A therapeutic gas delivery device includes a monitor having an inlet and an outlet, a source of therapeutic gas in fluid communication with the monitor inlet, and a gas delivery tube in fluid communication with the monitor outlet. The monitor includes a control valve having a normally open port, a normally closed port, and a common port. The common port is connected to the monitor outlet over a gas line and the normally open port and normally closed port are connected to the monitor inlet and atmosphere. The valve is switchable between a first position wherein the therapeutic gas passes through the monitor and a second position wherein atmospheric air or gas passes through the monitor. A flow sensor is placed in the gas line to measure the flow of gas through the second line and produces a signal indicative of the flow of gas through the gas line. A sensor by-pass tube extends around the flow sensor to allow a predetermined portion of the gas to by-pass the flow sensor. A computer is operatively connected to the flow sensor. The computer may be programmed to control the switching of the control valve in response to signals received from the flow sensor.

This invention relates to an inhalation therapy device, and, in particular to a monitoring device for monitoring and controlling the flow of therapeutic gas.
Generally, a patient with pulmonary disease, breathing disorder or oxygen deficiency is required to breath oxygen provided from a source of oxygen to increase the level, or amount, of oxygen they breath in. The patient is given a prescription that indicates the concentration of oxygen, the flow or volume requirement of oxygen and the use of the oxygen, for example, the hours per day of oxygen delivery. In some cases, the prescription will include the precise hours of the day the patient is to receive the oxygen therapy. For example, the patient's prescription may call for two liters of oxygen per minute for two hours during the day and eight hours at night. Or, in some cases, the prescription may call for four liters of oxygen per minute for twenty-four hours a day. Usually the prescription is based upon oxygen requirements established in a controlled setting, such as during hospitalization. The prescription is continued at home after discharge from the hospital. Delivery of oxygen therapy at home should correspond to the prescription developed in the hospital. Failure to comply with the prescription could be harmful to the patient or less beneficial than planned. Oxygen concentrators have been developed and commercialized to provide the delivery of near pure oxygen to the individual patient to satisfy medical needs. These concentrators can be small and portable. However, once the patient leaves the controlled setting of the hospital, it is difficult to monitor the patient's use of the oxygen to ensure that the is complying with the prescription.


Improved materials and methods for the treatment of Hemophilia A are provided.

Several publications and patent documents are referenced in this application in order to more fully describe the state of the art to which this invention pertains. Full citations for these references are found at the end of the specification. The disclosure of each of these publications is incorporated by reference herein.
Hemophilia is a genetic disease characterized by a blood clotting deficiency. In hemophilia A (classic hemophilia, Factor VIII deficiency), an X-chromosome-linked genetic defect disrupts the gene encoding Factor VIII, a plasma glycoprotein, which is a key component in the blood clotting cascade. The cDNA sequence encoding human Factor VIII is available at GenBank with Accession No. K01740 (SEQ ID NO: 1). Within SEQ ID NO: 1, nucleic acids 208–7206 encode the full-length wild-type FVIII polypeptide (2332 amino acids, SEQ ID NO: 2) and nucleic acids 151–207 encode a preceding 19-residue signal sequence peptide (SEQ ID NO: 3). Human Factor VIII may be synthesized as a single chain polypeptide, with a predicted molecular weight of 265 kDa. The Factor VIII protein (SEQ ID NO: 2) has six domains, designated from the amino to the carboxy terminus as A1-A2-B-A3-C1-C2 (Wood et al., Nature 312:330 [1984]; Vehar et al., Nature 312:337 [1984]; and Toole et al., Nature 312:342 [1984]). Human Factor VIII is processed within the cell to yield a heterodimer primarily comprised of a heavy chain of 200 kDa containing the A1, A2, and B domains and an 80 kDa light chain containing the A3, C1, and C2 domains (Kaufman et al., J. Biol. Chem., 263:6352–6362 [1988]). Both the single chain polypeptide and the heterodimer circulate in the plasma as inactive precursors (Ganz et al., Eur. J. Biochem., 170:521–528 [1988]). Activation of Factor VIII in plasma is initiated by thrombin cleavage between the A2 and B domains, which releases the B domain and results in a heavy chain consisting of the A1 and A2 domains. The 980 amino acid B domain is deleted in the activated procoagulant form of the protein. Additionally, in the native protein, two polypeptide chains ("a" and "b"), flanking the B domain, are bound to a divalent calcium cation. Hemophilia may result from point mutations, deletions, or mutations resulting in a stop codon (See, Antonarakis et al., Mol. Biol. Med., 4:81 [1987]).
The disease is relatively rare, afflicting approximately one in 10,000 males. Hemophilia in females is extremely rare, although it may occur in female children of an affected father and carrier mother, as well as in females with X-chromosomal abnormalities (e.g., Turner syndrome, X mosaicism, etc.). The severity of each patient's disease is broadly characterized into three groups—"mild," "moderate," and "severe," depending on the severity of the patient's symptoms and circulating Factor VIII levels. While normal levels of Factor VIII range between 50 and 200 ng/mL plasma, mildly affected patients have 6–60% of this value, and moderately affected patients have 1–5% of this value. Severely affected hemophiliacs have less than 1% of normal Factor VIII levels.
While hemophiliacs clearly require clotting factor after surgery or severe trauma, on a daily basis, spontaneous internal bleeding is a greater concern. Hemophiliacs experience spontaneous hemorrhages from early infancy, as well as frequent spontaneous hemarthroses and other hemorrhages requiring clotting factor replacement.
Without effective treatment, chronic hemophilic arthropathy occurs by young adulthood. Severely affected patients are prone to serious hemorrhages that may dissect through tissue planes, ultimately resulting in death due to compromised vital organs.
Clearly a need exists for improved compositions and methods for the treatment of this genetic disorder.

Compositions and methods for the treatment of hemophilia A


An absorbent article has: a leak preventer sheet form; an absorber arranged above the leak preventer and absorbs bodily fluid in at least one layer; and a pair of right and left floating leg gathers arranged, above the absorber, from front end to rear end part in length direction of the absorbent article via a front body, a crotch part and rear body. Floating leg gathers have head and hanging parts connecting to the head parts, respectively. A front end and a rear end parts of each of the hanging parts respectively coupled near a front end part and rear end part of the body of the absorbent article, each hanging part hangs down from the head part toward the absorber; hanging parts of floating leg gathers fixed to the absorber at a lower end part of the hanging part in the crotch part without fixing to the absorber.

An object of absorbent articles, exemplified by infant's paper diapers, adult's paper diapers and sanitary napkins, is to prevent leakage of mainly bodily fluids such as urine and feces or the like, from the sides (side leakage) of the absorbent articles, and the absorbent articles are provided with leg gathers as indispensable structural components thereof.
Leg gathers are generally classified into two types. One type is an outer leg gather (also referred to as a "gusset gather." Hereinafter, an outer leg gather will be referred to as an "OLG") which is present on both the right and left side edges of the absorbent article body. The other is an inner leg gather (hereinafter, referred to as an "ILG") which is provided inside the absorbent article and which sterically rises from both right and left sides of an absorber which is configured from a super absorbent polymer, pulp or the like.
Of these leg gathers, the ILG fulfills two functions in that, when the bodily fluid is excreted from a wearer, such bodily fluid that flows over the absorber surface is blocked by the side faces and at the same time the bodily fluid is prevented from transferring along the skin and leaking to the outside by allowing an end part (head part) of the ILG to make contact with the wearer's skin.
In order to fulfil such functions, ILGs conventionally have the following configurations:
(i) A leg part that blocks the bodily fluid on the side face and a head part that is connected from the leg part and that prevents the transfer and leakage by allowing the head part to make contact with the wearer's skin, are provided;
(ii) The head part is made of a stretchable material which allows it to have adhesion with the wearer's skin;
(iii) The leg part is configured by making use of a hydrophobic non-woven fabric which has leakage prevention properties for the material for preventing the permeation of bodily fluids.
(iv) The leg part is bonded to the absorber surface or the surface of a top sheet that covers the absorber surface and is configured to rise therefrom by using the bonded parts as a base end part; and
(v) The base end part of the leg part is bonded to near the right and left side edge parts of the absorber (or to the top sheet parts corresponding to the positions of the right and left side edge parts).
Such conventional absorbent articles, at the time of use, absorb the bodily fluid excreted onto an absorber, which is present between the right and left ILGs, in a manner of pressing and adhering such absorber against/to the wearer's skin.
However, in the absorbent articles having such conventional ILGs, the absorber and the ILGs, which are coupled thereto and are stiff, are pressed into a narrow crotch part and thus, irregular deformations such as kinks and folds or the like easily occur in the absorber, the absorption of bodily fluids is concentrated to part of the absorber and leakage easily occurs. In addition, an exchange to a new absorbent article is performed due to the generation of a feeling of discomfort arising from the above situation, and also, when used for an infant's diaper, due to the change of color of the so-called "pee indicator" prior to absorbing a predetermined amount of urine. Such pee indicator indicates the timing for changing diapers by, for example, changing the color when a predetermined amount of urine is excreted. Thus, currently, the absorbent articles having such conventional ILGs are not used according to the absorption capacity of the absorber. In fact, according to the statistics, in the case of current diapers for infants, the average value of the absorbed amount of bodily fluids in the absorbent article at the time of changing to an unused absorbent article is 50% or less of the absorption capability of the absorber.
Moreover, as described above, since, at the time of use of the absorbent article, the absorbent, which is present between the right and left ILGs, is pressed against and adhered to the wearer's skin, the urine and feces excreted onto the absorber will make contact with the wearer's skin for a prolonged period of time and skin troubles, such as diaper rash or the like, will be caused.
In order to solve such problems of conventional ILGs, it has been proposed to prevent kinks and folds or the like in the absorber by providing OLGs as well as by bringing the bonding positions of the ILGs to the absorber closer to the middle in the lateral direction (See Patent Document 1).


