A liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCOS) panel includes a wafer having bond pads thereon, a liquid crystal layer, and a conductive layer. The panel carrier for the LCOS panel includes a conductive-layer electrode for electrically connecting the conductive layer to a printed circuit assembly (PCA), address electrodes for electrically connecting the bond pads to the PCA, and a cavity for holding the LCOS panel. The cavity includes a conductive pad for electrically connecting the conductive layer to the conductive-layer electrode, and bond-pad electrodes for electrically connecting each bond pad to a respective address electrode. A method for electrically connecting an LCOS panel to a panel carrier includes a step of electrically connecting each bond pad to a respective address electrode, and a step of electrically connecting the conductive layer to the conductive pad.

This invention relates to the manufacture of liquid-crystal-on-silicon (LCOS) displays, and particularly, reducing the process flow for their manufacturing.
LCOS displays are used in consumer electronics, such as hand-held projectors and near-eye displays, and also have applications in optical communications technologies. LCOS displays include an LCOS panel that contains a pixel array formed on a semiconductor wafer. A packaged LCOS panel includes a means to individually address each pixel within the pixel array. Pixel addressing requires electrically connecting bond pads on the wafer to a signal source—typically through a flexible printed circuit array (FPCA). Conventional LCOS packaging employs wire bonding to connect the bonds pads to the FPCA. Wire bonding's fragility and labor-intensive connection process makes wire bonding a significant cost driver.

Panel carrier for a liquid crystal on silicon panel and method for electrically interconnecting same


In a drive circuit of a half-bridge inverter circuit, a stable operation cannot be performed at a start-up time and a problem exists such that if a high side output signal is first outputted, main switching elements and are simultaneously turned on. In the present invention, a start-up circuit comprising a latch circuit and a gate circuit are provided, the latch circuit is set while prioritizing a low-side signal, and a low-side output signal is always first made high level, thereby realizing a half-bridge inverter circuit which can start up wit a stability.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a half-bridge inverter circuit and, in particular, to a half-bridge inverter circuit to which a load driven at a high voltage is connected.
2. Description of the Related Art
A configuration of a half-bridge inverter circuit for lighting is shown in FIG. 1. Q1 and Q2 denote main switching elements, each including a power MOSFET. D1 and D2 are resonance current-commutating diodes, each including a parasitic diode between the drain and source of the power MOSFET. In a ballast circuit, L denotes a resonance reactor, C1 denotes a direct current component-cutting capacitor, C2 denotes a filament-preheating capacitor, and a circuit configuration is provided such that a fluorescent lamp 3 is connected in parallel with the filament-preheating capacitor C2.
FIG. 2 shows operating waveforms when the lamp of the circuit of FIG. 1 is on. VGS1 and VGS2 denote gate-source voltages of the main switching elements Q1 and Q2, respectively. During operation, the main switching elements Q1 and Q2 are alternately repeatedly turned on and off, and in order to prevent the main switching elements Q1 and Q2 from simultaneously being turned on, dead time periods, during which both main switching elements Q1 and Q2 are off, are provided.
The high-side main switching element Q1 is turned on when VGS1 becomes high and a drain current shown by ID1 flows. Thereby, a square wave voltage is applied to the ballast circuit composed of L, C1, C2 and fluorescent lamp 3, and a sine wave-shaped ballast current I1 flows. The ballast current I1 when the lamp is on is a composite current formed of a filament current I2 and a lamp current I3.
The low-side main switching element Q2 is turned on when VGS2 becomes high and a drain current ID2 flows. When that happens, energy which has been accumulated in the ballast circuit is discharged and the ballast current I1, the filament current 12, and the lamp current 13 decrease in the negative direction.
In an ordinary half-bridge inverter circuit, operations are carried out at a frequency in a delayed phase band which is higher than a resonance frequency. Accordingly, since the ballast current I1 can be changed by a switching frequency of the main switching elements Q1 and Q2, it becomes possible to adjust brightness.
Referring to FIG. 1, an input signal from a control circuit 1 is converted to appointed drive signals (for example, VGS1 and VGS2) at a drive circuit 2, whereby the main switching elements Q1 and Q2 are driven.
A detailed circuit block of this drive circuit 2 is shown in FIG. 6. This drive circuit 2 includes a signal input circuit 21, dead time control circuits 22 and 23 which perform dead time control on the high side and the low side, respectively, a pulse generating circuit 24, a level shifting circuit 25, a pulse filter circuit 26, a latch circuit including an RS flip-flop circuit 27, and output circuits 28 and 29 which supply drive signals HO and LO for driving the main switching elements Q1 and Q2 on the high side and the low side.
In such a drive circuit 2, an output signal from the control circuit 1 is shaped by the signal input circuit 21, then inputted into the dead time control circuits 22 and 23 which perform dead time control on the high side and the low side, and as shown in FIG. 7, a high-side output signal HO, which is delayed from the input signal (output signal from the control circuit 1), and a low-side output signal LO, which falls before the high-side output signal HO rises, are formed. For the high-side output signal HO and the low-side output signal LO, dead time periods are provided during which both become low level so that the main switching elements Q1 and Q2 are not simultaneously turned on.
In the drive circuit 2 on the high side, since the main switching element Q1 is driven at a voltage of approximately 600V, it is necessary to form a drive signal VGS1 by shifting the high-side output signal HO to a high voltage of approximately 600V. An output signal PGIN from the dead time control circuit 22 is inputted into the pulse generating circuit 24 and a set output signal OUT (Set) and a reset output signal OUT (Reset) are outputted therefrom. These signals are inputted into the subsequent level shifting circuit 25 for shifting to a high voltage and converted to a high-voltage set output signal OUT (Set) and a high-voltage reset output signal (Reset). These signals allow signals of a predetermined pulse width or longer to pass through the pass filter circuit 26, thereby setting and resetting the latch circuit 27, and a high side output signal HO is outputted from the output circuit 28, thereby driving the main switching element Q1 on the high side.
In such a half-bridge inverter circuit, in order to prevent the main switching elements Q1 and Q2 from simultaneously being turned on, dead times are provided during which both drive signals (for example, VGS1 and VGS2) are off.
However, at a start-up time, it is uncertain whether a high-side output signal is first outputted from the drive circuit or a low-side output signal is first outputted therefrom, and therefore a stable start-up condition cannot be obtained. A problem exists that if the high-side output signal is first outputted, the main switching elements Q1 and Q2 are simultaneously turned on.
The present invention is provided to solve the foregoing problem such that at a start-up time two main switching elements simultaneously may turn to the on-mode, and provides a half-bridge inverter circuit including dead time control circuits on the high side and the low side which form dead time periods based on an input signal to be inputted from a control circuit, and a start-up circuit including a latch circuit, which is reset upon detection of a rise in power supply on the low side, then set by a low-side output signal from the dead time control circuit on the low side, and a gate circuit, which receives the low-side output signal in response to an output from the latch circuit, then allows a high-side output signal from the dead time control circuit on the high side to pass. This configuration prevents the two main switching elements from being simultaneously turned on at a start-up time.
According to the present invention, by providing the start-up circuit which prioritizes a low side signal, the main switching element on the low side is always first turned on at start-up. Thus, an advantage exists such that a stable start-up of the half-bridge inverter circuit can be performed.


The present disclosure relates to a method for the manufacture of a wafer by providing a doped layer on a semiconductor substrate; providing a first semiconductor layer on the doped layer; providing a buried oxide layer on the first semiconductor layer; and providing a second semiconductor layer on the buried oxide layer to form a wafer having a buried oxide layer and a doped layer beneath the buried oxide layer. The disclosure also relates to the wafer that is produced by the new method.

