An image processing apparatus for processing an image signal, including: an operation processing section performing an operation according to a detected value of the image signal; a latch signal generation section for generating a plurality of latch signals, which indicate a timing of processing for the operation processing section and are based on a plurality of different picture rates applied to the image signal; a latch signal selection section selecting one of the plurality of latch signals inputted from the latch signal generation section and outputting the selected latch signal to the operation processing section; and a latch signal selection indication section indicating to the latch signal selection section a latch signal to be selected from the plurality of latch signals.

The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus for processing an image signal, an image capture apparatus including the image processing apparatus, and an image processing method, and more particularly to an image processing apparatus, an image capture apparatus, and an image processing method capable of processing image signals having a plurality of different picture rates.
In recent years, as a competition in the development of image capture apparatuses represented by digital still cameras becomes more severe, consumer image capture apparatuses are required to be higher and higher in image quality, circuit integration and function. Accordingly, special functions thus far restricted to professional use starts spreading among consumer apparatuses. A high-speed image capture function which performs image capture at a picture rate higher than a normal image capture rate is one representative example of the special functions. If the high-speed image capture function is to be realized, the speed of internal operation of such an image capture apparatus needs be increased.
There is a related art image capture apparatus which is constructed to realize high-speed image capture by using an external recording device, such as an external memory or a hard disk drive, connected to the apparatus (refer to, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication Number hei9-186964 (Paragraph Numbers [0004] to [0005] and FIG. 1)). There is also a related art image capture apparatus which is constructed to increase the throughput per unit time of image data and realize high-speed image capture by adopting a circuit structure for processing data from a sensor in parallel (refer to, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication Number hei8-251492 (Paragraph Numbers [0027] to [0036] and FIG. 1)).


A substance, particularly a cleaning substance, is to be introduced into a conching machine. This is done either by spraying the substance into the conching trough and/or by circulating a cleaning substance into and out of the conching trough so that a substantially homogenous distribution of the substance is achieved and/or a minimum amount of the cleaning substance is necessary.

In conching machines, whenever a chocolate mass or its recipe is changed, the conching machine has to be cleaned. In general, having finished a conching operation, the final chocolate, coating or the like is pumped off by means of a chocolate pump. After this, residues of the chocolate mass will remain at the inner wall surface of the conching machine and will adhere on the tools which, in general, are scraper, shearing and/or mixing tools. After pumping the finished chocolate mass off or permitting it to flow off, for example, within a conching machine of 6 ton volume about 25 kg of mass will remain in it and have to be removed. This is, because this fact proves to be interfering with changing the type of chocolate mass, particularly when switching over from a dark mass to a light-colored mass. In such cases, undesirable "blends" may occur, and colors may be carried over.
Heretofore, in order to clean the conching trough, an "intermediate mass" has been processed, thus performing rough cleaning. Subsequently, this "intermediate mass" was removed, and the conching trough was filled up with cocoa butter which was used for fine cleaning the trough.
Introduction of cocoa butter and of other substantially liquid substances, however, occurs also when conching a chocolate composition where an exact proportion of such a substance has to be added and homogenized within the mass which has already undergone a first or even a second conching step.
Usually, when fine cleaning a conching machine, the cocoa butter is emptied after running the conching shaft for a while. This procedure is both expensive with respect to energy consumption and requires also a large amount of cocoa butter which is expensive itself. It takes much time, and large amounts of "intermediate mass" will accrue and will have to be recycled in an appropriate manner. Alternatively, conching machines, i.e. the trough walls of them, are cleaned in a mechanical way, but expenditures are quite high.
For example, EP-A-0 526 771 discloses a conching machine whose covering lid is cleaned by means of scrapers. Such an arrangement is, however, not suitable for cleaning the inner wall surfaces of the conching trough.

Method and conching machine for introducing a substance into it


An email synchronization method includes obtaining, by a mobile terminal, current network signal quality of the mobile terminal after obtaining an email synchronization instruction, and canceling, by the mobile terminal, execution of a synchronization operation when the network signal quality is less than a first preset threshold.

With the continuous development of communications technologies, Email (Electronic Mail, E-mail) has become an important means for people to communicate in daily life. Email is a communication mode in which information exchange is provided by using an electronic means. A user can communicate with another user quite fast at quite low costs by using an email system.
A synchronization operation such as email check, calendar information synchronization, or contact information synchronization is a relatively important operation in an email use process. In the prior art, the synchronization operation may be performed according to a specific synchronization period, where the synchronization period may be set by default, or may be set by a user. For example, if the user sets an email check period to 15 minutes, a terminal on which Email is installed starts, from a current moment, to receive an email based on the period of 15 minutes. The synchronization operation may alternatively be performed after being triggered by the user.


Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods for transmitting to a display communicatively coupled to a second device electronic ink input data received from a first device. Specifically, embodiments disclosed herein provide translating electronic ink input data based upon one or more output parameters associated with a display. Once the electronic ink input data is translated, electronic ink output data is generated. In certain embodiments, a stream of the electronic ink output data is transmitted to the display.

Modern presentation methods and systems rely heavily upon interactive tools for interacting with information within a presentation. Such interactive tools may be utilized with presentation software, word processing software, and other applications used to present information. Traditionally, the use of an application program in a social setting such as a classroom, lecture, conference or other shared activity involves the transmission of the application program running on a computer to a display, such as an external monitor or projector. With the advent of various wired and wireless protocols and standards, including but not limited to the Bluetooth and IEEE 802.11 standards, connections between various devices make possible a level of interaction beyond the use of interactive tools such as the laser pointer or mouse cursor that are typically used for interacting with information within a presentation.
It is with respect to these and other general considerations that embodiments have been made. Also, although relatively specific problems have been discussed, it should be understood that the embodiments should not be limited to solving the specific problems identified in the background.

Methods and systems for electronic ink projection


A Herpes simplex virus (HSV) recombinase comprises a purified or isolated alkaline nuclease and a single stranded DNA binding protein. In HSV-1, the alkaline nuclease is the UL12 protein and the single stranded DNA binding protein is the ICP8 protein. The HSV recombinase can be purified from an in vitro expression system or can be expressed in an appropriate vector or vectors wherein the DNAs encoding the polypeptides are operatively linked to expression control sequences. Methods of use of the HSV recombinase include cloning, treating cells and organisms, and producing transgenic animals. The HSV recombinase can be in the form of a kit useful for cloning.

The present disclosure relates to recombinases and methods of using homologous recombination.
In the past several years, the genome project has provided knowledge that was once thought to be nearly impossible to obtain. Thanks to this endeavor, we now have a window into the very code of life. One of the original promises of this work was that having the actual sequences of the human genome would enable the detection of differences in those sequences that lead to disease or malfunction, and may eventually lead to correction of such defects. However, because the genomes of higher organisms are both complex and large, their manipulation is not a simple matter.
While techniques such as cloning site-specific mutations using DNA restriction enzymes have been successful for manipulating DNA fragments, such techniques are not well-suited for manipulation of large DNA fragments, i.e., fragments the size of mammalian genes. One method that has been used to manipulate large DNA fragments is recombination, particularly site-specific recombination. Recombination is the exchange of DNA segments along two different strands of DNA. In site-specific recombination, DNA strand exchange occurs at a specific site, for example, as in the integration of phage lambda into the E. coli chromosome and the excision of lambda DNA from it. Site-specific recombination involves specific sequences of both the donor and target DNA segments. In the Cre-loxP and FLP-FRT systems, for example, recombination involves short (i.e., less than about 50 base pairs), inverted repeat sequences. Within these sequences, the homology between the DNA sequences is necessary for the recombination event, but not sufficient for it. Site-specific recombination requires enzymes or multi-enzyme complexes, often called recombinases. In site-specific recombination, recombinases generally cannot recombine other pairs of homologous (or nonhomologous) sequences, but act specifically on particular DNA sequences. Site-specific recombination has been proposed as one method to integrate transfected DNA at chromosomal locations having specific recognition sites. Because this approach requires the presence of specific target DNA sequence and recombinase combinations, its utility for targeting recombination events at a particular chromosomal location is limited.
Homologous recombination (or general recombination), in contrast, is defined as the exchange of homologous segments anywhere along a length of two DNA molecules. A feature of homologous recombination is that a recombinase active for homologous recombination can often use any pair of homologous sequences as substrates, although some types of sequence may be somewhat favored over others.
Several recombinases that catalyze homologous pairing and/or strand exchange in vitro have been purified and at least partially characterized, including: E. coli recA protein, the phage T4 uvsX protein, and the red protein from Ustilago maydis. Recombinases, such as the recA protein of E. coli, are proteins that promote strand pairing and exchange in such important cellular processes as the SOS repair response, DNA repair, and efficient genetic recombination in E. coli. RecA can catalyze homologous pairing of a linear duplex DNA and a homologous single strand DNA in vitro.
One drawback to the use of previously characterized recombinases such as recA is that these proteins are from prokaryotes and simple eukaryotes, and may not be applicable to recombination in higher eukaryotes such as mammals. There thus remains a need for compositions and methods for gene manipulation using homologous recombination that are suitable for use in mammalian hosts.