A system includes a plurality of containers and a plurality of controllers. Each of the controllers are associated with a respective one of the plurality of containers. An unmanned aerial vehicle is configured for wireless communication with the plurality of controllers.

Intermodal shipping containers are in widespread use for transporting a variety of items. An advantage of such containers is that they can be used by different carriers without unloading the contents of the container. For example, the same container can be loaded, placed onto a truck, carried to a shipping port, removed from the truck and placed onto a ship that carries the still-loaded container to another location. Other transporting scenarios are possible with such containers.
Containers may be stacked up and placed over grounds, yards, inside vessels, or in other areas. Each container may include a controller that controls various parameters associated with the container, including those associated with a refrigeration unit on the container in some examples. In some examples, from loading to unloading, the container should maintain the required parameters, such as temperature or percentage of gases (CO2, O2, etc.) in some examples. Trained service personnel may access the controller periodically to assess the health and status of the container.

Container monitoring and control by unmanned aerial vehicle


A stent-graft deployment system (10) includes a stent-graft (15), a flexible catheter tip (12) attached to a catheter shaft (25), a retractable primary sheath (20) containing the stent-graft in a first constrained small diameter configuration around the catheter shaft near the flexible tip. The stent-graft deployment system further includes a flexible secondary sheath (14) disposed within the retractable primary sheath and also containing the stent-graft, wherein when the primary sheath is removed from around the stent-graft, the flexible secondary sheath contains the stent-graft in a second constrained small diameter configuration around the catheter shaft near the flexible tip. The removal of the secondary sheath releases the stent-graft from a radial constraint so that stent-graft deployment may proceed.

Prostheses for implantation in blood vessels or other similar organs of the living body are, in general, well known in the medical art. For example, prosthetic vascular grafts formed of biocompatible materials (e.g., Dacron or expanded, porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tubing) have been employed to replace or bypass damaged or occluded natural blood vessels. A graft material supported by framework is known as a stent-graft or endoluminal graft. In general, the use of stent-grafts for treatment or isolation of vascular aneurysms and vessel walls which have been thinned or thickened by disease (endoluminal repair or exclusion) are well known. Many stent-grafts, are "self-expanding", i.e., inserted into the vascular system in a compressed or contracted state, and permitted to expand upon removal of a restraint. Self-expanding stent-grafts typically employ a wire or tube configured (e.g. bent or cut) to provide an outward radial force and employ a suitable elastic material such as stainless steel or Nitinol (nickel-titanium). Nitinol may additionally employ shape memory properties. The self-expanding stent-graft is typically configured in a tubular shape of a slightly greater diameter than the diameter of the blood vessel in which the stent-graft is intended to be used. In general, rather than inserting in a traumatic and invasive manner, stent-grafts are preferably deployed through a less invasive intraluminal delivery, i.e., cutting through the skin to access a lumen or vasculature or percutaneously via successive dilatation, at a convenient (and less traumatic) entry point, and routing the stent-graft through the lumen to the site where the prosthesis is to be deployed.
Intraluminal deployment is typically effected using a delivery catheter with coaxial inner (plunger) and outer (sheath) tubes arranged for relative axial movement. The stent graft is compressed and disposed within the distal end of an outer catheter tube in front of an inner tube. The catheter is then maneuvered, typically routed though a lumen (e.g., vessel), until the end of the catheter (and the stent-graft) is positioned in the vicinity of the intended treatment site. The inner tube is then held stationary while the outer tube of the delivery catheter is withdrawn. The inner tube prevents the stent-graft from being withdrawn with the outer tube. As the outer tube is withdrawn, the stent-graft radially expands so that at least a portion of it is in substantially conforming surface contact with a portion of the interior of the lumen e.g., blood vessel wall.
Most stent-graft deployment systems use only a semi-rigid sheath in the deployment systems. The semi-rigid sheath provides columnar strength to advance the system through access vessels in the body. Unfortunately, the semi-rigid sheath may tend to kink in areas having tight radiuses such as the thoracic arch. Such kinking can increase the deployment force required to place a stent-graft in a target area or even prevent deployment completely. Even if kinking can be avoided, use of a semi-rigid sheath may still increase the pushing force needed to overcome frictional resistance required to deploy the stent-graft to the target area.
One attempt to overcome this problem by W. L. Gore utilized a flexible jacket that deploys the stent-graft with a ripcord that opens the jacket along the longitudinal axis of the flexible jacket, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,792. Another single step sheath release initiation is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,824,041 to Lenker. Unfortunately, these methods introduced a separate non-integrated sheath into the system into the femoral artery and further failed to provide the desired control during deployment. Thus, a need exists for a method and deployment system that avoids kinking (reductions in area or change in shape which creates resistance to deployment) and reduces forces during deployment of stent-grafts in areas having tight radiuses, yet provides appropriate control and in addition provides flexibility during advancement in areas having tight radiuses.


Methods, systems, and media for detecting anomalous network activity are provided. In some embodiments, a method for detecting anomalous network activity is provided, the method comprising: receiving information indicating network activity, wherein the information includes IP addresses corresponding to devices participating in the network activity; generating a graph representing the network activity, wherein each node of the graph indicates an IP address of a device; generating a representation of the graph, wherein the representation of the graph reduces a dimensionality of information indicated in the graph; identifying a plurality of clusters of network activity based on the representation of the graph; determining that at least one cluster corresponds to anomalous network activity; and in response to determining that the at least one cluster corresponds to anomalous network activity, causing a network connection of at least one device included in the at least one cluster to be blocked.

With an increase of network-connected devices and an increasing reliance on cloud computing services, there is a corresponding increase of network security issues. For example, network-connected devices can be involved in different types of malicious activity, such as a Denial of Service (DOS) attack, a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, propagation of a virus or worm, etc. However, it can be difficult to quickly detect new malicious activity. For example, a volume of network activity can be large enough that it can be difficult to quickly analyze the network activity to identify anomalous behaviors or patterns of devices participating in the network activity.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide new methods, systems, and media for detecting anomalous network activity.


Described is a level shifting device for high-frequency operation. The level shifting device includes first through fifth transistors. The first transistor has its gate connected to an input signal, its source connected to the voltage node at an lower voltage value, and its drain connected to an output signal. The second transistor has its gate connected to an inverted version of the input signal, its source connected to the voltage node at the lower voltage value, and its drain connected to an inverted version of the output signal. The third transistor has its gate connected to the drain of the second transistor and its drain connected to the drain of the first transistor. The fourth transistor has its gate connected to the drain of the first transistor, its drain connected to the drain of the second transistor, and its source connected to the voltage supply at an first upper voltage value. The fifth transistor has its gate connected to the input signal, its source connected to the voltage supply at the first upper voltage value, and its drain connected to the source of the third transistor. The input signal swings between a second upper voltage value and the lower voltage value and the output signal swings between the first upper voltage value and the lower voltage value.

