A head restraint with a basic structure which serves to adjust the head restraint and to receive a person's head. The basic structure has a holding structure and at least one framework structure, wherein the framework structure has flexurally elastic flanks and deflectable cross struts which lie between the flanks and are arranged on the flanks via an elastic connector, as a result of which a force pulse which acts on the cross struts of the at least one framework structure via a flexurally elastic flank and which acts on a front side of the at least one framework structure from one direction causes a compensating, autoreactive deformation of the at least one framework structure at another point in the opposite direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a head restraint with a basic structure which serves to adjust the head restraint and to receive a person's head.
2. Description of the Background Art
"Function-integrated, bionic car seats" are known from the prior art. The particular feature of these seats lies in the design of the backrest, which utilizes a fin ray principle. The use of this principle and the basic structure, the so-called fin ray structure, have already been described in EP 1 040 999 A2 for the construction of structural elements, such as backrests and seat areas.
A fin ray principle can be observed in fish. It is based on the special structure of the fin rays of fish. When a point is pressed, the principle causes the fin ray to move opposite to this pressure direction. The fin ray reacts to the pressure with counterpressure. This becomes possible because of the special structure of the fin ray with two flexible struts, which converge at a tip and there grow together solidly. Cross struts, which keep the flanks at a distance and allow elastic movements, are located between the two elastic flanks. If the tail ray is held firmly at the base and the middle of the fin blade is pressed with a finger, the fin tip contrary to expectations moves opposite to the pressing direction of the finger.
This operating principle was realized technically in a backrest structure of a car seat in the following manner: Two flexible flanks made of thermoplastic fiberglass composite (a so-called organic sheet) form the front and back of the backrest. These are attached at the bottom to the backrest base, run together tapering upwards, where their ends are connected. Struts attached in an articulated manner to the flanks connect the front and back sides and keep these at a distance. Such a backrest also provides support in the lumbar area, yields in the shoulder region mostly toward the back, and thereby simultaneously reduces the distance of a head cushion of a head restraint to the head of a seat occupant. In large displacements, as may also occur, for example, in a rear-end collision, whiplash injury can be effectively countered with the aid of such a backrest structure. Thus, an anti-whiplash effect in the head area can be achieved with such a backrest structure.
A vehicle seat that utilizes the fin ray principle is described in the publication DE 10 2005 054 125 B3. The backrest frame of the vehicle seat comprises a construction built on the fin ray principle in a frame-like fashion; the construction comprises a rigid rear wall, a flexibly formed plate-like front wall, and cross struts arranged between them. The cross struts extend in their longitudinal direction along the vehicle seat width direction. The front wall and rear wall, in contrast, have a longitudinal extension in the vehicle height direction. The publication provides a backrest of a vehicle seat, which can be deformed in a simple way by using the fin ray principle both in the lumbar and in the shoulder region with mutual interdependence.
Thus far, in the automotive sector it was only envisaged to develop a backrest whose upper part functions as a head restraint in a crash. The upper part of the backrest moves forward in the crash and thus prevents the head from falling backwards and the cervical spine from hyperextending. As mentioned above in the event of a crash, the so-called anti-whiplash effect is achieved thereby for the head of a vehicle occupant.

Head restraint with an autoreactive framework structure


A semiconductor device having a gate stack on a substrate is disclosed. The gate stack may include a mask layer disposed over a first gate conductor layer. The first gate conductor layer may be laterally etched beneath the mask layer to create an overhanging portion of the mask layer. A sidewall dielectric can be formed on the sidewall of the first gate conductor layer beneath the overhanging portion of the mask layer. A sidewall structure layer can be formed adjacent to the sidewall dielectric and beneath the overhanging portion of the mask layer. The mask layer can be removed. The first gate conductor layer can be used to form a memory gate and the sidewall structure layer can be used to form a select gate.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to improved semiconductor devices and methods for making such devices.
2. Related Art
Semiconductor devices typically include a number of gate with structures formed on their sidewalls. The sidewall structures might include sidewall spacers, other semiconducting structures, or other device components. In the past, these sidewall structures have been formed by depositing the material over the gate and etching it so that only the portion of the material on the sidewall of the gate remains. While effective, this method can result in a non-uniform sidewall structure. For instance, sidewall structures created in this way will typically be narrower at the top than at the bottom. If the sidewall structure is being used as a dielectric, this can mean that gate-to-gate leakage can occur where the sidewall structure is narrow. Similarly, if the sidewall structure is conductive, the narrow point of the structure can cause insufficient conductivity or high resistance. These effects become more pronounced as gate sizes decrease. What is needed is needed are semiconductor devices and methods for manufacturing them that result sidewall structures without the uneven geometry that do not suffer the same leakage/conductivity issues.


In an image processing apparatus which has a plurality of overlapping entry screens, a desired one is selectively displayed and various operation conditions are set on the selected entry screen. The contents of all the set operation conditions are displayed in the form of a list. The list is displayed together with an entry screen.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology of setting a plurality of items associated with operation conditions of an image processing apparatus such as a printer or a copier.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some of the recent copiers and printers have not only printing functions but also postprocessing functions performed after printing. The postprocessing functions include stapling, punching and paper folding. Printing is performed based on operation conditions such as "the number of copies", "the paper size", "the orientation of printing", "whether to perform duplex printing or not" and "selection of a paper feed tray." Postprocessing is performed based on operation conditions such as "whether to perform stapling or not", "the position stapled", "whether to perform punching or not", "the position punched", "N-up" and "covered binding."
The user sets operation conditions of a printer or a copier through a printer driver. The printer driver displays on the display an entry screen for entering data for a plurality of items specifying operation conditions. The printer driver registers the data entered by the user as the set values of the corresponding items, and sets the operation conditions.
In recent years, the number of operation conditions has been increasing because the number of printing functions and postprocessing functions has been increasing. Since this increases the number of items for which data is to be entered, it is difficult to display all the items within one entry screen.
For this reason, recent printer drivers accept data entry by displaying a plurality of entry screens so as to be switchable on the display. The items are all classified into a plurality of groups, and an entry screen is provided for each group. The entry screens each have the form of a card and are displayed so as to overlap one another on the display. A desired entry screen is displayed on the top by selecting the tab provided for the entry screen. The tab is labeled with "Setup", "Finishing" or the like. From the label, the user can grasp the items that can be set on the entry screen up to a point.
Some of the printing functions and the postprocessing functions cannot be selected unless an appropriate value is set for a certain item. For example, in a copier where it is mechanically impossible to perform stapling or punching on the short edge when the paper size is A4, it is necessary that a value making the paper size, for example, A3 be set for the item specifying the paper size.
Moreover, when an operation condition is specified by items existing over a plurality of entry screens, in other words, when it is necessary to enter appropriate data while switching entry screens, the following problem arises: When data is entered for an item on the displayed entry screen, it is necessary for the user to be conscious of the data having been entered or to be entered on other entry screens being hidden. Consequently, data entry requires time and effort, so that operation condition setting cannot be performed quickly and easily.

Image processing apparatus, and method of controlling the image processing apparatus


Embodiments include methods performed in time division duplex (TDD) radio communication systems in which information is communicated between a first node (e.g., a base) and a second node (e.g., user equipment) in a context of a data frame that includes a plurality of slots. The second node applies an adjustment to an alignment between a second node transmit clock and a second node receive clock based on a propagation delay between the first node and the second node. The adjusted alignment ensures that second node receive slots and second node transmit slots are non-overlapping with each other in time, and that the second node will operate in a half-duplex mode of operation. The second node transmits a transmit burst during the second node transmit slots, and receives a first node transmit burst from the first node during the second node receive slots.

In some radio communication systems, radio frequency (RF) signals are communicated between a plurality of radios and a base. Some systems are configured to support communications with "half-duplex radios" (i.e., radios that are adapted to operate in a half-duplex mode). Such systems also may be configured to support communications with "full-duplex radios" (i.e., radios that are adapted to operate in a full-duplex mode). A radio operating in half-duplex mode may either receive RF signals or transmit RF signals, but not both simultaneously. In contrast, a radio operating in full-duplex mode may transmit and receive RF signals simultaneously using different frequencies. Although full-duplex radios have certain advantages over half-duplex radios, full-duplex radios are not without disadvantages. For example, full-duplex radios tend to have significantly greater hardware complexity than half-duplex radios. Therefore, full-duplex radios generally are more expensive than half-duplex radios. In addition, because full-duplex radios transmit and receive information using different frequencies, full-duplex radios tend to consume more available system bandwidth than half-duplex radios.
Half-duplex radios may be used in a time division duplex (TDD) system, which is a communication system in which time division multiplexing is used to separate transmit and receive RF signals. A half-duplex radio adapted for use within a TDD system may include a relatively simple switch between the radio's transmit and receive subsystems. The switch is operable to cause the radio either to receive RF signals from a base or to transmit RF signals to the base, but not both simultaneously. A half-duplex radio and a base in a TDD system use a single frequency for transmitting and receiving. Therefore, communications between the half-duplex radio and the base may consume less available bandwidth than a full-duplex system. Using TDD, the base transmits while the radio is receiving, and vice versa. During any given time interval, only the base or the half-duplex radio may be transmitting, while the other device is receiving. However, when propagation delays between the radio and the base become too long (e.g., when the length of a communication frame is relatively short compared with the propagation delay), a half-duplex radio is incapable of maintaining this switching synchronicity with the base. Accordingly, communications with half-duplex radios is not generally supported in TDD communication systems in which long propagation delays are inherent.
Because of the advantages of half-duplex radios, however, methods and apparatus are desired to support communications with half-duplex radios in TDD communication systems having inherently long propagation delays. Accordingly, what are needed are methods and apparatus for providing half-duplex communications in a radio communication system, and more particularly in a TDD radio communication system, and even more particularly in a TDD radio communication system in which long propagation delays may exist between a radio and a base. Other features and characteristics of the inventive subject matter will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.

