Fiber optic plug connectors having an articulated force structure to inhibit angular ferrule biasing are disclosed. An articulated force structure is provided in the fiber optic plugs to apply a forward force to a ferrule of the fiber optic plug, to dispose the fiber optic plug ferrule in close proximity to an optical interface of the optical receptacle to provide an optical connection therebetween. By the articulating force structure providing an articulating forward force to the fiber optic plug ferrule, the ferrule is able to angularly rotate to inhibit angular biasing applied to the fiber optic plug ferrule as a result of inserting the fiber optic plug into an optical receptacle. The articulating force structure providing an articulating forward force to the fiber optic plug ferrule facilitates alignment of the ferrule with the optical receptacle to preserve optical performance.

As electronic devices move toward operation at faster data rates, the electrical interfaces on these devices along with the electrical transmission cables will reach their bandwidth capacity limitations. Additionally, electronic devices are trending toward having smaller and thinner footprints. Optical fibers have displaced copper-based connectivity in much of the traditional long-haul and metro telecommunication networks for numerous reasons, such as large bandwidth capacity, dielectric characteristics, and the like. As consumers require more bandwidth for consumer electronic devices, such as smart phones, laptops, and tablets as examples, optical fibers and optical ports for optical signal transmission are being considered for replacing the conventional copper-based connectivity for these applications. Benefits of optical fiber include extremely wide bandwidth and low noise operation.
In this regard, fiber optic plug connectors and optical receptacle connectors (hereinafter "fiber optic plugs" and "optical receptacles," respectively) can be provided to facilitate optical connections in electronic devices with optical fibers for the transfer of light. For example, optical fibers disposed in a fiber optic plug can be optically connected to an optical receptacle disposed in an electronic device for providing an optical connection to the electronic device. To maintain a good optical connection, the fiber optic plug is designed to have a tight, friction fit within the sidewalls of the optical receptacle when the fiber optic plug is inserted into the optical receptacle. Otherwise, the fiber optic plug may loosen within the optical receptacle during normal use. Thus, the fiber optic plug should be designed to have enough physical strength to receive an applied insertion force to overcome the sidewall resistance of the optical receptacle when the fiber optic plug penetrates the optical receptacle.
However, the ferrule in the fiber optic plug that precisely locates optical fibers within the fiber optic plug housing may be sensitive to applied insertion forces. Any biasing of the insertion forces applied to the fiber optic plug during insertion into the optical receptacle may result in misalignment of the ferrule within the fiber optic plug housing. As a result, the optical fibers supported in the ferrule of the fiber optic plug may be misaligned with the optical channels of the optical receptacle thereby causing insertion loss. Insertion loss can result in failure to provide a suitable optical connection or reduction in bandwidth.

Fiber optic plug having an articulated force structure to inhibit angular ferrule biasing during insertion into an optical receptacle, and related assemblies and methods


Embodiments of the present invention introduce a novel recursive assembly process to automatically create a library of components. It starts with simple components used as building blocks and proceeds by repeatedly combining these randomly into more complex ones. The utility and quality of these random combinations of components are measured against a set of functional goals. Useful combinations then become new components in the library that can be used as building blocks for further random combination. This description is not intended to be a complete description of, or limit the scope of, the invention. Other features, aspects, and objects of the invention can be obtained from a review of the specification, the figures, and the claims.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of automatic design of component libraries.
2. Description of the Related Art
As computer systems become more pervasive, economic ways of software construction become increasingly important. Traditionally, several approaches have been taken to reduce software cost: libraries of reusable software code, domain-specific techniques and languages, evolutionary approaches, and deductive, logic-based methods. These traditional software component libraries are created manually at great cost. In the area of digital circuits, component libraries have been in use for a long time. Digital components that are useful are encapsulated as integrated circuits. Virtually all digital design builds upon libraries or catalogs of integrated circuits. Much research has been focused on the use of mathematical logic to generate design artifacts from formal specifications. This work has so far been successful in the area of digital circuits but has had only limited success in the construction of software code.

System and method for automatic design of components in libraries


In accordance with an embodiment, an image forming apparatus, comprises an image forming section configured to include at least one decolorable toner and at least one non-decolorable toner, and form a toner image selectively using the decolorable toner and the non-decolorable toner; a mode determination section configured to determine, from a plurality of image forming modes including a first image forming mode in which a toner image is formed on a sheet with one decolorable toner and a second image forming mode in which a toner image is formed on a sheet with two or more toners of the decolorable toner and the non-decolorable toner, a designated image forming mode; and a preheating control section configured to execute the preheating of the sheet before image formation in the second image forming mode, and execute no preheating of the sheet before image formation in the first image forming mode.

There is a decolorable toner having a characteristic of decoloring a color at a certain temperature (hereinafter referred to as a "decoloring temperature"). In response to the growing social awareness of environmental protection in recent years, an apparatus, which serves as both an image forming apparatus and an image decoloring apparatus and is capable of reusing paper printed with decolorable toner, has been developed. Moreover, the development of the hybrid type apparatus, which serves as both an image forming apparatus and an image decoloring apparatus and can print an image with one or both of the decolorable toner and the toner that cannot be decolored, has been developed. Hereinafter, the toner that cannot be decolored is described as a non-decolorable toner.
Incidentally, the image forming apparatus includes a fixing device for fixing toner on a sheet. The fixing device fixes the toner on the sheet by heating and pressing the sheet to which the toner is transferred. The fixing device, which includes rollers for heating and pressing the sheet, heats the rollers to a temperature (hereinafter referred to as a "set temperature") required for fixing the toner on the sheet. Generally, it is necessary to raise the set temperature required for the fixing process with the increase in the amount of the toner fixed on the sheet. In addition, when the binder resin to be used in the non-decolorable toner and the decolorable toner are different from each other according to the difference of the pigment, there is also a case where the fixing temperature of the non-decolorable toner is higher than that of the decolorable toner. As a result, in a printing process after fixing the decolorable toner and the non-decolorable toner on a single sheet at the same time, the set temperature is increased to be close to the decoloring temperature of the decolorable toner, and therefore, the color of the decolorable toner may be decolored. In addition, if the set temperature is set to be lower to avoid the decoloring of the toner, there is a possibility that the fixing failure of the toner is generated.
Further, in a color printing of the decolorable toner or a color printing of the non-decolorable toner, other than in the case in which the decolorable toner and the non-decolorable toner are fixed on the sheet at the same time, the set temperature is also set to be higher. In this way, after setting the set temperature to be higher and having finished the color printing, in a case of desiring to print with a monochrome decolorable toner, similar to the case described above, there is a problem that the color of the decolorable toner will be decolored.

Image forming apparatus, control method and non-temporary recording medium


Novel vitamin D analogues are useful for making pharmaceutical compositions for the prevention or treatment of bone disorders such as osteoporosis.

