Virtual displays with micro-display engines are arranged in compact, lightweight configurations that generate clear virtual images for an observer. The displays are particularly suitable for portable devices, such as head-mounted displays adapted to non-immersive or immersive applications. The non-immersive applications feature reflective optics moved out of the direct line of sight of the observer and provide for differentially modifying the amount or form of ambient light admitted from the forward environment with respect to image light magnified within the display. Micro-display engines suitable for both non-immersive and immersive display applications and having LCD image sources displace polarization components of the LCD image sources along the optical paths of the engines for simplifying engine design. A compound imaging system for micro-display engines features the use of reflectors in sequence to expand upon the imaging possibilities of the new micro-display engines. Polarization management also provides for differentially regulating the transmission of ambient light with respect to image light and for participating in the image formation function of the image source.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to micro-display engines, particularly for portable displays, such as head-mounted viewers. Typically, the micro-display engines feature compact image generators that output real images and magnifying optics that produce enlarged virtual images.
2. Description of Related Art
Micro-display engines can be incorporated into a variety of devices and are particularly suitable for portable devices including hand-held, wrist-worn, or head-mounted devices. For example, the micro-display engines can be used in pagers, wireless mobile telephones, or wrist-worn computers or can be mounted in various types of viewers for displaying data, graphics, or video.
Among the known devices, single micro-display engines are used in monocular viewers or biocular viewers, which provide dual images of the same image sources, and pairs of micro-display engines are used in binocular viewers. All three types of viewers can be head-mounted (i.e., mounted on an observer's head), which are intended for viewing only by the wearers of the displays.
The micro-display engines include compact image sources and optical focusing systems for magnifying the images produced by the sources. The usual outputs of the image sources are small but high-resolution real images. The focusing systems magnify the high-resolution images as virtual images within a desired field of view. Both the image sources and the focusing systems are made as small and lightweight as possible to minimize the effect of their presence on the user.
Reflective focusing optics are preferred over refractive lens systems to avoid chromatic aberrations. The apparent field of view tends to increase as the focal length decreases. Magnification of a virtual image also tends to increase as the object distance approaches the focal length. Both requirements can be met with a single reflective focusing optic (e.g., a concave mirror), that can be positioned close to both the observer's eyes and the image source. Typically, the reflective focusing optic is aligned with the observer's eyes and is optically coupled to the image source through a beamsplitter. The beamsplitter reflects image light from the image source to the reflective focusing optic and transmits the image light from the reflective focusing optic to the observer's eyes.
The micro-display engines can be of the immersive or non-immersive type. Immersive displays block the transmission of ambient light in alignment with the view of the display. Non-immersive displays allow ambient light to transmit through the displays in alignment with the view of the display. For example, objects in the observer's environment can be seen through some non-immersive virtual displays, including such displays that present information about the observer's environment. Other non-immersive displays admit light so the observer can remain oriented to the environment that would otherwise be in view or for purposes of background lighting. Either type of display, immersive or non-immersive, can be enclosed in a full or partial housing (also referred to as a shroud) to block the admission of unwanted ambient light within the field of view.
Ambient light in the viewing direction is typically admitted into the imaging systems of non-immersive displays employing reflective focusing optics through the reflective focusing optics themselves. This requires the reflective focusing optics to be at least partially transmissive to admit ambient light and at least partially reflective to magnify the image source. The partial reflectivity results in the loss of some light from the image source. The partial transmissivity results in the loss of some on-axis ambient light. The loss of image light is inefficient, requiring a higher output image source. The loss of ambient light may also be of concern. Views transmitted by ambient light through the partially reflective focusing optics can also be undesirably distorted by passage through the partially reflective focusing optics.
Transmissive liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are among the preferred image sources. Transmissive LCD's typically interleave a polarization varying layer containing liquid crystals between two polarizer layers. Light is admitted through the first polarizer layer and images produced by the LCDs appear on the second polarizer layer. It is the real image appearing on the second polarizer layer that is magnified, generally as a virtual image, by the focusing optics. As such, the imaged surface of the second polarizer layer must be made optically correct to avoid the imaging of artifacts on the second polarizer layer or the introduction of distortions, aberrations, or other disturbances into the image, which adds considerably to the optical requirements and cost of the second polarizer layer.


A substrate processing apparatus of the present invention dilutes a sample gas by mixing the sample gas with nitrogen gas and measures the concentration of IPA gas contained in the diluted sample gas in a concentration measuring part. Then, the substrate processing apparatus calculates the concentration (C0) of IPA gas contained in the sample gas before being diluted by multiplying the measured concentration value (C1) by the reciprocal (1/P) of a dilution rate which is obtained on the basis of the amount of flow of the sample gas and that of the diluent gas, as C0=C1×(1/P). Therefore, even if IPA gas of high concentration is used, it is possible to accurately measure the concentration of the IPA gas.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for performing various processings, such as drying, on substrates, such as semiconductor wafers, glass substrates for liquid crystal displays and glass substrates for PDPs, with a process gas which is supplied into a processing chamber together with a carrier gas.
2. Description of the Background Art
In a process of manufacturing substrates, conventionally, a substrate processing apparatus for processing substrates by supplying a process gas to the surrounding of the substrates is well known. For example, well known is a substrate processing apparatus for drying substrates by supplying IPA (isopropyl alcohol) gas to the surrounding of the substrates after being cleaned. A process gas such as IPA gas is supplied into a processing chamber by using an inert gas such as nitrogen gas as a carrier gas.
In such a substrate processing apparatus, the processing effect of drying process or the like on the substrates largely varies depending on the concentration of the process gas. For this reason, it is necessary to accurately measure the concentration of a process gas contained in gas supplied to the surrounding of the substrates. In the background-art substrate processing apparatus, the concentration of a process gas is measured by a concentration meter provided in the processing chamber or by extracting part of the gas supplied to the surrounding of the substrates.
In drying of substrates with IPA gas, it is desirable to allow the drying process on the substrates to rapidly proceed in order to prevent a drying failure such as a water mark occurring on surfaces of the substrates. Therefore, in substrate processing apparatuses of recent years, IPA gas of very high concentration is supplied into a processing chamber in some cases. In such a case where a process gas of high concentration is used, disadvantageously, there are some cases where the concentration of the process gas can not be accurately measured as the concentration of the process gas exceeds the measurement limit of a concentration meter.


