The invention relates to the chemical synthesis of oligonucleotides and to chemical entities useful in such synthesis. More particularly, the invention relates to sulfurization of the internucleotide linkages of oligonucleotides. The invention provides a process to synthesize new sulfur transfer reagents and a process for their use in sulfurizing oligonucleotides. The sulfur transfer reagents according to the invention are inexpensive to make, stable in storage and in solution, and highly efficient in sulfurization.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the chemical synthesis of oligonucleotides and to chemical entities useful in such synthesis. More particularly, the invention relates to the synthesis of novel sulfur transfer reagents and to the sulfurization of the internucleotide linkages of oligonucleotides with the reagents.
2. Summary of the Related Art
Oligonucleotides have become indispensable tools in modern molecular biology, being used in a wide variety of techniques, ranging from diagnostic probing methods to PCR to antisense inhibition of gene expression. Oligonucleotide phosphorothioates are of considerable interest in nucleic acid research and are among the analogues tested as oligonucleotide therapeutics. Oligonucleotides phosphorothioates contain internucleotide linkages in which one of the nonbridging oxygen atoms of the phosphate group is replaced by a sulfur atom. This widespread use of oligonucleotides has led to an increasing demand for rapid, inexpensive, and efficient methods for synthesizing oligonucleotides.
The synthesis of oligonucleotides for antisense and diagnostic applications can now be routinely accomplished. See eg., Methods in Molecular Biology, Vol 20: Protocols for Oligonucleotides and Analogs, pp. 165-189 (S. Agrawal, ed., Humana Press, 1993); Oligonucleotides and Analogues: A Practical Approach, pp. 87-108 (F. Eckstein, ed., 1991); and Uhlmann and Peyman, Chemical Reviews, 90: 543-584 (1990); Agrawal and Iyer, Curr. Op. in Biotech. 6: 12 (1995); and Antisense Research and Applications (Crooke and Lebleu, eds., CRC Press, Boca Raton, 1993). Early synthetic approaches included phosphodiester and phosphotriester chemistries. Khorana et al., J. Molec. Biol. 72: 209 (1972) discloses phosphodiester chemistry for oligonucleotide synthesis. Reese, Tetrahedron Lett. 34: 3143-3179 (1978), discloses phosphotriester chemistry for synthesis of oligonucleotides and polynucleotides. These early approaches have largely given way to the more efficient phosphoramidite and H-phosphonate approaches to automated synthesis. Beaucage and Carruthers, Tetrahedron Lett. 22: 1859-1862 (1981), discloses the use of deoxynucleoside phosphoramidites in polynucleotide synthesis. Agrawal and Zamecnik, U.S. Pat. No. 5,149,798 (1992), discloses optimized synthesis of oligonucleotides by the H-phosphonate approach.
These latter approaches have been used to synthesize oligonucleotides having a variety of modified internucleotide linkages. Agrawal and Goodchild, Tetrahedron Lett. 28: 3539-3542 (1987), teaches synthesis of oligonucleotide methylphosphonates using phosphoramidite chemistry. Connolly et al., Biochemistry 23: 3443 (1984), discloses synthesis of oligonucleotide phosphorothioates using phosphoramidite chemistry. Jager et al., Biochemistry 27: 7237 (1988), discloses synthesis of oligonucleotide phosphoramidates using phosphoramidite chemistry. Agrawal et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85: 7079-7083 (1988), discloses synthesis of oligonucleotide phosphoramidates and phosphorothioates using H-phosphonate chemistry.
Solid phase synthesis of oligonucleotides by each of the foregoing processes involves the same generalized protocol. Briefly, this approach comprises anchoring the 3xe2x80x2-most nucleoside to a solid support functionalized with amino and/or hydroxyl moieties and subsequently adding the additional nucleosides in stepwise fashion. Internucleoside linkages are formed between the 3xe2x80x2 functional group of the incoming nucleoside and the 5xe2x80x2 hydroxyl group of the 5xe2x80x2-most nucleoside of the nascent, support-bound oligonucleotide. In the phosphoramidite approach, the internucleoside linkage is a phosphite linkage, whereas in the H-phosphonate approach, it is an H-phosphonate internucleoside linkage. To create the sulfur-containing phosphorothioate internucleoside linkage, the phosphite or H-phosphonate linkage must be oxidized by an appropriate sulfur transfer reagent. In the H-phosphonate approach, this sulfurization is carried out on all of the H-phosphonate linkages in a single step following the completion of oligonucleotide chain assembly, typically using elemental sulfur in a mixed solvent, such as CS2/pyridine. In contrast, the phosphoramidite approach allows stepwise sulfurization to take place after each coupling, thereby providing the capability to control the state of each linkage in a site-specific manner. Based on superior coupling efficiency, as well as the capacity to control the state of each linkage in a site-specific manner, the phosphoramidite approach appears to offer advantages.
Refinement of methodologies is still required, however, particularly when making a transition to large-scale synthesis (10 xcexcmol to 1 mmol and higher). See Padmapriya et al., Antisense Res. Dev. 4: 185 (1994). Several modifications of the standard phosphoramidite processes have already been reported to facilitate the synthesis (Padmapriya et al., supra; Ravikumar et al., Tetrahedron 50: 9255 (1994); Theisen et al., Nucleosides and Nucleotides 12: 43 (1994); and Iyer et al., Nucleosides and Nucleotides 14: 1349 (1995)) and isolation (Kuijpers et al., Nucl. Acids Res. 18: 5197 (1990); and Reddy et al., Tetrahedron Lett. 35: 4311 (1994)) of oligonucleotides.
It is imperative that an efficient sulfur transfer reagent is used for the synthesis of oligonucleotide phosphorothioates via the phosphoroamidite approach. Elemental sulfur is not efficient due to poor solubility and slow sulfurization reaction. A number of more efficient sulfurizing reagents have been reported in recent years. These include phenylacetyl disulfide, (Kamer et al., Tetrahedron Lett. 30: 6757-6760 (1989)), H-1,2-benzodithiol-3-one-1,1-dioxide (Beaucage reagent)(Iyer et al., J. Org. Chem. 55: 4693-4699 (1990)), tetraethylthiuram disulfide (TETD)(Vu et al., Tetrahedron Lett. 32: 3005-3008 (1991)), dibenzoyl tetrasulfide (Rao et al., Tetrahedron Lett. 33: 4839-4842 (1992)), bis(O,O-diisopropoxyphosphinothioyl) disulfide (S-Tetra)(Stec et al., Tetrahedron Lett. 33: 5317-5320 (1993)), benzyltriethyl-ammonium tetrathiomolybate (BTTM) (Rao et al., Tetrahedron Lett. 35: 6741-6744 (1994)), bis(p-toluenesulfonyl) disulfide (Effimov et al., Nucl. Acids Res. 23: 4029-4033 (1995)), 3-ethoxy-1,2,4-dithiazoline-5-one (EDITH)(Xu et al., Nucleic Acid Res. 24:1602-1607 (1996)), and 1,2,4-dithiazolidine-3,5-dione (DtsNH)(Xu et al., Nucleic Acid Res. 24:1602-1607 (1996)). Both Beaucage reagent and TETD are commercially available. Beaucage reagent has been widely used, however, its synthesis and stability are not optimal. In addition, the by-product formed by Beaucage reagent during sulfurization, 3H-2,1-benzoxanthiolan-3-one-1-oxide, is a potential oxidizing agent that can lead to undesired phosphodiester linkages under certain conditions. Therefore, its application in large-scale synthesis of oligonucleotide phosphorothioates may not be particularly suitable. We report the novel preparation of 3-phenyl-1,2,4-dithiazoline-5-one as a potential alternative sulfurizing reagent.
There is, therefore, a continuing need to develop new sulfur transfer reagents and processes for sulfurizing oligonucleotides. Ideally, such sulfur transfer reagents should be inexpensive to make, stable in storage and in solution, and highly efficient in sulfurization.
The invention provides new sulfur transfer reagents, 3-aryl-1,2,4-dithiazoline-5-ones, for use in sulfurizing oligonucleotides. The sulfur transfer reagents according to the invention are inexpensive to make, stable in storage and in solution for thirty days, and highly efficient in sulfurization.
In a first aspect, the invention provides novel sulfur transfer reagents having the general structure (1)
wherein R is
or any substituted heterocyclic or substituted aromatic group. The sulfur transfer reagent 3-phenyl-1,2,4-dithiazoline-5-one is a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention and has the structure (2)
A second aspect provides for the synthesis of novel sulfur transfer reagents according to the invention.
In a third aspect, the invention provides a novel process for adding a sulfur group to an internucleotide linkage of an oligonucleotide using the novel sulfur transfer reagent according to the invention.


A method for production of a molded article from a base substance in a device for mixing of the base substance with a solvent is provided. The method includes mixing a base substance to produce a molding solution with the solvent and at least partially removing the solvent from the mixture; and feeding the molding solution to a device for further processing of a product and diluting the molding solution before further processing. In embodiments, the diluent is introduced to the device before a discharge device and/or in the discharge device.