Semiconductor-On-Insulator (SeOI) and, in particular, Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) semiconductor devices are of increasing interest in present and future semiconductor manufacturing, for example, in the context of the Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology.
Embedded DRAM devices become increasingly important for high-performance CMOS electronics, since compared to conventional SRAMs, the package density can be significantly increased. Besides the high integration, lower noise and power consumption, as well as higher bandwidth, can be achieved as compared to external SRAM/DRAM architectures. In addition, planar fully depleted SOT transistors represent a cost-effective approach with respect to the scaling of transistor devices. Planar fully depleted SOI transistors advantageously allow for back-biasing in order to adjust the threshold voltage to reduce leakage power and/or boost performances. With back bias, voltage threshold can be changed dynamically. Relatively thin buried oxide (BOX) layers, for example, with a thickness in the range of 5 to 50 nm, are necessary to provide optimal back-biasing benefit.
It is known to manufacture embedded DRAMs based on wafers with a pre-doped n-layer formed in the handle substrates, directly underneath the BOX and rather thick to contain the entire DRAM capacitor trench, typically several microns. For example, a phosphorous n+ layer with a concentration of 1019 cm−3 may serve as a capacitor bottom plate. The n+ layer is crucial in terms of scaling of the eDRAMs. However, there arises a problem when a logic part comprising back-biased planar fully or partially depleted SOL transistors shall be integrated together with embedded DRAMs, since the pre-doped n+ layer heavily hampers the manufacture of the back-biasing features. Back-bias regions must be electrically insulated one from another in order for them to be biased at different voltages without high leakage current. To achieve that insulation, we will need reverse-biased junctions on the current path from one back-bias region to another. We will typically have N and P layers on top of the handle substrate creating the need for junctions, and then cut vertically by STI structures to insulate one region from the others.
Such multilayer structures can potentially be manufactured starting with the thick N+ layer required for the eDRAM, but would require high implantation doses to be implanted through the SOI and BOX layers. This is not desirable because it might create defects and also dope the SOI layer.
In view of this, it is a problem underlying the present invention to provide a method for the integrated manufacture of both embedded DRAMS and back-biased transistors.

Wafer with intrinsic semiconductor layer


A server computer searches for at least one printing-service providing store based on printing-condition information sent form an information terminal, and sends information representing the searched printing-service providing store to the information terminal. After a user selects one printer device based on the information representing the at least one printing-service providing store, the information terminal sends document data to be printed to the server computer. The server computer sends printing data to be printed to the user-selected printer device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing system providing a service for printing documents in a place a user has visited.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, as the processing speed of CPU (Central Processing Unit) has enhanced, personal computers essentially including the CPU have widely been used. In such context, printers which output printing data created by the personal computers have spread.
For example, before a business user is going to a meeting which will remotely be held, the user prepares some documents by operating a printer, connected to a personal computer in office, in accordance with a general printing method. Then, the user brings the output documents to the place he/she is going.
However, according to such a printing method, if the user needs to bring a large number of documents to a remote place, it would be too much work for the user to bring the documents.
In order to overcome such a problem, various methods have been proposed. For example, according to one method, to-be-printed data including the documents created by the personal computer is stored on a recording medium, such as a CD, etc. The user brings this recording medium to a printing shop located near the destination, and prints the stored documents at the printing shop. Otherwise, the user may send the to-be-printed data including the documents to the printing shop through a network in advance.
Recently, a printing service with the utilization of a network has rapidly spread. For example, Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 11-146118 proposes a printing service. According to this printing service, the to-be-printed data of the user portable terminal is registered in a server through a network, and the user goes to a communicable printer of the remote place. Then, the to-be-printed data is read out from the server, and the read data can be printed by the printer, while charging the user for this service.
Further, there is a service for displaying a neighbor map of the destination through a network upon inputting of destination information. According to this service, the user can find out the nearest printing shop from the destination.
However, according to a method of printing documents stored on a recording medium in the printing shop, it is necessary to open the documents that have been created using a specific application. Hence, a personal computer needs to be installed in the printing shop. In the case where the printing shop does not have the application for opening printing data of the documents, the documents can not be printed.
Furthermore, according to the method disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. H11-146118, the nearest printing shop from the destination can be searched out. However, the searched printing shop may be located far from the user's route to the destination. In this case, the user may need to take the long way to the destination, only for using the searched printing shop.
The entire contents of Unexamined Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. H11-146118 are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirely.

Server computer, information terminal, printing system, remote printing method, recording medium, and computer data signal embeded in a carrier wave


A process for producing a peptide product having cholecystokinin secretion promoting effect, said process comprising hydrolyzing soybean residues with one or more proteases so that the peptide product having cholecystokinin secretion promoting effect is obtained. Also disclosed is the composition containing the peptide product and the use thereof.

Obesity has become a worldwide problem. Medical and nutrition experts have been paying much attention to the problem and trying to find solutions. Decreasing appetite and food intake and maintaining low food intake are considered effective ways to deal with the obesity problem. Accordingly, many nutraceuticals providing satiety are developed.
Satiety is controlled by many factors, among which neuropeptides are of significant importance. Cholecystokinin (CCK), a group of neuropeptides secreted by mucosal cells of intestine, has been shown to promote release and secretion of digestive enzymes from gallbladder and pancreas into intestine and produce satiety signals, which can inhibit desire for food intake.
CCK is produced by intestinal I cells within the intestinal mucosa (Buchan et al., Gut, 1978, 19:403-407). The intestinal I cells have a roughly triangular shape with their apical surface oriented toward the intestinal lumen of the intestine and secretary granules containing CCK concentrated around the base. The orientation allows the cells to be stimulated by nutrients and release CCK into the blood and/or surrounding tissue (Moran and Kinzig, Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol., 2004, 286:G183-G188). CCK must binds to receptors located in gastric and duodenal vagus to induce a series of physiological activity (Moran et al., Am. J. Physiol. Regul, Integr. Comp. Physiol., 1997, 272:R1245-R1251). Furthermore, CCK receptors are also found in central nervous system. Therefore, CCK influences not only digestion but also secretion of other neurohormones, interacting with CCK to influence food intake (Woods, Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol., 2004, 286:G7-G13). For example, Gutzwiller et al. reported the interaction between CCK-33 and glucagons-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) in inhibiting food intake and appetite in men (Gutzwiller et al., Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol., 2004, 287:562-567). Moreover, CCK is a neuropeptide that produces satiety signals and is found to have interactions with adiposity signal leptin or insulin (Bado et al., Nature, 1998, 394:790-793; Brzozowski et al., Eur. J. Pharmacol., 1999, 374:363-376; Gallmann et al., Peptides, 2005, 26:437-445; Morton et al., J. Clin. Invest., 2005, 115:703-710). In view of the above, CCK plays an important role in food intake of animals.
It was found that many nutrients in food had CCK secretion inducing effect, especially proteins and lipids. Low carbohydrate diet, or Atkins diet popular in Western countries, was developed on the basis of the theory However, research has revealed that proteins and lipids are more effective in promoting CCK secretion in animals if they are in the form of peptides and fatty acids. For example, Nishi et al. demonstrated in 2001 that peptic hydrolysates of proteins stimulated CCK release (Nishi et al., Exp. Biol. Med., 2001, 226:1031-1036). In that study, they examined the direct effects of peptic hydrolysates of naturally occurring dietary proteins and found that hydrolysate of soybean protein isolate was the most effective in stimulating CCK release. Moreover, they found that the most bioactive peptide was the soybean β-conglycinin β51-63 fragment (Nishi et al., J. Nutr., 2003, 133:352-357). The amino acid composition and hydrophobicity of peptides may have to do with their CCK secretion inducing effect (Furuse et al., Comp. Biochem. Physiol., 1991, 99A:449-451; Backus et al., Regul. Pept., 1997, 72:31-40). Bernard et al. demonstrated that peptones stimulated intestinal cholecystokinin gene transcription via cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding factors (Bernard et al., Endocrinology, 2001, 142:721-729).
JP2004010569 discloses an arginine-containing peptide having a CCK secretion promoting activity. The peptide is obtained by the decomposition of purified soybean β-conglycinin with a pepsin and is soybean β-conglycinin β 51-63 fragment. However, the starting materials used in JP2004010569 must be pretreated through complex purification steps and, accordingly, is more cost-ineffective. Therefore, there still exists a need for a more efficient and cost-effective method of producing peptides having a CCK secretion promoting effect.
Surprisingly the inventors discovered that one could treat soybean residues, which need not be pre-purified, with proteases to obtain peptides having a CCK secretion promoting activity. The peptide can increase satiety of animals so as to decrease their food intake and achieve the effect of weight control.