When connecting logic circuits having different power source voltages, it is necessary to shift the logic level of an output signal from one logic circuit to the level of the logic circuit that receives the output signal. Typically, this operation is performed by a level shifting circuit.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional level shifting circuit 10. The conventional level shifter 10 includes an inverter IV1, which operates from a power source voltage VDDL of an input side of the circuit. The circuit 10 also includes four transistors M1, M2, M3 and M4, which operate from a power source voltage VDDH of an output side of the circuit . . . The transistors M3 and M4 are p-channel MOS (PMOS) transistors, and the transistors M1 and M2 are n-channel MOS (NMOS) transistors. Transistors M1 and M2 are driven by an input signal VIN, the high level of which is VDDL, and the operation voltage of M1 and M2 is VDDH. When the level of the input signal is converted, a large delay is introduced into the converted signal, which has a detrimental effect on the output side circuit. For this reason, the conventional level shifter cannot be used as an interface between high-speed logic circuits that operate at different power source voltages.
FIG. 2 is a timing diagram illustrating waveforms for the input voltage VIN and the output voltage VOUT of the conventional level shifting circuit 10 of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 also illustrates a voltage waveform of node T2 of the circuit 10. As illustrated in the schematic diagram of FIG. 1, when the input voltage transitions from a low voltage L to a high voltage H, the output of inverter IV 1 applied to the gate of M1 transitions from H to L. The gate input of M2 also transitions from L to H. The output of transistor M1 at node T1 transitions from L to a second high voltage H′. The output of M2 at node T2 transitions from H′ to L, and the output of inverter IV2 applied as the output voltage VOUT transitions from L to H′.
With regard to the input transistor pair M1 and M2, the maximum voltage of the pair is VDDL, which is comparatively lower than VDDH. As a result, the initial saturation current is limited. Hence, latching speed is limited. The discharge path is through M2. Therefore, the operation of the circuit is delayed. FIG. 2 illustrates the time delay between the input voltage VIN and the output voltage VOUT. As a result of this delay, high-speed operation of the device is limited. The following equation defines the current of M2.
      I    M2    =                              μ          N                                  C          OX                    2                          (                  W          L                )            M2                          (                  VDDL          -                      V            THN                          )            2      where μN is carrier mobility, COX is gate capacitance, VTHN is threshold voltage, W is channel width and L is channel length.
With regard to the PMOS cross-coupled pair M3 and M4, since node T2 is charged by M3 and M4, the delay time is longer than that of a CMOS cross-coupled pair. Also, the load capacitances of nodes T1 and T2 are different. As a result, rising and falling times of the signals are different. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the duty cycle of the waveforms are distorted.
One prior art level shifting circuit is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,043,699, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference. FIG. 3 contains a schematic diagram of the level shifting circuit of the '699 patent. Referring to FIG. 3, when a signal set to a voltage H(Va), analogous to VDDL, is input at terminal Tin, transistors NT51 and NT54 are in an on state. As a result of the on state of NT54, the potential at the gate of PT51 rises slightly. Also, since NT51 is in the on state, the potential at the gate of PT52 falls, and the potential at its drain rises. At this time, the potential at the gate of PT51 rises further, which lowers the potential at the output terminal Tout. Due to the function of NT54, which operates at the same time as NT51, high-speed operation is realized.


Realizing a stabilized gain slope without increasing circuit scale or entailing extra time or care for correcting impedance. A resonant circuit that is made up of a capacitor and an inductor is provided in an output stage outside a feedback loop for realizing peaking at a particular frequency and for realizing a gain slope having a desired slope of, for example, 1 dB or more.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor circuit, and particularly to a semiconductor circuit used in CATV (CAble TeleVision) hybrid IC (HIC).
2. Description of the Related Art
In HIC (hybrid IC) broadband amplifiers for CATV, a plurality of stages of amplifiers are connected in series via coaxial cable, and a desired gain slope must be established across the entire employed frequency band to correct for characteristic lost in the coaxial cable. Gain slope is such that gain increases with higher frequencies within the bandwidth.
Realization of desired gain slope in the frequency bands employed has become more difficult in recent years as the frequency bandwidths that are used have extended to higher frequencies.
FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are circuit diagrams showing the configuration of circuits for realizing a desired gain slope used in the prior art as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model laid-open application No. 85810/83.
In the circuits shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a parallel resonant circuit is formed by inductor L101, which is provided in a bias feedback circuit, and capacitor C102, which is provided between the base and emitter of transistor Tr 101. In addition, damping resistor R106 connected in a series with capacitor C102 between the base and emitter of transistor Tr101 is provided to control Q in the resonant circuit.
In a circuit configured according to the foregoing description, the resonance frequency is altered by changing the element constants of inductor L101 and capacitor C102, thereby regulating the peaking frequency.
FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are circuit diagrams showing the configuration of circuits for realizing a desired gain slope used in the prior art as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 264404/89.
In the circuit shown in FIG. 3, a serial resonant circuit is formed by capacitor C112 and inductor L111 in an interstage circuit provided between two amplifier circuits, and in the circuit shown in FIG. 4, FET(Field Effect Transistor) Tr113 is provided such that inductor L111 is connected in parallel between the source and drain, and a parallel resonant circuit is formed by inductor L111 and the capacitance between the source and drain of FET Tr113.
In the circuits configured according to the foregoing description, alteration of resonance frequency is realized by changing the gate bias to vary the capacitance between the source and drain of FET Tr113, thereby regulating peaking frequency.
However, the above-described circuits of the prior art have the following drawbacks:
(1) In the circuits shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, resonance frequency is altered by changing the element constants of inductor L101 and capacitor C102 to regulate the peaking frequency, but the impedance on the input side and output side change according to the amount of peaking because inductor L101 and capacitor C102 are provided in the feedback circuit.
The resulting circuit therefore has the three factors of input and output impedance and gain slope, and design and adjustment consequently require considerable time and trouble.
(2) In the circuits shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the resonance frequency is changed and the peaking frequency adjusted by changing the gate bias to change capacitance between the source and drain of the FET, and these circuits therefore require a variable bias to allow change of the gate bias. These circuits also require the additional provision of a FET. As a result both the scale and cost of the circuit increases.
In the circuit shown in FIG. 3, moreover, capacitor C111 and inductor L111 between active elements must also be changed to alter the resonance frequency, and mismatching between elements having gain tends to cause problems in characteristics such as oscillation and instability.
The object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor circuit that can realize a stable gain slope without increasing the circuit scale or necessitating extra time for correcting impedance.
In this invention, a resonant circuit is provided outside a feedback loop for effecting peaking at a particular frequency and for realizing a gain slope having a desired inclination, for example, an inclination of 1 dB or more. As a result, the oscillation operation need not be considered when designing the circuit.
In addition, in a case in which a resonant circuit is provided at the output stage of a feedback loop, change in impedance occurs only on the output side and change in impedance does not occur on the input side. A circuit can therefore be designed and adjusted while considering only two factors and without taking the input side into consideration, thereby facilitating adjustment.
Finally, the invention does not entail enlargement of circuit scale because additional active elements are not necessary.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description based on the accompanying drawings which illustrate examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention.

Semiconductor circuit with a stabilized gain slope


Unvulcanized rubber mixture that can be cross linked with sulfur, including: (A) 100 weight parts of total mass of unvulcanized rubber including: about 40 to 100 weight parts of styrene-butadiene-copolymer (S-SBR) that is produced in solution; and (B) relative to the 100 weight parts of total mass of unvulcanized rubber: about 50 to 80 pphr silicic acid, about 3 to 7 pphr silanization agent, about 0.1 to 0.5 pphr tetrabenzylthiuramdisulfide (TBzTD), and about 1 to 3 pphr benzothiazyl-2-cyclohexylsulfenamide (CBS). A vulcanization process, including vulcanizing the unvulcanized rubber mixture. A tire including a tread that is produced from the unvulcanized rubber mixture.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an unvulcanized rubber mixture, in particular for tire treads, that can be cross linked with sulfur.
2. Discussion of Background
Since the road handling of a tire depends to a great extent on the unvulcanized rubber composition of the tread, particularly high demands are put on the composition of the tread mixture. It could, for example, be determined that by varying the fillers, the characteristics of the tire such as wear, road drag, and wet traction could be influenced. But the effectiveness of these fillers depends upon which other components (further additives such as catalysts, softeners, anti-aging agents) are mixed into the unvulcanized rubber mixture for treads. For example, tread mixtures are known that contain an active filler that consists for the most part of silicic acid. These tread mixtures containing silicic acid give the tire low road drag and good wet traction. The unvulcanized rubber components of these silicic-acid-containing mixtures are vulcanized by sulfur and a suitable cross-linking system. An example of a suitable cross-linking system is vulcanization catalyst benzothiazyl-2-cyclohexylsulfenamide (CBS) and diphenylguanidine (DPG). But it has been observed that unvulcanized rubber mixtures of this kind give the vulcanized tread a low tensile strength and a low ultimate elongation so that these tires exhibit only limited wear resistance.

Unvulcanized rubber mixture for tire treads


An electrical connector assembly is provided. The assembly includes a terminal, a housing, and a seal. The seal is configured to create a moisture barrier between the housing and a mating connector. The seal defines a retainer portion that cooperates with the housing to retain the terminal to the housing.

Electrical connector assemblies are known to include redundant (e.g. primary and secondary) terminal locking features to ensure that the terminals of the connector assembly stay retained within the housing of the connector assembly. The primary locking feature typically consists of a flexible member on either the terminal or the housing that locks into a cavity when the terminal is inserted into the housing. The secondary locking feature typically consists of a plastic clip that engages with the housing and terminal to retain the terminal within the housing. The plastic clip is sometimes referred to as a terminal position assurance (TPA) or an independent secondary lock (ISL). The plastic clip may be a discrete component or be a molded feature that is formed and hinged to the housing. A drawback of these known secondary locking designs is the cost associated with a discrete clip that is handled as a separate part, or a hinged clip that requires complex tooling.

