The subject of the present disclosure is a multilayer nanoparticular, mesoporous structure that has properties of a Bragg reflector or of a unidimensional photonic crystal in the ultraviolet, visible and infrared ranges close to the electromagnetic spectrum. The unidimensional photonic crystal is formed by laminae with different indices of refraction and of a controlled size, made up of nanoparticles, which can be deposited on different types of substrates using a simple and reliable method. The periodic alternating of laminae with different indices of refraction gives rise to a high reflection factor which can easily be observed with the naked eye and can be measured with a spectrophotometer. In contrast to other, dense, reflective structures, the mesoporous structure of this reflector allows the passage of liquids.

Materials with a multilayer structure have important applications as optical elements, as they act as interferential filters or Bragg reflectors, capable of selectively reflecting or transmitting a range of electromagnetic frequencies, generally comprised between the ultraviolet and infrared ranges of the spectrum, determined by the thickness and refractive index of the layers. Using more recent terminology, these materials are unidimensional photonic crystals, as they have a periodic modulation of the refractive index in one of the three spatial directions.
The multilayer systems currently available on the market are mostly manufactured using techniques that are normally grouped under the term Physical Vapor Deposition. In all cases, deposition takes place under vacuum conditions, and the solid is condensed directly from the vapor phase. Optical coatings obtained through this kind of technique have great stability against variations in ambient conditions, in addition to high mechanical resistance. There is another large group of multilayer formation methods based on sol-gel type processes. These methods have allowed the development of multilayer coatings, which are highly resistant to damage caused by intense laser radiation, having much higher damage thresholds than other types of structures. However, these multilayer coatings have low mechanical stability, and their properties vary according to the ambient conditions, both phenomena being related to their mesoporosity, due to which they are not suitable as passive optical elements, even though they do have applications in other fields, such as that of sensors. Typically, the pores of a layer grown by sol-gel are irregular in shape, with a very wide size distribution and an average size comprised between 2 nm and 100 nm. A multilayer structure with a controlled mesostructure (shape and size), the optical properties of which can be controlled, would open new application possibilities for these types of materials in different fields. Materials with relatively controlled mesoporosity and which have aroused much interest, although uses for these have not yet been presented, have also been recently developed. They are porous silicon multilayer structures obtained by means of electrochemical dissolution. Very recently, multilayer structures have been developed wherein each layer has an ordered mesoporosity of a finely controlled size, the materials used being silica and titania. This work is the object of a Spanish patent filed in 2006 (application number: 200602405). Finally, there is a reference to the disclosure presented herein in scientific literature that bears close relationship thereto. It relates to the manufacturing of colloidal silica and titania particle multilayers as a reflective or anti-reflective coating carried out by I. M. Thomas in 1987. Although the method described is similar to that presented herein, there is hardly any characterization of the material obtained, due to which it is difficult to know the type of structure that was achieved at the time.
The disclosure presented herein is closely related to these four groups of materials, which are described in further detail below.
Multilayer Materials Obtained by Sol-Gel, Alternating Dense TiO2 and SiO2 Layers
The manufacturing techniques commonly used to synthesize micro-components in solid state are suitable for small areas, of the size of a wafer. If we need to deposit thin laminae on areas of greater size, sol-gel techniques [C. J. Brinker and G. W. Scherer, Sol-Gel Science: The Physics and Chemistry of Sol-Gel Processing, Academic New York, 1990] offer significant advantages: it is a simple method that allows a wide variety of materials (oxides, semiconductors, piezoelectric, ferroelectric, etc.) to be deposited in the form of thin films over different substrates (polymers, ceramics, metals, etc.). The variety of materials that can be deposited allows the design of sol-gel structures in the form of photonic band gap devices or photonic crystals.
Bragg Reflectors or BRs in 1D are the photonic crystals which have achieved greater development due to the sol-gel. Very high reflectivities are obtained in these materials due to the Bragg reflection phenomenon. In general, they are produced by alternating layers of materials with a high and low refractive index, forming a stack of dielectric multilayers. BRs synthesised by sol-gel can be obtained by spin-coating [R. M. Almeida, S. Portal, Photonic band gap structures by sol-gel processing, Current Opinion in Solid State and Materials Science 7 (2003) 151. R. M. Almeida, A. S. Rodrigues, Photonic bandgap materials and structures by sol-gel processing, Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids 326&327 (2003) 405. P. K. Biswas, D. Kundu and D. Ganguli, Preparation of wavelength-selective reflectors by sol-gel processing, J. Mater. Sci. Lett. 6 (1987) 1481] or dip-coating [Chen K. M., Sparks A. W., Luan H. C., Lim D. R., Wada K., Kimerling L. C., SiO2/TiO2, omnidirectional reflector and microcavity resonator via the sol-gel method, Appl. Phys. Lett. 75 (1999) 3805. Hang Q., Li X., Shen J., Wu G., Wang J., Chen L., ZrO2 thin films and ZrO2/SiO2 optical reflection filters deposited by sol-gel method, Mater. Lett. 45 (2000) 311. S. Rabaste, J. Bellessa, A. Brioude, C. Bovier, J. C. Plenet, R. Brenier, O. Marty, J. Mugnier, J. Dumas, Sol-gel manufacturing of thick multilayers applied to Bragg reflectors and microcavities, Thin Solid Films 416 (2002) 242]. The differences between the refractive index values of the materials used and the number of layers are the most important BR parameters. On increasing the difference between the n of the layers and on increasing the number of layers, the greater the reflectivity of the Photonic Band Gap or PBG, forbidden range of wavelengths from the UV to the NIR which are reflected by the dielectric minor. In general, SiO2, TiO2 and ZrO2 are used due to the significant difference between their refractive indices (1.45-1.52, 2.07-2.55, 2.1-2.2, respectively).
The problem with this type of synthesis lies in the fact that, on increasing the number of layers, the risk of fissure development in the material which can damage the structural integrity of the multilayer also increases. In order to solve this problem, Almeida et al. [R. M. Almeida, A. S. Rodrigues, Photonic bandgap materials and structures by sol-gel processing, Journal of Non-Crystalline Solids 326&327 (2003) 405] and Rabaste et al. [Rabaste, J. Bellessa, A. Brioude, C. Bovier, J. C. Plenet, R. Brenier, O. Marty, J. Mugnier, J. Dumas, Sol-gel manufacturing of thick multilayers applied to Bragg reflectors and microcavities, Thin Solid Films 416 (2002) 242] have used very short thermal densification treatments at very high temperatures (1,000° C. for 90 seconds and 900° C. for 2 seconds, respectively), thereby obtaining a stack of up to 60 layers with thicknesses ranging between 80 nm and 100 nm, with a reflectivity of more than 99% (normal incidence). Thermal densification treatments are carried out after the synthesis of each of the layers and, on using such high temperatures, crystallization of the TiO2 of the first layers cannot be avoided, the first layers being subjected to high temperatures for longer time periods due to the reiterated thermal treatments they undergo. Crystal growth must be carefully controlled as it deteriorates multilayer optical quality on introducing Rayleigh dispersion and due to the roughness generated in the interface with the SiO2 layers. Additionally, the first layers undergo a degree of densification different from that of the last layers, which are subject to high temperatures for shorter time periods; this non-homogeneous densification also entails lower multilayer optical quality on modifying optical thickness. [P. K. Biswas, D. Kundu and D. Ganguli, Preparation of wavelength-selective reflectors by sol-gel processing, J. Mater. Sci. Lett. 6 (1987) 1481. Rabaste, J. Bellessa, A. Brioude, C. Bovier, J. C. Plenet, R. Brenier, O. Marty, J. Mugnier, J. Dumas, Sol-gel manufacturing of thick multilayers applied to Bragg reflectors and microcavities, Thin Solid Films 416 (2002) 242].
Porous Silicon (pSi) Multilayers Obtained by Electrochemical Dissolution, Alternating Layers of Different Porosity
The aforementioned characteristics make these materials excellent candidates for chemical [V. Tones-Costa, F. Agulló-Rueda, R. J. Martín-Palma, J. M. Martínez-Duart, Porous silicon optical devices for sensing applications, Optical Materials 27 (2005) 1084. T. Gao, J. Gao, and M. J. Sailor, Tuning the Response and Stability of Thin Film Mesoporous Silicon Vapor Sensors by Surface Modification, Langmuir 18 (25) (2002) 9953. Snow, P. A., Squire, E. K.; Russell, P. S. J.; Canham, L. T., Vapor sensing using the optical properties of porous silicon Bragg mirrors, J. Appl. Phys. 86 (1999) 1781] and biochemical sensors [V. S.-Y. Lin, K. Motesharei, K.-P. S. Dancil, M. J. Sailor, M. R. Ghadiri, Science 278 (1997) 840].
A large number of layers without the structural integrity problems of multilayer films obtained by sol-gel in the form of BRs can be obtained, and the thickness and porosity of each layer can be controlled in a very precise manner. The main problem of these materials is their long-term altered stability. The application of pSi BRs in air or aqueous media generates oxide on the surface in just a few hours, due to which they must be chemically modified to increase their oxidation resistance.
Multilayers of Laminae with Ordered Mesopores
This type of multilayer is manufactured by the alternating deposition, using spin-coating (S. Y. Choi, M. Mamak, G. von Freymann, N. Chopra, G. A. Ozin, Mesoporous Bragg Stack Color Tunable Sensors, Nano Letters 6 (2006) 2456) or dip-coating techniques (M. C. Fuertes, G. Soler-Illia, H. Míguez, Spanish patent with application number: 200602405), of laminae with ordered mesopores which are obtained using a template or organic mould combined with the compounds that give rise to the inorganic phase in the precursor solution which is deposited to form each layer. The porosity of these layers allows modification of their optical response by the infiltration of liquids. The possibility of functionalizing the mesopore walls in turn allows this response to be selective to a specific type or group of compounds.
Multilayers of Colloidal Particles
There is a reference in the scientific literature [I. M. Thomas, Single layer TiO2 and multilayer TiO2—SiO2 optical coatings prepared from colloidal suspensions, Applied Optics 26 (1987) 4688] to a paper wherein multilayers of alternating colloidal TiO2 particles are claimed to have been achieved, with sizes comprised between 10 nm and 20 nm, and SiO2 particles 10 nm in size. The technique used is spin-coating. In this paper, however, the microstructure of the material obtained is neither characterized nor described, nor is its mesoporosity demonstrated, by providing only an optical reflectance measure where a maximum can be observed. The applications proposed in this paper are focused on optical coatings with high heating resistance when irradiated by a high-power laser.