An apparatus adapted to facilitate execution of task or tasks in response to a detection of an occurrence of one of one or more particular wake events while a system is in a reduced power consumption state, with the system remaining in the reduced power consumption state during the execution of the task, is described herein.

Various mechanisms exist for reducing power consumption of computing devices. Standard technology for power management is specified in, for example, Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) version 2.0, published Jul. 27, 2000, (jointly developed by Hewlett-Packard, Intel, et al.). ACPI is the standard most computer systems currently use for power management and is used to describe how the system looks to the operating system. Power management capabilities enable a computing device, both at component and system level, to change its operating state to use less power and to resume normal operations. These modes of operation, for purposes of this description, will be called suspended and active states. A number of events (herein "sleep" events) may trigger a computing device to transition from an active higher power consumption state to an inactive lower power consumption state, while a number of other events (herein "wake" events) may trigger a computing device to transition from an inactive low power consumption state to a more active higher power consumption state. For instance, a sleep event may trigger a computing device to go into a suspended state. Such sleep events may be as a result of perhaps due to time, inactivity, or user selection. When a computing device goes into a suspended state, many of the device components (e.g., main processor such as the central processing unit (CPU), volatile memory, disk drives for mass storage, and so forth) may be placed into a non-functional or sleep mode. On the other hand, a wake event may occur when moving a mouse, pressing a key on the keyboard, receiving a message, or receiving a query from a remote system administrator may cause a computing device to transition to an active state from a sleep, or low-power, state.
Conventionally, computing devices must be in an active state to handle a wake event. This means that many or all of the device components must be functional or operational in order to handle the wake event.

Response to wake event while a system is in reduced power consumption state


A disposable applicator for introducing medicine into a body cavity is disclosed including a barrel and a plunger slidably positioned within the barrel. The barrel and plunger are preferably formed of a plurality of spirally wound paper layers. The plunger includes first and second opposing ends. The first end of the plunger is completely closed and serves as the working surface of the plunger. The second end of the plunger is substantially closed by inwardly crimped portions to prevent the accidental or inadvertent filling of the hollow plunger with a gel-like medicine rather than the barrel. A predetermined number of applicators, such as seven, are preferably packaged within a tubular container.

Disposable or single use applicators are known for facilitating the injection of a medicine into a body cavity, such as for treating vaginal yeast infections and the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,691,982 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,720,881, both to Jones, each discloses a disposable applicator including a barrel with a quantity of medicine stored in a rupturable container positioned within one end of the barrel. A tubular plunger having a star-shaped working end is pushed into the barrel to rupture a seal on the end of the container and then progressively crush the medicine bearing container to thereby eject the medicine from the end of the barrel. Another similar applicator including a self-contained dosage of medicine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,486,056 to Oclassen.
Modern applicators are currently available for treating vaginal yeast infections and the like, typically for a seven day treatment period during which daily doses of the medicine are administered. One such medicine for treating vaginal yeast infections is available from Ortho Pharmaceutical Corporation of Raritan, N.J. under the trademark designation Terazol.RTM.7. Such medicines are commonly supplied in a seven day treatment package including a squeeze tube along with a single reusable plastic applicator. The squeeze tube contains a seven day supply of the gel-like medicine. The applicator supplied as part of the treatment package includes a plastic barrel and an inner sliding plastic plunger for ejecting the medicine from the barrel.
Unfortunately, a single plastic applicator must be cleaned for reuse during the seven day treatment period. The medicines used are not typically readily soluble in water and, therefore, cleaning of a used applicator is often difficult and messy. Moreover, if cleaning of the plastic applicator is not correctly performed, the patient has a significantly greater chance of reinfection. Accordingly, one approach has been to provide seven plastic applicators within the overall treatment package so that reuse of a single applicator is not required. Unfortunately, such disposable plastic applicators are not environmentally friendly, that is, they are not biodegradable. Another shortcoming of plastic applicators is that they cannot typically receive printing inks thereon for advertising or instructional purposes.
The assignee of the present invention, Niemand Industries, Inc., had developed a spirally wound paper applicator for vaginal yeast infections and the like that was disposable, readily biodegradable, and capable of being printed on, thus overcoming several of the disadvantages of other applicators. The applicator included a paper barrel having opposing open ends and a slidable plunger having a closed end for dispensing or ejecting medicine out of the barrel. The applicator included an inturned lip of the end of the barrel inserted into the patient, the paper was approved for direct human contact, and indicia on the plunger indicated when the plunger was filled to the desired dosage. Niemand's disposable applicators were distributed to doctors for use with medicine samples as typically provided to doctors by pharmaceutical companies.
The plunger of the disposable applicator offered by Niemand had an open end extending from the barrel, and the barrel itself had an open opposite end. Thus, the applicator presented two open ends of similar diameter to the patient for filling with the medicine from a squeeze tube. Accordingly, many patients inadvertently or accidentally filled the hollow tubular plunger rather than the barrel, despite printed indicia on the end of the plunger instructing the patient to "FILL OTHER END" of the applicator. Once the hollow tubular plunger is inadvertently filled with medicine, the quantity of medicine is wasted and the applicator is typically discarded. The lost amount of medication may significantly reduce the effectiveness of the overall treatment.
In addition to the shortcoming with respect to incorrect filling of the disposable applicator, the previous applicator offered by Niemand was delivered to physicians in large lots of individual applicators. Accordingly, the physician was required to separate out a desired number of applicators for a given number of treatments, such as typically seven, and give the medicine and applicators to the patient either as individual items, in a bag, or in another makeshift package. Thus, individual applicators could be readily misplaced and the full prescribed treatment period not followed by the patient.


