO is expected to work on a long time-scale in the order of hours/days to capture and react to long term or seasonal changes in traffic and environment and also allow for sufficient data collection for accurate observation and estimation of CCO performance.
A current CCO solution is known as Automatic Cell Planner (ACP). ACP uses measure report (MR) and drive test (DT) data with user equipment (UE) geo-location data obtained through Assisted Global Positioning System (AGPS) and accurate antenna configuration parameters for accurate propagation modeling. However, ACP being a modeling approach requires costly drive testing and human verification. For ACP, knowledge of UE locations is essential and obtaining accurate antenna configuration parameters is subject to human error. Moreover, ACP is not scalable to small cells and HetNets as too much manual effort is required for setup and verification.

Method and apparatus for determining cell states to adjust antenna configuration parameters


A mobile communication system according to the present invention that can provide a mobile communication system capable of reducing power consumption by a radio base station apparatus includes a radio base station apparatus (1) that communicates with a mobile terminal (4), a location information management apparatus (3) that acquires location information of the mobile terminal (4), and a processing apparatus (2) that changes an operation state so that the radio base station apparatus (1) does not emit radio waves based on changes in the location information of the mobile terminal (4) acquired by the location information management apparatus (3). When the mobile terminal (4) moves from a position within a service area of the radio base station apparatus (1) to a position outside the service area, for example, the processing apparatus (2) changes the operation state so that the radio base station apparatus (1) does not emit radio waves.

A mobile communication system includes a radio communication network (RAN: Radio Access Network) and a core network (CN: Core Network). Typically, the RAN includes a radio base station apparatus that directly communicates with a mobile terminal, and a control device that controls the radio base station apparatus. Further, the CN serves as a switching equipment of speech communication, and packet communication.
The radio base station apparatus in the mobile communication system is operated after execution of various tests and setting of various parameters. Due to this, the radio base station apparatus is able to provide a service area, which is an environment where communication is possible, for a mobile terminal.
Meanwhile, a technique of reducing power consumption by a radio base station apparatus has recently been attracting attention. This is due to the strong demand for reduction in cost of communication in radio base station apparatuses that are provided by general consumers or corporations at home or offices in addition to general radio base station apparatuses.
Patent literature 1 discloses a technique related to reduction in power consumption by a radio base station apparatus. FIG. 7 is a diagram for describing a radio base station apparatus according to Patent literature 1. In FIG. 7, a radio base station apparatus 100 includes a control unit 120 that transmits/receives a signal 170 to/from a network 160, and signal processing units 130_1˜130_5 respectively transmitting and receiving transmission/reception signals 171_1˜171_5 to and from the control unit 120. The radio base station apparatus 100 further includes a transmitter/receiver 140 that transmits and receives transmission/reception signals 172_1˜172_5 transmitted or received to or from these signal processing units to and from the mobile terminal through an antenna 150. The control unit 120 controls the signal processing units 130_1˜130_5 by transmitting/receiving control signals 181_1˜181_5, respectively, and controls the transmitter/receiver 140 by a control signal 182. Further, the control unit 120 is connected to a terminal number estimating unit 110, and acquires an estimated value of the number of terminals using a signal 180.
In the radio base station apparatus shown in FIG. 7, the terminal number estimating unit 110 estimates the number of mobile terminals present in a service area on the basis of the number of location registrations of the mobile terminals, the number of access request messages from the mobile terminals, or the number of incoming call notification messages to the mobile terminals. Further, the control unit 120 turns off power supplies of unnecessary signal processing units 130_1˜130_5 on the basis of the estimated number of the mobile terminals.
Further, Patent literature 2 discloses a technique related to a mobile radio antenna control system using a GPS (Global Positioning System). FIG. 8 shows a mobile radio antenna control system disclosed in Patent literature 2. In FIG. 8, a base station 209 includes a base station apparatus 205, an antenna direction and transmission output controller 206, a base station receiving antenna 208, and a base station transmitting antenna 207. Further, a mobile station 204 includes a mobile station apparatus 201, a location detection apparatus 202, and a mobile station antenna 203.
The mobile radio antenna control system related to Patent literature 2 calculates at which location the mobile station 204 is present based on the location information received by the base station apparatus 205. Then the base station apparatus 205 transmits radio waves having directivity in an optimum transmission direction with an optimum transmission output in consideration of the location of the mobile station 204.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Mobile communication system, method of controlling the same, and radio base station apparatus