Multilayer structure formed by nanoparticular lamina with unidimensional photonic crystal properties, method for the production thereof and use thereof

CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS


Provided is a pharmaceutical composition containing inorganic nanoparticles selected from titanium oxide nanoparticles or silica nanoparticles as an active ingredient for preventing or treating angiogenesis-related diseases. The pharmaceutical composition for preventing or treating angiogenesis-related diseases according to the present invention may be used as a therapeutic agent for various diseases based on angiogenesis such as age-related macular degeneration, tumors, and diabetes-related complications.

Angiogenesis is a biological process of supplying new blood vessels to tissue or organ, and more particularly, means the formation of new capillary blood vessels from pre-existing capillary blood vessels, which is a basic process of forming blood vessels in a body after growth. The process of forming new blood vessels is a significantly complicated and delicate procedure, and is briefly described as follows. First, when a stimulus for angiogenesis is transmitted to the pre-existing blood vessels, the vessels are expanded and blood vessel permeability is increased. Second, fibrin is released to the outside of the vessel through the expanded vessel to be deposited in a cytoplasmic matrix around the vessel. Third, enzymes for degrading a basement membrane of pre-existing vessels are activated, the basement membranes are degraded, and endothelial cells are released between the degraded basements to be proliferated in matrix of neighboring cells and migrated. Finally, endothelial cells arranged in a row form shape of a vessel, such that a new blood vessel is generated (Risau, W. (1997) Nature: 386 671-674).
The process of angiogenesis is strictly regulated by various negative and positive regulators (Folkman and Cotran., Int. Rev. Exp. Patho., 16, 207˜248, 1976). When angiogenesis is abnormally regulated, various diseases such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetic retinopathy, or the like, occur. Particularly, in the case in which this pathological angiogenesis is generated in retina, the angiogenesis causes retinal edema, retinal or vitreous hemorrhage, and finally traction retinal detachment. In addition, the angiogenesis in the retina becomes a major cause of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), diabetic retinopathy (DR), and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (Aiello L P, et al., N. Engl. J. Med., 1994, 331, 1480-1487).
Recently, nanoparticles (NPs) have been widely used for industrial and biomedical objects. Particularly, the nanoparticles have been suggested as a selective drug delivery system (P. S. Ghosh, C. K Kim, G. Han, N. S. Forbes, V. M. Rotello, ACS Nano 2008, 2, 2213.) and a potential antibacterial drug against bacterial infection (K. Y. Yoon, J. H. Byeon, J. H. Park, J. Hwang, Sci. Total. Environ. 2007, 373:572.). In addition, it was reported that gold or silver nanoparticles inhibit the angiogenesis induced by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and researches into development of an angiogenesis inhibitor using the nanoparticle have been conducted. However, in order to use the nanoparticle in treatment, careful evaluation of toxicity of the nanoparticle and effort to minimize the toxicity are necessarily required. That is, development of a nanoparticle therapeutic agent of excellent effect and low toxicity has been requested.
Therefore, the present inventors discovered that inorganic nanoparticles selected from titanium oxide nanoparticles or silica nanoparticles have anti-angiogenic effect at a concentration at which the nanoparticles do not have the toxicity, and completed the present invention.

Composition containing inorganic nanoparticles as an active ingredient for preventing or treating of angiogenesis-related diseases

KOREA RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND SCIENCE


A process for the preparation of ω-alkoxycarbonylamino-α-aminoacids and α,ω orthogonally diprotected diaminoacids from α,ω-diaminoacids using 1-alkoxycarbonylbenzotriazoles as protecting agents is disclosed. In an alternative embodiment, carbamoylating agents in the presence of benzotriazoles are used instead of 1-alkoxycarbonylbenzotriazoles. This reaction is preferably applied to the preparation of ε-alkoxycarbonyllysines from lysine. A process for the preparation of t-butoxycarbonylbenzotriazoles and novel complexes of ω-alkoxycarbonylamino-α-aminoacids with benzotriazoles are also disclosed.

It is well known in the aminoacids and peptides chemistry that it is essential to regioselectively protect the terminal amino group (in ω) of the side chain of lysine and its analogues. This allows reacting selectively the α amino group and, in case, orthogonally protecting the α and ω amino groups. The possibility of selectively introducing two protecting orthogonal groups into an α,ω-diaminoacid increases its potential uses in general chemistry and particularly in pharmaceutical chemistry. The alkoxycarbonyl groups (or carbamates) are the most versatiles and widely used protecting groups for aminoacids.
Because of the synthetic importance of the protection of α,ω-diaminoacids in the ω position, several studies have been dedicated to this subject. The classical method, still widely applied, involves the formation of a copper II complex to block the α nitrogen and to selectively protect the ω position (J. Biol. Chem. (1941), 140, 705-10). This methodology is long and tedious since it requires several reactions: first the formation of the copper complex, then the α protection and eventually the liberation of the complex with EDTA or hydrogen sulfide. Due to its toxicity, residuals of copper must not pollute the protected aminoacid and this requires a further purification procedure (Tetrahedron Lett. (2004), 45(50), 9297-9298). Moreover the maximum concentration of copper in wastewaters is set by the Italian law at 0.1 ppm; in addition to the cost of the metal itself, also the cost of disposal and decontamination of the mother liquors must thus be taken into account. In conclusion this methodology is suitable for small preparations on a laboratory scale, but not for industrial productions.
Chemists have tried over time several alternatives, among them the use of special reagents such as, in the case of an introduction of a BOC group in the e position of a lysine, Boc-hydroxyquinoline (Liebigs Ann. Chem. (1968), 716, 216-18) and 2-(Boc-oxyimino)-2-phenylacetonitrile (Org. Prep. Proced. Int. (1983), 15(6), 379-85). However all these reagents either give low yields or are expensive, making them unsuitable for large scale application.
Finally some benzotriazole carbamates, such as Boc-benzotriazole (U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,248; Synth. Commun. (1997), 27(9), 1623-1630) and Z-benzotriazole (Synthesis (1986), (11), 958-60) have been used to protect aminoacids, but never for α,ω-diaminoacids, nor any regioselectivity of their reactions has been reported.
From the drawbacks of the known processes it is clear that there is still the need for a process for the preparation of ω-alkoxycarbonylamino-α-aminoacids and of α,ω orthogonally diprotected diaminoacids from α,ω-diaminoacids which is applicable on an industrial scale with high yields and uses cheap and non-polluting reagents.