Process for preparing peptide products for promoting cholecystokinin secretion and use of the peptide products

Food Industry Research and Development Institute


A two-step process for the preparation of fluoroolefin compounds of formula I

The present invention provides a two-step process for the preparation of pesticidal fluoroolefin compounds of formula I
wherein
R is hydrogen or C1-C4-alkyl, and
R1 is C1-C4-alkyl or cyclopropyl, or
R and R1 are taken together with the carbon atom to which they are attached to form a cyclopropyl group;
Ar is phenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted with any combination of from one to three halogen, C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-haloalkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy or C1-C4-haloalkoxy groups, or
1- or 2-naphthyl which is unsubstituted or substituted with any combination of from one to three halogen, C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-haloalkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy or C1-C4-haloalkoxy groups;
Ar1 is phenoxyphenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted with any combination of from one to five halogen, C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-haloalkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy or C1-C4-haloalkoxy groups,
biphenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted with any combination of from one to five halogen, C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-haloalkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy Or C1-C4-haloalkoxy groups,
phenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted with any combination of from one to five halogen, C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-haloalkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy or C1-C4-haloalkoxy groups,
benzylphenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted with any combination of from one to five halogen, C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-haloalkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy or C1-C4-haloalkoxy groups, or
benzoylphenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted with any combination of from one to five halogen, C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-haloalkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy or C1-C4-haloalkoxy groups,
which comprises reacting fluorobromoolefin compounds of formula II
wherein Ar, R and R1 are as described above, with organozinc compounds of formula III or IV
wherein Ar1 is as described above, in the presence of a palladium catalyst and a solvent,
which compounds of formula II are obtained by reacting aldehyde compounds of formula V
wherein Ar, R and R1 are as defined above, with
(a) fluorotribromomethane,
(b) a tri(substituted)phosphine or a hexaalkylphosphoramide or a mixture thereof, and
(c) zinc,
in the presence of a solvent.
In compounds of formula I, the configuration of the groups ArCRR1- and xe2x80x94CH2Ar1 about the double bond is preferably predominately mutually trans. xe2x80x9cPredominately transxe2x80x9d means that the trans-compound is present at a percentage of at least 80%, preferably above 95%.
The present invention also relates to the fluorobromoolefin compounds of formula II.
Pesticidal fluoroolefin compounds and processes for their preparation are described in WO 94/06741 and GB-A 2 288 803.
However, those processes are not entirely statisfactory because the fluoroolefin compounds are produced in relatively low yields from multi-step processes.
It was therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved process for the preparation of fluoroolefin compounds.
Accordingly, a two-step overall process for the preparation of fluoroolefin compounds of formula I starting form aldehyde compounds of formula V, via intermediate compounds of formula II, has been found.
Furthermore, compounds of formula II have been found.
Advantageously, the inventive process affords compounds of formula I which are predominately in the trans-configuration.
WO 94/06741 and GB-A 2 288 803 disclose that fluoroolefin compounds are obtained in four steps starting from aldehyde compounds of formula V.
Exemplary of halogen hereinabove are fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine;
The term xe2x80x9calkylxe2x80x9d is defined as a saturated, straight or branched chain hydrocarbon with 1 to 4 carbon atoms, such as methyl, ethyl, propyl, 1-methyl-ethyl, butyl, 1-methyl-propyl, 2-methyl-propyl and 1,1-dimethyl-propyl.
The term xe2x80x9calkoxyxe2x80x9d is defined as a saturated, straight or branched chain hydrocarbon with 1 to 4 carbon atoms (as described above) which is bond to the backbone via an oxygen (xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94) atom;
The term xe2x80x9chaloalkylxe2x80x9d is defined as an alkyl group, as defined above, wherein the hydrogen atoms may be partially or totally substituted with halogen atoms as defined above, wherein the halogen atoms may be the same or different, for example C1-C2-haloalkyl such as chloro-methyl, bromomethyl, dichloro-methyl, trichloro-methyl, fluoro-methyl, difluoro-methyl, trifluoro-methyl, chloro-fluoro-methyl, dichlorofluoro-methyl, chloro-difluoro-methyl, 1-chloro-ethyl, 1-bromo- ethyl, 1-fluoro-ethyl, 2-fluoro-ethyl, 2,2-difluoro-ethyl, 2,2,2-trifluoro-ethyl, 2-chloro-2-fluoro-ethyl, 2-chloro-2,2-difluoro-ethyl, 2,2-dichloro-2-fluoro-ethyl, 2,2,2-trichloro-ethyl and pentafluoro-ethyl, wherein the halogen atoms may be the same or different.
The term xe2x80x9chaloalkoxyxe2x80x9d is defined as an alkoxy group as defined above, wherein the hydrogen atoms may be partially or totally substituted with one or more halogen atoms as defined above, wherein the halogen atoms may be the same or different.
Wavy lines in structural formulae depict the carbonxe2x80x94carbon double bond in both the E- or the Z- isomeric configuration.
Groups containing two or more rings, such as phenoxyphenyl, biphenyl, benzylphenyl and benzoylphenyl, which may be substituted, may be substituted on either ring unless otherwise specified herein.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a fluorobromoolefin of formula II is reacted with at least one molar equivalent, such as 1 to 2 molar equivalents, of an organozinc compound of formula III or IV, and 0,001 to 0,2, preferably 0,01 to 0,1 molar equivalent of a palladium catalyst in the presence of a solvent, preferably in a temperature range of xe2x88x9270xc2x0 C. to 70xc2x0 C.
The product compounds of formula I may be isolated by diluting the reaction mixture with water and extracting the product with a suitable extraction solvent. In the isolation procedure, conventional extraction solvents such as ether, ethyl acetate, toluene, and dichloromethane may be utilized.
Preferred palladium catalysts for use in the present invention include, but are not limited to, bis(dibenzylideneacetone)palladium(O), tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(O), bis(acetonitrile)palladium(II) chloride, bis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(II) chloride, [1,4-bis (diphenylphosphine)butane]palladium(II) dichloride, [1,1xe2x80x2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene]palladium(II) diacetate, palladium(II) acetate, palladium(II) chloride and mixtures thereof.
Preferred solvents for use in the preparation of compounds of formula I include, but are not limited to, aromatic hydrocarbons such as toluene, benzene, xylenes and mesitylene, halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons such as chlorobenzene and fluorobenzene, carboxylic acid amides, such as N,N-dimethylformamide, ethers such as tetrahydrofuran and dioxane, and halogenated hydrocarbons such as chloroform and carbon tetrachloride, and mixtures thereof.
Preferred solvents for use in the preparation of compounds of formula I include carboxylic acid amides and ethers and mixtures thereof, preferably N,N-dimethylformamide and tetrahydrofuran and mixtures thereof.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention for the preparation of fluorobromoolefin compounds of formula II, aldehyde compounds of formula V are reacted with at least one molar equivalent, such as 2 to 6 molar equivalents, of fluorotribromomethane, and at least one molar equivalent, such as 2 to 7 molar equivalents, of a tri(substituted)phosphine, and at least one molar equivalent, such as 1 to 4 molar equivalents, of zinc, preferably zinc dust, in the presence of a solvent, preferably in a temperature range of xe2x88x9220xc2x0 C. to 70xc2x0 C.
Preferred tri(substituted)phosphines for use in this invention include, but are not limited to, triaryl-phosphines such as tri-phenylphosphine or tri-p-tolyl-phosphine, and tri(branched C3-C6-alkyl)-phosphines such as triisopropylphosphine or triter-tiarybutylphosphine, and mixtures thereof.
Preferred tri(substituted)phosphines which produce compounds of formula II with a preferred ratio of (E):(Z)-isomer include tri-isopropylphosphine and tritertiarybutylphosphine. Preferred ratios of (E):(Z)-isomer of formula II are ratios above 1,5:1, preferably above 2,5:1, more preferably above 3,5;1 (E):(Z).
Preferred hexaalkylphosphoramides for use in the present invention include hexamethylphosphoramide or hexaethylphosphoramide, and mixtures thereof.
Preferred solvents for use in the preparation of fluorobromoolefins of formula II include, but are not limited to, ethers such as diethyl ether or tetrahydrofuran and halogenated hydrocarbons such as dichloromethane, and mixtures thereof.
More preferred solvents for use in the preparation of fluorobromoolefins of formula II include diethyl ether, tetrahydrofuran and dichloromethane, and mixtures thereof.
Starting organozinc compounds of formulae III and IV may be prepared by reacting a bromide compound of formula VI
BrCH2Ar1 xe2x80x83xe2x80x83VI
wherein Ar1 is described above, with activated zinc (e.g., Rieke zinc) in the presence of a solvent such as tetrahydrofuran.
Aldehyde compounds of formula V may be prepared using conventional procedures known in the art, see for example: Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. (1998), 8(3), p. 301; Chem. Pharm. Bull. (1996), 44(10), p. 1858; Tetrahedron Lett. (1996), 37(5), 2629; J. Org. Chem. Soc. (1995), 60 (18), p. 5803; and J. Am. Chem. Soc. (1993), 115, p. 3030.
Preferred fluoroolefin compounds of formula I which may be prepared by the process of the present invention are those wherein the variables have the following meanings, each alone or in combination:
Preferred are compounds of formula I wherein R is hydrogen and R1 is isopropyl or cyclopropyl;
Also preferred are compounds of formula I wherein R and R1 are methyl;
Furthermore, preferred are compounds of formula I wherein R and R1 are taken together with the carbon atom to which they are attached to form a cyclopropyl group.
Preferred are compounds of formula I wherein Ar is phenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted with any combination of from one to three halogen, C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-haloalkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy or C1-C4-haloalkoxy groups.
More preferred are compounds of formula I wherein Ar is phenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted with any combination of from one to three halogen, preferably chlorine of fluorine.
Most preferred are compounds of formula I wherein Ar is 4-chlorophenyl.
Moreover, compounds of formula I are preferred wherein Ar1 is
3-phenoxyphenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted with any combination of from one to five halogen, C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-haloalkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy or C1-C4-haloalkoxy groups,
3-biphenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted with any combination of from one to five halogen, C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-haloalkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy or C1-C4-haloalkoxy groups, or
phenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted with any combination of from one to five halogen, C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-halo-alkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy or C1-C4-haloalkoxy groups.
More preferred are compounds of formula I wherein Ar1 is 3-phenoxy-phenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted with any combination of from one to five halogen, C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-halo-alkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy or C1-C4-haloalkoxy groups.
Especially preferred are compounds of formula I wherein Ar1 is 3-phenoxyphenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted with any combination of from one to six halogen, preferably fluorine.
Most preferred compounds of formula I agents are those wherein
R is hydrogen and R1 is isopropyl or cyclopropyl, or R and R1 are methyl, or R and R1 are taken together with the carbon atom to which they are attached to form a cyclopropyl group; and
Ar is phenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted with any combination of from one to three halogen, C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-haloalkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy or C1-C4-haloalkoxy groups; and
Ar1 is 3-phenoxyphenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted with any combination of from one to five halogen, C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-haloalkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy or C1-C4-haloalkoxy groups.
Preferred fluorobromoolefin compounds of formula II are those wherein R, R1 and Ar are as defined above for preferred compounds of formula I.
In a preferred embodiment of this invention, compounds of formula II are in the (E)- configuration.
Preferred compounds of formulae III, IV and V for use in the inventive process are those wherein the variables Ar, R, and R1, respectively, are as defined above for preferred compounds of formula I.

