A signal line drive circuit according to the present invention has: a latch circuit which latches digital pixel data; a D/A converter which converts a latch output from the latch circuit into an analog video signal; an AMP which amplifies the analog video signal converted by the D/A converter; and a signal selection circuit which selects a signal line to which the analog video signal amplified by the AMP is supplied. The AMP has: an odd number of inverters which are cascade-connected; capacitor elements which are respectively connected between stages of the inverters and between an input terminal of the inverter on a first stage and an output terminal of the inverter on a last stage; a first power supply line which supplies a power supply voltage to the inverter on the first stage; and a second power supply line which supplies a power supply voltage to inverters other than the inverter on the first stage. The accuracy of the AMP can be improved by separating the power supply line for only the inverter on the first stage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a D/A converter which converts digital pixel data into analog video signals, a display apparatus in which an amplifier for amplifying an output from the D/A converter and a signal line selection circuit are formed integrally with a pixel array portion on an insulation substrate, a digital-to-analog conversion circuit for converting a digital signal into an analog signal, and a digital-to-analog conversion method.
2. Related Background Art
A liquid display apparatus having a pixel array portion and a drive circuit formed on the same glass substrate has been developed at a full blast. Forming the pixel array portion and the drive circuit on the same glass substrate can reduce the thickness and size of the entire liquid crystal display apparatus, and the liquid crystal display apparatus can be extensively used as a display unit of a portable device such as a mobile phone or a notebook computer.
In this type of liquid crystal display apparatus in which the drive circuit is integrated, TFTs are formed on the glass substrate by using polysilicon or the like, and both the pixel array portion and the drive circuit are formed by using these TFTs (thin film transistors).
However, since the operation speed of the TFT formed on the glass substrate is not very fast, various kinds of ingenuity of circuits are required in order to constitute the drive circuit. Further, forming the TFT with the uniform characteristics on the glass substrate is technically difficult at the present moment, and deterioration in display quality, e.g., irregularities in display may occur due to a difference in characteristics of the TFTs.
Furthermore, when the pixel array portion and the drive circuit are formed on the same glass substrate, a percentage of the pixel array portion which occupies an area of the glass substrate becomes relatively small, and a frame becomes disadvantageously large.
FIG. 47 is a circuit diagram showing a prior art DAC constituted by using polysilicon TFTs on the glass substrate, which is disclosed in Japanese patent application laid-open No. 340072/1998. The DAC in FIG. 7 turns either a switch SW21 or SW22 in accordance with a value of each bit of a digital signal. As a result, a node A has a reference voltage Vref or a ground voltage. At the beginning, a switch SW 23 is in the off state, and the electric charge stored in a capacitor element C21 is redistributed to a capacitor element C22. This processing is repeated with respect to each bit of the digital signal.
Upon completing this processing, switches SW24 and Sw25 enter the off state, whilst switches SW26 and SW27 enter the on state. As a result, a voltage of a node B is transferred to an output of an amplifier, and an offset voltage stored in a capacitor element C23 in a negative feedback loop is simultaneously withheld.
With this processing, a voltage obtained after D/A conversion is outputted from the amplifier. After termination of the D/A conversion processing, a switch SW28 is turned on, and signal line writing is performed.
Since the DAC in FIG. 47 performs storage and redistribution of the electric charge in accordance with each bit of the digital signal, the D/A conversion takes time, and the signal line write time is shortened. Therefore, the signal line can not possibly satisfactorily rise or fall to a desired voltage, and irregularities in brightness or the like occurs, which leads to degradation in display quality.
Furthermore, the DAC in FIG. 47 and the amplifier provided at the rear stage of the DAC are required for each signal line, and power consumption hence increases and an area occupied by the circuits becomes large, thereby disabling reduction in the frame size.

Display apparatus, digital-to-analog conversion circuit and digital-to-analog conversion method


A system for lasing includes a diode laser array for emitting light of wavelength .lambda..sub.0, a tunable Bragg grating fiber laser connected to the diode laser array for emitting single mode light of wavelength 2*.lambda..sub.vis, a cladding pumped power amplifier connected to the diode laser array and the tunable Bragg grating fiber laser, and a second harmonic generator, including an optical cavity and crystal, connected to the cladding pumped power amplifier for emitting light of wavelength .lambda..sub.vis. The second harmonic generator is maximized, thereby maximizing emission of the light of wavelength .lambda..sub.vis, by control electronics connected to the tunable Bragg grating fiber laser, the cladding pumped power amplifier, and the second harmonic generator. The control electronics stabilize the amplitude of the light of wavelength 2*.lambda..sub.vis, emitted by the tunable Bragg grating fiber laser and lock the frequency of the light of wavelength 2*.lambda..sub.vis to the optical cavity resonance.

The invention generally relates to fiber lasers and, more particularly, relates to architectures of frequency doubled, solid state fiber lasers suitable for visual display applications.
Various lasers and their applications are generally conventional. Low-power lasers have been used, for example, for reading such matters as bar codes and compact disks, for writing in such devices as computer printers and newspaper platemakers, for communicating between computing, telecommunication, and other communications devices, for measuring distances and time, in diagnosing and analyzing chemical and medical conditions and characteristics, and for other purposes. High-power lasers have also been used for many purposes, such as in cutting, welding, drilling and working with materials, in treating various medical conditions involving surgical techniques, in reacting photochemicals and separating isotopes, in driving nuclear fusion processes, and in various other respects.
Although lasers have had varied application, lasers have not typically been employed in common visual display applications. In such applications, the usual practice has been to use electric light bulb, lens, and/or reflective technologies. These conventional technologies have presented problems of thermal heating of components, high power consumption, inefficient light projection, and limited color tone distinction, among others. Lasers have not typically been employed in display applications because the available laser systems useable in those applications have been large, expensive, inefficient, ineffective, and otherwise unsuitable.
Therefore, what is needed is a laser system for application in visual display devices, which system has an architecture that overcomes many of the disadvantages of the prior laser and conventional display technologies.


SubQ ICDs are disclosed that are entirely implantable subcutaneously with minimal surgical intrusion into the body of the patient and provide distributed cardioversion-defibrillation sense and stimulation electrodes for delivery of cardioversion-defibrillation shock and pacing therapies across the heart when necessary. Configurations include one hermetically sealed housing with 1 or, optionally, 2 subcutaneous sensing and cardioversion-defibrillation therapy delivery leads or alternatively, 2 hermetically sealed housings interconnected by a power/signal cable. The housings are generally dynamically configurable to adjust to varying rib structure and associated articulation of the thoracic cavity and muscles. Further the housings may optionally be flexibly adjusted for ease of implant and patient comfort.

Many types of implantable medical devices (IMDs) have been clinically implanted over the last twenty years that deliver relatively high-energy cardioversion and/or defibrillation shocks to a patient's heart when a malignant tachyarrhythmia, e.g., atrial or ventricular fibrillation, is detected. Cardioversion shocks are typically delivered in synchrony with a detected R-wave when fibrillation detection criteria are met, whereas defibrillation shocks are typically delivered when fibrillation criteria are met and an R-wave cannot be discerned from the EGM.
The current state of the art of ICDs or implantable pacemaker/cardioverter/defibrillators (PCDs) includes a full featured set of extensive programmable parameters which includes multiple arrhythmia detection criteria, multiple therapy prescriptions (for example, stimulation for pacing in the atrial, ventricular and dual chamber; atrial and ventricular for bradycardia; bi-atrial and/or bi-ventricular for heart failure; and arrhythmia overdrive or entrainment stimulation) and high level stimulation for cardioversion and/or defibrillation, extensive diagnostic capabilities and high speed telemetry systems. These full-featured ICDs or PCDs, hereinafter IMD, are typically implanted into patients who have had, and survived, a significant cardiac event (such as sudden death). Additionally, these devices are expected to last up to 5-8 years and/or provide at least 200 life saving therapy shocks.
Even though there have been great strides in size reduction over the past 20 years, the incorporation of all these features in an IMD, including the longevity requirements, dictates that the devices be typically much larger than current state of the art pacemakers. Such devices are often difficult to implant in some patients (particularly children and thin, elderly patients) and typically require the sacrifice of 1 or 2 veins to implant the lead system because leads associated with the implantation of an IMD utilize a transvenous approach for cardiac electrodes and lead wires. The defibrillator canister/housing is generally implanted as an active can for defibrillation and electrodes positioned in the heart are used for pacing, sensing and detection of arrhythmias.
Although IMDs and implant procedures are very expensive, most patients who are implanted have experienced and survived a sudden cardiac death episode because of interventional therapies delivered by the IMDs. Survivors of sudden cardiac death episodes are in the minority, and studies are ongoing to identify patients who are asymptomatic by conventional measures but are nevertheless at risk of a future sudden death episode. Current studies of patient populations, e.g., the MADIT II and SubQ ICD HeFT studies, are establishing that there are large numbers of patients in any given population that are susceptible to sudden cardiac death, that they can be identified with some degree of certainty and that they are candidates for a prophylactic implantation of a defibrillator (often called primary prevention). However, implanting currently available IMDs in all such patients would be prohibitively expensive. Further, even if the cost factor is eliminated there is shortage of trained personnel and implanting resources.
One option proposed for this patient population is to implant a prophylactic subcutaneous implantable cardioverter/defibrillator (SubQ ICD) such that when these patients receive a shock and survive a cardiac episode, they will ultimately have an implant with a full-featured ICD and transvenous leads.
While there are a few small populations in whom SubQ ICD might be the first choice of implantation for a defibrillator, the vast majority of patients are physically suited to be implanted with either an ICD or SubQ ICD. It is likely that pricing of the SubQ ICD will be at a lower price point than an ICD. Further, as SubQ ICD technology evolves, it may develop a clear and distinct advantage over ICDs. For example, the SubQ ICD does not require leads to be placed in the bloodstream. Accordingly, complications arising from leads placed in the cardiovasculature environment is eliminated. Further, endocardial lead placement is not possible with patients who have a mechanical heart valve implant and is not generally recommended for pediatric cardiac patients. For these and other reasons, a SubQ ICD may be preferred over an ICD.
Therefore, for these and other reasons, a need exists for a simplified, cosmetically and ergonomically adaptive SubQ ICD that can be implanted beneath the skin and over the ribcage. Specifically, the SubQ ICD should be implantable with minimal trauma in a wide range of patients by surgeons employing conventional surgical instruments and monitoring equipment so as to make the implantation process less expensive and more widely available.
The present invention describes several SubQ ICD configurations adapted for subcutaneous implant. The SubQ ICD's of the present invention would be capable of delivering a limited number of shocks at maximal shock energy with an additional capability to provide pacing therapy for temporary post shock cardiac support or bradycardia pacing.