Process for the preparation of ε-alkoxycarbonyllysines and their analogues

F.I.S. Fabbrica Italiana Sintetici S.p.A.


A solenoid device includes at least one electromagnetic coil for generating a magnetic flux when energized, a fixed core constituting part of a magnetic circuit through which the magnetic flux passes, and plungers constituting the magnetic circuit together with the fixed core and configured to advance to and retract from the fixed core depending on whether the magnetic coil is energized or de-energized. The magnetic circuit is provided with a magnetic resistance part as a resistance for the magnetic flux. The plungers are configured to be attracted to the fixed core by energizing the electromagnetic coil.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solenoid device including a plurality of plungers.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2010-287455 describes a solenoid device including a plurality of electromagnetic coils, a plurality of plungers and a fixed core. This solenoid device is configured to generate magnetic force to attract one of the plungers to the fixed core by energizing a corresponding one of the electromagnetic coils. Between each plunger and the fixed core, a spring member is disposed. When the electromagnetic coil is de-energized, the magnetic force is decreased, as a result of which the corresponding plunger is moved away from the fixed core by the elastic force of the spring member.
As explained above, in this solenoid device, any one of the plurality of the plungers can be moved relative to the fixed core by controlling energization of a corresponding one of the solenoids.
However, to maintain the multi-attracting state (the state where the plurality of the plungers are attracted to the fixed core concurrently), the energization has to be maintained for each of the electromagnetic coils. Accordingly, the above solenoid device has a problem in that when the multi-attracting state has to be maintained for a long time, electric power consumption increases.


A device and method for pre-distorting a base-band digital signal. The device includes an adaptive parameter calculation unit and a pre-distorter. The adaptive parameter calculation unit is adapted to calculate nonlinear filter parameters in accordance with samples of a base-band digital signal and a feedback signal of a radio frequency channel, and output a calculation result to the pre-distorter. The pre-distorter is adapted to store and update the nonlinear filter parameters, perform power statistics of the base-band digital signal, select nonlinear filter parameters corresponding to a result of the power statistics, pre-distort the base-band digital signal, and output the pre-distorted base-band digital signal. With the method, the non-linearity of a power amplifier may be improved, different non-linearity inverse models may be selected according to different input signals and power amplifier characteristics, and the efficiency of a base station transmitter may be improved.

The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), known as a Second Generation (2G) digital mobile cellular communication system, has been commonly applied worldwide. Due to the scarcity of frequency resources and the increasing demands for new services, the trend of development is turning to the Third Generation (3G) mobile communication system and the Beyond Third Generation (B3G) mobile communication system inevitably. In the existing 3G system and B3G system, a non-constant envelope digital modulation system is commonly used to obtain a sufficient signal bandwidth. The use of this modulation technology not only facilitates the acquisition of a high rate signal, but also brings about a stricter requirement upon the linearity of a base station transmitter including a power amplifier.
In the prior art, one solution to the linearity of a power amplifier in the 3G system or the like is a feed forward scheme. However, this scheme may be disadvantageous because the use of analogy technologies results in a high complexity in implementation of this scheme and a poor consistency in manufacturing procedures, as well as precise adjustment for various parameters of a feed-forward network required for a professional technician. Moreover, a large number of additional analogy radio frequency devices are needed in the implementation of the method, so the efficiency of the power amplifier can not be improved effectively.
In the prior art, another solution to the linearity of a power amplifier in the 3G system or the like is a method for pre-distorting a base-band digital signal. The essence of this method is to feed back a signal output from the power amplifier to the digital domain in a certain way, then to calculate the linearity characteristic of a radio frequency channel including the power amplifier by using an adaptive algorithm, and finally to preprocess the base-band digital signal by a pre-distorter before converting the signal from the digital domain into the analogy domain. The preprocessed signal passed through the power amplifier approximately presents no distortion compared with the base-band digital signal. As a result, a linear output from the power amplifier is achieved.
This pre-distortion method may be disadvantageous in that the nonlinear function of the pre-distorter can not be selected according to different applications. In other words, this method has to be designed according to specific applications, and hence can not be applied universally. As a result, the transmitter of a base station may have a relatively low efficiency as a whole.

Device and method for pre-distorting a base-band digital signal


A sheet feed tray including a regulating wall member being assembled in a displaceable manner with a placing tray, which includes a first tray side engagement portion, and regulating a position of a recording medium such that a wall portion of the regulating wall member contacts with the end portion of the recording medium, a first engagement member being disposed in the regulating wall member and including a first regulating wall member side engagement portion, the first regulating wall member engaging with the first tray side engagement portion regulates a displacement of the regulating wall member, an elastic unit being elastically deformable and generating a force for holding an engaging state between the first tray side engagement portion and the first regulating wall member side engagement portion, an elastic deformation regulating unit regulating a deformation amount of the elastic unit, and releasing operation unit releasing the engaging state.

A recording medium such as a recording sheet or OHP sheet is usually placed in a positioned state by contacting with a wall face such as an outer peripheral wall of a sheet feed tray for an image forming apparatus.
In a sheet feed tray capable of placing recording media of various sizes has a wall-shaped regulating wall member, which is made movable to contact with an end portion of the recording medium thereby to position it, and a lock mechanism for regulating a displacement of the regulating wall member (see, for example, JP-A-1-209227).
The lock mechanism disclosed in JP-A-1-209227 includes a saw-tooth shaped engaging portion (or a corrugated portion) formed in the sheet feed tray, an engagement pawl disposed at the regulating wall member for engaging with the engaging portion and a coil spring for pushing the engagement pawl onto the engaging portion. The engagement pawl is made movable relative to the engaging portion.
When the position of the regulating wall member is to be changed, the engagement pawl is displaced away from the engaging portion to release an engaging state (or a locked state) between the engaging portion and the engagement pawl, and the regulating wall member is moved while holding that released state. Then, the engagement pawl is brought into engagement with the engaging portion and fixes (or locks) the position of the regulating wall member.

Sheet feed tray for image forming apparatus


A center conductor for use in a coax jack module assembly, for example. The center conductor including a conductive body having a crimped region and an uninterrupted region. The crimped region being located only within one of a first half and a second half of the conductive body. The first half and the second half of the conductive body being defined by a plane, which is defined by a central axis of the conductive body. The crimped region is defined by slots, such as saw cuts, made at an angle parallel to the plane.