In the present case the product can be converted to any state of aggregation, for example, to a liquid or molded article. The term "molded article" subsumes all possible articles produced from a natural or artificial base substance. This generally occurs by means of a molding die, with which the base substance is brought into a shape for the molded article. As an example, which is in no way restrictive or conclusive, viscose fibers are mentioned.
Viscose fibers are fibers consisting of the base material cellulose and are produced industrially via the viscose method. The chemical nature of viscose fibers is equivalent to that of cotton fibers.
Modal fibers are a product similar to viscose fibers. They also consist of 100% cellulose and, like viscose fibers, are produced from natural cellulose. Through a somewhat different process, however, higher fiber strength and improved fiber properties are achieved.
Tencel and lyocell fibers are also classified among the cellulose fibers. In the lyocell fibers the cellulose is dissolved directly and unchanged by the nontoxic solvent NMMO (N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide) without prior reaction with NaOH and derivatization to xanthate. Spinning of the lyocell fibers occurs in a dilute, aqueous NMMO bath, in which the solubility limit of cellulose is fallen short of and a fiber is formed on this account. For this purpose the corresponding spinning solution is forced through spinnerets. This lyocell method is described, for example, in DE 1 713 486, U.S. Pat. No. 3,447,939 or GB 8 216 566. Production of the appropriate spinning solution occurs in a horizontally operating kneading reactor, as shown in DE 198 37 210 or WO 02/20885 A1.
The spinning solution in these devices and according to the known methods is produced in the viscosity and corresponding cellulose concentration necessary for the subsequent spinning process. Corresponding devices for spinning, however, can only process a spinning solution with low viscosity, which, however, reduces the effectiveness of the process for production of the spinning solution. Very low viscosities and therefore low cellulose contents are necessary for special applications, in which the spinning solutions can no longer be effectively produced with the known technology.
A method of the aforementioned type is also known from WO 2009/098073, according to which the molding solution is diluted before the molding process. This means that the highly viscous spinning solution, whose viscosity lies above a viscosity that permits spinning, is temporarily stored, optionally heated and then brought to the viscosity of the desired molding solution in its own special reactor with a diluent.
The underlying task of the present invention is to simplify the aforementioned process and configure the corresponding production installation leaner.


A user interface is presented to a user. The method determines whether or not to customize a size of one or more components on the user interface. The method then determines one or more candidate components on the user interface to customize, when a determination is made to customize a size of one or more components on the user interface. The method customizes the one or more candidate components on the user interface, and presents a customized user interface to the user.

Many computing devices utilize user interfaces that are virtual in nature. For example, a virtual user interface is one that is presented on a two-dimensional display, associated with the computing device, with touchscreen technology such that the user can input data and selections to the computing device by touching the touchscreen in the area in which a given component of the user interface is displayed (e.g., tapping a displayed key on a virtual keypad). With regard to such user interfaces and their components, accessibility and touch points are very important factors. Points or targets that are smaller in size are difficult for a user to tap/touch accurately. Because of a fixed width of points or targets, tapping a button requires significant effort and thus can be a difficult task. This in turn leads to a negative experience since the user gets frustrated or is dissatisfied. The maximum size of keys on a virtual keypad is relatively small. The size of the keys is currently based on an average fingertip size which does not accommodate for all fingertip sizes in terms of comfort and ease of accessibility.


A casting mold has a main body provided with a vent hole opened up in a casting space of said main body. The improvement is characterized in that the vent hole is provided with air discharging means and air feeding means which are disposed at the vent hole and the air discharging means and air feeding means are suitably selected so that air within the casting space can be discharged and a pressurized air can be fed toward the casting space through the vent hole.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a casting device, a method for using the device, a casting device of a vehicle wheel, a method for using the device, and a vehicle wheel.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional casting device, when a casting is going to be manufactured, a mold temperature is set sufficiently high in order to obtain a favorable run of a hot melt.
This conventional casting device, however, has such disadvantages as that as the mold temperature is set sufficiently high, it takes a long time for the hot melt to be hardened, and as a result, the casting structure of the casting does not become dense, and therefore, a high strength is difficult to obtain.
Also, in a conventional low pressure casting device of a vehicle wheel, a main body of a mold is provided at its lower part with a weir and a hot melt is poured into a casting space through this weir (Japanese Patent Early Laid-open Publication No. Sho 55-120465).
However, this conventional casting device has such disadvantages as that as the cooling device is disposed at a lower part of the main body of the mold, it is difficult to maintain the hot melt in a constant level of temperature, and as a result, a casting defect tends to occur.
Also, notwithstanding that a high strength is required for a disk portion of a vehicle wheel, as the weir is disposed as the lower part of the main body of the mold in the conventional casting device, it is difficult to cool the disk portion, and as a result, the disk portion is difficult to be improved in strength.
The present invention has been accomplished in order to overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.

Casting device, method for using the device, casting device of vehicle wheel, method for using the device, and vehicle wheel


One embodiment of this invention discloses a silk screening device which includes an integrated quartz flash unit. The invention improves upon prior art systems and relates to a system whereby both a silk screen squeegee unit and a quartz flash unit are slidably mounted on a common set of rails, in order to allow each to be easily placed and removed from the silk screening platform.

The art of silk screening or screen printing has been used by printers for many decades to print multi-colored images on textiles. In order to accelerate and control the curing process of the dye or ink, quartz flash cure units have been developed that emit high-intensity electromagnetic radiation over the dye.
Quartz flash cure units are used by printers, and commonly seen on automatic printing processes, in order to accelerate the printing process on a silk screen printing device. Quartz flash cure units operate, generally, by placing the flash cure unit over a textile, after a pass of the silk screen squeegee, and commencing irradiation. The emission of high-intensity radiation by the quartz flash cure unit assists curing by accelerating and controlling the cure process of the dye. Then, the quartz flash cure unit is moved from the textile and the printer is able to more quickly commence printing another color to the textile, or remove the textile from the device, due to the accelerated curing process.
In order to more conveniently place and remove the quartz flash cure unit, numerous mechanisms have been developed for mounting the flash cure unit. In one common, simple mechanism, quartz flash cure units are mounted on modular rolling stands, which allow the quartz flash cure unit to be rolled over the textile for curing. After the curing process, the unit is rolled away, in order to allow the printer to print another color or remove the textile from the device. In another common automatic printing process, the quartz flash unit is mounted such that it is stationary, and the textile is moved beneath the quartz flash unit for irradiation. In either case, these flash cure unit mechanisms are inefficient and time consuming to place and remove from the curing position. Accordingly, automatic printing processes are very cumbersome and not well-suited for use on sample systems. Thus, certain mechanisms have been developed in order to assist in the process of placing and removing the quartz flash cure unit from over the textile.
One such mechanism is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,398 to Martin, which discloses a screen printing and drying machine wherein print and drying mechanisms are mounted on multiple turrets of the machine. Martin's mechanism accelerates the positioning process by rotating the print and drying mechanism along a common axis. The Martin mechanism, however, is relatively large and complicated and, thus, unsuited to production of individual or small numbers of textiles. Another, similar device is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,938 to Pellegrina, which also discloses a multi-color printing system arranged around a turret. Pellegrina's device improves upon Martin's mechanism by disclosing a similar mechanism that includes a forced air heating and cooling mechanism for curing. Like Martin's mechanism, however, Pellegrina's device is unsuited to the production of individual or a small number of articles.
Other such mechanisms are disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,826 to Brabec, U.S. Pat. No. 4,526,101 to Ericsson, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,813,315 to Pierson, Jr., which disclose an in-line, multi-station printing systems that include print and drying stations. Brabec's device is not compatible with common sample printing machines where a single silk screen press is used for passes of multiple colored dyes. Ericsson's device, which places a drying station along a conveyor, is also unsuitable for sample printing machines. Finally, while Pierson, Jr. discloses a shiftably mounted heating device, it fails to disclose a mechanism that is compatible with textile silk screening devices.
Another such mechanism is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,174 to Tartaglia et al. Tartaglia's devices feature a moveable longitudinal heater mounted above the screen printing platens and movable across the platens in order to apply heat to the textiles after printing. In Tartaglia's mechanism, the heating apparatus comprises a carriage separate from the silk screen mounting. Also, the mechanism is adapted to a multi-screen printing apparatus and is, thus, unsuited to screen printing devices used in sample printing.
Another such mechanism, which is adapted for use with multi-station silk screen printing devices, is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,749 to Ford. Ford's device discloses an apparatus wherein a fabric drying heater is capable of being mounted on one or more of the modular silk screening stations on the apparatus. While disclosing a means of using a drying mechanism in conjunction with a screen printing mechanism, however, Ford's device fails to disclose a means that is compatible with sample press machines wherein the squeegee is passed over the article.
Another such mechanism is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,030 to Fuqua, which discloses an apparatus for mounting a curing device to a silk screen device that includes a carriage, which holds the curing device, slidably mounted between a pair of rails and a mechanism for moving the carriage over the printing platen. Thus, like Tartaglia's device above, Fuqua's device also discloses a means for mounting a curing device to a movable carriage.
In neither device, however, is the curing carriage integrated such that it operates using the same rails as the printing mechanism. Thus, none of the disclosed mechanisms teach a system integrating a quartz flash cure unit with a silk screening device in a compact system, wherein the curing device is mounted on rails that also mount the printing mechanism, such that the curing device may be quickly and easily positioned and removed, and wherein the system utilizes a timer for added consistency, and time savings.