Nuclear magnetic resonance well logging apparatus and a method of use for geophysical examination of a bore hole as the bore hole is drilled. The apparatus is connected to the drill bit to follow it through the bore hole as the bore hole is formed. The apparatus comprises a resilient, tubular, permanent magnet for generating a static magnetic field in the region of a portion of the bore hole adjacent the apparatus, which region includes materials sought to be analyzed, an antenna mounted on the magnet and connected to associated circuitry for exciting nuclei of the materials sought to be analyzed in the region, and a receiver connected to the antenna for receiving nuclear magnetic resonance signals from the excited nuclei and for providing an output signal indicative of properties of the materials sought to be analyzed.

This invention relates generally to well logging utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance, and more particularly to apparatus and methods for utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance to log a well as it is drilled.
The derivation of information relating to petroleum or other organic fuel deposits at an underground geological location is the subject of various technological approaches. For example, one common prior art technique to derive such information is known as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) logging. Basically, the NMR logging technique entails introducing a nuclear magnetic resonance logging apparatus or probe into a well or bore hole which has been drilled by conventional drilling equipment. The probe serves to excite the nuclei of materials in the surrounding geological structure so that various parameters, e.g., spin density, T.sub.1 and T.sub.2 relaxation, et., of the surrounding geological formation can be measured. From that data valuable information regarding the makeup of the structure, e.g., the amount of extractable oil, can be determined.
Examples of prior art NMR logging apparatus and methods are described in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,508,438 (Alger et al), 3,617,867 (Herzog), 3,667,035 (Slichter), 4,350,955 (Jackson), 4,467,642 (Givens), 4,528,508 (Vail, III), 4,560,663 (Nicksic et al), 4,629,986 (Clow et al), 4,710,713 (Taicher et al), 4,713,881 (Givens), 4,717,878 (Taicher et al), and 4,933,638 (Kenyon et al).
While the apparatus and techniques disclosed above appear generally suitable for their intended purposes, they nevertheless suffer from one significant drawback. That drawback is that such prior art systems are not designed (and are generally unsuitable) for effecting the logging of the bore hole as it is drilled. Instead they are designed such that the bore hole is drilled first, the downhole drilling apparatus is then removed, and then the logging apparatus or probe is introduced into the bore hole and their measurements then are made therewith.
A much more desirable technology would permit the logging of the desired rock parameters during the actual drilling process. The measuring of such parameters of the geological structure adjacent the bore hole as the bore hole is drilled is sometimes referred to in the art as 37 measuring while drilling" (or its acronym "MWD") or "logging while drilling" (or its acronym "LWD"). Such procedure has been accomplished heretofore utilizing non-NMR based apparatus. For example, Teleco Oil Field Services, Inc., of 105 Pondview Drive, Meriden Conn. 06450, offers for sale a tool under the name "RGD (resistivity-gamma-directional) MWD tool". That device is described by Teleco as a multi-sensor tool which transmits real-time measurements to surface equipment for detection, decoding, displaying and archiving. The RGD tool consists of three downhole sensors installed in a forty-foot drill collar. The formation resistivity sensor and the gamma ray sensor are both located in a subassembly below the directional sensor and transmitter, and are placed as close as possible to the drill bit. The integrated assembly offers two options, namely, downhole data recording, or transmission of the MWD data uphole in the form of coded pressure pulses in the drilling mud. Data from the downhole tool and surface information (such as depth, rate-of-penetration, hookload and rpm) is then recorded by a range of cabin and non-cabin based surface data acquisition systems. Such surface systems present data on real-time logs and archive the data on either tape, floppy disk or both.
The major components of the downhole RGD tool include a transmitter which produces positive mud pulses in the drilling mud in response to digitally coded signals from the sensor. A mud circulation driven turbine provides power for the downhole assembly. The turbines are configured to manage flow ranges from 250 GPM to 1,100 GPM. A resistivity sensor is provided which is a sixteen-inch spacing short-normal resistivity sensor located in a subassembly below the transmitter and directional sensor. The natural gamma ray sensor Teleco provides is located midway between the resistivity electrodes so that both formation evaluation sensors simultaneously obtain their information at the same depth, thus eliminating the need to memorize either measurement. A tool orientation system is also provided which is comprised of a digital sensor system which measures tool orientation information (e.g., azimuth, and inclination).
Such downhole assemblies (DHA's) are configured inside a drill collar. MWD collars allow the drilling mud to flow around the various sensors. Most sensors are located in the wall of the drill collar adjacent the outer surface and often need electrical isolation from the collar.
While the foregoing tools may offer the advantage over wireline logging technology by enabling logging to be accomplished while drilling, such tools nevertheless suffer from certain natural limitations. Such limitations result primarily because they attempt to replicate the wireline logging tools which operate in a much more gentle environment than do MWD tools. The MWD/LWD tools require more complex, robust technology and thus they tend to be more expensive. To do an adequate petrophysical evaluation, a minimum of three types of measurements or logs are required, i.e., neutron, deep resistivity, and density. Moreover, such systems may not be sufficient to predict the amount of petroleum present because they lack certain key information, and thus are unable to predict the productivity qualities of the rocks.
NMR logging apparatus and techniques address those limitations by providing direct measurements of this key information. When synergized with the resistivity, gamma and directional MWD tools, a full petrophysical evaluation is possible. The value of this NMR apparatus is clearly demonstrated by comparing it to the wireline technology's ability to provide information on the pore structure and the fluids present. This is possible because of the NMR's ability to assess the rock's porosity system independent of the rock formation type. However, as mentioned earlier, prior art NMR logging systems have not permitted adoption of their measuring system to MWD/LWD technology.