Calcitriol (1α,25(OH)2D3) is the hormonally active metabolite of vitamin D3. Calcitriol functions not only in the calcium homeostatic mechanisms and in support of bone mineralization but also elsewhere, inter alia, parathyroid glands, the keratinocytes, and cells of the immune system.
Primarily, calcitriol functions to elevate plasma calcium and plasma phosphorous to support bone mineralization and also to prevent neuromuscular convulsions. However, calcitriol has the effect of inducing elevated plasma calcium concentrations (hypercalcemia) when given in amounts believed to be sufficient to overcome the effects of osteoporosis.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,907 describes the synthesis and biological activities of a group of vitamin D analogues, including C/D cis-fused analogues. The biological activities described in this document refer to inhibition of cell proliferation, induction of cell differentiation, treatment and prevention of immune disorders, inflammatory diseases, skin disorders, hyperproliferative disorders and cancer, and improving the function of cells in which calcium is an essential regulating agent. U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,907 teaches, based on FIG. 6 showing an evaluation in rachitic chicks after treatment for ten consecutive days with three individual compounds referred as 4, 5 and 58, by measuring serum and bone calcium and serum osteocalcin, that these vitamin D analogues have strikingly lower effect on calcium and bone homoeostasis, i.e. do not have the same toxic effect as previously known vitamin D compounds. U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,907 however does not teach or suggest using these vitamin D analogues for the therapy or prevention of bone disorders such as osteoporosis, renal osteodystrophy, Paget's disease or osteomalacia.
Wu et al. in Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters (2002) 12: 1633-1636 have disclosed the synthesis of a few seco-C-9,11-bisnor-17-methyl-1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 analogues. By determining their biological activities in vitro on different cell lines, they have showed that antiproliferative activities are high, the S-epimer being the more potent within a pair of 20-epimers, and that several analogues display high ratios of differentiation between antiproliferative and calcemic effects. This document however does not teach or suggest using these vitamin D3 analogues for the therapy or prevention of bone disorders such as osteoporosis, renal osteodystrophy, Paget's disease or osteomalacia.
There is a need in the art for vitamin D3 analogues being potent bone protecting agents by selectively targeting bone formation rather than bone resorption or intestinal calcium absorption, thus leading to less calcemic effects (such as hypercalcemia or hypercalciuria) than 1,25(OH)2D3. There is also a need in the art for vitamin D3 analogues which are both efficient and safe in the treatment of bone disorders such as, but not limited to, osteoporosis, renal osteodystrophy, Paget's disease or osteomalacia.
There is a long felt need in the art for vitamin D3 compounds which have the ability to bind to the Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) and induce bone matrix formation and mineralization without the potential side effects of hypercalcemia.


Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the nail bed and is difficult to treat topically because penetration of the nail plate is difficult, and systemic antifungal treatments are prone to side effects and drug interactions.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to articles of manufacture and to methods for the subungual (under the nail) treatment of infections, especially fungal infections, of the toenails and fingernails (onychomycosis).
2. The State of the Art
Fungi are eukaryotic cells that may reproduce sexually or asexually and may be biphasic, with one form in nature and a different form in the infected host. Fungal diseases are referred to as mycoses.
A fungal infection of the nails, commonly referred to as onychomycosis, is most frequently caused by dermatophytes (most commonly Trichophyton rubrum) but also can be caused by molds and Candida. Mixed infections also occur. There are several forms of onychomycosis: distal lateral subungual (DLSUO), white superficial, proximal subungual, endonyx, and candidal. The most common form is DLSUO in which the fungus spreads from the plantar skin and invades the underside of the nail via the hyponychium and distal lateral nail bed. Inflammation involving these areas produces the characteristic signs of the disease including a thickened and discolored nail plate, nail bed hyperkeratosis, and onycholysis (a separation or loosening of the nail plate from the nail bed which starts at the distal free margin and progresses proximally as the infection moves proximally). Onychomycosis may cause pain and discomfort especially (in the case of toenail DLSUO) with standing, walking, and exercise, some loss of dexterity (in the case of fingernail DLSUO), and is often associated with embarrassment and diminished self-esteem. The onychomycotic nail also serves as a reservoir for dermatophytes and contributes to treatment failure and recurrence of tinea pedis.
The majority of known antifungal agents fall into one of three main groups. One major group includes polyene derivatives, including amphotericin B and the structurally related compounds nystatin and pimaricin, which are only administered intravenously. The unrelated antifungal agent flucytosine (5-fluorocytosine, a diazine), an orally absorbed drug, is frequently used as an adjunct to amphotericin B treatment for some forms of candidiasis and cryptococcal meningitis.
A second major group of antifungal agents is the azole derivatives. This group of agents includes ketoconazole (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,144,346 and 4,223,036), fluconazole (U.S. Pat. No. 4,404,216), itraconazole (U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,179), voriconazole, bifonazole, clotrimazole, miconazole, econazole, butoconazole, oxiconazole, sulconazole, terconazole, liarozole, and irtemazol. U.S. Pat. No. 6,277,873 describes substituted thiazole, thiadiazole, and oxadiazole antifungals.
A third major group of antifungal agents includes the fungicidal allylamines such as naftifine (Naftin), terbinafine (EP 24,587-A1; Lamisil), and the benzylamine butenafine (Mentax).
Various other types of antifungal agents are known. Griseoflulvin is a fungistatic agent which is administered orally for fungal infections of skin, hair or nails that do not respond to topical treatment. Still other antifungal agents include thiocarbonate tolnaftate, ciclopirox, sulbentine, and morpholines, e.g., amorolfine, and the related morpholines disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,530, and the 1-hydroxy-2-pyridone compounds disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,730. Like the allylamines and azoles, tolnaftate blocks synthesis of ergosterol.
It has also been known to combine antifungal agents with anti-inflammatory agents. The steroidal anti-inflammatory agent may be selected from among any of the known steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, including, for example, any of those disclosed in The Merck Index or in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,002,938, 5,110,809, and 5,219,877. Examples of steroidal anti-inflammatory agents useful in combination with antifungals can include 21-acetoxypregnenolone, alclometasone or its dipropionate salt, algestone, amcinonide, beclomethasone or its dipropionate salt, betamethasone and salts thereof, including, for example, betamethasone benzoate, betamethasone dipropionate, betamethasone sodium phosphate, betamethasone sodium phosphate and acetate, and betamethasone valerate; clobetasol or its propionate salt, clocortolone pivalate, hydrocortisone and salts thereof, including, for example, hydrocortisone acetate, hydrocortisone butyrate, hydrocortisone cypionate, hydrocortisone phosphate, hydrocortisone sodium phosphate, hydrocortisone sodium succinate, hydrocortisone tebutate and hydrocortisone valerate; cortisone acetate, desonide, desoximetasone, dexamethasone and salts thereof, for example, acetate and sodium phosphate; diflorasone diacetate, fludrocortisone acetate, flunisolide, fluocinolone acetonide, fluocinonide, fluorometholone, flurandrenolide, halcinonide, medrysone, methylprednisolone and salts thereof, e.g., acetate, sodium succinate; mometasone furoate, paramethasone acetate, prednisolone and salts thereof, e.g., acetate, diethylaminoacetate, sodium phosphate, sodium succinate, tebutate, trimethylacetate; prednisone, triamcinolone and derivatives thereof, e.g., acetonide, benetonide, diacetate, hexacetonide. Other glucocorticoid steroids reported in the literature, including The Merck Index, or otherwise approved by the local drug regulatory agency, e.g., Food and Drug Administration, may also be used. Preferred steroidal anti-inflammatory agents usually include clobetasol and its salts, e.g., propionate salt; betamethasone and its salts, hydrocortisone and its salts, and triamcinolone and its salts, although as new steroidal anti-inflammatories are developed and reviewed, preferences may change. The anti-inflammatory agent will usually be present in a topical composition in combination with an antifungal in an amount within the range of 0.01 to about 5 percent, preferably from about 0.1 to 2 percent, based on the total weight of the composition.
Thus, various types of antifungal agents and their combination with steroidal anti-inflammatory agents are known.
In spite of the wide varieties of anti-fungal that are available and their use in combination with other active ingredients, onychomycosis is difficult to treat. Since on most ocassions onychomycosis (i.e., the distal lateral subungual form) is a disease of the nail bed underlying the nail plate, the condition is best treated systemically ("from the inside") because topical access to the nail bed is restricted by the relatively impermeable nail plate. Consequently, onychomycosis can be treated effectively in many patients using systemic (oral) medications such as terbinafine (Lamisil) and itraconazole (Sporonox). Fluconazole (Diflucan), although not FDA approved, is also used in some patients. These newer drugs have supplanted oral forms of ketoconazole and griseofulvin, which were previously used to treat the disease. However the systemic (oral) medicines must be administered for several months for elimination of the infection and regrowth of new nail. These drugs may also produce serious side effects, and they may interact with other medications. Accordingly, systemic medications for treating onychomycosis are unacceptable for many patients. For those patients, the only available route of administration is topical.
Nail lacquers for the treatment of onychomycoses and similar fungal infections affecting nails (toe nails and/or finger nails) of humans, in particular, or other animals, are known. Representative examples are described in the patent literature, such as the following U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,730 (1-hydroxy-2-pyridone in water-insoluble film-former); U.S. Pat. No. 5,120,530 (amorolfine in quaternary ammonium acrylic copolymer); U.S. Pat. No. 5,264,206 (tioconazole, econazole, oxiconazole, miconazole, tolnaftate, naftifine hydrochloride, in water-insoluble film-former); U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,692 (with urea and dibutyl phthalate plasticizer); U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,776 (griseofulvin as colloidal suspension). U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,887, teaches a nail lacquer for onychomycosis with the combination of antifungal and a certain penetration-enhancing medium carbon chain dioxane or acetal. PENLAC brand ciclopirox is the only FDA-approved topical treatment approved in the United States for onychomycosis. Topical products approved for use outside of the United States include a lacquer of amorolfine and a combination of bifonazole
Other U.S. Pat. Nos. which relate to antifungal products include, for example: U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,520 (combination of imidazole and pyrrolnitrin); U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,938 (gel, combination of imidazole and 17-ester corticosteroid anti-inflammatory agent); 5,110,809 (antifungal gel plus steroid); U.S. Pat No. 5,219,877 (gel product with imidazole antifungal optionally with steroidal anti-inflammatory, in a vehicle system that includes lauryl alcohol); U.S. Pat. No. 5,391,367 (aqueous alcoholic gel with tioconazole); U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,610 (salicylic acid plaster); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,696,105 (mometasone furoate).
U.S. Pat. No. 6,207,142 describes antifungal shampoos.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,020, discloses an antifungal bar soap for treating tinea pedis.
Anatomically, the "nail" that is seen is technically the nail plate. At the most proximal end is the matrix (root), from which the nail grows, and the eponychium (the cuticle) which forms a seal between the skin and the nail plate. At the distal end, between the nail plate and the skin, is the hyponychium. The nail plate presents a considerable barrier to penetration and hence limits access to the nail bed for products applied topically to the nail plate. Current topical therapies have such low penetration through the nail plate that they have a very low efficacy (less than 10% even after prolonged application). These therapies do not appear to exhibit characteristic concentration-response or time-response relationships. This suggests that in the small percentage of people in whom these topical treatments are effective, efficacy may not be related to penetration through the nail. Materials such as urea increase the penetration of the medication through the nail plate, but such materials alter the nail and disrupt its integrity.