Silk screen sample press with quartz flash cure unit


A telephone-holder mounting support for vehicles including a mounting surface for a telephone-holder, charger adapter or similar object, an arrangement for securing the mounting support inside a vehicle and a cigarette lighter socket.

The invention relates to a telephone-holder mounting support for vehicles, with a surface for mounting a telephone-holder, charger adapter or similar, objects and means of securing it inside the vehicle.
Standard vehicles, especially passenger cars, do not come equipped with any pre-manufactured device for securing a telephone-holder. Telephone-holders of the type referred to here serve to detachably hold mobile telephones used in vehicles. They frequently also function as charger adapters for charging up a telephone battery. Special holders, which we will refer to in this context as mounting supports, on which a telephone-holder or charger adapter can be mounted, have therefore been available on the market for a long time. The shapes of these mounting supports differ in line with the particular vehicle type, but always feature a mounting surface, possibly with ready-made bores, to which can be secured a telephone-holder and suitable means of fixing the support somewhere in the vicinity of the vehicle dashboard, more or less within easy reach of the driver.
If the telephone-holder is designed as a charger adapter, a connection to the vehicle""s power supply has to be provided. In many instances, this power connection is contrived behind the panelling of the dashboard, although this often involves considerable fitting work. It is therefore widespread practice to use the socket of the cigarette lighter plug, which is available in most vehicles, as a socket for the cigarette lighter plugs often provided on charger adapters.
This results in a number of disadvantages. Firstly, the telephone-holder and the cigarette lighter may happen to be positioned quite far apart, so that the connecting lead has to be trailed the same length across the dashboard. In some vehicles the socket of the cigarette lighter is located under an ashtray flap so that it is impossible to shut the ashtray when the plug is plugged in. And finally, the cigarette lighter can no longer be used for its original purpose.
The invention is therefore based on the task of creating a mounting support of the above-mentioned type, which simplifies and extends the ways of supplying power to mobile telephones.
For telephone-holder mounting supports of the above type, this task is solved by incorporating a cigarette lighter socket in the mounting support.
This means that a cigarette lighter plug running out from the charger adapter of a mobile telephone can be plugged into the socket for the purpose of supplying power directly, and without a long detour. Hence it is not necessary to run the connecting lead over to vehicle""s cigarette lighter. Furthermore, the socket can also be used as an additional power connection for other appliances such as e.g. a car vacuum, air pumps, manual headlights etc.
The socket is preferably disposed somewhere on the mounting support such that it opens out downwards, so that it is not normally visible. This type of arrangement is particularly easy to achieve if the mounting support is made from a block of foamed plastic which provides both the mounting surface on the one hand, and the option of incorporating a cigarette lighter socket on the other hand.
In all other respects, the mounting support can be designed in any way. It can be a sheet metal plate, or any other construction, including an injection moulded plastic element or similar.

Telephone-holder mounting support for motor vehicles


A device is disclosed that utilizes a fluid (normally air) to effect nested alignment of articles having a circular cross-section (such as cans used to package beverages and the like). A conveying section that includes a dead plate and a fluid conveyor provides articles in a mass flow to an aligning section having guides therein spaced a sufficient distance to form guideways through which articles are fluid driven in single file toward a discharge end having an adjacently positioned staging section that also includes a fluid conveyor. The guides, other than a center guide, have first and second portions that are angled with respect to one another, and fluid injected into the sections through apertures in a base plate providing section bottoms urges the articles into a plurality of adjacent rows of aligned articles at the staging section with the articles of each adjacent row offset from one another to effect nesting of the articles. Readily removable section top units preclude upward movement of the articles, and nested and aligned articles discharged from the staging area are provided to a palletizer or like apparatus.

It is oftentimes necessary to arrange articles in a predetermined pattern in order to effect a desired end. Such is the case, for example, where it is desired that the articles be in single file (for enabling filling of the articles, for example, where the articles are beverage cans) or be in a plurality of adjacent rows (for storing the articles, for example, on a pallet or the like).
Apparatus utilizing air conveyors for causing articles (cans), conveyed to the apparatus in a mass flow, to be arranged into single file is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,500,229 and U.S. Reissue Pat. No. RE. 32,684, while apparatus utilizing mechanical conveyors for arranging articles (cans) into a plurality of nested and aligned rows is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,834,605 and 2,535,880.
It is now also known that article-size unoccupied spaced in a nested and aligned arrangement of articles, such as cans, can be eliminated by utilization of movable side walls at opposite sides of the rows of articles (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,508).
The use of air has not only been heretofore suggested to urge articles, such as cans, to be arranged in single file (as brought out above), but has also been heretofore suggested for use in urging movement of articles, such as cans, along a surface in a mass flow (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,434). Such arrangements utilizing fluid have not, however, been heretofore used to effect nested alignment of articles.

Device utilizing fluid for effecting nested alignment of articles having a circular cross-section


A medical image display apparatus for displaying medical images of a biological tissue includes a physical quantity calculator that calculates a first physical quantity related to elasticity of the biological tissue, and a display image control unit that displays a first elastic image having a display form corresponding to the first physical quantity calculated by the physical quantity calculator and a second elastic image having a display form corresponding to a second physical quantity related to elasticity of the biological tissue calculated by other another medical image display apparatus as the medical images. The display image control unit displays images in which portions having a same elasticity in the biological tissue in a same display form as the first and second elastic images.

The present invention relates to a medical image display apparatus for displaying medical images of a biological tissue and a method for displaying medical images. The present invention relates in particular to a medical image display apparatus for displaying elastic images of a biological tissue as the medical images, and a method for displaying medical images.
An ultrasonic image display apparatus which causes elastic images each comprised of a display form corresponding to the elasticity of a biological tissue to be displayed has been disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-118152 or the like. Even as to an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) system, a system capable of displaying elastic images of a biological tissue has been disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-283372 or the like. Each of an ultrasound elastic image displayed by the ultrasonic image display apparatus and an MRI elastic image displayed by the MRI system is an image comprised of colors corresponding to the elasticity of the biological tissue, for example.
Incidentally, the MRI elastic image is an image wider in range than the ultrasound elastic image. On the other hand, the ultrasound elastic image is generally more excellent in spatial resolution than the MRI elastic image. Thus, as an image diagnosis that takes advantage of the characteristics of both images, there is, for example, a case where it is desired to display the MRI elastic image at an ultrasound image display apparatus, and confirm and diagnose a portion or region considered to be a diseased portion by real-time ultrasound elastic images excellent in spatial resolution after the diseased portion is specified while seeing images of whole organs such as liver, etc. through the MRI elastic image.
Since, however, the MRI elastic image and the ultrasound elastic image are generated using their corresponding color maps by an MRI system and an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, portions or regions having the same elasticity in a biological tissue are displayed in mutually different colors at the respective elastic images. Thus, when a second elastic image generated at other medical image display apparatus is displayed at a medical image display apparatus for displaying a first elastic image, portions having the same elasticity can be displayed in the same display form at the first elastic image and the second elastic image. There has thus been a demand for a medical image display apparatus capable of displaying images useful for diagnosis.

Medical image display apparatus and method for displaying medical images

GE MEDICAL SYSTEMS GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY COMPANY, LLC


An alumina coated tool comprising a plurality of refractory layers and a substrate body. The refractory layers comprise a non-oxide layer on the surface of the substrate body, a bonding layer having a face-centered-cubic structure on the non-oxide layer, and an oxide layer on the bonding layer. The non-oxide layer is at least one of carbide, nitride and carbonitride of a metal selected from the group consisting of the Groups IVa, Va and VIa of the Periodic Table. The bonding layer is a single- or multi-coating of oxide, oxycarbide, oxynitride, oxycarbonitride of a metal selected from the group consisting of the Groups IVa, Va and VIa of the Periodic Table. The oxide layer is substantially .alpha.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3. The epitaxial relationship between the non-oxide layer and the bonding layer enhances the bonding strength of the oxide layer to provide an alumina coated tool resistant to flaking of the oxide layer.

