The present invention relates to methods for preparing amorphous aluminum hydroxyphosphate. An aluminum salt and a phosphate solution are co-mixed at a constant ratio in the presence of a buffer. Preferably, an excess of the phosphate solution is used to act as a buffer. Due to the presence of a buffer, the pH is maintained constant during reaction (after initial rapid equilibration) without active adjustment. The methods are particularly applicable for the large scale manufacturing of aluminum phosphate adjuvant. Aluminum phosphate is used as an adjuvant in vaccine formulations, particularly those including a protein or saccharide antigen.

Vaccines have traditionally used complex immunogens such as inactivated viruses or bacteria to induce an immune response. Such vaccines were often associated with adverse side effects including hypersensitivity and the risk associated with incomplete inactivation. The use of subunit vaccines, such as antigen-based vaccines, has reduced the number and severity of unwanted side effects associated with vaccines produced with more complex immunogens. Subunit vaccines are generally composed of only one, or a few, proteins or polysaccharides from the target pathogen. Some vaccines may have a larger number of proteins or polysaccharides to provide immunity against a large number of related serotypes. Due to their small size and limited number of epitopes, by themselves, subunit vaccines tend to be only weakly immunogenic, often failing to induce a satisfactory immune response. To be effective, the use of subunit vaccines requires strategies to enhance immunogenicity.
One means to enhance vaccine immunogenicity is through the use of specific adjuvants. Immunological adjuvants are the component(s) of a vaccine which augment the immune response to the antigen. Precipitated aluminum salts, generically referred to, in the singular, in the field of vaccine adjuvants as an aluminum adjuvant or "alum", are the most widely used adjuvant in human vaccines. Not wishing to be bound by theory, several theories have been proposed for how aluminum adjuvants stimulate the immune system. One such theory is that aluminum adjuvant provides a depot of antigen at the site of administration, thereby providing a gradual and continuous release of antigen to stimulate antibody production. Aluminum adjuvants may also function by inducing a mild inflammation reaction at the injection site which primarily stimulates IL-4 and T-helper-2 cells that enhances IgG1 and IgE production. One common aluminum adjuvant is aluminum hydroxide (AlO(OH)) which is Al+3 precipitated with OH−. Another common aluminum adjuvant is aluminum hydroxyphosphate which is formed by precipitating Al+3 with PO4 and OH−. Aluminum hydroxyphosphate (Al(OH)x(PO4)y) does not have a fixed stoichiometry. The P/Al molar ratio in the aluminum adjuvant can range from just above 0 (similar to aluminum hydroxide) to approximately 1 (similar to aluminum phosphate). The extent and strength of antigen binding to the aluminum adjuvant is influenced by the properties of the aluminum adjuvant, particularly the chemical composition which is typically defined by the P/Al molar ratio along with the surface charge and size of the primary aluminum adjuvant particle.
Aluminum hydroxyphosphate is most commonly prepared by a batch precipitation method with three reactants: aluminum chloride (or other source of aluminum such as potassium aluminum sulfate), sodium phosphate and a base such as sodium hydroxide. During the course of a batch precipitation, the composition of the reacting mixture can change dramatically, leading to the production of adjuvant that is somewhat different from the start of the batch to the end of the batch. The result can be a heterogeneous mixture with some kind of "average" of properties. See Klein et al., 2000, J. Pharmaceutical Sciences 89:311-321. Not surprisingly, among commercially available aluminum phosphates from different suppliers, properties can vary significantly. For example, aluminum hydroxyphosphates can have molar ratios of phosphate to aluminum in the precipitated solids from significantly less than 0.9 to greater than 1. Others demonstrate poor particle size uniformity. These variations can present consistency problems for the commercial sale of vaccines.
Fed-batch precipitation at a constant pH improves this situation, but requires an active pH control feedback loop. See Burrell et al., 2001, Vaccine 19:275-281 and Burrell et al., 2001, Vaccine 19:282-287.
What is needed are more robust and reproducible methods for the manufacture of aluminum phosphate for use as an adjuvant.

Method for preparation of aluminum hydroxyphosphate adjuvant


Example methods and systems for packet handling in a software-defined networking (SDN) environment are disclosed. One example method may comprise detecting an egress application-layer message from a first logical endpoint supported by a first host; and identifying a second logical endpoint supported by the second host for which the egress application-layer message is destined. The method may also comprise generating an egress packet that includes the egress application-layer message and metadata associated with the second logical endpoint, but omits one or more headers that are addressed from the first logical endpoint to the second logical endpoint. The method may further comprise sending the egress packet to the second host to cause the second host to identify the second logical endpoint based on the metadata, and to send the egress application-layer message to the second logical endpoint.

Virtualization allows the abstraction and pooling of hardware resources to support virtual machines in a software-defined networking (SDN) environment, such as a software-defined data center (SDDC). For example, through server virtualization, virtual machines (VMs) running different operating systems may be supported by the same physical machine (also referred to as a "host"). Each virtual machine is generally provisioned with virtual resources to run an operating system and applications. The virtual resources may include central processing unit (CPU) resources, memory resources, storage resources, network resources, etc. In practice, multiple protocol layers are implemented in the SDN environment to facilitate packet communication among logical endpoints such as VMs. However, as network protocol stacks become thicker and more complicated, the additional complexity may affect performance.

Packet handling in software-defined net working (SDN) environments


A resin twisting brush, wherein the material of the shaft part of an interdental brush (the twisting brush) is formed of a resin material having shape restorability and elasticity to provide the brush with proper elasticity, shape restorability, and flexibility and prevent the shaft part from being deformed nor broken so that the shaft part can be deformed and easily inserted when the interdental brush (the twisting brush) is inserted into a narrow portion such as a hourglass-shaped interdental space. Thus, an interdental cleaning assisting tool well matching the three-dimensional shape of an interdental part, capable of maintaining straightness without causing permanent deformation when the shaft part is bent despite the fact that the tool can be inserted into the interdental part restricted in the inserting direction, providing less pain and less uncomfortable feeling and providing comfortable feeling when the tool comes into contact with a tooth and a gum during the cleaning operation, and not damaged also by repeated bending can be provided.

In general, the two major diseases causing the loss of teeth are caries and pyorrhea; in particular, cases of gingival recession due to periodontal disease are not susceptible to interdental plaque control by a common toothbrush, resulting in the need for extensive use of an oral cleaning device such as an interdental brush. A typical cleaning device, an interdental brush, is a twisted brush with nylon bristles arranged concentrically around a twisted metal filament, but these types have been plagued with numerous problems which limit their widespread adoption for oral care: when the tip of the brush hits the gum during an interdental insertion, it often injures the gum; it causes discomfort when the metal tip touches the tooth; and repeated use during cleaning causes high breakage of the twisted metal filament due to metal fatigue. When cleaning is performed between three-dimensionally concave, complicated teeth, such as in a root branching site, the metal which constitutes the interdental brush stem not only resists insertion, causing problems, but also suffers from the risk of leaving uncleaned sections, if the cleaning brush is pre-curved to accommodate its insertion. The use of a shape memory nickel titanium alloy is conceivable for avoiding this problem, but, if a shaping method similar to that used for a twisted brush is involved, the de-twisting of the metal filament will end up causing nylon bristles to fall out. Therefore, resin materials have been studied as materials to constitute the stem; but, since the interdental brush requires the brush section to penetrate through a 0.8 mm diameter space for cleaning interdentally, it has been difficult to injection mold so as to insert nylon bristles into a resin material of this diameter. Other methods include electrostatically implanting nylon piles in the radial direction into a shape memory metal filament rod or a resin filament rod, but it is necessary for the diameter of the stem for penetration of the brush section into a 0.8 mm diameter space to be about 0.4 mm or less. It has been difficult to uniformly implant nylon bristles about 2 mm to about 4 mm in total length into a filament rod of this diameter and, in addition, to find an adhesive with no biological hazard so as to prevent the loss of bristles. Applications for such small twisted brushes also include cosmetic tools such as cosmetic mascara brushes and the like, where basically the stem material has been a metal material.
In addition, this type of twisted shape brush is also used for polishing or cleaning various pipe-shaped items, but use in a complex curved section gave no choice but to connect a supple material to the handle, if the handle is made of metal, because the depth of penetration was limited.
Patent Reference 1: Japanese Patent Application 10-181595 and Japanese Patent Application 4-152991


A fiber reinforced elastomeric seismic isolation bearing and method protects structures and their contents from the damaging effects of earthquakes. The bearing is a block of a specially designed composite material consisting of an elastomer matrix in which are embedded, through its depth, high stiffness pretensioned fibers extending in various horizontal directions. This produces a device which has a very low horizontal stiffness compared to its vertical stiffness. The isolator is mounted between, and connected to, the structure it supports and the foundation upon which it bears. Because of its low horizontal stiffness the bearing decouples the structure which it supports from the damaging horizontal components of the ground motion associated with an earthquake while the benign vertical motion is transmitted into the structure almost unchanged. Thus, during an earthquake, the structure, which typically will rest on several supporting isolators, and its contents experience small acceleration, velocity and deformation. The isolation bearing and method includes the use of elastomeric laminae with parallel pretensioned fibers, forming a series of cells which are vulcanized into an adherent connection and positioned to be connected between a structure and a structure foundation.