Methods and apparatus for supporting a half-duplex mode of operation for user equipment communications in a radio communication system


The present invention is an electric hydraulic hybrid motor, a control device, and a control method for the same motor, which is small in size and simple in construction, which can be equal horsepower controlled or torque limiter controlled when required. To this end, an electric hybrid motor includes a cylinder block (21), provided for common use by a hydraulic pump (20) and by a hydraulic motor (50) and rotated integrally with a rotor (14); a number of plungers (23), provided for the hydraulic pump (20) and rotated integrally with the rotor (14); a number of plungers (23a), provided for the hydraulic motor (50); a variable swash plate control device (33), for setting the discharge rate from the hydraulic pump (20); a swash plate setting device (56), for setting the discharge rate from the hydraulic motor (50); and a case (11) in which these constituent members are disposed.

Conventionally, it is known that a hydraulic pump, driven by an electric motor, and a hydraulic motor, outputting torque by receiving pressurized oil from the hydraulic pump, can be provided integrally with the electric motor (for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication B1 53-37523). According to the Japanese Patent Application Publication B1 53-37523, the hydraulic variable speed electric motor is provided with a rotor which is located inwardly of the stator of the electric motor, and a hollow shaft, which is located inwardly of the rotor and which has both ends supported by bearings. The hollow shaft is electrically driven, integrally with the rotor, and is used as an input shaft for the power of the hydraulic pump. A projecting shaft, which is integral with the outside case for the stator and rotor of the electric motor, is fixedly provided at the hollow shaft. The hydraulic pump is provided in the direction of the outer diameter of the projecting shaft and axially adjacent to the stator and rotor of the electric motor. The hollow shaft and the projecting shaft, provided fixedly and integrally with the hollow shaft, are supported by the bearings at three points. The hydraulic motor is provided inside the hollow shaft so as to oppose the hydraulic pump. The pressurized oil from the hydraulic pump goes from the hydraulic pump through the rotating hollow shaft and the integrated projecting shaft, to the external case of the electric motor and is further sent from the external case to the hydraulic motor.
However, in the above-described conventional hydraulic variable speed electric motor, the hydraulic pump is placed axially adjacent to the stator and the rotor of the electric motor; therefore, the length of the hydraulic variable speed electric motor is great. In addition, the pressurized oil from the hydraulic pump is sent through the rotating hollow shaft and the integrated projecting shaft and is sent from the external case to the hydraulic motor; therefore, the hydraulic variable speed electric motor similarly has a great length. Further, the hollow shaft and the integrated projecting shaft are supported by the bearings at three points, making the center shaft core difficult to access and a large clearance between the external case and the rotating integrated projecting shaft is necessary. For this reason, the leakage of the pressurized oil from the clearance is increased. The charging circuit is positioned at the outside; therefore, the space is required, and the external shape and appearance become larger. In addition, as the horsepower control or the torque control is carried out by a controlling device from another machine or device, it is necessary to provide a space for installing the controlling device other than in the machine. In addition, it is necessary to connect the electric hydraulic hybrid motor and the controlling device, and there is a disadvantage of the structure being complicated.

Electric hydraulic hybrid motor, control device and control method for the same motor


Disclosed is a carrier management method for use in a carrier aggregation environment of a mobile communication system. In the method, a base station is configured to transmit a deactivation message for a secondary carrier to a terminal and change the secondary carrier to a deactivation state after a predetermined time from the transmission of the deactivation message. The terminal receives the deactivation message transmitted by the base station, and changes the secondary carrier to the deactivation state after a predetermined time from the transmission of the deactivation message. As the predetermined time, a predefined value may be used to prevent inconsistency of secondary-carrier state information that is managed by the base station and the terminal. If the carrier state management information is used, it is possible to prevent inconsistency of secondary-carrier states that are managed by the base station and the terminal and solve problems due to the inconsistency.

3GPP, which is a mobile communication standardization organization, has developed an LTE system standard as a next-generation mobile communication standard. Also, the development of the LTE-Advanced system standard as an extension of the LTE standard is under way to satisfy International Mobile Telecommunication (IMT)-Advanced system requirements proposed by the International Telecommunication Union-Radio communication Sector (ITU-R).
While the LTE standard supports a maximum radio bandwidth of 20 MHz, the LTE-Advanced standard uses bandwidth aggregation (carrier aggregation) to support a maximum bandwidth of 100 MHz. Thus, in the LTE-Advanced standard, the bandwidth of 100 MHz is divided into component carriers (CCs), each of which has a maximum bandwidth of 20 MHz, and a base station may communicate with a terminal by simultaneously using a plurality of carriers.
The terminal, which supports multicarrier communication, uses a plurality of radio channels in a broad band. The wider a frequency bandwidth for use in communication, the higher the power consumption. Therefore, the terminal of the LTE-Advanced system is configured to activate and use multiple carriers only when traffic is high and to perform communication using only a single carrier when traffic is low.
On the other hand, when a secondary carrier is configured and operated in the multicarrier environment, a secondary carrier deactivation procedure and a discontinuous reception (DRX) procedure should be stably controlled, and thus a management state is not consistent between the base station and the terminal. In addition, when the deactivation procedure is performed, a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) retransmission procedure to be performed in the terminal should be managed according to a deactivation state.

Method for carrier management in a carrier aggregation environment of a mobile communication system

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


Described nucleic acid molecules (and corresponding peptides) encode lyso-phosphatidylcholine (LPC) acyltransferases. Over-expression of the LPC acyltransferases in a cell may lead to enhanced production of PUFA, or other unusual fatty acids, and/or to increased oil content in the cell.

Phosphatidylcholine (PC) serves not only as a major component of cellular membranes, but also as a major source of fatty acyl donors for triacylglycerol biosynthesis in eukaryotic organisms. At least three pathways through which PC is generated exist: (i) the CDP-choline pathway where diacylglycerol (DAG) is a direct precursor; (ii) a pathway where CDP-DAG is a direct precursor, involving phosphatidylserine formation and decarboxylation and phosphatidylethanolamine methylation (Zheng and Zou, 2001); and (iii) a pathway with LPC as substrate. The third pathway is exerted by LPC acyltransferases (LPCAT).
LPCAT enzymes catalyze the acylation of LPC molecules to form PC and play a pivotal role in membrane biogenesis. They can also exert a reversible reaction to release the fatty acyl chain esterified to the sn-2 position of PC, thereby contributing to a continuous remodeling of fatty acyl-CoA and PC pools.
The significance of LPCAT in glycerolipid metabolism of eukaryotic systems has been noted for many years. For genetic engineering of plant-based production of very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), this enzyme is believed to represent a bottleneck for acyl exchange between the fatty acyl elongation and de-saturation systems. In higher plants, the function of this enzyme is largely unknown, but it has been proposed that the enzyme is involved in the selective incorporation of fatty acids into a storage pool.
Although LPCAT relating to the synthesis of surfactant lipid located on the surface of (pulmonary) cells have been reported in mammalian systems (X. Chen et al., PNAS 2006 103:11724-11729; H. Nakanishi et al., JBC 2006 281:20140-20147), an LPC acyltransferase involved in membrane or storage lipid synthesis has not been reported.
Recently, a mitochondrial acyl-CoA independent LPCAT from Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been identified. This enzyme has been shown to function in cardiolipin metabolism (Testet et al. 2005). In addition, Shindou et al. (2007) reported that aceyl-CoA:lyso-PAF (platelet-activating factor) acetyltransferase possesses LPCAT activity.

Genes encoding a novel type of lysophophatidylcholine acyltransferases and their use to increase triacylglycerol production and/or modify fatty acid composition


The present invention relates to [1] a pigment water dispersion containing pigment-containing crosslinked polymer particles, in which a crosslinked polymer in the particles is a polymer that is crosslinked with a crosslinking agent represented by the general formula (1), and [2] a process for producing a pigment water dispersion containing pigment-containing crosslinked polymer particles, including the following steps (1) and (2): Step (1): subjecting a pigment mixture containing a pigment, a water-dispersible polymer and water to dispersion treatment, thereby obtaining an aqueous pigment dispersion solution containing pigment-containing polymer particles; and Step (2): mixing the aqueous pigment dispersion solution obtained in the step (1) and a crosslinking agent represented by the general formula (1) to react the water-dispersible polymer with the crosslinking agent, thereby obtaining a pigment water dispersion containing pigment-containing crosslinked polymer particles.