The present invention relates to a wear-resistant alumina coated tool for use in cutting tools, etc., which is excellent in a resistance to coat-flaking, and also relates to a production method thereof.
Generally, a coated tool is produced by forming a hard coating on the surface of a substrate body made of a cemented carbide, a high speed steel, a special steel, etc. by the chemical vapor deposition or the physical vapor deposition. The coated tool has found wide practical applications because of having both the wear resistance resulting from the hard coating and the toughness resulting from the substrate body. Since the cutting edge of the cutting tools reaches about 1000.degree. C. particularly during the machining of a highly hard material at a high cutting speed, and the cutting tools subjected to wear due to contacting with the workpiece materials and an intermittent mechanical shock, the coated tools having both the wear resistance and the toughness have been found useful.
The hard coating is a single layer or multilayer structure of a non-oxide coating having a high wear resistance and toughness, or an oxide coating having a good oxidation resistance. The non-oxide coating may be carbide, nitride, carbonitride of a metal selected from the Groups IVa, Va and VIa of the Periodic Table such as TiN, TiC and TiCN, and an oxide coating may be .alpha.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, .kappa.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, etc.
The main disadvantage of the non-oxide coating comprising the carbide, nitride, carbonitride, etc., is its particular sensitivity to oxidation. To minimize the oxidation of the non-oxide coating layer, there has been proposed a multi-layered structure in which an oxide coating such as alumina having a good oxidation resistance is coated on the non-oxide coating. However, the non-oxide/oxide multi-layered structure is low in the bonding strength between the non-oxide coating and the oxide coating and unstable in the mechanical strength at a higher temperature.
Although, .kappa.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 layer is tightly bonded to the non-oxide layer and formed at relatively low temperature of 1000 to 1020.degree. C., the cracking in the coating layer and the flaking or removal of the .kappa.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 coating layer from the coated body frequently occur during the machining operation at a high temperature because of the volume change caused by the phase transfer from the metastable .kappa.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 to the stable .alpha.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.
On the other hand, .alpha.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 is stable at a high temperature and has a good oxidation resistance and high temperature property. However, the formation of .alpha.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 coating directly on the non-oxide layer requires a high temperature of about 1040.degree. C. or higher which makes the .alpha.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 grains coarser with a grain size of 1 to 6 .mu.m, this resulting in micropores and crystallographic defects to reduce the mechanical strength of the alumina coating. Also, when exposed to a high temperature, the property of the non-oxide layer is likely to be deteriorated, for example, due to the diffusion of W and/or Co, etc.
To eliminate the problem of the high formation temperature, the conventional technique has proposed that the surface of the non-oxide coating is first oxidized to form an oxidized layer and then the .alpha.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 coating is formed on the oxidized layer at a relatively low temperature of 1000 to 1020.degree. C. However, the .alpha.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 coating formed by such a method is insufficient in the bonding strength with the non-oxide layer, and still suffers from the fast flaking or removal of the .alpha.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 coating from the non-oxide under coating during the cutting operation.
To improve the bonding strength between the oxide coating mainly comprising .alpha.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 and the non-oxide under coating, several methods have been proposed. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-195268 has proposed a method in which TiCNO coating of 0.5 .mu.m thick is first formed at 1100.degree. C. or 1030.degree. C. and then the alumina layer is formed thereon at 960.degree. C. or 1000.degree. C. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-30406 has proposed to form the alumina layer on TiCO or TiCNO coating of 1 .mu.m thick. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-345976 has proposed to form the alumina layer at 1000.degree. C. on TiCNO or TiCO coating of 0.5 or 3 .mu.m thick having a grain size of 0.2 to 1.5 .mu.m formed at 1000.degree. C. by using TiCl.sub.4, CO, H.sub.2, and N.sub.2 gas. U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,625 has disclosed a method in which a substrate body is coated with a layer of TiCNO and then the layer of .alpha.-Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 is deposited thereon by carefully controlling the oxidation potential of the hydrogen carrier gas below 20 ppm of H.sub.2 O prior to the nucleation of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3. The nucleation of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 is started by sequentially adding the reacting gases in the order of CO.sub.2, CO and AlCl.sub.3 while keeping the temperature at about 1000.degree. C. during the nucleation.
However, the bonding strength between the alumina layer and the non-oxide under coating is still insufficient in the coating structure obtained by the above proposed methods.

Alumina coated tool and production method thereof


An optical unit includes a movable body, a fixed body, and a first swing mechanism. The fixed body supports the movable body so as to be swingable in a first swing direction about a first swing axis. One of the movable body and the fixed body has a first magnet. The other of the movable body and the fixed body has a first magnetic body. The first magnetic body has a first magnetic body portion, a second magnetic body portion, and a third magnetic body portion. The first magnetic body portion passes through an axis perpendicular to each of the first swing axis and the optical axis of an optical element. The second magnetic body portion is disposed on one side in the first swing direction of the first magnetic body portion. The third magnetic body portion is disposed on the other side in the first swing direction of the first magnetic body portion.

When capturing a still image or moving image with a camera, the image is sometimes blurred by camera shake. For this reason, an image stabilization device has been put into practical use to enable clear imaging with image blur prevention. When the camera shakes, the image stabilization device can remove image blur by correcting the position and orientation of a camera module according to the shake.
In order to downsize a lens driving device having an image stabilization function, it has been considered to design some of multiple rolling members supporting a shake correction unit with a higher degree of freedom than other rolling members. In a conventional lens driving device, a yoke is disposed in a position facing a magnet for swinging, so that a rolling member maintains contact between a carrier and a housing, thereby determining a position in a vertical direction.
In the conventional lens driving device, when a movable body swings with respect to a fixed body, an attractive force between the yoke and the magnet may increase driving resistance.


A light emitter includes an emitting stack, a first electrode, a second electrode and a voltage dependent resistor layer. The emitter stack has a first surface area and a second surface area. The first electrode is formed on the first surface area of the emitting stack. The second electrode is formed on the second surface area of the emitting stack. The voltage dependent resistor layer is connected to the first and second electrodes, and is formed during the formation of the light emitter thus improving the yield of the light emitter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light emitter, and more particularly, a light emitter with a voltage dependent resistor layer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Light emitters are widely used in optical displays, laser diodes, traffic lights, data storage devices, communications devices, ruminating equipments, and medical equipments.
Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows a related art packaged light emitter 100. As shown in FIG. 1, a light emitter 102 is packaged with a set of zener diodes 104 for releasing static electricity so as to avoid damaging the light emitter 102. However, the zener diodes 104 are connected when packaging the light emitter 102. Therefore no element is provided to discharge static electrically before packaging the light emitter 102. And the light emitter 102 may be damaged by static electricity before it is packaged. Further, the introduction of the zener diodes 104 will complicate the packaging process thereby incurring extra cost.
Please refer to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows a light emitting diode 150 bonded with a silicon doped diode 152 disclosed in a published U.S. patent application 2002/0179914. The silicon doped diode 152 is connected to the light emitting diode 150 with a covalent bond. The silicon doped diode 152 is used to release static electricity accumulated on the light emitting diode 150 to avoid damaging the light emitting diode 150. However, the covalent bond between the silicon doped diode 152 and the light emitting diode 150 is formed after the light emitting diode 150 is formed. Therefore the light emitting diode 150 may be damaged before the covalent bond is formed. And the covalent bond also incur additional expense to the structure.

Light emitter with a voltage dependent resistor layer


Drawing frame for drawing fiber sliver with draw frame rollers comprising a pair of pre-drawing rollers and a main drawing roller pair. Power transmission members in the form of flat belts are used for driving the draw frame rollers. A deflection pulley engages the flat belts between respective pairs of wheels deflecting the belts for increasing the angle that the flat belt extends around the respective wheels to provide a non-slip engagement between the flat belts and the respective wheels.

1. Field of Invention
The instant invention relates to a drawing frame to draw fiber slivers with drawing rollers constituting pre-drawing and main drawing roller pairs and power transmission means to drive said drawing rollers as well as a sliver discharge mechanism.
2. Background of Art
The utilization of drawing rollers with two or more pairs of rollers to draw fiber slivers is known. The circumferential speed of the pairs of rollers increases from the inlet of the drawing frame to the outlet of the drawing frame. The lower roller of the roller pairs is driven by toothed wheels or toothed belts so to produce the slippage-free operation which is absolutely necessary for orderly drawing of the fiber slivers. The upper rollers are pressed against the lower rollers and the rollers thus clamp the fiber material running through between them.
It has been shown that toothed-wheel drives as well as toothed-belt drives of the drawing frame rollers have a detrimental effect upon the uniformity of fiber sliver drawing.
With toothed-wheel drives the clearance which exists between the individual teeth of the toothed wheels causes the roller pairs not to be driven simultaneously but one after the other, especially during run-up of the drawing-frame. This produces irregularities in the drawing of the fiber sliver.
DE-OS 20 44 996 proposes driving the drawing rollers via toothed belts. When such drives are used it was found that the accumulation of dirt between the teeth of the drive and deflection wheels over which the toothed belts are guided, as well as between the teeth of the toothed belt, cause irregular rotational movements of the drawing frame rollers to be produced. These irregularities lead to interference in the drawing of the fiber sliver as well as to increased wear of the drive elements. Especially where small toothed wheels are used and with toothed belts with small tooth divisions, such as are required for predrawing rollers because of the limited space available, soiling of the tooth clearances has a very detrimental effect. Manual cleaning of drive and deflection wheels as well as of the toothed belts is time consuming.
In addition to dirt, the oscillating characteristics of the drive means at the constantly increasing drawing speeds seriously impair the uniformity of fiber sliver drawing. Toothed-belt drives have unfavorable oscillating characteristics at high predrawing speeds.