Process and intermediate compounds for the preparation of pesticidal fluoroolefin compounds

Abstract: wherein

Abstract: R is hydrogen or alkyl, and R1 is alkyl or cyclopropyl, or R and

Abstract: Ar is phenyl or naphthyl both of which are optionally substituted;

Abstract: Ar1 is phenoxyphenyl, biphenyl, phenyl, benzylphenyl, or benzoylphenyl, all of which may be optionally substituted,

Abstract: comprising reacting fluorobromoolefin compounds of formula II

Abstract: with

Abstract: (a) fluorotribromomethane,

Abstract: (c) zinc,

Abstract: in the presence of a solvent,

Abstract: compounds of formula II.


Systems for stimulating one or more esophageal muscle contractions are provided. The systems, which are designed to evoke esophageal motion to promote the downward movement of material, include an elongated member for placement in a patient's esophagus and at least one mechanical or electrical stimulator coupled to the elongated member. Methods for stimulating and contracting an esophageal muscle using electrodes and a generated signal sequence are also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to devices and methods for generating motility in GI organs, and in particular to devices and methods for generating esophageal motility for diminishing retrograde flow of gastric contents.
2. Description of the Related Art
The esophagus is a tubular muscular organ having a length of approximately 25 cm, located between the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) and the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). The esophagus functions solely to deliver food from the mouth to the stomach using peristaltic muscle motion. Peristalsis is a sequential, coordinated contraction wave that travels the entire length of the esophagus, propelling intraluminal contents distally to the stomach. Primary peristalsis is the peristaltic wave triggered by the swallowing center. The peristaltic contraction wave travels at a speed of approximately 2 cm/s and correlates with manometry-recorded contractions. The secondary peristaltic wave is induced by esophageal distension from the retained bolus, refluxed material, or swallowed air, with the primary role to clear the esophagus of retained food or any gastroesophageal refluxate. Tertiary contractions are simultaneous, isolated, dysfunctional contractions. Anesthetization or sedation are suspected of causing suspension of esophageal peristaltic motility and lowers LES pressure, hence gastric content are more prone to infiltrate and travel proximally in the esophagus.
Gastric contents refluxing through the esophagus are known to affect conditions which may increase morbidity and mortality rates. Gastroesophageal Reflux (GER) is a condition, in which the LES opens spontaneously, for varying periods of time, or does not close properly and stomach contents rise up into the esophagus. In Laryngopharyngeal Reflux (LPR), the retrograde flow of gastric contents reaches the upper aero-digestive tract. In order to diminish and treat such conditions, efforts have been made to develop medical and surgical means for improving LES functionality and for creating a substitute sphincter proximally adjacent the stomach. In some occasions it may be advantageous to develop a second "line of defense" provided proximally to the LES along the esophagus, especially to push back any gastric contents or chyme that infiltrated the LES or any substitute or supplement thereof. Such a need may arise, for example, in cases of intubation and/or ventilation, usually in anesthetized ICU patients, CVA patients, or others, in which esophageal motility is muted or less dominant.
Tubefeeding (e.g., "gastric feeding" or "enteral feeding") is a common and life preserving procedure, however complications can arise. GER is commonly associated with tubefeeding, including in usage of nasogastric tubing (NGT) and other gastric feeding practices. Research in past years has discussed the emergence of GER as an effect of the use of NGT (see for example in Ibanez et al., "Gastroesophageal reflux in intubated patients receiving enteral nutrition: effect of supine and semirecumbent positions", JPEN J Parenter Enteral Nutr. 1992 September-October; 16(5):419-22; in Manning et al., "Nasogastric intubation causes gastroesophageal reflux in patients undergoing elective laparotomy", Surgery. 2001 November; 130(5):788-91; and in Lee et al., "Changes in gastroesophageal reflux in patients with nasogastric tube followed by percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy", J Formos Med Assoc. 2011 February; 110(2):115-9).
Pulmonary aspiration is the entry of material from the oropharynx or gastrointestinal tract into the larynx and lower respiratory tract. Consequences of pulmonary aspiration range from no injury at all, to chemical pneumonitis or pneumonia, to death within minutes from asphyxiation. One common cause of pulmonary aspiration is aspiration of gastric contents, as suggested in relevant literature (see for example Pellegrini et al., "Gastroesophageal reflux and pulmonary aspiration: incidence, functional abnormality, and results of surgical therapy", Surgery. 1979 July; 86(1):110-9, indicating that incidence of aspiration is due to a motor disorder that interferes with the ability of the esophagus to clear refluxed acid, and that abnormal pulmonary symptoms can induce or result from gastroesophageal reflux).
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is pneumonia that develops 48 hours or longer after mechanical ventilation is given by means of an endotracheal tube or tracheostomy. VAP results from the invasion of microorganisms into the lower respiratory tract and lung parenchyma. Intubation compromises the integrity of the oropharynx and trachea and allows oral and gastric secretions to enter the lower airways. The aetiopathogenesis of VAP requires abnormal oropharyngeal and gastric colonization and the further aspiration of their contents to the lower airways. Known risk factors for gastric colonization include: alterations in gastric juice secretion; alkalinization of gastric contents; administration of enteral nutrition; administration of antacids; and the presence of bilirubin. According to Torres et al. (in "Stomach as a source of colonization of the respiratory tract during mechanical ventilation: association with ventilator-associated pneumonia", Eur Respir J. 1996 August; 9(8):1729-35), although the role of the colonized gastric reservoir in the development of VAP remains debatable, there is major evidence in the literature in favor of the gastric origin of part of these pulmonary infections.
US Patent Application No. 2011/0130650 relates to an enteral feeding device comprising "expandable means which prevents or significantly reduces aspirations from the alimentary tract to the respiratory system. In further aspects, the invention relates to systems comprising said enteral feeding device, methods and uses thereof."
US Patent Application No. 2010/0160996 " relates to methods and apparatuses for treating ailments by "inserting a balloon-electrode device into an esophagus of a mammal, the balloon-electrode device including: (i) a nasogastral (NG) tube having an internal passageway and an external surface, (ii) at least one electrode coupled to the external surface of the NG tube, (iii) a conductor extending through the internal passageway of the NG tube and electrically connecting to the electrode, and (iv) a balloon surrounding the electrode and a portion of the NG tube; inflating the balloon with fluid such that the electrode is substantially centrally located within an interior volume of the balloon; and applying at least one electrical signal to the electrode via the conductor such that an electromagnetic field emanates from the electrode to at least one of nerves and muscles of the mammal."
US Patent Application No. 2008/0249507 relates to a "food administering apparatus including a feeding tube, having a distal outlet and proximal inlet, adapted for insertion of the distal outlet into the stomach of an adult patient while the proximal inlet is outside the patient, the tube being suitable for administering food or medicine from a proximal port to the distal outlet and at least one electrode mounted on the tube."