In ink-jet printing methods, droplets of ink are directly projected onto a printing medium from very fine nozzles and allowed to adhere to the printing medium to obtain printed materials on which characters or images are printed. The ink-jet printing methods have become rapidly spread because of various advantages such as easiness of full coloration, low cost, capability of using a plain paper as the printing medium, non-contact with printed characters or images, etc.
In recent years, in order to impart good weathering resistance and water resistance to the printed materials, an ink that contains a pigment as a colorant has been extensively used in the ink-jet printing methods. In consequence, it has been attempted to improve storage stability, etc., of the ink by crosslinking a polymer as a dispersant for the pigment.
For example, JP 2013-511605A (Patent Literature 1) aims at providing a water-based ink having excellent stability, etc., and discloses an aqueous dispersion containing solid particles and a vinyl polymeric dispersant, wherein the vinyl polymeric dispersant contains a hydrophilic segment and a hydrophobic segment, the hydrophilic segment contains at least one crosslinkable moiety, and the crosslinkable moiety is crosslinked with a crosslinking agent that is substantially insoluble in an aqueous ink vehicle.
JP 2008-524369A (Patent Literature 2) aims at providing a finely dispersed stable encapsulated particulate solid, and discloses a process for preparing an encapsulated particulate solid by crosslinking a dispersant with a crosslinking agent in the presence of a particulate solid and a liquid medium to thereby encapsulate the particulate solid with the crosslinked dispersant, in which the dispersant contains a carboxylic acid group and has an acid value of at least 125 mgKOH/g, and the crosslinking agent contains at least two epoxy groups and one or more oligomeric dispersing groups.
JP 2007-314784A (Patent Literature 3) aims at providing a water-based ink that is excellent in storage stability, etc., and discloses a water dispersion for ink-jet printing which contains colorant-containing water-insoluble crosslinked polymer particles and a water-insoluble organic compound, in which the water-insoluble crosslinked polymer is a polymer obtained by crosslinking a water-insoluble polymer with a crosslinking agent.
In addition, JP 2011-137055A (Patent Literature 4) aims at improving water repellency of a print head, and discloses a process for producing a water dispersion for ink-jet printing which includes the step of adding an epoxy crosslinking agent to a water dispersion containing pigment-containing polymer particles either continuously or two or more times, in which the pigment-containing polymer particles are polymer particles formed by incorporating a pigment into a carboxy group-containing polymer, and the epoxy crosslinking agent has a solubility in water of not more than 30% and is added in an amount of 10 to 90 mol % (in terms of an epoxy group) on the basis of the carboxy group.


A connection-aggregation proxy service disclosed in various embodiments receives connection requests from a plurality of local initiating services, where the connection requests are not targeted at the connection-aggregation proxy service. The connection-aggregation proxy service establishes connections with the local initiating services, receives packets over those connections, and transmits the packets across the same connection when the packets are for the same external target. A local connection-aggregation proxy service in one example executes on the same physical computing device as the local initiating services. A gateway connection-aggregation proxy service in another example resides at a network edge between the local initiating services and the external target that the network local initiating services are requesting. In yet another example, a central connection-aggregation proxy service establishes a connection with multiple local connection-proxy aggregation services and acts as an upstream aggregator for the connections from those local connection-aggregation proxy services.

Networked computing devices often include a number of local software services that initiate communications with external requested services. For example, a web browser may initiate communications with a variety of Internet hosts in order to retrieve various elements referenced in a web page. As another example, an email client may initiate communications with an email server. As another example, an online multiplayer computer game may initiate communications with a gaming server. Such network communications often involve establishing, utilizing, and then terminating a network connection between a local initiating service and an external requested service. Establishing a network connection may require significant overhead, such as delay and resource consumption introduced by the processes of connection establishment and connection, connection acknowledgement, and connection termination. Multiple local initiating services may establish network connections to the same requested service, increasing bandwidth and delays in communications between the physical computing device executing the local initiating services, and the physical computing device executing the requested services.


A lipopolysaccharide binding protein, LBP, which is present in acute phase serum of an animal host, but is substantially absent from the normal serum of the host, method of detection, and antibodies that bind to LBP are described.

The wide variety of microorganisms commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract, particularly the Gram-negative, nonsporulating bacilli, have become increasingly important in clinical medicine. They are the principal organisms found in infections of the abdominal viscera, peritoneum, and urinary tract, as well as being frequent secondary invaders of the respiratory tract, burned or traumatized skin, and sites of decreased host resistance and instrumentation. Currently, they are the most frequent cause of life-threatening bacteremia.
The gastrointestinal flora are exceedingly complex.
The large intestine contains about 10.sup.10 to 10.sup.11 organisms per gram of contents. Of these, 90 to 95 percent are obligate anaerobes. Most common are the Gram-negative bacilli, Bacteroides and Fusobacterium, gram-positive bacilli, including Bifidobacterium, Eubacterium, and Corynebacterium species, and a wide variety of anaerobic streptococci. Other anaerobes include the Gram-positive spore-forming rods of the clostridia species and Gram-negative cocci, Veillonella. Enterococci are also present. The well-known aerobic Gram-negative rods, which are members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, account for only 5 to 10 percent of the total flora. These include the most common, E. coli, as well as the Klebsiella-Enterobacter group, Proteus, Providencia, Edwardsiella, Serratia, and under pathologic conditions, Salmonella and Shigella.
The Gram-negative bacteria of the gastrointestinal tract produce disease by invasion of tissue and by release of a pharmacologically active lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from the cell wall, known as endotoxin. Endotoxins from a wide variey of unrelated species behave quite similarly, regardless of the inherent pathogenicity of the microorganism from which they are derived or their antigenic structure.
In the intact microorganism, endotoxins exist as complexes of lipid, polysaccharide, glycolipid and non-covalently-bound protein. The biologic activity seems to be a property of a lipid and carbohydrate portion.
The lipopolysaccharides of Gram-negative bacteria may be roughly divided into three structural regions. The outer-most region contains the chains of specific sugars that characterize the O-specific antigens and determine individual serotypes within a species. The specific sugars are linked to a core polysaccharide that is of similar structure among related groups of bacteria. The core is in turn linked through 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate disaccharides to the major lipid component termed lipid A. Evidence has now accumulated to indicate that the properties of endotoxins may be accounted for by this complex lipid substance.
Lipid A is a glucosamine disaccharide esterified with phosphoric and pyrophosphoric acid and also contains ester- or amide-linked lauric, palmitic, and myristic acids. Perhaps the most important finding in recent years is that the lipid A and core-polysaccharide regions are immunogenic and can induce antibodies that cross-react among the Gram-negative bacteria.
Animal studies reveal that antibodies prepared against these components of endotoxin protect against challenge from heterologous Gram-negative bacteria. However, better protection is reportedly obtained by immunization with specific O-antigens that induce opsonizing antibodies.
Upon entry into the bloodstream and initiation of endotoxemia, LPS and blood humoral and cellular elements interact. The work of several groups has shown that the blood-borne LPS partitions between the tissues and plasma lipoproteins, with specific binding to high density lipoprotein (HDL). Freudenberg et al. (1980) Infec. Immun. 28:373; Mathison and Ulevitch (1979) J. Immunol. 123:2133; Munford et al. (1982) J. Clin. Invest. 70:877; and Ulevitch et al. (1981) J. Clin. Invest. 67:827.
Depending upon the source and isolated form of LPS, about 10-50 percent of the initially administered LPS partitions to the plasma lipoproteins (HDL), with the remainder going to the tissues. Clearance from the animal body appears to be via the tissues and into bile. Thus, if the partitioning between plasma lipoproteins and tissues could be adjusted to be less favorable to HDL, LPS could be more quickly cleared from the body of the infected animal.
In view of the above reports and the findings discussed hereinafter, an early example of improved clearance may have been reported by Filkins (1976) Proc. Soc. Exptl. Biol. Med. 151:89. It was there reported that rats treated with whole rat blood plasma and serum from either post-endotoxic or post-trauma donors manifested detoxifying potential in rats into which Salmonella enteritidis LPS had been injected. In contrast, normal rat blood and phosphate-buffered saline controls exhibited no detoxification. A role for the reticuloendothelial system in elaboration of the blood anti-endotoxin system was postulated.
It has also been reported that acute phase rabbit serum (APRS) modifies the interactions of LPS with HDL by retarding the in vitro rate of binding of LPS to HDL, thereby modulating the endotoxic effect of the LPS. Tobias and Ulevitch (1983) J. Immunol. 131:1913. Binding of LPS to components of normal rabbit serum (NRS) has also been reported. Ulevitch and Johnston (1978) J. Clin. Invest. 62:1313; Ulevitch et al. (1979) J. Clin. Invest. 64:1516; Ulevitch et al. (1981) J. Clin. Invest. 67:827; Munford et al. (1981) J. Clin. Invest. 70:877; and Freudenberg et al. (1980) Infect. Immun. 28:373.
In rabbits, the interaction of LPS with HDL can be accounted for by a two-step mechanism in which the LPS is first disaggregated by the action of serum proteins. The disaggregated LPS thereafter binds with HDL to form the observed complex. It is believed that similar mechanisms apply in other animals, including man.
Mixtures of LPS with rabbit serum that are permitted to react for 30 minutes at 37 degrees C provide an LPS complex with a density of less than about 1.2 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cc). When NRS is used, the complex contains components of HDL including apolipoprotein AI (apo AI) ((Ulevitch et al. (1981) J. Clin. Invest. 67:827)) while with APRS the complex contains apo AI and also serum amyloid A apolipoprotein (apo SSA) ((Tobias et al. (1982) J. Immunol. 128:1420)).
While complexes with densities of about 1.2 g/cc are ultimately formed by admixture of LPS with NRS and with APRS, the times for formation of similar amounts of those complexes differ. Thus, for NRS, the formation of the 1.2 g/cc complex is about 90 percent complete within about 30 minutes, while in APRS, the complex is about 95 percent formed after a time period of about 6 hours. Tobias and Ulevitch (1983) J. Immunol. 131:1913.
In addition to the time courses of complex formation being different in NRS as compared to APRS, initial complexes formed in the two serum types also differ in density. Thus, in NRS, the density of the initially formed complex is 1.33 g/cc, while in APRS, the density of the intial complex is 1.3. An LPS-containing serum complex with a density of 1.3 g/cc was also reported when Balbc/Strong mice were injected with AgNO.sub.3 or LPS. Tobias and Ulevitch (1983) J. Immunol. 131:1913.
Precipitated euglobulin fractions formed from mixtures of LPS and NRS or APRS were examined for their solubilities in saline. It was found that substantially all of the LPS in the NRS-formed precipitate dissolved leaving only about 1 percent of the recovered, precipitated LPS undissolved, while most of the LPS that precipitated from APRS did not dissolve in saline.
Dissolution of the saline-insoluble precipitates followed by SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that the APRS-formed precipitated complex contained a newly identified protein having an apparent relative molecular weight of about 60,000. That new protein was found to be a glycoprotein by staining with periodic acid-Schiff stain, and was referred to as gp60. Tobias and Ulevitch (1983) J. Immunol. 131:1913.
Data for the time-dependent shift of density and LPS precipitability from NRS and APRS showed similar time courses. In addition, SDS-PAGE analysis of precipitates taken at various times after admixture of LPS with APRS showed the gp60 material as well as possibly two other proteins of molecular weights of about 57,000 and about 79,000 interact with LPS to modify LPS/HDL binding kinetics. Tobias and Ulevitch (1983) J. Immunol. 131:1913.
It thus appeared that at least the before-described gp60 material was involved in mediating the binding of LPS to HDL. Subsequent work, discussed hereinafter, has however shown that that gp60 material is not the substance that retards binding between HDL and LPS, and it was believed that the homologous human protein was a known protein, an alpha.sub.2,beta.sub.1 -glycoprotein first reported by Iwasaki and Schmid (1970) J. Biol. Chem. 245:1814. That belief has now been found in error. The substance that retards binding is a newly identified glycoprotein, and is refered to hereinafter as lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), or just a binding protein.