Electrical connector assembly with terminal retaining seal


A lock (10) having inductive key detection includes a lock mechanism (14). A detector member (20) is movably disposed proximate the lock mechanism (14) such that the detector member (20) moves when a key engages the lock mechanism (14). The detector member (20) has a magnetic portion (24). An antenna (30) is disposed proximate the detector member (20) such that movement of the detector member (20) induces a signal in the antenna (30). A detector (42) is coupled to the antenna (30) and is operable to detect the signal in the antenna (30).

Key lock systems are used to provide secure access to houses, buildings, cars and other such property. Generally, a key lock system includes a key lock and a key. The key lock generally includes a lock housing and a lock mechanism having a keyhole. The key is constructed such that it engages the keyhole and locks and unlocks the lock mechanism. Only a properly constructed key will function in a given key lock. One type of conventional key lock is a key lock having a rotating lock cylinder. In this type of key lock, a number of lock pistons are moved by a key inserted into a keyhole in the rotating lock cylinder. The correct key will position the lock pistons such that the rotating lock cylinder will rotate with the key. In this manner, the lock is locked and unlocked.
It is advantageous for some applications to provide security in addition to a mechanical match between the key and the key lock. One way to provide additional security is to construct the key lock such that the key lock can interrogate and identify whether a key is the correct key. Some of these key lock systems include a transponder in the key and an interrogation antenna and electronics in the key lock. If the key is not correct, the system may remain electrically locked even though mechanically unlocked. If the key is the correct key, the key lock can be both mechanically and electrically locked and/or unlocked.
It is a problem with key interrogation systems to activate interrogation efficiently. The interrogation electronics need to be triggered only when a key is proximate to or preferably inserted into the keyhole. One conventional method allows the interrogation electronics to run constantly, but this shortens the lifetime of any key lock system in which a battery is used. An alternate method is to use a contact switch in the keyhole. However, this generates a problem in that extra wires associated with the contact switch are required to extend from the lock mechanism. The contact switch and extra wires are subject to wear and tear and require extra modifications to conventional key lock systems.

Key lock having inductive key detection and method of construction


An automatic supplier recommendation engine for suggesting a product supplier from outside of an existing merchant network is disclosed. A set of optimization solutions may include pricing, performance, shipping, duties, trust score and other inventory or manufacturing factors. The set of optimization solutions are run on a processor to determine optimal fulfillment for products in an e-commerce platform. A set of heuristics may include geographic location, quality, sizing of purchases, similarity of supplier offerings, supplier positioning and other attributes may be created for merchants and suppliers. The set of optimization solutions are run, and the set of heuristics for each merchant and for each supplier are compared, to determine whether a match exists. A prospective merchant-supplier relationship may be communicated and established via an e-commerce platform.

Selecting a supplier within a merchant context is a multi-step process with requirements that evolve with time and changes in the numbers of customers and product volumes. Supplier selection processes are typically front loaded where a relationship must be established prior to reaching an agreement, and due to the high cost of onboarding a new supplier, it is often rare to onboard multiple suppliers at the same time. Small to medium sized merchants typically try to reduce the number of suppliers available at a time to reduce the operational overhead needed to maintain multiple supply chains.
The complexity of managing supply chains grows exponentially with every new supplier added to the supply chain, and the complexity of cross border business makes it especially difficult for small to medium sized merchants to leverage distributed regional suppliers to reduce their overhead. Large enterprises with distributed volumes implement distributed supply chain systems, but due to the changing needs of buyers, there are inefficiencies that get introduced into these systems.
What is needed in the art is a new approach for small to medium sized merchants to benefit from global distributed supply chains in a dynamically responsive manner to provide more efficient and effective supply chains.


An arrangement for inverse x-ray phase contrast imaging includes a photon-counting x-ray detector and a multibeam x-ray tube. Focal points of the x-ray tube are collimated such that a narrow x-ray beam that is directed toward an optical axis of the arrangement and toward the x-ray detector may be generated. An active surface of the x-ray detector is at least as large as a cross-sectional surface of the narrow x-ray beam. The arrangement also includes a source grating arranged between the x-ray tube and the x-ray detector. The arrangement includes a defraction grating arranged between the source grating and the x-ray detector, and an absorption grating arranged between the defraction grating and the x-ray detector.

X-ray phase contrast imaging is an x-ray method that, unlike conventional x-ray devices, exclusively uses the absorption by an object as an information source. X-ray phase contrast imaging combines the absorption with the shift in phase of the x-rays when passing through the object. The information content is disproportionately higher, since the absorption provides accurate images of the significantly absorbing bones, and the phase contrast also produces sharp images of the structures of the soft tissue. This provides the possibility of being able to identify pathological changes, such as the appearance of tumors, vascular restrictions or pathological changes to the cartilage substantially earlier than before.
The passage of x-rays through matter is described by a complex refraction index. The imaginary part of the refraction index specifies the strength of the absorption. By contrast, the real part of the refraction index specifies the phase shift in the x-ray wave passing through a material. In phase contrast imaging, the phase information of the local phase or of the local gradient of the phase of the wavefront passing through an object are determined. Similar to x-ray tomography, tomographic representations of the phase shift may also be reconstructed on the basis of a plurality of images.
A number of possibilities exist in order to realize x-ray phase contrast imaging. The known solutions involve rendering the phase shift in the x-rays during passage through an object visible as an intensity fluctuation using special arrangements and methods. A method is grating-based phase contrast imaging (e.g., Talbot-Lau interferometry), such as is described many times in literature (e.g., in the European patent application EP 1 879 020 A1). Aspects of the Talbot-Lau interferometer are three x-ray gratings that are arranged between an x-ray tube and an x-ray detector.
In addition to the classical absorption image, interferometers of this type may present two additional measurement parameters in the form of further images: the phase contrast image and the darkfield image. The phase of the x-ray wave is determined in this process by interference with a reference wave using the interferometric grating arrangement.
EP 1 879 020 A1 discloses an arrangement according to FIG. 1 having an x-ray tube 1 and a pixelated x-ray detector 2, between which an object 3 to be irradiated is arranged. A source grating G0 (e.g., coherence grating) is arranged between the focal point of the x-ray tube 1 and the object 3. The source grating G0 is used to simulate a number of line sources with spatial partial coherence of the x-rays, thereby forming a precondition for interferometric imaging.
A defraction grating G1, also known as phase grating or Talbot grating, is arranged between the object 3 and the x-ray detector 2. The defraction grating G1 impresses a phase shift by Pi on the phase of the wavefront.
An absorption grating G2 between the defraction grating G1 and the x-ray detector 2 is used to measure the phase shift generated by the object 3. The wavefront upstream of the object 3 is designated W0. The wavefront "distorted" by the object 3 is designated W1. The gratings G0, G1 and G2 must be arranged in parallel and at precise distances from one another.
The x-ray detector 2 is used as locally-dependent proof of x-ray quanta. Since the pixelization of the x-ray detector 2 is generally not sufficient to resolve the interference strips of the Talbot pattern, the intensity pattern is scanned by shifting one of the gratings G0, G1, G2 ("phase-stepping"). The scanning takes place gradually or continuously at right angles to the direction of the x-ray and at right angles to the slot direction of the absorption grating G2. Three different types of x-ray images are recorded and/or reconstructed: the absorption image, the phase contrast image and the darkfield image.
The geometric ratios of the grating arrangement according to EP 1 879 020 A1 are shown schematically in FIG. 2. The gratings G0, G1 and G2 are arranged between the x-ray tube 1 and the planar x-ray detector 2. The source grating G0 has the smallest surface, since it is positioned close to the x-ray tube 1. The absorption grating G2 has the largest surface, since it is positioned directly upstream of the x-ray detector 2.