Esophageal stimulation devices and methods


A poppet valve system for controlling the air distribution within the combustor of a gas turbine. The cylindrical combustor includes a concentric combustion lining where air and fuel are mixed and burned near a flame holder, and a dilution air manifold that injects dilution air into the combustion lining downstream of the flame holder. Air enters the dilution air manifold and the liner mixing zone through openings that can be closed by poppet valves. Each poppet valve is operated to close either an opening in the combustion liner to the mixing zone or a corresponding opening in the dilution air manifold. The volume of air mixing with fuel in the mixing zone is controlled by operation of the poppet valves.

Gas turbines generally include a compressor, one or more combustors, a fuel injection system and a turbine. Pressurized air flows from the compressor into the combustor where the air is mixed with fuel and the gaseous mixture burns. Typically, air from the compressor is turned through ducts in the combustor back towards an annular array of cylindrical combustors. Some of the air entering the combustor is mixed with fuel in mixing zones at the upstream end of the combustor. Some air flows around the combustor to cool the lining of the combustor and some air flows into dilution zones in the combustor. The heated air and combustion gases exit the combustor through transition ducts and enter the inlet to the turbines.
Combustors used in industrial gas turbines are often required to have reduced emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollutants. The amount of NOx emissions is directly related to the combustion temperature in the gas turbine. Most efforts to reduce NOx emissions have focused on reducing combustion temperature. For example, lean, premixed combustors reduce the fuel/air ratio to less than the stoichiometric ratio. This lean fuel/air ratio reduces the peak flame temperature to much less than in an unabated diffusion flame. NOx emissions are minimized by maintaining a low flame temperature.
If the fuel/air ratio becomes excessively lean, the flame will extinguish. However, NOx emissions increase dramatically if the fuel/air ratio becomes less lean, i.e., the ratio increases. It is desirable to maintain the fuel/air ratio constant and slightly above that required to maintain combustion to minimize NOx emissions.
Lean fuel/air ratios are typically used in lean, premixed combustors, but these combustors are particularly sensitive to variations in airflow. For example, a decrease of 5% (or less) in the airflow may cause a too rich fuel/air ratio and excessive NOx emissions. Similarly, an increase of 5% (or less) in airflow may cause the fuel/air ratio to become too lean and extinguish the flame. Previous lean, premixed combustors were unable to fully modulate the airflow into the mixing zone(s) so as to maintain a constant fuel/air ratio. Accordingly, maintaining a constant fuel/air ratio has been a continuing problem for low NOx combustors.
Maintaining a constant fuel/air ratio is critical to low NOx emissions, but is difficult to accomplish. The fuel flow rate into the combustor varies by a factor of four or more over the load range of an industrial gas turbine. To hold the fuel/air ratio constant, the airflow rate must vary in tandem with the fuel flow rate. In addition, the airflow to an individual combustor and its combusting zone is sensitive to manufacturing tolerances, machine mechanical conditions, ambient temperature and component changes in the gas turbine. These factors complicate the control of airflow to an individual combustor needed to maintain a constant fuel/air ratio. Airflow control becomes more complicated when several combustors are used together, as is common in industrial gas turbines.
There are several different techniques that have been used to allow lean, premixed combustors to operate over the entire load range in industrial gas turbines. One example is fuel staging which is shown in FIGS. 1A to 1D. With fuel staging in the combustor 1, the combustion liner 2 is divided into an upstream primary zone 3 and a downstream flame holding zone 4. In the embodiment shown here flame holding is accomplished with a venturi 5, but there are other ways to achieve flame holding. To ignite the combustor (and for operation up to about 20% load of the gas turbine) fuel is injected into the combustor through nozzles 6 at the upstream end of the primary zone 3, as is shown in FIG. 1A. During this start-up phase, the fuel/air ratio is near the stoichiometric ratio and the fuel/air mixture combusts in the primary zone to produce a diffusion flame.
As shown in FIG. 1B, when the load on the gas turbine increases, about 30% of the fuel is introduced through a central nozzle 7 into the venturi flame holder and downstream of the primary zone 3 where the air and fuel from nozzles 6 mix. The amount of fuel injected through the central nozzle into the flame holder is gradually increased, while the amount of fuel injected into the primary zone is gradually reduced to starve the flame in the primary zone. As shown in FIG. 1C, to extinguish the flame in the primary zone, no fuel enters the primary zone through nozzles 6 and all of the fuel is directly injected into the flame holder zone. As shown in FIG. 1D, after the flame in the primary zone is extinguished, fuel is again injected into the primary zone for mixing with air, but the fuel/air mixture does not combust until reaching the venturi flame holder zone 4. A small portion of fuel, about 17%, flows through nozzle 50 to maintain a rich fuel/air mixture at the flame kernel at the start of the flame in the flame holder zone.
While there are variations on fuel staging, all suffer the disadvantage that they cannot compensate for variations in the airflow to the combustor. Fluctuations in the airflow cause undesirable variations in the fuel/air ratios.
To control the volume of air entering the combustor mixing (primary) zone, it is known to use inlet guide vanes in front of one or more stages of the compressor. Inlet guide vanes reduce the mass of air through the gas turbine. However, inlet guide vanes hamper the capacity of scavenging systems that recover heat for steam production. In addition, inlet guide vanes cannot increase the airflow to the combustor once they are fully open as is common during normal operating conditions. When a gas turbine is operating at full load, the fully open inlet guide vanes are limited to increasing (not decreasing) the fuel/air ratio.
Similarly, air staging schemes have been used to reduce the open area to the dilution plane in a combustor so as to reduce the airflow into the secondary burning area of a combustor. U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,149 discloses an example of air staging. Air staging at the combustor dilution plane suffers the disadvantages of increasing the pressure drop through the combustor by closing openings in the combustors. This pressure drop reduces gas turbine efficiency, especially when the gas turbine is at full load with maximum fuel flow when the diffusion openings are closed.
In addition, air staging has been applied to the open area of the mixing zone (primary zones 3 in FIG. 1A) as is described in K. 0. Smith et al, Development of a Natural Gas-Fired Ultra-Low NOx Can Combustor for an 800 kw Gas Turbine, ASME 19-GT-303 (presented June 1991). In this technique, a large plunger ahead of the inlet tube to the combustor modulates the airflow to the combustor. Since the plunger controls airflow to the mixing zone (but not to the dilution zones), the plunger varies the total open area through the combustor which affects the pressure drop across the combustor. Thus, air staging denigrates gas turbine efficiency by increasing the pressure drop through the combustor. In addition, the plunger appears to have numerous operating positions to complicate its operation.

Gas turbine combustor having poppet valves for air distribution control


An information processing apparatus, an input apparatus, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program that are capable of improving operability when a target object is selected on a screen are provided. A control apparatus is provided to which, when a button is pressed in a state where a pointer is indicating an area around an icon on a screen, a signal indicating that the button has been pressed and a signal of positional information of the pointer at that time are input, and the control apparatus performs movement control such that the pointer indicates the icon based on those signals. Therefore, even when the pointer is not directly indicating the icon, the icon can be indicated by indicating the area around the icon, thus improving operability in selecting the icon on the screen by the pointer.

The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, an input apparatus, an information processing system, an information processing method, and a program for processing input information in a GUI (Graphical User Interface) environment.
In recent years, it is becoming increasingly popular to connect a PC (Personal Computer) to a display of a television or the like and use it while relaxing in a living room. However, a desk or a table is not always in a room to relax in, such as the living room. Therefore, for usability of the PC, an application that eliminates a keyboard operation as much as possible has been developed, and, for a mouse, a pointing device (3-dimensional pointing device) that enables a pointer to move by being freely swung 3-dimensionally is starting to appear.
Incidentally, in a case of use in the living room, which is a recently-popular style, an operation is made at a position distant from a screen display, so operability may deteriorate. In the case of the 3-dimensional pointing device in particular, there is a fear that operability may deteriorate due to a human factor such as a hand movement, as compared to a pointing device such as a mouse of the related art, which is operated on a desk.
In this regard, as means for improving the operability, there has been devised a method of improving operability by making a pointer velocity variable when the pointer is moved to a specific object (or an area indicating a specific object) to be selected, such as an icon displayed on a screen (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Patent Document 1. Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open No. Hei 7-36243 (paragraph [0008], FIG. 2)
However, because, when other target objects are positioned on a path of a pointer moving to a specific target object that is supposed to be selected, a pointer velocity is lowered each time the pointer passes the target objects, there is a fear that operability may be rather deteriorated since reaching the target object that is supposed to be selected is time-consuming. In addition, because avoiding this involves being conscious of the movement path each time the pointer is moved, the operability deteriorates for sure.