Seismic isolation as a way of protecting structures from the damaging motions of earthquakes is an idea that has been known for about a century. However it is only relatively recently that this concept has been put into practice. The recent history and design criteria for rubber-based isolators or bearings is seen in the book Earthquake-Resistant Design with Rubber by J. M. Kelly, Second Edition, Springer-Verlag London Limited, 1997, particularly in Chapter Five. The two basic types of isolation systems that have been employed are elastomeric bearings and sliders. The most widely adopted unit is the elastomeric bearing. Its most recent form is as a multilayered laminated bearing with alternating layers of rubber and steel. The stiff steel plates provide lateral constraint of each rubber layer when the bearing is subjected to vertical load, but does not constrain the horizontal shearing deformation of the rubber layers. This produces a bearing which is very stiff in the vertical direction and very flexible in the horizontal direction. Rubber energy-absorbing bearings with and without surrounding shell members are seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,887,788 including a core of incompressible dampening material; 5,014,474 including alternating layers of elastomeric load bearing pads, one type accommodating sliding motion between a structure and its foundation; 4,910,930 including spaced steel shim plates with rubber layers sandwiched therebetween and vulcanized in situ with the shim plates; and 4,899,323 including laminated rigid hard plates and soft plates of a viscoelastic material having certain physical properties. The latter patent includes rubbers or thermoplastic resin with or without a powder or fiber filler.
By mounting a structure on a system of such horizontally soft support, the fundamental frequency of the isolated system can be made to be much lower than the fixed-base natural frequency of the structure and, consequently, the predominant frequency of the earthquake ground motion. By so doing, the bearings deflect the earthquake motion from entering the structure. Thus, earthquake protection for the structure can now be provided not by the expensive, brute-force method of building an exceedingly strong structure, but by the economic and elegant alternative of using base isolation.
It is thus desirous that a seismic isolation bearing be constructed which minimizes or essentially prevents interstory drift and floor accelerations in the multi-story building, provides stability for the design displacement due to the earthquake, increases resistance with increasing displacement and which has properties that do not degrade under repeated cyclic loading.

Elastomeric seismic isolation bearing and method


A method for generating recommendations involves selecting a first platform message, making a first determination that the first platform message is potentially associated with a plurality of topics including a first topic and a second topic, obtaining additional information associated with the first platform message including at least one of information about an account that authored the first platform message and information about third party accounts engaging with the first platform message, making a second determining that the first platform message is associated with the first topic using the plurality of topics and at least a portion of the additional information, wherein the first topic is an initial classification of the first platform message, generating a recommendation for at least one account based on the second determination, and providing the recommendation to at least one account.

Users of social networks typically author and distribute content via the social network. Traditional mechanisms for ascertaining the nature of the content are very limited. If the social network is unable to ascertain the nature of the content, then the social network's ability to provide additional relevant services based on the nature of the content is limited.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and system for topic disambiguation and classification


The present invention relates to articles, preferably disposable absorbent articles like sanitary napkins and pantiliners, which comprise a cationic polysaccharide, typically chitin-based material and/or chitosan material, and an acidic pH buffering means. Such disposable absorbent articles deliver improved odor control performance even upon prolonged wearing time of the articles.

Whilst the primary focus of absorbent articles, in particular feminine hygienic absorbent articles like sanitary napkins and pantiliners, remains the ability of these articles to absorb and retain fluids, another important area of development in this field is the control of odorous compounds contained within the absorbent articles during their use.
The presence and detection of malodorous compounds from absorbent articles during their use, particularly those associated with menstruation may cause the wearer of these articles embarrassment. Thus, the prevention of the detection of malodor from such articles is highly desirable too.
In use, the absorbent articles are known to acquire a variety of compounds, for example volatile fatty acids (e.g. isovaleric acid), ammonia, amines (e.g. triethylamine), sulphur containing compounds (e.g. mercaptans, sulphides), alcohols, ketones and aldehydes (e.g., furaldehyde) which release unpleasant odors. These compounds may be present in the bodily fluid or may be developed by chemical reactions and/or any fluid degradation mechanisms once the bodily fluid is absorbed into the absorbent article like for example a feminine hygienic absorbent article. In addition bodily fluids usually contain microorganisms and/or enzymes that can also generate malodorous by products as a result of degradation mechanisms like putrefactive degradation, acid degradation, proteins degradation, fat degradation and the like.
Various odor control materials have been disclosed in the art to combat some of the unpleasant odors referred to above. Indeed solutions have been provided that use different technical approaches like masking, i.e., covering the odor with a perfume, or absorbing the odor already present in the bodily fluids and those generated after degradation, or preventing the formation of the odor.
Most of the focus in the prior art is found on the odor absorption technology. Examples of these types of compounds include activated carbons, clays, zeolites, silicates, cyclodextrine, ion exchange resins and various mixture thereof as for example described in EP-A-348 978, EP-A-510 619, WO 91/12029, WO 91/11977, WO 89/02698, and/or WO 91/12030. All of these types of odor control agents are believed to control odor by mechanisms whereby the malodorous compounds and their precursors are physically absorbed by the agents and thereby hinder the exit of the odor from articles like absorbent articles. However, such mechanisms are not completely effective as the formation of the odor itself is not prevented and thus odor detection is not completely avoided. Some of the focus in the prior art has also been on the use of antimicrobial agents.
Thus although these materials provide some control of odors associated with bodily fluids, there still exists a need of further improvement in terms of odor control of malodors which are generated by the human body, or from bodily fluids such as perspiration, urine, faeces, menstrual fluids, vaginal fluids and the like.
It is an object of the present invention to provide articles, especially disposable absorbent articles, which deliver outstanding odor control, especially towards odor typically associated with bodily fluid. More particularly it is an object of the present invention to provide odor control benefits upon prolonged wearing time of an absorbent article.
It has now surprisingly been found that the addition of a pH buffering means on top of cationic polysaccharides enhances the malodor control properties of such cationic polysaccharides. Indeed, the combination of cationic polysaccharides, preferably chitosan materials, with acidic pH buffering means having a pH in the range of from 3.5 to 6.5 is much more effective in controlling odors, particularly those related to bodily exudates and bodily fluid. Thus the present combination is particularly suitable to be used in articles like disposable absorbent articles especially sanitary napkins, pantiliners or diapers.
More particularly, it has been surprising found that the addition of such an acidic pH buffering means on top of chitosan material results in a synergistic effect in terms of odor control. Indeed this combination gives more odor reduction than the odor reduction associated with the use of one of these two classes of ingredients alone at the same total level (either chitosan material alone or the absorbent gelling material alone) in an absorbent article coming into contact with bodily fluids.
Whilst not wishing to be bound by any particular theory, it is believed that the enhanced odor control benefits associated with the addition of acidic pH buffering means to cationic polysaccharides, especially chitosan materials, in an article, especially disposable absorbent article, is due to the ability of the pH buffering means to enhance the cationic character of the cationic polysaccharides and maintain it even under prolonged wearing time of the absorbent article and/or abundant bodily fluid discharge in the absorbent article. Typically the bodily fluids like menses have an initial pH within the range 6.5 to 7. This pH has the tendency to become more and more basic (within the range 7.5–8) upon ageing of the bodily fluid in the absorbent article. Indeed during normal wearing time, the menses discharge undergoes microbial and enzymatic degradation which results in the production of basic malodorous by-products like ammonia, indole. The use of an acidic pH buffering means will provide a more acidic pH environment and maintain it upon ageing of the menses in the article, typically upon prolonged wearing time. Such an acidic environment has the tendency to enhance the cationic properties of the polysaccharides present in the article and maintain these properties even upon prolonged wearing conditions. The cationic properties of the cationic polysaccharides would otherwise, in absence of such acidic pH buffering means, be neutralized due to increased alkalinity associated to bodily fluid.
Without to be bound by any theory, it is believed that it is the cationic properties of the cationic polysaccharides (preferably chitosan materials) that provide the odor control properties of such materials by multiple mechanisms.
Firstly, the odor absorption and retention characteristics of polysaccharides are due to the presence in the polymer structure of ionisable cationic functional groups. These groups are usually ammonium groups, a high proportion of which are in the salt form when the polymer is dry but which undergo dissociation and salvation upon contact with bodily fluid. In the dissociated state, the polymer chain will have a series of functional groups attached to it which groups have the same electric charge (e.g., —NH3+ +H3N—) and thus repel one another. This leads to expansion of the polymer structure, which, in turn permits further absorption of odorous molecules and thus the control thereof.
Secondly, the positively charged cationic groups of the polysaccharides will interact with negatively charged anionic function-bearing molecules present in bodily fluids, like the carboxylic groups of proteins or hydroxylic acid bearing entities like short chain acid (e.g., butyric acid). This will result in the formation of tri-dimensional net between cationic polysaccharides and such molecules with anionic groups (gelification of the bodily fluids). This gelification will entrap most odorous molecules (like lipids, acids) thereby controlling malodor.
Thirdly, cationic polysaccharides especially the aminopolysaccharides (chitosan materials) are believed to act as antimicrobial agents. Indeed the polysaccharides with their positively charged cationic groups will interfere with negatively charged surface of microorganism walls, thereby inhibiting the growth of such microorganisms or even killing such microorganisms. These cationic polysaccharides will also interfere with negatively charged surface of enzymes, thereby inactivating the enzymatic activity, which like the microbial activity, are otherwise responsible for the generation of malodorous components. The cationic polysaccharides like chitosan-based materials further act by their indirect antimicrobial activity by linking some of the microorganism nutriments like lipids and/or minerals.
Advantageously the addition of the pH buffering means as described herein, also results in improved safety and skin properties of the cationic polysaccharides, especially chitosan materials. Indeed, enhancing the cationic properties of chitosan materials translates in enhancing the binding to the negatively charged surface of the skin, in the case of rewetting occurrence (where chitosan can be brought in contact with the skin trough bodily fluid transport), thereby moisturizing the skin and providing a long lasting softness and fullness.
In a preferred embodiment herein the disposable absorbent articles herein have an apertured polymeric film topsheet. This topsheet contributes to further improve the odor control benefit.
In another preferred embodiment herein the disposable absorbent articles herein have a breathable backsheet. This contributes to a further improved odor control benefit. Even more preferred herein the disposable absorbent articles have both a breathable backsheet and an apertured polymeric film topsheet.
The present invention is preferably directed to disposable absorbent articles like pantiliners, feminine napkins, incontinent pads, diapers, tampons, interlabial pads, perspiration pads, surgical pads, breast pads, human or animal waste management devices and the like. Other articles suitable for use according to the present invention further include articles designed to be contacted with the body such as clothing, bandages, thermal pads, acne pads, cold pads, compresses, surgical pads/dressings and the like, body cleansing articles like impregnated wipes/tissues (e.g. baby wipes, wipes for feminine intimate hygiene), articles for absorbing perspiration such as shoe insoles, shirt inserts, and the like, and articles for animals like litters and the like.

