Systems, devices, media, and methods are presented for dynamic presentation and management of messages within a graphical user interface by presenting content icons, monitoring consumption status of the presented content represented by the content icons, transferring a content item from a first set of content to a second set of content, and causing presentation of the content item as part of the second set of content.

Telecommunications applications and devices can provide communication between multiple users using a variety of media, such as text, images, sound recordings, and/or video recording. These applications may present single items of communication data representing messages sent by a user to another user. Where these applications present communication data from multiple users, the communication data is presented in a single organizational scheme. User interface elements presented in these telecommunications applications are typically static in presentation and organization. Accordingly, there is still a need in the art to improve presentation and organization of communication data between devices and accessibility of operations on communications devices.
The headings provided herein are merely for convenience and do not necessarily affect the scope or meaning of the terms used.

Dynamic graphical user interface modification and monitoring


For drying coatings of solvent-based adhesive applied to shoe bottoms a through-flow drying apparatus is provided which utilises air at ambient temperature for the constant rate period (i.e. the period during which the surface of the coating is "wet"), and thereafter applies infra-red heating during the falling rate period (i.e. the period when migration of the solvent through the solid adhesive is to be achieved). In the first stage, jets of air are directed against the shoe bottom at a velocity of not less than 15 meters/second (measured at the inlets (38)), while at the heating station a plate heater (42) of a size which is larger than the area of the shoe bottom is provided. Ideally, when the shoe is removed from the apparatus, an outsole having a reactivated coating of adhesive can be located with the shoe bottom and bonded thereto, without reactivation of the shoe bottom adhesive itself. Also disclosed is a shoe support (46) for supporting shoes of a wide range of sizes with little or no need for adjustment, said support comprising a plurality of pairs of shoe-engaging rolls (60, 62, 64) between which the downwardly depending portions of the shoe last can be accommodated.

This invention is concerned with a method of drying a coating of solvent-based adhesive applied to a surface of an article, e.g. a shoe.
In the drying of a layer of solvent-based adhesive applied to an article surface, the total drying time can be divided into two separate periods:
In a first period the rate of evaporation of solvent is determined by the state of the air immediately adjacent the surface, this rate being constant while the surface remains "wet". Thus during this period, which is referred to as the "constant rate period", the rate of drying depends upon the rate of removal of solvent vapour from the layer of air adjacent to the wet surface.
In the second period, the rate of removal of solvent depends upon the migration of the solvent through the moist solid to the surface, the resistance to solvent transfer progressively increasing and thus reducing the drying rate. Thus during this period, which is referred to as the "falling rate period", the controlling factor is the rate of vapour diffusion through the solid.
While it is of course possible to allow the solvent to evaporate off naturally, it is usual for force-drying to take place in order to accelerate the rate of evaporation/drying. To this end, the surface to which the adhesive has been applied may be heated, e.g. by radiant heaters; alternatively, the surface may be subjected to hot air which in passing over the article surface serves also to remove solvent-laden air from adjacent to it. In any event, it is generally considered that heat is desirable in both the constant rate period and the subsequent falling rate period, the amount of heat supplied being dependent upon the amount of time which can be allocated to the drying process.
It will of course be appreciated that use of heat in this way is expensive in sofar as either the energy costs are high if the air is not re-circulated, or, if the air to be re-circulated, then a more complicated apparatus is required, usually also involving thermal insulation panels, as well as a system for removing solvent from the now solvent-laden air.

Drying a coating of solvent-based adhesive


A swimming goggle structure includes two eye masks and a centrally located nose strap. Each eye mask has an outer edge forming a head strap buckle to which a head strap is connected and an inner edge forming a projecting joint section. The joint section forms a recessed slot and is jointed to an end of the nose strap by insert molding so that the end of the nose strap wraps and engages the joint section of each eye mask to form a tightly connected structure.

(a) Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure that joints a centrally located nose strap and two eye masks of swimming goggles.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Swimming goggles or masks are commonly used in doing water activities, such as swimming in the sea or in a swimming pool. Besides the full face mask that is used in diving, most of the swimming goggles for water activities are made in the form of a pair of "eyeglass", having two eye masks jointed by a centrally located nose strap.
FIG. 4 of the attached drawings illustrates a portion of a pair of conventional swimming goggles, which comprise two eye masks 50 of which only one is illustrated. The eye mask 50 is a transparent or light-transmitting cover or shield having a rim that has an outer edge and an opposite inner edge. The outer edge forms a head strap buckle to which a head strap (not shown) is attached. The inner edge forms a bent section 51 that is of fixed thickness. Through holes 52 are defined through the bent section 51. A nose strap 60 has opposite end jointed to the eye masks 50 by over molding so that the material that forms the nose strap 60 and that is soft fills into the through holes 52 of the bent section 51 to form material pillars 61. In this way, the eye masks 50 on the opposite sides of the nose strap 60 are connected together. Practical use of the swimming goggles of this type reveals the following disadvantages:
(1) The soft material of the end of the nose strap is filled into the through holes defined in the bent section of the eye mask in the over molding process to form pillars and during such a process, air entrains the soft material into the through hole, making the pillar insufficient in structural strength and easy to break.
(2) Further, the mold for carrying out the above mentioned process is very complicated, and this makes the manufacturing cost of the swimming goggle mold very high.

Nose strap jointing structure for swimming goggles/mask


The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a water-repellent film, including an adhesion precursor film forming step of forming, on a substrate, an adhesion precursor film mainly of a Si—O bond with hydrogen directly bonded to Si; an irradiating step of irradiating the adhesion precursor film with excitation energy to increase an OH group present on a surface of the adhesion precursor film to thereby change the adhesion precursor film into an adhesion reinforcing film; and an organic film coating step of coating the adhesion reinforcing film with an organic film by using a silane coupling agent, wherein a content of the hydrogen directly bonded to Si in the adhesion precursor film is 1.0×1017 atoms/cm2 or more in terms of a H2 molecule.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a water-repellent film, and a substrate, a nozzle plate, an ink jet head, and an ink jet recording device, and more particularly, it relates to a method for manufacturing a water-repellent film using a coupling agent, and a substrate, a nozzle plate, an ink jet head and an ink jet recording device including a water-repellent film manufactured by the method for manufacturing a water-repellent film.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an ink jet head used in an ink jet recording device, if an ink adheres to the surface of a nozzle plate, an ink droplet ejected from a nozzle may be affected to vary the direction of ejecting the ink droplet in some cases. If the ink adheres, it becomes difficult to allow an ink droplet to deposit in a prescribed position on a recording medium, which can be a cause of degradation of image quality.
Therefore, in order to improve the ejection performance by preventing an ink from adhering to the surface of a nozzle plate, or in order to improve the maintenance performance, various methods for forming a water-repellent film on the surface of a nozzle plate have been proposed.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-030142 (PTL 1) below discloses that a plasma polymerized film is formed by using polyorganosiloxane, and particularly octamethyltrisiloxane, as a main raw material and then a water-repellent film is formed therefrom by using a coupling agent.

Method for manufacturing water-repellent film, and substrate, nozzle plate, ink jet head, and ink jet recording device


Apparatus for performing multiple different measurements on a small specimen sample, enabling testing and diagnoses in real time at the point of care are described. The core of the apparatus includes an ultrasonic resonator cavity where acoustic resonances are used to determine the speed of sound and sound attenuation in a single droplet. Acoustic measurements are made in the reflection mode using electrical impedance of a small piezoelectric crystal transducer that operates in the thickness longitudinal mode. Combination of this technology with electromagnetic, electrical, and magnetic fields permits multiple types of measurements to be made using the same resonator cavity.

There are few techniques for analysis and characterization of physical properties of fluids when there are only a few microliters or less of available fluid. Bodily fluids available only in small quantities include blood, tear drops, sweat, saliva, and sputum, as examples. Urine is usually available in larger quantities, but it is desirable to use only small samples, if possible. Measurements on such fluids are either optical or chemically based.
Blood samples are generally analyzed using multiple techniques, biochemical analysis, molecular profiles, and cellular evaluations, being examples. For each type of analysis, a different sample of fluid from the same subject is used as these are performed in a parallel manner using different instruments. For full blood counts or analysis of bacterial growth, optical microscopy is the standard procedure. Other medical diagnostic testing using saliva, as an example, is not common except for DNA extraction.