Subunguicide, and method for treating onychomycosis

Abstract: The present invention treats onychomycosis by applying an antifungal composition to the nail bed directly using a solid, semi-solid, or flowable carrier. The carrier can be in the form of a semi-solid into which the user digs and scrapes the nail, a solid carrier can be inserted directly under the nail in contact with the nail bed, or a flowable composition can be injected in contact with the nail bed.


The present disclosure provides methods of treating breast cancer including administering aqueous suspensions comprising solubilized fulvestrant, non-solubilized fulvestrant particles having one or more of an LD Dv(10) between about 1.5 and about 2.1 microns, an LD Dv(50) between about 5.5 and about 9.0 microns, and an LD Dv(90) between about 15 and about 35 microns, with the aqueous suspensions further including a surfactant, a polyvinylpyrrolidone, and a sugar alcohol, and a water-soluble excipient. The water-soluble excipient can be an aryl-Ci-6alk-OH, a Ci-6alkyl-OH, a buffering salt, a polysorbate, a polyalkylene glycol, a Ci-i2alkylene glycol, a phosphatidylcholine, or a combination thereof.

Fulvestrant, or 7-(9-(4,4,5,5,5-pentafluoropentylsulfinyl) nonyl) estra-1,3,5(10)-triene-3,17-diol, has the structure of formula (1):

Fulvestrant is a selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) indicated for the treatment of hormone receptor positive metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women with disease progression following anti-estrogen therapy.
As with other steroidal-like compounds, fulvestrant has physical properties that make preparing aqueous suspensions difficult. Fulvestrant is a particularly lipophilic molecule, even when compared with other steroidal compounds, and its aqueous solubility is extremely low.
Due to the poor solubility and oral bioavailability of fulvestrant, the drug is currently administered via intramuscular injection of an oil-based fulvestrant formulation. The current commercial formulation of fulvestrant, FASLODEX®, is dosed at 500 mg and requires that two 5 mL injections of a 50 mg/mL fulvestrant formulation be administered intramuscularly. Each 5 mL injection contains 10% w/v alcohol, 10% w/v benzyl alcohol, and 15% w/v benzyl benzoate as co-solvents and made up to 100% w/v with castor oil as a further co-solvent and release rate modifier. Administration of the formulation is slow (1-2 minutes per injection) and painful, due to the viscous oil-based vehicle used to solubilize fulvestrant. A warning has been added to the FASLODEX® label concerning painful injections, sciatica, neuropathic pain, and peripheral neuropathy.
It has been previously reported (U.S. Pat. No. 6,774,122 to AstraZeneca) that intramuscular injections of fulvestrant in the form of an aqueous suspension were not suitable for use. Those suspensions resulted in extensive local tissue irritation at the injection site as well as a poor release profile due to the presence of fulvestrant in the form of solid particles. Furthermore, the fulvestrant release rate was reported as not clinically significant.
There is a need for fulvestrant formulations with improved dosing properties. The disclosure is directed to these and other important needs.

Fulvestrant formulations and methods of their use


The inventive sealing assembly designed to be set by longitudinal compression is mechanically energized, and comprises an elastomeric sealing element and a flexible member in intimate contact with the sealing element, a flexible portion of the flexible member having an expanded and a retracted position, wherein the flexible member is able to forcibly expand the sealing element when the flexible portion of the flexible member is expanded, and further wherein the flexible member is able to forcibly retract the sealing element when the flexible portion of the flexible member is retracted.. The flexible member preferably has a generally cylindrical shape and a plurality of longitudinal slots, and passes at least partially through the sealing element, such that the element covers both the outer and inner surface of the flexible member, as well as passing through the slots. The flexible section of the flexible member should also preferably have at least one outward axially bulging section which is in intimate contact with the sealing element, so that when the flexible member is compressed between the end surfaces, the bulging section flexes radially outwards.. The sealing element should preferably comprise a single unified piece of elastomer. The element can use garter springs or backup plates to help insure that it sets properly. The element can also be made up of fused portions of elastomers having different durometers.. A well tool and method which utilize the inventive device are also disclosed.