System for logging a well during the drilling thereof


A fluid flow conduit according to one embodiment comprises: a body comprising a channel-defining surface which defines a principal flow channel extending in a longitudinal direction, wherein the body defines an interior flow region comprising the principal flow channel; an inlet for introducing fluid into the interior flow region, the inlet shaped so that an average velocity of fluid entering the interior flow region from the inlet is oriented in an inlet flow direction non-parallel to the longitudinal direction; and an outlet for conveying fluid out of the principal flow channel, the outlet spaced apart from the inlet in the longitudinal direction such that fluid that passes from the inlet to the outlet passes through at least a portion of the principal flow channel; wherein the fluid flow conduit defines a recess in the interior flow region and facing the inlet.

Fluid travel at non-uniform speeds in a fluid flow conduit may be undesirable.
For example, a photo reactor may be used to treat water and/or other fluids by exposing fluid in the photo reactor to electromagnetic radiation, such as ultraviolet ("UV") radiation from one or more UV sources such as UV-light-emitting diodes ("UV-LEDs"), for example. However, fluids may travel at non-uniform speeds through some photo reactors. Therefore, in such photo reactors, fluids that travel at relatively low speeds may be exposed to electromagnetic radiation for enough time to be treated effectively. However, fluids that travel at relatively high speeds may not be exposed to electromagnetic radiation for enough time to be treated effectively and may therefore maintain any contamination of the fluid. Fluid travel at non-uniform speeds may also be undesirable in other fluid flow conduits, such as chemical reactors, bio-reactors, or photo-reactors, for example.
A flow-restraining element positioned in such fluid flow conduits may provide more-uniform fluid travel speeds, but such flow-restraining elements may be undesirable. For example, such a flow-restraining element positioned in a photo-reactor may block a radiation path and interfere with operation of the photo-reactor.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related thereto are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.

Fluid flow conduit with flow-shaping element


A quick-change attachment configuration is directed to a tool for use with a hole saw for boring holes on a wooden plank, particularly the quick-change attachment configuration is arranged for quickly replacing a longitudinal body, which is a drill bit shank having a driving end, a tool end, and a limiting portion. The configuration includes a quick-change attachment for assembling a longitudinal body and a hole saw which has an axial hole for allowing a longitudinal body to move on the quick-change attachment, and a locking component for locking and releasing the longitudinal body on and from the quick-change attachment. The locking component has a first component and a second component, which when used, the longitudinal body is easily moved slidably and locked so the shreddings emerging from the hole saw are cleaned.

1. Fields of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a quick-change attachment means for a hole saw, which is a tool used with a hole saw specifically used for wooden planks. The quick-change attachment means is particularly designed for coupling to a hole saw, in which the locking component and the positioning component in the quick-change attachment means can allow for faster reload of longitudinal body and detachment from the hole saw.
2. Descriptions of Related Art
As with the technology disclosed in Chinese Patent Application No. CN101076420A, entitled "Quick-change and Plug Eject Arbor for a Hole Saw," the quick-change attachment means used for quickly replacing drill bit shank where the quick-change attachment means can be fitted to the hole saw is coupled to the longitudinal body (which is a drill bit shank), and is locked with respect to the longitudinal body and cannot be free to rotate, and also locked axially. Because of this setup, a plug of the sawn material can be pushed out of the hole saw after a material is sawn by slidably releasing the attachment means from the longitudinal body before passing the longitudinal body through the quick-change attachment means.
The quick-change attachment means can be slidably released from the longitudinal body, and further apply a latch to slidably release the quick-change attachment means from the longitudinal body, before allowing the longitudinal body to further move into the holes. In this way, a slant terminal end of the longitudinal body can be used to push the plug out the hole saw, without needing any tool or disassembly tools.
Disadvantageously, because the latch operates by pressing from top to bottom, and an end of the latch is used as a fulcrum, a problem with the invention is that the user using the tool would have to press down and hold down the latch on another end of the fulcrum. The applied force holding on these positions may not be necessarily well-distributed, and the disproportional pressing may consequently cause the user to exert more strength than necessary in order to suppress the latch down from becoming subject to axial release. As a result the adapter would be required to be threadably coupled first to the threaded hole. A problem implicated by this structure is that the actuating of the hole saw and the longitudinal body are both handled by radial rotation, and the adapter is also subject to radial rotation when coupling, therefore it is highly possible that during operation of the driving mechanism, the anti-vibrational force can cause the threaded spots of the quick-change attachment means and the hole saw to unscrew, thereby jeopardizing the cutting process.
Accordingly, the inventor of the present invention, in an objective to resolve the above-identified shortcomings, has through improvement made in pursuit for innovative approach for problem solving, as well as relentless efforts to strive for technical progress, has for many accounts of trials, experiments with full and comprehensive conception, arrive at the present utility model invention and hereby files for a utility model patent protection.