The telecommunications industry has central offices or locations that utilize a substantial number of coax jack modules. The coax jack modules are used to provide cross-connect functions, line monitoring, and line access of high-speed signals carried over coaxial cables.
A coax jack module generally includes a housing that carries one or more internal switching assemblies. Each of the switching assemblies receives a jack plug through a jack port formed in a housing. The internal switch assemblies are interconnected to coax connectors located on the housing opposite the jack ports. The coax connectors are in turn attached to coaxial cables carrying the high-speed signals. In use, jack plugs are inserted into the jack ports to provide cross-connect, line monitoring, and line access functions. The jack plugs each include a pin element that is received by a center conductor of the switching assemblies. Further details of an example coax jack module are provided in U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,062, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIGS. 1-3 illustrate one conventional center conductor 10 that can be used in a switching assembly of a coax jack module. During use, a jack plug 12 (partially shown in FIG. 3) is inserted into a jack port of the coax jack module such that a pin element 14 of the jack plug 12 is received within an end 16 of the center conductor 10.
The end 16 of the center conductor 10 has a generally tubular construction 18 that receives the pin element 14 of the jack plug 12. The tubular construction 18 includes a crimped contact portion 20 (FIG. 3) that ensures proper contact between the center conductor 10 and the pin element 14 of the jack plug 12. (FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the center conductor 10 prior to formation of the crimped contact portion 20.) The crimped contact portion 20 is located in a region 22 at which two opposing slots 24, 26 are located. The opposing slots 24, 26 are positioned 180 degrees from one another. The slots 24, 26 accommodate crimping of the tubular construction 18 (i.e. the inward displacement of material), and permit the crimped contact portion 20 to expand when a pin element is inserted into the center conductor. That is, the crimped contact portion 20 functions as a spring beam for mechanical connection to the pin element 14 of the jack plug 12. The contact portion 20 is crimped about the entire circumference (360 degrees) of the tubular construction 18.
Conventional center conductor arrangements have experienced problematic mechanical failure and premature fatigue at the crimped contact portion of the conductor. In general, improvement has been sought with respect to such conductor designs, generally to improve upon component reliability and the extended life cycle of a center conductor, while still ensuring proper electrical contact with a pin element of a jack plug.


Method and system in connection with a motor operated tension measuring roll (1) for compensating an error in tension measuring of a continuous material web, the method comprising defining the tension Tmeas of a material web (4) by a force sensor (3) provided at the tension measuring roll. The method comprises defining the frictional couple Tμ and moment of inertia J of the tension measuring roll before tension measuring during operation, defining a torque Tmot generated by the driving motor of the tension measuring roll during operation, defining a torque Twm directed to the material web by the tension measuring roll by subtracting the frictional couple Tμ and moment of inertia J from the defined torque Tmot generated by the driving motor, defining a force FT directed to the material web on the basis of the torque Twm directed to the material web by the tension measuring roll, defining, on the basis of the force FT directed to the material web, a component of force FTm of the measuring sensor in the measuring direction directed to the material web by the tension measuring roll, and subtracting from the tension Tmeas defined by the force sensor the component of force FTm of the measuring sensor in the measuring direction directed to the material web by the tension measuring roll to provide a corrected measuring signal.

The invention relates to defining the tension of a continuous material web, and especially to eliminating error components in the definition of the tension of a continuous material web.
Many industrial production or further-processing machines measure the tension of a continuous material web. Examples of such material web materials are papers and other commodities made of fibre, fabrics, threads, plastic and metal films and other materials whose tension is defined during their production or further processing. In connection with paper-making and further processing, for instance, the tension of the paper web is measured and adjusted at several points of the web. These points include coating stations and reel-ups. Measuring the tension of the web and making the adjustments based thereon aims at a uniform quality of the web material and an improved runnability of the production or further-processing machine.
One known manner of defining the tension of a material web is to measure it with one or more force sensors attached to a measuring roll. The force sensor can be mounted on one or more positions mechanically connected to the roll, typically under bearing cups at the ends of the roll, in which case the force sensors at least partly support the measuring roll. When moving to this roll, the material web forms a force component that is in the measuring direction of the sensor. A measuring roll often also has its own rotating drive. The roll can then be used not only to measure but also to transport the material web.
The angle of the material web passing over the measuring roll is often such that the torque of the drive rotating the measuring roll affects the measurement, that is, forms in the measuring sensor in its measuring direction a force component that sums with the actual measurable quantity, that is, with the force generated by the material web to the measuring roll.
This problem has been eliminated earlier by attempting to mount the measuring roll in such a manner that the force component generated by the torque of the drive is as small as possible in the measuring direction of the force sensor. However, the travel of the web does not always permit the mounting of the measuring roll and its sensors in an optimum manner for the measurement.
Another way of alleviating the problem is to adjust the measuring roll drive in such a manner that the measuring roll does not pull or slow down the material web. However, this limits the control of the web, because the speed difference of the measuring roll drive and the force directed to the web through it cannot be freely set.
A problem with the above motor drive-equipped measuring arrangement is thus an error component formed in the measurement when the measuring roll is used to actively control the web. However, when the measuring roll is driven at the speed of the web so that it does not pull or slow down the web, it is not actively utilised in controlling the web.

Method and system in connection with tension measurement of material web


An acoustic enhancement device adapted for being placed on a support and under a covering, and containing a first flexible layer adapted for being placed facing the support, a second rigid layer joined to the first flexible layer and adapted for being placed opposite the support, and a damping element, wherein the damping element is integrated in the second rigid layer or forms a third layer placed on the second rigid layer and opposite the first flexible layer.

In the field of acoustic enhancement, a distinction is mainly drawn between enhancement by acoustic insulation and enhancement by acoustic correction.
Acoustic insulation ensures reducing the transmission of sound from one room to another, whether via the floor, the ceiling or the side walls. Acoustic insulation reduces sound of mechanical origin, such as impact or collision sound, and also airborne sound, such as generated by persons speaking or hi-fi systems.
Acoustic correction ensures decreasing the sound in the room where the acoustic source is located. Acoustic correction applies to sound of mechanical origin and airborne sound. In the case of sound of mechanical origin on a floor, this is referred to as acoustic correction of walking sound.
Various acoustic isolating devices are known as underlayers for floor coverings. Mention can be made of the use of cork tiles, of rubber based underlayers, which are in the form of tiles or consist of a leveling screed, or of underlayers based on generally synthetic fibers.
Patent EP 0 413 626 B1 more particularly describes a device for insulation against impact sound. It concerns a soundproofing tile having a hard surface with regard to the covering to be placed, and having an elastic reaction support on the opposite side. It comprises a dense and flexible layer of supercompressed fibers having a density between 60 and 200 kg/m3 which constitutes the elastic reaction support, and a layer of bitumen reinforced with two thin layers of glass fibers anchored respectively in each of the faces of the bitumen layer to constitute the rigid face of this tile, the rigid layer having a thickness of about 5 to 6 mm with a mass per unit area of about 10 kg/m2.
Document FR2517728 proposes the same type of product.
Document US 2005/0214500 also addresses the problem of sound transmission by proposing an underlayer formed of a layer having a certain resilience, between 2 and 10 mm thick and having a density of between 20 and 150 kg/m3, and overlaid by a rigid layer having a modulus of elasticity of between 3 and 18 GPa, and not over 14 mm thick.
Document FR 2 693 221 also proposes a solution for insulation against impact sound, but is in the form of rolls. This underlayer comprises a main layer which is placed on the covering side and a secondary layer which is arranged on the opposite side, the floor side.
The secondary layer of this underlayer provides acoustic attenuation with regard to impact sound due to the very constitution of its cellular material which is elastically deformable. This material is, for example, based on a polymer of the polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane rubber (PUR), polyethylene (PE), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) type, and has a thickness between 0.1 mm and 5 mm, with a density not exceeding 800 kg/m3.
The main layer of the underlayer serves to provide the overall mechanical strength. Its constituent material is, for example, a synthetic polymer such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), or a bitumen, but it may also be made from materials of natural origin such as wood fibers. This layer is relatively hard on the surface but remains sufficiently flexible to be rolled so that the underlayer can be provided in the form of rolls.
Document FR2752859 teaches a multilayer material to be placed under a floor covering to reinforce the acoustic insulation against impact zone, and in general to attenuate the propagation of sound waves. This multilayer material, between 3 and 7 mm thick, comprises a first layer facing the floor, consisting of flexible fibrous materials having a mass per unit area of at least 200 g/m2 and which serves to dampen the sound waves, and the second layer facing the covering which is formed of a glass fiber grid or fabric having a mass per unit area of between 300 and 900 g/m2 and which promotes the spreading of the sound waves. A cellular layer of the polyurethane foam type may also be provided, to be placed on the floor opposite the first layer.
It is an object of the invention to provide an alternative solution to the existing solutions for acoustic insulation against impact sound and against airborne sound and, above all, to guarantee an efficient correction of walking sound, while providing great ease of installation.
The figures are not to scale to make them easier to read.