Articles comprising cationic polysaccharides and acidic pH buffering means


A clip device for holding a living tissue, wherein a clip operating force adjustment portion is provided with a hold member placed in a state of relatively increasing a ratio of a clip closing force to close clip hands to a clip opening force to expand the clip hands of a clip when operating the clip.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a clip device for holding a living tissue, which is inserted into a living body through an endoscope channel, and used to stop bleeding and to mark a part to be medically treated.
2. Description of the Related Art
A known clip device is generally inserted into a
living body through an endoscope channel, and left in a cavity of a living body in the state clipping a living tissue, for example, a mucus membrane in the cavity and a blood vessel.
This type of clip device is disclosed by Jpn. Pat, Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 4-102450 (patent document 1), for example. This application discloses a device which comprising a clip unit 1 shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, and a clip control unit 2 shown in FIGS. 8C and 8D. The clip unit 1 is provided with a α-shaped clip 3, as shown in FIG. 8A. The clip 3 is made of thin metal plate (a part of clip) bent at the center, forming a substantially ring-like base ring 3a. Further, a pair of clip hands 3c extends almost straight from the base ring 3a, crossing each other at a point 3b. The clip 3 has the characteristic of expanding in the direction of separating the clip hands 3c.
Further, this clip device has a plate-like connection member 4, a holder tube 5 for tightening a clip, and a hold member 6. The connection member 4 is engaged with the base ring 3a of the clip 3. The holder tube 5 is fit around the connection member 4, and has a diameter smaller than the base ring 3a. The hold member 6 is filled in the holder tube 5, and holds the connected part of the base ring 3a and connection member 4.
A substantially J-shaped hook (an engagement part) 4a is provided at the front end of the connection member 4, as shown in FIG. 8B. The hook 4a is engaged with the base ring 3a. The hold member 6 is made of filler such as silicone. An engagement hole 4b is provided in the base end of the connection member 4. The engagement hole 4b is engaged with a connection pin 7a of a hook unit 7 of the clip control unit 2 described later.
The grip control unit 2 consists of a slender insertion part 8 and a control unit 9 for connecting the close-to-hand side of the insertion part 8. The insertion part 8 has a lead-in tube 10, a control tube 11, and a control wire 12, as shown in FIG. 8C. The control tube 11 is inserted into the lead-in tube 10. The control wire 12 is inserted into the control tube 11. The hook unit 7 is provided at the front end of the control wire 12. The hook unit 7 has the pin 7a for connecting the connection member 4.
As shown in FIG. 8D, the control unit 9 has a tube coupler 13, a main control unit 14, and a slider unit 15. The tube coupler 13 is fixed to the close-to-hand side of the lead-in tube 10. The main control unit 14 moves the control tube 11 forward and rearward. The slider unit 15 moves the control wire 12 forward and rearward.
The clip unit 1 is fixed to the control unit 2, and led into a living body cavity, in the following six steps.
(1) Push the main control unit 14 of the clip control unit 2 toward the front end side, and project the control tube 11 from the lead-in tube 10.
(2) Push the slider unit 15 toward the front end side, and project the hook unit 7 from the control tube 11.
(3) Adjust the positions of the engagement hole 4b of the connection member 4 of the clip unit 1 and the pin 7a of the hook unit 7 of the clip control unit 2, and insert and engage the pin 7a into the engagement hole 4b.
(4) Pull the slider unit 15 toward the base end side, and fit the holder tube 5 to the front end of the control tube 11.
(5) Pull the main control unit 14 toward the base end side, and house the clip unit 1 into the lead-in tube 10.
(6) Insert the insertion part 8 of the clip control unit 2 into a living body cavity through an endoscope channel.
Next, close the clip unit 1 in the following steps.
(1) Push the main control unit toward the front end side, and project the clip unit 1 from the lead-in tube 10.
(2) Pull the slider unit 15 a little toward the base end side, and extend the connection member 4 toward hand. By this operation, the base ring 3a is gradually pressed to fit into the holder tube 5, as shown in FIG. 9A. In this time, the base ring 3a pressed to fit into the holder tube 5 is gradually crushed, and deformed to have a smaller size (the diameter is reduced). At the same time, the clip hands 3c are deformed in the expanding direction, interlocking with the deformation of the base ring 3a, and expanded to the substantially maximum expanded position. While being held in the substantially maximum expanded state, the base ring 3a is completely inserted into the holder tube 5, as shown in FIG. 9B. In this state, let the clip 3 grip an object living tissue by the clip hands 3c.
(3) Then, pull the slider unit 15 further toward the base end side. By this operation, the connection member 4 is extended to the side close to hand, and the base of the clip hands 3c is pressed to fit into the holder tube 5. By the extension of the connection member 4 in this time, the clip hands 3c are moved in the closing direction to clip the living tissue by the clip hands 3c, as shown in FIG. 9C.
Further, while the clip hands 3c are being closed as shown in FIG. 9C, pull the connection member 4 further to the side close to hand. By this operation, the substantially J-shaped hook 4a at the front end of the connection member 4 engaged with the base ring 3a is plastically deformed to the extended state, as shown in FIG. 10B. As a result, the base ring 3a and connection member 4 are disengaged, and the connection member 4 is separated from the base ring 3a. By this operation, the clip 3 is closed in being held by the holder tube 5, as shown in FIG. 9D.
FIG. 11 is a graph showing the changes in the force applied to the clip 3, when the slider unit 15 of the control unit 9 is pulled to the side close to hand when closing the clip 3. In FIG. 11, the point 0 indicates start of pulling the connection member 4, the point A indicates the time the base ring 3a is pressed to fit into the holder tube 5 as shown in FIG. 9A, the point B indicates the time the clip hands 3c of the opened clip 3 contact the holder tube 5 as shown in FIG. 9B, and the point C indicates the time the front ends of the clip hands 3c of the clip 3 contact each other and the clip hands close completely as shown in FIG. 9C. At the point A between 0 and B, the force of expanding the clip hands 3c becomes the maximum (force F1). In this time, the clip hands 3c are expanded to the substantially maximum expanded position. And, in the area between the points A and B, the clip hands 3c are held in the state expanded substantially maximum.
Further, in the states after the point B in FIG. 11, the clip hands 3c are moved in the closing direction by the extension of the connection member 4, and changed from the substantially maximum expanded state as shown in FIG. 9B, to the completely closed state as shown in FIG. 9C. At the point C, the force of closing the clip hands 3c is F2. In the state after the point C, the substantially J-shaped hook 4a at the front end of the connection member 4 engaged with the base ring 3a as shown in FIG. 10A, is switched to be plastically deformed to the extended state as shown in FIG. 10B. The point D indicates the time the engagement of the base ring 3a and connection member 4 is released, and the connection member 4 is separate from the base 3a, as shown in FIG. 10B.
When closing the clip unit 1 of the clip device configured as described above, pull the slider unit 15 of the control unit 9 toward the side close to hand, and pull the connection member 4. Then, expansions of the clip hands, clipping operation and disengaging operation succeed. To expand the clip hands, press the base ring 3a to fit into the holder tube 5, and expand the clip hands 3c. For the clipping operation, press the base of the clip hands 3c to fit into the holder tube 5, move the clip hands 3c in the closing direction, and let the clip hands 3c clip a living tissue. For the disengaging operation, deform plastically the substantially J-shaped hook 4a at the front end of the connection member engaged with the base ring 3a to the state of extending the hook 4a, and disengage the base ring 3a from connection member 4.


An aspect of the invention is an information processing device. The information processing device includes a setting part configured to set an attribute of a folder, and a restriction part configured to restrict storage of a file into the folder based on the set attribute and an attribute of a file.

1. Field of the Invention
The disclosure relates to an information processing device having a key macro function.
2. Description of Related Art
Some conventional information processing devices have a key macro function in which a key macro obtained by allocating multiple key operations in a sequence to one key operation is registered as a file. When the file is selected, the previously-registered multiple key operations are executed by one key operation (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-110710).