Quick-change attachment configuration for a hole saw


It is an object to provide a fixture which enables ready, accurate and positive preliminary mounting of an electric line part in completely one operation without the need for any screwing operation, regardless of a change in the width and height of the channel flanges of a channel rail and also, enables ready and positive permanent securement of the electric line part, and which allows an operator to extremely easily, positively and efficiently carry out this type of operation without the need for any skill.. A means for clamping electric line parts according to the present invention comprises a fixture body 1 having a part attached to a channel rail 4, a bolt 2, and a clamp 3 threadedly engaged with the bolt 2. The clamp 3 includes a central nut 3B, pivot pins 8, 8 mounted to the nut 3B, a pair of right and left clamping elements 3A, 3A pivotable about the horizontal pivot pins 8, 8, and a protrusion 8a extending outwardly from one side of the nut 3B. The fixture body has a guide plate 122 at a location where the fixture body is attached to the channel rail 4. The protrusion 8a is guidably received in a guide slot 124 of the guide plate 122.

It is necessary to install a power cable, a telecommunication cable or other cables, and pipes (cable tubes) through which those cables pass from a vertical zone (vertical direction) to a ceiling zone (horizontal direction) in various buildings such as a factory, a business office, a store, a condominium, a warehouse, a station, a gymnasium and a theater as well as in various structures such as a tunnel, a subway, an elevated railway, an elevated road, and a bridge.
In such a ceiling zone, hanger bolts are mounted to the ceiling at fixed intervals to hold channel rails. Racks are placed on and extend across the channel rails to guidably support cables or cable tubes. The racks are then secured to the channel rails. As an alternative, the cable tubes are directly placed on and extend across the channel rails held by the hanger bolts. The cable tubes are then secured to the channel rails. The channel rail may be directly secured to the ceiling with its opening (slot) being directed downward.
In the vertical zone, the channel rails are secured to structural beams, girders or walls at fixed intervals and extend in a horizontal direction. The racks or cable tubes extend across and are secured to the channel rails.
The channel rail is also referred to as a "hanger rail", "duct channel, or "raceway". In either case, the racks and cable tubes must be secured to each channel rail at points where the racks and cable tubes intersect with each channel rail. A number of securing operations are thus required to complete the installation. A substantial number of securing operations are involved where it is necessary to secure small girders or partitions to the racks, or to secure outlet boxes or other electric devices or components to the channel rails.
To this end, there has been proposed a fixture for securing racks as disclosed in Japanese utility model publication No. 5-19671. The prior art fixture comprises a fixture body having a through opening at a location where the fixture body is attached to a channel rail, a bolt extending through the through opening, and a rectangular slat including a central, internally threaded hole adapted to receive the bolt. The slat has a pair of long sides and a pair of short sides. The long side has a length equal to or greater than the distance between flanges of the channel rail. Diagonally opposite corners of the slat are cut in an oblique fashion. A spring is disposed between the fixture body and the head of the bolt to thereby lift the bolt and the slat.
However, the prior art fixture presents the following problems.
(1) The slat is substantially long and has a length greater than the width of the fixture body. Handling of such a large slat is cumbersome. The orientation of the slat must be adjusted if a change in the orientation of the slat occurs due to contact with hands or articles prior to use.
(2) Preliminary mounting requires two steps, one step of axially pressing the bolt to move the slat below the channel flanges of the channel rail, and the other step of rotating the bolt by 90 degrees to swing the slat in a direction perpendicular to the channel rail. These operations are cumbersome. Also, an operator is subject to fatigue since his wrists are repeatedly twisted.
(3) Preliminary mounting requires a screwing operation. If the bolt is inadvertently rotated in a counterclockwise direction, the slat is disengaged from the bolt and may drop in the channel rail. Removal of the bolt requires substantial effort and time and thus deteriorates efficiency. Also, where the channel rail has a downwardly directed opening, the operator is subject to injury if the slat and articles are disengaged from the bolt and the fixture body and hit the operator's head and face.
(4) Rotation of the slat is limited when the longitudinal front end of the slat is contacted with the inner walls of the flanges. The slat may not be oriented at right angles to or may be obliquely engaged with the channel rail, depending on the configuration of the inner flange walls. This retards rotation of the bolt and causes the slat to be raised in an oblique fashion. If this occurs, the slat can not firmly be secured to the channel rail since a sufficient clamping area between the end surfaces of the downwardly directed rail walls and the slat is not available.
To this end, the inventors of the present application proposed a fixture for securing cable tubes as disclosed in EP 0553 765 A1.
The prior art fixture comprises a fixture body, a bolt extending through the fixture body, and a clamp threadedly engaged with the bolt. The clamp includes a central nut, and a pair of right and left clamping elements pivotably mounted to the nut and pivotable about a horizontal axis. Each clamping element has a clamping surface engageable with the lower surfaces of channel flanges, and stop surfaces extending upwardly from the clamping surface and contacted between the channel flanges. A spring is disposed between the head of the bolt and the fixture body to lift the clamp and the bolt. The fixture body has opposite side walls adapted to clamp the stop surfaces of the right and left clamping elements to hold the clamp relative to the fixture body.
In the prior art, electric line parts can be preliminarily mounted by axially pushing the bolt.
A problem with the prior art is that since the bolt constantly extends upwardly from the fixture body, external force may cause inadvertent operation of the clamp. Another problem is that the clamp is susceptible to displacement if the side walls of the fixture body are not equal to the distance between the stopper surfaces of the clamping elements. As to the latter problem, a clamping force is barely created if a space is left between the opposite side walls and the stop surfaces. In such a case, the clamp is likely to be displaced prior to use. If the bolt is pushed while the clamp is displaced, the clamp is inserted in an oblique fashion into the opening of the channel rail. On the other hand, an excess amount of clamping force is created when the distance between the opposite side walls is too short. If this occurs, assemblage becomes cumbersome. Also, the clamp may not be lowered even if the bolt is strongly pushed.
In the prior art, the stop surfaces of the clamping elements are snugly fit within the channel flanges of the channel rail. This arrangement insures lifting of the clamp and prevents rotation of the clamp about a vertical axis during a clamping operation.
The distance between the channel flanges of the channel rail to be secured has effect on vertical upward motion of the clamp and rotation of the clamp about a vertical axis. A problem also arises when the height of the channel flanges differ from each other, or when the clamp is not appropriately positioned relative to the bolt even if the channel opening has a required width. In other words, the stop surfaces are undesirably moved below the lower ends of the channel flanges to cause pivotal motion of the clamp about a vertical axis during a clamping operation. This makes it difficult to orient the clamp at right angles to the channel flanges. To this end, it is conventionally necessary to prepare various types of clamps to accommodate various types and sizes of channel rails to be secured. Also, it is necessary to carefully mount the clamp to the bolt during assembly of the fixture.