Acoustic enhancement device for underlayment of a covering


A connector is for attachment to a coaxial cable having an inner conductor, an outer conductor, and a dielectric therebetween. The connector includes a connector housing defining a radially outer ramp to receive the outer conductor thereagainst and a back nut. A compressible ring compressibly clamps against the outer conductor opposite the radially outer ramp as the connector housing and back nut are engaged. The connector also includes a center contact to be coupled to the inner conductor and an insulator member in the connector housing for carrying the center contact and having a radially outer support portion to radially support the outer conductor opposite the compressible ring.

Coaxial cables are widely used to carry high frequency electrical signals. Coaxial cables enjoy a relatively high bandwidth, low signal losses, are mechanically robust, and are relatively low cost. One particularly advantageous use of a coaxial cable is for connecting electronics at a cellular or wireless base station to an antenna mounted at the top of a nearby antenna tower. For example, the transmitter located in an equipment shelter may be connected to a transmit antenna supported by the antenna tower. Similarly, the receiver is also connected to its associated receiver antenna by a coaxial cable path.
A typical installation includes a relatively large diameter coaxial cable extending between the equipment shelter and the top of the antenna tower to thereby reduce signal losses. Some coaxial cables include a smooth outer conductor while other coaxial cables instead have a corrugated outer conductor. These coaxial cables also have an inner conductor and a dielectric between the outer conductor and the inner conductor. Some inner conductors are hollow, while other inner conductors are formed around an inner conductor dielectric core.
A typical connector for such a coaxial cable includes a connector housing to make an electrical connection to the outer conductor and a center contact to make electrical connection to the inner conductor of the coaxial cable. Such a connector may also include a back nut that is positioned onto the end of the outer conductor and adjacent the outer insulating jacket portion of the coaxial cable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,795,188 to Harwath, for example, discloses a connector for a coaxial cable having a corrugated outer conductor. The connector includes a connector housing defining a radially outer ramp to contact the inside surface of a flared end portion of an outer conductor of the coaxial cable. A clamping ring is in the corrugation adjacent to the flared end portion of the outer conductor. The clamping ring presses the outer surface of the outer conductor against the radially outer ramp to provide electrical contact therebetween.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,011,546 to Vaccaro discloses a connector for a coaxial cable having a smooth outer conductor. The connector includes a connector housing, a back nut threadingly engaging a rearward end of the connector housing, a ferrule gripping and advancing an end of the coaxial cable into the connector housing as the back nut is tightened, and an insulator member positioned within a medial portion of the connector housing. The insulator member has a bore extending therethrough and includes a forward disk portion, a rearward disk portion, a ring portion connecting the forward and disk portions together, and a tubular outer conductor support portion extending rearwardly from the rearward disk portion for supporting an interior surface of the outer conductor of the coaxial cable.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,077,700 to Henningsen discloses a coaxial connector including a removable back nut, an outer body, and a center conductor supported within the outer body by a dielectric. An uncompressible clamp ring is rotatably disposed within the central bore of the back nut. A prepared end of a coaxial cable is inserted through the back nut, and the end portion of the outer conductor of the coaxial cable is flared outwardly. As the back nut is tightened onto the outer body, the flared end of the outer conductor is clamped between mating clamping surfaces formed on the clamp ring and the outer body.
Despite these exemplary advances in connector technology, a desire remains for connectors that install easily and maintain good electrical contact with the coaxial cable despite changes in outer conductor shape, such as may be caused by thermal expansion and/or aluminum creep.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Connector including compressible ring for clamping a conductor of a coaxial cable and associated methods


A method and apparatus for storing memory modeling data (20) in computer memory (76). The memory modeling data (20) is converted into an X-data value (36) according to a first mapping scheme (32). The first mapping scheme (32) associates the value of each digit of the memory modeling data (20) with a predetermined digit which has one of three values. The X-data value (36) is partitioned into subgroups (52). A character is mapped to each of the subgroups (52) according to a second mapping scheme (64). The mapped characters (60) are stored in computer memory (76).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer memory storage and more particularly to storing modeling data in computer memory.
2. Description of Related Art
Simulations of Very High Speed Integrated Circuit (VHSIC) designs require the use of Hardware Description Languages (HDL's) such as VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language) to model the behavior of hardware components. One class of components that is frequently modeled is memory devices. The memory devices include, for example: random access memory devices (RAM), read-only memory devices (ROM), and electrically erasable read only memory devices (EEPROM).
Existing VHDL memory models use an array of standard logic vector (std.sub.-- logic.sub.-- vector) variables to represent memory modeling data. For a description of std.sub.-- logic.sub.-- vector variable formats, see the following reference: IEEE STD 1164-1993 "IEEE Standard Multivalue Logic System for VHDL Model Interoperability (std.sub.-- logic.sub.-- 1164)." The std logic.sub.-- vector format requires approximately anywhere from eight bytes to eleven bytes to represent one byte of modeled memory. Consequently, a 64 megabyte (Mbyte) memory model may require as much as 704 Mbytes of workstation memory.
This large memory storage requirement mandates the use of workstations with large memory storage capacities. Moreover, the storage requirement significantly slows down the simulation program since, among other reasons, swapping may be required if the workstation is not capable of holding the entire simulation data in the workstation's available RAM. Hardware accelerators can be used to speed up the simulation. However, hardware accelerators are relatively expensive and may cost more than $2 million for one accelerator.


A backplane connector includes a housing and a number of wafers assembled to the housing. Each wafer includes a number of conductive terminals, an insulating frame and a metal shield. The housing includes an insulating housing and a metal shell fixed to the insulating housing. The insulating housing includes a number of slots for positioning the wafers. The metal shell is provided with a mating surface and a number of terminal receiving grooves. The contact portions of the conductive terminals are exposed in the corresponding terminal receiving grooves. The present disclosure improves the structural strength of the backplane connector and reduces the risk of damage the mating surface due to the push or collision of a mating connector.

The existing backplane connectors usually include an insulating housing and a plurality of wafers disposed side by side and assembled to the insulating housing. The insulating housing usually includes a mating surface at a front end, a plurality of insertion holes extending through the mating surface, and a plurality of slots at the rear end. Each wafer includes an insulating frame, a plurality of conductive terminals insert-molded with the insulating frame, and a metal shield disposed on at least one side of the insulating frame. Each conductive terminal includes a contact portion extending forwardly beyond the insulating frame and a mounting portion extending downwardly beyond the insulating frame. When the wafers are assembled to the insulating housing, the insulating frames are inserted into the corresponding slots, and the contact portions of the conductive terminals extend into the corresponding insertion holes.
When the backplane connector is mated with a mating connector, the mating connector abuts against the mating surface of the backplane connector. In some cases, the mating surface of the backplane connector is easily damaged due to push or collision of the mating connector.

Backplane connector with improved structural strength


A hydraulic boat lift assembly will raise and lower a boat cradle remotely, and will securely lock the cradle in an uppermost storage position. The lift as provided with a manual mechanism for unlocking the cradle from its uppermost storage position for operation when the hydraulic system is not available. The lift has a support frame that is mountable on the outside of the transom of a boat with hydraulic connections to a hydraulic system and controls within the boat. A lift mechanism connected to the support frame raises and lowers a cradle that supports a small boat or tender. The lift mechanism includes one or more hydraulic lift cylinders. In a retracted position of the lift cylinder, the cradle is elevated above the water in a storage position when the boat is under way. To ensure security of the tender, the lift mechanism employs a lock cylinder that prevents inadvertent motion of the lift cylinder from the retracted position by mechanical and hydraulic mechanisms. The lock cylinder must be deliberately unlocked by the hydraulic system before the lift cylinder will lower the cradle. A manual unlock mechanism is provided for use when the hydraulic system is unavailable and the tender must be launched.