Elastomeric sealing assemblies are commonly used in oil and gas well downhole operations, to sealingly isolate a section of a flow bore, either in the tubing, or in the annulus between the tubing and the casing. For example, sealing assemblies are used with such downhole equipment as packers (which seal the annulus) and bridge plugs (which seal the tubing). Sealing assemblies seal by providing a solid ring of elastomer, known as a sealing element, that can extend from the setting tool to the inner wall of the flow bore, the inner wall acting as a setting surface.
Currently there are two main methods by which sealing assemblies are set. The first is by use of a propping sleeve, wherein the sealing element sits on a sleeve of varying diameter. While the tool is being run into the hole, the sealing element sits on a reduced diameter portion of the sleeve, so that the sealing element is retracted and does not interfere with the travel of the tool into the hole. Once the tool is in the proper position in the hole, the sealing assembly is set by forcibly sliding the sealing element onto a larger diameter portion of the sleeve. Expanded, the sealing element contacts the wall of the flow bore, preventing fluids from traveling through that flow bore. When the tool is to be released, the sealing element is moved back onto a smaller diameter portion of the sleeve.
The other method of setting a sealing assembly is by compression. For this method, the sealing assembly is positioned between two hard end surfaces. To set the sealing assembly, the end plates are moved towards each other, longitudinally compressing the sealing element, thereby forcing the element to expand radially outward towards the setting surface. To release the sealing assembly, the plates are moved back apart, and the sealing element hopefully relaxes and returns to an approximation of its original, smaller diameter shape.
Two problems have arisen and are associated with compressive sealing assemblies. First, to insure a complete and strong seal, the sealing element must uniformly and forcefully contact the sealing surface. In some cases, due to the radial outward distance the sealing element has to travel, it may not contact the sealing surface at all, or the entire perimeter of the sealing element may not contact the sealing surface. Also, if the sealing element has to travel a long radial distance to reach the sealing surface, the sealing element can distort and twist, causing an imperfect seal. Further, even if the sealing element reaches the sealing surface, it may not be pushed forcibly against the sealing surface, making it easier for leaks to develop when a sufficient pressure differential is experienced across the sealing element.
The second problem is that after the sealing element has been in its extended and set position for a sufficient length of time, the elastomer begins to permanently distort, such that when the end surfaces are moved back apart, the sealing element will retract little or not at all. The tool then becomes much more difficult to remove from the hole, as the sealing assembly tends to drag on the setting surface as well as hanging up in any reduced diameter portions of the flow bore.
Hence, what is needed is a compressive sealing assembly that can be forcefully and uniformly contacted against the sealing surface to preventing leaks, as well as being able to be forcefully retracted away from the sealing surface, to make removal of the tool easier.


A system for therapy of the eye by treating tissue with therapeutic radiation using nonlinear interaction. A laser device is provided, which delivers the therapeutic radiation. The therapeutic radiation is focussed by a focussing device in an image field, and xy scanners and z scanners shift the focus laterally and longitudinally within a treatment volume. The therapeutic radiation is either a second short pulse radiation or a first short pulse radiation, each of which have a spectral centroid within a wavelength range defined by the short pulse properties. The system is particularly corrected with regard to longitudinal chromatic aberrations and lateral chromatic aberrations such that the spectral characteristic curves of the two aberrations each have a local extreme within the wavelength ranges, and a certain tolerance within the wavelength ranges is not exceeded, therefore the characteristic curves are very shallow.

Examples for the application of systems for therapy of the eye are the laser-assisted refractive eye surgery or the laser-assisted cataract operation. In refractive eye surgery, cut surfaces, which isolate a volume and render the latter removable, are produced within the cornea by means of laser radiation. The volume is dimensioned such that its removal changes the corneal curvature such that a refractive error that previously existed is compensated. In the cataract operation, the natural lens of the eye, which has turned opaque, is replaced by an artificial intraocular lens (IOL). To this end, a hole is cut in the front side of the capsular bag of the lens of the eye. After a preceding fragmentation, the lens is removed through this hole and an artificial intraocular lens (IOL) is inserted. A cut is introduced into the cornea and/or sclera for the necessary access to the anterior chamber. Additionally, incisions, e.g., arcuate cuts, are possible on the cornea for the purposes of reducing a corneal astigmatism. Full or partial removal of the rear-side capsular bag may be required post surgery in the case of a so-called "secondary cataract". Here, the term "capsulotomy" is used for the introduction of cuts into the capsular bag (on the anterior and/or posterior side thereof). Here, short-pulse lasers are used, for example in order to "cut" eye tissue by means of photodisruption.
In order to obtain a treatment effect within a tissue by means of laser radiation, the laser radiation must also develop its interaction in the interior of the tissue. Therefore, laser radiation for which the tissue actually appears transparent is used in ophthalmology and an energy density that triggers a treatment effect is produced in a spatially strongly restricted focus. An optical breakdown, which is also referred to as photodisruption in the literature, often arises in the process. Usually, use is made of short-pulse laser radiation that is focused onto a tight focus. The focal dimension is an essential parameter. This also applies to the depth position and the depth extent of the focus. In conventional ablation techniques, both parameters have no relevance since said techniques carry out a layer-by-layer ablation at the surface of the material, i.e., do not act within the material.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,325,792 B1 proposes that pulses of a femtosecond laser are focused into the lens of the eye in order to cut open the capsular bag. U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,435 discloses the focusing of pulses of a short-pulse laser into the natural lens of the eye with a three-dimensional cut pattern in order to fragment the lens into fragments by the cuts and the subsequent bubble formation, and thereby liquefy the latter.
For the purposes of deflecting the femtosecond pulses, use is made, firstly, of stationary objectives and fast mirror scanners for the lateral x/y-deflection of the laser beam in the eye and slowly adjustable lenses for the z-deflection of the focal position along an optical axis of the eye. For instance, such systems are described in US 2006/195076 A1 or US 2009/131921 A1. Secondly, systems in which the objective is moved slowly in the lateral direction are also known, wherein use is made of a fast-moving lens for the z-deflection of the focus along the optical axis of the eye. Such a system carries out a so-called objective scan and is described in DE 102011085046 A1, for example.
Within the scope of therapy of the eye by way of focused pulses of a femtosecond laser, the focus must be imaged sharply over a certain depth adjustment range. In applications on the cornea of the eye, between 0.5 and 2 mm of focus travel have to be realized. In the application both on the lens of the eye and on the cornea, a focus travel of up to 15 mm is required.
Operation at two different wavelengths is desirable for many optical applications. For the purposes of treating tissue by nonlinear interaction with therapy radiation or for the purposes of observing eyes, applications with femtosecond pulses in either the infrared or the ultraviolet are known in eye care. In order to obtain an energy density required for nonlinear interaction or for high observation quality, primary chromatic aberrations (longitudinal chromatic aberration and the transverse chromatic aberration) must be corrected properly. Due to the short-pulse nature of radiation, correction is required not only for the centroid wavelength but also for a wavelength range that comes from the short-pulse nature. The edges of this wavelength range represent secondary wavelengths at which a good correction of the chromatic aberrations is still required. If chromatic aberrations are not removed, the fs-pulses are broadened when passing through optics and a power density in the focal volume that is required for a given application is not reached. In applications utilizing UV radiation, the centroid wavelength is 405 nm, for example, and the wavelength range extends from 400 nm to 410 nm. Conventional achromatization of a system at two wavelengths—i.e., for example, the secondary wavelengths 400 nm and 410 nm—leads to strong residual aberrations for wavelengths away from this spectral range (that is to say, e.g., at 1030 nm to 1050 nm). These residual aberrations come from characteristic dispersion of available technical glasses. Under certain circumstances, longitudinal chromatic aberrations and transverse chromatic aberrations can be corrected for a further wavelength (e.g., the first mid-wavelength of 1040 nm) by the use of so-called exotic special-purpose glasses with abnormal dispersion. Then, a correction is required at four wavelengths (superapochromatic correction), namely at 400 nm, 410 nm, 1030 nm and 1050 nm. In theory, this is theoretically possible by computing a complicated glass selection but implementable in practice with very high technical outlay only. The fact that both longitudinal and transverse chromatic aberrations have to be corrected simultaneously for the four wavelengths is also an obstacle to such conventional solution. In certain system sections, use of special-purpose glasses generates to a corrective effect for both aberrations; i.e., an employed special-purpose glass has a positive effect on both longitudinal and transverse chromatic aberration. However, after an intermediate image or after a pupil plane, the effect on the transverse chromatic aberration reverses, and so, up to the next intermediate image or up to the next pupil plane, the employed special-purpose glasses disturb the correction for one of the two aberrations. This leads to further complications if the corrective effect has already been used up in the first-mentioned system section. An alternative solution to the problem would lie in a replacement of the entire optical system (pivoting optical unit) if the operation at the different wavelength ranges needs not to be implemented simultaneously. This demands much outlay in terms of mechanisms and optical units.
Particularly in the case of scanning systems, which laterally displace the focus within an image field, transverse chromatic aberrations are particularly bothersome as they depend on the image height which is caused by the lateral deflection of the scanner in a scanning system.