Arrangement and method for inverse X-ray phase contrast imaging


A process of creating a translation-example dictionary for an Example-based Machine Translation is provided. The process of the invention includes the steps of: a) comparing first translation-example information and another first translation-example information to detect if there is any differing portion; specifying a word class of each of differing portions, if any, detected in the step a); c) generating variables by linking the at least one differing portion detected in the step a) and the word class specified in the step b) so as to create second translation-example information; and d) registering the second translation-example information into the translation-example dictionary.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a machine-translating process and particularly relates to a process of automatically generating a translation-example dictionary in which some portions of translation-example information are expressed by variables.
2. Description of the Related Art
When translating an original text written in a source language into another language using a machine translation system, it is often insufficient to use a basic dictionary and/or a technical term dictionary provided in a computer for providing a translation which corresponds well to the meaning of the original text. Accordingly, an Example-based Machine Translation process has been proposed in which frequently-used translation examples each including an original text and a translated text are pre-registered by a person in charge of translation and then a translation process of the relevant original text is performed.
A translation-example dictionary used in the Example-based Machine Translation may be a type of dictionary in which some portions of the translation example information, for example nouns, are expressed as variables. Such a dictionary is used for a machine translation process in which, when there is a correspondence between the original text to be translated and the original text data in the translation-example dictionary where from the variable have been excluded, the variables of the original text data and the translated text data are substituted by data included in the basic dictionary and/or technical term dictionary.
In order to create a translation-example dictionary having some portions of the translation-example information expressed as variables, the person in charge of translation must determine which portion of the original text and the translated text are to be expressed as variables. Also, since the variables must be manually registered into the dictionary by the person in charge of translation, many steps are required for creating the translation-example dictionary, and also, there is a problem that the judging criteria for portions to be expressed as variables may differ between different persons in charge of translation.
Also, it is understood that the reliability of a translated text obtained by translation using a translation-example dictionary having many variables is lower than the reliability of a translated text obtained by translation using a translation-example dictionary having a few variables. Often, however, no material is provided for determining the reliability of the translated text.

Process of automatically generating translation-example dictionary, program product, computer-readable recording medium and apparatus for performing thereof


Provided is an X-ray radiographic apparatus that can take a lateral cephalometric radiograph, a posteroanterior cephalometric radiograph, etc. under the same state of the tilt in the front-rear direction of the head of a subject easily and with high reproducibility, and is free of risks associated with the use of an infraorbital point pointing bar. The X-ray radiographic apparatus includes: a pair of arms provided facing each other with a reference line therebetween; ear rods provided to mutually facing inside surfaces of the pair of arms; a head tilt setting device for setting the tilt in the front-rear direction of the head of the subject provided on one arm, and a horizontal plane verification mechanism provided on the head tilt setting device or outside of the head tilt setting device.

The present invention relates to an X-ray radiographic apparatus, a method of measuring head tilt in taking a radiograph, a stand for X-ray radiographic apparatus, a chair for X-ray radiographic apparatus and a head tilt setting device which are suitable, for example, for applying in taking a cephalometric radiograph by a cephalometric X-ray radiographic apparatus.
In an orthodontic treatment, etc., when deciding a treatment plan, generally, taking a cephalometric radiograph (cephalogram) of a patient, and based on the cephalometric radiograph, the cephalometric analysis is performed (for example, see Non-Patent Literatures 1 and 2). Conventionally, as a cephalometric radiograph, a lateral (side surface) cephalometric radiograph is solely taken. As necessary, there is a case where a posteroanterior (PA) cephalometric radiograph is taken, but it is quite rare, even more, the fact is that it is hard to say that effective information useful for the treatment can be obtained from the posteroanterior cephalometric radiograph. The main reason is that setting the tilt in the front-rear direction of the head when taking a posteroanterior cephalometric radiograph is quite difficult, and therefore, every time taking a posteroanterior cephalometric radiograph, the head tilt becomes different. When taking a cephalometric radiograph under the different head tilt, the posteroanterior cephalometric radiograph to be obtained gives completely different impression. For this, under the present conditions, in the first place, the posteroanterior cephalometric radiograph is considered not to be reliable materials in judging the head skeleton, etc. of a patient.
Conventionally, a lateral cephalometric radiograph is said to be taken at the position that the Frankfort plane of the head of a patient becomes parallel to the floor surface (see Non-Patent Literatures 1 and 2). Here, the Frankfort plane is a plane connecting an orbitale with a porion. In order to make the Frankfort plane of the head parallel to the floor surface when taking a lateral cephalometric radiograph, it is known that an infraorbital point pointing bar with a needle-like sharp tip is provided in the horizontal plane in a cephalometric X-ray radiographic apparatus so as to face the face of a patient (see Non-Patent Literature 2). And it is also known that a posteroanterior cephalometric radiograph is similarly taken at the position that the Frankfort plane becomes parallel to the floor surface (see Non-Patent Literature 2).
Also, in the text of Proffit with highest standing in the world as a text of orthodontics (see Non-Patent Literature 3), it is indicated that with regard to the cephalometric analysis, "A cephalometric radiograph is to be taken at the natural head position (NFP), from which the physiologically real horizontal plane can be obtained".

X-ray radiographic apparatus, method of measuring head tilt in taking radiograph, stand for X-ray radiographic apparatus, chair for X-ray radiographic apparatus, and head tilt setting device


An error correction encoding apparatus for processing input data with an encoding for error correction, including first delay circuitry for applying differing delay to data words to convert input data in a first array state into data words in a second array state, a first error correction encoder for generating first check words from data words in the second array state, second delay circuitry for applying differing delay to the data words in the second array state and the first check words to generate data words and check words in a third array state, and a second error correction encoder for generating second check words from the data words and the check words in the third array state, with the delays applied by the first and second delay circuitry set so that the array states of the data words in the first and the third array states are the same. In other embodiments, the invention is an error correction decoding apparatus including a first error correction decoder for processing input data words and check words in a third array state by error correction by a second error correction code using a second check word series, first delay circuitry for applying differing delay to the corrected data words and check words from the first error correction decoder to generate data words in a second array state and first check words, a second error correcting decoder for error-correcting the data words in the second array state by a first error correction code using the first check words, and second delay circuitry for applying differing delay to the corrected data words from the second error correcting decoder to generate data words in a first array state.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for coding and decoding for error correction employed in a recording and/or reproducing system for an optical disk or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
In a disk apparatus employing an optical disk as a recording medium, such as a player for a compact disc (CD) having concentric tracks on which digital audio data, for example, are recorded as a string of pits, a laser beam is irradiated along the tracks on the disc which is rotationally driven at a constant linear velocity (CLV) by a spindle motor, and changes in the intensity of the reflected light caused by the presence or absence of the pits are detected for reproducing the digital audio data.
During data reproduction by the CD player, an error rate may reach an order of 10.sup.-5. In order to combat this, a cross-interleave Reed-Solomon code (CIRC), which is combined from the Reed-Solomon code, an error correcting code having a high random error correcting ability, and means for converting the burst error into a random error using an interleaving technique, is used for error correction, so that no hindrances are produced under ordinary operating environments.
In an audio data recording system, which uses the CIRC, uses an encoding apparatus 110 arranged and constructed as shown in FIG. 9. Digital audio data are inputted to the encoding apparatus in parallel, with 6 samples, that is 16 2 6 equal 192 bits or 24 bytes, for each of left and right channels, as one unit. These input data are rearranged after the data of the even-numbered samples are delayed by a scrambling circuit by two CIRC units. The input data, rearranged by a scrambling circuit 111, are subjected to encoding of the first error correction code C.sub.2 by a first error code generator 112, so as to be supplied to an interleaving circuit 113 after the parity Q of the Reed-Solomon code of m=8, n=28, k=24 and d=5 is appended thereto. The interleaving circuit 113 applies different amounts of delay to the data such that the maximum amount of delay of 108 frames is applied for interleaving. The parity P of the Reed-Solomon code of m=8, n=32, k=28 and d=5 is appended to the data interleaved by the circuit 113, by way of encoding by the second error correction code C.sub.1 by a second error correction code generator 114. The input data, to which the parities Q and P have been appended in this manner, are processed by an odd number delay circuit 115 where only odd-numbered symbols are further delayed by one symbol and the signs of the parities Q and P are inverted to provide a 32 byte long CIRC encode output which is to be recorded.
In a reproducing system for digital audio data, which uses the above CIRC, a decoding apparatus 120 shown in FIG. 10 is employed. In the decoding apparatus, playback data of the data encoded by the encoding apparatus 110 are supplied to an even-number delay circuit 121 where even-numbered symbols are delayed by one frame, and the signs of the parities Q and P are inverted. Error correction is performed in a first error correction circuit 122 by the second error correction code C.sub.1 on the basis of the parity P. The playback data, thus error corrected by the first error correcting circuit 122, are deinterleaved by a deinterleaving circuit 123 which applies a delay which is an inversion of that applied by the interleaving circuit 113 of the encoding apparatus 110 before being supplied to a second error correcting circuit 124. The second error correcting circuit 124 performs an error correction by a first error correcting code C.sub.2 on the basis of the parity Q. The playback data, thus error-corrected by the first error correcting code C.sub.1 and the second error correcting code C.sub.2, are descrambled by a descrambling circuit 125 by data rearrangement corresponding to that performed by the scrambling circuit 111 in the encoding apparatus.
The above described encoding and decoding apparatus have been arranged as integrated circuits and extensively used as encoder and decoder for CIRC processing.
Meanwhile, there has been prescribed for the compact disc (CD) a data format in which 24 channel bit synchronizing signals, produced as eight to fourteen modulation data or EFM data converted from the 8-bit-per-symbol signals, are converted into 14 channel bit data, 14 channel bit or 1-symbol sub-code, 14 32 channel bit or 32 symbol data per se, such as play data and parity data, and each 3 channel bit margin bits provided between adjacent symbols, totalling 588 channel bits, are arranged as one frame and 98 frames are arranged as a sub-code block.
It is noted that, in a so-called CD-interactive (CD-I) system for the compact disc (CD) for simultaneously recording image data, letter data etc. besides audio data, six modes have been prescribed besides the CD-DA mode as, for example, audio data, as shown in FIG. 11.
Thus, for the CD-DA mode having the sound quality level corresponding to the current 16-bit PCM (pulse code modulation), straight PCM (straight pulse code modulation) with the sampling frequency of 44.1 kHz and the number of quantizing bits of 16, is used. For the A level stereo mode and the A level monaural mode having the sound quality corresponding to the long-playing record, ADPCM (adaptive differential pulse code modulation) with the sampling frequency of 37.8 kHz and the number of quantizing bits of 8, is used. For the B level stereo mode and the B level monaural mode having the sound quality corresponding to FM broadcasting, adaptive PCM or ADPCM having the sampling frequency of 37.8 kHz an the number of quantizing bits of 4, is used. Finally, for the C level stereo mode and the C level monaural mode, having the sound quality corresponding to the AM broadcasting, ADPCM with the sampling frequency of 18.9 kHz and the number of quantizing bits of 4, is used.
That is, referring to FIG. 11, where a rectangle mark in black denotes a sector where data are not recorded, the bit reduction rate for the A level stereo mode is one-half that of the CD-DA mode, so that data are recorded at every other sector, with the playback time for a disc being approximately two hours. For the A level monaural mode, the bit reduction rate is 1/4 and data are recorded at every four sectors, with the playback time for a disc being about four hours. For the B level stereo mode, the bit reduction rate is 1/4 and data are recorded at every four sectors, with the playback time for a disc being about four hours. For the B level stereo mode, the bit reduction rate is 1/8 and data are recorded at every eight sectors, with the playback time for a disc being about eight hours. For the C level stereo mode, the bit reduction rate is 1/8 and data are recorded at every eight sectors, with the playback time for a disc being about eight hours. For the C level monaural mode, the bit reduction rate is 1/16 and data are recorded at every 16 sectors, with the playback time for a disc being about 16 hours.
Meanwhile, in the digital audio data reproducing system employing the above described CIRC, if burst errors beyond the correction capabilities should occur in playback data, the errors are distributed evenly throughout an interleaving length and thereby rendered less manifest. With a CD player handling continuous PCM audio data, error data may be interpolated by near-by data, so that foreign sounds are less likely to be produced. However, if the data are those which lack in correlation between adjacent data, or the compressed audio data according to the above-mentioned CD-I system, it is not possible to correct errors in the playback data by near-by data. Therefore, if burst errors in excess of the correction capabilities are produced in the playback data and the errors are evenly distributed throughout the interleaving length, the errors occur discretely for the interleaving length, that is for a time longer than 14.7 ms for the CD-DA mode, so that more data than the errors per se become unusable.