An airway condition of a patient is treated by selecting an implant sized to be implanted within a soft palate of the patient. The implant has a tissue-engaging member sized to be implanted within the soft palate near a trailing end of the soft palate to oppose relative movement between the tissue-engaging member and surrounding tissue of the soft palate. The implant further has an elongated tether member with a first end secured to the tissue-engaging member. The implant is placed within the soft palate with the tissue-engaging member implanted within tissue of the soft palate near the trailing end and with the tether member extending from the first end to a second end near a hard palate of the patient. The second end of the tether is secured to the hard palate.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a method and apparatus for treating a condition of an upper airway of a patient. More particularly, this invention is directed to such a method and apparatus including an implant to improve patency of the airway.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Upper airway conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea ("OSA") and snoring have received a great deal of attention. These conditions have recognized sociological and health implications for both the patient and the patient's bed partner.
Numerous attempts have been made towards treating OSA and snoring. These include placing implants in either the tissue of the soft palate or the pharyngeal airway as disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,307 to Conrad et al. dated Jun. 26, 2003, U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,542 to Metzger et al. dated Feb. 25, 2003 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,174 to Knudson et al. dated Aug. 13, 2002. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,584 to Knudson et al. dated Aug. 5, 2003 teaches a contracting implant for placement in the soft palate of the patient.
In the '584 patent, an embodiment of the contracting implant includes two tissue attachment ends (for example ends 102b in FIGS. 46 and 47) which are maintained in a space-apart, stretched relation by a bio-resorbable member 102c which surrounds an internal spring or resilient member 102a. After implantation, tissue grows into the attachment ends 102b. The bioresorbable member 102c is selected to resorb after the tissue in-growth permitting the resilient member 102a to contract drawing ends 102b together as illustrated in FIG. 47 of the '584 patent (incorporated herein by reference). Tissue contraction is believed to be desirable in that the tissue contraction results in a debulking of the tissue and movement of tissue away from opposing tissue surfaces in the pharyngeal upper airway.
Another prior art technique for treating OSA or snoring is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,988,171 to Sohn et al. dated Nov. 23, 1999. In the '171 patent, a cord (e.g., a suture material) (element 32 in FIG. 6 of the '171 patent) is placed surrounding a base of the tongue and secured to the jaw by reason at an attachment member (element 20 in FIG. 6 of the '171 patent). In the method of the '171 patent, the member 32 can be shortened to draw the base of the tongue toward the jaw and thereby move the tissue of the base of the tongue away from the opposing tissue of the pharyngeal airway. However, this procedure is often uncomfortable. This procedure, referred to as tongue suspension, is also described in Miller et al., "Role of the tongue base suspension suture with The Repose System bone screw in the multilevel surgical management of obstructive sleep apnea", Otolaryngol. Head Neck Surg., Vol. 126, pp. 392-398 (2002).
Another technique for debulking tissue includes applying radio frequency ablation to either the tongue base or of the soft palate to debulk the tissue of the tongue or palate, respectively. This technique is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,021 to Edwards et al. dated Dec. 1, 1998. RF tongue base reduction procedures are described in Powell et al., "Radiofrequency tongue base reduction in sleep-disordered breathing: A pilot study", Otolaryngol. Head Neck Surg., Vol. 120, pp. 656-664 (1999) and Powell et al., "Radiofrequency Volumetric Reduction of the Tongue—A Porcine Pilot Study for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome", Chest, Vol. 111, pp. 1348-1355 (1997).
A surgical hyoid expansion to treat OSA is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,541 to Woodson dated Dec. 19, 2000. Other tongue treatments for OSA include stimulation of the hypoglossal nerve. This procedure is described in Eisle et al., "Direct Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulation in Obstructive Sleep Apnea", Arch. Otolaryngol. Head Neck Surg., Vol. 123, pp. 57-61 (1997).


Embodiments of this application provide a channel encoding method for use by a communication device. The communication device obtains a quantity K of information bits, and determines a load size of a channel for transmitting the K information bits. The load size of the channel is N bits, where N≥K, N=2n, and n is a positive integer. The communication device performs a polar encoding process on the K information bits, to obtain a polar code sequence that includes N bits. The N-bit polar code sequence is transmitted using the channel, without rate matching. Because a quantity of coded bits obtained after the polar encoding is equal to a load size of a channel, no rate matching process is required. This reduces encoding overheads of a channel. Complexity and latency of channel encoding are greatly reduced, and performance loss associated with the rate matching operation is avoided.

With rapid evolution of wireless communications, future 5th generation (5G) communication systems will display some new characteristics. Three typical communications scenarios under 5G are enhanced mobile bandwidth (eMBB), massive machine type communications (mMTC), and ultra-reliable and low latency communications (URLLC). Requirements of these communications scenarios impose new challenges to the existing Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology. Communication systems usually use channel encoding to improve data transmission reliability and ensure communication quality. As a most basic radio access technology, channel encoding is one of important research objects that are aimed to meet 5G communication requirements.
After the Shannon theory is proposed, scholars in many countries are concentrating on seeking for an encoding/decoding method that can reach the Shannon limit while having relatively low complexity. Although a Turbo code, which is in a mainstream research direction, and a low-density parity-check (LDPC) code, which has been re-proposed, have been well applied to LTE systems and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) systems, the two coding schemes cannot well resolve some important issues in the 5G communication systems. For example, eMBB and mMTC require future channel encoding schemes to support a wider range of bit rates with relatively low complexity. In addition, eMBB and mMTC differ from LTE in an important characteristic that is medium and short packet transmissions, and therefore require channel encoding to better support communication of such code lengths. URLLC imposes an even stricter requirement on data transmission reliability. In terms of bit rate, the Turbo code in the existing LTE systems cannot support extremely low or extremely high bit rates. For medium and short packet transmissions, due to encoding and decoding characteristics of the Turbo code and the LDPC code, it is quite difficult for the Turbo code and the LDPC code to achieve ideal performance with a limited code length. For a long packet, the Turbo code and the LDPC code can approach the Shannon limit as the code length is getting longer, but still cannot achieve the ideal performance. In addition, in practical applications, the Turbo code and the LDPC code have relatively high complexity in encoding/decoding implementation processes. Therefore, in 5G communication systems, a new encoding technology is urgently needed to resolve issues in the existing technology regarding medium or short packets, bit rate, reliability, and complexity.
Recently, based on channel polarization, Professor Ankan of Turkey has proposed an encoding scheme named "polar code." The polar code is the first and the only channel encoding method that can be strictly proven to "reach" a channel capacity. For different code lengths, and in particular, for a limited code length, performance of the polar code is far superior to that of the Turbo code and the LDPC code. In addition, the polar code has relatively low computing complexity in encoding/decoding. These advantages make the polar code the one that has great development and application potential in 5G.
The polar code is an encoding scheme that can reach the Shannon capacity while having low encoding/decoding complexity. The polar code is a linear block code with a generator matrix GN. An polar encoding process is:x1N=u1NGN,where u1N=(u1, u2, . . . , uN) is a binary row vector, N is a code length and is equal to 2n, and n≥0.
The generator matrix GN is a matrix of N rows×N columnsGN=BNF2⊗(log2(N))
where
            F      2        =          [                                    1                                0                                                1                                1                              ]        ,and BN is an N×N transposed matrix, such as a bit reversal matrix. F2⊗(log2(N)) is a Kronecker power of F2 and is defined asF⊗(log2(N))=F⊗F⊗(log2(N))−1)
Specifically, the polar code is a channel dependent coding scheme. A polarization processing is performed on N identical channels W, to obtain N polarized channels. Certainly, Bhattacharyya parameters of the N polarized channels approach 0 or 1. During actual application of the polar code, an important task is to calculate, for different channels W, reliabilities of all N (N=2n) polarized channels, and then select K polarized channels with higher reliabilities. A set of location index numbers that correspond to the K polarized channels is referred to as an information set A. Remaining bits are set to a fixed value that is pre-agreed on by a transmit end and a receive end, and are referred to as fixed bits. A set of location index numbers that correspond to the fixed bits is denoted by Ac, that is, a complementary set of A. During polar encoding, K information symbols are put at corresponding bit locations in the information set, and known fixed symbols are put at remaining (N−K) bit locations (referred to as a frozen set). Generally, the (N−K) known fixed symbols may be all 0 symbols, where K≤N. Actually, the fixed bits may be set arbitrarily, provided that a pre-agreement is made between the transmit end and the receive end. Therefore, a coded bit sequence based on the polar code may be obtained by using the following method:x1N=uAGN(A)where uA is an information bit set in u1N, and uA is a row vector with a length K, that is, |A|=K, where |⋅| represents a quantity of elements in a set. In other words, K represents not only a quantity of elements in the set A, but also a quantity of to-be-encoded information bits. GN(A) is a sub-matrix including rows in the matrix GN that are corresponding to indexes in the set A, and GN(A) is a K×N matrix. The set A determines performance of the polar code.
When the polar code is used for channel encoding, after to-be-transmitted data is encoded, processes such as rate matching usually need to be performed based on load capacity of a current channel. The processes are relatively complex. Therefore, how to reduce information transmission complexity becomes an issue that urgently needs to be resolved.