Information processing apparatus, input apparatus, information processing system, information processing method, and program


A method and composition for deodorizing soft surfaces such as carpeting and upholstery are disclosed. The method includes the spraying of a liquid composition on a soft surface and allowing the composition to absorb into the soft surface, form liquid agglomerations within the soft surface to the agglomerations can make contact with malodorants disposed within the soft surface. The composition is capable of penetrating rapidly and deeply into the soft surfaces for contacting odor-causing substances embedded therein. The composition comprises an active ingredient such as a glycol or triethanolamine. Other ingredients that contribute to the surface penetration and/or agglomeration formation include ethanol, water, fragrance and a combination of at least one nonionic and at least one ionic surfactant.

1. Technical Field
An improved odor elimination composition is disclosed which effectively removes odors embedded in soft surfaces such as carpeting and upholstery. The improved composition makes use of triethylene glycol and a combination of nonionic and ionic surfactants, one of which has bactericidal properties. The improved composition rapidly penetrates deep into the soft surfaces for providing fast and effective odor elimination. Methods for evaluating the ability of the composition to penetrate soft surfaces are also disclosed.
2. Description of the Related Art
It has been known to use certain glycols in aerosol or vapor forms to sanitize air in a room by killing airborne bacteria. One particular glycol, triethylene glycol ("TEG"), has been found particularly effective for sanitizing air when delivered via an aerosol spray. The commercially successful OUST® air sanitizer products utilize a mixture that contains about 6 wt % TEG. Non-aerosol applications of TEG for disinfecting air are also developed.
The structure of triethylene glycol is illustrated below:

TEG is a colorless, odorless, non-volatile and hygroscopic liquid. It is characterized by two hydroxyl groups along with two ether linkages which contribute to its high water solubility, hygroscopicity and its ability to neutralize airborne odor-causing bacteria, TEG can be prepared commercially by the oxidation of ethylene at high temperatures in the presence of a silver oxide catalyst, following by hydration of the ethylene oxide to yield mono-, di-, tri- and tetra-ethylene glycol products. TEG has low toxicity.
Until now, the treatment and removal of odor-causing substances from soft surfaces such as clothing, drapes, bedding, carpeting and upholstery utilize very different mechanisms. One strategy uses aqueous formulations containing water-soluble cyclodextrins for odor control or odor elimination. These formulations also use water-soluble metallic salts in addition to the water-soluble cyclodextrins.
Cyclodextrins have a toroidal structure, the interior of which is hydrophobic. The exterior of this toroid structure is hydrophilic thereby rendering them water-soluble. It has been found that hydrophobic odor-causing substance enters the hydrophobic interior of a cyclodextrin toroid and forms a stable complex with the cyclodextrin structure due to the interplay of Van der Waals forces, the effects of hydrogen bonding and the common hydrophobicity of the cyclodextrin interior and odor-causing substance.
By forming stable complexes with odor-causing substance, cyclodextrins keep the substances out of the air thereby reducing the odor caused thereby. Water-soluble metallic salts may be combined with the cyclodextrins to absorb amines and sulfur-containing compounds.
A second strategy utilizes formulations that include water soluble/dispersible polymers for containing and controlling odor-causing substance. In contrast to cyclodextrins, which entrap or cage the odor-causing substance within the cyclodextrin toroid as discussed above, the water soluble/dispersible polymer entraps the odor-causing substance by forming a film that blankets the odor-causing substance.
The film is formed as the solvent or carrier of the formulation evaporates. Thus, the residual polymer film provides a barrier for containing the odor-causing substance within the soft surface thereby preventing it from being released to the ambient environment and detected by a consumer's sense of smell.
As both the cyclodextrins and film-forming polymers are large molecules that are difficult to evaporate, the above discussed formulations leave a visible residue after the solvent or carrier of the formulations evaporates. Further, neither cyclodextrins nor film-forming polymers have any anti-microbial properties.
Another problem associated with known odor-elimination formulations is the lack of ability to penetrate rapidly and deeply into the soft surfaces and eliminate odor-causing substance trapped (or embedded) therein. As a result, although temporary odor elimination can be achieved by using the known formulations, recurrence of odors usually happens when deeply embedded odor-causing substance relocates or "rises" from its original location. In such cases, reapplication of the formulations is generally needed at relatively short intervals.
Other more drastic measures for treating odor-causing substance trapped in carpeting, upholstery and clothing involve the use of enzymes or detergents to remove the odor-causing substance. In the case of upholstery and carpeting, professional services or the renting of special machinery is often required.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved method for removing odors in soft surfaces that are not easily washable, i.e., carpeting and upholstery. Moreover, there is a need for an improved odor elimination composition that may be sprayed onto carpeting or upholstery; that will not discolor or form a film or residue on the carpeting or upholstery; and that will penetrate rapidly and deeply into the soft surfaces to effectively deliver active odor-neutralizing ingredients to odor-causing substance embedded therein.

Odor elimination composition comprising triethylene glycol for use on soft surfaces


System and process are disclosed for reacting to conditions that may arise in a plurality of discrete chiller units all individually controlled by dedicated control units. The system and process react to temperature conditions of the coolant when it enters and when it leaves the chiller units. The system normally supervises the manner in which the chillers are allowed to individually increase or decrease chilling capacity. The system furthermore overrides this supervisory control of the individual chiller units when the coolant entering the chiller units drops below a threshold value. The chilling capacity of all running chiller units is decreased when this latter condition occurs.

This invention relates to the simultaneous control of several individual chiller units within a system that is processing chilled coolant via common supply and return lines. In particular, this invention relates to the control of a number of different chiller units each having their own respective dedicated control units.
Multiple chillers on a common coolant loop are subjected to the same entering coolant temperature at approximately the same time. The chillers are typically required to maintain the leaving coolant at the same temperature. This causes the individual units to simultaneously start or stop their compressors at the same time. This leads to unnecessary and at times excessive demands on electrical power consumption and excessive compressor cycling in order to provide the chilling of the coolant perceived to be necessary. In this regard, each individual chiller unit having its own particular compressor stages and control unit is trying to activate the perceived number of compressor stages necessary to achieve the desired chilling without regard to what may be happening elsewhere. This often produces an over reaction. This over action may include a significant drop in coolant temperature when increased chilling capacity has been unnecessarily added. What is needed is a control system which allows individually controlled units to provide normal control functions while at the same time supervising the reaction by the individual chiller units when certain coolant temperature conditions occur.

Reactive control for discrete chiller units


A method for pre-tensing sections of concentric tubulars in a wellbore. The method can include mechanically coupling an inside tubing pipe to an inside tubing string disposed in the wellbore. The method can also include mechanically coupling a second tubing to a second tubing string disposed in the wellbore. The method can further include suspending, by the first tubing, the first tubing, the first tubing string, the second tubing string, and the second tubing. The method can also include inserting, while suspending the first tubing, the first tubing string, the second tubing string, and the second tubing by the first tubing, a first slip into the first space between the first tubing and the second tubing. The method can further include inserting the first tubing, the first tubing string, the second tubing string, the second tubing, and the first slip further into the wellbore.

Tubing that is run into a finished wellbore (i.e., a wellbore in which casing is run) can be subject to a number of conditions in an effort to perform a field operation within the wellbore. For example, an operator may inject steam through the tubing to heat production fluid toward the bottom of the wellbore. Under some of these conditions, the tubing can expand and/or contract (as with temperature changes). Failing to allow for expansion or contraction of the tubing can result in damage to other equipment and/or interruption of a field operation. Similarly, building in allowances for expansion and contraction of the tubing can add significant costs to a field operation.

Pre-tensing sections of concentric tubulars


A system for rendering safe unexploded military ordnance items found underwater by use of immersible portable apparatus employing entrainment waterjet technology. The interior of the military ordnance item is accessed, and its internal contents are washed out and recovered. All services required to run the underwater apparatus are located above water.