In a method for ascertaining whether a target object can be driven over by the controlled motor vehicle, with the aid of frequency-modulated radar signals of a radar sensor, amplitude ratios between received radar signals reflected from the target object are utilized, the received radar signals corresponding to signals which have been transmitted in different frequency ranges. Based on the amplitude ratios, an occurrence of interference between (i) a first radar signal propagation path between the radar sensor and the target object and (ii) a second propagation path with additional reflection from a road is detected, and based on the detection of an occurrence of interference it is ascertained whether the object can be driven over.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and a device for ascertaining an indicator for the drive-over capability of an object, with the aid of frequency-modulated radar signals from a motor vehicle-mounted radar sensor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Radar sensors are used, for example, in adaptive cruise control systems (ACC systems) for motor vehicles and are used to determine the positions and relative velocities of objects, so within the scope of an adaptive speed control the velocity of the host vehicle may be adapted to the velocity of a preceding vehicle and the distance to the preceding vehicle may be set to a suitable value.
Such a radar sensor has, for example, several channels, to each of which at least one antenna element and one evaluation device are assigned. The high-frequency signals received in the various channels are mixed with a reference frequency and converted into low-frequency signals, also known as intermediate-frequency signals (IF signals). The signals are then evaluated in an electronic evaluation device. For example, the low-frequency signals are digitized with the aid of analog-to-digital converters and then further processed digitally.
Each radar object appears in a channel's frequency spectrum in the form of a peak, the position of which is dependent on the Doppler shift and thus on the relative velocity of the radar object. If the transmission frequency of the radar system is modulated, as for example in the case of a frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar system, the position of the peaks is also dependent on the travel time of the radar signals. If in one measuring cycle the transmitted signal has different suitably selected frequency ramps, the relative velocity of the object and the distance to the object may be calculated from the frequencies of the peaks obtained.
Published German patent application document DE 10 2005 024 716 A1 describes a method and a device for detecting and classifying objects, in which the signals received by a radar sensor are evaluated using a comparison with stored characteristic values and the class of the reflecting object is inferred based on the evaluation. One property that may be incorporated in these classes is whether objects are traversable (for example a manhole cover that can be driven over, a beverage can that can be driven over, a road bridge that can be driven under) or are not traversable and cannot be driven over (for example automobiles, trucks, bicycles or motorcycles, guard rails, street signs). A comparison with characteristic patterns takes place, for example by evaluating the spectrum of an object reflection's reflected power, in particular an envelope of the spectrum, and a phase angle.
Published German patent application document DE 10 2010 007 415 A1 describes a radar signal processing method for estimating the height of an object above a reflecting surface, in which a change over time of a distance to the object is determined by a radar system and an intensity modulation of a received signal is ascertained. The method is based on the radar wave interference occurring as a result of reflection from a road surface. The interference patterns, as the vehicle approaches an object, result in intensity modulation in the form of an oscillating backscatter amplitude of the radar signal. The height of the object above the reflecting surface is deduced from the progression of the intensity modulation over a reciprocal distance to the object and/or over the quotient created from a radar height and the distance to the object.

Ascertaining an indicator for the drive-over capability of an object


An image forming apparatus has a plurality of image forming units (R1–R4) for forming toner images, a fixing unit (63) for fixing the tone image to a medium, and a temperature control unit (122) for determining if each image forming unit is set and changing the set temperature of the fixing unit based on the determination. If a predetermined image forming unit is not used, a temperature can be set for the fixing unit so that the warming-up time can be shortened in the stand-by state. As a result, the image forming speed and through-put can be improved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image forming apparatus, such as electro-photographic printers, copiers, and facsimiles, are well known. An image forming apparatus has a medium transporting unit and a plurality of image forming units. The medium transporting unit transports a medium to the image forming units, which are disposed along the medium transport passage. Each image forming unit has a printing process cartridge, an exposing section, and a transfer section to form a toner image. The transfer section transfers to a medium the toner image that is made in the printing process cartridge. The printing process cartridge is detachable from the image forming unit. It has a charging section, a photosensitive body, a developing section, a cleaning section, a toner cartridge, and a drive transmitting section.
The drive transmitting section transmits power for driving the charging, photosensitive, and developing sections. The charging section charges the photosensitive body. The exposing section illuminates the surface of the charged photosensitive body to form an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive surface according to the printing data. The developing section adheres a toner to the latent image on the photosensitive body to make a toner image that is visible. The cleaning section scrapes off the remaining toner from the photosensitive body. The toner cartridge, which is detachable from the printing process cartridge, supplies the developing section with toner.
The developing section is provided with a developing roller and a toner supply roller. The developing roller is pressed against the surface of the photosensitive body to adhere toner to the latent image on the photosensitive body. The transfer section transfers the toner image onto a recording medium from the photosensitive body. The fixing section has a heat roller and a heater for heating the heat roller to fix the toner image on the recording medium. Also, it has a pressure roller for pressing the heat roller against the recording medium. The heater of the fixing section produces heat at the time of printing and the recording medium and the toner thereon absorb the heat, keeping the image forming unit at a relatively low temperature.
In order to speed up the image forming process, the heater is made to produce heat at a time when no printing is made, when the recording medium and the toner thereon do not absorb the heat. Consequently, a large amount of heat is conducted from the fixing section to the image forming unit, raising its temperature very high. As a result, the toner is melted and deformed to adhere to the image forming unit. The thermally deformed toner degrades the quality of an image formed on the recording medium.
Thus, the temperature of the fixing heater is lowered when no printing is made so that a small amount of heat is conducted to heat the image forming unit, keeping its temperature at a low level. Consequently, the toner is kept normal in the image forming unit. However, the subsequent image forming process takes a long time because it takes a long time to bring the fixing unit from the low temperature to the high temperature, reducing the image forming speed and through-put.


A combination portable electric floor and window fan is provided with louvered front and rear walls, end walls, a top surface having an upwardly-directed fixed-width V-shaped channel for receiving the lower portion of a frame or sash of a window when window-mounted, and bottom surfaces from which an elongate runner extends downwardly for engaging a window sill. The width and angle of the V-shaped channel accommodates window frames or sash of different thicknesses. The upper portions or legs of the V-shaped channel form handles for lifting and transporting the fan. Pivotally-mounted feet are confined totally within the sides of the runner when the runner is capable of sole bottom support of the fan on an outside portion of a window sill. The feet may be pivoted perpendicularly relative to the runner and the front and rear walls to support the fan either on a floor or by hooking onto an inside portion of a window sill. The runner and V-shaped channel are symmetrical about a common plane extending essentially parallel to and midway between the front and rear walls.

Fan units which can be used either for moving air between the exterior and interior of a room through an open screened window have been common in the art for a considerable period of time. So too it is known that such a unit can be held steady by window frames to stabilize the unit against tipping or falling. An example of such a fan unit is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,263, granted to Chiu on May 5, 1992. Welch U.S. Pat. No. 2,547,189, illustrates brackets for fan mounting panel members in a window opening.
However, there remains a need for a portable floor/window fan unit which easily adapts to exhaust air from or intake air into a room through a screened window, which accommodates a greater variety of window widths than known fan units, and which further does so without being obstructed by a screen for the window opening.


Provided are a barrier film production method and a barrier film comprising at least one organic layer and two or more inorganic layers on a surface of a plastic film, wherein, under an atmosphere of at least 0.3 atmospheric pressure and at most 1.1 atmospheric pressure (1 atmospheric pressure is 1.01325×105 Pa), an organic layer coating liquid is applied on at least one surface of the plastic film, and dried to form the organic layer, thereafter, an inorganic layer coating liquid containing an inorganic compound is applied and dried on the organic layer to laminate at least 2 to 6 inorganic layers, and thereafter, at least two layers of the laminated inorganic layers are subjected to a conversion process.