Sliver drawing rollers driven by belts including belt cleaners

Schubert & Salzer Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft


A repair method for a plastic pipe network allows a damaged pipe to be disconnected from a fixture carrying it in the network without damage to or removal of the fixture carrying the pipe to be removed or the disruption of connections of other pipes connected to that fixture. The tool system used with my method provides a heating tool having an elongate heating head powered by an electrical powering source for insertion in the channel of the end portion of a thermoplastic pipe adhered in a thermoplastic fixture for removal without damage to the fixture. The tool system further provides a pipe removal tool having adjacently spaced prongs to be twisted about the periphery of a heated pipe portion for removal from the fixture at a temperature that causes no damage the fixture.

1. Related Applications
There are no applications related hereto heretofore filed in this or any foreign country.
2. Field of Invention
My invention relates generally to repairing pipe in tubular conduit networks and more particularly to the heating of thermoplastic pipe adhesively carried in a polymeric fixture for removal of the pipe without damaging the fixture such as to prevent future reuse.

Method and tool system for plastic pipe repair


Systems and methods for data classification and novel data class detection are provided. In one illustrative embodiment, a system or method for detecting a novel class includes receiving a data stream comprising a plurality of data points, and identifying a set of filtered outliers, in the plurality of data points, that are outside of a decision boundary. A cohesion and a separation for the set of filtered outliers may be determined. A novel class may be detected using the cohesion and the separation of the set of filtered outliers, and the novel class may include the set of filtered outliers.

It is a major challenge to the data mining community to mine the ever-growing amount of streaming data. Indeed, there are problems related to stream data classification. For example, two problems related to data streams involve "infinite length" and "concept-drift". Since data streams have infinite length, traditional multi-pass learning processes are not applicable as they would require infinite storage and training time. Concept-drift occurs in the stream when the underlying concept of the data changes over time. Another example of a problem or failure in current data stream classification techniques involves "concept-evolution", meaning, emergence of a novel class. Some of the existing solutions assume that the total number of classes in the data stream is fixed. But in real world data stream classification problems, such as intrusion detection, text classification, and fault detection, novel classes may appear at any time in the stream (e.g. a new intrusion). Traditional data stream classification techniques may be unable to detect the novel class until the classification models are trained with labeled instances of the novel class. Thus, novel class instances may go undetected (i.e., misclassified) until the novel class is manually detected by experts, and training data with the instances of that class is made available to the learning process. These examples of problems illustrate some of the current failures in the field of data stream, classification, though improvement in other areas is needed as well.

Systems and methods for detecting a novel data class

BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM


A method for high quality, fast intra coding usable for creating digital video content. The video image is defined by data points representing original colors. Data points are selected based on a color characteristic, and are arranged into groups. At an initial stage (and at subsequent stages): selecting a subset of data points, using a number of algorithms to generate predicted values of the colors represented by the data points, calculating error values and evaluating mathematical functions to produce cost values, identifying a minimum cost value, establishing a threshold based on the minimum cost and a selection factor, comparing each cost value to the threshold value, and identifying a number of probable best algorithms. One of the probable best algorithms is usable for block size selection and to generate final predicted values of the original color represented by the data points.

Aspects of this invention relate generally to data processing, and more particularly to a method and apparatuses for high quality, fast intra coding usable for creating digital video content
Video compression technology enables the creation, distribution, receipt, and/or display of digital video data, which includes any pre-recorded or live electronic signals representing video images, by sources such as consumer devices (for example, personal computers, hard-drive storage devices, digital televisions, digital video camera recorders, digital video disk recorders/players, digital set-top boxes, telecommunications devices, and video production devices, among other devices), television networks and stations, studios, Internet broadcasters, wireless operators, and cable/satellite operators, among others.
Various industry specifications, or standards, relating to video compression technology have been promulgated by groups desiring, among other things, to ensure interoperability between devices and systems that create, deliver, receive and/or display digital video data. The International Telecommunication Union—Telecommunications Standardization Sector's ("ITU-T") Video Coding Experts Group ("VCEG") and the International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission's ("ISO/IEC") Moving Picture Experts Group ("MPEG"), for example, are jointly developing a video compression standard referred to by the ITU-T as "H.264," and by the ISO/IEC as "MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding," which is embodied in a document entitled "Draft ITU-T Recommendation and Final Draft International Standard of Joint Video Specification (ITU-T Rec. H.264, ISO/IEC 14496-10 AVC"), Pattaya, Thailand, 7-14 Mar., 2003 (hereinafter, the video compression standard will be referred to as the "H.264/AVC Standard"). The H.264/AVC Standard is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes, as if set forth in full herein.
The H.264/AVC Standard defines, among other things, a video coding layer ("VCL") to produce a digital representation of input video images. An encoder/decoder pair ("CODEC") implementing the VCL of the H.264/AVC Standard generally performs the well-known functions of prediction, transformation, quantization, and entropy coding, to produce/decode an encoded bit stream having a particular syntax. Each picture of an input video is partitioned into fixed-sized blocks of data called macroblocks that cover a rectangular picture area of 16×16 samples of the luminance ("luma") component of the picture color, and 8×8 samples of each of the two chrominance ("chroma") components of the picture color. All luma and chroma samples of a macroblock are either spatially or temporally predicted, the prediction residuals thereof are transformed using an integer transform, and the transform coefficients are quantized and transmitted using entropy-coding methods.
Macroblocks are organized into slices, which are subsets of a given picture that are independently decodable. Each macroblock may be coded using one of several coding types, depending on the slice type of the macroblock. One type of slice is an intra-("I") slice, which provides for the coding of macroblocks without referring to other pictures within the input video sequence (hereinafter referred to as "intra coding"). The H.264/AVC Standard specifies techniques for intra coding luma-component macroblocks as 16 4×4 blocks or as a single 16×16 block. Chroma-component macroblocks are intra coded in the same manner as 16×16 luma-component macroblocks. Each 4×4 block contains sixteen pixels.
The H.264/AVC Standard designates prediction modes, which are used to generate predictive pixel values. There are nine prediction modes for 4×4 luma-component blocks, four prediction modes for 16×16 luma- and chroma-component blocks. The reference software of H.264/AVC, popularly known as JM (Joint Model) software, uses a full search ("FS") algorithm for determining the prediction mode with which a given macroblock should be encoded—the FS algorithm calls for examining each of the pixels in a macroblock using each of the nine prediction modes to determine the prediction mode that yields predictive pixel values closest to original samples of the picture of the input video.
Although the H.264/AVC Standard has higher compression efficiency than previous video compression technologies such as MPEG-2, the computational complexity, or cost, for intra coding I-slice type macroblocks (and also for coding P-slice type macroblocks, motion estimation, and block selection algorithms) according to the FS algorithm is high, and therefore very processor-intensive, which may impact upon the design and/or cost of H.264/AVC Standard-compliant CODECS, or other hardware, software, or firmware.
Other proposed fast intra coding prediction mode selection techniques relevant to the H.264/AVC Standard include: (1) using an edge map histogram for macroblocks to reduce the number of prediction modes used for mode decisions (see Feng Pan et al., "Fast Mode Decision for Intra prediction," JVT-G013, Pattaya, Thailand, 7-14 Mar., 2003); (2) performing a combined motion estimation and prediction mode decision, based on comparisons of block energies with a threshold to eliminate certain prediction modes (see Yin Peng et al., "Fast Mode Decision and Motion Estimation for JVT/H.264," ICIP 2003); and (3) reducing the number of prediction modes used for mode decisions according to, among other things, a locally adaptive threshold factor based on a frequency term associated with local image information (see Bojun Meng et al., "Efficient Intra-Prediction Mode Selection for 4×4 Blocks in H.264," ICME 2003, III-521-III-524 ("Meng et al.")). Considerable computation is necessary to find edge map histograms and to determine block energies, however, and Meng et al. do not disclose how to compute the frequency term in the proposed adaptive threshold factor, which undoubtedly increases computational complexity.
There is therefore a need for a computationally efficient algorithm for use in determining optimal prediction modes for intra coding I-slice type macroblocks in the context of the H.264/AVC Standard and other data processing applications, which algorithm accurately preserves decoded video quality while also allowing a tunable tradeoff between computational complexity and decoded video quality.

Method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for high quality, fast intra coding usable for creating digital video content


Provided are methods of treating or delaying the onset of a vascular inflammatory disease (e.g., acute lung injury) in a subject including administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a nucleic acid containing all or a part of the sequence of mature miR-181b (SEQ ID NO: 1). Also provided are methods of decreasing nuclear factor-κβ (NF-κβ) signaling in an endothelial cell including administering to the subject a nucleic acid containing all or a part of the sequence of mature miR-181b (SEQ ID NO: 1).