According to US Environmental Protection Agency documents, unexploded ordnance (UXO), also sometimes referred to as unexploded "munitions", at many domestic inactive military training ranges pose an "imminent and substantial" public safety risk. The cleanup of such ordnance is estimated to cost billions of dollars. While a substantial portion of the UXO from military training sites are found on land, another substantial portion is found under water, including relatively shallow water of less than about 100, even at less than about 50 feet. Many of these UXOs are found in the relatively shallow waters off many areas of the coast of the US mainland, as well as Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Alaska. For example, it is estimated that the country's coastlines are littered with unexploded bombs, rockets, projectiles, and shells that very often wash up on shore. It had been the practice, at least up until about 1972, to regularly dump surplus high-explosives, so-called conventional ordnance, overboard, sometimes in relatively shallow water. Not only is unexploded ordnance a substantial hazard, but so is ordnance that was fired, but did not explode during training exercises.
One conventional method of disposing of underwater munitions was to detonate them in-situ. Unfortunately, fish and other marine life can be killed, or seriously injured, up to several kilometers from an underwater detonation due to the effects of explosive shock overpressure. Abrasive entrainment waterjet technology has the potential of providing a safe and environmentally acceptable alternative to conventional underwater detonation if certain obstacles can be overcome. One such obstacle is being able to feed a substantially steady flow of abrasive to a waterjet cutting head located under water.
While disposal of such unexploded ordnance is taking place at several locations on land, such ordnance found underwater presents a unique challenge, since moving them to land to be disposed of is considered dangerous given the potential for unintended detonation. Therefore, there is need in the art for equipment and methods for rendering safe such unexploded ordnance where they lie underwater.

Method and apparatus for rendering safe unexploded ordnance found underwater


An inflatable cellular cushioning material having an air inlet pipe path to be inflated by an inflating device through the use of an air inlet pipe, the inflatable cushioning material comprising at least two layers of plastic pre-welded in such a manner so as to form a substantially diagonally oriented lines forming sleeves along the longitudinal axis of the inflatable cellular cushioning material and a substantially horizontal welded lines along the path of the air inlet pipe whereby the horizontal welded lines substantially reduce the non-inflated areas along the path of the air inlet pipe.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an improved cellular cushioned material and to an improved pre-welded cellular cushioned material and a method for making the same in particular.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Cellular cushioning material is used for packing and for the filling of empty volumes. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/758,544, publication Ser. No. 2002/0094393A1, U.S. Pat. No. 6,682,622 filed by Matarasso discloses a pre-welded cellular cushioning material and method, the method includes providing a pre-welded sheet to a user comprised of at least two layers of plastic pre-welded to have a plurality of diagonally oriented, inflatable sleeves extending substantially the entire width of said sheet, and a longitudinally extending air entry passage. According to Matarasso each of the inflatable sleeves has an opening for allowing entry of air from said air entry passage into the sleeve. The user inflates the cellular cushioning material using an air injecting pipe located in the center of the sheet inflated, the pipe is inserted into the mid section of the plastic sheet using a knife for cutting a passageway in the middle or side section of the inflatable plastic sheet.
According to Matarasso each of the sleeves is welded from all sides except for a small opening. Once air is injected into the diagonal sleeves a horizontal welding is applied to the plastic sheet. The horizontal welding is applied to the inflated plastic sheet at predetermined intervals. The welding is applied using horizontal bars. Each weld determines the production rate of the cellular cushioning material. Due to openings between the pre-welded sections entire areas juxtaposed to the air inlet pipe are not sealed from all of their sides causing a significant reduction in the efficiency of the partially inflated plastic sheet.
Reference is now made to FIG. 1 which shows a plastic sheet having a plurality of diagonally oriented, inflatable sleeves extending substantially the entire width of the shown sheet, known in the art. Once diagonal sleeves 100, 101, 102 are air filled, horizontal weld 104 is made using horizontal welding bars, thus creating non-inflated area 108. Like non-inflated areas are located throughout the length of the air filling section of the plastic sheet. The longer the distance between horizontal welds 104, 106 the larger the non-inflated section that is created within the plastic sheet.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a pre-welded cellular cushioning material having a minimal non-inflated section.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an additional longitudinal weld during the process of welding thus minimizing the non-inflated section during the production of the inflated cellular cushioning material.

Green Magic Wrap Packaging Solutions, Ltd.


Provided herein are methods for the clinical treatment of tumors (e.g., advanced solid tumors) in patients having certain levels of serum IL-8 using an anti-IL-8 antibody in combination with an anti-PD-1 antibody.

Recent advances in the development of several immune checkpoint pathway inhibitors have provided new immunotherapeutic approaches to treat cancer. Antibodies of these new class of inhibitors include, e.g., ipilimumab (YERVOY®), which binds to and inhibits Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Antigen-4 (CTLA-4), and nivolumab and pembrolizumab (formerly lambrolizumab; USAN Council Statement, 2013), which bind specifically to the Programmed Death-1 (PD-1) receptor and block the inhibitory PD-1/PD-1 ligand pathway. Despite the remarkable success of these agents, however, a certain population of cancer patients are refractory to or relapse following treatment with these antibodies. Accordingly, novel therapies that target this patient population are desired.

Combination therapy with anti-IL-8 antibodies and anti-PD-1 antibodies for treating cancer


A brushless DC motor drive circuit includes a drive unit and a transient current suppression circuit. The drive unit comprises a Hall component, a drive component, a first transistor and a second transistor. The Hall component detects the position of a rotor of the DC motor and transmits digital command signals to the drive component; the drive component further generates two complementary digital command signals; and the first and second transistors connect with the drive component respectively. The transient current suppression circuit comprises a first auxiliary transistor and a second auxiliary transistor, wherein the first auxiliary transistor receives one of the complementary digital command signals different from the other one received by the first transistor and the second auxiliary transistor receives the other one of the complementary digital command signals different from the one received by the second transistor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a brushless DC (Direct Current) motor drive circuit. More particularly, the present invention relates to a brushless DC motor drive circuit having a transient current suppression circuit to suppress the transient current caused by a motor commutation process.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional brushless DC motor drive circuit includes a power supply end 91, a voltage regulator circuit 92, a coil set 93, a Hall component 94, a control component 95, and a drive component 96. The power supply end 91 connects to a DC power source to supply a stable DC voltage to the Hall component 94 and the control component 95 while the power supply end 91 supplies a stable DC voltage to the coil set 93 through the voltage regulator circuit 92. The coil set 93 connects between the voltage regulator circuit 92 and the drive component 96. The Hall component 94 has two output ports 941, 942 connected with the control component 95 for transmitting two complementary digital command signals, that is, the commutation signals, wherein the two complementary digital command signals are generated according to the polarity position of a motor rotor (not shown). In order to control the states of a transistor Q1 and a transistor Q2 of the drive component 96, the control component 95 comprises two control ports 951, 952 respectively connecting to the bases of the transistors Q1, Q2.
In normal operation, the commutation signals generated by the Hall component 94 are transmitted to the control component 95 and transformed into a pair of complementary digital control signals such as a HIGH signal and a LOW signal. The complementary digital control signals are respectively transmitted to the bases of the transistors Q1, Q2 of the drive component 96 so as to maintain the transistors Q1, Q2 at different states and constantly switch the transistors Q1, Q2 for commutating the currents of the coil set 93 and therefore running the motor. Furthermore, an ideal operation for controlling the drive component 96 is that the transistor Q1 is at on-state while the transistor Q2 is at off-state, and, contrariously, the transistor Q1 is at off-state while the transistor Q2 is at on-state.
However, when the bases of the transistors Q1, Q2 receive the complementary control signals simultaneously, owing to the transistor characteristics namely the turn-on time of a transistor being shorter than the turn-off time thereof, an overlap time exists wherein both of the transistor Q1 and transistor Q2 are at on-state. Therefore, a transient current is occurred during the overlap time when the drive component 96 commutates the currents of the coil set 93. Referring to FIG. 2, the voltage level and frequency of the transient current is much higher than that of the normal rated current and results in a serious decrease of stability of the motor drive circuit. Besides, the high frequency of the transient current may cause sensitive elements, such as microprocessor, to suffer electromagnetic interference and be at a risk of executing error operation. Moreover, the high voltage level and frequency of the transient current also cause damage to the motor and the drive circuit thereof. Hence, there is a need for improving the motor drive circuit so as to suppress the transient current during the motor operation.
The present invention intends to provide a brushless DC motor drive circuit with a transient current suppression circuit to enforce one of two transistors having a ground connection immediately while the transistor receives an OFF command from a drive component so as to avoid both of the transistors being at on-state. Consequently, the stability of the motor drive circuit is improved, and the damage to the motor and the drive circuit thereof is effectively lowered.