Channel encoding method and communication device


A portable air blower is selectively removably secured to the upper end of a length adjustable extension pole to blow twigs, leaves or other debris from a rain gutter or other elevated structures or surfaces.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a portable air blower device for cleaning a rain gutter and other elevated surfaces and more particularly an air blower device when is attached to the upper end of a length adjustable extension pole. Even more particularly, this invention relates to an air blower device having a football or an ovoid shape.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many types of air blower devices and mechanical devices have been previously provided for cleaning leaves, twigs and other debris from rain gutters. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,106 discloses a hand-held air blower which has tubular extension members secured thereto. The major drawback of the device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,106 is the requirement that a plurality of extension tubes must be used with those tubes having no other useful purpose. The device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,106 also requires the use of an elbow at the upper end of the uppermost extension tube.
The device of Published Patent Application US 2004/0143931 requires the use of a straight extension and a gooseneck extension. There is also the possibility that the velocity of the air passing through the extensions of the three devices described above will be reduced since the air must be blown some distance from the air blower.
An improved rain gutter cleaning device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,510,910 issued Aug. 20, 2013 entitled AN AIR BLOWER DEVICE FOR CLEANING A RAIN GUTTER AND OTHER ELEVATED SURFACES. The instant invention represents a further improvement in the art.

Air blower device for cleaning a rain gutter and other elevated surfaces


Disclosed is a one step method for synthesis of alkylphenols which comprises reacting phenol with the corresponding olefin under adiabatic conditions in the presence of a catalyst comprising a heteropoly acid represented by the structure: EQU H.sub.8-n [XM.sub.12 O.sub.40 ]. where x=P or Si, M=Mo or w.sub.v and n is an integer which is 4 or 5, alone, or deposited on an inert support, at a temperature of from 60.degree. C. to 250.degree. C. and a pressure of from near atmospheric to about 500 psi.