Fixture for use in electric line installation


The present invention provides a rubber composition for a tire tread comprising 100 parts by weight of a rubber component containing at least 5% by weight of natural rubber graft-copolymerized with an organic compound having an unsaturated bond andlor epoxidized natural rubber, and 5 to 150 parts by weight of carbon black and!or silica with a nitrogen-absorbing specific surface are of 100 to 300m2/g.

The present invention relates to a rubber composition for a tire tread and a pneumatic tire comprising the rubber composition, more specifically a rubber composition for a tire tread, which is excellent in abrasion resistance, fuel efficiency and wet grip performance, and a pneumatic tire comprising the rubber composition.
Natural rubber has excellent raw rubber strength (green strength) compared to synthetic rubber and is excellent in processability. Also, natural rubber has high mechanical strength and excellent abrasion resistance as vulcanized rubber and therefore is frequently used in large tires such as truck/bus tires. However, because natural rubber only has methyl groups with a small molecular weight in the side chains and has a low glass transition temperature (Tg) of −50° C., grip performance is poor. For this reason, diene synthetic rubber is frequently used in automobile tires.
In recent years, concern is rising over rise in oil prices and exhaustion of oil due to problems of supply. Also, from the viewpoint of environmental problems such as tightening regulations for resource conservation and prevention of carbon dioxide exhaust, natural resources are being reconsidered. The tire industry is not an exception and as an alternative material of synthetic rubber, natural rubber is attracting attention again. In order to use natural rubber as an alternative material of synthetic rubber, improving fuel efficiency and grip performance without losing the excellent properties of natural rubber is an urgent task.
Conventionally, carbon black is used as a rubber reinforcing agent. However, in recent years, in view of social demands for energy and resource conservation, particularly to economize fuel consumption of automobiles, low heat generating properties in a rubber composition are also in demand. In order to decrease heat generating properties in a rubber composition, filling with a small amount of carbon black or using carbon black with a large particle size can be considered, but there is the problem that reinforcement properties and abrasion resistance decrease.
To solve this problem, the method of using silica as a filler to decrease heat generating properties in a rubber composition is known and up to the present, many patent applications have been filed regarding such a method (JP-A-3-252431). However, particles of silica tend to coagulate due to hydrogen bonds of silanol groups, which are surface functional groups. As a result, there are problems such as dipersability of the silica in rubber becomes low, the Mooney viscosity becomes high and processability, for example when extruding, is poor.
To solve this problem, a silane coupling agent is developed. The silane coupling agent bonds with the silanol groups and prevents coagulation of silica, improving processability. Also, in terms of performance, as a result of the silane coupling agent chemically bonding with silica and the polymer, rolling resistance is thought to decrease and abrasion resistance is thought to improve. In order to achieve such goals, silica and the silane coupling agent must be chemically reacted during kneading and thoroughly kneading at a high temperature is considered to be favorable to sufficiently react silica and the silane coupling agent. However, the functional group portion of the silane coupling agent, which reacts with rubber, reacts with some of the rubber due to the temperature during processing such as kneading and the phenomenon of scorching known as gelation occurs. When kneading is conducted at a low temperature at which scorching does not occur, the reaction of silica and the silane coupling agent is insufficient.
As another prior art, compounding a plasticizer, obtained by depolymerizing deproteinized natural rubber, to a rubber product in order to decrease the hysteresis loss of the rubber component is known (JP-A-9-249716). However, in a tire, improvement is desired in fuel efficiency and wet grip performance, without decreasing properties such as processability and mechanical strength.
Also, as a method for preparing modified natural rubber, which is modified with high efficiency, and providing modified natural rubber which does not cause allergies, known is the art relating to modified natural rubber, which is subjected to deproteinizing treatment and graft-copolymerization treatment with an organic compound having an unsaturated bond (Japanese Patent No. 3294903). However, an example of using such modified rubber as a rubber composition for a tire tread, with the purpose of improving fuel efficiency and wet grip performance, is not known.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Epoxidized or graft-copolymerized natural rubber composition for tire tread and pneumatic tire using the same