Brushless direct current motor driving circuit

Sunonwealth Electric Machine Industry Co., Ltd


The present invention is directed to a shaft lengthening system for a golf club. The shaft lengthening system comprises three components: an upper shaft portion that is attached to a grip, a lower shaft portion or portions that are attached to a club head, and a collet clamp assembly that couples the upper and lower shaft components together. The shaft components slideably engage with each other. The collet clamp assembly may comprise a collet secured to one of the shaft components and a collet clamp that interacts with the collet. Preferably, the collet clamp is threaded over the collet to clamp a portion of the collet to the other of the shaft components thereby setting the position of the shaft components relative to each other, and thus setting the overall length of the golf club shaft.

The design of golf clubs and particularly that of putters is typically viewed as a pursuit of an aesthetically pleasing club that promotes a golfer's confidence in his or her stroke. As such, many putters have been designed irrespective of the mechanics inherent in the putting swing. Furthermore, many putters lack a design that accounts for an individual golfer's characteristics and characteristic playing style (i.e., stance, grip, etc.).
The lack of attention to technical details in many putter designs results in clubs that are not aimed or balanced properly. Such technical considerations, for example, include heel and toe weight distribution, location of the putter head's center of gravity or "sweet spot," putter length, shaft flexibility, grip, head weight and total club weight, loft, and lie. Because the USGA Rules of Golf permit significant latitude in the design of putters, i.e., the shaft, neck or socket of a putter may be fixed at any point in the head, many putter designs are possible. And, because significant deviation in the intended path of a putt can be experienced for even slightly off-center hits, careful attention to these design factors can result in a putter that is more likely to perform well in use. Moreover, an adjustable length putter design may permit the variation of one or more of the aforementioned design considerations to more closely suit the needs of a given user.
What follows is an excerpt from a publication of the United States Golf Association entitled "A Guide to the Rules on Clubs and Balls", and in particular an excerpt regarding the rules for the adjustability of clubs:
"Adjustability Appendix II, 1b states that:                Woods and irons shall not be designed to be adjustable except for weight. Putters may be designed to be adjustable for weight and some other forms of adjustability are also permitted. All methods of adjustment permitted by the Rules require that:        (i) the adjustment cannot be readily made;        (ii) all adjustable parts are firmly fixed and there is no reasonable likelihood of them working loose during a round; and        (iii) all configurations of adjustment conform with the Rules.        The disqualification penalty for purposely changing the playing characteristics of a club during a stipulated round (Rule 4-2a) applies to all clubs including a putter.
(i) General                In order to preserve the integrity of Rule 4-2 (Playing Characteristics Changed), this rule clearly states that it must not be too easy for a player to make adjustments during the course of a stipulated round. This is interpreted to mean that adjustments must require the use of a special tool, such as an Allen key or a Phillips screwdriver. It must not be possible to make the adjustments during a round.
(II) Adjustability for Weight                All clubs may be designed to be adjustable for weight, provided the adjustment mechanism conforms to the conditions described previously and in Appendix II, 1b of the Rules. Examples of what would and would not be permitted are illustrated below. [see FIG. 1 b]        As already noted in Design of Clubs, Section 1a, with respect to adjustments for weight, the only exception to the conditions described in (i) above is the addition or removal of lead tape. This is a practice which pre-dates the introduction of the adjustability rules and is permitted on 'traditional' grounds. Of course, the addition or removal of lead tape during a round is not permitted (see Rule 4-2a and Decision 4-2/0.5 in "Decisions on the Rules of Golf").
(III) Other Kinds of Adjustability                Only putters may be designed to be adjustable in ways other than weight. For example, a putter may be designed to be adjustable for lie and length. Again, these adjustments must require the use of a special tool, not just the fingers or a coin, etc. If, as is often the case, a screw is used to fix the mechanism, the putter must, for all practicable purposes, be unusable without the screw being in place and tightly fixed.        When assessing the conformity of an adjustable putter, it is important to remember the third condition listed in Appendix II, 1b, and to ensure that the putter cannot be adjusted into a position which does not conform to the Rules. For example, a putter which is adjustable for lie must not be adjustable into a position where the shaft diverges from the vertical by less than ten degrees (see Appendix II, 1d and Design of Clubs, Section 1d), or any other position which would render the club non-conforming."
Various adjustable club constructions are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,305,270 to Nilson discloses a golf club with a hosel that has an extension on which the head is slideably and pivotally mounted. The extension is embedded in a shallow depression in the back of the head and runs substantially the entire length of the head. The head further includes lugs with inner serrated portions, and when a desired angle has been selected for the face, serrated portions on the extension are engaged with the lugs to lock the position.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,780,120 to Murray teaches an extendable shaft of two pieces. The upper shaft has a captured screw member (a bolt) that is screwed into an operative receipt (a nut) in the lower shaft. This invention allows the shaft to be extended but not adjusted.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,896,626 to Drossos also teaches an extendable shaft of two pieces. A male non-circular annular flange is mounted to one section of the shaft, a female non-circular annual flange relief is mounted to the other section of the shaft, and a locking means couple the two sections to form the shaft. This invention also allows the shaft to be extended but not adjusted.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 7,018,302 to Jacoby teaches an extension shaft having a protruding threaded end which engages with a threaded aperture in a coupling device.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,850,540 to Sander et al. teaches a golf club having a shaft, a collet, and a club head having an interior chamber configured to receive the collet. This invention does not teach an adjustable shaft or an extendible shaft.
U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 2003/0050131 to Grace teaches an extendable shaft of two pieces. The shaft extensions are of predetermined length and are not adjustable.
U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 2003/0148819 to Lindner teaches an elongated shaft having a housing into which is inserted a predetermined weight. This invention allows the shaft to be extended and weighted but not adjusted.
U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 2005/0143186 to Blattner et al. teaches a shaft extension that is attached by means of a reverse-thread connection. This invention allows the shaft to be extended but not adjusted.
Despite these developments, there exists a need for an improved golf club construction. In particular, there is a need for an improved golf club with adjustable shaft length.


A vehicle fuel filler tube comprises: a fuel filler tube configured to fluidly connect a fuel filler adaptor with a fuel reservoir and having an exposed segment; an elastomeric sleeve at least partially circumscribing the exposed segment; and a rigid reinforcement plate at least partially overlaying the sleeve, the plate extending longitudinally along a circumferential portion of the exposed segment and shaped to approximate a contour of the exposed segment.

Vehicles, such as passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles, may have fuel filler tube assemblies including, among other components, a fuel filler tube configured to convey fuel from a fuel filler adaptor located at the exterior of the vehicle to a fuel reservoir located underneath the vehicle. Due to design or other considerations, it may be desirable to include a reinforcement structure for one or more portions of the fuel filler tube.

Reinforcement structure for a vehicle fuel filler tube


A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk having a plurality of tracks, and a head actuated over the disk. Control circuitry heats the head in order to reduce a fly-height of the head, and computes a target servo sector to begin a preheat period. The control circuitry decreases the heat so that the fly-height is increased during at least part of a seek operation to seek the head from a first track to a second track. When the head reaches the target servo sector, the control circuitry increases the heat to decrease the fly-height during the preheat period.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to disk drives for computer systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a disk drive decreasing head temperature to increase fly-height during seek operation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In disk drives, a head is actuated radially over a disk in order to access a target track recorded on the disk. The head is attached to a distal end of an actuator arm which is rotated about a pivot by a voice coil motor during seek operations. As the disk rotates, an air bearing forms which causes the head to "fly" just above the disk surface while writing magnetic transitions during a write operation, or reading the magnetic transitions during a read operation. The head comprises a slider having an air bearing surface and an integrated transducer, such as a write coil and a magnetoresistive read element.
Decreasing the distance between the transducer and disk surface (fly-height) improves the signal-to-noise ratio in the read signal, thereby enabling higher recording densities (radial tracks per inch and linear bits per inch). To this end, designers have exploited the expansion properties of the head (e.g., the slider and/or transducer) by incorporating a heater to control the temperature of the head and thereby the fly-height. Increasing the temperature causes the head to expand, thereby moving the transducer closer to the disk surface. However, decreasing the fly-height increases the chances the head will collide with the disk causing damage to the head and or recording surface. This is of particular concern during seek operations due to the increased velocity of the head with respect to the disk and the potentially large fluctuations in fly-height due to vibrations in the actuator arm.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,113 discloses a disk drive which reduces the head temperature during a non-operating or "sleep" mode (not performing write or read operations), thereby increasing the fly-height to help prevent head/disk contract. However, the relatively slow transient response of the heater can adversely impact access time of the disk drive, particularly with respect to seek operations. For example, the cooling period of the heater can delay the seek operation, and the preheating period can delay the write/read operation after the seek.
There is, therefore, a need to reduce the head temperature to increase fly-height during seek operations without significantly increasing the access time of a disk drive.

Disk drive decreasing head temperature to increase fly-height during seek operation