A method and system implementing a process for content synchronization that detects and prevents synchronization recursion in CDS transfer operations. A synchronization relationship is formed between the CDS containers in multiple devices. Then content synchronization processes are performed based on that relationship to avoid synchronization recursion.

The Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) architecture provides a Content Directory Service (CDS) for content management in a network that includes multiple devices containing various content. A CDS allows a user to access the content in a device using content browsing features of the CDS, without direct interaction with that device.
A CDS for a device comprises a hierarchical structure including a container that maintains objects containing one or more items, and may include other containers therein in a hierarchical fashion. Each object includes a description having an identifier and optional metadata. The object may further include content or a locator for the content. The user can browse the CDS for objects.
A CDS also supports uploading and downloading of CDS objects. To transfer objects from one CDS to another CDS, the user searches/browses objects for transfer, and uses a CDS to transfer (e.g., import and/or export) those objects.
Such a transfer operation may be acceptable when a transfer occurs one time. However, a series of such operations on a regular basis is tedious, time consuming and prone to mistakes. For example, if a user desires to have the same music content in a mobile device and in a music folder of a media server, the user must browse objects via the CDS and determine which objects to transfer, and then perform the transfer. Further, in order to synchronize the CDS containers in various devices which the user desires to contain the changed content, the user must repeat these operations whenever the music content (object) has changed. The user must further take care to not introduce recursion, which occurs when devices involved in content synchronization copy objects from each other indefinitely. There is, therefore, a need for a method and system for content synchronization in a network, which address the above shortcomings.

Method and system for content synchronization and detecting synchronization recursion in networks


The windrower or other harvester has a hydraulic lift circuit for its header that includes a pair of double-acting cylinders which operate in concert to raise the header and provide a solid, lower limit for downward swinging of the header. The two cylinders are connected to one another in a master-slave relationship, and the slave cylinder has its return line normally blocked by a one-way check valve so that a body of fluid is trapped against the piston of the slave cylinder during field operations. This stabilizes the two cylinders to reduce header bounce.

It is a common feature on harvesters such as windrowers to have a hydraulic lift system that enables the operator to raise the header into a transport position for turning around at the end of a row. On self-propelled machines, it is also common practice to provide a hydraulic flotation system that carries much of the weight of the header as the machine moves across a field so that the header only lightly skims the ground and can easily be pushed upwardly by rises in the ground to the extent necessary to clear such changes in contour.
In the past, self-propelled windrowers have typically been provided with a pair of single-acting cylinders for lifting opposite ends of the header. The two lift cylinders are plumbed in parallel and each has a single hydraulic line supplying one end of the cylinder with pressurized fluid, the other end being vented to the atmosphere. As the machine moves through the field of standing crop, the weight of the header is partially borne by the lift cylinders, which provide a solid "floor" or "base" that prevents the header from swinging down below a certain height. The degree to which the cylinder remains extended thus determines the cut-off height for the header, which can float up from the cut-off height due to the assistance of the flotation cylinders when uneven terrain is encountered.
Problems can arise with this arrangement in rough fields, however. Because the lift cylinders are single-acting, there is nothing pushing down on the pistons of the cylinders as the machine moves across the field. Consequently, the pistons have a tendency to bounce when rough spots are encountered by the tractor, causing the header to bounce as well. This can produce an uneven, ragged cut.