Antibodies which immunoreact with lapine lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP)


A junction box assembly includes a main body on which an electric circuit is disposed having at least one socket electrically connected to the electric circuit. A first cover covers a surface of the main body on which the electric circuit is disposed. A second cover covers another surface of the main body opposite the first surface and has a connector corresponding to the at least one socket. A coupling unit fastens the main body and the second cover together by a sliding motion thereof, such that the socket and the connector are coupled to each other.

Generally, a junction box is employed in vehicles for gathering of electric circuits in a convenient location. Such a conventional junction box typically includes a main body on which electric circuits are disposed, an upper cover for covering an upper portion of the main body, and a lower cover for covering a lower portion of the main body. Sockets are provided at the lower portion of the main body for electrical connection to the various electric circuits. Connectors are provided at an upper portion of the lower cover and are electrically connected to respective sockets. In a conventional junction box, in order to couple the sockets of the main body to the connector of the lower cover, the lower cover is coupled to the main body by a bolt and a bolt inserted therethrough.
However, the above-mentioned conventional junction box presents certain difficulaties when the junction box is assembled and disassembled. Firstly, when the junction box is mass-produced, since a separate bolting device is required for fastening the connecting bolt, excessive cost and time are required. In addition, the bolting process progresses regardless of whether the connector is accurately coupled to the socket, and accordingly, incorrect assembly may occur.
When the junction box is repaired, since the bolt must be unfastened and fastened by a separate screw driver, the repair process can be complicated. In addition, because of the use of a bolt(s), the bolt(s) may be unfastened by vibration thereof, which is always present in vehicles.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.


Methods, apparatus, and other embodiments predict response to immunotherapy from computed tomography (CT) images of a region of tissue demonstrating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). One example apparatus includes a set of circuits that includes an image acquisition circuit that accesses a CT image of a region of tissue demonstrating cancerous pathology, a tumoral definition circuit that generates a tumoral surface boundary that defines a tumoral volume, a peritumoral segmentation circuit that generates a peritumoral region based on the tumoral surface boundary, and that segments the peritumoral region into a plurality of annular bands, a radiomics circuit that extracts a set of discriminative features from the tumoral volume and at least one of the plurality of annular bands, and a classification circuit that classifies the ROI as a responder or a non-responder, based, at least in part, on the set of discriminative features.

Lung cancer is the world's leading cause of cancer death. Nearly two million patients are diagnosed with lung cancer every year, and approximately 1.7 million lung cancer related deaths occur every year globally. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer related mortality worldwide. Platinum based cytotoxic chemotherapy is one approach to treating NSCLC. However, first-line platinum based cytotoxic chemotherapy for advanced NSCLC produces transient responses at best, possibly because tumor protein p53-system mutation or deletion is universal in NSCLC and metastatic disease.
The immune checkpoint inhibitor anti programmed death-1 (PD-1) nivolumab, has been employed in second-line treatment for NSCLC as an immunotherapy for NSCLC. Nivolumab has an excellent toxicity profile and may induce durable, clinically meaningful responses. However, the objective response rate to nivolumab is only approximately 20%: only about 20% of NSCLC patients respond to nivolumab. Furthermore, conventional tissue based markers for predicting patient response to nivolumab are ineffective.

Methods and apparatus for predicting benefit from immunotherapy using tumoral and peritumoral radiomic features


A method for producing high-purity iron oxide which comprises pulverizing iron ore into powder having an average particle diameter of 20-150 .mu.m, removing fine particles from the powder, and subjecting the powder to wet magnetic separation in a magnetic field of 1000-15000 gauss for the removal of impurities. The iron oxide powder may undergo the secondary steps of pulverization and classification, which are performed by the combination of a wet grinding means and a wet cyclone, and drying and calcination.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high-purity iron oxide as a raw material of ferrites which is produced from iron ore, and to a method for producing the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are several methods for producing from iron ore an iron oxide as a raw material of ferrites. A common method consists of crushing, classification, and mineral dressing, with the starting material being hematite or magnetite. The mineral dressing includes table gravity concentration, flotation, and magnetic separation. These methods are combined with one another or followed by chemical treatments. The combination of mineral dressing methods is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 4536/1990 and Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 11526/1988. The chemical treatments following mineral dressing are disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Nos. 295239/1986 and 69527/1989.
The iron oxide produced as mentioned above is mixed with strontium carbonate and barium carbonate in the production of ferrites. The mixing of a plurality of raw materials is accomplished by dry process or wet process, the former consisting of mixing raw materials in dry powder form for several hours in a vibrating rod mill or Eirich mixer, and the latter consisting of mixing raw materials in slurry form (about 50% concentration) for several hours in a mixing ball mill.
There are two kinds of iron oxides as a raw material of ferrites. One is produced by pulverizing iron ore as mentioned above, and the other is produced from iron compounds such as iron chloride and iron sulfate. The former is inferior to the latter; that is, it contains a large amount of impurities such as SiO.sub.2 and Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, which make it unsuitable as a raw material of high-quality ferrites. To address this problem, the present inventors carried out extensive studies and, as the result, succeeded in producing from iron ore a high-purity iron oxide containing less than 0.15% SiO.sub.2 and less than 0.1% Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a high-purity iron oxide as a raw material of high-quality ferrites.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for producing said high-purity iron oxide from iron ore.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for producing a high-purity iron oxide fine powder having a uniform particle size which is suitable as a raw material of high-performance ferrites.