Viral recombinases, related articles, and methods of use thereof


In one aspect of the present invention, a light sensor is provided in the active pixel sensor cell for sensing incident radiation. The voltage corresponding to the photon-generated or other radiation-generated charge in the active pixel sensor cell is stored on a storage node via a sample-and-hold capacitor. Additional elements, such as source-follower transistors, may reside between the sensing element and the sample-and-hold capacitor. The signal is read via a readout source-follower (RSF) transistor. The readout source-follower drain is connected to the row select switch while its drain is connected to the output node on the column output bus. This configuration couples the storage node to the gate-source capacitance of the readout source-follower transistor. This allows the voltage on the storage node to increase proportionally to the increase in voltage on the readout node when the row select is closed and thus enables the drain current to flow through the RSF to the column output bus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor devices and, in particular, to complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors.
2. Related Art
Thanks to the latest advances in technology, CMOS imagers have been used in various applications and have not been limited any more to consumer low-end applications only.
A typical CMOS imager comprises of a focal plane array of pixel cells, each one of the pixels further comprising a light detection component such as a photodiode, a photogate or a photoconductor. The pixel also has a readout circuit that is connected to its light detection node and may also include a sample-and-hold circuit for electronic shutter control either before or after the readout circuit. The CMOS imager pixel cell may include at least one transistor for transferring charge from the charge accumulation region of the substrate to the light detection node that can be a floating diffusion node and also has a transistor for resetting the light detection node to a predetermined charge level prior to charge transfer.
A widely-used Active Pixel Sensor (APS) is the 4-Transistor (4T) design which comprises of a photodiode that is typically reversed-biased, a sample-and-hold (SH) transistor which provides snap shot control connected to the light detection node, a reset transistor, a source-follower (SF) transistor which has a gate acting as signal storage for the sample-and-hold transistor SH and as the signal buffer amp, and a select transistor that connects the pixel to the column bus and allows the signal transfer from the pixel to the column amplifier. An APS is depicted in FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 depicts the widely used prior art Active Pixel Sensor of 4T (4 Transistors) design typically (but not always) realized with N-Type transistors. A CMOS imager comprises of array of pixels 100, one of which is shown here. The pixel 100 includes a reversed-biased photodiode 101 overlying a doped region of a substrate for accumulating photo-generated charge during the integration period. The photodiode 101 is reset to a predefined charge level prior to integration via a reset switch, such as a transistor 102 which is controlled by a reset clock signal 110 at its gate. A sample-and-hold transfer switch, such as a transistor 103, provides means of transferring the charge from the collection region and providing a corresponding voltage level on the gate of a source-follower transistor 104. A select transistor 105, which is controlled by a select clock 108 signal, outputs the signal corresponding to the photon-generated charge on to a column bus 107.
The reset transistor 102 resets the photodiode to a high level based on a process positive supply voltage VDD 106 that is connected to its drain and the reset clock 110 positive voltage that is usually limited to the fabrication process positive voltage VDD. Hence in this example, after the photodiode is reset to a level that is below VDD based on the threshold voltage, it will integrate down during the integration period. The voltage drifts with temperature changes, and thus the amount of loss in the dynamic range available for the photodiode integration drifts as well.
The source-follower 104 as explained previously receives on its gate the voltage level corresponding to the signal, while its drain is connected to VDD 106. Its threshold also drifts with temperature changes and thus the amount of loss in the dynamic range of the source-follower 104 also drifts.
It can be seen that for the pixel 100, the linear voltage range is limited to output voltage VOUT as follows:VOUT=VDD—Voltage threshold of reset transistor 102—Voltage threshold of source follower transistor 104—Saturation Voltage (drain-to-source voltage) of select transistor 105.For a typical 3.3V CMOS process, this range may be as low as 1 Volt.
The pixel 100 suffers from a condition known as "image lag", where an incomplete charge transfer occurs through the sample-and-hold transistor 103 due to imperfect sampling of the signal. This results in non-linear operation of the sensor, especially at low signal levels, and increased noise.
The pixel 100 further suffers from reduced gain, because the integrated charge is divided between an integration node 111 and the gate of the source-follower transistor 104, thus reducing the sensitivity of the imager.
In addition, pixel 100 suffers from increased noise and non-linearity due to un-cleared output voltage of previous integration prior to transferring voltage representing the newly integrated charge (also referred to as "image ghost"). The result of the various losses described here is a drifting reduction in the total dynamic range of the output signal that can not be recovered off chip.
Furthermore, the pixel 100 suffers from decreased dynamic range due to clipping of the signal high range or the signal low range depending on the polarity of the photo-diode and the circuitry. The signal clipping is caused by the threshold voltage drop and temperature dependent drift of the various transistors.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have an active pixel sensor or circuit for use in CMOS imagers without the disadvantages of conventional circuits discussed above.

CMOS imager with wide dynamic range pixel


A method for producing a semiconductor chip with an adhesive film, which includes: preparing a laminate in which a semiconductor wafer, an adhesive film and a dicing tape are laminated in that order, the adhesive film having a thickness in the range of 1 to 15 μm and a tensile elongation at break of less than 5%, and the tensile elongation at break being less than 110% of the elongation at a maximum load, and the semiconductor wafer having a section, for dividing the semiconductor wafer into a plurality of semiconductor chips, which is formed by irradiating with laser light; dividing the semiconductor wafer into a plurality of semiconductor chips without dividing the adhesive film, by expanding the dicing tape; and dividing the adhesive film by picking up the plurality of semiconductor chips.

Heretofore, silver paste has been mainly used for bonding a semiconductor chip and a semiconductor chip mounting support member. However, with the downsizing and high performance of semiconductor chips and the downsizing and miniaturization of support members used, some problems have arisen with the method using silver paste, such as the occurrence of failures in wire bonding caused by the extrusion of paste or inclined semiconductor chips, the difficulty in controlling the film thickness of adhesive layers and the generation of voids in adhesive layers. Also, in the field of mobile devices where further miniaturization and a higher density are required, semiconductor devices in which a plurality of semiconductor chips are laminated have been developed and mass-produced, and the above problems tend to become apparent particularly when such semiconductor devices are produced. For the above reasons, film adhesives (hereinafter referred to as an adhesive film for a semiconductor) have been recently used instead of silver paste.
Examples of methods of producing a semiconductor device using an adhesive film for a semiconductor include: (1) a piece lamination process in which an adhesive film for a semiconductor which has been cut in any size is laminated on a semiconductor chip mounting support member such as a wiring board or a semiconductor chip, and a semiconductor chip is bonded thereto by thermocompression bonding; and (2) a wafer back-side lamination process, in which an adhesive film for a semiconductor is laminated on the back side of a semiconductor wafer and the resultant is cut into pieces with a rotary blade to prepare a semiconductor chip with an adhesive film, and the chip is bonded to a semiconductor chip mounting support member or a semiconductor chip by thermocompression bonding. Recently, to simplify the production process of semiconductor devices, the wafer back-side lamination process described in the above (2) has become the mainstream.
In the wafer back-side lamination process, it has been common to cut a semiconductor wafer on which an adhesive film for a semiconductor is laminated with a rotary blade as described above. However, cutting a semiconductor wafer and an adhesive film simultaneously by a general dicing method using a rotary blade has had the problem of the occurrence of cracks (chip cracks) at the edge of the semiconductor chip after cutting or the occurrence of much flash due to the rough section of the adhesive film. The presence of such chip cracks and flash makes it easier for semiconductor chips to be broken when they are picked up. In particular, picking up semiconductor chips cut from a thinned semiconductor wafer without cracks becomes difficult.
So recently a method called stealth dicing, in which a reformed section is selectively formed in a semiconductor wafer by irradiating the semiconductor wafer with laser light and the semiconductor wafer is cut along the reformed section has been proposed as a method for dicing a semiconductor wafer (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). In this method, the semiconductor wafer in which a reformed section has been formed is attached to a dicing tape, and the semiconductor wafer is divided into a plurality of semiconductor chips along the reformed section by applying stress to the semiconductor wafer by expanding the dicing tape.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-192370    Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-338467

Method for producing semiconductor chip with adhesive film, adhesive film for semiconductor used in the method, and method for producing semiconductor device


A conventional vehicular charging port (or inlet) is geometrically different from a power supply plug of general electrical equipment, and the power supply plug cannot directly be connected to the inlet. The present invention provides an adapter (800) including a first connection portion (801) that corresponds in geometry to an inlet (270) and a second connection portion (805) that corresponds in geometry to a power supply plug of electrical equipment (700) external to a vehicle. Furthermore, the adapter (800) includes a second control device (850) capable of outputting a signal to a first control device (170) of the vehicle. When the first connection portion (801) is connected to the inlet (270), the second control device (850) outputs a power supply instruction signal, which is indicative of an instruction to supply electric power, to the first control device (170) to cause the first control device (170) to control a power conversion device (160) of the vehicle to supply electric power from the power conversion device (160) to the electrical equipment (700). Thus the power supply plug of the electrical equipment (700) can be connected to the vehicle to supply electric power from the vehicle to the electrical equipment (700).