The vascular endothelium represents a critical interface between blood and all tissues. Endothelial dysfunction contributes to the development of both acute inflammatory disease states, such as endotoxemia and sepsis, and chronic inflammatory disease states, such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease (Aird, Blood 101:3765-3777, 2003; Aird, Lancet 365:63-78, 2007; Baker et al., Cell Metab. 13:11-22, 2011; Gareus et al., Cell Metab. 8:372-383, 2008; Guerci et al., Diabetes Metab. 27:436-477, 2001; Hansson and Libby, Nat. Rev. Immunol. 6:508-519, 2006; Khan et al., Nat. Rev. Rheumatol. 6: 253-261, 2010; Roifman et al., Clin. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 7:175-182, 2009). In response to inflammatory stimuli, the vascular endothelium expresses a number of adhesion molecules that play key roles in the recruitment of leukocytes to sites of inflammation (Ley et al., Nat. Rev. Immunol. 7:678-689, 2007; Pober and Sessa, J. Immunol. 138:3319-3324, 2007). In particular, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), E-selectin, and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) mediate early leukocyte attachment and rolling events. An inflammatory response within tissues is subsequently generated after events such as firm adhesion and transmigration occur (Ley et al., Nat. Rev. Immunol. 7:678-689, 2007). Clinical studies have found that the soluble forms of these adhesion molecules are increased in patients experiencing vascular inflammatory disease (Shapiro et al., Crit. Care 14:R182, 2010; Xu et al., Int. J. Cardiol. 64:253-258, 1998).

Methods of treating vascular inflammatory disorders


The invention relates to a grinding tool which comprises at least two detachable parts which are connected together. Both parts form a grinding disk-type body comprising a grinding surface which is interrupted on the peripheral area thereof. Said parts can be adjusted in relation to each other by means of an adjusting mechanism and can be fixed in the respective position thereof, such that the grinding disk-type body can be adjusted in relation to the grinding width thereof. Preferably, said adjustment takes place in a continuous manner. The grinding width can be adjusted in an advantageous manner for a variable grinding width which is to be ground and also for a readjusted grinding width which is to be ground in a plunge-grinding method.

The invention relates to a grinding tool that comprises at least two parts.
Grinding tools in which a plurality of grinding wheels, in particular also grinding wheels with different thicknesses, are secured together into one grinding wheel packet are known for instance from DE 41 03 090 C1. Such grinding wheel packets are used in particular when contours are to be ground, whereby the contours are then put together using a corresponding packet that is adapted overall to the contour to be ground and that has corresponding partially profiled individual grinding wheels. The width to be ground can also be directly influenced by adding or removing individual grinding wheels from the grinding wheel packet. However, this is always associated with substantial equipment refitting complexity. If grinding is to be performed using such a grinding wheel packet for instance on a circumferential area and simultaneously on one or a plurality of planar shoulders, the problem occurs that the cutting volume from the grinding wheel on the sides of the packet with which planar grinding is conducted is substantially greater than for the circumferential grinding. This occurs because during circumferential grinding at least theoretically the grinding wheel has only a linear contact with the workpiece to be ground, while on the planar surfaces there is surface contact between the grinding wheel and the workpiece with a width equal to the amount at the planar shoulder due to the plunging process.
Due to the engagement of the grinding wheel with the planar surfaces, the wear on the grinding wheel in these areas as a rule is greater than on the circumferential area of the grinding wheel and/or a grinding wheel packet.
Compared to an individual grinding wheel, such a grinding wheel packet has the advantage that when there is rapidly occurring wear on the lateral wheels of the grinding wheel packet, only the latter have to be exchanged. However, this is associated with a high degree of refitting complexity and thus a substantially longer overall cycle period.
When grinding bearing bushes, for instance, which as a rule are ground using a plunge-grinding method, the actual bearing area, i.e. the circumferential area, is ground at the same time as the lateral shoulders and/or planar surfaces. Thus in the case of a grinding wheel that grinds such bearing areas, both the circumferential area and a lateral area of the grinding wheel are in contact with the surfaces to be ground. In this case, as well, the problem described in the foregoing occurs in that the lateral areas wear more rapidly than the circumferential surface. Although the grinding wheels can be dressed, normally such grinding wheels are not dressed on the planar side, but rather only on the circumference (see FIG. 8a: example of a lateral radius on the grinding wheel). However, if the normal dressing amount was also dressed on the sides, this would lead to a situation in which after dressing the tolerance width of a few μm or hundredths of a millimeter, which are required for the width of such bearing bushes, can no longer be maintained if this bearing bush is to be further manufactured using plunge-grinding. In the case of grinding wheels that have already been dressed, it is necessary to laterally offset the grinding wheel to the workpiece or vice versa so that both planar shoulders have to be ground separately, which means longer grinding time. On the other hand, if there is no dressing in the lateral areas, a shape error occurs with respect to the target contour of the grinding wheel.
In order to avoid these problems, during grinding of bearing bushes with planar shoulders using the plunge-grinding method it would be necessary to completely exchange a grinding wheel provided therefor with a grinding area in the circumferential area and with one or two grinding areas on its lateral surfaces more frequently in order to be able to attain the shortest possible grinding times.
However, the total costs for the grinding method are then highly impacted because of the relatively expensive grinding wheels.
In many grinding tasks today, grinding wheels with CBN, diamond, or comparable grinding means (hereinafter "CBN/DIA") layers are used. These CBN/DIA grinding wheels in fact do attain significantly longer service life than conventional grinding wheels. However, planar-side dressing required for these CBN/DIA grinding wheels also leads to a reduction in the width of the grinding wheel and thus in the width of the bearing bush deviating from the specified target value when the plunge-grinding method is used without laterally offsetting the grinding wheel or the workpiece. The grinding process is not an actual true plunge method when there is such a lateral relative movement between workpiece and tool. Instead, the planar shoulders are ground successively in the bearing area to be ground. This again results in substantially higher processing times and costs.
In contrast thereto, it is the object of the invention to create a grinding tool with which actual dimensional tolerances or changes in the width to be ground can be compensated or are possible without partially or completely exchanging the grinding tool. In particular, a grinding tool is to be created that grinds on a plurality of contact surfaces simultaneously, in particular using plunge-grinding, and with which processing-related wear, and thus associated actual tolerances in the width of the grinding tool that would otherwise occur, can be compensated.


A cutting element having a body which includes a grip portion from which extends a protrusion which is concentric to the grip portion. The diameter of the grip portion is larger than the diameter of the protrusion. Moreover, the upper portion of the protrusion has a larger diameter than the base of the protrusion. An ultra hard material cutting layer is formed on top of the protrusion and grip, covering and surrounding the protrusion resulting in a cutting layer that is mechanically interlocked with the body of the cutting element. A transition layer may be incorporated between the protrusion and the ultra hard material layer. The transition layer is preferably encapsulated by the ultra hard material layer.

This invention relates to cutting elements for use in a rock bit and more specifically to cutting elements having an interlocking feature for interlocking the cutting element cutting table with the cutting element substrate.
A cutting element, such as a shear cutter shown in FIG. 1, typically has a cylindrical cemented tungsten carbide substrate body 10. An ultra hard material cutting table (i.e., layer) 12 is bonded onto the substrate by a sintering process. The cutting table has a planar, typically flat upper surface 14. During the sintering process, cobalt from the tungsten carbide substrate mixes with the ultra hard material forming a polycrystalline structure. A depletion in the amount of cobalt mixing with the ultra hard material may result in a more brittle polycrystalline structure or may even prevent the formation of a polycrystalline structure.
Common problems that plague cutting elements and specifically cutting elements having an ultra hard cutting table, such as polycrystalline diamond (PCD) or polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) bonded on a cemented carbide substrate, are chipping, spalling, partial fracturing, cracking or exfoliation of the cutting table. These problems result in the early failure of the cutting table and thus, in a shorter operating life for the cutting element. Typically, these problems may be the result of peak (high magnitude) stresses generated on the ultra hard layer at the region in which the cutting layer makes contact with the earthen formation during drilling. Generally, the cutting elements are inserted into a drag bit body at a rake angle. Consequently, the region of the cutting element that makes contact with the earthen formation includes a portion of the ultra hard material layer upper surface circumferential edge 15. These portions of the layers are subjected to the highest impact loads.
One way to attempt to overcome these problems is to increase the thickness of the ultra hard material. Theoretically, an increase in the ultra hard material layer results in increased cutting element impact and wear resistance. However, an increase in the thickness of the ultra hard material layer may result in delamination of the ultra hard material layer from the substrate. Moreover, as the ultra hard material layer thickness increases, the edges and surfaces of the ultra hard material furthest away from the substrate (e.g., the ultra hard material layer upper surface circumferential edge) are starved for cobalt during the sintering process. Consequently, the strength and ductility of these edges is decreased. Thus, the ultra hard material edges subjected the highest impact loads will be brittle and have lower impact and wear resistance resulting in the early failure of the cutting layer.
Another problem associated with increasing the thickness of the ultra hard material layer is that as the ultra hard material volume increases there is an increase in the residual stresses formed on the ultra hard material due to the thermal coefficient mismatch between the ultra hard material layer and the substrate. The cemented carbide substrate has a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than the ultra hard material. During sintering, both the cemented carbide body and ultra hard material layer are heated to elevated temperatures expanding and forming a bond between the ultra hard material layer and the cemented carbide substrate. The heating causes the substrate to expand more than the ultra hard material. As the ultra hard material layer and substrate cool down, the substrate shrinks more than the ultra hard material because of its higher coefficient of thermal expansion. Consequently, thermally induced tensile stresses are formed on the ultra hard material layer and compressive stresses are formed on the substrate.
Furthermore, an increase in the volume of the ultra hard material also results in the buildup of residual stresses on the ultra hard material layer/substrate interface due to the difference in shrinkage between the ultra hard material and the substrate caused by the consolidation of the ultra hard material and the consolidation of the substrate after sintering. The amount of ultra hard material shrinkage is proportional to the relative volume of the ultra hard material to the substrate. If the difference between the volumes of the ultra hard material and the substrate are significant enough, the shrinkage of the ultra hard material due to consolidation may be great enough to generate tensile residual stresses on the ultra hard material layer and compressive residual stresses on the substrate.
Accordingly, there is a need for a cutting element having an ultra hard material table with improved impact and wear resistance as well as increased cracking, chipping, fracturing, and exfoliating characteristics, and thereby an enhanced operating life.