Slave cylinder stabilizer for harvester header


An amplifier having a rail-to-rail common mode input range that can be used in low voltage power supply applications includes differential input and output stages, the output stage having first and second current paths. First and second output duplicating circuits are respectively connected in parallel with the first and second current paths in the differential output stage to duplicate the differential output. A circuit for detecting a common-mode voltage difference is provided between nodes of the first and second output duplicating circuits for developing a current related to the common-mode voltage difference. A current mirror circuit is connected to receive the current related to the common-mode voltage difference for controlling the current in the first and second current paths in the differential output stage. The circuit for detecting a common-mode voltage difference between nodes of the first and second output duplicating circuits can be established by a transistor that senses only common-mode current. The transistor has a control element connected to the nodes in the output duplicating circuits and a current path to a supply voltage.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to improvements in amplifier circuits, and, more particularly, to improvements in differential amplifiers that result in high power supply rejection ratios.
2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION
It is often desired to be able to use an amplifier having a differential output in applications in which a high power supply rejection ratio (PSRR) is needed, particularly in operational amplifiers and the like. However, unless extremely precise layout precautions and matching of component parts is employed, achieving a high power supply rejection ratio is difficult. This is particularly true in circuits that use low voltage power supplies, an increasing trend in portable device technology.
In the past, various solutions have been advanced toward solving this problem. One way that has been used is to provide multiple cascode stages. However, particularly in the low supply voltage applications mentioned, cascoding of stages is impractical.
The problem is further exacerbated by limitations on the operating range of the circuitry. Increasingly popular circuits are so-called "rail-to-rail" circuits that provide dc operating ranges to voltages as close as possible to the voltages of the power supplies.
In such circuits, fully differential operation necessitates sensing of the common mode input voltage through current mirrors used in combination with various current sources. Aside from the problems of balancing the current values provided from the various current sources, mirror circuits then receive cascoding of their inputs and outputs, and are difficult to use in circuit embodiments in which differential outputs are to be provided under low-supply constraints.

Differential output amplifier input stage with rail-to-rail common mode input range


In one general aspect, a medical device can include a first elongate member made of a material and having a proximal end portion configured to be attached to a first portion of a bodily portion within a body of a patient where the first elongate member has a distal end portion. The medical device can include a second elongate member made of the material and having a proximal end portion configured to be attached to a second portion of the bodily portion where the first elongate member has a distal end portion. The medical device can also include a third elongate member having a proximal end portion in contact with and coupled to the distal end portion of the first elongate member and in contact with and coupled to the distal end portion of the second elongate member.

Genital prolapse or pelvic organ prolapse is the protrusion of the pelvic organs into or out of the vaginal canal. Pelvic floor prolapse affects many women in the U.S. and almost all of them undergo at least one reconstructive pelvic surgery in their lifetime. Many of the cases may be the result of damage to the vaginal and pelvic support tissue by stretching or tearing of the connective tissue within the pelvic space due to childbirth, age, obesity, post-menopausal conditions or chronically elevated intra-abdominal pressure. The results are the distention of organs such as the bladder and rectum, into the vagina, as well as various stages of vaginal avulsion.
Surgical therapy/technique is usually performed for the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse. These techniques for prolapse treatment include plication of the torn connective tissues and re-suspension of the vagina/uterus. Some traditional suspension techniques include utero-sacral suspension and sacrospinus ligament suspension. Some procedures for vaginal suspension include sacrocolpopexy, where the vagina/uterus is suspended to the sacral promontory with an implanted graft material. Some of the grafts have demonstrated improved long-term success of the repair.
Y-shaped meshes may be used as a graft to treat vaginal vault prolapse. The Y-shaped mesh aids vaginal cuff suspension to the sacrum and may provides long-term support. The procedure can be minimally invasive (such as via a Laparoscopic Sacral Colpopexy) or traditional (such as via an open sacral colpopexy). These Y-shaped meshes may be made of various types of polymeric or biological materials. Various doctors/operators may prefer a particular type of implant to repair the pelvic damage depending on the surgical requirements and a patient's history. Some doctors/operators may choose a biologic graft over a synthetic polypropylene graft as the biologic graft minimizes erosion as opposed to synthetic meshes. Others may prefer synthetic grafts as they may provide long-term reinforcement for support structures. The existing implants are available either as a biologic graft or polypropylene graft. These implants do not include both a polypropylene and a biological material for specific usage to specific anatomical locations.
Thus, there is a need for an improved polypropylene medical device/implant having biological material at specific locations to suit the anatomical structure.