Multimodal characterization of a fluid using a single droplet


The present invention provides a method and system for operating a wireless communication system in which received signals from a plurality of antennas are weighted and combined with a beam forming operation to form an output signal. The beam forming operation determines weights adjusted to increase a desired signal power in the output signal while reducing the power in the output signal of out-of-band components. In an embodiment of the present invention, beam forming operations are performed with maximal ratio combining (MRC). Alternatively, a constant modulus algorithm (CMA) can be used for beam forming operations. In an alternate embodiment, improved interference suppression is performed with a novel algorithm referred to as an interference nulling algorithm (INA). The INA receives an error signal which is 180° out of phase with a combination of the channels for individual antennas, referred to as the SUM channel. The error signal is determined by complex conjugate multiplication of the individual signals and a reference complex signal. It is desirable to simultaneously achieve diversity and combining gain and suppress the adjacent channel by combining the weight generation for MRC and that for INA, as described above, to generate antenna weights similar to those of MMSE combining.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to wireless communication systems. More particularly, it relates to a wireless communication system using a plurality of antenna elements with weighting and combining techniques for optimizing antenna diversity and combining gain.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, the market for wireless communications has enjoyed tremendous growth. Wireless technology now reaches or is capable of reaching virtually every location on the face of the earth. Hundreds of millions of people exchange information every day using pagers, cellular telephones and other wireless communication products.
With the appearance of inexpensive, high-performance products based on the IEEE 802.11a/b/g Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) standard, acceptance of wireless local area networks (WLANs) for home, Small Office Home Office (SOHO) and enterprise applications has increased significantly. IEEE 802.11b/g is a standard for a wireless, radio-based system. It operates in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz band at speeds up to 11 M bits/sec for IEEE 802.11b and 54 M bits/sec for IEEE 802.11g. The IEEE 802.11b/g specification sets up 11 channels within the 2.4 GHz to 2.4835 GHz frequency band which is the unlicensed band for industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) applications. IEEE 802.11a is another standard for a wireless, radio-based system in the ISM band. It operates in the unlicensed 5-GHz band at speeds up to 54 M bits/sec.
It has been found that WLANs often fall short of the expected operating range when actually deployed. For example, although a wireless Access Point (AP) is specified by a vendor as having an operating range of 300 feet, the actual operating range can vary widely depending on the operating environment.
In particular, WLAN performance can be greatly degraded by direct and multipath radio interference. Multipath occurs in wireless environments because the radio frequency (RF) signal transmitted by the subscriber is reflected from physical objects present in the environment such as buildings. As a result, it undergoes multiple reflections, refractions, diffusions and attenuations. The base station receives a sum of the distorted versions of the signal (collectively called multipath).
Similarly, in any indoor wireless system, multipath interference effects occur when the transmitted signal is reflected from objects such as walls, furniture, and other indoor objects. As a result of multipath, the signal can have multiple copies of itself, all of which arrive at the receiver at different moments in time. Thus, from the receiver's point of view, it receives multiple copies of the same signal with many different signal strengths or powers and propagation delays. The resultant combined signal can have significant fluctuation in power. This phenomenon is called fading.
Unlike all other parts of the radio spectrum, a license is not required to operate a transmitter in the ISM bands specified in IEEE 802.11 a/b/g. In exchange for this license-free environment, users implementing the IEEE 802.11 b/g and IEEE 802.11a standards are subject to interference from other users of the bands. The 2.4 to 2.4835 GHz ISM band is particularly sensitive to interference because it is populated with numerous wireless networking products such as Bluetooth systems, HomeRF systems, IEEE 802.11b WLAN devices, microwave ovens, and cordless phones that can result in significant interference. This interference is the result of a myriad of incompatible data transmission techniques, uncoordinated usage of spectrum, and over-subscription of the available spectrum.
Many devices operating in the 2.4 to 2.4835 GHz ISM band can either be classified as direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) or frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) systems. The DSSS data transmission scheme is used primarily by IEEE 802.11b systems. FHSS systems, such as Bluetooth devices, differ from DSSS systems in their implementation for avoiding interference. FHSS systems avoid interference with other transmission signals in the same band by hopping over many different frequency channels. To provide FHSS systems with more bandwidth, the United States Federal Government Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has allowed FHSS systems to operate at wider bandwidths. The operation of FHSS systems at wider bandwidths has the potential to increase interference between DSSS and FHSS products. The interference level of narrowband FHSS systems on DSSS transmission has already been found to be severe.
There are additional elements of performance degradation in a network of 802.11b/g WLAN access points (APs). Since the 802.11b/g channel bandwidth is approximately 16 MHz, only three non-overlapping channels operating in proximity can be accommodated without interfering with one another. The channel re-use factor imposes a severe restriction on implementation of 802.11b/g based systems which requires significantly more effort in the network deployment, and increases the chances of interference and packet collision especially within an environment with a dense user cluster, such as in an office building.
Several approaches for improving the operating performance and range in a fading environment have been suggested. In one conventional approach, selection antenna diversity is used to reduce the effect of multipath fading. Multiple antennas are located in different locations or employ different polarizations. As long as the antennas have adequate separation in space or have a different polarization, the signal arriving at different antennas experiences independent fading. Each antenna can have a dedicated receiver or multiple antennas can share the same receiver. The receiver(s) checks to see which antenna has the best receiving signal quality and uses that antenna for the signal reception. The performance gain thus achieved is called diversity gain. The performance gain increases with the number of diversity antennas. The drawback of the selection diversity approach using a single shared receiver is that fast antenna switching and signal quality comparison is required. Since an 802.11(a, b, g) signal has a short signal preamble, only two diversity antennas are typically employed. This achieves a diversity gain of approximately 6 dB in a flat Rayleigh fading environment at the required frame error rate. The diversity gain decreases to 3 dB when delay spread is 50 ns and 0 dB when delay spread is 100 ns.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,115,762 describes an embedded antenna formed on a printed circuit board installed in a computing device. The antenna may include multiple radiating and receiving elements for mitigating multipath effects and/or responding to steering circuitry to form a directed antenna beam.
In another conventional approach, signal combining is used to provide improved performance in a fading environment. Signal combining techniques employ multiple spatially separated and/or orthogonally polarized antennas. The received signal is obtained by combining the signals from the multiple antennas. One technique for providing optimal signal quality is known as maximal ratio combining (MRC). To achieve the best signal quality, the received signal from each antenna is phase-shifted such that the resultant signals from all antennas are in phase. In addition, the signal from each antenna is scaled in amplitude based on the square root of its received signal-to-noise ratio. In an open loop implementation, a training sequence is transmitted first, followed by the signal containing information content. The received signal from each antenna is downconverted and passed through a channel filter. Separately, the received signals from all antenna elements are initially multiplied by a set of antenna weights (with arbitrary initial values) before they are combined into a single signal. The combined signal is then downconverted and passed through a channel filter. The antenna weights are a set of complex baseband signals and are derived by correlating received signal from each antenna element with the combined signal. Signal correlation is performed by multiplying the complex conjugate of the received signal from each antenna with the combined signal (called the reference signal) and passing it through a low pass filter (or integrator). Assuming that the averaged received noise power is the same in all received signals, the received signal envelope is proportional to the square root of the received signal-to-noise ratio. Under this condition, the magnitude of the antenna weight is proportional to the square root of the received signal-to-noise ratio. The generated set of antenna weights thus derived achieves the criterion for maximal ratio combining and the combined signal maximizes the received signal-to-noise ratio. Once the values are derived, the antenna weights are updated. The disadvantage of the open loop implementation is that the errors in antenna weights can accumulate over the signal processing steps. If there is any error in the derived antenna weights, the system can not detect the error automatically since there is no feedback mechanism. In addition, the system needs to detect the signal arrival and automatically activate the open loop antenna weight estimation process and update the antenna weight upon completion of the required steps, which increases the complexity of the system. Another disadvantage of the open loop implementation occurs when the initial set of antenna weights happen to produce a combined signal whose power is significantly lower than those from individual antenna. The antenna weight thus derived can thus have significant error due to the low signal level of the combined signal.
Another combining technique that maximizes the output signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio is known as minimum mean square error (MMSE) combining. Signal combining techniques typically achieve better performance than the selection diversity antenna approach at the expense of added implementation complexity.
The signals can be combined with combining techniques based on a weighting scheme. Weights used in combining techniques can be generated with blind and nonblind techniques. In nonblind techniques, the received signal is demodulated and data sequences in the received signal are used to determine the portion that is the desired signal and the portion that is noise and interference. The demodulated signal is used to determine the combining weights through correlation with the received signals. In blind techniques, a property of the signal is used to distinguish it from interference and noise. In one approach, a constant modulus algorithm (CMA) is used to take advantage of a signal property of a constant signal envelope in order to generate a set of antenna weights such that the constant envelope property can be maintained. A shortcoming with nonblind techniques is that they require substantial modification of receiver application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) (baseband and media access controller (MAC), to use the demodulated signal. Thus, nonblind techniques generally must be incorporated into each vendor's WLAN integrated circuit (IC). Blind techniques do not use the demodulated signal and, therefore, can be added to the receiver with little or not modifications. Conventional blind techniques have the shortcoming that the receiver can generally not distinguish the desired signal from interference, and therefore the combiner weights can adapt to either the desired signal or to another wireless user's signal. Signal combining techniques typically achieve better performance than the selection diversity antenna approaches at the expense of added implementation complexity.
Another known approach to achieve performance improvement is through equalization, either in the time or frequency domain. In this technique, the multipaths arriving at the receiver are delayed, phase shifted, and amplitude scaled before they are combined (equalized). Equalization typically works better when the delay spread is large (>100 ns). The performance enhancement as a result of equalization adds to the diversity gain of antennas.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,736,460 and 4,797,950 describe a multipath reduction system including a CMA adaptive array. The CMA adaptive array includes at least two antenna elements and weighting means coupled to the antenna elements for selectively weighting the received signals by a selected weight factor. The weighted signals are added together to generate an adaptive array output signal. An envelope detector receives the adaptive array output signal for generating an amplitude envelope output signal of the adaptive array output signal. A multiplier receives the amplitude envelope output signal for generating a feedback signal. The feedback signal is received at CMA adaptive array for automatically redefining the weight factors based on the feedback signal and corresponding weighting means input signal. The use of CMA algorithm as described above has problems distinguishing the desired signal from the interfering signals.
Another conventional blind weight generation method is a power inversion technique, which generates weights that suppress the strongest received signals. This technique is acceptable when the interfering signals are much stronger than the desired signal. However, the desired signal can also be suppressed if stronger interfering signals are not present. Accordingly, neither of these techniques (CMA or power inversion) is suitable for MMSE weight generation in WLANs when interference is present.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,038 describes an adaptive array using a composite signal of weighted average of a coherent reference signal value and a constant modulus reference signal value. This technique also has problems distinguishing the desired signal from interfering signals.
It is desirable to provide an enhanced wireless communication system that employs multiple antenna elements and optimal adaptive signal processing techniques to provide an increase in operating range in a multipath environment while providing compatibility with existing wireless communication systems using blind weight adaptation.