In recent years, a vehicle that has a power storage device (such as a rechargeable battery or a capacitor) incorporated therein and travels with driving force generated from electric power stored in the power storage device is attracting attention as an environmentally friendly vehicle. Such a vehicle includes, for example, an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, and the like. A technique has been proposed for charging the power storage device that is mounted on such a vehicle from an efficiently power generating, commercial power supply.
As well as an electric vehicle, there is also a hybrid vehicle known as a vehicle that allows a power supply external to the vehicle (hereinafter also simply referred to as an "external power supply") to be used to charge a power storage device mounted thereon (hereinafter also simply referred to as "external charging"). For example, a so called "plug-in hybrid vehicle" is known that allows a power storage device to be charged by a power supply in a general household by connecting a power outlet of a house and a charging port of the vehicle via a charging cable. It can thus be expected that a hybrid vehicle achieves more efficient fuel consumption.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2010-165596 (PTD 1) discloses a technique helping to insert a connector of a charging connector into a charging port (hereinafter also referred to as an "inlet") of an externally chargeable vehicle as described above.

Adapter and vehicle equipped therewith, and method for controlling the vehicle


A hat brim for attaching to a sports cap and the like having a semiflexible, formable stiffener, enclosed in a covering. The stiffener including a central opening and collar having slots for threadably passing the adjustable headband of a sports cap. The covering provided with a pocket for receiving the bill portion of a sports cap thereby converting the sports cap to a wide brim hat.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to head wear and more particular to the adaptation of a wide brim to a sports cap.
2. General Background
Sports caps are generally constructed with a soft head covering portion and semiflexible bill extending outwardly from the wearer's brow to shield the wearer from bright light on the eyes. Such caps usually have some means of headband adjustment to allow for snug fit. Sports caps often reflect the sport or endeavor the wearer participates in, is associated with or favors, by its colors or embroidered emblems emblazoned on the cap. Most wearers have a number of such caps which they favor highly and wear to meet specific occasions. Such caps, while being very efficient in their intended purpose, were not intended to protect the wearer from sunburn about the ears and neck area or allow for air circulation around the neck and head. Therefore, wide brim hats are preferred for such purposes. However, wide brim hats are generally more expensive, bulky, have a tendency to lose their shape and do not, as a rule, represent the often wide interests of the wearer. A great many sports caps have been disclosed which provide a shield attached to the rear portion of a sports cap for covering the wearer's neck as is demonstrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,121,507, 5,448,778, and design patents 340,796 and 337,645. Such cap attachments block the sun but also block any breezes as well, thereby increasing head temperature.
Ideally the wearer needs flexibility to convert a special interest cap to a wide brim hat at will and as the situation requires. For example, a cap can be worn to an event and then converted to a wide brim hat when the wearer is subjected to bright sun light and then removed when in more shaded conditions. An attempt has been made to provide a cap which is convertible to a wide brim hat as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,548,846. However, this disclosure does not provide for interchangeability of sports caps with a wide brim and requires the wide brim to be folded and concealed within the cap, thereby making the cap hot and heavy.


In a system including a motherboard and a daughterboard a receptacle is disposed in an insulated housing mounted on the motherboard while a pin is disposed on the daughterboard. The receptacle comprises a socket and an integral threaded shank, the socket portion having an enlarged collar with an abutment surface thereon. The receptacle has a central and axial passage. The collar is larger than the dimension of an opening extending through the motherboard while the shank is sized to pass therethrough and to present the threads to the second surface thereof. A threaded nut engages with the threads on the shank accessible from the second surface of the motherboard. When the nut is threaded onto the shank the receptacle is held mechanically to the motherboard and into electrical connection with a conductive path thereon.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power receptacle, and to the utilization of the same on a daughterboard.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Presently, a wide variety of electronic systems, such as a microprocessor-based computer system, use a packaging arrangement comprised of a motherboard and one or more interconnected daughterboards. The motherboard carries signals into and from the electronic system, along with grounding paths and the system power bus. The daughterboard more typically contains the actual functioning components of the system, such as the microprocessor chip, logic device chips and memory chips. These components are connected together by suitable conductive paths provided on or within the daughterboard. The daughterboard, however, is not itself provided with a conductive path that is connectible to a power source. Power for the daughterboard must be derived from the motherboard.
The usual arrangement for providing power to the components on the daughterboard employs a power pin that is mounted to the motherboard. The pin is electrically connected with the power bus. The power pin projects from the motherboard and is accepted into a power receptacle mounted on the daughterboard.
The power receptacle is usually disposed within a generally enclosed, insulating housing, or header, that is secured to the daughterboard. However, the power pin extends from the motherboard in an open, i.e., electrically unprotected, fashion. Thus the power pin is exposed to a relatively high risk of making shorting contact with another member. It also can be appreciated that the exposed power pin, when electrically "live" (i.e., when connected to an electrically conducting power bus) poses a serious safety hazard for an operator.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,763 (Weber et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,386 (Martens) each disclose a connector assembly for interconnecting a motherboard to a daughterboard.
In view of the foregoing it is believed advantageous to provide a packaging arrangement for an electronic system wherein the risk of short circuit or safety hazards posed by unprotected electrically "live" power pins is reduced.


The invention provides, in one aspect, peptides and a complex comprising one of the peptides and a cargo molecule, wherein the peptide and the cargo molecule are coupled by non-covalently. The peptides of the invention were found to facilitate the delivery of siRNA molecules into cells and to function in siRNA mediated silencing of cellular targets.