A method of molding a hollow body to make the body nearly uniform in thickness around an internal opening thereof. A weir is provided in a central part of an opening portion of the mold cavity near an upstream side of the opening portion with respect to the direction of flow of a resin. Molten resin is injected into the cavity, and pressurized gas is thereafter injected into the molten resin in the cavity to make the internal opening in the resin. Since the weir is provided, the resin comes into uniform contact with the inner mold surface of the die at the opening portion as the resin flows into opening portion. The resin is uniformly cooled and solidified, starting with the inner surface and working inwardly, so that the hollow body is made nearly uniform in thickness around the internal opening.

This invention has priority rights based on Japanese Patent Application No. 4-313006 filed Oct. 28, 1992, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for molding a hollow body having an internal opening in a portion of the body and being nearly uniform in thickness around the opening. The present invention also relates to a radiator grille having less weight and a better appearance than conventional grilles.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in FIG. 17, a radiator grille 9 for a motor vehicle is conventionally molded from resin, and includes frame 90 and an inner portion 91 located inside the frame. It can be seen in FIGS. 17 and 18, that an internal opening 95 is provided in a lower portion 92 of the frame 90 so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the lower portion 92. The purpose of providing the internal opening 95 in the grille 9 is to reduce the weight thereof and diminish the required quantity of resin to conserve natural resources. To provide the internal opening 95 in the grille 9 in a conventional method, pressurized gas is injected into the molten resin after the resin is injected into the cavity of a molding die. FIGS. 20 and 21 show the steps of the method of providing the internal opening 95 The resin 7 is injected into an opening gate 85 forming part of a cavity 81 of the molding die 8. The pressurized gas is thereafter injected into the molten resin 7 through the gate 85 so that an internal opening 95 is made in the resin, as shown in FIG. 21.
Although it is desirable for the internal opening 95 to be formed in the central part of the lower portion 92 of frame 90 to make the lower portion nearly uniform in thickness around the opening, it is likely that gravity will cause the upper part 95a as shown in FIG. 19, to be made smaller in thickness than the lower part 95b and side part 95c. Thus, the lower portion 92 is made nonuniform in thickness. The upper part 95a is sometimes made to be quite thin especially at the very center of lower portion 92 as shown in FIG. 19 and thus lacks strength. Therefore, the lower portion 92 needs to be made uniformly large in thickness. Such a problem occurs not only in the radiator grille but also in other hollow molded bodies such as the upper portion of a louver cowl.
A first aspect of the present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problem.
In addition, another problem exists in conventional radiator grilles. As shown in FIGS. 22 and 23 a conventional radiator grille 109 is secured by bolts 108 at the front of the engine space of a motor vehicle. The grille 109 includes a securing portion 190, an upper portion 191, a lower portion 192, inner portions 193, a lower ornamental portion 194, an upper ornamental portion 195, and side portions 197. The hood 107 of the vehicle is provided over the engine space so that the hood can be opened and closed. Another conventional radiator grille is secured to the central front portion of the hood of the motor vehicle so that the grille is moved up and down as the hood is opened and closed. Since these grilles are made of a die-cast zinc alloy, they are heavy. To eliminate this disadvantage, the radiator grille is made of resin to weigh less. However, a radiator grille made of the resin is not rigid or strong enough to maintain reliable prolonged use.
A second aspect of the present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems.
A third problem will now be addressed. As shown in FIG. 26, a motor vehicle has a radiator grille 209 at the front thereof. The grille 209 is disposed in front of a radiator for cooling the cooling water of the engine of the vehicle, and plays an important role in improving the appearance of the front of the vehicle. The front of the lower portion 293 of the frame of the grille 209 has an ornamentation 298 for improving the appearance of the lower portion. The ornamentation 298 can be any type of design, such as a flowery pattern, characters, symbols or the like. The frame has side portions 291. The grille 209 is molded of a molded resin so as to weigh less. During the molding process, molten resin is injected into the cavity of a molding die. In order to properly transfer the form of the ornamentation molding portion of the cavity to the lower portion 293 of the grille frame, a pressurized gas is injected into the cavity for the lower portion of the frame after the resin is injected into the cavity. As a result, the molten or soft resin in the cavity is pushed by the pressurized gas so that the form of the ornamentation molding portion of the cavity is properly transferred to the lower portion 293 of the grille frame. As shown in FIGS. 27 and 28, the lower portion 293 has a hollow slender part 208 formed where the gas is injected at gate 281. The resin and the gas are sequentially injected into the cavity through the gate 281. A hollow body molding method is thus utilized to properly transfer the form of the ornamentation molding portion of the cavity to the grille 209.
The resin traveling through internal opening 280 of the hollow slender part 208 sometimes occupies too much of opening 280 (e.g. see numeral 285 in FIG. 28) even though pressurized gas is injected so that the opening 280 does not extend far enough. While resin is pushed by the pressurized gas through the internal opening 280 in order to transfer the form of the ornamentation molding portion of the cavity to the front of the lower portion 293 of the frame of the radiator grille 209, if the resin is not pushed by the gas far enough through the opening 280, the form of the ornamental molding portion will not be transferred to the front of the lower portion 293. This causes the lower portion 293 to have a poor appearance. In order for the internal opening 280 to extend far enough through the resin so that the leading end 285 of the opening reaches the furthermost end 250 of the lower portion 293, the injected quantity of the resin must be controlled so that the resin does not occupy too much of the cavity. In other words, the injected quantity of the resin needs to be controlled as it is injected into the part of the cavity for the hollow slender part 208 of the lower portion 293 before the injection of the gas into the resin in the part. However, since the amount of the cavity which is filled with the resin is not monitored as the resin is injected therein, too much resin is likely to be injected, depending on conditions such as the temperature in the hollow slender part 208 and the form thereof. Since the amount of resin which is injected depends upon such conditions and the like, it is difficult to control the injected quantity of the resin at the time of the injection into the cavity. This is problematic as stated above.
In addition, in the case where the leading end 285 of the internal opening 280 does not reach the vicinity of the furthermost end 250 of the lower portion 293, there is a possibility that a sink mark 299 will be made on the outer surface of a portion which does not have an internal opening as shown in FIG. 28. Since the injected gas does not reach the furthermost end 250 of the lower portion 293 and the end portion 250 is not sufficiently subjected to an internal pressure of the gas, a sink mark 299 is generated on the outer surface thereof. This is also problematic as stated above.
A third aspect of the present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problems.