Wireless communication system using a plurality of antenna elements with adaptive weighting and combining techniques


An apparatus for the fermentation of a vegetable product in the form of crushed material, includes a first tank for containing the crushed material and a second collection tank for the gaseous products generated from the crushed material's fermentation, a first piping system adapted to let communicate a part of the first tank, where the gaseous products are gathered, with the second tank, a second piping system adapted to let communicate the second and the first tank, the system having a outlet in the first tank where, in use, the liquid of the crushed material is present, first and second valves associated respectively to the first and second piping system to make the two tanks selectively communicating conditionally to the open/closed status of said valves. To allow fermentation in controlled environment there are provided an adjustment device adapted to finely adjust the gaseous product's pressure to one or more values programmed by a user inside the first and second tank when they are communicating and/or within the second tank when it is isolated.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a fermentation apparatus.
Although the invention is useful for the fermentation of any vegetable product in the form of a crushed material, the description that follows will refer as an example to winemaking, where the invention has proved particularly effective.
2. Description of Background Art
Winemaking is carried out with the help of special tanks, where the must is introduced to ferment. The fermentation process generates large amounts of gaseous products, especially CO2, participating actively to the success of a good wine. The gases are released from the must and push the marc and every solid part upward where they compact and form a solid layer, called "cap".
The winemaking methods exploit the fermentation gases, as in WO 98/45403, to mix the cap and prevent solidification thereof. In combination or not, other methods consider to adjust the pressure inside the winemaking tank through safety or degassing valves, both mechanical or membrane valves.
An example of pressure adjustment is described in WO 2006/087601. Here a particular type of degassing valve is used, of the membrane type, in which fluid is pumped to tighten it and lock the vent thereof.
Recently, the applicant has surprisingly discovered how much the pressure inside the winemaking tank is very important, especially during the degassing. Too high a pressure in the tank has immediate repercussions on the quality of wine. The degassing, impulsive or not, induce the must to surface on the cap and the release of gases from within the grape berries. If the pressure is too high, the berries brake and a lot of dregs (mush suspended in the must) is produced. It has been discovered that each grape has its optimum fermentation pressure, which must be regulated with a maximum tolerance of one hundredth of bar (e.g. values as precise as 0.29 bar or 0.31 bar).
The membranes in WO 2006/087601 are made of rubber or similar, and suffer greatly from many factors such as their inertia, whereby they regulate very approximately their venting, or the temperature. A pressure maintained at 0.3 bar during the day can move also to 0.2 bar at night, when the cellar is colder. Moreover, the more the internal pressure of the tank is approaching the threshold pressure, the more sensitivity and precision is lost in the valve, because the membranes are beginning to open. Swinging values with errors of 0.1 bar in WO 2006/087601, which is about 25% of the usual maximum working pressure, are not adequate for a controlled-pressure fermentation. Not only can the must be denatured, but also could the proper fermentation process of grapes be altered through wrong pressures. The same goes for mechanical valves with spring pressure adjustment and calibration.


A tool holder for locating and seating varieties of differing tools. The tool holder is usable with press brake tools as well as tools for other industrial machines and equipment. The tool holder includes a clamp and a supporting body. The clamp is an assembly and, via collective operation of its components, functions with the supporting body to locate and seat tools of a variety of differing styles, sizes, and geometries.

Workpieces, such as sheet metal, can be fabricated into a wide range of useful products. The fabrication (i.e., manufacturing) processes commonly employed involve making various bends and/or forming holes in the workpieces. The equipment used for such processes involve many types, including turret presses and other industrial presses (such as single-station presses), Trumpf style machines and other rail type systems, press brakes, sheet feed systems, coil feed systems, and other types of fabrication equipment adapted for punching or pressing operations.
Concerning press brakes, they are equipped with a lower table and an upper table, and are commonly used for deforming workpieces. One of the tables (typically the upper table) is configured to be vertically movable toward the other table. Forming tools are mounted to the tables so that when one table is brought toward the other, a workpiece positioned there between can be bent into an appropriate shape. Typically, the upper table includes a male forming tool (a punch) having a bottom workpiece-deforming surface (such as a V-shaped surface), and the bottom table has an appropriately-shaped female tool (a die) having an upper surface vertically aligned with the workpiece-deforming surface of the male tool.
Continuing with press brakes, forming tools must be carefully mounted on a press brake in order to machine (e.g., bend) workpieces positioned there between to precise specifications. To that end, a forming tool has to be properly located and seated on the upper table (or lower table, as the case dictates) to enable such precise machining One conventional method for properly seating tools with press brake tables has involved loosely retaining a shank or tang of a tool in a holder coupled to one of the tables, and moving the table in a downward (or upward) direction until the tip of the tool abuts the other table. In such case, the tool can be correspondingly pushed against the load-delivering surface of the tool holder, and thereby seated in relation to the tool holder. In turn, the tool can be secured to the holder in such seated position. Unfortunately, while generally effective, this method has been found to be time-consuming. As such, more modern methods have involved using mechanisms with such holders to assist in locating and seating tools thereon. However, there remains room for improvement even with designs involving such mechanisms.
As is known, forming tools are generally defined with mounting and working portions. Typically, these portions are defined at opposing ends of the tools, with the mounting portion often involving a shank of the tool. In many cases, tool shanks are defined with a notch or groove therein for use in retaining the tool on a tool holder (wherein such holder is mounted to industrial machine or equipment, e.g., a table of a press brake). Such notches or grooves can be formed in a variety of shapes and sizes, and permit entry of a key of the tool holder therein such that the holder retains the tool prior to the tool being secured and thereby seated on the holder. To that end, the engagement between key and notch/groove is also facilitated prior to the tool being removed from the holder. As such, the notch or groove provides a safety feature for the tool, whereby the tool would not release from its engagement with key of the tool holder without further act (e.g., rotation of the tool) by the operator. Regarding some tools, notches are defined therein to have squared-off edges. In such cases, an upper shoulder of such notch is often defined to be a set vertical distance from further tool surface intended to receive loading from the tool holder. This set distance is generally referred to as the tool's "notch distance." However, as described above, the shape of the notch can vary (e.g., so as to not to be entirely squared-off), and in such cases, the notch distance can be measured from the lowest point of contact of tool holder key within tool notch to the load-receiving surface of the tool.
Regarding such notch distances, they have generally become standardized in the industry. For example, some tool types have been designed to have notch distances measuring about 12.5 mm or about 13 mm; although notch distances are known to vary depending on the manufacturer of the tool and the design of industrial machine or equipment for which the tool is intended. Nevertheless, such standardization of notch distances presents difficulty if one attempts to use tools of differing manufacturers at random on industrial machines or equipment, such as a press brake. For example, the tools on hand may not conform to specifications of the press brake, and thus, would not be configurable with the tool holders mounted on the tables of such press brake. Although, even if tools were found able to be accommodated by such holders, there would be high potential that corresponding edges and surfaces of the tool and tables would be out of tolerance if the corresponding tool holders were not specifically designed for such tools. Thus, precise positioning mechanisms, for properly locating and seating tools of a variety of sizes and/or geometries, would be desirable for tool holders.
Embodiments of the present invention are intended to the address the above-described challenges (as well as others) with regard to tool holders, whether used with press brakes or other industrial machines and equipment.


Polar hydrophobic ionic materials and, in particular, polar hydrophobic ionic polyurethanes having a minimum ratio of hydrophobic and anionic components to the remainder of the polymer components are provided that exhibit reduced IgG Fab exposure.