Over the past decade, we have witnessed tremendous progress in our understanding of the role of RNA molecules in the regulation of gene expression. The main contribution to this progress was offered by the discovery of RNA interference (RNAi). First identified in C. elegans by Fire and Mello [Fire, et al. 1998], RNAi is an evolutionary conserved mechanism that brings about a sequence specific, post transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) through the use of short RNAs. The basic idea behind RNAi is that a short RNA duplex of 21-23 nucleotides, termed short interfering RNA or siRNA, complementary to a segment of the mRNA, can be exogenously synthesized and introduced into the cell. This triggers a process which finally degrades the homologous mRNA and inhibits the production of the corresponding protein. Several types of short RNAs, including short interfering RNA (siRNA), micro RNA (miRNA), tiny non-coding RNA (tncRNA), and short hairpin RNA (shRNA), may be involved in RNAi process [Novina, et al. 2004, Paddison, et al. 2008, Engelke, et al. 2005].
The major limitations for the use of siRNA both in vitro and in vivo are the instability of naked siRNA in physiological conditions, rapid clearance from the bloodstream, and the inability to cross the cellular membrane to gain access to the intracellular environment. Because of their small size and hydrophilicity, a significant portion of administrated naked siRNAs are excreted through the reticuloendothelial system (RES) [Moghimi, et al. 1999]. It was also reported that highly charged particles can be recognized by the RES more rapidly than neutral or slightly charged particles [Benoit, et al. 2006, Mahato. 2005]. Furthermore, nucleic acid (NA)-based drugs are subjected to enzymatic degradation during circulation and within the cell, resulting in insufficient drug potency at the target site. Chemical modifications in the sugars, nucleobases, and the phosphate ester backbone of siRNA have been applied to improve its nuclease resistance without interfering with the silencing efficiency [Manoharan 2004, Verma, et al. 2003, Zhang, et al. 2006]. Conjugation with hydrophobic functional groups has also enhanced the cellular uptake [Oliviera et al., 2006].
In comparison with chemical modifications of NAs, which is time-consuming and costly, carrier-mediated strategies are emerging as a simple and fast means to formulate NA therapeutics and protect them from degradation. The carriers, including viral vectors, lipids, polymers, and peptides, co-assembled or covalently conjugated with siRNA, are designed to enhance cell targeting, prolong drug circulation time, and improve membrane permeation.
Because of their diversity and versatility in design, through the use of amino acids with different physicochemical properties, peptides have been employed to deliver synthetic drugs, small molecules, bioactive peptides, therapeutic proteins, and NAs by a mechanism that has not yet been fully understood. These peptides may include protein-derived cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) [Langel 2007], cationic peptides [Benoit, et al. 2006], designed amphiphilic peptides [Oehlke, et al. 1998], fusogenic peptides [Mok, et al. 2008], cell targeting peptides (CTP) [vives 2005], and peptides containing a nuclear localization signal [Cartier, et al. 2002]. Cationic peptides rich in basic amino acids can electrostatically interact with small NAs or condense NA into small stable particles. CPPs can facilitate the translocation of the complex through the cell membrane. Histidine-rich pH-sensitive or fusogenic peptides can enhance the endosomal escape and cytoplasmic release of the gene complex. Involvement of CTPs in gene delivery systems mediates cell and/or tissue-specific targeting. Finally, attachment of a NLS peptide improves nuclear localization of the gene complex.
Among CPPs, only few have shown high transfection efficiency with low cytotoxicity and immunogenicity. Tat and Penetratin are the most widely investigated peptides among protein-derived peptides. Trans-activating transcriptional activator (Tat) from Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 (HIV-1), discovered by Frankel and Pabo in 1988, can be efficiently taken up by several cell types in culture [Jervert, et al. 2007].
Specific cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) identified as effective carriers for NAs have been described, see e.g. International patent applications publication nos. WO2007/076904 to Brock et al. and WO2007/069090 to Divita et al., although not all describe the transport of siRNA, see e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 7,163,695 to Mixson and U.S. Pat. No. 7,112,442 to Rice et al.
In many of these carrier-mediated delivery systems the NA is covalently linked to a carrier peptide of a specific sequence, see e.g. International patent application publication no. WO2008/063113 to Langel et al. and United States patent application publication no. US2005/0260756 to Troy et al. Specific peptides have been linked to NA via chemical linkers, see e.g. WO2008/033285 to Troy et al and WO2007/069068 to Alluis et al. U.S. Pat. No. 7,420,031 to Karas reports a peptide capable of delivering NAs to an intracellular compartment of a cell; the peptide-cargo moiety complex is formed by a chemical cross-linking or bridging method. U.S. Pat. No. 7,306,784 to Piwinica-Worms describes use of cell membrane-permeant peptide conjugate coordination and covalent complexes having target cell specificity.
United States patent application publication no. US2008/0234183 to Hallbrink et al. describes methods for predicting, designing, detecting and verifying CPPs. The CPP-cargo complexes of Hallbrink et al. involve a covalent linkage between the CPP and cargo molecule.
International patent application publication no. WO2010/039088 to Kariem et al. describes the use of some stearylated linear or branched CPPs, in particular Transportan and Penetratin, in NA delivery.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,800,481 to Holmes et al. describes the self-assembly of amphiphilic peptides, i.e., peptides with alternating hydrophobic and hydrophilic residues, into macroscopic membranes.
International patent application publication no. WO2003/106491 to Langel et al. describes methods for predicting, designing, detecting, and verifying CPPs and their use for improved cellular uptake of a cellular effector coupled to the CPP.

Peptide sequence design and use thereof for peptide-mediated siRNA delivery


A video receiver includes a tuner, a QAM demodulator including a selective gated PLL carrier recovery circuit, and a digital equalizer. The selective gated PLL carrier recovery circuit has a normal operation mode and a selection control mode. The channel changing of the tuner is performed after the selective gated PLL carrier recovery circuit is set to the selection control mode and the digital equalizer is held at its current state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital video system, and more particularly to a video receiving system that selects a desired channel from a plurality of channels and reproduces a digital video signal from a digital modulation signal of the selected channel.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an interactive television system (ITV) providing interactive services such as video-on-demand (which will be referred to as VOD hereinbelow), there has been recently developed a system in which a compressed video signal that is modulated according to a quadrature amplitude modulation scheme or the like is transmitted to a set-top box (STB) or a digital video selective-reproduction apparatus where the original video signal is demodulated and reproduced. In such a digital transmission system, a digital transversal equalizer employing a transversal filter is used in order to equalize amplitude delay distortion occurring in a transmission path, an up-converter, a tuner and others.
In such a set-top box, a tuner selects a desired carrier from a frequency-multiplexed input signal, and a digital modulation signal of the selected channel is demodulated by a QAM (or QPSK) demodulator. After being subjected to waveform equalization by the digital equalizer and to error correction, the demodulated signal is reproduced into a video signal by a digital signal processor which is output to a monitor. In general, channel selection of the tuner is performed by a user operating a remote control transmitter or an external switch so that the tuner receives a channel selection signal.
The digital modulation signals are usually frequency-multiplexed in several tens of frequency channels in steps of 6 MHz or 12 MHz, and the user performs a channel changing operation to select any desired channel among these channels. When changing the channel, however, a receiving frequency of the tuner is changed, resulting in a temporary input interrupt of the QAM demodulator. Control of the digital equalizer and a carrier recovery circuit of the QAM demodulator thus enters a divergent state, thereby requiring a relatively long time from input of a new channel signal to control convergence. Therefore the conventional receiver cannot achieve rapid channel changing.


An optocoupler circuit arrangement includes an isolated power source for producing a bipolar test signal, an analog multiplexer switching matrix coupled to the isolated power source for receiving and distributing the test signal, control logic for controlling the analog multiplexer switching matrix, and a plurality of optocouplers, each having a respective electrically isolated output circuit and an input circuit for receiving input signals from an external source. The optocoupler input circuits are coupled to the analog multiplexer switching matrix to receive respective test signals therefrom under control of the control logic. Blocking circuitry is provided at the optocoupler input for isolating the test signals from the external source.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the fields of optocoupler electrical isolation and self-testing, and in particular, to a method and arrangement for optocoupler self-testing.
2. Background Information
In many applications, such as in medical or process control equipment, electrical isolation is required for all I/O (Input/Output) signals to and from associated processing equipment. Commonly optocoupler devices are used to achieve the desired electrical isolation levels in these applications.
An optocoupler typically consists of a gallium arsenide infrared emitting diode optically coupled with a silicon phototransistor in a dual in-line package. Such devices may typically have a value on the order of 2500 volts per minute of isolation between input and output pins.
An issue that often arises with optocoupler circuitry is testability. Conventionally, these devices cannot be functionally tested on-line without violating the electrical isolation barrier, a significant drawback adversely affecting circuit reliability and/or compromising isolation requirements.

Optocoupler built-in self test for applications requiring isolation


In the installation of a superconducting magnet for magnetic resonance imaging at a preselected position in a mobile van, preselected curvilinear magnetic segments are applied to preselected locations on the exterior of the magnet to counteract magnet inhomogeneities in the imaging bore which would otherwise occur because of magnetic material in the van structure.

This invention relates to a superconducting magnet assembly for a magnetic resonance imaging system (hereinafter called "MRI"), and more particularly to compensation for magnetic interference from mobile vans or vehicles in which the system is transported.
As is well known, a superconducting magnet can be made superconducting by placing it in an extremely cold environment, such as by enclosing it in a cryostat or pressure vessel containing liquid helium or other cryogen. The extreme cold ensures that the magnet coils are superconducting, such that when a power source is initially connected to the coil for a short period, current will continue to flow through the coils even after power is removed due to the absence of electrical resistance, thereby maintaining a strong magnetic field. Superconducting magnets find wide application in the field of MRI.
In a typical MRI magnet, the main superconducting magnet coils are enclosed in a cylindrical pressure vessel, contained within an evacuated vessel and forming an imaging bore along the axis. The main magnet coils develop a strong magnetic field in the imaging bore.
However, it is necessary for quality imaging to provide and maintain a highly homogeneous magnetic field in the imaging region. This has proven to provide problems for superconducting magnets which are suitable for, and used in, a variety of types of mobile vans in addition to more conventional fixed diagnostic clinics or hospital installations.
The magnetic field homogeneity in a mobile superconducting magnet is affected by the magnetic materials, such as carbon steel or other magnetic materials, around or in the vicinity of the magnets. Since a mobile van can have carbon steel in the floor, walls and roof, the magnetic field homogeneity of a MRI magnet will be distorted when it is installed in a mobile van. This magnetic field distortion is usually applied to a few inhomogeneity harmonics which are the decomposed components of the magnetic field. This provides difficulties in the magnet shimming processes normally utilized for obtaining a highly homogeneous magnet field, and often for mobile vans requires excessive amounts of magnetic passive shimming materials to be installed in the warm bore of the magnet. This may even result in a magnet that cannot be shimmed by conventional means.
An excessive amount of magnetic shims in the warm bore can cause several problems. Space in the warm bore is very limited preventing the installation of the large number of shims which may be required to provide the required imaging magnetic field homogeneity. Also. the installation of large amounts of shim materials requires a long shimming process, increasing the labor cost. In addition, the material properties of shims can be affected by temperature change and the temperature change in the warm bore is very large due to the activation of the electronics circuits and coils in the bore such that, the large amount of shims required in the bore would result in large magnetic shim property change due to the temperature change.
Still further, it is common for a particular superconducting magnet design or model to be carried by more than one type of mobile vehicle in addition to using the same design in fixed hospital or diagnostic clinic installations. It is highly desirable to be able to readily and effectively utilize the same production design of superconducting magnet in those various but different environments in which the magnetic material around the superconducting magnet varies.