Implantable medical device and methods of delivering the implantable medical device


The sharp end of this tool, fitted with an ordinary oil filter socket is centered against the bottom of an installed vehicular oil filter. Using an ordinary socket wrench attached to the other end of this tool, as a handle, the sharp end is pushed through the thin sheetmetal housing and interior partition of the oil filter. Once this tool has punctured the two sheetmetal surfaces, friction between: the tool and the two sheetmetal surfaces; and the ordinary oil filter socket and the exterior of the oil filter, holds the tool suspended from the oil filter. Once punctured, the oil filter drains through the hollow interior of this tool to the low end, where the flow is checked by a simple valve. To drain the oil filter and the tool, the valve is simply opened and the contents flow into a suitable container. After the flow has stopped: the valve is closed (to avoid drips); an ordinary socket wrench reattached to the tool; and the oil filter is removed in the customary fashion, less oil streaming down your arm.

The Oil Filter Prick (referred to herein as "oil filter prick" and "tool") is a simple hand tool for use in the draining and removal of vehicular oil filters during oil changes. It is designed to be used in conjunction with an ordinary socket wrench and oil filter socket.
Removal of an oil filter from any vehicle is messy, but in recent years, automobile manufacturers have exacerbated the problem by locating oil filters in poorly accessible locations. The result has been an unnecessarily messy job for the person removing the filter and enviromentally undesirable oil spillage onto chassis and suspension components (and consequently, roadways); and the work area.

Oil filter puncturing, draining, and socket extension device


A mold for extrusion molding a medical application tube and the extrusion molding method thereof in which the medical application tube having a complex profile can be molded by using a soft thermoplastic resin.

In conventional practice, a medical application tube has been used to drain the drainage accumulated in the wound site of a patient. There is a medical application tube comprised by a silicone mold including a basal end side portion having a cylindrical shape and a tip end side portion to be indwelled at the wound site of the patient which is formed into a plurality of flow pathways which are sectioned by a central axis therebetween. Further, to this tip end side portion of the medical application tube, slits are formed by notched the outer peripheral side portions of wall portions forming flow pathways along the axial direction, respectively. By providing these slits, the size of the opening of the medical application tube can be increased to effectively suction the drainage (for example Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Examined Publication No. H02-17185).
The cross sectional shape of the tip end side portion of this medical application tube (wound site drain catheter) has four flow paths formed by coupling each tip end portion of a cross piece to the ring shaped inner surface and each of four flow paths are communicated with the outside by forming slits by notching the portions each corresponding to between pieces of the ring. Alternatively, three flow paths are formed by coupling each tip end portion of three pieces extended from the center of the ring in three directions to the ring shaped inner surface and each of three flow paths are communicated with the outside by forming slits formed by notching the portions each corresponding to between pieces of the ring.
Further, when the conventional medical application tube as described above is produced, for example, the tube in which the cross sectional shape of the tip end side portion of this medical application tube (wound site drain catheter) has four flow paths formed by coupling each tip end portion of a cross piece to the ring shaped inner surface is formed by extrusion molding and slits are formed by notching formed by processing the portions each corresponding to between pieces of the ring to form the tube for medical tube or it is carried out to directly extrusion molding the medical application tube having slits.
However, in the method for producing the conventional medical application tube, when the slits are formed by processing, there is a problem in that the production cost is increased. While when the medical application tube is once formed into the final shape thereof by extrusion molding and the molding material thereof is soft resin, since, in general, the sliding between this material and the metallic sleeve of the extrusion mold is not good, it is difficult to form the tube by, for example, vacuum sizing. Moreover, even though the material is soft, when it is silicone resin (non thermoplastic resin), the viscosity thereof is high whereby the shape near the shape of mold space of the extrusion mold can easily be molded, while when the molding material comprised by a soft thermoplastic resin such as soft polyurethane or soft polyvinyl chloride is used, the molding by the conventional extrusion molding, same as in the case of silicone resin, can not be carried out.
The invention has been made in the light of these problems and the object of the invention is to provide a mold for an extrusion molding with which a molding a medical application tube having a complex configuration by using a soft thermoplastic resin and an extrusion molding method can be accomplished.