The immune system represents the body's defense mechanism against invasion by antigens or non-self entities, including foreign materials, pathogens, and other infectious agents. In vertebrates, two types of immune responses exist—innate immunity and adaptive immunity. The innate immune response is comprised of physical and chemical barriers that prevent the entry of foreign antigens in a nonspecific manner and immune cells that recognize a limited number of receptors possessed by a variety of pathogens. In contrast, the adaptive immune system, which involves unique recognition and a more tailored cellular response, demonstrates a greater specificity towards the invading antigen.
Inflammation is a fundamental reaction involved in the innate immune response and manifests itself through the classical symptoms of redness, pain, heat, and swelling. The inflammatory response is initiated by physical injury or infection and represents one of the first responses of the body's immune system to the aforementioned events. The inflammatory response is characterized by the activation and migration of leukocytes to the injury site during acute inflammation and the presence of mononuclear cells during chronic inflammation; the subsequent cascade of cellular processes is the body's attempt to identify, contain, and eliminate foreign materials and pathogens that may be present. This system aims to repair or restore the structure and function of the injured tissue or organ, thereby contributing to the wound-healing response and maintaining the well-being of the organism as a whole.
Physical injury occurs when a biomedical device is implanted into the body. Once implanted, it is recognized by the immune system as a foreign entity. The resulting injury and interaction of the biomaterial with the body triggers the inflammatory response. The initial sequence of events appears similar to, but ultimately diverges from, the process of normal wound healing. A series of immunological events collectively described as the foreign body reaction (FBR) follow implantation and may result in fibrotic encapsulation of the biodevice. Fibrotic encapsulation may interfere with device functionality or render the device useless or result in secondary complications such as painful adhesions, inability of blood cells to gain access to tissue in order to fight infections and provide nutrients to cells, and build up of body fluids around the implant. The outcome of the FBR determines the host response to the biomedical device, which affects its acceptance or rejection by the body. Several phases are encountered during the host response to the biomaterial, including blood-material interaction, acute inflammation, chronic inflammation, FBR, and fibrosis, in which specific cell populations are present during each phase.
Biomaterials are used in numerous biomedical applications and devices, such as heart valves, biosensors, tissue engineering scaffolds and joint replacements just to name a few, both in vivo as an implant for short or long times, and in vitro in contact with cells and/or tissues, and/or body fluids such as in blood fields and analytical biosensors. Protein adsorption occurs immediately following the implantation of a biomaterial, or contact of body fluids such as blood to a biomaterial. This adsorbed protein layer is composed of bioactive agents that can greatly influence the behavior of cells or other body fluid elements (platelets, proteins, red blood cells, neutrophils etc.) involved in the inflammatory, immune, and foreign body responses such as wound-healing responses. The adsorbed protein layer initiates the coordinated series of innate immunological events collectively described as FBR.
There remains a need for materials that are biocompatible and provide a more desirable immune response and/or a more controllable immune response than commonly used biomaterials.

Biomaterial with reduced inflammatory response

THE GOVERNING COUNCIL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO


An institutional badminton racket including a head and a flexible plastic handle. The head has a metal rim around a shuttlecock striking face, and a neck rigidly secured to the rim, where the neck includes a hollow throat extending from the rim away from the striking face with lateral openings through the throat. The handle connecting end includes a first portion extending into the hollow throat, a second portion surrounding the throat, pin portions extending through the throat lateral openings and integral with the first and second portions, and a pair of wings extending generally in the plane in a lateral direction toward the head and including openings therethrough. A Y-clamp is secured around the handle connecting end and the head rim adjacent the head neck and including pins extending through the wing openings.

Badminton is an excellent sport at all levels, from the beginner level to highly skilled competitive matches. It is not only entertaining to play, but can be enjoyed by people of all sizes and skill levels. Moreover, it is an excellent sport for teaching hand-eye coordination in physical education classes as well as providing aerobic exercise. Advantageously, the sport requires minimal equipment (a net, rackets and a shuttlecock) and can be readily played indoors for year round enjoyment and teaching no matter what the climate.
Rackets have been made for a variety of playing levels, including expensive rackets of various materials such as metal, wood and/or composite materials for highly skilled players. However, such rackets can be relatively brittle and subject to breaking or damage if not used properly, such as if they are hit on a hard floor.
In institutional settings such as schools where the rackets can be expected to be heavily used by players of many skill levels, including particularly beginners, it is desirable to have rackets which will be extremely durable to withstand such use. Needless to say, schools are reluctant to buy equipment which can be expected to break in only few days based on the anticipated use (e.g., by young students first learning the game who can be expected to, inadvertently or not, hit the racket head on the floor from time to time). Thus, while badminton may seem like a sport requiring little equipment as already noted, to a school which would foresee having to buy many, many rackets due to breakage, this excellent sport could be viewed as prohibitively expensive to include in its curriculum.
To meet such needs, inexpensive and/or durable rackets have heretofore been manufactured for institutional uses such as schools. Generally conventional structure rackets have been made cheaply, but the result is, as would be expected, a low quality racket which, though cheaper to replace, will also still be subject to breakage requiring relatively frequent replacement. Such rackets can also tend to be poor to use, that is, to provide a poor feel when hitting the shuttlecock. Another racket which has been manufactured for institutional uses is a one piece combination handle and head made all of plastic. While that racket structure has provided some increased durability over rackets of other materials, the flexibility of the head makes it impossible to use conventional strings to generate the shuttlecock striking face and thus a different type of striking face has been required, resulting in a poor feel when using the racket. Thus, those taught in schools with such rackets could face an entirely new learning cycle when advancing to more conventional string face rackets.
The present invention is directed toward overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.


A substantially homogeneous sprayable cleaning gel composition which is substantially free of suspended encapsulated particles exhibits extended dwell time when sprayed on to a surface as compared to a low viscosity spray cleaner. The extended dwell time and anti-static properties of the sprayable cleaning gel composition give rise to several benefits and advantages. The sprayable cleaning gel composition housed in a spray applicator is usable to clean surfaces at any angle. A preferred method of cleaning surfaces is also described.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sprayable cleaning gel composition, which is preferably packaged in a spray applicator, and to a method of cleaning using the composition and spray applicator hereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a substantially homogeneous sprayable cleaning gel composition which clings to and dwells on a cleanable surface when sprayed thereon. Preferably, the sprayable cleaning gel composition hereof is housed in a spray applicator for convenient application thereof. The present invention also relates to a method of cleaning a surface, using the sprayable cleaning gel composition and spray applicator hereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several low viscosity sprayable cleaning compositions such as glass cleaners, all-purpose cleaners, and bathroom cleaners are known and used in many households today. Generally, these commercially available spray cleaners have a viscosity in a range from about 3 centipoise (cP) to about 10 cP. Accordingly, these known spray cleaners are somewhat `watery` in consistency and have a tendency to run off of surfaces that they are applied to, particularly if those surfaces are vertically oriented, as most windows are. This `run-off` leads to waste and inefficiency, and tends to wet non-target areas in application of the cleaner. Further, if one of these currently available spray cleaners is sprayed onto a flattened undersurface of a cabinet or the like, the currently available cleaner tends to drip off of that surface rather than to cling thereto.
A discussion of some known cleaning foams and gels follows.
Sprayable foaming cleaning compositions are known and are commercially available today. Foaming glass and surface cleaners do exhibit some short-lived tendency to cling to a surface when sprayed thereon and to dwell on the surface for a short time. However, foams do sag and run fairly quickly. Also, foams contain at least 15 to 30 percent air, which results in incomplete product to surface contact during dwell time, and in reduced cleaning effectiveness as compared to a product which exhibits more product to surface contact.
A cleaning and bleaching gel has recently come on to the market, sold by the CLOROX Company under the name "CLOROX Clean-up Gel". No spray applicator is advertised for use with this product, and the bleach component of the product is emphasized in the advertisements. This product contains a significant quantity of bleach and the label warns not to use it on clothes, fabric, carpet, wood, and painted surfaces, and further warns that prolonged contact with metal, old porcelain or plastic laminate countertops may cause discoloration. Applications available for this bleaching product, because of the manufacturer's warnings and limitations, are necessarily somewhat limited.
Products known generally as `naval jelly`, which are applied with a brush, are known and used for cleaning rust off of metals such as steel. However, these products are caustic to exposed skin, give off hazardous fumes, may be flammable, and are not suitable for cleaning household surfaces. Moreover, naval jelly is made up of entirely different components from those that make up the sprayable cleaning gel composition according to the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,664 to Corring et. al., issued Aug. 25, 1992, discloses a clear detergent gel for use in an automatic dishwasher. The detergent gel of Corring et. al. is not homogeneous, but instead contains dispersed and suspended opaque particles of an active material such as a bleach, the particles of active material being encapsulated in a layer of protective material to prevent them from reacting with the surrounding gel before use.
Many different types of cleaning compositions are available on the market today. However, a need still exists for a sprayable cleaning gel composition which is substantially homogeneous, which is substantially free of suspended encapsulated particles, and which tends to cling to and dwell on a surface when sprayed thereon, for ease and efficiency of use.
B.F. Goodrich Co., Specialty Chemicals, Cleveland, Ohio 44141 has published (March, 1994) a formulation (hereinafter referred to as the "BFG 90 cP Formulation") for a glass and multipurpose cleaner which discloses the following:
______________________________________ Ingredient Wt. % (as is) Function ______________________________________ DI Water 80.6 Diluent Carbopol ETD 2691.sup.1 0.2 Thickener Isopropanol 15.0 Solvent/cleaner Dowanol PM.sup.2 3.0 Solvent/cleaner Bioterge PAS-BS.sup.3 1.0 Surfactant Ammonium Hydroxide (28%) 0.2 Neutralizer/alkalinity ______________________________________ Wherein the superscripts are defined as follows: .sup.1 A registered trademark product of B. F. Goodrich Co. .sup.2 A registered trademark product of Dow Chemical Co. .sup.3 A product of Stepan Chemical Co.
Procedure: Disperse Carbopol ETD-2691 into DI water with moderate agitation; combine isopropanol and Dowanol PM and blend with Carbopol resin dispersion; add Bioterge PAS-BS to the mixture; and neutralize with ammonium hydroxide to a pH of 9.5-10.0. Properties: Viscosity equals 90 centipoise (cP); pH (as is) equals 9.5; and appearance is a clear liquid. B.F. Goodrich Company indicates that the following characteristics pertain: cleans glass to a sparking finish; streak-free results; provides vertical cling-doesn't run down; and reduces mist to air.
B.F. Goodrich Co., Specialty Chemicals, Cleveland, Ohio 44141 has published (June, 1995) another formulation (hereafter referred to as the "BFG 200 cP Formulation") for a glass and multipurpose cleaner which discloses the following:
______________________________________ Ingredient Wt. % ______________________________________ DI Water 92.45 Carbopol ETD 2623.sup.1 0.10 Isopropanol 5.00 Alkylbenzene Sulfonic Acid (97%).sup.2 0.25 Propylene Glycol Methyl Ether.sup.3 2.00 Ammonium Hydroxide 0.20 ______________________________________ Wherein the superscripts are defined as follows: .sup.1 A registered trademark product of B. F. Goodrich Co. .sup.2 Biosoft S100, a product of Stepan Chemical Co. .sup.3 Dowanol PM, a registered trademark product of Dow Chemical Co.
Procedure: Using moderate agitation (800 RPM) provided by a variable speed unit and suitable impeller for mixing and blending operations, dispense or screen the Carbopol resin into the DI water. Mix the slurry for approximately 15 minutes or until homogeneous. Add the isopropanol. Add the ammonium hydroxide and mix until homogenous. Add the sulfonic acid and glycol ether with minimal agitation. Add additional ammonium hydroxide, if necessary, to reach target pH. Add color and fragrance, if desired. Properties: Viscosity equals 200 cP; pH equals 9.5-10; and clarity is clear. The manufacturer offers these comments: "Carbopol resins are used to increase the yield value resulting in vertical cling when sprayed on a vertical surface. This "no-drip" action will increase the contact time of the detergent on the soiled surface as well as enhance consumer convenience."
Applicant has formulated the above recounted "BFG 90 cP Formulation" and "BFG 200 cP Formulation", and thereupon performed spray/cling tests on them. The tests were conducted, at substantially standard temperature and pressure, as follows: each formulation was sprayed once onto a vertical mirror 22 inches long by 18 inches wide from a distance of 4 inches using a model SSA pump sprayer manufactured by Calmar, inc. of Lee's Summit, Mo. 64081 having a sprayer orifice of 0.025 inches. The following results were obtained.