1. Field Of The Invention
The invention relates to a one step method for the preparation of alkylphenols from phenol and the corresponding olefin. More particularly it relates to a one-step method for preparation of alkyl phenols by reacting phenols and the corresponding olefins over a catalyst comprising a heteropoly acid, homogeneous or deposited on a support. The method is especially effective in the synthesis of the most desirable para-alkyl phenol, para-nonylphenol, from phenol and nonene.
2. Description Of The Related Art
It is known in the art to prepare higher molecular weight alkylphenols, such as p-tert-octylphenol, p-nonylphenol and dodecylphenol by alkylating phenol with diisobutylene, propylene trimer and propylene tetramer, respectively, under acidic conditions. Nonylphenol, in particular, is used as an intermediate for surfactants, as well as antioxidants and in lube oil additives.
In "Bisphenol A and Alkylated Phenols", SRI PEP Report No. 192 (Dec. 1988)., page 4--4, it is reported that it is known in the art to prepare various alkylphenols by acid catalyzed reactions of phenols with various olefins. These alkylphenols may include p-tert-butylphenol, p-isopropylphenol, p-sec-butylphenol, p-tert-octylphenol, nonylphenol and dodecylphenol. The alkylation reaction takes place at or near atmospheric pressure in the presence of an acidic catalyst such as a mineral acid, a Lewis acid (e.g. boron trifluoride) or a cation exchange resin (e.g. styrene-divinyl benzene resin). The acid catalysts lead to predominantly para-alkylated phenol when the para position is available. Generally a molar ratio of phenol to olefin of 1.5-3:1 is desired to minimize the yield of dialkylphenols.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,531, to BASF, discloses a process for continuous manufacture of p-alkylphenols by reacting phenol with olefin at 70.degree.-140.degree. C. in a fixed bed of an organic sulfonic acid cation exchange resin.
A Lewis acid or Bronsted acid catalyst is employed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,209 to Ciba-Geigy to prepare a phosphorylated butylated phenol/phenol ester mixture.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,684,389 to Gulf R & D a phenol and monoolefin are mixed in the presence of a silica-aluminum adsorbent catalyst at 137.degree. C. A silica-alumina catalyst is also employed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,710 to Hitachi to produce PTBP from phenol and isobutylene.
A BF.sub.3 catalyst is used for of phenol and isobutene in British Patent 1,294,781 to Hoechst where the product cooled to form crystals which are crushed before ammonia is added to remove the catalyst. British Patent 1,249,571 is related.
In German Offen. 3,443,736 to Huels the catalyst is a sulfonated polystyrene ion exchange catalyst. U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,916, also to Huels, discloses a two-stage approach for producing p-tert-octylphenol using an acid ion exchange resin. U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,033 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,390 to Huels also disclose ion exchange resins, the latter comprising a LEWATIT.RTM. resin deactivated with Al.sub.2 (SO.sub.4).sub.3.
British Patent 2,120,953 to lCl discloses a process for producing nonylphenol by reacting diisobutene with phenol in the presence of a catalyst comprising fuller's earth with alkyl or aryl phosphate or phosphate ester.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,872,173 to Progil discloses the reaction of gaseous isobutene with liquid phenol in the presence of an acid-activated clay, again in two steps.
A highly acidic aryl sulfonic acid catalyst is employed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,932,537 to react phenol with isobutene under anhydrous conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,422,157 to Union Carbide employs a cation exchange resin catalyst.
British Patent 1,314,623 to Union Rheinische Braunkohlen discloses an activated, acid-free, bleaching earth catalyst.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,260,833, to UOP, phenol and isobutylene are reacted at 250.degree. C. in the presence of a lithiated alumina catalyst. U.S. 3,929,912 discloses a more general alkylation of phenol and olefins in the presence of hydrogen fluoride and carbon dioxide.
An aluminum phenoxide catalyst is used for the orthoalkylation of phenol with butene-1 in French Patent 2,296,610, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,766,276, to Ethyl, as well as U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,927.
A boron trifluoride catalyst is used for the alkylation of phenol in U.S. Pat. No. 3,317,612.
Activated earth and phosphoric acid are used in a liquid phase transalkylation process in British Patent 1,444,935.
Acids are also useful for the condensation of phenol with acetone. Representative acids include an aromatic sulfonic acid (German Offen. 2,811,182 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,251), a volatile acid catalyst (U.S. Pat. No. 2,623,908), a strong mineral acid such as HCl or H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 (U.S. Pat. No. 2,359,242), hydrochloric acid (U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,387), H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 or HCl and 2-(4-pyridyl)ethanethiol (Japanese Kokai 57-118528), concentrated HCl (Japanese Kokai 60-38335) and hydrogen chloride (U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,211).
Of the known processes for producing alkylphenols, generally the processes require two stages for cooling and recycling and many of the catalysts are not stable at high temperatures. In addition, it is often difficult to obtain high para- to ortho- ratios or to obtain, (in the case of nonylphenol synthesis) more monononylphenol relative to dinonylphenol, while from the art it would appear that conversions of about 80% are about the most which could be expected in any process to prepare alkylphenols.
Although heteropoly acids (HPA) and their salts have been known and studied for over 160 years, the interest in their catalytic properties only developed about 20 years ago.
In an article titled "Heterogeneous Catalysis by Heteropoly Compounds of Molybdenum and Tungsten", by M. Misono, Catal. Rev. Sci. Eng., 29. 269 (1987) there is a review of the use of heteropoly acids in synthetic organic chemistry. The heteropolyanions are polymeric oxoanions which are formed by the condensation of more than two different oxoanions (Eq. (1)]. EQU 12WO.sub.4.sup.2- +HPO.sub.4.sup.2- +23H.sup.+ .fwdarw.(PW.sub.12 O.sub.40).sup.3- +12H.sub.2 O (Eq. 1)
Polyanions consisting of one kind of oxoanion are called isopolyanions (Eq. (2)]. EQU 7MoO.sub.4.sup.2- +8H+.fwdarw.(Mo.sub.7 O.sub.24).sup.6- +4H.sub.2 O (Eq. 2)
Acidic elements such as Mo, W, V, Nb and Ta are present as oxoanions in aqueous solutions and polymerize to form polyanions at low pH. The acid forms of these species are called heteropoly and isopoly acids, respectively. A variety of polyanion structures are known. Among these the so-called Keggin structure is a common form which can be represented by PW.sub.12 O.sub.40.sup.3-, a 12-heteropoly anion (XM.sub.12 O.sub.40). The central atom or heteroatom, X, can be P, As, Si, Ge, B, etc. and most of the peripheral atoms, which are called poly or addenda atoms (M), are W or Mo.
The heteropoly compounds display certain advantageous characteristics, among which are the following:
1. The catalyst design is based on acidic and redox properties which can be controlled by the constituent elements of polyanions and counteranions. PA0 2. They can provide a molecular design for solid catalysts, cluster models, or mixed-oxide catalysts. PA0 3. These catalysts provide a unique reaction field.
a. The Pseudoliquid phase can be studied using spectroscopy, stoichiometry, etc., and changes on the surface are homogeneously magnified through the bulk. PA1 b. The polyanions are soft bases which stabilize the reaction intermediates in the pseudoliquid phase.
Heteropoly acids are much stronger than the oxoacids of constituent elements and ordinary mineral acids. For example, three protons of the acid forms of PMo.sub.12 and PW.sub.12 are completely dissociated in dilute aqueous solutions. The strong acidity is caused by: (1) dispersion of the negative charge over many atoms of the polyanion and (2) the fact that the negative charge is less distributed over the outer surface of the polyanion owing to the double-bond character of the M=O.sub.t bond which polarizes the negative charge of O.sub.t to M.
In organic media, the stepwise dissociation is often observable and the acid strength measured in acetone has been found to show the following order: EQU PW.sub.12 >PW.sub.11 V>PMo.sub.12 .about.SiW.sub.12 >PMo.sub.11 V.about.SiMo.sub.12 >>HC1, HNO.sub.3 (Eq. 3)
The acid strengths estimated from the formation constants for complexes of polyanions with chloral hydrate are in the order: EQU PW.sub.12 >PMo.sub.12 >SiW.sub.12 .about.GeW.sub.12 (Eq. 4)
The acid strength tends to decrease upon reduction or partial substitution of Mo.sup.6+ or W.sup.6+ by V.sup.5+ owing to an increased negative charge. The thermal stability of the elements constituting a polyanion vary and generally the thermal stability is W>Mo and P>Si.
The catalytic function of solid acids is closely related to the acidic properties (amount, strength and type of acid sites) of the catalyst surface. Ibid, p. 287, there is a discussion of five mechanisms which are possibly the origins of acidity.
Though there has been a long history of studies on acid catalysis of heteropoly compounds, it was only recently demonstrated for well-characterized solid heteropoly acids that they are much more active than ordinary solid acids. Catalytic tests reported indicate that heteropoly compounds are efficient for reactions of oxygen-containing molecules (water, ether, alcohol) such as dehydration, etherification, esterification and related reactions at relatively low temperatures. Although they are active for alkylation and transalkylation, it is reported that deactivation during these reactions is significant.
Ibid, p. 291, additional experimental factors are mentioned which show that some catalytic reactions actually proceed in bulk. Further, when heteropoly acids were dispersed on silica gel, the dispersion effect was great in the case of surface-type reaction, but the effect was small for bulk type reaction, although there was less difference at higher temperatures.
In an article titled "Advances in Catalysis by Heteropolyacids," by I. V. Kozhevnikov, Russian Chem. Revs., 56, 811 (1987), there is a discussion of the acid properties of heteropoly acids in solutions and in the solid state, their proton structure and the characteristic features of the homogeneous and heterogeneous acid catalysis.
In the same article there is a review of the description of the Keggin structure, established as early as 1934, and it is noted that it is fairly stable and is preserved in heteropoly acid catalyzed hydration-dehydration and dissolution processes, in substitution reactions of the metal, and in not too extensive oxidation-reduction reactions.
In addition the authors discuss acidic properties of heteropolyacids, including the non-localised hydrated protons and the non-hydrated protons localised at the peripheral oxygen atoms of the polyanion; the nature of the acid centres; the relative acid strengths of the crystalline acids, ibid, p. 814; the dissociation constants of heteropolyacids in water and other solvents; and p. 816, the redox potential of Keggin's structure of heteropoly compounds in aqueous solution.
The HPAs have high Bronsted acidity which is superior to usual acid catalysts and exhibit high stability in the solid state. Tungstic acids are apparently preferred because of their higher acidity, hydrolytic and thermal stability and lower oxidation potentials, in comparison with the molybdenum and vanadium-based acids.
Ibid, p. 817, there is a table of reactions catalysed by heteropoly acids. HPAs are, for example, very active and selective homogeneous catalysts for the decomposition of cumenyl hydroperoxide.
HPA and their salts can also be used as massive and deposited catalysts. In terms of catalytic properties in relation to molecules of polar substances, massive HPA resemble zeolites to some extent. In both cases, virtually all the acid centres of the catalyst are accessible. On p. 821, ibid, it is stated massive HPA's exhibit purely Bronsted acidity. In terms of strength, they are superior to aluminosilicates and, at least in the dehydration of propanol, are much more active than zeolite HY. HPA's have been employed for the industrial synthesis of t-butyl methyl ether from isobutene and methanol, see Ibid. p. 823.
An article by T. Saito in Spec. Chem., 4, pp. 35-6 (1984) focuses on the utilisation of the acid-base and redox characteristics of heteropoly acid catalysts.
An important property of HPA's is their stability. In particular there exists a stable pH region for each anion. Some anions may be converted to a more stable species or decomposed in lower pH regions.
HPAs also exhibit anomalous catalytic activities in various organic synthesis, which suggests not only the contribution of acid-base and redox properties of an inorganic nature but also the existence of interactions between HPAs and organic substrates.
A spectroscopic study on the interaction of HPA anions and proton or organic substrates demonstrates that the HPA anions are too large to be susceptible to solvation and hence can be regarded as a base of low surface charge density. In many catalytic processes involving HPAs, the interaction of the HPA anions with organic substrates as well as protons cannot be ignored.
The effect of supports such as silica, alumina, amorphous aluminosilicate and magnesia on the activity of heteropoly acids for reactions requiring strong and very strong acid sites has been studied and reported in "Catalytic Activity of Supported Heteropoly Acids for Reactions requiring Strong Acid Centres," by K. Nowinska et al., J. Chem. Soc. Faraday Trans., 87, 749 (1991).
In this study there was an attempt to evaluate the effect of different supports on HPA activity for reactions requiring acid centres of different strength. The reaction used in the test was cumene cracking. The most efficient catalyst systems for cumene cracking at 250.degree. C. appeared to be 12-tunstophosphoric acid/.gamma.-alumina followed by 12-tungstophosphoric acid (HPW)/silica whereas HPW/MgO was inactive. The authors believed their results indicate that the mounting of HPA's on silica and .gamma.-alumina considerably increased the activity for reactions occurring via a carbonium ion mechanism. On p. 751, ibid, there is a comparison of the catalytic activity and how it is affected by the percentage of loading on the supports.
Of the reactions described in the art which use heteropoly acids as catalysts there does not appear to be any work where homogeneous or heterogeneous HPA's were used in the synthesis of an alkylphenol from phenol and the corresponding olefin. In particular, there is nothing in the art which would suggest the synthesis of nonylphenol with very high selectivities and yields, and high selectivities to desirable para-nonylphenol, under adiabatic conditions using certain heteropoly acids, either solubilized in the nonene/phenol reactants or bonded to suitable oxide supports.
It would be a distinct advance in the art if alkylphenols such as nonylphenols and particularly para-nonylphenols could be prepared in one step with conversion of nonene as high as 91%. It would be particularly desirable if the catalyst exhibited high thermal stability. Such a process would be especially attractive commercially if the system were operated adiabatically, since close temperature control, cooling and recycling make many processes considerably more expensive to build and operate.
It is an object of the instant invention to provide a one-step process for the synthesis of alkylphenols in high yield and with almost complete conversion of olefin using a catalyst system which can operate under adiabatic conditions and exhibits stability even at elevated temperatures. Another object is to obtain high selectivity to desired alkylphenol while, at the same time, producing a high ratio of para- to ortho- alkylphenol products.

Alkylphenol synthesis using heteropoly acid catalysts


The present invention provides a corn active peptide additive for cell culture medium, wherein in the corn active peptide additive, oligopeptides with molecular weight of lower than 1000 Dalton account for equal to or more than 90 wt % of total proteins, and the oligopeptides at least comprise one or more of AP, SAP, PAL, VNAP, PSSQ, and TQPGPQ. The corn active peptide additive of the present invention can be compounded with various basic culture mediums for serum-free culture of various animal cells, which not only substantially lowers the cost for cell culturing and reduces pollution and other problems caused by an animal derived component, but also can promote cell proliferation, improve cell viability and enhance expression of cell products.