Small boats are often carried on larger vessels. They may be stored on a deck, and provided with a device that picks up the boat swings, it over the side or stern, and the lowers it into the water. Alternatively, the boat may be stored above the water in a cradle in a lift assembly mounted on the outside of the larger vessel's transom. The lift assembly may be powered by one or more hydraulic cylinders. Because the vessel may be subjected to vigorous motions, it is desirable to be able to lock the cradle securely in the uppermost storage position when underway. It would also be useful to be able to raise and lower the boat remotely with hydraulic controls.


Purified chlorinated alkenes are produced by a process in which a mixture of i) a first chlorinated alkene that has at least one beta-chlorine substituent and no alpha-chlorine substituents and ii) a second chlorinated alkene that has at least one alpha-chlorine substituent is contacted with chlorine in an amount sufficient to further chlorinate the second chlorinated alkene, but which is insufficient to cause conversion of more than 20% of the first chlorinated alkene. The resultant reaction product may be easily enriched to provide a chlorinated alkene product wherein a) the weight percentage of chlorinated alkenes having at least one beta-chlorine substituent and no alpha-chlorine substituents, based on the total weight of the chlorinated alkenes present in the enriched chlorinated alkene product compared to b) the weight percentage of chlorinated alkenes having at least one beta-chlorine substituent and no alpha-chlorine substituents, based on the total weight of the chlorinated alkenes present in the mixture prior to chlorination is increased by at least 0.25 wt. %.

Chlorinated alkenes are important industrial chemicals that are useful in manufacture of a wide variety of chlorinated polymers and organic chemicals. For example, chlorinated alkenes may be utilized as monomers in polymerization reactions that yield thermoplastic and elastomeric compositions. Such materials are useful in manufacture of adhesives and molded and extruded goods, such as gaskets, hoses and thermoplastic profiles.
In many instances production of chlorinated alkenes, including chlorinated alkene monomers, involves dehydrochlorination of chlorinated alkanes or other chlorinated alkenes as one step of a reaction sequence. A typical dehydrohalogenation process performed in the presence of a phase transfer catalyst is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,937 to Campbell et al., wherein 3,4-dichlorobutene-1 is dehydrochlorinated with aqueous alkali to form 2-chlorobutadiene-1,3 (i.e. chloroprene). Other examples of dehydrochlorination reactions are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,816, which discloses a process for dehydrochlorination of 2,3,4-trichlorobutene-1 to form 2,3-dichloro-1,3-butadiene and in U.S. Pat. No. 2,626,964, which discloses a method for dehydrohalogenation of 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorobutane to form 2,3-dichloro-1,3-butadiene.
Although phase transfer catalysts are very effective at increasing conversion in some dehydrochlorination reactions, these higher conversions can result in increased formation of byproduct isomers that are difficult or impossible to remove from the desired product. In the dehydrochlorination of 3,4-dichlorobutene-1 to produce chloroprene for example, the reaction of some impurities in the organic reactant forms byproduct chlorobutadienes that contain chlorine substituents located on an alpha carbon atom (i.e. "alpha-chlorine"). As used herein, the term "alpha carbon atom" means a carbon at the end of a carbon chain (either an alkyl or alkenyl chain) generally numbered 1 in the IUPAC naming convention for alkanes and alkenes. By extension, a beta carbon atom is a carbon atom at the penultimate end of a carbon chain ("next to last" or second) generally numbered 2 in the IUPAC naming convention for alkanes and alkenes.
One method of controlling the problem of byproduct formation is by intentionally limiting reactant conversion to a level below that which is otherwise achievable. However, although intentionally limiting reactant conversion allows acceptable product purity to be attained, it also reduces yield and imposes an economic and environmental disadvantage that can be significant. In another example, high conversion conditions in the dehydrochlorination of 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorobutane to form 2,3-dichlorobutadiene-1,3 results in production of substantial amounts of isomeric dichlorobutadienes that contain alpha-chlorine. The presence of high levels of isomeric products that contain alpha-chlorine is objectionable because use of such mixtures as monomer feeds in polymerization reactions can result in formation of relatively high percentages of allylic chlorine in the polymer backbone. This can increase oxidative degradation of the polymer.
When a polymerization is terminated at a low conversion level, it is necessary to remove and desirable to recycle unreacted monomers prior to isolation of the polymeric product. One undesirable aspect of the monomer recovery is that certain impurities that may be present in the monomeric starting material may be concentrated in the recovered monomer stream as a result of chemical reactions that take place during polymerization or conditions that exist in the reactor. If the recovered monomer is recycled to the reactor without treatment, abnormal polymerization initiation and polymers having inferior properties will typically result. Therefore, it is desirable to reduce the level of impurities in the recovered monomer, generally in a separate step during the recycle operation in order to prevent this problem. This is especially true for recycled chloroprene monomer which contains higher than desired levels of 1-chlorobutadiene-1,3.
Removal of isomers having alpha-chlorine substituents from a desired isomeric product that contains chlorine substituents exclusively on beta carbon atoms is very difficult because the isomers generally have similar volatility. In recycle operations, excessive losses of the desired isomer can occur when typical distillation techniques are employed to separate the undesired isomers from recovered reactant streams. For this reason, conversion in some dehydrochlorination reactions may be intentionally limited to levels lower than those that are achievable in order to reduce formation of isomers containing alpha-chlorine substituents to acceptable levels to avoid the necessity of expensive purification steps.
It would be advantageous to have a simple method available that would permit the purification and separation of desired chlorinated olefins that contain beta-chlorine substitutents from mixtures of such compounds with other chlorinated isomers. This would permit the use of high conversion processes in dehydrochlorination reactions without compromising final product purity and provide for the efficient use of recovered monomers for the production of polymers.

Process for production of 2,3-dichlorobutadiene-1,3


Gaming devices comprising a gaming unit configured for play of a primary game and a bonus game. The bonus game portion of the gaming unit includes at least a outcome display element with an associated, cooperative outcome indicator element. The outcome display element may be rotatable about a substantially upright axis and comprise a sphere, a gem or other suitable element for displaying potential game outcomes for the bonus game, the game outcome being indicated by a portion of the outcome display element aligned with the outcome indicator element upon cessation of rotation of the former. Employing visually perceptible representations of rotation of the outcome display element rather than physical rotation thereof is also disclosed.