A barrier film in which a thin layer of a metal oxide such as aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, or silicon oxide is formed on the surface of a plastic substrate or a film has been widely used for packaging a product which requires blocking of various types of gases such as water vapor and oxygen or for packaging to prevent the quality change of, for example, food, industrial products or medical products. Also, aside from the use for packaging, a barrier films has been used as a substrate for a liquid crystal display, solar cell, organic electroluminescence (EL) and the like.
An aluminum foil has been widely used as a packaging material in this field, however, disposal after use is becoming a problem, and, in addition, since an aluminum foil is basically an opaque material, it has a problem that it is difficult to check the content from outside. Further, it is absolutely difficult to be used for a display material which requires transparency.
Specifically, for a transparent substrate of which application to a liquid crystal display or a solar cell is in progress, added has been higher level of requirements, for example, capability of roll to roll production of the substrate, durability for a long period, freedom of the shape, and capability of curved display, in addition to the requirements of weight saving and getting larger. Replacement of a glass substrate which is heavy, fragile and difficult in increasing the size to a film substrate such as a transparent plastic is also in progress. For example, application of a polymer film as a substrate of an organic electroluminescent element has been disclosed. As aforementioned transparent plastic film, for example, polyethylene telephthalate (hereafter, abbreviated as "PET") of which oxygen permeation rate is relatively high has been used.
However, there has been a problem in that the gas barrier property of a film substrate such as a transparent plastic film is inferior to that of a glass substrate. For example, when such a substrate having an insufficient gas barrier property is used as a substrate of an organic photoelectric conversion element, water vapor or air may penetrates the substrate, resulting in the problem that the property tends to be degraded with time.
In order to overcome such a problem, a technique to provide a metal oxide thin layer on a film substrate to obtain a barrier film substrate has been known. As a barrier film used for a packaging material or for a liquid crystal display, a plastic film on which a silicon oxide or an aluminum oxide is vacuum evaporated has been known.
Instead of a vacuum evaporation method, a method to form a layer having a gas barrier property by applying a coating liquid containing polysilazane as a main component, followed by conducting a surface treatment has been known (refer t, for example, Patent Document 1). However, in none of these methods, the property as a gas barrier layer has been fully sufficient. Accordingly, a further improved gas barrier property, for example, a moisture permeating rate notably lower than 1×10−2 g/m2/day has been desired.
As a technique to further improve the gas barrier property, also known has been a method in which the aforementioned polysilazane layer and plasma chemical deposition method are used in combination (for example, refer to Patent Document 2). However, even in this method, aforementioned target of the gas bather property has not been attained.
A method to form a dense functional material exhibiting a peeling nature, an anti-scratching property, durability of luminance, permeability and a light blocking nature by using a plasma chemical deposition method employing a silazane compound as a raw material gas has been known. In the barrier film obtained by using this technique, there has been a possibility to generate particles of a size from submicron to micron, so called as "particles", in the plasma space between the electrodes. The particles are reaction products of a raw material and have been a specific problem of a plasma chemical deposition method. There also has been a possibility that the particles adhere to the surface of the deposited layer to disturb formation of a uniform layer, whereby it has been possible to deteriorate the quality of the barrier film due to the defect caused by the particles.
As a means to disperse the defect and satisfy the demand of a high barrier property against moisture, a technique to attain a moisture permeability of less than 0.1 g/m2/day by using a laminate of an organic layer and an inorganic layer (for example, refer to Patent Document 3) has been disclosed. However, the organic-inorganic lamination type bather film disclosed in this document has had a problem that the bather nature is not fully enough.
Further, in this technique, it is necessary to form a layer under vacuum when the gas barrier layer is formed via a physical or a chemical deposition method, whereby it is necessary to reduce the atmospheric pressure in the film forming process, and to recover the normal atmospheric pressure after the barrier film formation, resulting in serious problems of increased equipment cost and production process.
Also, a technique to conduct a plasma chemical deposition method under an atmospheric pressure has been known. In this case, an adjusting process of the pressure can be avoided in the production process. However, in order to form a dense gas barrier film exhibiting a high barrier property, the accumulation rate is needed to suppress low. Accordingly, it has been difficult to attain an efficient productivity also in this case.
On the other hand, also known has been a gas barrier layer formation technique in which, after lamination of a partially alkali substituted polysilazane and a polysilazane, an oxidation treatment is conducted (for example, refer to Patent Document 4). However, only by the lamination of an alkyl substituted polysilazane layer and a polysilazane layer, the ability to relax the stress caused by bending the barrier film has not been enough, and the variation of barrier property due to heat or moisture, or after a long term storage has been large, whereby it has been difficult to maintain the barrier property in the early stage after the film production.
Instead of the aforementioned methods, the following technique has been known as a method to form a gas barrier film by conducting a surface treatment after a coating liquid containing polysilazane as a main component is applied (for example, refer to Patent Document 5). However, also in this technique, the function as a gas barrier layer of such as an organic EL element has been insufficient. Accordingly, further improvement in the gas barrier property, for example, a moisture permeability of notably lower than 1×10−2 g/m2/day, has been desired.

Method of producing barrier film exhibiting excellent gas barrier property, and barrier film


A laser beam delivery system is disclosed, which allows transmission of high-power infrared light through a hollow core photonic band gap (HC-PBG) fiber made of non-silica-based glass. In this system, the infrared beam first passes through input coupling optics which focus the beam onto the hollow core of the HC-PBG fiber. In front of the input end of the HC-PBG fiber, there is provided a mask with a hole aligned with the hollow core, and the infrared beam first passes through this hole before entering the hollow core of the HC-PBG fiber. This protects the photonic band gap structure from being damaged by the beam. After passing through the HC-PBG fiber, which may be from one to several hundred meters in length, the infrared beam exits at the output end of the fiber and passes through output coupling optics which collimate and focus the beam onto a desired target. The various components of the system may be water cooled during the operation or subjected to a gas purge to prevent condensation or gas ionization.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a laser beam delivery system suitable to deliver the output of an infrared laser device to a remote location through a flexible fiber optic cable. More particularly, it relates to a laser beam delivery system that uses a hollow-core photonic band gap (HC-PBG) fiber made of a non-silica-based glass to transmit a high-power or high-energy laser beam while preserving the high laser beam quality at the system output.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of fused silica glass fiber in fiber optic laser beam delivery systems to deliver laser radiation has been demonstrated in the early 1980's. In particular, silica fiber with large core diameter of 50–1000 μm is being commonly used to transmit several watts to several kilowatts of laser power for applications like welding, machining, marking or laser surgery. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,586 describes one such fiber optic laser beam delivery system for high power transmission. But large core silica fiber cannot currently be used for high beam quality processes because of the highly multimode nature of these fibers. Furthermore, as is known, fused silica fiber is limited to transmission in the wavelength range of about 0.2 to 2 μm, and cannot be used in laser beam delivery outside this range.
There are many useful lasers that operate at wavelengths above 2 μm in the infrared region. Among these, there is the Er:YAG laser (˜10 W at 2.94 μm) and the Cr, Er:YSGG laser (˜10 W at 2.78 μm) which are used for medical and dental applications. Also, CO2 lasers emit 10 to 10,000 W at 10.6 μm and are used mainly in industrial applications, but also in medical applications.
Many optical fibers have been developed to transmit infrared laser power radiation at wavelengths beyond 2 μm. Thus, germanate glass fiber based on GeO2 is manufactured by Infrared Fiber System (Silver Spring, Md., USA) and transmits from 1 to 3 μm. Large core and highly multimode germanate fiber (150–500 μm) has been used to transmit up to 20 W (2J at 10 Hz) of Er:YAG laser. Single crystal sapphire optical fiber is another commercially available infrared fiber which is manufactured by Photran (Poway, Calif., USA) and is transparent from the visible to 3.5 μm. Sapphire fiber growth method is slow (few mm/min) and produces only a fiber with a large diameter of 150–450 μm and a length of less than 2 m. The sapphire fiber core is highly multimode and has been used to deliver over 10 W of average power from an Er:YAG laser operating at 2.94 μm.
Hollow glass waveguide (HGW) is another infrared transmitting fiber. HGW fiber was developed at Rutgers University, Piscataway, N.Y., USA and is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,664. HGW fiber is fabricated using wet-chemistry methods to deposit a dielectric-enhanced metal layer inside silica glass tubing. The silica glass tubing used has a polymer or polyimide coating on the outside surface to preserve mechanical strength. HGW fiber has been used for high-power CO2 laser transmission (see R. K. Nubling and J. A. Harrington, "Hollow-waveguide delivery systems for high-power, industrial CO2 lasers", Appl. Opt., vol. 34, No. 3, 20 Jan. 1996, p. 372–280). HGW fiber offers two main advantages because of the air guiding core: first it allows high laser induced damage threshold (LIDT), namely more than 1000 W of CO2 laser; and second it has very low insertion loss because there are no Fresnel reflection losses at the ends of the HGW fiber. However, transmission losses of the HGW fiber vary as 1/a3 where a is the bore radius and, therefore, the loss can be arbitrarily small for a sufficiently large core (300–1000 μm). Another disadvantage of the HGW fiber is the added loss on bending which is also polarization sensitive. This means that the output power as well as the output beam profile vary significantly with different bending radius of the HGW fiber and/or polarization state of the input beam.
All of the above mentioned infrared delivery fibers offer some viable solutions and some drawbacks for the transmission of high power infrared lasers. But none of them can transmit efficiently stable high power infrared laser radiation with singlemode beam quality.
During the past ten years, researchers have developed a new class of optical fiber called photonic crystal fiber (PCF), also known as microstructured or holey fiber, which can combine large core dimension and Gaussian-like fundamental mode transmission. Broadly speaking, PCF may be defined as a fiber having a core surrounded by a periodically cladding structure, in which the periodic variation appears in directions perpendicular to the fiber axis, whereas the structures are invariant along the fiber axis. Of particular interest is the hollow-core photonic band gap (HC-PBG) fiber where the light is guided in a hollow core surrounded by a periodically cladding structure. Silica glass HC-PBG fiber was first disclosed in 1995 (Full 2-D Photonic Bandgaps in Silica/Air Structures, Birks et al., Electronics Letters, Vol. 31 (22), p. 1941–1943, 26 Oct. 1995). Crystal Fibre of Birkerød, Denmark manufactures a silica HC-PBG fiber to guide light in air and to deliver very high laser peak power while preserving an almost perfect output beam quality. But silica glass HC-PBG fiber does not transmit well beyond 2 μm since several percent of the light propagates in the periodically cladding region and this light is highly attenuated through absorption in silica.
Recently, researchers at the Naval Research Laboratory, USA, have developed a novel HC-PBG fiber. U.S. Patent Application Publication No US 2005/0074215 A1 discloses a HC-PBG fiber made of non-silica-based glass such as chalcogenide, germanate, phosphate, tellurite, borate, antimonate and halide to transmit infrared light. The non-silica-based glass is a low melting temperature glass (˜300° C.) and can transmit light from 1 to 15 μm depending on the composition. This infrared transmitting HC-PBG fiber features a hollow core surrounded by an array of air holes in the non-silica-based glass periodically cladding structure. The surface of the holes in the periodically cladding region surrounding the hollow core can be very thin and very easy to damage. Hence the combination of low-melting temperature of the non-silica-based glass material, of fragile thin holes surface and of high power laser, make the non-silica-based glass HC-PBG fiber practically impossible to use directly to deliver high power infrared laser.
Another type of HC-PBG fiber is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,898,359 wherein the periodically cladding region is arranged concentrically around the hollow core and the photonic band gap effect is provided with successive layers of high and low index of refraction. This structure can also be designed to transmit infrared light ranging from 2–12 μm, provided a suitable delivery system can be designed.
Consequently, there is a need for a delivery system that would make use of non-silica-based glass HC-PBG fiber for transmission of high power laser in the infrared.