A culture medium is the most direct and important environmental factor for determining growth and metabolism of cultured cells in vitro. Animal cell culture medium typically contains additives derived from animals, such as serum. However, with global fulminant epidemic of mad cow disease, use of animal derived additives, such as serum, brings transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) virus and other dangerous substances in biopharmacy industry, sharply increasing security risk for the biopharmacy industry. Drug regulators all over the world require drug makers to reduce the use of bovine derived constituents during pharmaceutical production, and relevant legislatures are increasingly opposing the use of animal derived constituents such as bovine serum in pharmaceutical field. Use of animal derived constituents in commercial production of culture medium is strictly controlled by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to ensure medication safety of a patient. Meanwhile, serum and other animal derived culture medium additives contain macromolecular proteins such as growth factor, transport protein, anchoring factor and hormone, which will affect post-separation and purification of biological products such as antibody-medicine and vaccine, and eventually affect yield of the product obtained, increasing cost of production. Therefore, development and application of non-animal derived cell culture medium additives accords with current developing direction, and has become an important subject in culture of animal cells in vitro and biopharmacy fields.
Corn gluten meal can be obtained by wet-milling corn to obtain crude starch milk, separating protein from the crude starch milk to obtain gluten water, and then concentrating and desiccating the gluten water. The corn gluten meal is a major by-product during wet-milling process of corn to produce starch, which contains more than 60% of protein, and inorganic salts and a variety of vitamins. Corn active peptide is a mixture of small molecular peptides obtained from the corn gluten meal as a raw material by pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, multi-stage separation and purification, concentration and desiccation and other processes. Corn active peptide is a sophisticated product in the field of bio-processing and conversion utilization of natural corn protein resources. The corn active peptide is derived from plant protein, and thus the problem that animal derived constituent such as serum is potentially polluted by virus microorganism can be avoided; quality thereof is consistent between batches, which is advantageous to improve producing stability of cell products; the corn active peptide contains no macromolecular protein, which is beneficial to downstream separation and purification of the cell products.
The corn active peptide is rich in nutrient substances, and easy to be polluted by bacteria microorganism during processing and storing, thus producing a large amount of bacterial endotoxin. It will change cell morphology, damage cell membrane structures and induce cell apoptosis, etc., when used as a cell culturing additive, which is disadvantageous to growth of the cell cultured in vitro. In addition, different processes have great influence on composition of the obtained corn active peptide product, while constituents of animal serum are complex wherein many constituents are unknown up to now, therefore, it cannot be determined that whether existence or absence of one or some constituents will adversely affect cell growth, which accordingly brings difficulties to application of the corn active peptide as a serum-free culture medium additive.

Corn active peptide additive for cell culture medium

CHINA NATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF FOOD & FERMENTATION INDUSTRIES


A transparent proxy server is implemented by directing particular client packets to a proxy server that handles communications between the client and an origin server. When a client sends a packet to an origin server, a router transparently redirects the packet to the proxy server by storing the proxy server address in the destination field and the origin server address in the record route options field. The proxy server sends connection setup requests to the origin server and forwards acknowledgement packets to the client. For other requests, the proxy server determines whether the requested information is stored in the proxy server cache. If so, the information is retrieved from the cache; if not, the information is retrieved from the origin server. All acknowledgement and information packets are sent to the client with the origin server address in the source field, making it appear that the origin server sent the packets.

The present invention relates generally to proxy servers, and in particular to apparatus and methods for implementing a transparent proxy server.
A computer equipped with a communication mechanism, such as a modem and telephone connection, is all that is necessary to access to the Internet. A program on the computer, called a Web browser, e.g., Netscape Navigator from Netscape Corporation, provides a simple user interface for accessing the vast body of information available on the Internet and, specifically, its subpart known as the "World Wide Web."
The architecture of the Web follows a conventional client-server model. The terms Web client and Web server refer to using a computer as a requester of Web data (the client) and using a computer as a provider of the requested Web data (the server). An origin server is a particular type of Web server that stores data requested by a client. A common form of Web data is specially-formatted documents stored on an origin server. For example, HyperText Markup Language (HTML) is an often-used format.
A Web browser resides on each client and is used to request the specially-formatted documents from origin servers. Clients and origin servers communicate using packets having a protocol called HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP). Each HTTP packet has fields identifying the source of the packet, the destination of the packet, and possibly other data or information depending on the type of packet.
In a typical session between a client and origin server the client opens a connection to the origin server and initiates a request, such as a request for a document. The client initiates opening the connection by sending a synchronization (SYN) packet to the origin server. The origin server completes setting up the connection by sending an acknowledgment (ACK) packet to the client.
The client then sends a request packet to the origin server. The origin server responds to the request packet by performing the request. For example, in response to a request for an object the origin server retrieves the object, such as a Web document, and transmits the Web document to the client. After the document is delivered to the client, the connection is closed. The client displays the document or performs a function designated by the document.
One variation of this model uses a second type of server, a proxy server, which is an intermediary server between a client and an origin server. The proxy server receives packets from the client, and handles communications with the origin server on behalf of the client. For example, if the client requests information, the proxy server requests the information from the origin server on behalf of the client, receives the requested information, and forwards the requested information to the client.
Some proxy servers provide added services, such as caching. Caching involves storing information frequently requested from origin servers. The information is stored in a temporary, and typically fast, memory device at the proxy server. If the proxy server receives a client request for information contained in the proxy server cache, the proxy server retrieves the requested information from the proxy server cache and transmits it to the client. This eliminates the typical delay of requesting the information from the origin server and waiting for the information, and also reduces traffic on the network.
Using a proxy server, however, requires configuring the client by storing the proxy server Internet protocol (IP) address in the client browser. The client browser sends packets to the proxy server by placing the proxy server IP address in the destination field of the packet. Configuring a client browser is cumbersome because someone must set the IP address of the proxy server in the client browser. Setting the IP address may be difficult, particularly for the uninitiated. Consequently, proxy servers are generally only used in settings having someone with an understanding of how to store the proxy server IP address in the client browser. For example, proxy servers are sometimes used when there is a network administrator who can configure each browser with the IP address of a proxy server.
Thus, a need exists for a proxy server that allows a client to take advantage of the benefits of using a proxy server in handling client packets without requiring special configuration of the client.

Apparatus and method for providing a transparent proxy server


A handicraft assisting tool (1) includes a plate-like holding member (3) and a supporting member (2) on which the holding member is placed. The supporting member (2) includes a main plate having a shape corresponding to the holding member (3) and a side plate (22) standing from the periphery of the main plate in the thickness direction of the main plate. The main plate is formed with a plurality of elongated holes (23) arranged adjacent to the periphery of the main plate and spaced from each other along the periphery. The holding member (3) includes a periphery formed with a plurality of recesses (33). Each of the elongated holes (23) includes opposite ends configured to communicate with the recesses (33) when the holding member (3) is placed on the supporting member (2).

Conventionally, in the field of handicraft such as patchworking, various tools for facilitating the making of handicraft have been proposed. For instance, Patent Document 1 given below discloses a pattern set for facilitating the work of cutting cloth in making a patchwork.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-2004-169238
A yo-yo quilt is known as one of patchwork quilts which has excellent decoration effect. A yo-yo quilt is made using e.g. a plurality of circular quilt parts (yo-yos). To make a yo-yo quilt, a plurality of yo-yos are first formed. A yo-yo is formed by folding back the edge of circular cloth, sewing the cloth along folded edge and then pulling and knotting the thread tightly. As shown in FIG. 19 of the present application, the yo-yo made in this way has a circular shape formed with gathers on the front side. By connecting a plurality of such yo-yos by sewing the respective edges together or sewing the connected yo-yos onto cloth as the base, a yo-yo quilt is completed.
Yo-yo quilts require a large number of yo-yos depending on the design, and to make a large number of yo-yos may be a burden. Further, to make a large number of yo-yos of uniform size and gathers requires experiences and skills.


A device is for detecting compaction and shear strength characteristics of an asphalt mixture during construction compaction. The device includes a fixed frame and a detection system. The detection system includes a display, a control panel, a test claw, an electric motor, a lift switch, a torque sensor and a temperature sensor. The control panel includes a power switch for controlling the electric motor and a speed regulator for controlling a rotation speed of the test claw. An output end of the electric motor is connected to an input end of the torque sensor, and an output end of the torque sensor is connected to an input end of the test claw. An output end of the test claw is provided with a claw-shaped blade. The claw-shaped blade is provided therein with the temperature sensor.