The present invention is directed to novel gaming devices and, more particularly, to gaming devices comprising at least primary and secondary events capable of providing at least one of a plurality of payouts. More specifically, the present invention relates to gaming methods, devices and systems employing a rotating sphere or other element to display an outcome of a game of chance.
Games of chance have been enjoyed by people for years and have enjoyed widespread popularity in recent times. Many people enjoy playing a wide variety of games that they have not played before. Playing new games adds to the excitement of this recreational activity particularly when some form of "gaming" is involved. As used herein, the terms "gaming" and "gaming devices" are used to indicate that some form of wagering is involved, and that players must make wagers of value, whether actual currency or some equivalent of value, e.g., token or credit.
One popular game of chance that has long been enjoyed by many players is the slot machine. Conventionally, a slot machine is configured for a player to input something of value, e.g., a standard denomination of currency or house token or other representation of currency or credit, and then to permit the player to activate the device, which causes a plurality of reels to spin and ultimately stop to display a random combination of some form of indicia, for example, numbers or symbols. If this display contains one of a preselected plurality of winning combinations, the machine releases money into a payout chute or onto a credit meter for the player. For example, if a player initially wagered two coins of a national currency and that player won a high payout, that player may receive fifty coins of the same denomination in return.
Electronic games and their methods and apparatus for use are well-known in the art. Electronic games include games of chance, games of skill, and games involving both skill and chance. Examples of patents describing various games of chance include U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,536 to Davids et al. (Nov. 10, 1998), U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,716 to Saffari et al. (Jun. 23, 1998), U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,460 to Fulton (Oct. 13, 1998) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,820 to Morro et al. (Sep. 7, 1999).
Electronic games may also be coupled to one or more other computers such as a central controller of a casino, e.g., via a network card and link, modem and the like. The game parameters, such as how, when and where particular images will appear on the display screen, how the game works and how to operate the various elements operably coupled to the computer, are stored in the memory. Often, the electronic gaming device may be housed in a structural and/or decorative housing as is well-known and understood by those of ordinary skill in the art.
As noted above, initiating an electronic game can be done as simply as by inserting a coin, token, or other type of currency. Another more comprehensive example of initiating a game includes inserting an identification card, such as a "smart card" having a programmed microchip or a magnetic strip coded with a player's identification, credit totals and other relevant information. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,874 to Dickinson et al. (Nov. 30, 1993), the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. It is also known to use a writeable identification card, such as a smart card to eliminate the need for a network or direct connection between remote systems and a common controller or point database such as is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,045 to Biorge et al. (Sep. 8, 1998). Promotional point and credit information may be retrieved, recorded and updated using the smart card. Additionally, it is known to transfer money to a game through an electronic funds transfer as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,983 to Crevelt et al. (May 11, 1999).
Existing electronic game displays typically include multiple images representing various aspects of a game such as a game portion, a credit total portion and a wager amount portion. Other electronic game displays include an additional bonus award portion to indicate an amount of a bonus award which may be won, typically through multiple or secondary games. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,851,148 to Brune et al. (Dec. 22, 1998) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,418 to Adams (Jun. 15, 1999).
Bonus gaming, also known in the art, includes employing a secondary game, often a different type of game than that of the primary game, as an additional activity for a player of the primary game. Implementation of a bonus game includes providing a game of chance, such as, for example, one like that described above, as a first or a primary gaming unit. Another gaming unit is then provided as a secondary, bonus game which is typically accessible upon receipt of a winning hand (in the case of a card game) or the occurrence of a specified symbol, icon, or indicia or one or more specific combinations of same during play of the primary gaming unit. Often the existence of a bonus game serves to attract a player through the perception of having increased opportunity to win during the player's gaming activities. The display associated with the bonus game is separate and distinct from the display associated with the primary gaming unit. Exemplary gaming machines which offer not only a primary gaming unit but secondary games of various types are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,823,874 and 5,848,932 to Adams, assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
Bonus gaming may also be conducted through a plurality of networked games such that the secondary gaming activity might involve a plurality of individuals who have been wagering at primary gaming units. Some examples of bonus gaming include U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,544 (Jul. 14, 1998), U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,998 (Sep. 9, 1997) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,603 (Oct. 1, 1996) all to Seelig et al. More particularly, some examples of bonus gaming including a plurality of networked primary gaming machines include U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,273 to Olsen (Nov. 14, 2000), U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,982 to Piechowiak et al. (Jan. 11, 2000), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,284 to Acres et al. (Mar. 2, 1999).
As noted above, bonus games serve to entice the player to wager at a particular primary game with the hope of being rewarded through the potential of increased winnings. One of the entertaining features of bonus games, such as the notably successful "WHEEL OF FORTUNE" networked bonus games offered in casinos throughout a particular state, for example Nevada, is the visual aspect of the rotating, brightly lit bonus wheel signaling the potential for a large, even multi-million dollar payout from a bonus game win funded by wagers placed on all of the participating, networked gaming machines. Further, those familiar with games involving winning payouts, such as the popular television game show entitled "WHEEL OF FORTUNE," will realize that as players and observers watch a large wheel spin and gradually come to rest, the players experience a heightened feeling of anticipation and excitement as the wheel is slowing down to indicate a possible prize.
The use of bonus games has been beneficial in the initial attraction of players to a primary gaming machine and the placement of a wager for play of the primary game. However, there is potential for further improvement in the manner in which the secondary or bonus game operation and outcome may be visibly displayed as well as in how the secondary or bonus game itself may be characterized or "themed."

Method, apparatus and system for gaming using a rotatable payout indicator


A circuit for processing an input pulse signal of which the slew rate is dependent on pulse frequency comprises an amplifier (30; 78) for receiving the input pulse signal and generating an output pulse signal having transitions of which the slew rate is dependent on a bias current supplied to the amplifier, and a circuit (38-66; 82-108) for supplying bias current to the amplifier, the bias current being representative at least substantially of the frequency of occurrence of pulses in the input pulse signal.

This invention relates to a time code signal processing circuit.
ANSI/SMPTE standard 12M-1986 specifies a format and modulation method for a digital code to be recorded on a longitudinal track of video tape by a video tape recorder to facilitate timing and control in subsequent use of the recorded video material, for example in editing. The code, which is commonly known as SMPTE time code, specifies a unique and complete address on the video tape for each television frame. During playback of the video tape, the time code signal is read from the tape and is decoded.
The time code signal is a pulse signal, specifically a biphase signal. In biphase coding, a signal epoch is divided into time slots, and one source data bit occupies a single time slot. Each source data bit may be represented by a two-cell doublet. Each coding doublet begins, and therefore also ends, with a transition. A source data bit one generates a transition between the two cells of the doublet, whereas a source data bit zero does not.
Standard 12M-1986 prescribes that the transition time of the pulse signal, i.e. the rise time and the fall time, shall be 25.+-.5 .mu.s, corresponding to a slew rate from 41.67*V.sub.pp v/ms to 62.5*V.sub.pp v/ms, where V.sub.pp is the peak-to-peak voltage of the time code signal, and devices designed for utilizing the time code signal are generally designed around this range of slew rates.
A video tape recorder designed for professional use has a wide range of playback speeds typically ranging from jog (one frame per second) through normal (about 30 frames per second) to shuttle (64 frames per second). Since the time code signal is synchronized with the video signal, this implies that the slew rate of the time code pulses can vary between about one-thirtieth the slew rate at normal speed and about 64 times the slew rate at normal speed, and that the slew rate is linearly related to the time code signal's data rate. Furthermore, the amplitude of the time code signal provided by a conventional VTR may vary depending on playback speed, such that the amplitude at high speed is greater than at normal speed and the amplitude at low speed is less than at normal speed. The wide range of variation in slew rate and the variation in amplitude can lead to difficulties, particularly in clocked propagation of the time code signal. In particular, a routing switcher designed for switching a digital signal normally requires that the signal that is being switched have a fairly narrow range of slew rates and amplitudes. Therefore conventional switchers are not well suited to switching time code signals.

Time code signal processing circuit for removing and restoring variation in slew rate


Aspects describe front-end pixel fixed pattern noise correction in imaging arrays having wide dynamic range. A photosensor of a first pixel in a first row of an array is reset and a first reset level of the first pixel is measured. The array comprises a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns. In response to a result of the first reset level, a reset bus is altered. A feed-forward adjustment of the photosensor of the first pixel is performed to substantially remove fixed-pattern noise. An external readout from the photosensor can occur with substantially all the fixed-pattern noise removed. In some aspects, the adjustment is performed by a switched capacitor block.

Image sensor arrays are in widespread use in digital cameras, camcorders, and many other products. Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) is low cost and versatile and, thus, has become the technology of choice for most of these arrays. Within CMOS itself, many types of devices intended for visible imaging applications are in use. Such devices can be tailored to large-format still cameras, standard video cameras, and compact "web cam" units, for example, all with varying degrees of size, cost, and performance.
CMOS imaging devices generally have what is known as an "electronic shutter," which can function as a replacement for a mechanical shutter. An electronic shutter controls the duration of the exposure on an array of pixel sensors, allowing the system to adapt to lighting conditions. Although an electronic shutter increases overhead in the device design, for most applications the electronic shutter can be worth the advantage of avoiding a mechanical shutter.
A "rolling shutter" is one type of electronic shutter. The rolling shutter can be provided while incurring almost no costs and, therefore, is widely used. For the rolling shutter, an array is scanned one row at a time for readout. At each row read-out, the pixels in the row have been integrating photocurrent for a certain period of time, Tint, because the pixels have been reset by a separate scanning event Tint ago. A vertical scanner can control the separate scanning event. A drawback of the rolling shutter is that while the entire array has a uniform Tint, the actual start time and end time are different. For example, the top rows of the array may be exposed before the bottom rows of the array are exposed. Thus, horizontally moving objects might be distorted. While Tint can be made to have a short duration, the start time and end time might be separated by up to an entire frame period in some cases.
To overcome the drawbacks of a rolling shutter, an electronic "global shutter" can be used. For global shutter, all pixels start and stop integration at the same time, which can avoid the motion artifact of the rolling shutter and can approach the performance of a mechanical shutter. However, the global shutter has more overhead at the pixel, circuit, and system levels. While there are many ways of implementing electronic global shutter, in CMOS a common approach is to use a five transistor (5T) pixel, which is a compact type of shutter that can provide acceptable performance.
The above-described deficiencies of today's image sensor arrays are merely intended to provide an overview of some of the problems of conventional arrays, and are not intended to be exhaustive. Other problems with conventional arrays and corresponding benefits of the various non-limiting embodiments described herein may become further apparent upon review of the following description.