Resonance imager mobile van magnetic field homogeneity shift compensation


A lens barrel comprises a first lens group, a cam tube provided with a cam, a plurality of engagement members arranged to move integrally with the first lens group and engaged with a plurality of cam parts of the cam, and a moving member for moving the cam tube along an optical axis with a rotation of the cam tube, wherein a cam part with which at least one engagement member of the plurality of engagement members is engaged is connected to a cam part with which an engagement member adjacent to the at least one engagement member is engaged.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a lens barrel and an optical apparatus employing the same and, more particularly, to a lens barrel and an optical apparatus which are capable of readily effecting a focusing operation at each predetermined zoom position and which are suitable for use in a portable video or still camera or the like, the entire size of which can be reduced by retracting its zoom lens barrel into its camera body when no photography is performed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various lens barrels provided with zoom functions have heretofore been proposed.
FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the essential portion of the lens barrel proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Hei 5-100144. In the lens barrel shown in FIG. 16, a cam tube 101 is rotatably connected to the inside-diameter portion of a fixed tube 100 by the engagement between helicoid parts, and there is provided a lens barrel block having a zoom motor 102 for causing the cam tube 101 to rotate. The lens barrel block is provided with an external tube 103 which extends from the front of the lens barrel to cover part of the fixed tube 100 at all times. A body 108 is provided with a lens barrel cover 109 which covers part of the external tube 103 at all times.
The cam tube 101 is provided with second lens group cams 101a, 101b and 101c. During zooming, a holder 104 of a second lens group L2 is forced against the second lens group cams 101a, 101b and 101c by the urging force of a spring 107, and rectilinearly travels along the optical axis with respect to a bottom base plate 106 by a key 105.
During this time, with the rotation of the cam tube 101, a first lens group L1 rectilinearly travels by a predetermined number of leads of a female helicoid part 100a of the fixed tube 100, while the second lens group L2 moves with respect to the first lens group L1 by a predetermined lift of each of the second lens group cams 101a, 101b and 101c. Accordingly, the first lens group L1 and the second lens group L2 travel forward while varying the space therebetween. A two-lens-group type of zoom lens is constructed in the above-described manner.
FIG. 17 is a schematic exploded view of the inside face of the cam tube 101 of FIG. 16. As shown in FIG. 17, three cam pins 104a, 104b and 104c provided on the holder 104 of the second lens group L2 respectively correspond to the three cams 110a, 101b and 101 provided on the inside-diameter portion of the cam tube 101.
Accordingly, in the conventional lens barrel shown in FIG. 16, by the three independent cams 101a, 101b and 101c, the relative position between the first and second lens groups L1 and L2 along the optical axis is determined in the area between a telephoto end and a barrel-retracted end at which the lens barrel is retracted into a camera body when no photography is performed.
For this reason, if the second lens group cams 101a, 101b and 101c are to be formed so that each of them can be prevented from interfering with the adjacent cam, it has been necessary to enlarge the diameter of the cam tube 101. Also, the amount of rotation of the cam tube 101 is restricted to the range of each of the formed cams, so that the amount by which the entire lens barrel can travel along the optical axis tends to be reduced.

Zoom lens arrangement including endless cam surface and plurality of cam followers


Provided is a sales system, comprising a sales terminal and a user terminal. The user terminal further comprises a user-side storage unit which pre-stores desired merchandise identification information, and a user-side communication unit which, when the user terminal has entered a communication area wherein communication with the sales terminal is possible, transmits via near-field communication to the sales terminal the desired merchandise identification information which has been pre-stored in the user-side storage unit. The sales terminal further comprises a sales-side storage unit which stores merchandise identification information, which identifies each of a plurality of pieces of merchandise, in association with merchandise location information which indicates the location on a display shelf of each of the plurality of pieces of merchandise, and a sales-side control unit which, on the basis of the desired merchandise identification information, extracts from the sales-side storage unit desired merchandise location information which is the merchandise location information which indicates the location on the display shelf of the desired merchandise.

As a technique of selling products (a general cigarette, for example) over the counter (hereinafter, an over-the-counter sales method), there is known a technique of expressing, by a purchaser, to a shop clerk a product desired (hereinafter, a desired product) from among products disposed on a display cabinet, and retrieving, by the shop clerk, the desired product from the display cabinet.
Further, as a technique of expressing the desired product to a shop side, there is proposed a technology of notifying a sales terminal of the desired product, from a user terminal (an electronic cigarette package, a smartphone or the like having a communication function) carried by the purchaser (Patent Document 1, for example). Moreover, there is also proposed a technology of informing desired product position information indicating a position of the desired product on the display cabinet (Patent Documents 2 to 4, for example).

Sales system, sales terminal, user terminal, and program


A powder for an underlayer of a coating-type magnetic recording medium, which powder comprises flat-acicular iron oxide particles having an average major axis length of 20–200 nm, a short axis cross-section taken perpendicularly to the long axis that has a long width and a short width, and a short axis cross-section ratio defined as the ratio of the long width to the short width that is greater than 1.3 and substantially uniform in the long axis direction, the powder having a specific surface area measured by the BET method of 30–100 m2/g. The underlayer powder preferably contains 0.1–5.0 wt % of P and, optionally, an amount of R(R representing one or more rare earth elements, defined as including Y) such that R/Fe expressed in atomic percentage (at. %) is 0.1–10 at. %.

Known coating-type magnetic recording media (magnetic tapes including video tapes and the like) include multi-layer structure types consisting of a magnetic layer composed of magnetic powder dispersed in resin, a base film, and a nonmagnetic layer composed of nonmagnetic powder dispersed in a resin that is located between the magnetic layer and the base film as an underlayer. Use of such a multi-layer structure improves the electromagnetic conversion characteristics of the magnetic recording medium to enable high recording density. The reliability of the tape is also enhanced owing to improved durability. In this specification, the terms "powder for underlayer" and "underlayer powder" are used to mean a powder for forming the nonmagnetic layer (underlayer) of such a multi-layer structure coating-type magnetic recording medium.
The incessant rise in information volume in recent times has increased the need for recording media with higher recording capacity and reliability. This in turn has produced a need to improve the different properties of the underlayer powder used to fabricate multi-layer structure coating-type magnetic recording media. The basic properties required of an underlayer powder include ability to form an underlayer with high surface smoothness when applied to the base film and the ability to produce an underlayer composed of a film coating having high strength.
An underlayer having a smooth surface enhances the smoothness of the overlaid magnetic layer, making it possible to obtain a magnetic recording medium having excellent electromagnetic conversion characteristics that enable high recording density. Strength enhancement of the underlayer is desirable because the thinner tape thicknesses necessitated by rising tape capacity makes it important to achieve high recording density and for this to ensure dimensional stability. A stronger underlayer helps to upgrade reliability by boosting the strength of the tape proper.
In order to satisfy these requirements, an underlayer nonmagnetic powder generally must have excellent dispersibility at the paint-making stage, high particle strength, and high adherence to the resin. When a coating film is applied using a nonmagnetic powder with these properties, a smooth, high-strength underlayer can be formed.
The main nonmagnetic powders conventionally used for underlayer formation are spherical titanium oxide powder and acicular iron oxide powder. Multi-layer structure magnetic recording media having an underlayer are taught by, for example, JP Sho-63-187418A and Hei-4-167225A.
In addition, Hei-6-60362A, Hei-6-139553A, Hei-6-215360A, Hei-7-192248A and Hei-9-170003A, for example, indicate characteristic values when acicular ion oxide and the like are used as nonmagnetic powder for underlayer formation in such multi-layer structure magnetic recording media.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Powder for underlayer of coating-type magnetic recording medium


Systems and methods for automatically generating a boot sequence. A multiple virtual machine computing environment is analyzed to generate a boot sequence that is used during a recovery operation. The boot sequence may be based on applications and application types running on the virtual machines, a network configuration and network traffic, and on manual boots of virtual machines. The boot sequence prioritizes the order in which the virtual machines are booted in the recovery site.

Today, most entities and organizations use computer technologies when conducting operations. There are times, however, when problems arise with their computers. As a result, sensible organizations plan for potential problems by implementing systems that allow for recovery.
For example, disaster recovery (DR) is often a critical process for organizations and is required to guarantee business continuity. However, disaster recovery is a very complex process and is error prone. There are many steps to consider when forming a disaster recovery plan, one of which relates to booting virtual machines that may be used in the computing system. This problem is rooted in computing technology and is conventionally resolved manually. This proves difficult and, as previously stated, is error prone. As a result, the boot order of the virtual machines may actually impede or complicate the recovery operation.