Compaction is the last step in the formation of asphalt pavement. Construction compaction control is a necessary method to ensure that the quality, physical and mechanical properties and pavement performance of asphalt mixture meet requirements. China's technical specifications for asphalt pavement construction specify the compaction control method of asphalt pavement, as well as detection location, frequency and allowable deviation, etc. Traditional compaction detection methods include sand filling method, water bag method, cutting ring method, wax seal method and nuclear density gage method, etc.
However, these construction control methods are mainly used for detection in a construction acceptance stage. The detection is post-construction detection, lagging behind the compaction process. Therefore, over- and under-compaction sections cannot be found in time. The combination of compaction machinery and compaction times at the construction site are generally determined by experience. It is impossible to adjust and control the construction process and construction quality according to detection results. Due to the lack of proper asphalt mixture compaction status detection devices and methods, there are difficulties in quality supervision and construction process control.
In 2002, Stephen N. Goodman and Yasser Hassan et al. proposed that shear strength was a feasible measure to characterize the permanent deformation of asphalt concrete. They used an in-situ shear stiffness test (InSiSST) facility developed by Carleton University to analyze the shear-strength-related characteristics of the mixture, including binder property, binder amount and aggregate characteristics (type, grading, etc.). However, this study is only applicable to post-construction detection of pavements after open traffic, and is difficult to apply to on-line construction detection.
In 2003, Jagan M. Gudimettla and L. Allen Cooley, Jr. et al. tested mixture workability test equipment and evaluated the workability of asphalt mixture by applying a torque to a crosshead inserted into the asphalt mixture before paving. The test results showed that different factors had largely different effects on the compactability of asphalt mixture. These factors included asphalt binder characteristics, mixture temperature, aggregate type and nominal maximum size of aggregate in a descending order of their effects. This equipment could only measure the torque of asphalt mixture. The study did not show a direct correlation between the workability and compaction of asphalt mixture, and is not suitable for compaction detection during the construction stage.
In 2005, China's professor Zhang Zhengqi used multiple groups of asphalt mixtures for laboratory gyratory compaction analysis. He proposed to use a compact energy index of a compaction curve from an initial compaction status to design compaction times to evaluate the compactability of asphalt pavement. However, due to a boundary problem, this study is difficult to determine the compaction energy of site construction, and cannot be directly used for construction guidance.
In 2012, Tang Wen and Sun Lijun et al. studied the changing shear strength of asphalt mixture at different temperatures. They found a good correlation between different shear evaluation indexes through different shear strength tests. Their study showed that temperature had a great influence on the shear strength of asphalt mixture and the temperature characteristics of asphalt mixture should be fully considered to evaluate the shear strength thereof.
In 2017, Xu Shifa and Shi Hangqi et al. from Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture used a laboratory shear compactor to form an asphalt mixture. They further explored the compaction and shear strength characteristics of the mixture to obtain a corresponding workable compaction temperature under the use of the shear compactor. They proposed to use a compaction shear stress index to evaluate the compaction performance of the mixture and analyzed the feasibility of using shear strength to evaluate the compaction status of the mixture. However, due to the complexity of the equipment, this study is difficult to use for on-site mixture compaction detection.
Great progress have been made in the compaction detection of asphalt mixture at home and abroad. However, most of the current research still focuses on the post-construction compaction detection of asphalt mixture, and online detection has not been realized. Therefore, it is impossible to adjust and control the construction process and construction quality according to detection results. At present, there is a lack of a device for detecting the compaction status of the asphalt mixture during on-site construction compaction. Therefore, it is necessary to further research the real-time detection of compaction quality and research the evaluation indexes and standards of the asphalt mixture.

Device for detecting compaction and shear strength characteristics of asphalt mixture during construction compaction

Changsha University of Science and Technology


A fixing device for fixing image information on a recording medium passing a nip of the present invention includes a rotatable member for transferring and conveying a non-fixed image, a first heating means for heating an image present on the rotatable member and a rotatable pressing member forming a nip in combination with the rotatable member. A heat pipe extends in parallel to the axis of the rotatable member. A radiating member is positioned at one end of the heat pipe while a heating member is positioned at the other end of the heat pipe.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fixing device for use in a copier, printer, facsimile apparatus or similar image forming apparatus and more particularly to a transfixing type of fixing device configured to melt with heat a toner image transferred to a fixing roller at a secondary image transferring position and then transfer and fix the toner image to a sheet or recording medium by tertiary image transfer.
2. Description of the Background Art
A transfixing type of fixing device directly heats a toner image transferred to a fixing roller with a radiation source and a reflector substantially surrounding the radiation source. In this type of fixing device, when a toner image is transferred to the fixing roller, toner is directly heated by radiant heat in part of the fixing roller where the toner image is present while the surface of the fixing roller is directly heated in the other part where the toner image is absent. This brings about a problem that the temperature of the fixing roller becomes irregular along the image pattern after the toner image has been fixed on the sheet. As a result, when the next toner image is transferred to the fixing roller at the secondary image transfer position, the irregularity in temperature, corresponding to the previous image pattern, is likely to remain as a temperature history and effect the above toner image. Image defects include, e.g., irregularities in gloss and fixation and granularity.
A conventional fixing system applicable to an image forming apparatus fixes a toner image on a recording medium by heating and pressing the toner image. It is a common practice with such a fixing system to fix a toner image on a recording medium by melting the toner image with heat radiated from a halogen lamp or causing a heat-resistant film including a thin metallic layer or conductor to contact a recording medium implemented as an endless belt or a hollow cylinder. In any case, however, a fixing device generates a considerable amount of thermal energy which is likely to effect various units around the fixing device.
On the other hand, a heat pipe is capable of rapidly transporting, despite a small temperature difference, a great amount of thermal energy by use of latent heat derived from evaporation or condensation. A heat pipe is a heat conduction device in which a small amount of working liquid is sealed and having thermal conductivity several hundred times as high as the conductivity of copper, which is originally high.
Japanese patent laid-open publication Nos. 59-019976, 08-137277 and 2004-086091, for example, each disclose a particular image forming apparatus using a heat pipe as cooling means for protecting image forming sections other than heating means from heat output from the heating means. On the other hand, Japanese patent laid-open publication Nos. 60-154071 and 2000-29341, for example, propose to use a heat pipe as a fixing roller itself in order to reduce a warm-up time in combination with an induction heating effect, thereby realizing an on-demand fixing system that heats a fixing device only during intervals between consecutive printing.
Further, paying attention to the extremely high thermal conductivity of a heat pipe, Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2001-201978, for example, proposes to use a heat pipe as a heat diffusing member for preventing, in a continuous print mode, heat from rising in the zones of a fixation nip outside of a sheet passing zone. Likewise, Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2002-244450 proposes to use a heat pipe as temperature uniforming means for obviating temperature differences between a sheet passing portion and portions outside of the same.
Moreover, Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2002-055552 teaches a fixing device of the type using a heat-resistant film whose thermal capacity is small and configured to reduce the irregular temperature distribution of the film in the widthwise direction. For this configuration, a heat pipe is included in a temperature irregularity reducing member positioned outside of a second roller body.

Fixing device and image forming apparatus using the same


A system and method for communicating supervisory information between amplifier nodes in an optical communication network utilizes modulation of an included pump source to superimpose the supervisory information on through-transmitted customer signals (or ASE associated with the amplifier if no customer traffic is present). The supervisory information (which may include monitoring messages, provisioning data, protocol updates, and the like) is utilized as an input to an included modulator, which then forms a drive signal for the pump controller. In a preferred embodiment, binary FSK modulation is used.

Optical communication networks typically employ optical amplifiers as in-line amplifiers to boost signal power as the light travels along long lengths of optical fiber (or other types of optical media) from one point in the network to another. In particular, amplifier nodes may be disposed along a link between network termination points, with each node configured to provide bi-directional communication between termination points and thus include a pair of optical amplifiers to boost the signals propagating in both directions. Most amplifier nodes utilize a pair of fiber-based optical amplifiers, either rare-earth-doped fiber amplifiers that are "pumped" with a co-located diode laser, or Raman amplifiers in which high power pumping generates gain through stimulated Raman scattering in an optical fiber.
For proper operation of a link, amplifiers require provisioning information related to loss in the optical link, administration of parameters and control software, as well as monitoring of its parameters, collectively known as "Operation, Administration, and Provisioning (OAM&P). The performance of these fiber-based optical amplifiers can be affected by factors such as aging of components, temperature-induced variations, and the like. Various monitoring techniques are often used to detect and report anomalies so that corrective action can be taken. A separate supervisory optical channel (e.g., telemetry channel) is typically used for monitoring purposes and requires a separate communication link (also referred to at times as the "Control Plane") to be created between amplifier nodes. Other conventional uses of this supervisory channel include network monitoring functions, messaging, maintenance, and so on.
The need to dedicate a specific channel (wavelength) at each node for these supervisory functions adds to the size, cost, and complexity of the communication network.