The invention relates to a system (100) arranged to delineate the acute intracerebral haematoma in non-contrasted CT images in two stages. The first stage, performed by the extraction unit (110), employs an analysis of gray values of the image data in order to extract the candidate region. The candidate region may comprise both an acute haematoma and other regions having similar gray values, e.g., regions resulting from partial volume effects at the interface of the bony structures of the skull and the brain. The novel second stage, performed by the classification unit (120), analyzes spatial features of the candidate region such as, for example, the size, shape, and connectedness to the skull bone of the candidate region. Using spatial features of the candidate region improves the correctness of classification of the candidate region as a true or false acute haematoma.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the US and western countries after myocardial infarct and cancer, and the leading cause of disability. Besides the dramatic decrease of the individuals' quality of life, stroke has an evident socio-economic impact with costs of 35 to 50 thousand US $ per stroke survivor per year.
Concerning these facts, there is a strong need for an effective treatment of stroke patients. During the last decade, studies of recanalizing drugs and neuroprotectants in acute ischemic stroke patients have shown promising results. However, this treatment has to be applied within a narrow window of time following the stroke. After six hours the relative risk of the therapy outweighs its benefits. Although the treatment is helpful when applied to patients with acute ischemic stroke, it is hazardous when applied to patients with an acute cerebral bleeding, e.g., haemorrhagic stroke, or event with a disposition for cerebral bleeding.
Both time-pressure and the hazardous effect on patients with cerebral bleeding demand a fast, qualified, differential diagnosis of the stroke based on adequate imaging and image reading techniques. However, these techniques are available to very few medical specialists, hence currently only 3-4% of patients with acute ischemic stroke are treated with an adequate therapy like intravenous thrombolysis.
In CT imaging, an acute haemorrhagic stroke can be characterized by typical gray value characteristics that change in the course of the disease. In an acute phase the stroke region is depicted as a hyperdense, i.e., relatively brighter area, whereas a chronic haemorrhagic stroke appears as a hypodense, i.e., relatively darker area. These typical gray values demand for image processing approaches like thresholding, clustering and region growing.
In the article entitled "Image Analysis and 3-D Visualization of Intracerebral Brain Hemorrhage ", Dhawan et al, proceedings of Sixth Annual IEEE Symposium on Computer-Based Medical Systems (13-16 Jun. 1993). pages 140 -145 , Dhawan et al propose a semi-automatic approach to detect intracerebral haemorrhage based on CT images, A k-means clustering algorithm subdivides the entire image into foreground and background. On the resulting binary image , the user selects an adequate seed point for a subsequent region growing algorithm that delineates the intracerebral haemorrhage.
A more automated rule-based approach is presented by M. Matesin et al. in the article entitled "A rule-based approach to stroke lesion analysis from CT images", in Image and Signal Processing and Analysis, 2001, pages 219-223. Here image features like brightness and symmetry, relative to the symmetry axis of the brain, of an extracted region are used to classify the image into background, skull, cerebrospinal fluid, gray/white matter and stroke. An area of stroke that is not symmetric with respect to the symmetry axis of the brain is labeled as hypodense by the authors. These assumptions may be true for an ischemic stroke, but do not correctly describe an acute haematoma.

Detecting haemorrhagic stroke in CT image data


In an example embodiment, a solution is provided that introduces a second level IVR component controlled by a call control service that also controls a first IVR component. Controlling the IVR components using this call control service (which also interfaces with client software operated by a human agent) allows for data collected during the IVR sessions or during a live session with the human agent to be shared among the components. This also acts to eliminate the need for a traditional “transfer” of a call from a human agent to an IVR or vice versa, which would often be accompanied by audible clicks or beeps discernable to the caller.

Many organizations utilize interactive voice response (IVR) technology to aid in communications with customers. IVR is an automated phone system technology that allows callers to access information via a voice response system of recorded messages without having to speak to a live agent, as well as to utilize menu options via touch tone keypad selection or speech recognition to have their call routed to specific departments.
Typically, an IVR component is invoked when a call is first received, allowing the caller to be led through a series of prompts to either perform automated tasks or to connect to an agent in the correct department. In the latter case, the call is passed from the IVR component to the agent. An issue arises, however, if that agent wishes to pass the call to another IVR. More particularly, while it is currently possible to pass a call to such a second IVR component by transferring the call, any data collected by the agent about the call (such as notes or caller ID) are lost during that transfer. This makes use cases where the agent is unwilling or unable to perform a certain task that could be performed via IVR, such as collect credit card information or perform third party identification, with the call then being passed back to the agent with the information collected, technically challenging to implement.
A further technical problem with existing IVR technology is that it is technically challenging to ensure data privacy for particular types of data from the call while not protecting the entire call in its entirety. It may be desirable or even legally required in some circumstances for certain types of data collected by an IVR component, such as credit card information, to be kept unavailable or unreadable to the human agents handling the calls and not stored with the calls themselves, which can remain non-private.
What is needed is a solution that overcomes these technical issues.

Second level interactive voice response component


A system, method and computer-readable media are disclosed for searching for content from a device. The system, method, and computer-readable media are adapted to transmit a voice search query from a device and can in return allow the device to receive corresponding non-voice search result data. Once non-voice search result data is received it can be displayed to the user on a display of the device.

The Internet has become a useful tool over recent years for people to search for various types of information quickly and efficiently. An advantage of the Internet is that one can receive desired content from most parts of the world within just a few moments. Another advantage is that one can search for desired content without having to know every detail regarding the content by utilizing one of the many search engines found on the Internet. For example, with current search engines, it may be possible for one to search for the exact location of a restaurant, including the specific address, by only inputting a the name of the restaurant and the state the restaurant is located in. In another example, it may be possible for one to search for the location and capacity of a stadium by only inputting the name of the stadium in the search engine.
With current technology, searching the Internet can be accomplished using advanced devices such as personal computers and mobile devices. Currently, when attempting to search the Internet using a such devices a user must do so through either a strictly text-based system or a strictly voice-based system. Searching through strictly text-based systems is unfavorable as it presents a very tedious and burdensome task for one to enter and refine queries on devices by hand. Searching through strictly voice-based systems, on the other hand, is unfavorable as the processing time is very long and slow as the system has to read every word to the user.