Automatically configuring boot order in recovery operations


A micromechanical acceleration sensor is provided, including                a substrate,        a first seismic mass, which is movably suspended on the substrate and deflectable in an acceleration acting on the substrate in a first direction,        first detection means for detecting a deflection of the first seismic mass in an acceleration acting on the substrate in the first direction,        a second seismic mass, which is movably suspended on the substrate and deflectable in an acceleration acting on the substrate in a second direction, the second direction running perpendicularly to the first direction,        second detection means for detecting a deflection of the second seismic mass in an acceleration acting on the substrate in the second direction,        the second seismic mass furthermore being deflectable in an acceleration acting on the substrate in a third direction, the third direction running perpendicularly to the first direction and to the second direction, and        third detection means for detecting a deflection of the second seismic mass in an acceleration acting on the substrate in the third direction.

German Published Patent Application No. 197 19 779 A1 describes an acceleration sensor having an oscillating structure, which is movably suspended on a substrate, deflectable as a result of an acceleration effect and developed in the form of a seismic mass; it also includes an evaluation means for detecting a deflection of the oscillating structure caused by an acceleration. The seismic mass is deflectable in one direction only, so that accelerations in only a single direction are able to be detected. In other words, in the known acceleration sensor one seismic mass per acceleration direction is provided for detecting an acceleration.
German Published Patent Application No. 10 2008 001 442 A1 describes a micromechanical component, which includes a substrate having a seismic mass. The mass is deflectable in different directions for different accelerations acting on the substrate. Thus, only a single seismic mass is used for detecting accelerations in different directions. In the case of the known micromechanical component it may happen for space-related reasons that a deflection of the seismic mass caused by an acceleration in a first direction is less well detectable than a deflection of the seismic mass caused by an acceleration in a second direction. In other words, accelerations in different directions can be detected with variable degrees of success.


A calcium-promoted alumina supported nickel reforming catalyst stabilized with titanium is disclosed. The catalyst is particularly useful for reforming reaction in feed streams containing significant quantities of CO and CO2, low quantities of steam (the feed stream having a H2O/CH4 of less than 0.8 and a CO2/CH4 of greater than 0.5) and relatively high quantities of sulfur compounds (up to about 20 ppm). The catalyst comprises from about 25 wt % to about 98 wt % alumina as a support, from about 2 wt % to about 40 wt % nickel oxide, which is promoted with from about 0.5 wt % to about 35 wt % calcium oxide, and which is stabilized with from about 0.01 wt % to about 20 wt % titanium, wherein the calcium oxide is combined with the alumina to form calcium aluminate. The catalyst can be used in reforming reactions to produce syngas and has advantages in producing low hydrogen to carbon monoxide ratio syngas for applications such as iron ore reduction.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a highly active catalyst useful for syngas generation, and more particularly to a calcium promoted, nickel catalyst on an alumina support, wherein the catalyst is stabilized by the addition of titanium. The catalyst is highly active and resistant to coking especially in a feed stream containing significant quantities of CO and CO2, relatively low quantities of steam, and, optionally, relatively high quantities of sulfur compounds. A process of manufacture of the catalyst and a process of use of the catalyst are also disclosed.
2. Background Art
Production of synthesis gas or syngas (various blends of gases generally comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide) is an important process step in the manufacture of numerous chemicals, such as ammonia and methanol. It is also useful in numerous other commercial processes, such as iron ore reduction, Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and gas-to-liquid technology. Many of the synthesis gas plants produce the syngas by steam reforming hydrocarbons. Typically, these plants employ a process of catalytic steam reforming of methane in the presence of a supported nickel catalyst, usually nickel on an alumina support or nickel on a promoted alumina support.
However, the presence of sulfur compounds in the reforming system, for example, quantities of H2S as low as several parts per billion, can deactivate conventional steam reforming catalysts. Therefore, sulfur is usually removed before being allowed to enter the reformer. In a reducing gas generation process, the feed may include a significant amount of sulfur or sulfur compounds, and the catalysts need to retain sufficient high reforming activity at sulfur levels up to about 20 parts per million. While higher temperatures and H2 partial pressures in the reaction feed can reduce the level of deactivation, these higher temperatures may also adversely affect the physical structure of the steam reforming catalysts.
Another problem that often occurs with reforming reactions is an enhanced likelihood of coking or carbon formation on the catalysts. In conventional reforming processes, there is essentially no CO in the feed stream. In contrast, in reducing gas generation processes, the low H2O and high CO and CO2 conditions make coking of the reforming catalysts a problem. Carbon formation from CO at the inlet section of the reformer in the reducing gas generation process is especially critical. On nickel catalysts the effect of this coking is coating of the active nickel sites and plugging of the pores of the catalyst.
Several solutions have been proposed to address the coking problem. For example, manufacturers have used a large excess of H2O in the reformer feed stream, but this is not suitable for reducing gas generation processes. U.S. Pat. No. 5,753,143 proposes the use of a noble metal catalyst. It is well known that noble metal catalysts have higher coke formation resistance compared to conventional steam reforming catalysts that merely utilize nickel, but these noble metal catalysts are quite expensive, especially with the large quantity of catalysts that is conventionally utilized for this type of reaction. Morioka has addressed the coking problem by the use of high dispersion of metal species over the surface of the catalyst, such as various types of double hydroxide catalysts. U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,918 teaches a nickel on alumina catalyst with a lanthanum additive.
Another process for limiting coke formation on nickel catalysts during reforming reactions utilizes the sulfur that is naturally present in the feed stream. In this process—referred to as passivation—sulfur poisons some, but not all, of the nickel sites on the catalyst and produces a reforming catalyst which retains sufficient active sites to be useful for gas production at lower H2/CO ratios. The amount of sulfur that is present in the feed stream must be carefully controlled so that the catalyst retains sufficient activity for the reforming reaction, and the process often requires a substantial quantity of catalyst in the bed.
Conventional steam reforming nickel on alumina catalysts may include additives to enhance their performance and to reduce the coking problem. For example, alkali compounds may be added to steam reforming catalysts to reduce carbon formation but because of their potential migration during high temperature processing the alkali metals can adversely impact downstream operations. Magnesia has also been added to steam reforming catalysts to suppress carbon formation, but magnesia promoted catalysts are hard to reduce and maintain in a reduced state.
Nickel oxide and magnesia are very similar in structure. Thus, a nickel oxide and magnesia combination material is usually formed during the high temperature reaction. The reducibility of nickel oxide and the activity of a magnesia-based catalyst is heavily dependent on the calcination temperature and opertion conditions, with a less active catalyst resulting when the calcination temperature is higher than 400° C. and in a less reducing environment. Thus, magnesia-supported nickel catalysts are difficult to utilize for reforming reactions, especially—for reducing gas generation.
A nickel catalyst for reducing gas generation is conventionally produced by impregnating nickel on an alumina or magnesia carrier. In use because the reforming reaction is a strongly endothermic reaction and in order to obtain high hydrocarbon conversion, high temperatures are required for the reaction, sometimes running as high as 1000° C. Even when the reaction is conducted at lower temperatures, in the range of 700° C., it is still necessary to use low surface area alumina, such as alpha alumina as the carrier material for these catalysts. In fact, alpha alumina is the only alumina phase that is stable enough to be used as a carrier under conventional reforming conditions. With catalysts produced from alpha alumina carriers, however, the BET surface area, pore volume and nickel dispersion on these catalysts is quite low. For example, a conventional steam reforming catalyst of this type prepared with nickel on alpha alumina has a BET surface area in the range of 1-4 m2/g, a pore volume from about 0.08 to 0.16 cc/gm and a nickel specific surface area from about 0.5 to 1.5 m2/g.
While lanthanum-promoted alumina catalysts of U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,918 have shown some advantages in the production of carbon monoxide rich syngas at close to stoichiometric requirements, the surface area and nickel dispersion of these catalysts is still in a range comparable to conventional alpha alumina-based steam reforming catalysts with BET surface areas only slightly improved to about 5 m2/gm with a nickel specific surface area less than 2 in2/g.
Thus, there is still a need to improve existing nickel on alumina catalysts for reforming reactions utilizing a feed stream containing significant quantities of CO and CO2 and low quantities of steam (the feed stream having a H2O/CH4<0.8 and a CO2/CH4>0.5). Further, the addition of additives to these catalysts has not to date shown sufficient satisfactory results to overcome the coking problems while maintaining high reforming activity in the presence of a significant amount of sulfur.