Pump modulation for optical amplifier link communication


An active faceted mirror system is disclosed. The active faceted mirror system includes a set of active facet mirror devices, a base plate and a set of pins for mounting the active facet mirror devices to the base plate. Each of the active facet mirror devices includes a mirror substrate with a reflective surface and a bearing hole on the reverse side for mounting. Additionally, each of the active facet mirror devices includes at least three actuator targets located on the back side of the mirror substrate, a jewel bearing and a flexure for supporting the mirror substrate. The base plate includes a series of bearing holes for mounting the active facet mirror devices and at least three actuators for each of the active facet mirror devices. A set of facet controllers located on the base plate can be used to control the positioning of the active facet mirror devices to produce a desired illumination effect.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lithography, and more particularly, to an active faceted mirror system.
2. Background of Invention
Lithography is often used in the manufacture of many devices and in particular, electronic and semiconductor devices, flat panel displays, print heads, micro/nano fluidic devices and the like. In a lithographic process, an image is projected onto a photosensitive substrate. As the element or feature size (hereinafter referred to as "feature size") desired to be imaged on the photosensitive substrate becomes smaller, technical problems often arise. One of these problems is providing illumination, so that its image can be projected onto the photosensitive substrate. As the feature sizes of semiconductor devices becomes smaller, there is a need for photolithographic systems that provide a resolution of less than 0.065 micrometers. In order to achieve the imaging of these relatively small element or feature sizes, shorter wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation must be used to project the image onto a photosensitive substrate. Accordingly, it is often necessary for lithographic systems to operate at the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths, below 157 nanometers, and into the soft x-ray wavelengths, around 1 nanometer.
Historically, there were few illumination systems that could provide the required illumination properties for projecting the image of the reticle or mask onto a photosensitive substrate at these operating wavelengths. An illuminating system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,339,346 entitled "Device Fabrication Entailing Plasma-Derived X-Ray Delineation" issuing to White on Aug. 16, 1994, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. Therein disclosed is a condenser for use with a laser-pumped plasma source having a faceted collector lens including paired facets, symmetrically placed about an axis.
Another illumination system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,677,939 entitled "Illuminating Apparatus" issuing to Oshino on Oct. 14, 1997, which is incorporated herein its entirety. Therein disclosed is an illumination system for illuminating an object in an arcuate pattern. The system has a reflecting mirror with a parabolic-toric body of rotation and a reflection type optical integrator having a reflecting surface for effecting the critical illumination in the meridoinal direction and a reflecting surface for effecting the Kohler illumination in the sagittal direction.
Another illumination system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,759 entitled "Condenser for Illuminating A Ring Field Camera with Synchrotron Emission Light" issuing to Sweatt on Apr. 30, 1996, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. Therein disclosed is a condenser comprising concave and convex spherical mirrors that collect the light beams, flat mirrors that converge and direct the light beams into a real entrance pupil of a camera, and a spherical mirror for imaging the real entrance pupil through the resistive mask and into the virtual entrance pupil of the camera.
Another illumination system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,631,721 entitled "Hybrid Illumination System for Use in Photolithography" issuing to Stanton et al on May 20, 1997, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirely. Therein disclosed is a multi-stage optical element, a condenser, and an array or diffractive optical element.
In some circumstances, these prior illumination systems may not provide the desired illumination and are relatively complicated. Additionally, many of these systems are relatively large, having many surfaces resulting in loss of energy. Some are also difficult to align and may require adjustment.
Another illumination system using a reflective fly's eye condenser is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,195,201 entitled "Reflective Fly's Eye Condensor for EUV Lithography" issuing to Koch et al. on Feb. 27, 2001, which is incorporated herein in its entirety. The illumination system disclosed in this patent addressed some of the shortcomings of the prior systems by providing an improved illumination system and condenser for use in the extreme ultraviolet that provides a desired irradiance over a predetermined field or area with a desired irradiance and angular distribution, pupil fill, or radiant intensity for use in photolithography. U.S. Pat. No. 6,195,201 achieved some of these improvements over existing illumination systems through the use of reflective fly's eyes, which are also known as a faceted mirrors or mirror arrays within an illumination system.
These faceted mirrors are referred to as fly's eyes because they consist of a set of many small mirrors, which can be referred to as chiclets, precisely configured on a base to achieve a desired reflection. An illumination system or condenser for use within a photolithographic system can consist of an illumination source that irradiates a first faceted mirror that reflects electromagnetic energy to a second faceted mirror. The first faceted mirror is typically referred to as field faceted mirror and the second faceted mirror is typically referred to as a pupil faceted mirror. Electromagnetic energy reflected from the pupil faceted mirror can typically be reflected through a series of optical elements to form an illumination field on a reticle or mask.
While the use of fly's eye mirrors has the potential to provide a precise mechanism to direct electromagnetic energy in an EUV photolithography system, current illumination systems using fly's eye mirror have significant shortcomings. Illumination systems using fly's eye mirrors that are contemplated typically would be contained within very expensive lithography systems. Customers that would use these lithography systems need to manufacture semiconductor devices that have a wide range of characteristics, and as such require a lithography tool that can support a wide range of illumination needs. Current illumination systems using fly's eye mirrors that are contemplated can not effectively support these wide range of needs. Because of the size and complexity of fly's eye mirrors, it is difficult to change out or adjust the mirrors within a given system to meet different manufacturing needs. Similarly, lithography systems that would have different combinations of fly's eye mirrors are expensive and can be cost prohibitive.
What is needed is an active faceted mirror system for use within a lithographic system that can cost effectively be adjusted to meet varying photolithographic manufacturing demands.

Active faceted mirror system for lithography


In a radar device, a wide band filter unit suppresses unnecessary components contained in a reception signal subjected to frequency conversion by a frequency conversion unit. The wide band filter unit has frequency characteristics for performing filtering so that isolation between transmitting and receiving becomes a desired level or lower. Although the wide band filter unit has an increased noise power compared to a matched filter, the wide band filter performs the filtering so as not to round a pulse waveform.

In general, an on-vehicle radar for collision avoidance is required to have not only improved ability of detecting a long distance target but also ability of detecting a short distance target. In order to detect a long distance target, it is necessary to improve a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Therefore, as a filter of a receiver for maximizing the SNR, a matched filter is often used.
In addition, in a conventional device as described in Patent Literature 1, for example, analog receiver filters for short distance and long distance are used. In this way, detection accuracy of a short distance target is improved, and deterioration of distance resolution for a long distance target is allowed so that detection sensitivity is improved.


A gold-silver based wire for a semiconductor package has high humidity reliability as well as high dry reliability. The wire includes a first additive ingredient that contains 5˜15 wt % of at least one kind of elements from among first group elements composed of palladium (Pd) and platinum (Pt) added to a gold (Au)-silver (Ag) based alloy that contains 10˜40 wt % of Ag added to Au.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wire for electrically connecting a semiconductor chip to a semiconductor substrate, e.g., a lead frame to a printed circuit board, when fabricating a semiconductor package, and more particularly to a gold (Au)-silver (Ag) based alloy wire.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, Au has been used for forming wires for semiconductor packages. However, in order to decrease the fabrication costs in the semiconductor industry and cope with the recent increases in a gold price, Au—Ag alloy wires have been newly used. Since Ag forms a complete solid solution when combined with Au, such alloys can be mass produced to decrease the fabrication costs of wires for semiconductor packages.
Studies on conventional Au—Ag alloy wires have been disclosed in Japanese Patent laid-open Application Nos. 1998-326803, 1999-67811 and 2000-150562. However, such Au—Ag alloy wires are stable to a dry reliability test but significantly unstable to a high humidity reliability test dissimilar to general Au wires.
For example, reliability standards in the semiconductor industry include a high temperature storage life time test (HTST), a highly accelerated temperature & humidity storage test (HAST), a pressure cooker test (PCT), a temperature humidity test (TH) and a temperature cycle test (TC). Among these tests, the HTST or the TC are examples of the dry reliability test, and the HAST, the PCT, and the TH are examples of the high humidity reliability test.
Referring to FIG. 1, an Au wire has a high bonding strength in both the dry reliability test and the high humidity reliability test. However, an Au—Ag alloy wire has a higher bonding strength in the dry reliability test than in an initial period, but has a considerably weak bonding strength in the high humidity reliability test. That is, the Au—Ag alloy wire is very vulnerable to the high humidity test.
Referring to FIG. 2, a semiconductor chip 120 is stacked on a package substrate 110, and pads 125 of the semiconductor chip 120 and external terminals (not shown) of the package substrate 110 are connected by wires 130 and balls 135 of the wires 130. In this case, many of the Au—Ag alloy wires 130 are detached from the pad 125 of the semiconductor chip 120 during a high humidity reliability test, e.g., a PCT. Such poor humidity reliability is a significant obstacle to the use of Au—Ag alloy wires for semiconductor packages despite their low cost.

Au-Ag based alloy wire for semiconductor package


A method of sharing data between a sender application and a receiver application. The sender application and the receiver application execute on a computer system. The method comprises the following steps. The receiver application generates a receiver interface. The receiver application registers receiver data tokens in a registry. The data tokens correspond to the data. The sender application generates a sender interface. The sender application generates sender data tokens corresponding to the sender interface. A first token, of the sender data tokens, corresponds to one of the receiver data tokens. The sender interface receives the data and determines that the first token is registered by the receiver interface. The sender interface transmits the data to the receiver application.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of computer applications communications. In particular, the present invention describes a method and apparatus for communicating information received in a first application to other applications interested in that information.
2. Description of Related Art
Computers execute many programs (applications) at the same time. Often cooperating applications need to share data corresponding to their respective interfaces. That is, they associate certain parts of their respective graphical user interfaces (GUIs). For example, one application may present a photo-realistic view of a network hub. A second application may present a logical view of network workgroups. If a user selects a network workgroup, it is desirable to show all the ports on the hub corresponding to that network workgroup. This presents the problem of how should the information, that the user has interacted with in the second application, be sent to the first application.
Typically prior art systems required that all sender applications had to be programmed to know the list of all receiver applications. (Sender applications send data to receiver applications when a user interacts with the sender applications. Any given application can be both a sender and a receiver.) Thus, every sender application needed to know: every possible receiver application; differences between the types of information that various receivers will accept; differences between the types of information that various versions of any given receiver will accept.
Many problems exist with such solutions. Each time a new receiver application is released, all the sender applications must be updated. Clearly, this causes administrative difficulties for software manufacturers and users. Thus, manufacturers and users need an easily extendible system for communicating information between applications. Every sender application must include all the receivers' additional information. This makes writing the applications more complex. Also, each sender maintains its own version of the information, causing a duplication of information. Thus, a simpler solution to sharing information is needed.
A technique for sharing information between applications is needed.