High purity iron oxide and method for production hereof


A process for manufacturing a semiconductor device assembly including a semiconductor device having a plurality of bond pads on the active surface thereof and a lead frame having a portion of the plurality lead fingers of the lead frame located below the semiconductor device in a substantially horizontal plane and another portion of the plurality of lead fingers of the lead frame located substantially in the same horizontal plane as the active surface of the semiconductor device. Both plurality of lead finger of the lead frame having their ends being located substantially adjacent the peripheral sides of the semiconductor device, rather than at the ends thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a semiconductor device assembly including a semiconductor device having a plurality of bond pads on the active surface thereof and a lead frame having a first portion of the plurality lead fingers of the lead frame located below the inactive surface of the semiconductor device in a substantially horizontal plane and another portion of the plurality of lead fingers of the lead frame located substantially in the same horizontal plane as the active surface of the semiconductor device. Both plurality of lead fingers of the lead frame having their ends being located substantially adjacent the peripheral sides of the semiconductor device, rather than at the ends thereof.
2. State of the Art
High performance, low cost, increased miniaturization of components, and greater packaging density of integrated circuits have been and are goals in the electronics industry. Greater integrated circuit package density, for given level of component and internal conductor density, is primarily limited by the space available for semiconductor device mounting and packaging. For lead frame mounted semiconductor devices, this limitation is a result of the conventional lead frame design, such conventional lead frame design inherently limits potential single-die package density because the die-attach paddle of the lead frame must be as large or larger than the semiconductor device secured thereto. The larger the semiconductor device, the less space (relative to size of the semiconductor device) that remains around the periphery of the die-attach paddle for bond pads for attendant wire bonding. Furthermore, the inner ends of the lead fingers of a lead frame provide anchor points for the lead fingers when the lead fingers and the die are encapsulated in plastic. These anchor points may be emphasized later as flanges or bends or kinks in the lead. Therefore, as the die size is increased in relation to the package size in ever decreasing size semiconductor packages, there is a corresponding reduction in the space along the sides of the package for the encapsulating plastic which joins the top and bottom portions of the molded plastic body at the mold part line and anchors to the leads. As the leads are subjected to the normal stresses of forming and assembly operations, the encapsulating plastic may crack, which may destroy the package seal and substantially increase the probability of premature semiconductor device failure.
One method of increasing integrated circuit density is to stack semiconductor dice vertically. U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,323 to Farnworth illustrates combining a pair of semiconductor devices mounted on opposing sides of a lead frame. An upper semiconductor device is back-bonded to the upper surface of the leads of the lead frame by a first adhesively coated, insulated film layer. The lower semiconductor device is face-bonded to the lower lead frame die-bonding region via a second, adhesively coated, insulative, film layer. The wire-bonding pads on both upper die and lower semiconductor devices are interconnected with the ends of their associated lead extensions with gold or aluminum wires. The lower die needs to be sightly larger than the upper die in order that the lower die bonding pads are accessible from above through an aperture in the lead frame such that gold wire connections can be made to the lead extensions. However, this arrangement has a major disadvantage from a production standpoint, since the different size semiconductor devices require that different separate equipment produce the different dice or that the same equipment be switched over in different production runs to produce the different semiconductor devices. Moveover, the lead frame design employed by Farnworth employs long conductor runs between the die and the exterior of the package. Also, the lead frame configuration is specialized and rather complex.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,061 to Ball illustrates a multiple stacked semiconductor device that contains up to four such devices which does not exceed the height of current single semiconductor device packages. The low profile of the semiconductor device is achieved by close-tolerance stacking which is made possible by a low-loop-profile wirebonding operation and thin adhesive layers between the stacked semiconductor devices. However, Ball secures all of the semiconductor devices to the same side of the lead frame, thereby increasing wire length. Moreover, Ball employs a die paddle to support the semiconductor device stack.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,245 to Pashby illustrates "leads-over-chip" (LOC) configuration, wherein the inner lead ends of a standard dual-in-line package (DIP) lead frame configuration extend over and are secured to the active (upper) of the semiconductor device through a dielectric layer. The bond wire length is shortened by placing the inner lead ends in closer proximity to a central row of die bond pads, and the lead extensions purportedly enhance heat transfer from the semiconductor device. However, the Pashby LOC configuration, as disclosed, relates to mounting and bonding a single semiconductor device with the inner lead ends of the lead fingers chive surface of the semiconductor device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,843 illustrates a semiconductor device having improved packaging adhesion of the lead fingers within the packaging resin by spreading leads on or near the non-circuit forming face of the semiconductor device thereby extending the lengths of the inner portions of the lead fingers on or under the semiconductor device. As illustrated in the '843 patent, the semiconductor device is of the type having bond pads located only on the ends thereof, not the peripheral sides of the semiconductor device or about the entire periphery of the semiconductor device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,945 illustrates a lead frame to distribute power off a semiconductor device using a lead frame having the support paddle of the lead frame being split electrically to provide at least two conductor members that cross under the inactive surface of the semiconductor device. As illustrated, the semiconductor device is of the configuration type having bond pads located only on the ends thereof, not about the peripheral sides of the semiconductor chip or the entire entire periphery of the semiconductor device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,554,886 illustrates a lead frame used to support a semiconductor device having a portion of the peripheral lead fingers of the lead frame extending along the peripheral sides of the semiconductor device and locally supporting the semiconductor chip therealong. However, no lead fingers are used which extend under the length of the inactive surface of the semiconductor chip to support the semiconductor device and are connected by wire bonding to the bond pads of the semiconductor device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,557,143 illustrates a packaged semiconductor device assembly utilizing a plurality of leads. Such leads are arranged in an up and down staggered manner, an interval between ends of low stage leads in the package being narrower than a width of upper stage leads and ends of the lower stage leads in the package are positioned nearer to the semiconductor device pad than ends of the tipper stage leads. However, none of the leads extend below the semiconductor device which is solely supported by the die paddle (pad).

Leads under chip in conventional IC package


The present invention relates to a method for pulse placement to form a binary pulse signal, said binary pulse signal having a constant pulse rate being reciprocal of a constant pulse rate period, comprising the steps of generating a bit clock having a bit clock period of shorter duration than said constant pulse rate period, synthesizing pulses with leading and trailing edges, said leading and trailing edges of said synthesized pulses being placed at N-multiples of said bit clock period within said constant pulse rate period, with N=0, 1, 2, . . , and selecting said bit clock period individually for successive pulses of said binary pulse signal.

The present invention relates to an improvement of precision pulse placement, in particular for precision pulse placement representing a pulse width modulation (PWM) or pulse position modulation (PPM) for precision analog signal generation using a waveform generator.
Pulse width modulation (PWM) may be used for analog signal generation. While the pulse rate has to be kept constant, signal processing calculates the ideal pulse width. The ideal pulse width depends upon the analog signal to be generated and may be found using natural sampling, click modulation, zero position coding (ZePoC) or uniform sampling.
Knowing the ideal pulse width it is usually quantized to the nearest multiple of a high frequency bit clock resulting in a realized pulse width, which is different from the ideal pulse width. As a consequence of this process a quantization error will arise. The quantization error depends upon the deviation of the ideal pulse width as calculated by signal processing from the realized pulse width. The quantization error will increase according to the deviation between ideal and realized pulse width. In prior art like US 2002/0180547 A1 tabs from a fine buffer delay chain are used to obtain fine timing resolutions.
The quantization error mentioned above can be noise-shaped. To effectively noise-shape the quantization error in a pre-processing algorithm the quantization error caused by the quantization process as described above needs to be well predictable. Fine timing by the use of tabs from a fine buffer delay chain like in US 2002/0180547 A1 does not fulfill this requirement because the delay of single buffers within the buffer delay chain may vary from unit to unit and may not be exactly known in advance. As a consequence noise-shaping in this case may not significantly improve the signal quality.

Precision pulse placement to form a binary pulse signal


A method that may include (a) feeding multiple tagged media units to a neural network to provide, from one or more intermediate layers of the neural network, multiple feature vectors of segments of the media units; wherein the neural network was trained to detect current objects within media units; wherein the new category differs from each one of the current categories; wherein at least one media unit comprises at least one segment that is tagged as including the new object; (b) calculating similarities between the multiple feature vectors; (c) clustering the multiple feature vectors to feature vector clusters, based on the similarities; and (d) finding, out of the feature vector clusters, a new feature vector cluster that identifies media unit segments that comprise the new object.

A neural network is trained, during a training process, to detect certain objects (also referred to as current objects—as the neural network is currently trained to detect these objects).
When the neural network is expected to detect a new object it has to be trained again. The additional training may be costly and complex and in some cases (for example when using a fixed configuration neural network) not feasible.
There is a growing need to provide a detection of a new object based on a neural network without retraining the neural network.


An oxygen generator comprising an oxygen generating unit including: (a) a chlorate oxygen generating candle for generating oxygen when ignited; and (b) an ignition device for igniting the candle to initiate oxygen generation from the candle. The candle is arranged during operation to sustain propagation of a plurality of burn fronts therethrough, the fronts propagating in different directions.