System for therapy of the eye by treating tissue using non-linear interaction


An apparatus for dispensing an adhesive generally comprises a dispensing module, a liquid supply component configured to supply the adhesive to the dispensing module, and an attachment system. The attachment system includes a stationary component and an attachment member pivotally coupled to the stationary component. The attachment member is configured to apply a clamping force to the dispensing module to couple the dispensing module to the liquid supply component.

A typical apparatus for dispensing a heated liquid, such as hot melt adhesive, generally includes a dispensing gun or module having a valve element that opens and closes a dispensing outlet. The valve element is positioned within a passage supplied with pressurized liquid and contacts a valve seat to prevent the heated liquid from flowing to the outlet. To dispense the heated liquid, an actuator, such as an electrically and/or pneumatically operated actuator, causes the valve element to move away from the valve seat and allows the heated liquid to flow from the passage to the outlet. A biasing mechanism, such as a spring, or the same actuator may then cause the valve element to move back toward the valve seat to close the outlet.
The dispensing module typically receives the heated liquid from a liquid supply component, such as a manifold. For example, a manifold may be coupled to both a source of the liquid adhesive and an inlet of the dispensing module. The heated liquid flows through various internal passageways within the manifold before reaching the inlet of the dispensing module. Because the dispensing module and manifold are separate components, they must typically be coupled together in a secure manner to prevent leakage.
One method for coupling the dispensing module to the manifold uses conventional fasteners. For example, one or more screws may be inserted through the dispensing module to engage threaded holes tapped into the manifold. The screws are tightened (i.e., placed in tension) until the dispensing module is pressed against the manifold with sufficient force to maintain a seal between an outlet of the manifold and the inlet of the dispensing module.
In some liquid dispensers, several factors can make the use of screws and other conventional fasteners challenging. For example, a heater within the manifold typically creates an environment of relatively high temperatures. The forces required to effectively couple the dispensing module to the manifold may exceed the pullout strength of the screws at such relatively high temperatures. As a result, tightening the screws to secure the dispensing module may lead to failure of the screw threads, failure of the threads in the tapped hole of the manifold, or both.
Another factor that can make the use of screws and other conventional fasteners challenging relates to the space required to accommodate the screws. Both the dispensing module and manifold include internal passages for the heated liquid that should be avoided by the screws. Because of the limited space available for the screws, the size of the screws themselves is typically limited. Smaller screws have lower resistance to failure than larger screws. As a result, a greater number of smaller screws may be required to press the dispensing module against the manifold with the same amount of force that would be applied if larger screws were used. Finding the space to accommodate more screws can be difficult due to the space limitations discussed above.
Moreover, in some liquid dispensers, the manifold further includes a piston or piston assembly that actuates a pivot arm connected the valve element within the dispensing module. Examples of such heated liquid dispensers assigned to the assignee of the present invention are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2005/0236438 and 2006/0097010 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/865,886, the disclosures of which are fully incorporated herein by reference. The additional passages needed to accommodate the piston and pivot arm, along with the relatively small thicknesses associated with these dispensers, may make it even more difficult to accommodate screws or other conventional fasteners.
Therefore, new devices and methods for coupling a dispensing module to a liquid supply component, such as a manifold, are highly desirable.

Liquid dispensing apparatus including an attachment member


An internal combustion engine control device for, in a lean-burn internal combustion engine provided with a three-way catalyst and a lean NOx catalyst in an exhaust system, optimizing an air/fuel ratio in a rich mode from the viewpoints of both better fuel economy and exhaust emission control when NOx having been stored in a lean NOx catalyst during a lean operation is desorbed and cleaned by switching to a rich operation.

Recently, against the background of worldwide efforts addressing the problems of global warming and energy, development of internal combustion engines with lower fuel consumption has been demanded in the field of vehicles as well, including automobiles and others. The most notable example is a lean-burn internal combustion engine. In particular, a direct injection internal combustion engine is more effective in reducing fuel consumption than the known intake-port injection internal combustion engine, because the former engine enables combustion to be performed at an air/fuel ratio of not less than 40 by directly injecting fuel in a cylinder to produce a stratified air-fuel mixture.
On the other hand, against recognition of environmental problems such as air pollution, development of internal combustion engines with low-pollution exhaust gases has also been demanded and specific exhaust emission control has been legislated in various countries over the world at standards becoming severer year by year. Because a three-way catalyst cannot clean NOx discharged from the internal combustion engine during a lean operation, the lean-burn internal combustion engine generally includes a lean NOx catalyst to clean NOx during the lean operation.
During the lean operation of the internal combustion engine, i.e., in an oxidizing atmosphere, the lean NOx catalyst stores NOx and oxidizes and cleans HC, CO. Also, to clean the stored NOx, the lean NOx catalyst has the function of desorbing the stored NOx and causing oxidation-reduction reactions between the NOx and a reductant (H2, CO and HC) discharged from the internal combustion engine when the internal combustion engine is operated in a mode of rich operation, i.e., in a reducing atmosphere.
That rich operation of the internal combustion engine is generally called a rich spike or rich spike control. During the rich spike, there occur not only deterioration of fuel economy, but also deterioration in cleaning of exhaust emissions if the oxidation-reduction reactions between the stored NOx and CO, HC discharged from the internal combustion engine are insufficient. It is therefore required to optimize a rich spike control process applied to the lean NOx catalyst from the viewpoints of both better fuel economy and improved cleaning of the exhaust emissions.
On the other hand, to be adapted for exhaust emission control legislated at standards becoming severer, as mentioned above, it has also become popular in the lean-burn internal combustion engine to separately dispose a three-way catalyst in addition to the lean NOx catalyst for the purposes of reducing the exhaust emissions at the startup and reducing the exhaust emissions during a stoichiometric operation.
The three-way catalyst is generally loaded with precious metals, i.e., Pd, Pt and Rh, and an oxygen storing agent, represented by Ce, with intent to increase cleaning efficiency during the stoichiometric operation. The oxygen storing agent has the function of storing oxygen in an oxidizing atmosphere and releasing the stored oxygen in a reducing atmosphere, and it serves to suppress deterioration in cleaning of the exhaust emissions by moderating a shift of the air/fuel ratio from the stoichiometric ratio within the three-way catalyst.
However, when the three-way catalyst is applied to the lean-burn internal combustion engine, oxygen is stored in the three-way catalyst during the lean operation. For example, in the case of the three-way catalyst being arranged upstream and the lean NOx catalyst being arranged downstream, therefore, the oxygen stored in the upstream three-way catalyst is released and oxidizes the reductant discharged from the internal combustion engine during the rich spike. For that reason, to introduce reducing gases to the lean NOx catalyst, the oxygen stored in the upstream three-way catalyst must be consumed.
In other words, the process of the rich spike is divided into two, i.e., a process of desorbing O2 stored in the three-way catalyst and a process of desorbing and cleaning the NOx stored in the lean NOx catalyst. As described later in detail, the inventors have conducted experiments on the rich spike in those two processes from the viewpoints of reducing a fuel consumption and improving the cleaning efficiency of the exhaust emissions, and have found that the optimum air/fuel ratio differs between those two processes. As described later, such finding, i.e., a difference in the optimum air/fuel ratio during the rich spike, depends on characteristics of the three-way catalyst and the lean NOx catalyst.
JP-A-2001-132440 as one example of the prior art discloses a technique of arranging a three-way catalyst in the upstream side, arranging a NOx-occluding and reducing catalyst in the downstream side, and setting a time for holding a stoichiometric state in the three-way catalyst after a rich spike to be not longer than 1 s. This technique focuses attention on an oxygen storing and desorbing characteristic of the upstream three-way catalyst and is intended to reduce NOx by effectively supplying a reductant to the downstream NOx catalyst when an operation mode is changed from rich to lean after the end of the rich spike. Stated another way, the disclosed technique is not intended to provide an optimum air/fuel ratio in each of the process of desorbing the oxygen stored in the three-way catalyst and the process of desorbing and cleaning the NOx stored in the lean NOx catalyst during the rich spike from the viewpoints of both better fuel economy and improved cleaning of the exhaust emissions.
Further, JP-A-2002-70611 discloses a technique of supplying a reductant in larger amount as the amount of oxygen stored in a three-way catalyst and a lean NOx catalyst increases. This technique is intended to optimize the spike time with attention focused on the need of a reductant to consume the stored oxygen. Stated another way, the disclosed technique is not intended to optimize the air/fuel ratio in the process of desorbing the oxygen stored in the three-way catalyst and the air/fuel ratio in the process of desorbing and cleaning the NOx stored in the lean NOx catalyst.
Still further, JP-A-2002-13414 discloses a technique of, in an internal combustion engine including a three-way catalyst and a NOx catalyst, supplying a reductant for desorbing NOx stored in the NOx catalyst and a reductant for cleaning the desorbed NOx in an independently controllable manner. However, this disclosed technique is also not intended to optimize the air/fuel ratio in the process of desorbing the oxygen stored in the three-way catalyst and the air/fuel ratio in the process of desorbing and cleaning the NOx stored in the lean NOx catalyst.
Thus, any of the techniques disclosed in the above-cited laid-open publications is not intended to optimize the air/fuel ratio in the process of desorbing the oxygen stored in the three-way catalyst and the air/fuel ratio in the process of desorbing and cleaning the NOx stored in the lean NOx catalyst from the viewpoints of both improved cleaning of the exhaust emissions and better fuel economy.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems in the art, and its object is to provide an internal combustion engine control device for, in a lean-burn direct-injection internal combustion engine provided with an exhaust emission cleaner including a three-way catalyst and a lean NOx catalyst, optimizing an air/fuel ratio during a rich spike from the viewpoints of both better fuel economy and improved cleaning of exhaust emissions.