Fiber optic infrared laser beam delivery system


The present invention provides systems and methods for dynamic detection and prevention of electronic fraud and network intrusion using an integrated set of intelligent technologies. The intelligent technologies include neural networks, multi-agents, data mining, case-based reasoning, rule-based reasoning, fuzzy logic, constraint programming, and genetic algorithms. The systems and methods of the present invention involve a fraud detection and prevention model that successfully detects and prevents electronic fraud and network intrusion in real-time. The model is not sensitive to known or unknown different types of fraud or network intrusion attacks, and can be used to detect and prevent fraud and network intrusion across multiple networks and industries.

The explosion of telecommunications and computer networks has revolutionized the ways in which information is disseminated and shared. At any given time, massive amounts of information are exchanged electronically by millions of individuals worldwide using these networks not only for communicating but also for engaging in a wide variety of business transactions, including shopping, auctioning, financial trading, among others. While these networks provide unparalleled benefits to users, they also facilitate unlawful activity by providing a vast, inexpensive, and potentially anonymous way for accessing and distributing fraudulent information, as well as for breaching the network security through network intrusion.
Each of the millions of individuals exchanging information on these networks is a potential victim of network intrusion and electronic fraud. Network intrusion occurs whenever there is a breach of network security for the purposes of illegally extracting information from the network, spreading computer viruses and worms, and attacking various services provided in the network. Electronic fraud occurs whenever information that is conveyed electronically is either misrepresented or illegally intercepted for fraudulent purposes. The information may be intercepted during its transfer over the network, or it may be illegally accessed from various information databases maintained by merchants, suppliers, or consumers conducting business electronically. These databases usually store sensitive and vulnerable information exchanged in electronic business transactions, such as credit card numbers, personal identification numbers, and billing records.
Today, examples of network intrusion and electronic fraud abound in virtually every business with an electronic presence. For example, the financial services industry is subject to credit card fraud and money laundering, the telecommunications industry is subject to cellular phone fraud, and the health care industry is subject to the misrepresentation of medical claims. All of these industries are subject to network intrusion attacks. Business losses due to electronic fraud and network intrusion have been escalating significantly since the Internet and the World Wide Web (hereinafter "the web") have become the preferred medium for business transactions for many merchants, suppliers, and consumers. Conservative estimates foresee losses in web-based business transactions to be in the billion-dollar range.
When business transactions are conducted on the web, merchants and suppliers provide consumers an interactive "web site" that typically displays information about products and contains forms that may be used by consumers and other merchants for purchasing the products and entering sensitive financial information required for the purchase. The web site is accessed by users by means of "web browser software", such as Internet Explorer, available from Microsoft Corporation, of Redmond, Wash., that is installed on the users' computer.
Under the control of a user, the web browser software establishes a connection over the Internet between the user's computer and a "web server". A web server consists of one or more machines running special purpose software for serving the web site, and maintains a database for storing the information displayed and collected on the web page. The connection between the user's computer and the server is used to transfer any sensitive information displayed or entered in the web site between the user's computer and the web server. It is during this transfer that most fraudulent activities on the Internet occur.
To address the need to prevent and detect network intrusion and electronic fraud, a variety of new technologies have been developed. Technologies for detecting and preventing network intrusion involve anomaly detection systems and signature detection systems.
Anomaly detection systems detect network intrusion by looking for user's or system's activity that does not correspond to a normal activity profile measured for the network and for the computers in the network. The activity profile is formed based on a number of statistics collected in the network, including CPU utilization, disk and file activity, user logins, TCP/IP log files, among others. The statistics must be continually updated to reflect the current state of the network. The systems may employ neural networks, data mining, agents, or expert systems to construct the activity profile. Examples of anomaly detection systems include the Computer Misuse Detection System (CMDS), developed by Science Applications International Corporation, of San Diego, Calif., and the Intrusion Detection Expert System (IDES), developed by SRI International, of Menlo Park, Calif.
With networks rapidly expanding, it becomes extremely difficult to track all the statistics required to build a normal activity profile. In addition, anomaly detection systems tend to generate a high number of false alarms, causing some users in the network that do not fit the normal activity profile to be wrongly suspected of network intrusion. Sophisticated attackers may also generate enough traffic so that it looks "normal" when in reality it is used as a disguise for later network intrusion.
Another way to detect network intrusion involves the use of signature detection systems that look for activity that corresponds to known intrusion techniques, referred to as signatures, or system vulnerabilities. Instead of trying to match user's activity to a normal activity profile like the anomaly detection systems, signature detection systems attempt to match user's activity to known abnormal activity that previously resulted in an intrusion. While these systems are very effective at detecting network intrusion without generating an overwhelming number of false alarms, they must be designed to detect each possible form of intrusion and thus must be constantly updated with signatures of new attacks. In addition, many signature detection systems have narrowly defined signatures that prevent them from detecting variants of common attacks. Examples of signature detection systems include the NetProwler system, developed by Symantec, of Cupertino, Calif., and the Emerald system, developed by SRI International, of Menlo Park, Calif.
To improve the performance of network detection systems, both anomaly detection and signature detection techniques have been employed together. A system that employs both includes the Next-Generation Intrusion Detection Expert System (NIDES), developed by SRI International, of Menlo Park, Calif. The NIDES system includes a rule-based signature analysis subsystem and a statistical profile-based anomaly detection subsystem. The NIDES rule-based signature analysis subsystem employs expert rules to characterize known intrusive activity represented in activity logs, and raises alarms as matches are identified between the observed activity logs and the rule encodings. The statistical subsystem maintains historical profiles of usage per user and raises an alarm when observed activity departs from established patterns of usage for an individual. While the NIDES system has better detection rates than other purely anomaly-based or signature-based detection systems, it still suffers from a considerable number of false alarms and difficulty in updating the signatures in real-time.
Some of the techniques used by network intrusion detection systems can also be applied to detect and prevent electronic fraud. Technologies for detecting and preventing electronic fraud involve fraud scanning and verification systems, the Secure Electronic Transaction (SET) standard, and various intelligent technologies, including neural networks, data mining, multi-agents, and expert systems with case-based reasoning (CBR) and rule-based reasoning (RBR).
Fraud scanning and verification systems detect electronic fraud by comparing information transmitted by a fraudulent user against information in a number of verification databases maintained by multiple data sources, such as the United States Postal Service, financial institutions, insurance companies, telecommunications companies, among others. The verification databases store information corresponding to known cases of fraud so that when the information sent by the fraudulent user is found in the verification database, fraud is detected. An example of a fraud verification system is the iRAVES system (the Internet Real Time Address Verification Enterprise Service) developed by Intelligent Systems, Inc., of Washington, D.C.
A major drawback of these verification systems is that keeping the databases current requires the databases to be updated whenever new fraudulent activity is discovered. As a result, the fraud detection level of these systems is low since new fraudulent activities occur very often and the database gets updated only when the new fraud has already occurred and has been discovered by some other method. The verification systems simply detect electronic fraud, but cannot prevent it.
In cases of business transactions on the web involving credit card fraud, the verification systems can be used jointly with the Secure Electronic Transaction (SET) standard proposed by the leading credit card companies Visa, of Foster City, Calif., and Mastercard, of Purchase, N.Y. The SET standard provides an extra layer of protection against credit card fraud by linking credit cards with a digital signature that fulfills the same role as the physical signature used in traditional credit card transactions. Whenever a credit card transaction occurs on a web site complying with the SET standard, a digital signature is used to authenticate the identity of the credit card user.
The SET standard relies on cryptography techniques to ensure the security and confidentiality of the credit card transactions performed on the web, but it cannot guarantee that the digital signature is being misused to commit fraud. Although the SET standard reduces the costs associated with fraud and increases the level of trust on online business transactions, it does not entirely prevent fraud from occurring. Additionally, the SET standard has not been widely adopted due to its cost, computational complexity, and implementation difficulties.
To improve fraud detection rates, more sophisticated technologies such as neural networks have been used. Neural networks are designed to approximate the operation of the human brain, making them particularly useful in solving problems of identification, forecasting, planning, and data mining. A neural network can be considered as a black box that is able to predict an output pattern when it recognizes a given input pattern. The neural network must first be "trained" by having it process a large number of input patterns and showing it what output resulted from each input pattern. Once trained, the neural network is able to recognize similarities when presented with a new input pattern, resulting in a predicted output pattern. Neural networks are able to detect similarities in inputs, even though a particular input may never have been seen previously.