Oxygen generation within apparatus by way of chemical reaction is known. For example, chemical oxygen generators employing alkali metal chlorates are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,702,305; 2,469,414; 2,558,756; 2,775,511; 3,207,695; 3,276,846 and 3,233,187; oxygen generation occurs in these generators at elevated temperature in excess of 200° C. as metal chlorate therein is reduced to its corresponding metal chloride.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,750,077, there is described a device for delivering breathable oxygen, the device utilising an endothermic reaction wherein potassium chlorate (KClO3) is catalyzed in the presence of manganese dioxide (MnO2) to yield potassium chloride (KCl) and oxygen gas. In the device, the endothermic reaction is initiated by using battery-powered resistive heating fingers which, in operation, heat the KClO3 and the MnO2 to at least 200° C. above which the reaction is exothermic and thus self-sustaining. The device comprises a battery for initiating the reaction, a replaceable oxygen generating canister including the KClO3 and MnO2 materials, and a filter canister. The battery is designed to connect onto a first end of the oxygen generating canister. The filter canister is designed to couple onto a second end of the oxygen canister remote from the first end. The filter canister is in gaseous communication with the oxygen generating canister and is connected via an oxygen flow tube to a face mask of the device for interfacing to a user's face whereat the oxygen is dispensed. The filter canister includes a carbon filter for removing impurities and for inhibiting reactant transmission from the oxygen generating canister to the face mask and hence to the user. Moreover, the oxygen generating canister includes a composite thermal insulator comprising metallized thin films interspersed with low thermal-conductivity foams for insulating the potassium chlorate and manganese dioxide materials from ambient environment.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,736,104, electrically and chemically initiated thermal oxygen generators are described, the generators operable to deliver oxygen at their associated outlet tubes at a relatively high temperature oxygen in a range of 210° C. to 238° C. rendering the oxygen unsuitable for direct human inhalation.
Thermal management in the aforementioned oxygen generators represents a problem which is considered in U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,664. In this patent, a portable dispenser of medically pure oxygen is described. The dispenser includes a disposable oxygen generator comprising a compressed metal chlorate or oxide briquette of hexagonal cross-section having first and second tapered ends, the first end including a recess therein for receiving a water-activatable ignition material in the form of an ignition cone. Water for activating the ignition material is provided from a sealed water-filled chamber. In order to bring the briquette into operation, a user depresses a user-actuated ignition pin which punctures the chamber for releasing the water therein onto the ignition material which subsequently ignites and, in turn, ignites the briquette. The dispenser also includes a helical tubular coil through which oxygen generated by the briquette is passed for providing corresponding cooled oxygen which is delivered to the user.
In the portable dispenser, a region surrounding the briquette is devoid of insulation allowing uninhibited heat radiation from the briquette. However, the briquette is provided with supporting mats at the first and second ends thereof for mechanically clamping the briquette within the dispenser. The briquette is tapered at its first end in the vicinity of the ignition material to prevent sudden oxygen outpouring when the reaction within the briquette is initiated. As the reaction within the briquette proceeds, the temperature of the briquette tends to increase which accelerates the reaction, the tapered second end providing a reducing reaction cross-sectional area which assists to reduce the rate of reaction and thereby maintain a more constant oxygen delivery rate from the dispenser as the briquette is consumed.
Thus, there arises a first problem that thermal insulation included around the briquette increases briquette temperature on account of thermal energy being retained within the briquette. Such retention causes an increased rate of reaction within the briquette with an associated increased rate of oxygen generation. Conversely, an absence of thermal insulation results in the dispenser becoming relatively hot at its peripheral surface in use. Moreover, uniform oxygen generation rate is a second problem which arises in known oxygen generators. The present invention has been devised to address at least one of the first and second problems.


Systems and methods are provided for displaying tax penalty and interest assessment calculation details on demand, in real time. In some embodiments, a method includes receiving a request for a penalty and interest assessment value and determining if the request includes a request for calculation details. When the request includes a request for calculation details, the penalty and interest assessment value is calculated using data received with the request. One or more calculation details are populated based on the calculation of the penalty and interest assessment. The method includes displaying the calculated penalty and interest assessment value and the calculation details.

Tax Authorities are responsible for managing revenue and administering tax law and policy. This generally includes the authority to assess penalties and interest against taxpayers or citizens who are not compliant with the tax law. The most common assessments are late payment penalties, simple or compound interest on past due debt, and failure to file penalties. The tax law and department policy will prescribe how credits and payments are allocated against tax and other types of debts, as well as the calculation basis for assessing penalty and interest. The calculations are quite complex, especially in scenarios where there are partial payments, and the penalty and interest accrues daily or monthly.
Penalty and interest assessments of unpaid taxes can be significant financial amounts. For the integrity of the tax authority and legal system, it is important that these assessments be accurate. It is common for taxpayers to question how tax penalty and interest have been calculated and assessed, especially in complex scenarios. Historically, tax authorities have struggled with how to explain and verify the correct application of tax law and policy for a penalty and interest assessment. Processing systems typically provide the dollar amounts for penalty and interest calculated, but do not provide the details needed to verify that the calculation is correct, that tax law and policy has been correctly applied, and to sufficiently explain to a taxpayer how the amount of the assessment was determined.

Penalty and interest assessment detail display


A portable golf ball washer is characterized by a container having a top end and a bottom end. A plunger is connected to the top end and is opposed by a return assembly mounted on the bottom end. The ball washer also has a scrubbing material inside the container. The plunger pushes a golf ball through and against the scrubbing material and then the return assembly automatically pushes the golf ball back through and against the scrubbing material to produce a clean golf ball. The ball washer may also include an ejection mechanism to facilitate removal of the golf ball from the ball washer, and the bottom end may be detached to facilitate cleaning and repairing the golf ball washer.

A dirty golf ball will not travel as far or as straight as a clean golf ball. Accordingly, golf courses often provide equipment for washing golf balls at the clubhouse and other locations around the course, usually at or near the tee box. These ball washers are stationary, generally supported on a post. Golf balls, however, often become soiled in areas of the course away from such stationary devices, and it would be desirable to provide a golf ball washer which is portable and could be carried by a golfer. It would also be desirable to have a golf ball washer which could be attached to a golf bag or a golf cart to make it easier to carry.
Previous portable golf ball washers included mechanisms for advancing and retracting the ball. Typically, they required a holding mechanism for engaging the ball, such as a bail-like wire. However, a golf ball can be difficult to insert into and remove from the holding mechanism, and the wires can deform over time until they can no longer maintain a strong grip on the ball. Also, these devices are often formed of parts and/or assemblies which do not lend themselves to easy fabrication.
Furthermore, after several cleaning sessions, the golf ball washer itself may become soiled and require cleaning as well. Dirt typically settles to the bottom of the washer and/or becomes entrained within the scrubbing bristles of the washer which makes cleaning difficult. Previous golf ball washers typically only opened at the top or merely provided a small drain to facilitate removal of dirty cleaning fluid. These drains may be clogged, however, and do not facilitate removal of the dirt that is not carried away by the fluid. Top opening ball washers also inhibit cleaning the bottom of the ball washer, where the dirt often settles and make repairing inner elements of the ball washer difficult. Therefore, providing a golf ball washer which is not only portable but also easy to clean and repair would also be desirable.


A negative active material for a rechargeable lithium battery may include a compound powder represented by the following formula 1LixMyVzO2+d  [Formula 1]where 1≦x≦2.5, 0≦y≦0.5, 0.5≦z≦1.5, 0≦d≦0.5, and M is an element selected from Al, Cr, Mo, Ti, W, Zr, and combinations thereof. The compound powder may include a multi-faced particle that has a plurality of flattened parts on a particle surface at the plan view of the multi-faced particle. The multi-faced particle may have at least three ridgelines at a boundary between adjacent flattened parts. At least one of the ridgeline may be formed by adjacent flattened parts having an angle of at least 90°. A ratio of a length (L) of each ridgeline and the maximum diameter (Rmax) of the multi-faced particle may be greater than 0.1.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a negative active material for a rechargeable lithium battery, a method for preparing a negative active material for a rechargeable lithium battery, and a rechargeable lithium battery. More particularly, the present invention relates to a negative active material for a rechargeable lithium battery that shows high capacity due to high energy density per unit volume, high discharge potential, long cycle-life, and excellent safety, a method for preparing a negative active material for a rechargeable lithium battery, and rechargeable lithium battery.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various carbon-based materials, e.g., artificial and natural graphite, hard carbon, etc., may be used as a negative active material of a rechargeable lithium battery. These materials can intercalate and deintercalate lithium ions. Graphite may increase discharge voltages and energy density for a battery due to its low discharge potential, e.g., about 0.2V, compared to lithium. A battery using graphite as a negative active material may have a high average discharge potential, e.g., about 3.6V, and an excellent energy density. Graphite is most comprehensively used among the aforementioned carbon-based materials since graphite guarantees better battery life cycle due to its outstanding reversibility.
However, graphite has a low density (its theoretical density is 2.2 g/cc). Consequently, graphite has a low capacity in terms of energy density per unit volume, and, thus, has a low charge and discharge capacity when used as a negative active material. Further, the use of graphite may present potential risks, e.g., explosion or combustion, when a battery is misused, overcharged, etc., since graphite may react to an organic electrolyte at a high discharge voltage.
In order to solve these problems, a great deal of research on an oxide negative electrode has recently been performed. One material investigated has been amorphous tin oxide, which has a high capacity per weight (800 mAh/g). However, use of amorphous tin oxide has resulted in critical defects, e.g., a high initial irreversible capacity of up to 50%. In other words, 2nd cycle discharge capacity may be decreased up to less than one half of an initial discharge capacity. Additionally, amorphous tin oxide has a discharge potential of more than 0.5V, and its charge and discharge profile has a broad voltage variation. Consequently, tin oxide may not be suitable for use in a battery. Further, some of the tin oxide tends to be reduced into tin metal during the charge or discharge reaction, which further reduces its acceptability for use in a battery.
Other materials for use as a negative active material, e.g., LiaMgbVOc (0.05≦a≦3, 0.12≦b≦2, 2≦2c-a-2b≦5) and Li1.1V0.9O2, have been proposed. However, these do not sufficiently resolve all of the above problems.