Nickel supported on titanium stabilized promoted calcium aluminate carrier


The present invention aims at improving a hot filament CVD method and apparatus capable of enlarging the diamond-forming area in relatively easy manner and utilizing effectively the capacity of a thermoelectron radiation material and provides a process and apparatus for producing diamond with excellent productivity as well as a compact size of apparatus, which can be applied to production on a commercial scale. The feature of the present invention consists in subjecting to decomposition, excitation and activation by a thermoelectron radiation material heated at a high temperature a raw material gas comprising at least one carbon source selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbons, hydrocarbons containing oxygens and/or nitrogens in the bonded groups, carbon oxides, halogenated hydrocarbons and solid carbon, hydrogen and optionally any one of inert gases of Group VIII elements, H.sub.2 O, O.sub.2 and F.sub.2 and depositing diamond on the surface of a substrate provided near the thermoelectron radiation material, characterized by surrounding the circumference of the thermoelectron radiation material by a cooling plate, providing a substrate to be deposited with diamond between the cooling plate and the thermoelectron radiation material with small gaps and controlling the surface temperature of the substrate facing the thermoelectron radiation material by the cooling plate and optionally a buffer material inserted between the cooling plate and the substrate, thereby depositing diamond.

In the gaseous phase synthesis of diamond, a number of methods have been developed, for example, a hot filament CVD method comprising utilizing a thermoelectron radiation material heated at a high temperature to decompose and activate a raw material gas, a microwave plasma CVD method comprising utilizing microwave plasma, a DC plasma CVD method comprising utilizing DC plasma, a dia-jet method comprising utilizing a DC plasma torch, a burner method comprising utilizing an oxygen-acetylene combustion flame, etc. Above all, the hot filament CVD method and the microwave plasma CVD method are typical methods.
According to the hot filament CVD method comprising utilizing a thermoelectron radiation material heated at a high temperature to decompose and activate a raw material gas, it is possible to enlarge a coating zone by designing the shape of a filament more readily than in the other plasma utilizing process. Even if the thermoelectron radiation material, as an exciting source, is enlarged, however, the ordinary apparatus construction is so composed that a substrate is arranged on one plane to face the thermoelectronic emission material and the utilization efficiency of the space relative to the thermoelectron radiation material is low so that the diamond-forming area is markedly limited relatively to the capacity of the exciting source. Since the size of the thermoelectron radiation material is generally smaller relatively to the size of a reaction vessel and diamond is formed only in the vicinity of the thermoelectron radiation material, the dead zone in a reaction vessel is large and the diamond-forming area is small relatively to the occupied area of the apparatus, so that the apparatus is not suitable for use as a production apparatus on a commercial scale. The flow of a raw material gas is governed by convection and is not simple near the thermoelectron radiation material because of using a reaction pressure of several ten to several hundred Torr and accordingly, effective feeding of the raw material gas and exhausting of the reacted gas cannot well be carried out.
In the hot filament CVD method, therefore, it has eagerly been desired to develop a process for the synthesis of diamond and an apparatus for practicing this process, wherein a large sized thermoelectron radiation material is provided as an exciting source and a substrate is arranged with a high space efficiency relatively to the thermoelectron radiation material, so that the capacity of the exciting source can be displayed to the maximum, the utility efficiency of a raw material gas in a reaction zone can be increased, the dead zone in a reaction vessel can be decreased and the occupied area of the synthesis apparatus can be reduced per the diamond-forming area, thus obtaining excellent productivity with a compact size of apparatus. The present invention has been made so as to respond to the desirement.
In various synthesis techniques of diamond, the inventors have made various studies to improve the hot filament CVD method and apparatus capable of enlarging the diamond-forming area in relatively easy manner and to utilize effectively the capacity of a thermoelectron radiation material, and consequently, have reached a process and apparatus for producing diamond with excellent productivity as well as a compact size of apparatus, which can be applied to production on a commercial scale. The present invention can thus be accomplished.

Process and apparatus for the production of diamond


Systems and methods for flow sensing in a conduit are provided. One system includes a flow disturber disposed in a flow conduit and configured to impart a flow disturbance to the fluid flow. The system further includes a plurality of flow sensors disposed in the flow conduit and responsive to flow characteristics in the flow conduit. The system also includes a frequency resolver configured to determine frequency information related to the fluid flow based on the flow characteristics. The frequency resolver uses one or more time sample windows to select data samples for use in determining the frequency information, wherein a length of one or more of the time sample windows is based at least in part on the flow characteristics. The system additionally includes a processor configured to determine a flow rate of the fluid flow in the flow conduit using the frequency information.

Flow sensing may be used in a variety of different applications, such as to determine flow velocity of a fluid, such as gas (e.g., air) or liquid, through a pipe or tube. For example, flow sensing may be used in ventilation and respiration machines to detect and control the level of air flow. As another example, flow sensing may be used in gas metering systems, such as for residential applications.
The determination of the fluid flow may be affected by many different factors, such as temperature, moisture variations, or the type or density of fluid, among others. Some conventional systems are not satisfactorily responsive to these different factors. As a result, the outputs of these systems may drift and cause readings that are not accurate. Additionally, the robustness of these systems suffer.
In a medical setting, when using ventilation and respiration machines such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine and a variable positive airway pressure (VPAP) machine, it is important to be able to determine accurately the flow rate of ventilation and/or respiration. For example, the air supply pressure from these machines is varied based on whether the person is breathing in or out, such as during inspiration and expiration phases of the respiratory system. By properly controlling the air flow during different phases of breathing, a more comfortable process results. The more comfortable the ventilation and/or respiratory machine is to a person during use, the more likely the person is to continue to use the ventilation and/or respiratory machine. Users of ventilation and/or respiratory machines may unilaterally decide to cease use of the machine as a result of the machine being uncomfortable during operation, such as when an appropriate air pressure is not supplied. However, due to the complex nature of breathing and the change in direction and speed of air flow during breathing (as well as other factors), it is very difficult to determine flow rates.


A method of carrying out a vibratory fatigue test of a mechanical part having a fatigue endurance limit, the part including a repair extending partly on a first zone of the part, the method including a preliminary test phase including: selecting a loading mode of the part; determining a cutting of the part defining a truncated part, the cutting of the part being defined to obtain a loading level in the repaired zone equal to the maximum value of an abatement to be validated; selecting a measuring device for the fine control of the fatigue test by the measurement of a stress applied to a point of the part; determining a resonance frequency of the truncated part according to the selected loading mode; implementing a loading according to the selected mode at a given level of the truncated part at the resonance frequency up to rupture of the part.

Generally, in the aeronautics field, after repair of a part with a view to reuse, a certain number of tests are necessary in order to mechanically validate the part to guarantee a satisfactory lifetime after repair.
A test generally carried out is that of the vibratory fatigue test, better known under the acronym HCF designating: "High Cycle Fatigue". These tests make it possible to standardise a repair in the sense where it may then be industrialised on a large number of structurally identical parts by the same repair method while guaranteeing a satisfactory lifetime of the repaired parts.
It is thus necessary to characterise or validate the abatement of the material in HCF after repair. A known method is that called the "staircase" method, which may for example be carried out on repaired turbine blades.
However, the method comprises several drawbacks.
In the first place, the method requires loading the repaired blade according to a particular mode in order to be able to render the repaired zone critical, FIG. 1 illustrates a blade 1 having a damaged leading edge 2. The leading edge is intended to be repaired by a repair part, also called "patch" more commonly in the professional terminology. The patch is generally welded onto a surface of the part corresponding to the damaged portion. In the case of a blade, it is most often the leading edge. The repair forms at its limit a weld line 3. The test method enables stresses to be generated on the blade so as to fatigue test the repaired blade. The zones 4, 5 and 6 represent zones that deform under the effect of bendings applied to the part under vibration generating high levels of stresses. The vibratory fatigue tests are carried out at a mechanical resonance frequency of the part.
The zone 4 represents strips forming arcs of circles of which the strips the closest to the leading edge are the most deformed.
A first drawback is that this mode requires a high excitation energy to generate a sufficient level of stress in the repaired zone, which can with difficulty be generated by test means such as a vibrating table used conventionally.
The existing test method, which consists in determining the endurance limit in the weld, in other words at the level of the repair, and thus the determination of the abatement, does not make it possible to validate a maximum abatement level because the loading levels in the repaired zone are limited by the test means.
Moreover, a second drawback is the duration of a test, in other words the duration during which the part has to be vibrated at the resonance frequency of the mode in question, which is relatively long. As an example, for the first bending mode (1F) at 58 Hz, this duration is around 48 hours. Yet a particularity of the "staircase" method is that it comprises a large number of vibratory cycles for each part, by way of example at least 10,000,000 vibratory cycles for each part in current usage.
During the validation of a repair of blades by welding of a long patch on a leading edge, the cost and the duration of the test can become potentially problematic to validate the repair.