An improved cargo seal structured to securely close a container having at least one door, the cargo seal including a lock assembly, including at least one lock aperture, that secures the door in a closed orientation, and an elongate segment of substantially strong, generally flexible material. The elongate segment is structured to extend through the lock aperture of the lock assembly so as to restrict movement and/or actuation of the lock assembly, and is sufficiently elongate to extend across the doors and thereby prevent opening thereof. A pair of lock segments are further provided and are correspondingly disposed at a first end and a second end of the elongate segment, at least one of the lock segments being structured to be securely coupled with at least one mating segment at the first end of the elongate segment. Each of the lock segments has an increased diameter relative to a diameter of the elongate segment at its first end and second end so as to prevent removal of the elongate segment from the lock aperture by passage over the first end and the second end of the elongate segment. Moreover, each of the lock segments further includes an identifying indicia disposed thereon so as to prevent its unauthorized replacement.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed towards an improved cargo seal which is structured to be utilized on a cargo container in order to maintain the cargo container's doors securely locked in a closed orientation, preventing opening thereof without destructively removing the cargo seal and door lock in a manner which clearly indicates tampering has occurred, even if the lock is replaced, thereby substantially protecting the contents of the cargo container, while also substantially identifying when tampering has occurred.
2. Description of the Related Art
Large, cargo containers, such as those that are detachable or are formed as part of trailers are the most commonly used means of transporting large volumes of many varying cargos from location to location around the world. A primary advantage to their use is that the large containers can store large quantities of goods and can be effectively transported on boats, trains, and/or trucks in order to expeditiously arrive at their eventual destination. The detachability and adaptability of containers is of particular importance because the containers will often change hands from one carrier to another carrier, such as from a train to a truck or from a trucking company to a steamship line, during the various legs of a transport route.
Naturally, due to the great volume and often valuable nature of the cargos being transported in the large containers, security is an important consideration when dealing with cargo transportation. Unfortunately, however, one of the most prevalent security concerns, in addition to the third party hijackers or thieves who do not generally care if they leave signs of a break in, involves internal not obviously detectable theft. For example, it is sometimes an all too common occurrence that during transit, an individual placed in custody of the container, such as a truck driver in charge of transporting the cargo from point to point, is behind a robbery. Such an individual is naturally very familiar with the nature of the cargo on board, and can easily arrange for a safe rendezvous for the removal of all or part of the cargo contained within the large container. Unlikely as it may seem, in these instances, it is often the security measures and/or locks which are normally employed that serve as the biggest ally to the thieves.
A conventional, single-use, single end seal is the common article used to secure the door handle/latch in a door closing orientation. Nevertheless, thieves have still found ways to unlatch the doors without actually braking the seal. Specifically, the joint between the actuation handle and the lock rod on most conventional containers generally incorporates a single bolt securing both elements with one another. As a result, a thief can merely cut or drill out and remove that bolt to permit the independent turning of the lock rod while the actuation handle remains in place, thereby opening the container without having to move the actuation handle or break the seal. Once the cargo has been removed and the door is re-closed, a replacement bolt is merely inserted to connect the actuation handle with the lock rod, and can be painted over if necessary to preserve the original appearance. As a result, the conventional type identifying seal has never been removed and no evidence of tampering is available as the cargo changes hands from one carrier to another. Accordingly, when the specific carrier involved in the theft arrives at a next leg of the transport, the container looks normal and intact, and the responsibility is passed on to the next transport carrier. Naturally, when the theft is ultimately discovered blame passes from carrier to carrier with no concrete resolution as to the true thieves or the actual stage of transport during which the theft occurred. Moreover, as no positive blame can be put on any particular carrier, it is often the owner of the cargo who must take the loss and must fight their insurance company for some recovery.
Despite the numerous techniques thieves have found to defeat existing systems, and because of the high volume of cargo being transported on a daily basis, and the cost of more extensive security measures, most carriers still utilize the above-described securing methods to seal the cargo doors. Such carriers accept a certain percentage of losses to theft as an expense of doing business given the lack of a viable alternative. Accordingly, it would be highly beneficial to provide a cargo container seal and door lock which can defeat or at least significantly hinder the "inside job" theft in a cost effective and easy to implement fashion. Such an improved seal should be structured so as to resist opening of the doors without its removal, and should be difficult to replace without providing substantially clear and noticeable evidence of tampering, thereby allowing the identification of a theft by a transport company when they take on the cargo.
For these reasons, some shippers have turned to utilizing single use locking brackets which employ common single use, single end seals which bear a particular, recorded serial number thereon if added security is desired. Accordingly, when the cargo container changes hands from one carrier to another the lock is inspected and the numerals on the seal(s) are recorded to ensure that they match the shipping records. Still, however, while such techniques are more effective than the security measures which had previously been available, clever thieves have quickly found ways around those procedures as well.
Specifically, because a thief associated with a transport attendant may have extended time and can choose a location for a theft to occur, techniques not usually available to the common thief can be employed. In particular, a thief, usually equipped with a blowtorch, will first cut the bracket between the two doors at a central point thereof, thereby permitting the free movement of the doors relative to one another. If an independent bracket seal is used to keep the bracket secured in place, such cutting of the bracket does not remove or damage the seal which keeps the bracket in place, and accordingly, when the theft is completed, the thieves can merely weld the two sections of the bracket back together. Further, a rapid coat of silver paint is usually sufficient to match the normal zinc coated finish of the bracket and completely mask that the bracket has been removed. Alternatively, if as in most instances the bracket is merely locked or welded in place, a new bracket can be replaced on the closed doors as it is only the bracket which restricted opening of the container.
As such, it would be beneficial to provide an improved seal that is structured to require its actual removal in order to access the container. Such a seal, which prior to the present invention has not been provided, should be structured to be permanently and noticeably damaged if broken and/or removed, and should be difficult to duplicate easily and effectively.
Specifically, existing cargo seals only include a single lock head bearing a serial number and providing for independent attachment. Such seals require a thief to duplicate a single serial number on the spot, and are structured only to seal a single door latch such that removal of a bolt from the closure assembly and actuation of the door without removal of the seal can be easily achieved. Indeed, conventional seals are structured only to maintain the latch closed and not to actually maintain the door closed. Moreover, if an improved tamper evident container door lock that shrouds the joints of the closure assembly and secures both doors in a closed orientation is utilized, existing seal configurations are not structured to sufficiently enhance the closure array.