Negative active material for a rechargeable lithium battery, method for preparing the same, and rechargeable lithium battery including the same


A method of reading a pattern including steps of heating or irradiating with infrared light a substrate on which a transparent pattern is formed, the pattern containing a material capable of absorbing infrared light of specific wavelength such as polyacrylonitrile, and detecting infrared light which is radiated or reflected from the pattern.

This invention relates to a method of reading a pattern such as a bar cord pattern which is useful in postal service, in distribution business or in management of confidential documents or articles, and also relates to an optical signal reader for reading signal from such a pattern.
In recent years, a system for automatically inputting information by making use of bar code has been studied in various fields of industry. For example, there has been an attempt to print bar code corresponding to zip code and address on the surface of mails such as postal cards so as to allow to sort mails automatically by reading the bar code on the mails, thereby enhancing the efficiency of postal service. There has been also proposed a system in hospital wherein bar code corresponding to medical chart is printed on the surface of a consultation ticket for the patient so that as soon as the bar code on the consultation ticket is read by bar code reader, the medical chart can be automatically transferred from file stacks to a doctor. Furthermore, the application of bar code is also studied for an automatic retrieval system of official documents in government office, for a management system for the entry and delivery of clothes in dry-cleaning business, for an automatic retrieval system of training record from a training card in driver's school, or for a storage system of various goods.
In the application of bar code for these systems, various problems are raised if the bar code is printed with the conventional black ink. For example, since characters indicating address are already written on the surface of mail, if the bar code array newly printed on the surface of mail is overlapped with these characters, the signals to be detected from the bar code may be accompanied with noise, thus making it difficult to read information correctly from the signals. This problem may become more serious when the length of the bar code array becomes longer for recording much information. Moreover, the black bar code printed on the mail not only spoils the appearance of the mail but may make the characters already written thereon unreadable.
Even if a color ink containing orange, blue or brown dye is employed in place of black ink for printing bar code, the same problem as in the case of bar code made of a black ink would be raised if the colored bar code is overlapped with the characters already written on the mail. Further, there are also problems that some of dyes are harmful to human body and that many dyes are easily subjected to photo-degradation.
With a view to solve these problems, novel material for forming bar code has been studied. For example, the employment of a fluorescent material which is capable of absorbing ultraviolet light and emitting fluorescence in visible region is studied to form transparent bar code. In this case, the region including bar code is irradiated with ultraviolet light as excitation light to cause fluorescence in visible region to emit, and the resultant fluorescence is detected as signals. Since the bar code in this case is transparent in the ordinary conditions, the readability of the characters already written on the mail would not be hindered even if the bar code is overlapped with the characters. However, there is another problem that since white paper used for postal cards, for instance, generally contains fluorescent whitening agent, noise of considerable magnitude as compared with the signal from the bar code is detected from the paper, whereby deteriorating the S/N ratio.

Method of reading pattern and optical signal reader


The invention describes devices for performing thermodynamic work on a fluid, such as pumps, compressors and fans. The thermodynamic work may be used to provide a driving force for moving the fluid. Work performed on the fluid may be transmitted to other devices, such as a piston in a hydraulic actuation device. The devices may include one or more electroactive polymer transducers with an electroactive polymer that deflects in response to an application of an electric field. The electroactive polymer may be in contact with a fluid where the deflection of the electroactive polymer may be used to perform thermodynamic work on the fluid. The devices may be designed to efficiently operate at a plurality of operating conditions, such as operating conditions that produce an acoustic signal above or below the human hearing range. The devices may be used in thermal control systems, such as refrigeration system, cooling systems and heating systems.

The present invention relates generally to electroactive polymer devices that convert between electrical energy and mechanical energy. More particularly, the present invention relates to pumping devices comprising one or more electroactive polymer transducers.
Fluid systems are ubiquitous. The automotive industry, the plumbing industry, chemical processing industry, computer industry, refrigeration/cooling industry, home appliance industry, and the aerospace industry are a few examples where fluid systems are of critical importance. In most fluid systems, it is often desirable to perform thermodynamic work on the fluid in the fluid system. The thermodynamic work, such as in the case of a pump or fan, may be used to provide the energy needed to move the fluid in the fluid system from one location to another location in the fluid system. As another example, the thermodynamic work may be used to place the fluid in a desirable thermodynamic state, such as compressing the fluid in a refrigeration system to convert it from a gas phase to a liquid or compressing the fluid in a combustion system prior to combustion such as in an automobile engine. In yet another example, thermodynamic work may be performed on a fluid as a means of energy transfer, such as in a hydraulic lift or hydraulic control system.
In general, pumps, fans and compressors have wide ranging applications in both the home and industrial environment. As examples, pumps, fans and/or compressors are used for circulating refrigerant and removing waste heat in cooling systems (e.g., air conditioning, refrigeration), pumping water in washing machine and dishwashers, removing waste heat from heat sources (e.g., CPU) in the computing industry, pressurizing air for pneumatic systems, transporting water for irrigation, transporting oil and gas in pipelines, and moving fluids between various unit operations in a chemical process plant. Pumps and compressors are also used widely in biomedical applications including, for example, circulating blood for dialysis or during surgical procedures.
Pumps, fans and compressors have been in existence for centuries for performing thermodynamic work on a fluid. Conventional pumps and compressors are predominantly piston-driven with an electric motor; these conventional devices tend to be heavy (bulky), noisy, inefficient at slow speeds (or require gearboxes to step down higher speeds), and can be mechanically complex and costly. Electric motors are generally designed to operate in the 50-500 Hz range. These motors usually operate in the audible range and need to be geared down (with the associated cost, weight, inefficiency, and complexity) to the proper pump or compressor frequency. For many applications, there is a need for pumps, fans, compressors and hydraulic devices that are more lightweight, higher power and efficiency, quieter, and lower cost.
New high-performance polymers capable of converting electrical energy to mechanical energy, and vice versa, are now available for a wide range of energy conversion applications. One class of these polymers, electroactive elastomers (also called dielectric elastomers, electroelastomers, or EPAM), is gaining wider attention. Electroactive elastomers may exhibit high energy density, stress, and electromechanical coupling efficiency. The performance of these polymers is notably increased when the polymers are prestrained in area. For example, a 10-fold to 25-fold increase in area significantly improves performance of many electroactive elastomers. Actuators and transducers produced using these materials can be significantly cheaper, lighter and have a greater operation range as compared to conventional technologies used for performing thermodynamic work on a fluid in a fluid system.
Thus, improved techniques for implementing these high-performance polymers in devices used for performing thermodynamic work on a fluid in a fluid system would be desirable.

Electroactive polymer devices for moving fluid


A pixel includes a switching transistor connected to a data line, a first circuit to control compensation of a first driving transistor, and a second circuit to control compensation of a second driving transistor. The first and second circuits are connected to the switching transistor. The first and second transistors are connected to respective organic light emitting diodes of a same pixel. Compensation of the first and second driving transistors is based on respective first and second subscan signals, which overlap periods of corresponding common scan signals to be received by the switching transistor.

1. Field
One or more embodiments described herein relate to a display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A display device includes a plurality of pixels for display of an image. In one type of device, each pixel includes at least two subpixels driven by one driving circuit. In a time division driving method, the driving circuit drives a first one of the subpixels in a preceding subfield of a frame and a second one of the subpixels in another subfield of the frame. As a result, the first subpixel emits light in the preceding subfield and second subpixel emits light in the next subfield.
However, when a particular pattern is displayed according to the time division driving method, the time division method may be observed by a user. For example, one screen may be divided into multiple frames, which may impair image quality.

Pixel, pixel driving method, and display device including the pixel


A photovoltaic (PV) energy storage system having a plurality of hybrid cells operable to generate DC electrical power. Each hybrid cell includes at least one solar power generation unit and a power storage device connected in parallel. The power storage devices of the plurality of hybrid cells are connected in series and the DC electrical power derived from the series of these power storage devices energizes a DC power load. The PV energy storage system has an inverter operable to convert DC electrical power into AC electrical power and is electrically coupled to the series of the power storage devices. The PV energy storage system energizes an AC power load, such as a power grid.