Technique for sharing information between applications


A method is disclosed for the production of taurine in high yield by a cyclic process of reacting monoethanolamine, sulfuric acid, and ammonium sulfite in the presence of additives to inhibit the hydrolysis of 2-aminoethyl hydrogen sulfate intermediate. The cyclic process is economical and little waste is generated.

Taurine can be referred to as 2-aminoethanesulfonic acid and is of the formula H2NCH2CH2SO3H. Taurine is an extremely useful compound because it per se has such pharmacological effects as detoxification effect, fatigue-relieving effect and nourishing and tonifying effect. As a result, taurine finds wide applications as an essential ingredient for human and animal nutrition.
Numerous chemical methods have been known in the prior arts for preparing taurine and related derivatives. The following two methods have been used in industry to manufacture over 50,000 tons of taurine per year, starting from ethylene oxide (the EU process) and monoethanolamine (the MEA process).
According to the EO process, EO is reacted with sodium bisulfite to obtain sodium isethionate, which undergoes ammonolysis to yield sodium taurinate. Neutralization with sulfuric acid results in a mixture of taurine and sodium sulfate.

In the reactions, M stands for cations, which can be ammonium, lithium, sodium, and potassium.
The EO process has been greatly improved in U.S. Pat. No. 8,609,890 by using sulfur dioxide to neutralize the basic solution of taurinate to recover taurine and to regenerate sodium bisulfite.
The disadvantage of the EU process lies in the problematic quality of the product. More specifically, taurine produced via the EO process is a powder, and tends to form a hard cake over a short period of time during storage (in a matter of weeks), possibly due to the presence of unknown impurities. The process involves some serious hazards from the viewpoint of safety since it uses, as raw material, EO, which has extremely strong toxicity and carcinogenicity and is difficult to transport and handle. Moreover, the reaction is carried out at very high temperature (220-280° C.) and pressure (>100 bars).
Starting from MEA, taurine can be prepared by reacting MEA with sulfuric acid to obtain the key intermediate, 2-aminoethyl hydrogen sulfate ester (AES). Subsequent reaction with sodium sulfite yields a complex mixture of taurine, sodium sulfate, sodium sulfite and other impurities.

The distinct advantage of the MEA process over the EO process is the exceptional quality of the final product, for the taurine obtained is in the form of needle crystal and shows excellent stability during transportation and storage. The thus obtained taurine shows no sign of caking even over a long period of storage time. An added advantage is the mild processing conditions for the safe operation of the manufacturing plant.
A detrimental disadvantage of the MEA process is its higher production cost over the EO process. The main cause is its much lower production yield, the most improved in the industry being in the range of 55-63%. On the other hand, the yield in the EO process is about 75%.
The disadvantage of the MEA process is further exasperated by the extended heating over a long period of time in the sulfonation stage, typically 35-40 hours, as the reaction between AES and sodium sulfite is extremely slow.
These conventional EO and MEA processes are further complicated by another problem such as the separation of taurine from sodium sulfate, as both processes yield a product mixture of taurine and inorganic salts. Because the solubility of taurine and sodium sulfate is similar at temperature below 40° C., sodium sulfate, having nearly the same solubility from 40 to 90° C., has to be crystallized and removed at above room temperature to prevent taurine from crystallization. Repeated heating and cooling are required to separate these two components.
Still another problem in these conventional industrial processes is the disposal of waste stream, comprising of residual taurine, inorganic salts, and high content of organic materials.
Attempt has been made to lower the production cost for the MEA process by substituting sodium sulfite with less costly ammonium sulfite. The yield is still insufficient at less than 65% to compete with the EO process on an industrial scale. Moreover, the waste stream, rich in ammonium salts, could not be satisfactorily treated. Satisfactory method to separate taurine from ammonium sulfate remains to be developed.
According to a process disclosed in JPS608254, the reaction solution of AES and ammonium sulfite is first evaporated to dry, then hydrochloric acid is added to dissolve taurine. The insoluble inorganic salt is filtered off and then washed with concentrated hydrochloric acid. Afterwards, the mother liquor is concentrated to dry again, followed by addition of ethanol to crystallize taurine. This complicated process cannot thus be considered as an industrial production process.
According to another process described in CN101100449A, the reaction mixture between AES and ammonium sulfite is directly cooled to crystallize taurine. After filtration, crude taurine is refined by recrystallization from distilled water. The mother liquor, comprised of taurine and ammonium sulfate and excess ammonium sulfite, has to be discarded.
CN102633689 describes a process of reacting AES and ammonium sulfite to produce taurine and to remove the byproduct of ammonium sulfate and excess sulfite with calcium hydroxide. The expensive starting material, ammonium sulfite, and valuable byproduct, ammonium sulfate, are turned into a waste mixture of calcium sulfite and calcium sulfate. In addition, residual calcium sulfate is introduced into the product stream, thus making final purification to a product of pharmaceutical grade more difficult.
To ensure a good economy of the process, ammonium sulfate should be recovered with a low content of taurine, in a form suitable for fertilizer production. Hence, it is important to have available a method for efficient separation among taurine, ammonium sulfate, and ammonium sulfite.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the known MEA process to produce taurine in high yield which is very economical and to provide, in addition, advantages, which will become apparent from the following description.
It is another object of the present invention to disclose a process for the recovery of ammonium sulfate from an aqueous solution which contains ammonium sulfate and taurine. The recovered ammonium sulfate contains less than 0.5% by weight of taurine, and is suitable for fertilizer production.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cyclic process for treating the bleeding waste solution by esterifying the residual MEA with sulfuric acid to AES, which can be then converted to taurine. This cyclic process ensures that little waste is generated in the overall process.

Cyclic process for the production of taurine from monoethanolamine


A braid separation system for facilitating separating the strands of hair of a braid to unravel the braid. The braid separation system includes a pick member for positioning between the strands of the braids and is pulled through the braid to separate the strands of the braids. A reservoir member for holding fluid to be applied to the hair by the pick member to help relax the strands of hair of the braid when the pick member is pulled through the braid. The reservoir member is removably coupled to the pick member. The reservoir member is configured to permit gripping of the reservoir member to facilitate maneuvering of the pick member by the hand of the user.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hair picks and more particularly pertains to a new braid separation system for facilitating separating the strands of hair of a braid to unravel the braid without, for example, causing damage or breakage to the hair strands by applying detangling solution substantially directly into the braid while separating the braided hair.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of hair picks often requires a user to hold their wrist at an uncomfortable angle that generally extends away from the head. Further, many hair picks are straight and therefore require the hair pick to be held at an approximately 90 degree angle to the hair which can produce an uncomfortable position for the wrist of the user. Additionally, many hair picks are narrow and irregularly shaped, which can make the control of the hair pick difficult.


A switch mounting structure for fixing integrally, securely and firmly a rotary connector, a switch base, and a bracket mounted to a steering column of a vehicle, by an easy single operation. The switch mounting structure has first frame members 3d having opening portions 3c formed therein provided on a fixing case 3 of a rotary connector 1, and second frame members 7c having opening portions 7b formed therein provided on a bracket 7 of the rotary connector 1. The first frame members 3d are engaged with first elastic engaging portions 5e in first engaging portions 5a provided in a base 5 of a switch 4 by a simple single action. Similarly, the second frame members 7c are engaged with second elastic engaging portions 5h in second engaging portions 5c by a simple single action.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a switch mounting structure for an automobile and, in particular, to a switch mounting structure in which a rotary connector of an automobile is fixed to a base of a switch, such as a combination switch, and the base is fixed to a bracket mounted on a steering column of the vehicle to thereby integrally fix the rotary connector, the switch base, and the bracket.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional switch mounting structure used with an electric connecting device mounted between the steering wheel and the steering column of a vehicle steering apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Hei 3-48867. The rotary connector of an automobile utilizing this technology is fixed to the base of a switch, such as a combination switch, with four screws. The combination switch has mounted therein, for example, a turn signal switch, a wiper switch, and the like. The base of the combination switch is fixed to the steering column with three or more additional screws.
The conventional switch mounting structure described above requires a large number of screws to be used, as well as a large number of assembly processes for fixing with the screws and a large number of screw management processes. The assembly process for the conventional switch mounting structure is, therefore, relatively complicated and results in an increase in the production cost and the lowering of assembly quality. These drawbacks with the conventional switch mounting structure result primarily because the rotary connector of the vehicle is first fixed to a switch base, such as a combination switch, and then the switch base is fixed to a steering column with other screws.