Molded resin body and method for producing the same


Among the stored musical waveform in a data format, a waveform segment to be repetitively read out as a loop is designated by a user of the instrument. Upon designation of the waveform segment having a loop length LL anew, a loop time length TL is computed corresponding to the loop length LL, and the number of measures MN is determined corresponding to the loop time length TL (steps S11 and S12). Thus determined loop segment in the measure number MN is temporarily subdivided according to a sixteen-beat rhythm rate (steps S13 and S14), zero-cross points near the temporary subdivision points are then searched for, and the located zero-cross points are determined to be definitive division points (step 15). Each of the divided sub-segments are subject to time axis scaling at each scale factor such that the segment should be superimposed onto another intended musical phrase in a matched rhythm and tempo.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic musical instrument capable of producing a musical waveform by repetitively reading out a waveform segment in a loop from among the stored continuous musical waveform in a data format.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Among the currently prevailing music, there is a style of music in which a memorized musical phrase is repeatedly used to construct a length of music performance. Such a musical performance is formed by firstly designating a loop segment which is a waveform segment within a continuous waveform recorded and stored in the instrument and which constitutes a musical phrase to be repeatedly used in a loop, and secondly reading out the designated loop segment repeatedly to form a longer waveform for a musical performance.
And in order to superimpose the loop segment (loop phrase) on to an object phrase such as a phrase in another musical performance and a phrase in an automatic musical performance, the prior art procedure has employed the following steps:
1) previously determining a tempo for the loop phrase by calculation at human end, PA1 2) measuring the tempo of the object phrase, and PA1 3) compressing/expanding the time axis (time scale) of the loop phrase in accordance with the ratio between the tempo of the loop phrase and the tempo of the object phrase.
In the above-mentioned prior art procedure, however, the tempo for reading out the loop phrase should necessarily be designated previously with respect to the recorded (prepared) loop phrase, in order to compress/expand the time axis of the loop phrase in accordance with the tempo of the object phrase on which the loop phrase is to be superimposed. This procedure has been elaborate and time-consuming.
Moreover, the loop phrase should be divided into several sub-phrases for compressing/expanding the time axis, and for this purpose the user of the instrument was to designate the dividing number. But when the arbitrarily designated dividing number was inadequate, the time-axis compressed or expanded waveform might exhibit unnatural beats relative to the number of meter beats of the recorded phrase.
Furthermore, in the prior art time-axis compression/expansion technology, the compression/expansion ratio was controlled per phrase, and therefore portional control of such a ratio within a phrase was not heretofore possible. To this end, it was not possible to introduce in a phrase such a portional fluctuation of rhythm as would be caused by portionally controlling the compression/expansion ratio in a phrase.

Electronic musical instrument utilizing loop read-out of waveform segment


R-(+)-(E)-4-(2-Chlorophenyl)-1,3-dithiolan-2-ylidene!-1-imidazolylacetonit rile, R-(-)-(E)-4-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,3-dithiolan-2-ylidene!-1-imidazolylace tonitrile, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof which can be used as a pharmaceutical agent are disclosed. A process for producing them and a method for treating mycoses using them are also disclosed.

Various azole compounds having antifungal activity have been known. For example, JP-A-60-218387 discloses imidazole compounds represented by the following formula (a) (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application"): ##STR1##
Moreover, JP-A-62-93227 discloses that these compounds are useful as an antifungal agent. Furthermore, JP-A-2-275877 discloses that the optically active compounds of specific compounds among the above imidazole compounds have antifungal activity against Trichophyton mentagrophytes about 1.4 times the activity of racemic compounds thereof.

Method for treating mycosis using imidazolylacetonitrile derivatives


A dental comparator device includes a body, a polychromatic light emitter within the body, and a magnifying lens and holder for a dental standard coupled to the body. The standard holder is either a clip, a hub for receiving a plurality of radially aligned standards, or a magnetic standard holder. According to one embodiment, the body is elongate and the light source and magnifying lens are provided at one end of the elongate body. The light source is a halogen bulb powered by batteries. The magnifying lens is oriented perpendicular to the body. Coupled to the lens is a light-transmitting ring-shaped member for directing light to one side of the lens, to thereby illuminate a tooth and standard situated before the transparent tubular-shaped member. According to another embodiment, two booms are coupled to the body. One boom is provided with a standard holder at its distal end and the other boom is provided with a magnifying lens at its distal end. The booms are preferably articulable, and the standard holder and magnifying lens are preferably adjustable in orientation. According to yet another embodiment, the body includes two booms, one for a standard holder and the other for a magnifying lens. Polychromatic light is transmitted by a fiber optic cable extending from a light source to a distal end of the body.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates broadly to dental devices. More particularly, this invention relates to a device for accurately matching colored dental standards to natural teeth.
2. State of the Art
Prior to the process of implanting a dental prosthesis (or prosthetic tooth) in the mouth of a dental patient, a dentist must make a decision as to the color to be used for the dental prosthesis such that dental prosthesis appears natural when implanted adjacent natural teeth. To assist the dentist in making a decision, dental standards are available to permit the dentist to compare the standards against the natural teeth. The standards are typically preformed dental prostheses of a variety of colors, saturations, or hues, attached to the end of a thin metal rod. Once the dentist decides which standard is closest in color to the natural teeth, the appropriate color for the prosthetic is thereby chosen.
However, choosing the correct color standard relative to natural teeth is often difficult. One difficulty lies in that natural teeth are translucent and, as a result, the type of light in which they are viewed can affect their apparent color. For example, tooth color appears to change when viewed in fluorescent light and then polychromatic light (or white light) such as daylight. However, dental offices are typically lit with fluorescent lighting. Some dentists have used standard incandescent bulbs to provide a wider spectrum of light when comparing standards to the natural teeth. However, standard incandescent bulbs do not provide the broad polychromatic spectrum of light necessary to properly evaluate the standards relative to the natural teeth. Tooth color also appears to change when viewed in direct light and shadow. Furthermore, the background against which natural teeth and standards are viewed can alter the color appearance of the standards relative to the natural teeth. Moreover, natural teeth are multicolored, and the process of selecting the color for the prothesis requires a careful assessment of the topography and predominant color of the natural teeth, especially the teeth which will be adjacent the implanted prosthesis.
Therefore, a number of devices have been proposed to assist a dentist in choosing the color for a dental prosthesis tooth. U.S. Pat. No. 3,436,157 to Adler discloses a prismatic comparator device using a polychromatic light source which enables natural teeth to be simultaneously viewed with standards for comparison. The device however is cumbersome comprising four relatively long tubes, of which the ends of two must be inserted in the patient's mouth to abut the patient's natural teeth. In addition, the light source is a projection bulb, requiring a large amount of power (i.e., an AC power source) for illumination and generating a large amount of heat.
Other devices attempt to remove dentist subjectivity and determine the appropriate color for a prosthetic tooth based on an objective determination of the appropriate tooth color. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,020 to Vieillefosse discloses a device which uses a spectrometer to measure the reflectance of a natural tooth surface, amplifies the reflectance signal, converts the amplified reflectance signal to a digital signal, and processes the digital signal to provide an output purportedly helpful in determining prosthetic tooth color. U.S. Pat. No. 5,428,450 to Vieillefosse et al. discloses another electronic device. The device illuminates a portion of the natural tooth with a uniform and isotropic diffuse "light flux" and receives the light backscattered from the tooth. The backscattered light is then spectrally analyzed to purportedly determine the appropriate color for a prosthetic tooth. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,986,777 to Roll, 4,654,794 to O'Brien, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,674 to Lequime et al. disclose other electronic spectrometric devices. However, these device are complicated and costly to manufacture. In addition, these devices do not account for the fact that teeth are multicolored. Aiming the device at one portion of natural tooth may provide results which differ when the device is aimed at another portion of the tooth, such that a subdominant color value, rather than the predominant color value, is used for selecting the color for the dental prosthesis. Moreover, the human eye, which will eventually judge the finished product, is removed from the comparison process.