There are a number of different neural network algorithms available, including feed forward, back propagation, Hopfield, Kohonen, simplified fuzzy adaptive resonance (SFAM), among others. In general, several algorithms can be applied to a particular application, but there usually is an algorithm that is better suited to some kinds of applications than others. Current fraud detection systems using neural networks generally offer one or two algorithms, with the most popular choices being feed forward and back propagation. Feed forward networks have one or more inputs that are propagated through a variable number of hidden layers or predictors, with each layer containing a variable number of neurons or nodes, until the inputs finally reach the output layer, which may also contain one or more output nodes. Feed-forward neural networks can be used for many tasks, including classification and prediction. Back propagation neural networks are feed forward networks that are traversed in both the forward (from the input to the output) and backward (from the output to the input) directions while minimizing a cost or error function that determines how well the neural network is performing with the given training set. The smaller the error and the more extensive the training, the better the neural network will perform. Examples of fraud detection systems using back propagation neural networks include Falcon™, from HNC Software, Inc., of San Diego, Calif., and PRISM, from Nestor, Inc., of Providence, R.I.
These fraud detection systems use the neural network as a predictive model to evaluate sensitive information transmitted electronically and identify potentially fraudulent activity based on learned relationships among many variables. These relationships enable the system to estimate a probability of fraud for each business transaction, so that when the probability exceeds a predetermined amount, fraud is detected. The neural network is trained with data drawn from a database containing historical data on various business transactions, resulting in the creation of a set of variables that have been empirically determined to form more effective predictors of fraud than the original historical data. Examples of such variables include customer usage pattern profiles, transaction amount, percentage of transactions during different times of day, among others.
For neural networks to be effective in detecting fraud, there must be a large database of known cases of fraud and the methods of fraud must not change rapidly. With new methods of electronic fraud appearing daily on the Internet, neural networks are not sufficient to detect or prevent fraud in real-time. In addition, the time consuming nature of the training process, the difficulty of training the neural networks to provide a high degree of accuracy, and the fact that the desired output for each input needs to be known before the training begins are often prohibiting limitations for using neural networks when fraud is either too close to normal activity or constantly shifting as the fraudulent actors adapt to changing surveillance or technology.
To improve the detection rate of fraudulent activities, fraud detection systems have adopted intelligent technologies such as data mining, multi-agents, and expert systems with case-based reasoning (CBR) and rule-based reasoning (RBR). Data mining involves the analysis of data for relationships that have not been previously discovered. For example, the use of a particular credit card to purchase gourmet cooking books on the web may reveal a correlation with the purchase by the same credit card of gourmet food items. Data mining produces several data relationships, including: (1) associations, wherein one event is correlated to another event (e.g., purchase of gourmet cooking books close to the holiday season); (2) sequences, wherein one event leads to another later event (e.g., purchase of gourmet cooking books followed by the purchase of gourmet food ingredients); (3) classification, i.e., the recognition of patterns and a resulting new organization of data (e.g., profiles of customers who make purchases of gourmet cooking books); (4) clustering, i.e., finding and visualizing groups of facts not previously known; and (5) forecasting, i.e., discovering patterns in the data that can lead to predictions about the future.
Data mining is used to detect fraud when the data being analyzed does not correspond to any expected profile of previously found relationships. In the credit card example, if the credit card is stolen and suddenly used to purchase an unexpected number of items at odd times of day that do not correspond to the previously known customer profile or cannot be predicted based on the purchase patterns, a suspicion of fraud may be raised. Data mining can be used to both detect and prevent fraud. However, data mining has the risk of generating a high number of false alarms if the predictions are not done carefully. An example of a system using data mining to detect fraud includes the ScorXPRESS system developed by Advanced Software Applications, of Pittsburgh, Pa. The system combines data mining with neural networks to quickly detect fraudulent business transactions on the web.
Another intelligent technology that can be used to detect and prevent fraud includes the multi-agent technology. An agent is a program that gathers information or performs some other service without the user's immediate presence and on some regular schedule. A multi-agent technology consists of a group of agents, each one with an expertise interacting with each other to reach their goals. Each agent possesses assigned goals, behaviors, attributes, and a partial representation of their environment. Typically, the agents behave according to their assigned goals, but also according to their observations, acquired knowledge, and interactions with other agents. Multi-agents are self-adaptive, make effective changes at run-time, and react to new and unknown events and conditions as they arise.
These capabilities make multi-agents well suited for detecting electronic fraud. For example, multi-agents can be associated with a database of credit card numbers to classify and act on incoming credit card numbers from new electronic business transactions. The agents can be used to compare the latest transaction of the credit card number with its historical information (if any) on the database, to form credit card users' profiles, and to detect abnormal behavior of a particular credit card user. Multi-agents have also been applied to detect fraud in personal communication systems (A Multi-Agent Systems Approach for Fraud Detection in Personal Communication Systems, S. Abu-Hakima, M. Toloo, and T. White, AAAI-97 Workshop), as well as to detect network intrusion. The main problem with using multi-agents for detecting and preventing electronic fraud and network intrusion is that they are usually asynchronous, making it difficult to establish how the different agents are going to interact with each other in a timely manner.
In addition to neural networks, data mining, and multi-agents, expert systems have also been used to detect electronic fraud. An expert system is a computer program that simulates the judgement and behavior of a human or an organization that has expert knowledge and experience in a particular field. Typically, such a system employs rule-based reasoning (RBR) and/or case-based reasoning (CBR) to reach a solution to a problem. Rule-based systems use a set of "if-then" rules to solve the problem, while case-based systems solve the problem by relying on a set of known problems or cases solved in the past. In general, case-based systems are more efficient than rule-based systems for problems involving large data sets because case-based systems search the space of what already has happened rather than the intractable space of what could happen. While rule-based systems are very good for capturing broad trends, case-based systems can be used to fill in the exceptions to the rules.
Both rule-based and case-based systems have been designed to detect electronic fraud. Rule-based systems have also been designed to detect network intrusion, such as the Next-Generation Intrusion Detection Expert System (NIDES), developed by SRI International, of Menlo Park, Calif. Examples of rule-based fraud detection systems include the Internet Fraud Screen (IFS) system developed by CyberSource Corporation, of Mountain View, Calif., and the FraudShield™ system, developed by ClearCommerce Corporation, of Austin, Tex. An example of a case-based fraud detection system is the Minotaur™ system, developed by Neuralt Technologies, of Hampshire, UK.
These systems combine the rule-based or casebased technologies with neural networks to assign fraud risk scores to a given transaction. The fraud risk scores are compared to a threshold to determine whether the transaction is fraudulent or not. The main disadvantage of these systems is that their fraud detection rates are highly dependent on the set of rules and cases used. To be able to identify all cases of fraud would require a prohibitive large set of rules and known cases. Moreover, these systems are not easily adaptable to new methods of fraud as the set of rules and cases can become quickly outdated with new fraud tactics.
To improve their fraud detection capability, fraud detection systems based on intelligent technologies usually combine a number of different technologies together. Since each intelligent technology is better at detecting certain types of fraud than others, combining the technologies together enables the system to cover a broader range of fraudulent transactions. As a result, higher fraud detection rates are achieved. Most often these systems combine neural networks with expert systems and/or data mining. As of today, there is no system in place that integrates neural networks, data mining, multi-agents, expert systems, and other technologies such as fuzzy logic and genetic algorithms to provide a more powerful fraud detection solution.
In addition, current fraud detection systems are not always capable of preventing fraud in real-time. These systems usually detect fraud after it has already occurred, and when they attempt to prevent fraud from occurring, they often produce false alarms. Furthermore, most of the current fraud detection systems are not self-adaptive, and require constant updates to detect new cases of fraud. Because the systems usually employ only one or two intelligent technologies that are targeted for detecting only specific cases of fraud, they cannot be used across multiple industries to achieve high fraud detection rates with different types of electronic fraud. In addition, current fraud detection systems are designed specifically for detecting and preventing electronic fraud and are therefore not able to detect and prevent network intrusion as well.
In view of the foregoing drawbacks of current methods for detecting and preventing electronic fraud and network intrusion, it would be desirable to provide systems and methods for dynamic detection and prevention of electronic fraud and network intrusion that are able to detect and prevent fraud and network intrusion across multiple networks and industries.
It further would be desirable to provide systems and methods for dynamic detection and prevention of electronic fraud and network intrusion that employ an integrated set of intelligent technologies including neural networks, data mining, multi-agents, case-based reasoning, rule-based reasoning, fuzzy logic, constraint programming, and genetic algorithms.
It still further would be desirable to provide systems and methods for dynamic detection and prevention of electronic fraud and network intrusion that are self-adaptive and detect and prevent fraud and network intrusion in real-time.
It also would be desirable to provide systems and methods for dynamic detection and prevention of electronic fraud and network intrusion that are less sensitive to known or unknown different types of fraud and network intrusion attacks.
It further would be desirable to provide systems and methods for dynamic detection and prevention of electronic fraud and network intrusion that deliver a software solution to various web servers.

Systems and methods for dynamic detection and prevention of electronic fraud


The present invention provides a composite oxide for a high performance solid oxide fuel cell which can be fired at a relatively low temperature, and which has little heterogeneous phases of impurities other than the desired composition. The composite oxide is the one having a perovskite type crystal structure containing rare earth elements, and having constituent elements homogeneously dispersed therein. A homogeneous composite oxide having an abundance ratio of heterogeneous phases of at most 0.3% by average area ratio, and a melting point of at least 1470° C., is obtained by using metal carbonates, oxides or hydroxides, and reacting them with citric acid in an aqueous system.