Cutting element with interlocking feature


Methods and systems for configuring a network are disclosed. An example method can comprise receiving a request from a first device to connect to a first network. An example method can also comprise determining a first logical address. The first logical address can comprise one or more bits configured to identify the first device on the first network and specify configuration information for the first device. An example method can further comprise providing the first logical address to the first device.

To extend network access within or around a premises, users often connect additional network devices, such as routers. Due to network address translation and other configuration issues, providing content to devices connected to these additional network devices can create challenges in delivering content at specified quality levels. Thus, there is a need for more sophisticated methods and systems for configuring networks.

Logical address configuration and management


A holder for a razor dispenser cartridge for use in a shower, having an adjustable hook for hanging on a shower head and suction cups for adhering to a wall. Alternate embodiments combine provisions for holding a single razor, a can of shaving cream, and a drawer for temporarily storing used razors.

This invention relates to a convenient wall-mounted holder for shaving razors, specifically for holding a dispenser of multiple razors. These razors can be of the type having replaceable blades, but more typically entire razors are sold, each of which is disposable.
At present, a package of multiple razors is sold in a plastic bag. A user must remove one razor at a time and remove a protective blade guard. Since the razor can be used more than one time before becoming dull, the current razor is placed haphazardly around the sink or ledge in a shower. Since the package of new razors is usually at some distant location from the sink or shower, it becomes problematic how to obtain a new razor, how to deal with the current razor, and what to do with a depleted razor.
Prior art shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,609 to Gibbs discloses a housing for combining a can of shaving cream with a shaver and replacement shaver heads, but this housing must be placed on a shelf. Prior art shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,455 to Schmidt discloses a wall-mounted blade dispenser whose blades are not of the type used for shaving. Prior art shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,869,053 to Adams discloses a suction cup with a ring which could be used for hanging a razor.


A method for producing an oxide superconductor comprises obtaining a cyclic voltammogram using an oxide material containing an element having a redox charge as an electrode, determining an electrolytic potential for the oxide material on the basis of the voltammogram, and electrolyzing the oxide material at the determined potential.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of producing an oxide superconductor, more particularly to a method of producing an oxide superconductor which increases the critical temperature at which superconductivity is exhibited by an oxide containing copper, bismuth, vanadium or other element having a redox charge.
2. Prior Art Statement
Following the discovery by J. G. Bednorz and K. A. Muller of the original oxide superconductor consisting primarily of copper, there have been developed a number of other oxide superconductors which, owing to the incorporation and combination of various metal oxides, exhibit superconductivity at higher critical temperatures.
The oxide superconductors discovered up to now include at least one element having a redox charge among their constituent metal elements. Moreover, it is known that the element or elements are simultaneously present in different charge states at different portions of one and the same superconductor and that where these different charge states are regulated by oxygen, the oxygen atoms are usually not present in an integer ratio to the metal atoms. It is therefore thought that this presence of oxygen atoms at a non-integer ratio, or the variation in valence number corresponding to the number of metal element atoms, has an effect on the characteristics of the superconductor and its critical temperature.
In the production of superconductors consisting predominantly of copper, therefore, substances exhibiting different charges, such as oxides of rare earth metals, alkaline earth metals, bismuth and the like, have been added to the copper to regulate its valence number.
It is also believed that in oxide superconductors containing an element or elements having a redox charge such as bismuth (V) or vanadium (IV), the element or elements has/have an effect on the critical temperature at which superconductivity is exhibited.
Thus while numerous attempts have been made to develop new superconductors, the lack of any theoretical guidelines for increasing the superconducting critical temperature gives researchers engaged in such development no choice but to rely on the experience they accrue through their work.
On the other hand it has been reported that a superconductor with a critical temperature of 40 K. was obtained by electrochemically oxidizing a lanthanum-copper-oxygen (La-Cu-O) superconductor in a aqueous solution at 0.45 V (vs a mercury oxide electrode). (J-C. Grenier et al., Physica C 1991 p139-144.)
When a superconductor precursor oxide is electrochemically processed in an aqueous solution, the electrolytic potential of the oxide becomes a highly important factor. This will be explained using a La-Cu-O oxide as an example.
If a potential exceeding the appropriate potential range on the positive electrode is applied to the oxide, the generation of oxygen at the oxide surface will become so vigorous as to produce cracks in or even disintegrate the oxide serving as an electrode. Far from achieving introduction of oxygen, the conductivity of the oxide will be reduced. If an excessive negative potential is applied to the oxide, oxygen production will decline and generation of hydrogen will be induced, so that the conductivity of the once superconductive oxide will decline to the point where it loses its superconductivity altogether.
Grenier et al. state that they oxidized the composition at 0.45 V (vs a mercury oxide electrode) in light of the pH potential diagram of copper. However, when the inventors electrolyzed a La-Cu-O oxide of the same composition at the same electrolytic potential, they found that the conductivity of the oxide was reduced and that the critical temperature, Tc, usually exhibited provided the oxide is a superconductor, was not found and that the broad split width on X-ray spectrograms usually exhibited by a La-Cu-O oxide superconductor with a high critical temperature, Tc, was also reduced.
The object of this invention is to provide a method for producing an oxide superconductor which effectively and reliably enables the critical temperature of the superconductor to be increased.

Method of producing oxide superconductor

Agency of Industrial Science & Technology, Ministry of International Trade & Industry


An internal combustion gas engine (2) is disclosed. It includes a cylinder arrangement (4) and a first compressor (6) for compressing a gaseous fuel and air mixture. The at least one cylinder arrangement (4) forms a combustion chamber (8) and includes an intake arrangement (10) for intake of charge gas, a sparkplug (12), and a pre-chamber (14). The engine (2) comprises a second compressor (16) for compressing a gaseous medium, and a pressure reducer (18). An outlet (20) of the first compressor (6) is arranged in parallel with an outlet (22) of the second compressor (16). The outlet (20) of the first compressor (6) is connected to the pre-chamber (14). The outlet (20) of the first compressor (6) and the outlet (22) of the second compressor (16) are connected to the pressure reducer (18). An outlet (24) of the pressure reducer (18) is connected to the intake arrangement (10).

A gas engine is an internal combustion engine which runs on a gaseous fuel, such as biogas, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), or other gas. One way to achieve a gas engine with low NOX emissions is to run the gas engine on a lean fuel mixture, e.g. at λ≈2. Such a lean mixture cannot be ignited directly by a sparkplug of the engine. Instead a pre-chamber arranged at a sparkplug is filled with a richer fuel mixture, which may be ignited by the sparkplug. This may in turn ignite the lean fuel mixture in a combustion chamber of the engine. Accordingly, in a gas engine the rich fuel mixture must be conducted to the pre-chamber, while the lean fuel mixture is conducted to the combustion chamber in order to achieve low NOX emissions from the engine.
DE19812796 discloses a gas engine which is supplied with a lean mixture gas feed via an exhaust gas driven turbocharger. A drive cylinder of a piston compressor is connected between an inlet port and outlet port of the turbocharger. The piston is brought to reciprocate under the control of a switch-valve unit. The compressor compresses low pressure rich fuel mixture for feeding a pre-chamber of a combustion chamber of the engine, or for holding in a buffer receiver. The lean mixture gas pressure from the turbocharger is reduced at an intake of the gas engine due to the lean gas mixture being utilized for driving the compressor.
JPH03275968 discloses a spark-ignition gas engine. Combustion gas at low pressure is separated into a main flow leading to a gas mixer and a turbocharger, and an auxiliary flow leading to a gas compressor. The gas mixer forms a combustion gas of lean mixture needed for low NOx combustion. The gas compressor is driven by the rotary shaft of the gas engine and increases the pressure of the auxiliary flow for supply to a pre-chamber, which requires a gas supply pressure higher than turbocharged pressure. The pressure is adjusted to a fixed differential pressure by a pressure governor before being led into the pre-chamber through a gas valve. Driving the gas compressor reduces useful power at the rotary shaft of the gas engine.

Gas engine, method for operating a gas engine and generator set


A purpose of this invention is to suppress radiation noise while satisfying demands for higher speeds and higher image qualities of a semiconductor laser driving device in a laser beam printer or the like. A laser driving circuit includes a first wiring pattern and a second wiring pattern which are connected to a main wiring pattern, a first circuit which is connected to the first wiring pattern and has a semiconductor laser element (7) and a laser driving device for driving the semiconductor laser element, a second circuit which is connected to the second wiring pattern, has a compensation element and a compensation driving device, and compensates for noise in the first circuit, and a common mode choke coil which is connected to the first and second wiring patterns and selectively increases impedances to in-phase signal components in a signal flowing through the first wiring pattern and the first circuit and a signal flowing through the second wiring pattern and the second circuit.