Front-end pixel fixed pattern noise correction in imaging arrays having wide dynamic range


An image forming apparatus includes a reference surface that is partitioned into an array of chambers; an image forming head for forming an image on a media; and a source of negative pressure. The array of chambers is in fluid communication with the source of negative pressure. An overprint trough is positioned neighboring the array of chambers. The overprint trough includes a side wall with a plurality of vent holes to direct airborne ink mist produced by the image forming head away from a back side of the media.

As one of conventional recording apparatuses, an ink jet recording apparatus is known in which a recording medium is intermittently fed in a recording section. Each time the feed is interrupted, ink droplets are ejected from a recording head over a certain width in a direction perpendicular to the feed direction, thereby recording an image. Unless the spacing between a nozzle surface of a recording head of an ink jet recording apparatus, which ejects ink in a recording section, and a recording medium is maintained to be small with high accuracy, an image is degraded due to a variation in arrival time of ejected ink droplets. If a space is not maintained between the recording head and the medium, a smear occurs due to contact between the recording head and the recording medium and the recording head may be damaged.
In some ink jet recording apparatuses, therefore, a carriage holding a recording head is scanned with high accuracy using a guide shaft of good straightness, and a recording medium is attracted onto a flat platen under a vacuum suction. Generally, in the apparatus using such a suction platen, a vacuum pump, a fan or the like is employed as a negative pressure generating source, and air in an enclosed space below the platen is evacuated to the outside to create a negative pressure in the space (i.e. to provide a pressure that is lower than ambient atmospheric pressure).
Recently, to meet a demand for recording an image without surrounding margins as with a borderless photograph or image, there has been proposed an apparatus in which ink is ejected over a range greater than the width of a recording medium to form a borderless image.
For roll-fed recording media, conventional problems in the recording operation occur at the point where a printed media is to be cut in a cutting zone. Cutting is performed after an image has been printed. In conventional image forming apparatuses, the printed media is only held on one side of the cutter by the vacuum platen or hold-down device. However, this method has drawbacks. When the printed media is cut by the conventional apparatus, it has a tendency to pull away under its own weight and tear as it is cut. This problem adds additional cost as the recorded image must be re-printed wasting material and operator cost and time.
In inkjet printing, image quality is affected by a combination of factors—one of them being the degree of uniformity of the distance between the nozzles on the printhead and the media. It is also important that the media be held down sufficiently well so as to avoid the printhead from touching the media (which ruins the print and can damage the printhead).

Overprint trough for an image forming apparatus


A method for issuing coupons to a plurality of target users is provided. For each of the plurality of target users, the method may include determining a predicted value of a group indicator of the target user in a predetermined period. The method may further include grouping the plurality of target users using a plurality of grouping strategies. For each of the grouping strategies, the method may further include determining a candidate coupon issuing strategy. For each of the candidate coupon issuing strategies, the method may further include obtaining user feature information of one or more target users in each group corresponding to the candidate coupon issuing strategy. For each of the candidate coupon issuing strategies, the method may further include predicting an ROI of the candidate coupon issuing strategy based on an RO prediction model and the corresponding user feature information.

Coupons are widely used in marketing and sales to stimulate consumers to purchase products or services. In coupon issuing, an unsuitable coupon issuing strategy may cause an economic loss for an issuer of coupons. It is desirable to develop a suitable and/or customized coupon issuing strategy for a plurality of target users to improve a return on investment (ROI). For example, coupons with different discount amounts may be distributed to different user groups according to one or more user features. Conventionally, a coupon issuing strategy may be selected from a plurality of predetermined coupon issuing strategies according to, for example, prior experience, predicted ROIs of the predetermined coupon issuing strategies, etc. However, in some cases, the selected coupon issuing strategy may be sub-optimal. Therefore, it is desirable to provide effective systems and methods for determining an optimal coupon issuing strategy.

BEIJING DIDI INFINITY TECHNOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT CO., LTD.


In one aspect, a multi-use prosthetic component is provided. In certain examples, the component comprises a prismatic head, external marks and internal hexagon for indexing, fitting and orientation of the assembly. In another aspect, a dental implant system is provided, where in certain examples the system includes a covering cylinder, a plastic cover, a set screw and an implant with an external hexagon, which allows for, in addition to the function as a conventional assembler, capturing the implant in the packaging, shipping and installation in the bone tissue, application of torque, impression coping, a prosthetic pillar indexed to the implant device, and 3D orientation during surgery.

In the field of dental implants, to assist in the installation of the implant the use of either external hex or the internal hex interfaces is are already widely disclosed, as well as the use of assemblers.
Although there are options that obviate the need to use assemblers, these artifacts are part of the dental activity when it comes to the installation of dental implants, the most common practice is to use a tool that captures the implant from its packaging, which carries the implant to the bone tissue and installs in its position of use.
The document WO2006/088680 presents a one-piece, screw-receiving, externally-threaded endosseous dental implant that includes a part with an external thread and, at its proximal end, an unthreaded, cylindrical part including a retentive groove for engaging a complementary transfer component or comfort cap; a one or two piece screw-receiving implant pillar for attachment to a one or two piece implant, including a retentive groove for engaging a complementary transfer component or comfort cap; and a fixture mount for insertion in a one-piece implant, that can be sectioned with the distal end used to extend the implant height. Document U.S. Pat. No. 7,785,107 presents endosseous dental implants which includes external threads and in an internal passage within the interior of the implant body, a bevel guide, surfaces for engaging octagonal notches engaging surfaces for hex tools that are distally positioned, internal distal threads both hexagonal and octagonal surfaces and coupling and assembly devices, including male projections for attaching the surfaces for hex coupling tools within the implants.

Multifunctional prosthetic component and its method of use

JJGC INDUSTRIA E COMERCIO DE MATERIAIS DENTARIOS S.A.


A method for producing dehydrated potato slices, specifically suitable for making French fries and French fries produced therefrom, utilizes the application of microwave energy under selected vacuum conditions and a specific range of microwave energy application to produce dried potato slices having a water activity of no more than 0.85.

The conventional way of making French fries, for example, for chain stores such as MacDonalds, Burger King and the like, is to distribute frozen raw, blanched or par- fried potato that have been presliced to the appropriate shape e.g. strips. The local restaurants and defrost these frozen French fries in the restaurant and deep fry them. Obviously, transportation and distribution of such frozen potatoes adds a significant cost in view of the required refrigeration both during transportation storing them on premises. The in restaurant refrigerated space required to maintain the chips frozen until they are to be used also contributes to the overhead.
Attempts have been made to provide slice raw potatoes or the like suitable for French frying and having a significant shelf life without requiring freezing has been an object of the industry for sometime. However, to Applicant's knowledge, no one has been successful in producing, for example, a dehydrated product of a quality that is acceptable to the restaurateurs. Thus, the practice of using frozen raw French fries is reasonably standard except in those instances where the fresh potatoes are peeled, sliced and cooked on the premises.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,952 issued Feb. 14, 1978 to Standing of the Pilsbury Company, describes a specific attempt to produce potatoes pieces suitable for making French fries. In this process the potatoes are peeled and sliced, blanched and then cooled to about 80.degree. F. or lower followed by drying under conditions of selected relative humidity in the hot air surrounding the raw pieces and using microwave energy to provide about 50-90% of the total drying energy input to reduce the moisture content to 12% or less.
This technique provides a reasonable dehydrated product. However, apparently, it has not been found to be satisfactory by those in the business and thus has not been adopted by those in the business.

Method for preparing dried, uncooked potato slices