A display device that can be used with another display device, includes: a display unit; a command receiving unit which receives a control command or ID information from an external remote controller; and a command processing unit. The display unit displays the display device's own ID in response to reception of the control command by the command receiving unit. If the command receiving unit receives the ID information indicating the display device's own ID after the display unit starts displaying the display device's own ID, the command processing unit performs processing corresponding to the control command.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a display device and a control method for a display device.
2. Related Art
There is a system in which a single common controller controls a plurality of display devices when all the plurality of display devices are used (see JP-A-8-223591 and JP-A-2011-254238). JP-A-8-223591 discloses a method in which, in the case of processing a plurality of screens as one screen, an ID of each display unit is set and a single controller performs screen adjustment by transmitting a command with the ID to each display. JP-A-2011-254238 discloses a method in which, in the case of controlling a plurality of display units from a single controller, an ID is displayed and connection is established using the ID, thus controlling one display unit.
In the configuration of JP-A-8-223591, each display device does not display the provided ID. Meanwhile, in the configuration of JP-A-2011-254238, each display device displays the ID. Therefore, according to the configuration of JP-A-2011-254238, a user can easily learn the ID of the target display device. However, in the configuration of JP-A-2011-254238, when controlling one display device, the display device and the controller must be connected together in advance. Therefore, for example, in the case of causing a display device to execute the following command, the user may find the operation troublesome. For example, causing a display device to execute a simple command such as power-off is a case in point. If such a command is directed only to a single display device, the user can cause the command to be executed, normally by one operation. However, in the configuration where a command execution target is designated in advance, the user is to cause a single command to be executed by taking three steps: (1) causing each display device to display the ID, (2) designating the ID of the target display device, and (3) transmit the command thereto. In this case, the user may find the operation procedures troublesome, particularly when causing a simple command to be executed. That is, there is a problem that the operation procedures (the number of operation procedures) are many, despite the simple control operation.

Display device and control method for display device


A spark plug electrode material containing nickel, silicon, and copper, the electrode material, in the case of proper use, forming a nickel oxide layer made of nickel oxide grains on at least a part of its surface, the grain boundary phase of the nickel oxide grains including silicon and/or silicon oxide.

Spark plugs are known in the related art in various embodiments. In gasoline engines, spark plugs generate ignition sparks for igniting the fuel-air mixture between their electrodes. The spark plugs have ground electrodes and center electrodes for this purpose, spark plug configurations having two to five electrodes being known. The electrodes are introduced either onto the spark plug housing (ground electrode) or as the center electrodes into a ceramic insulator for this purpose. The service life of a spark plug is influenced by the corrosion and erosion resistance of the electrode material. Conventional electrode materials are based on nickel alloys having aluminum components. However, these have the problem that under operating conditions in the engine compartment, i.e., in the case of high temperatures and oxidizing atmosphere, a majority of the nickel surface and also part of the nickel in the interior of the electrode material are oxidized by reactions with the surrounding oxygen. A nickel oxide layer is thus formed, which also contains aluminum oxide and has both thermally insulating properties and also properties which suppress the electrical conductivity. It thus tends toward corrosion or spark-erosive erosion already after a short time. In this way, the electrode spacing is enlarged, which finally results in failure of the spark plug. The formation of an oxide layer in the case of proper use of the spark plug may be achieved, however, by the use of electrode materials made of pure noble metal or based on noble metal, for example, platinum or platinum alloys with iridium, which have an increased resistance with respect to wear against spark-erosive attacks. However, such electrode materials, in particular platinum, result in enormous costs, which are problematic in the case of mass-produced parts of this type such as spark plugs.

Spark plug electrode material and spark plug


A fluid coupling apparatus for communicating fluid between a fluid hose and a heat exchanger wherein the fluid coupling apparatus minimizes or eliminates the spacing required or necessitated from the bending of a fluid hose. The present invention provides a hollow substantially cylindrical first portion defining a first passageway communicatable with a fluid hose, and a hollow substantially rectangular second portion integrally extending from said first portion. The second portion of the present invention has at least one substantially flat surface wherein an aperture extends through the flat surface of the second portion to provide a second passageway in communication with the first passageway and in communication with the heat exchanger. The second portion has an annular raised shoulder or lip which further defines the aperture and which is utilized to connect the fluid coupling apparatus to the heat exchanger.

In general, engine compartments of cars, motorcycles and similar machines are lubricated and cooled by using engine or motor oil. Typically, the engine or motor oil is cooled by circulating the engine oil through an oil cooler or heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is in communication with an engine block and oil filter and provides a circulating passageway for the engine oil. The heat exchanger is also in communication with the engine's coolant wherein the engine coolant circulates throughout the heat exchanger to cool the engine oil.
Due to the limited amount of spacing which typically exist in most engine compartments, especially the area surrounding the engine block, fluid hose lines directing the engine coolant to and from the heat exchanger must be connected to the heat exchanger in a manner that minimize s the amount of spacing required between the heat exchanger and the fluid hose lines. This can be difficult to accomplish when the engine coolant lines extend parallel to a substantially flat surface of the heat exchanger in which the fluid lines access the heat exchanger. This requires that the fluid lines be bent at a substantially right angle to communicate with an access provided in the flat surface of the heat exchanger. When bending the fluid hose lines, a certain amount of space or clearance must be provided for the bend or elbow so that the fluid hose line does not kink or fold thus prohibiting or restricting fluid from passing through the fluid hose line and communicating with the heat exchanger.
To minimize the clearance and spacing required of bending fluid hose lines, known designs have welded or brazed a rectangular steel block onto the end of a seamless welded tubing. A 90.degree. bore is machined through the steel block so as to provide a passageway extending from the steel tube, through the steel block, and into an inlet or access provided in a wall of the heat exchanger. The steel block is brazed to the wall of the heat exchanger to prohibit any leaking or dislodging of the steel block from the heat exchanger. This known design minimizes the clearance associated with bending fluid coupling lines, but the design is laborious and expensive to manufacture, which is undesireable in a production environment.


The present invention relates generally to transgenic plants. More specifically, it relates to methods and compositions for the introduction of DNA using circular molecules that are not able to replicate outside a host cell. The circular molecules contain site-specific recombination sequences and allow transformation of host cells with DNA comprising only selected sequences of interest.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to transgenic plants. More specifically, it relates to methods and compositions for the introduction of DNA using circular molecules that are not able to replicate outside a host cell genome.
2. General Description of the Related Art
The production of genetically modified organisms involves the introduction of DNA sequences into, or in addition to, the existing genome of a recipient cell, tissue or organism. This transformation of new genetic material has been reported for a wide variety of organisms including, but not limited to, yeast, bacteria, mammals, plants, viruses and insects. In each case, specialized vectors are required for the proper insertion, maintenance or expression of the introduced DNA.
DNA used for transformation can be either double- or single-stranded, and can be circular or linear in form. In a laboratory, DNA is commonly used for transformation in its double-stranded (ds) form, although DNA in single-stranded form (ssDNA) has been used to transform yeast (see Gietz and Woods, 2001). In nature, single-stranded (ss) DNA intermediates are involved during transformation by Agrobacterium tumefaciens and some viruses. Circular, double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) is the most commonly used conformation for transformation (Sambrook and Russell, 2001; Ausubel et al., 2001) although linear ds-DNA may be used as well, for example, for transformation of yeast (Raymond et al., 1999) or microprojectile bombardment of plant cells (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,153,811 and 6,0404,97). Generation of transformable DNA requires that one of ordinary skill in the art perform several operations including, but not limited to, ligation of the proper DNA pieces needed for maintenance of the vector and expression of the desired genes, passage of the completed vector through the proper host cells to increase the number of molecules, purification of the vector in the desired form for transformation and, if using linear DNA molecules, preparation and purification of the linear fragment from a circular molecule or other starting nucleic acid source.
Currently, circular dsDNA molecules are propagated by passage through a bacterial host and typically contain bacterial origins of replication or other associated sequences. It is often undesirable to have "ancillary sequences," such as bacterial origins of replication, in the transformed organism. It would be advantageous to have a means of producing circular DNA molecules that do not contain ancillary sequences, such as origins of replication, in ample numbers for transformation. Circular molecules without ancillary sequences would not require removal of these ancillary sequences in the target host or removal prior to the transformation of the host.
There is a need to simplify the preparation of circular, dsDNA molecules for transformation without the need for ancillary sequences usually associated with maintenance of exogenous sequences in cells typically used for vector production. Furthermore, a method is needed to produce sufficient quantities of circular DNAs for use in direct DNA delivery transformation methods.

In vitro method to create circular molecules for use in transformation


A palletizing apparatus for providing container packages in a desired pattern to a pallet, and related method are presented. The apparatus includes a metering conveyor section which uses a traveling endless belt to feed container packages to a lane forming station; a lane forming station having a lane divider which accepts container packages from the metering conveyor section and separates the container packages such that they are fed to a turning station in a plurality of lanes; a turning station having a turning conveyor using a traveling endless plastic belt made up of individual modules shaped to provide longitudinally oriented upper ribs, which conveys the container packages therealong; turning apparatus for turning container packages by approximately 90.degree. ; and bypassing means for bypassing each of the turning apparatus; a collection station having a collection conveyor using a traveling endless plastic belt made up of individual modules shaped to provide longitudinally oriented upper ribs which convey the container packages therealong; a pair of side pushers, one disposed on either side of the collection conveyor such that movement of the side pushers towards each other forces the container packages closer to each other in the transverse direction; a stop bar wherein the stop bar is moveable into position with respect to the collection conveyor such that leading container packages strike the stop bar and subsequent container packages strike the leading container packages and collect against the stop bar; and apparatus for transferring the collected container packages to a pallet.