Mold for extrusion molding a medical application tube and extrusion molding method

Abstract: The mold for extrusion molding the medical application tube made of the soft thermoplastic resin provided with flow paths sandwiching the axial portion therein comprises the mold body and the pin including the land portion. The cylindrical rear side mold space for passing the molding material between the inner peripheral surface of the recesses of the mold body and the outer peripheral surface of the pin, and the tip end side mold space including the cross section for forming the medical application tube between the inner peripheral surface of the recess and the land portion of the mold body.


A process for ring-alkylating aniline or an aniline derivative in which aniline or an aniline derivative is reacted with an alkylating agent in the presence of an ionic liquid which includes a Lewis acid and a quaternary cation, to produce a ring-alkylated alkylaniline or a ring-alkylated aniline derivative. The use of an ionic liquid permits convenient separation of the alkylated reaction product from the reactants.

The present invention relates to the ring alkylation of aniline or an alkylated aniline derivative.
Aniline is an important building block for rubber chemicals (such as diphenylamine, 4-aminodiphenylamine, mercaptobenzothiazole disulfide), dyes, polyanilines and petroleum additives, and crop chemicals. In applications where good hydrocarbon solubility of the compound is important, it is necessary to introduce hydrocarbon chains onto aniline or alkylated anilines to improve solubility.
The prior art has sought to improve the ring alkylation of aromatic amines such as aniline. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,740,620 and 4,876,377 disclose selective ring alkylation of aromatic amines to an ortho-alkylated product, using an acidic crystalline molecular sieve and partially dealuminated zeolites, respectively. U.S. Pat. No. 5,081,302 discloses the selective ring alkylation of aniline in the presence of zeolite catalysts to para-alkylaniline.
An ionic liquid consists of inorganic and/or organic cations and anions, and typically has a very low vapor pressure, a wide liquid temperature range, and is non-flammable. Ionic liquids can act as a catalyst and/or solvent, and have been studied for utility as solvents, electrolytes, in separations and in fluid applications such as lubricants. See Holbrey, "Industrial Applications of Ionic Liquids," Chemistry Today 35 (June 2004); Parkinson, "Ionic Liquids Make an Environmental Splash," 100 Chemical Engineering Progress 7 (September 2004); and Drake et al., "Structural Effects on the Physical Properties of Ionic Liquids," Air Force Research Laboratory Report No. AFRL-PR-ED-VG-2003-12 (May 2003).
The use of ionic liquids in Friedel-Crafts alkylation has been discussed in Wilkes, "Friedel-Crafts Reactions in Chloroaluminate Molten Salts," Molten Salt Chemistry: An Introduction and Selected Applications 405 (Mamantov and Marassi Eds. 1987) and Earle et al., "Organic Synthesis," Ionic Liquids in Synthesis 174 (Wasserschied & Welton Eds. 2003). However, neither study is directed to ring alkylation of aniline or an aniline derivative.
An object of the invention is to provide an improved synthesis for ring alkylation of aniline or an aniline derivative.
A feature of the invention is the use of an ionic liquid as a solvent and catalyst for the ring alkylation of aniline or an aniline derivative.
An advantage of the invention is that use of an ionic liquid typically permits convenient separation of alkylated aniline(s) and alkylated aniline derivative(s) from the reaction mixture.

Ring alkylation of aniline or an aniline derivative using ionic liquid catalysts