At present, development of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is in progress. As an electrolyte for this fuel cell, stabilized zirconia is commonly used. However, the stabilized zirconia has low ionic conductivity at a lower temperature, whereby it is used at a higher temperature of at least 1000° C. Therefore, expensive ceramics had to be used instead of metals as components of the fuel cell.
In order to solve this problem, in recent years, perovskite type electrolytes of LaGaO3 which can be used at a lower temperature as compared with stabilized zirconia, were developed. Among them, it is reported that LaSrGaMgO3 shows a good-performance (KHuang, R. S. Tichy, and J. B. Goodenough, J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 81,2565(1998), U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,688, JP-A-11-335164 and JP-A-11-665165).
However, in the preparation of this LaGaO3 type compound, Ga as a typical element is not likely to constitute a perovskite structure. Therefore, firing at a high temperature is required, and there is a problem that heterogeneous phases of impurities other than the desired composition are likely to remain. As the heterogeneous phases of impurities, LaSrGaO4 having a melting point of about 1400° C. which is lower than that of perovskite and having low oxygen ionic conductivity, and LaSrGa3O7 having a melting point of at least 1600° C. and having low oxygen ionic conductivity, are typical ones.
In a solid state reaction method, oxides, carbonates or hydroxides of the respective metals are mixed, as they are, with starting materials by pulverizing, followed by firing. Therefore, microscopic unevenness in the mixed state tends to occur, whereby heterogeneous phases of impurities tend to remain. In order to prepare perovskite having little heterogeneous phases of impurities, firing at a high temperature of at least 1500° C. has been required.
On the other hand, in a case where the prepared solid composite oxide powder is to be molded into an electrolyte or an electrode for a fuel cell, usually, the solid composite oxide powder is press-molded, and then sintered by heating to a temperature of from 1300° C. to 1600° C. to obtain a sintered body structure.
Accordingly, when the oxide powder prepared by means of the solid state reaction method, is press-molded and sintered, the heterogeneous phases of impurities contained in the oxide powder are fused, and pores of the sintered body are covered with the heterogeneous phases of impurities having low oxygen ionic conductivity, whereby it has been difficult to form a homogeneous electrolyte body.
As described above, according to the solid state reaction method which has been used as a common preparation method, the temperature becomes high during firing in a state where the desired composition, an intermediate and a starting material are mixed, whereby there may be a case where a part of the mixture is fused to remain in the final product as heterogeneous phases of impurities.
As a common process for a production to constitute a composition at a lower temperature, a method using nitrates or acetates is known. However, in this method, a large amount of a harmful gas such as nitric acid gas, nitrogen oxide or acetic acid will be generated during the firing, and it is not suitable for the industrial production. Further, a sol-gel process using an organic solvent such as ethylene glycol as a solvent is also known, but a gel state substance is likely to deposit on a wall of a container and will burn intensely, and therefore this is not suitable for the industrial production either.
As a preparation method for other metal composite oxides, a citric acid method for an yttrium-alkaline earth metal-transition metal composite oxide, a bismuth-alkaline earth metal-transition metal composite oxide, a lanthanum-strontium-cobalt composite oxide or a lanthanum-cobalt-iron composite oxide, is disclosed in e.g. JP-B-7-96443, JP-3081212, JP-A-9-086928 or JP-A-08-130018, as proposed by the present inventors. However, each obtained oxide has low electrical conductivity in a low temperature range of from 600° C. to 800° C., and it is not suitable for a material for a solid oxide fuel cell of lower temperature operation type.
A solid oxide ceramics for a fuel cell is required to be a solid oxide of lower temperature operation type having particularly little heterogeneous phases of impurities. Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a composite oxide for a high performance solid oxide fuel cell of lower temperature operation type, which can be fired at a relatively low temperature, and which has little heterogeneous phases of impurities other than the desired composition, and an industrially advantageous process for its production.

Composite oxide for solid oxide fuel cell and method for preparation thereof


A conjugated diene rubber gel comprising 80–99 weight % of conjugated diene monomer units and 20–1 weight % of aromatic vinyl monomer units and having a swelling index of 16 to 70 as measured in toluene. A rubber vulcanizate made from a rubber composition comprising this conjugated diene rubber gel and a rubber capable of being crosslinked with sulfur exhibits good abrasion resistance and low heat-build up without deterioration of mechanical properties, and thus, is suitable for tire materials. This conjugated diene rubber gel can be produced with high efficiency by emulsion-polymerization of a monomer mixture comprising 50–99.9 weight % of a conjugated diene monomer, 0–30 weight % of an aromatic vinyl monomer, 0–20 weight % of a crosslinking monomer.

In recent years, improvement of various properties is required for a rubber composition used for an automobile tire. Especially, improvement of mechanical properties, abrasion resistance and appropriately reduced rolling resistance (i.e., low heat-build up) is required for a rubber composition used for sidewall and bead of an automobile tire.
Natural rubber is consumed in a large amount for an automobile tire. In many cases, other rubbers are blended with natural rubber for improving various properties of natural rubber. In one example, a polybutadiene rubber is blended for improving the abrasion resistance, and, in another example, a styrene-butadiene copolymer rubber is blended for improving the mechanical properties. However, there is a basic contradiction between properties required for a tire rubber, and thus, all of the properties required for an automobile tire are difficult to satisfy concurrently. For example, enhancement of abrasion resistance is accompanied by mechanical properties, and enhancement of mechanical properties is accompanied by increase of heat-build up.
In view of miscibility of a rubber raw material with a reinforcing agent or other additives, it is usually desired that a rubber raw material does not have a gel structure. However, a rubber gel having a gel structure has been proposed for giving a rubber having low heat-build up and high abrasion resistance. For example, a rubber composition comprising a polychloroprene gel was proposed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (hereinafter abbreviated to "JP-A") No. H3-37246. This rubber composition gives a rubber exhibiting satisfactory low heat-build up and high abrasion resistance, but, as the polychloroprene gel contains chlorine, it causes a problem of damaging the environment when scrap tires are incinerated, which makes it's practical use difficult.
Further, as for a conjugated diene rubber, a rubber composition comprising a polybutadiene gel, and a rubber composition comprising a styrene-butadiene copolymer rubber gel were proposed in JP-A H6-57038 and JP-A H10-204217, respectively. These rubber compositions give rubbers having satisfactory low heat-build up, but the resulting rubbers occasionally exhibit poor abrasion resistance, reduced breaking elongation and poor mechanical properties.
An emulsion polymerization procedure is widely employed for the production of a conjugated diene rubber. In the production process by an emulsion polymerization procedure, a latex prepared by emulsion polymerization in a manner such that a desired polymer composition is obtained is coagulated with an inorganic salt as a coagulant to form crumbs having a size of about 2 to 10 mm, water is separated therefrom, and the crumbs are washed and then dried to give an object rubber. However, for example, in the case where a butadiene-styrene copolymer rubber having a high, e.g. about 35 to 50% by weight of, bound styrene content is produced by an emulsion polymerization procedure, a latex as obtained by emulsion polymerization exhibits a poor coagulability, and therefore, there is a tendency such that the latex is partly non-coagulated and the thus-formed sticky crumbs are bonded together to form unusually large crumbs. Such large crumbs have a problem such that water tends to remain inside of each crumb and thus, a substantially long period is required for drying and partial drying failure occurs to form a wet spot. Further, the sticky crumbs are liable to be deposited on an inner wall of a coagulating vessel or on stirrer vanes.
To solve the above-mentioned problems caused by the sticky crumbs, procedures for appropriately adjusting the concentration of an inorganic salt coagulant, the solid content in the latex, the coagulation temperature and the stirring conditions, or for using a polymeric flocculant or a heat-sensitive coagulant in addition to the inorganic salt coagulant. However, the above-mentioned problems are difficult or even impossible to completely solve by these procedures.

Conjugated diene rubber gel, rubber compositions containing the same and process for production of conjugated diene rubber


A recliner has a frame having a pair of longitudinally extending and transversely spaced side beams having confronting inner faces and head and foot ends, a middle cushion on the frame between the ends thereof, a head cushion on the frame at the head ends, and a foot cushion on the frame at the foot ends. Respective head and foot hinges couple the middle cushion to the head and foot cushions for relative pivoting about respective transverse axes. A pair of transversely spaced followers on the middle cushion ride on respective longitudinally extending nonstraight guides on the side-beam inner faces. Supports, e.g. rollers, on the foot end of the frame slidably support the foot cushion thereon. Two rigid arms each have one end pivoted on a respective one of the side-beam head ends and an opposite end pivoted on the head cushion.

A recliner typically comprises a generally horizontal frame on which are set a head cushion, a middle cushion, and a foot cushion. Mechanism allows the cushions to be shifted between a sitting position with the head cushion basically upright and the other two cushions flat, a tv-watching position with the head cushion raised and the two other cushions tipped to raise the user's knees, and a down or sleeping position with all the cushions basically horizontal.
The mechanisms that allow such recliners to move between and hold in their various positions are typically fairly complex. They are expensive to manufacture and assemble, and often provide locations where users can get pinched. In addition the mechanisms can fail or wear out.

Stanzwerk Wetter Sichelschmidt GmbH & Co. KG