Combination of selected opioids with other active substances for use in the therapy of urinary incontinence

Abstract: An internal combustion engine control device for controlling an air/fuel ratio during the rich operation to be changed between a period of desorbing O2 stored in the three-way catalyst and a period of desorbing and cleaning NOx stored in the lean NOx catalyst.


Mounting systems can couple a remote control to a wall, such as a wall of a television. In some embodiments, an adhesive couples the mounting system to the wall. The mounting system can include a clamp configured to secure a cable that charges the remote control. Sliding the remote control into the mounting system can couple the remote control to the cable.

Field
Various embodiments disclosed herein relate to mounting systems and mounting methods. Certain embodiments relate to mounting systems for electronic devices such as remote controls.
Description of Related Art
Mounting systems can be used to couple electronic devices such as remote controls to a wall. There is a need for systems and methods to reliably mount electronic devices to diverse types of walls and surfaces.


A system can include a gateway, a plurality of network function nodes, and a distributed load balancer including load balancer nodes each having a flow table portion stored thereon. The load balancer nodes can form a node chain having a tail and head nodes. A load balancer node can receive a packet from the gateway. In response, the load balancer node can generate a query, directed to the tail node, that identifies the packet and a network function identifier associated with a network function node that is proposed to handle a connection. The tail node can determine whether an entry for the connection exists in a flow table portion associated with the tail node. If not, the tail node can initiate an insert request for writing the entry for the connection via the head node. The entry can then be written to all load balancer nodes in the node chain.

Network data plane hardware and software can be characterized as either stateful or stateless. A network function may be referred to as being "stateful" if the network function maintains a state associated with an individual data flow such as, for example, a connection established using transmission control protocol ("a TCP connection"). A stateful network function such as, for example, a load balancer or a firewall, must observe all packets of single data flow in both forward and reverse directions to ensure that the function will operate correctly. Thus, stateful elements require flow affinity to be preserved. Preserving flow affinity, however, can be difficult in a distributed and/or elastically scaled computing environment.
A stateless network function that replaces a distributed stateful function may not preserve flow affinity in both directions of the data flow. Similarly, if a stateless network function is replaced with a stateful network function, flow affinity in the forward direction may be disrupted when a network function is added or removed. Moreover, scaling of stateful network functions (e.g., introducing a new instance of a stateful network function) can disrupt flows and/or flow affinity. Thus, one challenge in distributed computing environments is the task of interconnecting stateless and stateful network functions in a manner that preserves data flow affinity. With the growing trend of virtualizing stateful network functions such as, for example, load balancers, firewalls, network address translation ("NAT") devices, and the like, this challenge can be more pronounced. Stateful virtual network functions may be required to operate, communicate, and/or otherwise interact with stateless networking devices and/or hardware, and there may be no way to preserve flow affinity in such environments.
A gateway or other centralized device can store a flow table. A flow table can include entries for each flow path (e.g., keyed on a hash value generated based on packet headers). Such a flow table can require an entry for each flow and therefore can be large and expensive (in terms of resource usage) to maintain and/or query. Thus, the use of centralized flow tables can be inefficient and may not be practical for distributed computing environments.

Seamless reconfiguration of distributed stateful network functions


The receiving apparatus retains a split signal, which is obtained by splitting a predetermined signal, in a split signal storing unit. When the receiving apparatus receives a retransmission signal from among split signals stored in the split signal storing unit, the receiving apparatus controls a split signal, for which an error checking result does not indicate an error, such that the split signal is not updated, but controls a split signal, for which the error checking result indicates an error, such that the split signal is updated to a signal created by combining the predetermined signal and the retransmission signal.

A known hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) is the standard of a packet retransmission process performed between base stations and mobile terminals. A HARQ is used in, for example, Long Term Evolution (LTE), which is a standard set by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). In the following, transmitters and receiving apparatuses used in a mobile communication system that conform to LTE will be described.
In mobile communication systems that conform to LTE, a transmitter adds an error detection code to data to be transmitted. Furthermore, the transmitter splits the data if the size of the subject data is greater than a predetermined size. In the description below, the split data is sometimes referred to as a "code block". After the transmitter adds, for each code block, the error detection code, the transmitter encodes the code blocks and adds a redundancy code to them. Then, the transmitter couples the encoded code blocks. And then, the transmitter performs, for example, a modulation process on the coupled data stream and transmits the modulated signal to the outside. In the description below, the data to be transmitted by the transmitter is sometimes referred to as a "transport block".
One of the reasons for splitting the transport blocks is that the memory size used by encoders or decoders increases as the size of data to be encoded increases. Accordingly, in general, the size of the data to be encoded is sometimes limited with aim of suppressing any increase in memory size. For example, with LTE, if a turbo code is used as a redundancy code, the upper limit of the size of the data to be encoded is determined to be 6,144 bits.
Furthermore, in mobile communication systems that conform to LTE, if a signal received from the transmitter is greater than a predetermined size, a receiving apparatus splits the received signal into a code block. At this time, the receiving apparatus retains the signal that has been split (hereinafter, referred to as a "split signal") in a predetermined buffer. In the description below, the split signal that is retained in the predetermined buffer described above is sometimes referred to as a "retained signal".
Then, the receiving apparatus performs error correction or decoding on the retained signal and performs error checking on code blocks that are created by the decoding. Then, the receiving apparatus couples the code blocks to create transport blocks and performs the error checking on the transport blocks. If the receiving apparatus detects an error in a transport block, the receiving apparatus sends a request to the transmitter to retransmit the signal. Specifically, the receiving apparatus sends the retransmission request in transport block units. In the description below, if a signal is transmitted to a predetermined signal, the predetermined signal is sometimes referred to as a "retransmission source signal" and the signal that is retransmitted is sometimes referred to as a "retransmission signal".
Furthermore, if the receiving apparatus receives a retransmission signal, the receiving apparatus uses maximum ratio combining to combine the split signal, which is obtained by splitting the retransmission signal, and the retained signal, which is retained in the predetermined buffer. At this time, the receiving apparatus overwrites the combined signal, which is created by being subjected to the maximum ratio combining, in the predetermined buffer. Accordingly, if the receiving apparatus receives the retransmission signal, the combined signal becomes the new retained signal. Then, the receiving apparatus performs error correction, decoding, or error checking on the retained signal subjected to the maximum ratio combining and couples the code blocks that are created by the decoding. Then, the receiving apparatus performs the error checking on the coupled transport blocks. If the receiving apparatus detects an error, the receiving apparatus again sends a request to retransmit the signal to the transmitter.
As described above, because a mobile communication system, such as an LTE mobile communication system, that uses a HARQ uses maximum ratio combining to combine the retransmission signal and the retained signal, the signal to noise ratio (SNR) is high.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2003-008553
Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2008-067171
Patent Document 3: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2002-111637
However, in the conventional technology described above, there is a problem in that the throughput of the system decreases. In the following, the problem will be described.
The mobile communication systems of the conventional technology described above that use a HARQ perform a retransmission process on signals in transport block units. When the receiving apparatus receives a retransmission signal, the receiving apparatus uses maximum ratio combining to combine the retained signal and the retransmission signal even if an error is not detected in the retained signal. Accordingly, if the receiving apparatus receives, for example, a retransmission signal that contains an error, the receiving apparatus may possibly use the maximum ratio combining to combine the retained signal, in which an error has not been detected, and the retransmission signal, which contains an error. If a signal subjected to the maximum ratio combining in this way contains an error, the receiving apparatus detects an error at the time of error checking performed on a transport block and again sends a request to retransmit the signal to the transmitter. Specifically, the receiving apparatus may possibly send the request to retransmit the signal because the retransmission signal contains an error even though the retained signal does not contain an error. Accordingly, with the conventional mobile communication system described above, throughput may decrease.
To solve the above problem, it is conceivable to perform a retransmission process for each code block; however, with such a method, because the number of retransmission requests transmitted from the receiving apparatus increases, throughput consequently decreases.