Palletizing apparatus are used to accept containers or packages from a source and load those containers or packages on a pallet for shipment or storage. The objects loaded on the pallet are loaded in several tiers, each tier assuming a specific pattern to maximize the amount of objects stored on the pallet, and to facilitate stability of the pallet, that is, to prevent objects from falling off the pallet when jarred or shaken.
Conventionally, palletizing apparatus utilize rollers energized from beneath by rubber belts to feed the objects to be palletized along the palletizer. However, when the objects to be palletized comprise packages of containers for beverages or the like, such as soda cans, the use of such rollers has been found extremely disadvantageous. Packages of soda cans or other like containers are formed by encasing the containers in a relatively thin cardboard package or enclosing the top of the containers in a plastic sheath. When such packaged containers are fed through a palletizer via rollers, damage to the containers and container packages caused by the gap between rollers often occurs, especially when high speed operation is desired. This results in extensive downtime and maintenance of the palletizer, as well as significant loss of product.
In addition, printed cardboard packaging contains waxes and inks, which may be transferred to the rollers by friction from the packages contacting the rollers. This can result in a build-up of waxes and inks on the rollers which can cause sliding of the packages on the rollers in a transverse direction (perpendicular to the desired direction of travel), leading to misalignment of container packages. Moreover, transverse sliding can cause the packages to strike the frame of the palletizer, potentially damaging the packages, the individual containers, and the palletizer. This results in significant downtime and product loss. Although it is possible to form rollers of a material resistant to build up of waxes and inks, such as polytetrafluoroethylene, commercially available as Teflon brand material, this has been found to be commercially unfeasible because of the costs involved.
These problems are not usually encountered when unpackaged containers are palletized, because of the hardness and non-marking of the bottom of such containers. However, when packaged containers are palletized, problems ensue. Because of these disadvantages, conventional palletizers do not handle packaged products with a desired efficiency, nor do they have the capability of handling diverse product lines.
It would be desirable to provide a palletizing apparatus which is capable of transporting container packages and loading them on a pallet in a desired pattern in a high speed fashion, while eliminating the downtime and product loss associated with the use of roller conveyors.

Palletizing apparatus and method for packaged containers


The invention relates to a derivative of a GLP-1 analog, which analog comprises a first K residue at a position corresponding to position 27 of GLP-1(7-37) (SEQ ID NO: 1); a second K residue at a position corresponding to position T of GLP-1(7-37), where T is an integer in the range of 7-37 except 18 and 27; and a maximum of ten amino acid changes as compared to GLP-1(7-37); wherein the first K residue is designated K27, and the second K residue is designated KT; which derivative comprises two albumin binding moieties attached to K27 and KT, respectively, via a linker, wherein the albumin binding moiety comprises a protracting moiety selected from HOOC—(CH2)x—CO— and HOOC—C6H4—O—(CH2)y—CO—; in which x is an integer in the range of 6-16, and y is an integer in the range of 3-17; wherein the linker comprises an element of the formula —NH—(CH2)2—(O—(CH2)2)k—O—(CH2)n—CO—, wherein k is an integer in the range of 1-5, and n is an integer in the range of 1-5; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, amide, or ester thereof. The invention also relates to the pharmaceutical use thereof, for example in the treatment and/or prevention of all forms of diabetes and related diseases, as well as to corresponding novel GLP-1 analogs. The derivatives are suitable for oral administration.

Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (2000), vol. 43, no. 9, p. 1664-1669 discloses derivatives of GLP-1(7-37) including some that are double-acylated.
WO 98/08871 A1 discloses a number of GLP-1 derivatives including some that are double-acylated. Liraglutide, a mono-acylated GLP-1 derivative for once daily administration which is marketed as of 2009 by Novo Nordisk NS, is also disclosed in WO 98/08871 A1 (Example 37).
WO 99/43706 A1 discloses a number of mono- and double-acylated GLP-1 derivatives including some K27,26 and K27,34 derivatives.
WO 06/097537 A2 discloses a number of GLP-1 derivatives including semaglutide (Example 4), a mono-acylated GLP-1 derivative for once weekly administration which is under development by Novo Nordisk A/S.
Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2008, vol. 47, p. 3196-3201 reports the discovery and characterisation of a class of 4-(p-iodophenyl)butyric acid derivatives which purportedly display a stable noncovalent binding interaction with both mouse serum albumin (MSA) and human serum albumin (HSA).


An installation for melting of snow or ice, e.g. at roof downpipes on flat roofs, in gutters and the like, comprising a heating means (11), a temperature sensor means (4,6) and a control unit (1) for connecting and disconnecting the heating means (11) in dependence on sensed temperature. The temperature sensor means comprises a first temperature sensor (4) for sensing the surface temperature at the place of snow or ice melting, and a second temperature sensor (6) for sensing the air temperature at the topical place. On the surface there is further arranged a snow sensor (7) which is connected by the control unit (1) when the first temperature sensor (4) at a rising temperatures registers that the surface temperature rises above a chosen minus value, or when the second temperature sensor (6) at a falling temperature registers that the air temperature falls below a chosen plus value, the control unit (1) causing connection of the heating means (11) if the snow sensor (7) registers snow during a chosen time period, and further keeping the heating means (11) connected at least until the second temperature sensor (6) at a rising temperature registers that the air temperature rises above the chosen plus value, or at least until the first temperature sensor (4) at a falling temperature registers that the surface temperature falls below the chosen minus value, but in both cases only on the condition that the snow sensor (7) at intervals registers snow.

There are previously known different embodiments of control systems for the control of heating cables or the like for snow and ice melting at roof downpipes, in gutters and the like. In principle, two control systems are on the market today. One of these measures the air temperature and connects heating cables in an adjustable temperature interval, e.g. between -5 and +5.degree. C. The other system measures an air temperature and combines this with a water sensor in a gutter, and a heating cable is kept connected as long as the temperature is below the melting point at the same time as the water sensor registers moisture in the gutter.
The weakness of the first system is that it uses much current. The second system will be connected as long as one has minus degrees and snow. However, much dirt always gathers in gutters, something which may rapidly cause errors in the water sensor registration.


Methods are provided for the detection and analysis of clonality in a cell population, where parallel sequencing is applied to a nucleic acid sample obtained from the cell population, optionally a population of lymphocytes. Replicate samples are amplified, and sequenced, where identification of coincident sequences in two or more replicates is indicative of clonal expansion.

Antigen receptors with diverse binding activities are the hallmark of B and T cells of the adaptive immune system in jawed vertebrates and are generated by genomic rearrangement of variable (V), diversity (D), and joining (J) gene segments separated by highly variable junction regions (Schatz (2004) Semin. Immunol. 16, 245-256). Initial calculations have been made of the combinatorial and junctional possibilities that contribute to the human immune receptor repertoire, and it is estimated that the number of possibilities may greatly exceed the total number of peripheral T or B cells in an individual (Davis and Bjorkman (1988) Nature 334, 395-402).
For example, one study in which small subsets of rearranged T cell receptor (TCR) subunit genes were extensively sequenced with a few segment-specific primers yielded extrapolations for the full TCR repertoire corresponding to 2.5×107 distinct TCRα-TCRβ pairs in the peripheral blood of an individual (Arstila et al. (1999) Science 286, 958-961). Extensive repertoire analyses for the human B cell compartment have been more limited, although small-scale studies and focused analysis of immunoglobulin (Ig) class subsets, such as IgE, have been performed (Brezinschek et al. (1995) J. Immunol. 155, 190-202, Lim et al. (2007) J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 120, 696-706). Advanced sequencing methods have recently been used to analyze B cell receptor diversity in the relatively simple model immune system in zebrafish (Weinstein et al. (2009) Science 324, 807-810).
Against a background of continually generated novel DNA sequences, expanded clones of lymphocytes with useful antigen specificities persist over time to enable rapid responses to antigens previously detected by the immune system. Systematic means for detection of such expanded clones in human beings would provide significant opportunities for specific analysis and tracking, including measurement of clonal population sizes, anatomic distributions, and changes in response to immunological events.
In contrast to healthy immune systems, malignancies of B or T cell origin typically express a single dominant clonal Ig or TCR receptor. A variety of assays have been used to detect the presence of B cell clonality for diagnosis of lymphomas and leukemias, including analysis of Ig light chain gene restriction and Southern blotting or sizing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products from rearranged Ig or TCR loci (Rezuke et al. (1997) Clin. Chem. 43, 1814-1823; Arber (2000) J. Mol. Diagn. 2, 178-190). Although adequate for many applications, these strategies make limited use of the high information content inherent in rearranged immune receptor gene sequences and can give indeterminate results.
A recent study using deep sequencing of clonal IgH (Ig heavy chain) receptor genes in chronic lymphocytic leukemia revealed unexpected intraclonal heterogeneity in a subset of cases, showing that previous approaches have not captured the fundamental features of leukemic cell populations (Campbell et al. (2008) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 105, 13081-13086). Detection of more subtle clonal populations (for example, to follow the response of lymphomas or leukemias to treatment) now relies on time- and labor-intensive multiparameter flow cytometry or custom-designed patient- and clone-specific realtime PCR assays (Sayala et al. (2007) Best Pract. Res. Clin. Haematol. 20, 499-512; Ladetto et al. (2000) Biol. Blood Marrow Transplant. 6, 241-253). Early diagnostic screening approaches may benefit from generalized and more efficient clonal detection. Indeed, a recent population-based epidemiological study showed that small amplified B cell populations can be seen in almost all individuals who go on to develop chronic lymphocytic leukemia, further underscoring the importance of assessing lymphocyte clonality in human specimens.
Detection and analysis of clonality is also of fundamental interest in characterizing and tracking normal and pathogenic immune reactions. For protective and healthy humoral immune responses, high-resolution analysis of immune receptor clonality and evolution offers the potential for definitive detection and monitoring of effective immune responses to vaccination and specific infections, whereas for some autoimmune disorders this type of analysis may facilitate diagnosis, long-term therapeutic monitoring strategies, and, eventually, specific interventions.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Measuring and monitoring of cell clonality