Method of carrying out a vibratory fatigue test of a mechanical part


Provided is coating film-removing method for removing unnecessary coating film on outer peripheral surface of lower side of cylindrical substrate by dip coating, the method comprising: supplying solvent to inside of substrate; causing, through use of outer peripheral surface coating film-removing member configured to remove coating film at portion to be subjected to coating film removal in outer peripheral surface of the substrate, the outer peripheral surface coating film-removing member to abut against region ranging from upper end to lower end of coating film at the portion; and removing, under a state wherein the outer peripheral surface coating film-removing member abuts against the region, the coating film at the portion through rubbing by relatively rotating the substrate and the outer peripheral surface coating film-removing member while supplying the solvent, which is supplied to inside and then flows to lower end of the substrate, to abutting portion.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coating film-removing method for a cylindrical substrate and a manufacturing method for an electrophotographic photosensitive member.
Description of the Related Art
In an electrophotographic photosensitive member to be used in a copying machine, a laser beam printer, or the like, for example, an electro-conductive layer, an undercoat layer, a charge generating layer, a charge transporting layer, and the like are arranged on a cylindrical substrate. As a manufacturing method for such electrophotographic photosensitive member, there is known a method involving forming, on the substrate, a coating film of a coating liquid for each of the above-mentioned layers constituting the electrophotographic photosensitive member (electrophotographic photosensitive member coating liquid), and heating and curing the coating film. In particular, a dip coating method, which involves dipping the cylindrical substrate in the electrophotographic photosensitive member coating liquid while, for example, an axis of the substrate is in a vertical direction, and then pulling up the substrate to form the coating film, has been widely adopted because of its high productivity. However, in the dip coating method, the coating film is inevitably formed on an outer peripheral surface of a lower side of the substrate as well.
In this connection, the copying machine or the laser beam printer adopts the following construction in some cases: a member (roller) for keeping a constant distance between the electrophotographic photosensitive member and a developing member (such as a developing sleeve) is caused to abut against the electrophotographic photosensitive member. In those cases, a portion against which the roller abuts is subjected to rubbing, and hence the presence of a coating film at such portion involves a problem in that the coating film is nonuniformly peeled or abraded. Therefore, it is necessary that the coating film be not formed at such portion.
Under the above-mentioned circumstances, when the coating film is formed on the cylindrical substrate by the dip coating method, there is required a step of removing an unnecessary coating film on the outer peripheral surface of the lower side of the substrate after coating film formation.
Accordingly, there is a proposal of an apparatus configured to remove a coating film at a lower end portion of a photosensitive member. For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-212278, there is known an apparatus configured to dip a lower end portion of a photosensitive member in a solvent capable of dissolving a coating film and rotate a wiping plate, to thereby remove an unnecessary coating film. In addition, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-205178, there is proposed an apparatus configured to discharge a solvent from an apparatus inserted at a lower end on the inside of a cylindrical substrate and rub a coating film with a brush, to thereby remove the coating film.

Coating film-removing method for cylindrical substrate and manufacturing method for electrophotographic photosensitive member


An information processing apparatus includes a memory and a processor couple to the memory and configured to generate one or more job groups by grouping multiple jobs of execution targets in descending order of priority, and perform a control for scheduling execution timings regarding the multiple jobs such that scheduling of respective jobs included in a specific job group including a job having a higher priority is implemented by priority over scheduling of respective jobs included in other job groups. The processor performs the control for scheduling the execution timings of the respective jobs included in the specific job group such that an execution completion time of all the jobs included in the specific job group satisfies a predetermined condition.

For example, a business operator who provides a service to a user (hereinafter, simply also referred to as a business operator) constructs a business system used for providing the service. The business operator operates a job scheduler configured to determine execution times of respective jobs and the like in the aforementioned business system, for example.
Specifically, when a new job is input, the job scheduler specifies nodes that may execute the new job based on information such as job execution statuses in the respective nodes. The job scheduler instructs any of the specified nodes to execute the new job (for example, see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 8-106369).
Related technique is disclosed in for example Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 8-106369.

Information processing apparatus, job scheduling method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium


Portable noise generator apparatuses and methods may be used to mask sounds in a hunting area. A noise generator apparatus may have a portable housing configured to be used by a hunter in a hunting area where game may be present, a loudspeaker positioned in the housing, and an electronic noise generator held within the housing. The electronic noise generator may be used to output noise through the loudspeaker to mask sounds made by the hunter while in the hunting area, and the noise may comprise frequencies perceptible by a non-human species. The noise may include white noise and ambient noise that is capable of limiting or covering the sounds of the hunter perceived by game animals.

Hunters go to great lengths to mask, eliminate, or conceal indicators of their presence from game animals while hunting. For example, many devices and methods have been conceived to eliminate or mask the hunter's scent, his or her visual appearance, and the sounds he or she makes in the field. Even subtle sounds made by the hunter's movement or his or her operation of hunting equipment can be detected by game animals in a hunting area. Even if the hunter is nearly motionless and remains in silence waiting for game animals to come into an ambush location, the sounds of his movement in the concealed location in positioning for the shot can be detected by game animals.
Silencers, dampeners, and other equipment are commonly used, but do not eliminate enough of the sound made by a bow or other hunting weapon to prevent game animals from being undesirably alerted or from fleeing a hunting area. Thus, there remains a need for improvements in preventing the sounds made by hunters from being detected by game animals.

Hunting noise masking systems and methods


The present invention relates to a method of preparing a double layered, palladium-only three-way catalyst using three different composite oxides. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of preparing a double layered, palladium-only three-way catalyst comprising a first coating layer (bottom layer) and a second coating layer (top layer) containing palladium by incorporating composite oxide, praseodymium oxide, and perovskite.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of preparing a double layered, palladium-only three-way catalyst using composite oxides, more particularly to a method of preparing a double layered, palladium-only three-way catalyst comprising a first coating layer (bottom layer) and a second coating layer (top layer) containing palladium by incorporating composite oxide, praseodymium oxide, and perovskite.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, a three-way catalyst refers to a catalyst that facilitates the removal of the noxious components from automobile exhaust gas, such as hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide (Nox). Conventional three-way catalysts have included Pt/Rh, Pd/Rh or Pt/Pd/Rh.
These conventional catalysts use rhodium (Rh) to reduce Nox in the exhaust gas, which presents some disadvantages. The use of rhodium is expensive. In addition, rhodium exhibits poor heat resistance.
Moreover, palladium-only three-way catalysts (i.e., single layer coated catalysts) without using rhodium have been reported in Korea Patent Registration Publication No. 235029 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,043,188 entitled "Process for Manufacturing Palladium Ternary Catalyst," which are both incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. The process for preparing such catalysts begins by impregnating a palladium solution with alumina (Al2O3), which is then reduced. Next, cerium oxide (CeO2) and a mixing solution are added. The pH of the resulting mixture is adjusted and allowed to react. Then, the mixture is milled to obtain a catalyst slurry. Finally, a ceramic monolith is dipped in the prepared catalyst slurry, dried and calcined to produce a palladium-only three-way catalyst.
Recently, regulations on automobile exhaust gas have become more stringent thereby necessitating the use of improved catalysts with superior heat resistance. To meet these requirements, precious metals have been increasingly used as raw materials for catalysts, which has increased costs.
Accordingly, development of a three-way catalyst that can reduce the amount of precious metals to be used, while offering superior removal of Nox and heat resistance, is highly desired.

Method of preparing a double layered, palladium-only three-way catalyst


A support structure is provided that can comprise a central support member and leveling devices arranged in a deployed configuration where the leveling devices are radially offset from the central support member. In one embodiment of the support structure, each of the leveling devices can comprise an actuator assembly for fine positioning of a support plane of the support structure. The actuator assembly can communicate with a control system, and in one example the control system is operatively configured to monitor the position of the support plane, providing feedback in the form of a control that operates the actuator to adjust the orientation of the support plane.

Many tripods and related structures are designed to provide a level, stable platform on which to support a load. These devices typically comprise a raised platform and several elongated legs that are affixed to the platform. The body of each leg extends away from the platform to a surface, e.g., the ground.
This configuration permits adjustments to the planarity of the platform. These adjustments may be provided as part of the construction of the legs, such as by combining mechanisms and components that can alter the length of each leg independently of the other legs of the structure. Such alterations can accommodate for differences in the ground, such differences being of the type that can negatively impact the planarity of the platform.
It may be advantageous, therefore, to provide a support structure with a robust construction to not only accommodate greater loads, but also to offer dynamic planarity adjustment characteristics. These characteristics can improve accuracy and stability. Moreover, it may be advantageous to combine these features into a support structure that is easily portable, compact in size, and that simplifies installation and planarity adjustment.

Support structure with features for precision leveling