Receiving apparatus, receiving method, and non-transitory computer readable storage medium


A method, a network element, and a network include determining an authentication mechanism between two nodes in a network path; operating the network path; performing connectivity check between the two nodes in the network path; and authenticating specific frames in the connectivity check between the two nodes with the authentication mechanism responsive to the specific frames affecting a state of the network path. The frames can be Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD), Continuity Check Messages (CCMs), etc. Advantageously, the method, network element, and network reduce the computational load of providing authentication while maintaining secure authentication for important frames, i.e., ones that affect the state of the network path.

In pure Layer 2 and Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) networks (which is Layer 2+ or sometimes referred to as Layer 2.5), continuity techniques exist for detecting failures or implementing other changes in the data path. The Internet Architecture Board (IAB) describes an attack on the core routing infrastructure as an ideal attack that would inflict the greatest amount of damage. It recommends that live connectivity protocols protect their frames from third party intrusion attempts by authenticating all of them. However, trying to authenticate these frames is very resource consuming. Most conventional systems have no support for cryptography in the data path. Moreover, performing integrity check on each and every continuity frame is expensive, both from a resource and time perspective. It eliminates implementation of the solution in software. Implementation of the solution in hardware would require for cryptography in hardware which will make the solution expensive and not compatible with currently deployed systems. Continuity techniques such as BFD and CCMs require message transmission at a high frequency (e.g., 3.3 ms, etc.) to detect the failure of the network path. RFC 6862, "Keying and Authentication for Routing Protocols (KARP) Overview, Threats, and Requirements," (March 2013), the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein, states that BFD protocol needs be protected from replay attacks and that an integrity check associated with a message fails if an attacker tries to replay the message with a different origin.
Performing the computation of the hash for an integrity check therefore has to be performed in software even when hardware is used for live connectivity verification. This is simply a high cost and complexity of implementation without adding to the sanctity of the connection.

Integrity check optimization systems and methods in live connectivity frames


A method and a protection switching arrangement for protection switching of any one of a plurality of optical signals of a multi-wavelength optical signal from the failure of an optical component is provided. The multi-wavelength optical signal which contains the optical signals is itself rerouted by the use of wavelength agnostic rerouting elements, after which a tunable optical filter is used to obtain from the multi-wavelength optical signal the particular optical signal which would have been affected by the failure. In embodiments of the invention where the failed component is a switching fabric, the multi-wavelength optical signal is rerouted away from the failed switching fabric through a redundant switching fabric after which the particular optical signal is obtained with use of the tunable optical filter.

The facilitation of optical protection is an important aspect in any optical network. If protection is not provided, optical signals and the data they carry can be vulnerable to subsystem failure, component failure, or otherwise any breakdown of the physical path traversed by the optical signals. Loss of data and degradation of service are just some of the problems associated with these types of failures. In order to provide some protection in the event of a failure, optical protection in the form of optical protection switching to reroute optical signals around a failed optical physical path may be employed.
As with any part of the optical network, optical protection is an important part of an optical switching system, and more so as WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexed) systems utilize increasingly larger numbers of optical channels. Due to the multichannel nature of the components within the network, the failure of a single component has the potential to effect a large number of different channels at the same time.
A typical photonic-switched wavelength-grooming network node consists of a set of photonic line cards and a set of photonic switching fabric cards. Photonic switching fabric cards often comprise an array of 2D or 3D MEMS (Micro-Electro Mechanical Systems) optical switches that perform the optical switching of the node. MEMS optical switches are most commonly derived from micro-mirror technology but may be derived from liquid crystal technology, liquid drop technology, bubble technology, or any one of a number of other optical signal redirecting technologies. Due to the possibility of switching element misalignment or switching element failure within a MEMS switching fabric, to protect the system against failure, a mechanism for re-routing optical signals from the normal switching fabric to a redundant switching fabric has been developed.
Co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/726,027 describes such a protection switching system in which a MEMS micro-mirror photonic switch chip provides protection of photonic switch fabric cards by rerouting optical signals to a redundant switch fabric.
Generally, there are at least two distinct types of photonic line cards for use with a photonic node, a trunk type and a tributary type.
A photonic trunk line card has an ingress side, into which light of multiple wavelengths comes from the network fiber, passes through an optical amplifier, is demultiplexed and each wavelength sent to a respective photonic switching fabric card. Variable optical attenuators (VOAs), optical taps, optical monitors and optical supervisory channel (OSC) functions are added as required. Similar and complementary functions (typically including multiplexing) are present on the egress side of each photonic trunk line card, from which the light exits and proceeds into the network fiber. It should be noted that there are many ways in which a photonic trunk line card may be partitioned so that it is capable of servicing one or more network fibers each carrying one or more wavelengths. As is proposed in U.S. application Ser. No. 09/726,027, photonic switches built using MEMS arrays are utilized in the trunk cards to provide a redundant optical path to a redundant switch fabric card, so that in the event that an initially designated switch card of the system fails and needs to be protected, the protection module of the trunk card (via MEMS based switches) provides the redundant optical path to a redundant switch fabric card.
A photonic tributary line card is similar to a photonic trunk line card, except that it handles several network fibers, with each network fiber carrying only one single wavelength channel optical signal, and hence no demultiplexing or multiplexing function is required. For the purposes of this document a single channel optical signal centered on a wavelength λ is denoted by the center wavelength λ. Each optical signal, before it is sent to a photonic switch fabric card, may pass through a protection switch as described, for example, in Co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 09/726,027, and can be rerouted to a redundant photonic switch card if required.
A switching arrangement generally can include diverse assortments of ingress cards (ingress trunk line cards and ingress tributary cards) on the ingress side of a switching fabric and diverse assortments of egress cards (egress trunk line cards and egress tributary cards) on the egress side of the switching fabric, in which optical signals may be switched from any ingress card to any egress card as required.