During the past decade, there has been a rapid growth in the field of photovoltaic electricity generation. In the United States (US) alone, PV generation capacity is expected to grow to 135 GWe by 2030 compared to only 7 GWe in 2012. This growth creates a key challenge: once intermittent renewable resources such as solar and wind energy exceed 20-25% market penetration, balancing instantaneous electricity supply and demand will become difficult for the traditional power grid. Therefore, technologies such as demand response and stationary energy storage are essential for addressing this challenge. Electrochemical energy storage technologies, particularly lithium-ion batteries, are rapidly becoming an appealing grid energy storage solution because of the ongoing rapid improvements in their longevity and cost.
The cost of integrating electrochemical batteries into a PV farm can be quite high, partly due to the cost of the batteries themselves, and partly due to the high cost of the power electronics needed for integration. FIG. 1 shows a schematic of a typical PV farm 10 with a battery pack. Power electronics are needed for: (i) converting the farm's DC power to AC; (ii) controlling the input voltage of the PV modules to achieve photovoltaic maximum-power-point tracking (MPPT); (iii) controlling charging/discharging of the battery pack; and (iv) balancing the state of charge (SOC) among different cells in the battery pack to prevent accidental damage via overcharging/over-discharging. The cost of the inverters, DC-DC converters, and balancing circuits needed for achieving these goals can be a significant fraction of the overall cost of the farm.
Generally, a photovoltaic system 10 includes a photovoltaic (PV) array 100 made up of one or more PV panels or modules composed of photovoltaic cells capable of converting solar energy into direct current (DC) electrical energy, a battery pack 110 made up of one or more batteries for storing the electrical energy produced by the photovoltaic array 100, and a charge controller for controlling the charging of the one or more batteries with the electrical energy produced by the photovoltaic array 100. The direct current (DC) electrical energy produced by the photovoltaic array 100 and/or stored in the battery pack 110 is available to power a DC load. In some systems, the DC load may include an inverter 160 used to convert the direct current (DC) electrical energy into alternating current (AC) electrical energy suitable to power AC loads. Photovoltaic systems 10 are sometimes employed to power loads independent of utility power, such as where electrical power from the public utility grid 170 is unavailable or not feasible, and these photovoltaic systems are commonly referred to as "off-grid" and "stand-alone" photovoltaic systems.
Earlier, photovoltaic systems had been designed with traditional charge controllers that do not employ maximum-power-point tracking (MPPT), and such charge controllers may be referred to as non-MPPT charge controllers. In the non-MPPT charge controllers, the aggregate output of the PV array is generally fed directly to the battery bank for charging. Usually there is a mismatch between the output voltage of the PV array and the voltage required to charge the battery bank that results in under-utilization of the maximum power output from the PV array. When a non-MPPT charge controller is charging the battery, the PV module is frequently forced to operate at a battery voltage that is different from the optimal operating voltage at which the PV module is capable of producing its maximum power. Hence, non-MPPT charge controllers artificially limit power production to a sub-optimal level by constraining the PV array from operating at maximum output power.
In contrast, the maximum-power-point tracking (MPPT) charge controllers 130 address the aforesaid disadvantage of non-MPPT charge controllers by managing the voltage mismatch between the PV array 100 and the battery pack 110 through the use of power electronics. The primary functions performed by MPPT charge controllers 130 involve measuring the PV module output to find the maximum power voltage (Vmp), i.e. the voltage at which the PV module is able to produce maximum power, operating the PV module at the maximum power voltage to extract or harvest full power (watts) from the PV array 100, regardless of the present battery voltage (VB), and in some cases protecting the battery pack 110 from overcharge.
Photovoltaic modules are generally made up of photovoltaic (PV) cells that have a single operating point where the values of the current (I) and voltage (V) of the cell result in a maximum power output. The maximum power voltage Vmp varies with operating conditions including weather, sunlight intensity, shading, and PV cell temperature. As the maximum power
voltage Vmp of the PV module 100 varies, MPPT charge controllers 130 "track" the Vmp and adjust the ratio between the maximum power voltage and the current delivered to the battery pack 110 in order to match what the battery requires. MPPT charge controllers 130 utilize a control circuit or logic to search for the maximum power output operating point and employ power electronics to extract the maximum power available from a PV module.
MPPT charge controllers generally employ power converters designed for a higher input voltage than output voltage, hence Vmp>VB. The power converters are conventionally designed to include a DC-to-DC converter that receives the maximum power voltage Vmp from the PV array 100 as the converter input and converts the maximum power voltage to battery
voltage VB as the converter output. An increase in battery charge power is realized by harvesting PV module power that would be left unharvested using a non-MPPT charge controller. As the maximum power voltage varies, the actual charge power increase that is realized will likewise vary. Generally speaking, the greater the mismatch or disparity between the PV array maximum power voltage Vmp and the battery voltage VB, the greater the charge power increase will be. The charge power increase will ordinarily be greater in cooler temperatures because the available power output and the maximum power voltage of the PV module increase as the photovoltaic cell temperature decreases.
Most MPPT charge controllers utilize power electronics designed to include a "buck" converter having topology to "buck" or "step-down" a higher input voltage to a lower output voltage. A buck converter (step-down converter) is a DC-to-DC power converter, which steps down voltage (while stepping up current) from its input (supply) to its output (load). It is a class of Switched-Mode Power Supply (SMPS) typically containing at least two semiconductors (a diode and a transistor, although modern buck converters frequently replace the diode with a second transistor used for synchronous rectification) and at least one energy storage element, a capacitor, an inductor, or the two in combination. To reduce voltage ripple, filters made of capacitors (sometimes in combination with inductors) are normally added to such a converter's output (load-side filter) and input (supply-side filter). DC-to-DC converters provide much greater power efficiency than linear regulators, which are simpler circuits that lower voltage by dissipating power as heat, which does not step up the output current.
FIG. 1 provides an overview of the power electronics needed in today's combined PV/solar farms. In this prior art system, an inverter 160 is generally used for exchanging electricity with the grid 170. Depending on the precise configuration of the PV farm 10, the inverter 160 may be fed from a regulated DC bus 150. PV modules 100 feed power into DC bus 150 through DC-DC converters 130. These DC-DC converters adjust the operating voltages of these PV modules to achieve maximum-power-point tracking (MPPT), typically on a module-by-module basis. If a battery pack 110 is integrated into this system, then DC-DC conversion is also needed for charging and discharging the battery pack. A DC-DC converter 140 may be used for charging and discharging the battery pack 110 from and into the DC bus 150, respectively. The battery pack 110 typically exploits a balancing circuit 120 to suppress charge imbalances among its cells. This balancing circuit 120 is particularly critical for lithium-ion packs, where a charge imbalance can lead to catastrophic failures. FIGS. 2A-D show four examples of battery pack balancing circuits 120, namely: (a) the shunt resistor circuit; (b) the "flying capacitor" circuit; (c) cell-to-cell DC-DC conversion; and (d) pack-level DC-DC conversion, respectively.
The above power electronics are quite complex and expensive. It is generally estimated that the cost of these power electronics are $0.2-$0.3 per Watt of generation capacity in a combined PV/energy storage farm. This may be approximately 10-15% of the total cost of the farm. The research and development (R&D) industry is actively pursuing reductions in the cost of these power electronics through fundamental component and subsystem-level innovations. For example, scientists are actively pursuing new transistors with higher efficiencies and lower costs, and new solar inverters with higher operating voltages and lower losses. While all of these innovations are important, they do not disrupt or challenge the current system topology employed in combined PV/storage farms.
In spite of all the above stated advancements, the balance of system (BOS) cost associated with integrating electrochemical batteries into photovoltaic (PV) systems is not diminishing rapidly enough for widespread technology adoption. The balance of system (BOS) cost encompasses all components of a photovoltaic system other than the photovoltaic panels. This includes wiring, switches, mounting system, solar inverter, and battery bank and battery charger. In particular, the power electronics needed for integrating batteries into PV systems continue to be quite complex and expensive. Therefore, there is a need for a new technology that overcomes the limitations of the existing systems.

Self-balancing photovoltaic energy storage system and method


A paint brush attachable edging shield for covering a side of a paint brush's bristles to provide edging control of a surface being painted without the use of painters tape includes a base shield which has a rigid shield body with a narrowed top edge, a rigid, elongated connector rod disposed between the base shield and a swivel dial, and a attachment member which allows the assembly to be attached to the handle of a paint brush. When in place on a paint brush, the base shield can be selectively rotated between a shielding position in which it is positioned against the bristles of the paint brush so as to block one side thereof, and a recessed position in which it is away from the bristles to allow them to be dipped into a paint reservoir.

Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to paint brush attachments and, more particularly, to a socket extension bar for a paint brush attachable shield for providing straight edging and bordering.
Description of the Prior Art
The use of masking tape, such as painters tape, to cover surfaces while painting to allow for the controlled application of paint along edges or in corners is well known. Because the use of painters tape requires substantial preparation time and clean up time, there remains a need for an edging shield which could be attached to a paint brush in order to provide for controlled application of paint along edges or in corners. It would be helpful if such a paint brush attachable edging shield included an attachment tie to allow it to be removably attached to the handle of a paint brush. It would be additionally desirable for such a paint brush attachable edging shield to include a swivel dial operative to allow its base shield to be moved between a shielding position and a recessed position.
The Applicant's invention described herein provides for a paint brush attachable edging shield adapted to removably attach to a paint brush and allow a user to prevent a portion of the brush from contacting a target surface. The primary components in Applicant's paint brush attachable edging shield are a base shield, a connector rod, a swivel dial, and an zip tie. When in operation, the paint brush attachable edging shield enables more effective and efficient painting by obviating the need to apply and remove painters tape. As a result, many of the limitations imposed by prior art structures are removed.