At present, image forming apparatuses are demanded of higher printing speeds and higher image qualities of printed images. For this purpose, a semiconductor laser driving device in a laser beam printer or the like must increase the driving frequency of the semiconductor laser element and increase the number of semiconductor laser elements.
In general, the laser driving circuit is made up of a semiconductor laser element which forms a light-emitting circuit, a laser driving semiconductor device, a wiring which connects the semiconductor laser element and laser driving semiconductor device, a main power transmission wiring, a main GND (ground) wiring, a wiring which connects the main power transmission wiring and light-emitting circuit, and a wiring which connects the main GND wiring and light-emitting circuit. The light-emitting circuit supplies a current of about several ten mA at a frequency of about 10 MHz to the semiconductor laser element, flickers the semiconductor laser, and thereby converts a received electrical data signal into an optical data signal.
However, if a large high-frequency current flows through the semiconductor laser driving circuit, a noise component is generated in a current flowing through the light-emitting circuit. That is, a noise component such as ringing is generated in the light-emitting circuit due to the impedances of the semiconductor laser element, laser driving semiconductor device, main power transmission wiring, main GND wiring, and remaining wirings. The generated noise component propagates as a noise current to the main power transmission wiring and main GND wiring. The noise current degrades the quality of the emission current of the semiconductor laser element, and decreases the precisions of the emission timing and emission amount, obstructing the demand for higher image qualities. When the power cable shares GND (ground) with another signal cable or the like, the noise current may also flow into the signal cable.
When the laser driving semiconductor device supplies/stops a high-frequency current, the amount of current flowing through the main power transmission wiring varies. In response to this, the power supply voltage varies, generating radiation noise. In addition, the voltage level of the main power supply instantaneously varies due to the above-mentioned noise component such as ringing, generating larger radiation noise. These problems of radiation noise become more serious when the main wiring is connected to a power cable. Large radiation noise is radiated from the power cable functioning as an antenna source.
As a method of solving these problems, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-044782 discloses a method of arranging a filter on a wiring which connects a semiconductor laser element and laser driving semiconductor device. However, as the driving frequency increases, degradation of the emission current waveform by the filter itself stands out. It is very difficult to simultaneously satisfy increases in speed and image quality and reduction of radiation noise.
Recently, a compensation circuit is generally added as a method of suppressing a noise component. FIG. 12 shows an example of a laser driving circuit to which the compensation circuit is added.
A compensation circuit 10 made up of a compensation element 11, wiring 12, and compensation semiconductor device 13 is parallel from a main power transmission wiring 2 with a light-emitting circuit 6 made up of a semiconductor laser element 7, wiring 8, and laser driving semiconductor device 9. The compensation circuit 10 is driven complementarily with the light-emitting circuit 6, and implements a compensation function using a current from a feed capacitor 1 as a constant current. Since a current flowing through the main power transmission wiring 2 is a constant current, variations in power on the main wiring can be suppressed.
Ringing generated in the compensation circuit 10 is opposite in phase to ringing generated in the light-emitting circuit 6. At a branch point 3 between a first wiring 4 and a second wiring 5, ringing of a current flowing through the light-emitting circuit 6 is canceled by ringing of a current flowing through the compensation circuit 10. As a result, generation of ringing can be suppressed, and the quality of the emission current of the semiconductor laser element in the light-emitting circuit 6 can be increased to implement higher-precision emission.
However, in the laser driving circuit shown in FIG. 12, the light-emitting circuit 6 and compensation circuit 10 must exhibit the same electrical characteristic. In other words, if the electrical characteristics of the light-emitting circuit 6 and compensation circuit 10 even slightly deviate from each other, noise components (e.g., ringing) which should be canceled are adversely added to generate a larger noise component. To prevent this, an impedance Z4 of the wiring 4 and an impedance Z5 of the wiring 5 must be designed equally. Alternatively, the wirings 4 and 5 are designed as short as possible to decrease the values of the wiring impedances Z4 and Z5 to 0 as much as possible.
However, the position of the semiconductor laser element is determined preferentially to the position of an optical system for processing a laser beam output from the semiconductor laser element. Since the degree of freedom of the wiring is greatly limited due to the demand for higher image qualities, it is very difficult to arbitrarily design the lengths of the wirings 4 and 5 and the like.
These days, the number of semiconductor laser elements, which is conventionally one or two for each color, is increasing to four owing to the demand for higher image qualities. The numbers of components and wirings arranged on the laser circuit board greatly increase. On the other hand, the optical axis of the laser beam is stabilized by fixing the laser circuit board to a surrounding metal housing. If the board size is increased for a higher degree of freedom of the wiring, the vibration resistance decreases, and the laser circuit board tends to shake along the optical axis, failing to meet the demand for higher image qualities.
Since the semiconductor laser element 7 and compensation element 11 are not formed from completely identical components, an impedance Z6 of the light-emitting circuit 6 and an impedance Z10 of the compensation circuit 10 have slightly different values. The impedance difference is not problematic at a driving frequency of about 10 MHz, but poses a serious problem at present because higher speeds up to about 60 MHz are demanded. For this reason, the laser driving circuit shown in FIG. 12 cannot satisfactorily meet the demand for higher driving frequencies.


A turbine blade includes an airfoil having a profile substantially in accordance with at least an intermediate portion of the Cartesian coordinate values of X, Y and Z set forth in Table 1. The X and Y values are distances, which when smoothly connected by an appropriate continuing curve, define airfoil profile sections at each distance Z. The profile sections at each distance Z arc joined smoothly to one another to form a complete airfoil shape.

Improving the dynamic behaviour of a turbine blade without adversely affecting the overall aerodynamic performance of the turbine has always been challenging. For instance, various approaches have been proposed for reducing airfoil vibrations in order to prevent premature failure of turbine blades. However, the various solutions proposed heretofore have never been fully satisfactory and often come at the cost of a detrimental impact on the engine performance.

Compressor turbine blade airfoil profile


An interactive voice response (IVR) system executes a call flow that references data objects holding information. The information within a data object includes a variable that holds a value utilized by the call flow, state information describing the state of the variable, and fulfillment type information that describes how to get a value for the variable or otherwise change the variable's state. Process and application objects in the call flow specify desired states of variables at given points in the call flow. A resolution module within the IVR system determines whether the variables are in the desired states and, if not, utilizes the fulfillment type information in the data objects to attempt to put the variables in the desired states. This dynamic resolution process provides a mechanism for resolving the values of variables in data objects as the values are required and eases the burden on the call flow developer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to software tools for developing and executing interactive voice response (IVR) applications. More particularly, the present invention relates to software tools for developing and executing IVR applications that include data-dependent call flows.
2. Description of Background Art
Interactive voice response (IVR) systems enable a dialogue between a human caller (e.g., using a telephone) and a computer system so that the caller can direct the computer system to perform a task. People can use IVR systems to perform a variety of tasks, from selecting one of several menu options to performing financial transactions.
An IVR system usually comprises standard computer hardware and a speech-enabled (IVR) application. An IVR application, such as a telephone banking application, defines a call flow that controls the operation of the IVR system during a call. A call flow includes one or more steps. A step can be, for example, playing sounds to the caller, obtaining information from the caller, or performing an application-specific task.
A call flow frequently includes one or more variables. The value of a variable can affect the call flow, thereby affecting the operation of the IVR system. For example, the value can determine what sounds are played to the caller, whether a caller should be transferred, and to which number a caller should be transferred. Sometimes, when an IVR system begins operation (e.g., in response to an incoming phone call), a variable's value has not yet been specified. The value is specified during operation (e.g., during the phone call) and can be determined by, for example, caller input that has been recognized by a speech recognition engine. Since caller input affects the value and the value affects the operation of the IVR system, caller input affects the operation of the IVR system.
Initially, IVR applications were generally custom-designed for each customer. As a result, the design process was time-consuming and labor-intensive, and the applications required substantial pre-release testing. Recently, frameworks have been created for developing IVR applications, thus enabling less experienced people to create new IVR applications and modify existing ones. These frameworks generally include reusable software components that are represented by icons in a graphical display. The call flow of an application can be specified by connecting these icons, and the process steps represented by the icons can be modified by associating parameters with the underlying components.
Now that it is easier to create new IVR applications, it is also easier to create "broken" ones. Similarly, now that it is easier to modify existing applications, it is also easier to "break" existing ones. If the value of a particular variable affects a call flow, it follows that the value must be determined at some point during the operation of the IVR system. Usually, a call flow will include a component that determines the value of the variable (e.g., by obtaining information from a caller). Later on in the call flow, after the value has been obtained, it can be used by other components. One way to "break" an IVR application is by moving one of these "variable-reliant" components earlier in the call flow than the component that determines the value of the variable.
What is needed is an IVR system that can handle a call flow where a "variable-reliant" component precedes the determination of the value of that variable.

Interactive voice response (IVR) system providing dynamic resolution of data