Protection architecture for photonic switch using tunable optical filter


A friction welding process providing a workpiece having a weld surface, and a second workpiece having a weld surface. The workpieces being welded together at respective weld surfaces. Oscillatory motion is affected to the workpieces such that one weld surface moves across the other, thereby raising the temperature at the weld surfaces to create a weld interface. The oscillatory motion is ceased and the weld surfaces cool to weld the workpieces together at the interface. The workpiece has an extending portion, and the weld surface is provided on the extending portion. The extending portion includes an apex region, which engages the second workpiece's weld surface. A side face extends from the apex region to provide a gap between the side face and the second workpiece's weld surface. The gap allows weld flash material to pass from the weld interface through said gap.

Linear friction welding is the process for welding together two bodies or workpieces by converting mechanical energy to heat energy by the friction between the engaging weld surfaces of the two workpieces. The process involves effecting relative linear motion between the two workpieces while the weld surfaces remain in engagement with each other.
Linear friction welding in a normal atmosphere results in the formation of atmospheric reaction products due to the high temperatures. Additionally, surface contamination of the weld interfaces can also give rise to weld anomalies. Due to the flow regimes of the flash material between the two workpieces during the reciprocating motion of linear friction welding, the weld contamination may not be expelled from the weld zone by the flash material flow. At high levels of weld contamination, there may be a reduction in weld strength and life and cause the welded product to fail the quality standards required by high integrity joints.


The present invention relates to the implementation of a new method for manufacturing solid dosage forms for oral administration comprising poorly water soluble active ingredients which overcomes the associated solubility problems and affords improved dissolution profile.

The oral route is the most preferable route of active ingredient administration because of several benefits, such as better patient compliance, safety and versatility. Therefore, a vast number of active ingredients is formulated in oral pharmaceutical dosage forms and mostly as solid pharmaceutical preparations, e.g. tablets, chewable tablets, capsules.
Nevertheless, there are some obstacles and difficulties when developing solid forms for oral administration, as many active pharmaceutical ingredients exhibit a low solubility in aqueous fluids which leads to decreased dissolution rate and limited therapeutic effect.
The aqueous solubility of an active ingredient is one of the most important physicochemical properties as low aqueous solubility and low dissolution rate can reduce the active ingredient absorption in the gastro-intestinal tract. Low active ingredient solubility also directs to decreased bioavailability, increased chance of food effect, more frequent incomplete release from the dosage form and higher interpatient variability.
Poorly water soluble active ingredients, namely compounds having solubility in water below 0.1 mg/ml, consist a large majority of the pharmaceutical active ingredients, thereby limiting their potential uses and increasing the difficulty of formulating bioavailable pharmaceutical products. In this category, disclosed are active ingredients such as Atorvastatin, Leflunomide, Raloxifene and Tadalafil.
Poorly soluble active ingredients have stimulated the development of active ingredient delivery technologies to overcome the obstacles to their solubilization through either chemical or mechanical modification of the environment surrounding the active ingredient molecule, or physically altering the macromolecular characteristics of aggregated active ingredient particles. These technologies include both traditional methods of solubility enhancement, such as particle size reduction, addition of surfactants and inclusion in cyclodextrin-active ingredient complexes, and the use of more novel mechanisms such as self-emulsifying systems, micronisation via nanoparticles, pH adjustment and salting-in processes.
Various methods are already known for the industrial preparation of dosage forms for oral administration comprising active pharmaceutical ingredients having low solubility. However, the prior art has encountered substantial difficulties in the production of oral solid formulations of a desirable bioavailability because of the very poor solubility of said active ingredient.
US-A-2006/068010 relates to a method for improving bioavailability of a low solubility active ingredient comprising orally administering a tablet or capsule comprising granules of said active ingredient with at least one amino acid and at least one intra-granular hydrophilic polymer, an immediate release excipient or a sustained release excipient.
WO-A-2005/041929 claims a solid oral dosage form comprising an active ingredient, a solubilizer and a release modulator, wherein the release of the active ingredient and solubilizer are synchronized.
Although each of the patents above represents an attempt to provide solid dosage forms for oral administration comprising poorly water soluble active ingredients, which overcome the related problems of low aqueous solubility and bioavailability of said active ingredient, there still exists the need for a simple, easy to operate and low-cost innovative process for formulating such active ingredients.

Method for improving the bioavailability of low aqueous solubility drugs


An arrangement for making gas spectroscopic measurements includes a laser diode driven by a modulated control current, a monitor diode, a detector unit for receiving a measurement signal of the transmitted radiation and a lock-in amplifier. The method utilizing the above arrangement is improved in that the offset component in the output signal of the lock-in amplifier is eliminated. This is achieved in that the radiation power of the laser diode is controlled to a pregiven modulation profile with the monitor diode functioning as an actual-value transducer.

A method of the kind referred to above is disclosed in the article entitled "Measurement of gaseous oxygen using diode laser spectroscopy" in Applied Physics Letters, Volume 51, No. 18, Nov. 2, 1987, pages 1465 to 1467. The method refers to the gas spectroscopic measurement of oxygen concentrations on the basis of radiation absorption in the wavelength range of 760 to 770 nanometers. A laser diode with a monitor diode of type ML-4405 is used as a radiation source and has a wavelength range of 759 to 764 nanometers. The laser diode is supplied by a control current which is composed of a direct-current component and an alternating-current component having a frequency of 5 KHz. The operating point of the laser diode is adjusted with the direct-current component of the control current; whereas, the alternating-current component effects a periodic unbalance in the region of the absorption line. A sinusoidal-shaped curve trace is selected as the alternating current in order to drive the laser diode as harmonic free as possible. The laser diode and the monitor diode are mounted as a block on a temperature-controlled surface. The temperature of the surface brings the laser diode to one of the known absorption lines of oxygen.
The radiation emitted by the laser diode impinges on a detector unit after this radiation has passed through the gas to be investigated. The detector unit is connected to an evaluation circuit. The evaluation circuit includes essentially a lock-in amplifier having a signal input to which the measurement signal of the detector unit is applied and a reference input to which a signal voltage is applied having twice the frequency of the drive of the laser diode. Furthermore, the evaluation circuit includes a differential amplifier which likewise is connected to the measurement signal of the detector unit and receives a signal of the laser diode from the monitor diode which is proportional to the radiation power.
The output voltage of the differential amplifier corresponds to the absorption line for the measured oxygen concentration. The second derivative of the absorption line corresponds to the output signal of the lock-in amplifier. Since the absorption line is weakly pronounced especially for oxygen, this second derivative is utilized for the concentration measurement. The maximum amplitude of the output signal of the lock-in amplifier is approximately proportional to the partial pressure of the oxygen.
In the known method, it is disadvantageous that harmonic components from the current modulation of the laser diode occur because a non-linear relationship exists between the supplied radiation power and the control current of the laser diode. This non-linearity furthermore changes with the duration that the laser diode is used and effects an offset component in the output signal of the lock-in amplifier. In order to carry out a measurement, this offset, which is also dependent upon time, must be compensated by making an adjustment with a reference gas of known concentration. This is complex and affects the possibilities of utilizing a measuring system of this kind.
Published European patent application 0,183,761 discloses a photometric measuring arrangement wherein the radiation emanating from a measuring cell and from a reference measuring cell are received by separate detectors and the measurement signals of the detectors are supplied to an evaluation circuit. The detectors are additionally irradiated by a reference light source having modulated light whereby a second measuring signal is produced. The second measuring signal is, on the one hand, applied for making the detectors symmetrical in that the amplifier component of a detector is automatically tracked and, on the other hand, for adjusting the static radiation power of the reference light source. The radiation power of the reference light source is referred to a constant reference voltage source. The closed-loop control of the radiation power to a pregiven modulation profile is however not disclosed in this published European patent application.

Method and arrangement for spectroscopically measuring the concentration of a component of a gas sample