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University


A system for delivering at least two distinct pressures to a print head of an ink jet printer includes a pump, a passage in communication with the pump and the print head, and a valve. The pump is for delivering positive pressure to the print head of the ink jet printer. The passage includes an opening, and the valve selectively opens and closes the opening.

Ink jet printers create an image on a surface by ejecting ink through orifices in a print head face plate, which communicates with a print head. To provide fine image resolution, the ejected ink droplets are very small, as are the orifices. Since the orifices are very small, an orifice can be partially or completely blocked by an air pocket or a small particle.
Solid ink printers melt solid ink and deliver the melted ink to the print head. The melted ink travels through channels and chambers in the print head towards the reservoirs. When the solid ink printer is turned off, the ink that remains in the print head can freeze. When the ink thaws in the print head, air that was once in solution in the ink can come out of solution to form air bubbles or air pockets in the print head.
An obstructed orifice can result in unacceptable printing. The obstruction, be it an air pocket or a small particle, can usually be removed by purging the orifices. In known print heads, a vacuum attaches to the face plate of the print head and the obstruction is removed by imparting a negative pressure on the face plate. The vacuum system is complicated requiring many different parts. Accordingly, it is desirable to purge the orifices, as well as other channels and chambers in the print head, by introducing a positive pressure into the ink channels of the print head to eject obstructions out of the orifices and the ink channels leading to the orifices.


A folding frame trailer is provided which includes a rear frame assembly having a front portion and a rear portion, a neck frame assembly having a front portion, a rear portion, the rear portion pivotally coupled to the front portion of the rear frame assembly, a jackleg, and an upper coupler assembly pivotally to the front portion of the neck frame assembly, whereby the jackleg is used for jacking the trailer during the folding and unfolding operations. The trailer further includes a suspension slider, and push tubes connected to the suspension slider and the central two bolster assemblies, whereby the cent bolster assemblies fold down upon the forward movement of the slider suspension with respect to the trailer.

The present invention relate to Folding Frame Trailers, and, particularly, to folding frame trailers for the logging industry.
In the logging industry, two basic types of trailers are currently used for transporting various forms of round wood. These are frame and pole trailers. The former are designed to support loads at intermediate points between the king pin and the trailer running gear. Therefore, they are extremely versatile--as they can be used to transport any form of round wood: i.e., shortwood, logs, treelengths and full trees. Also, greater payloads are possible due to various loading styles as well as better control over axle weight distribution. Pole trailers have only two bolsters and two sets of standards. The first bolster is usually located over the king pin, approximately just over the midpoint of the tractor tandem. The second bolster is mounted right above the trailer tandem midpoint. A heavy pole connects the trailer upper coupler and the front bolster with the trailer tandem. The whole simplicity of the pole trailer design lies in the fact that the payload's weight is conveyed directly to the road. The pole serves only as a coupling and does not bear any weight of the logs. Consequently, this type of a trailer is about 3,000 pounds lighter than a frame trailer. Therefore, a reduced tare weight can be utilized for an increased payload. Also, there is a proportionally lower purchase investment. However, the practice has demonstrated that pole trailers haul lower average payloads than frame trailers. Also, pole trailers are unable to carry shortwood and logs. The foregoing describes the main reasons for which frame trailers outnumber pole trailers.
Trailers used in the logging industry do not carry any loads during a return trip to the woods. The return ride is very rough on the driver due to less weight on the drive tandem of the truck and large inertia forces exerted on the trailer. Also, trailer off-tracking and its tendency to jack knifing in case of sudden braking contribute to increased driver's fatigue. As a result, folding pole trailers are quite common. Folding pole trailers can be folded and carried on the tractor for the return trip. The advantages include a lower brake and tire maintenance cost, lower fuel consumption, greater maneuverability, and quicker turn-around times. However, recently, the popularity of the folding pole trailer seems to diminish due to an increased perception of the trailer as a dangerous piece of equipment. This stems primarily from allegedly increased number of rear end collisions in which passengers of the other vehicle were killed or severely injured due to an intrusion of the pole into the passengers compartment. In the latest development, state legislatures in some parts of the United States are preparing bills to ban pole log trailers on public roads. An example of this type of folding pole trailer can be seen on U.S. Pat. No. 3,706,464.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,296,858, discloses a folding trailer attached to a truck by a foldable connection adapted to facilitate the loading of the trailer onto the truck.
The folding frame log trailer of the present invention seeks to overcome the foregoing noted disadvantages of the prior art.


The invention relates to a level meter for metering the level of a filling substance in a container by means of electromagnetic signals that are guided into and out of the container along a waveguide. The inventive level meter guarantees a high tightness even at large temperature variations at the point of measurement or under great pressure or tensile forces acting upon the waveguide. The inventive level meter comprises at least one waveguide that projects into the container, guides the signals into the container and guides the signals reflected by the surface of the filing substance out of the container and is fixed in a housing mounted on the container. An elastic molded element that is clamped parallel to a longitudinal axis of the waveguide sealingly rests against the housing and the waveguide and adjoins a recess that encloses the waveguide.

As the waveguide, either a single waveguide or two or more parallel waveguides can be used, which extend downward into the container from a point above the highest level to be measured. Bare metal wires, also known as Sommerfeld waveguides, are suitable for instance as the waveguides, or else metal wires provided with an insulation. The latter are also known as Goubau waveguides.
An electronic circuit for generating electromagnetic signals, and a reception and evaluation circuit for determining a fill level, are described for instance in European Patent Disclosure EP-A 780 665.
Level meters that employ electromagnetic signals can be used in many applications, both in the field of storage and in the processing industry, such as in chemistry, the foods industry, and the oil industry.
The level meter is exposed to often great temperature fluctuations, and strong tension or compression forces can act on the waveguide. There are many applications in which despite these adverse conditions, the product absolutely must be prevented from being able to escape through the meter.
In European Patent Disclosure EP-A 928 955, a level meter for measuring a level of a product in a container by means of electromagnetic signals is described which includes:                at least one waveguide protruding into the container,                    which carries the signals into the container and carries signals reflected from a product surface back out, and            which is secured in a housing that can be mounted on the container.
In the housing, inserts of a dielectric, such as a thermoplastic, a pressure-setting plastic, an elastomer, a ceramic, polyetherimide (PEI), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polyphenyl sulfide (PPS), or polycarbonates are provided, by which the waveguide is secured in the container. The housing, waveguide and inserts have conical jacket faces, which are disposed relative to one another such that they prevent a motion of the inserts and of the waveguide into the container. On a side remote from the container, the housing is closed off by a metal insert, by which a motion of the waveguide and inserts in the direction remote from the container is prevented. Spring elements are provided, by which the metal insert is pressed in the direction toward the container, and the inserts with the waveguide wedged into them are pressed in the direction away from the container.
For sealing purposes, in one exemplary embodiment, O-rings are provided, which are disposed in grooves between the housing and one of the inserts and between that insert and the waveguide.
Because of the fastening by means of springs, the insert, waveguide and housing can move slightly relative to one another. This can adversely affect the sealing action.
The waveguide, insert and housing form a coaxial cable in which the electromagnetic signals are carried. The grooves and O-ring represent discontinuities at which the impedance of the coaxial cable changes abruptly. Such abrupt changes in impedance cause reflection of a portion of the electromagnetic signals. That portion is subsequently no longer available for level measurement and instead forms interference signals, resulting in a markedly worse signal-to-noise ratio.
In another exemplary embodiment, in the side toward the container, a conical face is provided both between the waveguide and one insert and between that insert and the housing, and with this face the waveguide rests closely against an insert and that insert rests closely against the housing. Once again, a sealing action is attained thereby.
It is a problem in general that all the load-bearing parts must comprise rigid materials, if they are to perform their supporting function. If the level meter is exposed to major temperature changes, then these parts will shrink or expand in accordance with their coefficients of thermal expansion. While an expansion upon heating can be well compensated for by the spring construction, sealing problems can occur at low temperatures. Because of the temperature-dictated smaller size of the components, the spring prestressing is less, and tension and compression forces can cause gaps to form between sealing faces that in the normal state rest closely against one another.