A radiometer system includes a dual channel, quadrature hybrid amplifier circuit that receives an antenna signal and a known reference signal to equalize gain in two parallel gain stages. A detector circuit receives a signal from the quadrature hybrid amplifier circuit and detects the signals to form a detected output for eliminating sensitivity to gain variations, improving dynamic range of the input signal, and reducing calibration requirements. A log ratio amplifier receives and linearizes the detected output. An integrator circuit receives a signal from the log ratio amplifier and sums the signal over an observation.

Since radio waves may be considered infrared radiation of long wave, a hot body would be expected to radiate microwave energy thermally. In order to be a good radiator of microwave energy, a body should be a good absorber. An adequate thermal radiator is a "black body." The amount of radiation emitted in the Millimeter Wave (MMW) range is about 108 times smaller than the amount emitted in the infrared range. Current MMW receivers, however, typically have at least 105 times better noise performance than infrared detectors, and with some temperature contrast, the remaining 103 may be recovered. This makes passive MMW imaging comparable in performance with current infrared systems, making MMW radiometers a popular choice for sensing thermal radiation. MMW radiometers have been used in many different applications such as remote terrestrial and extra-terrestrial sensing, medical diagnostics and defense applications. MMW electromagnetic radiation windows occur at 35 GHz, 94 GHz, 140 GHz and 220 GHz. The choice of frequency depends on specific applications.
Focal plane arrays are used to form images from radiation received by a reflector antenna. Millimeter wave focal plane array radiometers also have been used in many applications to form images based on thermal sensing of radiated microwave energy. The sensitivity of existing radiometer designs, however, has been limited to about 1 deg K., resulting in poor images.
The principle of operation of the radiometric technique is fully described in the literature. The design of a typical radiometer is based on the technique of comparing the level of electromagnetic noise emitted by an unknown source as a target to a reference or stable noise source. This technique and devices were initially proposed by Dicke [R. H. Dicke, "The Measurement of Thermal Radiation at Microwave Frequencies," The Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 17, No. 7, July 1946].
In a Dicke radiometer circuit, the signals from an antenna are sampled and compared with signals from a reference source maintained at a known constant temperature. This overcomes some of the problems of amplifier instability, but in general does not alter effects resulting from imperfect components and thermal gradients.
While other types of radiometric devices have been used with some success, the Dicke (or comparison) type of radiometer has been the most widely used for the study of relatively low level noise-like MMW signals, especially where the noise signals to be examined are often small in comparison to the internally generated noise level within the radiometer receiver. While there are several types of comparison radiometers, one popular type of radiometer for use in the microwave/millimeter wave frequency bands is that in which an incoming signal to be measured as a target and a standard or calibrated reference noise signal are compared. This type of radiometer compares the amplitude of an unknown noise signal coming from the source to be examined with a known amplitude of a noise signal from a calibration source, and has been found useful in measuring with considerable accuracy the effective temperature of an unknown source.
In the Dicke or comparison type radiometer, the receiver input is switched between the antenna and a local reference signal noise generator. The detected and amplified receiver output is coupled to a phase-sensing detector operated in synchronism with the input switching. The output signal from such a radiometer receiver is proportional to the difference between the temperature of the reference signal source and the temperature of the source viewed by the antenna inasmuch as the phase-sensing detector acts to subtract the background or internal noise of the receiver.
A Dicke radiometer uses an RF switch coupled between an antenna and a radiometer receiver, allowing the receiver to alternate between the antenna and a known reference load termination. The receiver output is connected to a synchronous detector that produces an output voltage proportional to a difference between the antenna and the reference temperature. Null balance operation for the Dicke radiometer has been achieved by coupling in noise from a hot noise diode to the antenna port of the RF switch thereby matching the temperature from standard reference loads.
The sensitivity of radiometer measurements are also often limited by random gain fluctuations in the RF front end, low frequency noise (1/f), and bias in the detector circuits. Over the last decades many special techniques, including Dicke switching, have been implemented to reduce measurement errors. Many of these proposals have not yielded a solution that will allow MMW radiometers to be commercially viable. Also, the high cost of MMW RF receivers has limited the number of channels in the radiometer to a low number, resulting in a requirement to scan both azimuth and elevation to create an image.
A challenging aspect of radiometer sensing is the ability to maintain stability over time and temperature. When multiple channel radiometer systems are used, channel-to-channel stability is a challenge. Some sensor characterization over temperature and digital compensation can occur through look-up tables, which have been used extensively to overcome the stability issues. This technique, however, is costly and requires hours of testing per unit. It is also a roadblock to proliferation of radiometer sensors for commercial applications. It would be advantageous to address sensor stability through linearization while eliminating any characterization to result in a more simple circuit design and lower cost.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Radiometer measurement linearization system and method


The present invention provides improved processes for extracting and preparing lipids from biological sources for use in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and functional foods.

Accumulating evidence indicates that long chain omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), decrease the risk of CHD and ischemic heart disease. Large epidemiological studies, such as the Physicians' Health Study and the Nurses' Health Study, examined dietary and other lifestyle factors that influence health outcomes. The Physician's Health Study reported that consumption of one or more servings of fish per week was associated with a 52% lower risk of sudden cardiac disease compared to less than one fish meal per week. In another epidemiological study, the Nurses' Health Study in America, it was found that consumption of five or more servings of fish per week was associated with 45% fewer cardiac deaths compared to consumption of one fish meal per month. Long chain omega-3 fatty acids are known to be a protective dietary factor for cardiovascular disease. EPA and DHA have been shown to lower triglyceride levels and act as anti-arrhythmic agents. The American Heart Association (AHA) performed comprehensive reviews of the data for fish and fish oil consumption and cardiovascular disease. The AHA report recommends that individuals with and without heart disease and elevated blood triglyceride levels consume fish or take a fish oil supplement. A report prepared in 2003 by The Third Task Force of European and Other Societies also recommends fish oil as a standard therapy for post-myocardial infarction management.
The level of triglycerides in blood is positively associated with an increase in CHD, as triglyceride levels increase so does the risk of CHD. Multiple factors influence the elevation of serum triglycerides throughout life with a major contributor being the diet. Both DHA and EPA, which are abundant in many marine seafood products, appear to support cardiovascular health and lower blood triglyceride levels. It is known that fish oil can reduce serum triglyceride levels by 20-50%, similar to the effects observed with medications such as statins, niacin and fibrates. The American Heart Association recommends that individuals without documented CHD consume two servings of fish (preferably fatty fish) per week. Patients with CHD should consume 1 gram of EPA and DHA per day preferably from fatty fish or in a supplemental form (if under the care of a physician). For those patients who need to lower triglyceride levels, the American Heart Association recommends 2-4 grams of EPA and DHA per day in supplemental form under a physician's care. A prescription form of EPA and DHA, Lovaza (formerly known as Omacor), is a good omega-3 fatty acid source available for people with high levels of blood triglycerides. Each Lovaza 1 gram capsule contains 465 mg EPA ethyl ester, 375 mg DHA ethyl ester, 80 mg of other omega-3 fatty acids, 30 mg of omega-6 fatty acids and 50 mg of antioxidants. It is prescribed as an adjunct to diet to reduce very high triglyceride levels in adult patients.
In medical research, omega-3 fatty acids are being investigated to determine whether they can effectively improve a wide range of disease states-among them, heart disease, diabetes, inflammation, depression, Alzheimer's and attention deficit disorder—making this group of nutrients an exciting and very active area of clinical research. Ensuring that omega-3 fatty acids are a part of the diet as recommended by dietary guidelines is a proper starting point to achieving better health; hence, a great opportunity exists in the potential for improving the human condition with omega-3 fatty acids.
Oral administration of omega-3 compositions to some subjects results in unwanted side effects, including burping and reflux. The biological availability of some forms of omega-3 may also be limited. Accordingly, what is needed in the art are improved omega-3 formulations.


Embodiments herein relate to a test probe. The test probe may have a first plurality of beams and a second plurality of beams. An intermediate substrate may be positioned between the first plurality of beams and the second plurality of beams. In embodiments, both the first and second plurality of beams may be angled. Other embodiments may be described or claimed.

Test probes may be used to measure aspects of semiconductor packages. Particularly, test probes may include a plurality of beams that are configured to contact one or more portions of a device under test (DUT), and thereby allow a computing system coupled with the test probes to make one or more measurements about the DUT. However, in some deployment scenarios the test probes may become prohibitively expensive as they become smaller. Additionally, some legacy probes may have significant overtravel requirements, generally on the order of several millimeters (mms). However, the relatively long overtravel distance may increase the risk of positional accuracy error at the tip of the test probe when the pitch of the probe's scales below a certain threshold. Finally, some probes may suffer from high-scrub (i.e., horizontal to vertical translation) characteristics. More specifically, if the probe is not allowed to translate in the scrub direction, then the probe may undergo a buckling stress and ultimately yield or fall off the desired portion of the DUT.