Searching for content using voice search queries


A telemetry system enabling radio frequency (RF) communications between an implantable medical device and an external device, or programmer, in which the RF circuitry is normally maintained in a powered down state in order to conserve power. At synchronized wakeup intervals, one of the devices designated as a master device powers up its RF transmitter to request a communications session, and the other device designated as a slave device powers up its RF transmitter to listen for the request. Telemetry is conducted using a far field or near field communication link.

Implantable medical devices, including cardiac rhythm management devices such as pacemakers and implantable cardioverter/defibrillators, typically have the capability to communicate data with a device called an external programmer, or programmer, via a radio frequency telemetry link. A clinician may use such a programmer to program the operating parameters of an implanted medical device. For example, the pacing mode and other operating characteristics of a pacemaker may be modified after implantation in this manner. Modern implantable medical devices also include the capability for bidirectional communication so that information can be transmitted to the programmer from the implanted device. Among the data which may be telemetered from an implantable medical device are various operating parameters and physiological data, the latter either collected in real-time or stored from previous monitoring operations.
Telemetry systems for implantable medical devices may utilize radio frequency (RF) energy to enable bidirectional communication between the implantable medical device and an external programmer. In some applications, a wireless RF carrier is modulated with digital information, typically by amplitude shift keying where the presence or absence of pulses in the signal constitute binary symbols or bits. An exemplary telemetry system for an external programmer and a cardiac pacemaker is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,841, issued to Brockway et al. and assigned to Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The external programmer transmits and receives the radio signal with an antenna incorporated into a wand that can be positioned in proximity to the implanted device. The implantable medical device also generates and receives radio signals by means of an antenna, which may include a wire coil inside of the device casing.
Some RF telemetry systems used for implantable medical devices, such as cardiac pacemakers, utilize inductive coupling between the antennas of the implantable medical device and an external programmer in order to transmit and receive wireless signals. Because the induction field produced by a transmitting antenna falls off rapidly with distance, such systems require close proximity between the implantable medical device and a wand antenna of the external programmer in order to work properly, usually on the order of a few inches. This requirement is inconvenient for the patient and the clinician, and thereby limits the situations in which telemetry can take place.

Implantable medical device with two or more telemetry systems


The present disclosure relates generally to cancer and particularly to breast cancer including estrogen sensitive, estrogen resistant and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), and to methods of diagnosis and prognosis thereof and therapeutic intervention involving replication factor C 40 (RFC40). Methods and assays for evaluating breast cancer are provided. The disclosure also relates to inhibition or modulation of RFC40 in treatment or alleviation of cancer, including breast cancer. RFC40 inhibitors, including siRNAs, miRNAs, and shRNAs, which specifically affect cancer cells, particularly breast cancer cells, are provided.

Breast cancer accounts for 18% of all cancers in women, making it the foremost cause of cancer-related deaths in women (McPherson K et al (2000) BMJ 321(7261):624-8). Currently, routine mammography is the most commonly used method for early detection of breast cancer (Smith R A et al (2012) Oncology 26(5):471-5, 479-81, 485-6). Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer could play a monumental role in reducing deaths (Misek D E and Kim E H (2011) Int J Proteomics 2011:343582). Most of the drugs available for the treatment of breast cancers target growth factor and endocrine receptors, particularly the endocrine (estrogen; ER) or growth factor ((ErbB-1, ErbB-2 [human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; HER2], ErbB-3 and ErbB-4) receptors for therapy (Normanno N et al (2009) Endocr Relat Cancer 16(3):675-702).
However, emerging resistance to endocrine drugs and therapies targeted against HER2 receptors have created a dire need for identification of molecular targets that are non-receptor based and directly involved in the proliferation of the cancer cells (Normanno N et al (2005) Endocr Relat Cancer 12(4):721-47; Normanno N et al (2009) Endocr Relat Cancer 16(3):675-702). Triple Negative breast cancer (TNBC) is known to be the most aggressive of breast cancers that can metastasis beyond the breast and are more likely to recur after treatment. Tumors and cells of this subtype of breast cancer lack the estrogen, progesterone as well as the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 and hence will not respond to the traditional therapies. Although, estrogen positive and HER2 over-expressed breast cancers have relatively good target-based agents for treatment, Triple Negative Breast cancer (TNBC) will not respond to these therapies since it lacks all these receptors. There is therefore a huge void for therapies for patients with triple-negative breast cancer (endocrine and growth receptor negative). Hence, the discovery of non receptor based target therapies that may be universally applicable to all sub-types of breast cancers is of paramount importance.
DNA replication is one of the most remarkable and challenging steps in the cell cycle and requires the collaboration of a formidable number of proteins. In eukaryotes, several accessory proteins such as Replication Factor C (RFC) and Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA), confer speed and high processivity to the replicative polymerases, DNA polymerases δ (Pol δ) and ε. The RFC loads PCNA onto DNA and consists of five subunits, RFC140, RFC40, RFC38, RFC37 and RFC36 (Gupte R S et al (2005) Cell Cycle 4(2): 323-329). Its assembly commits the cell to DNA replication and is involved in many DNA transactions such as DNA damage checkpoint response, maintenance of genomic stability and regulation of sister chromatid cohesion in mitosis as well as in meiosis (Majka J and Burgers P M (2004) Prog Nucleic Acid Res Mol Biol 78: 227-260; Petronczki M et al (2004) J Cell Sci 117(Pt 16): 3547-3559).
Amongst all the RFC subunits, only the second subunit, RFC40/RFC2 can independently unload PCNA and inhibit DNA Pol δ activity (Cai J et al (1997) J Biol Chem 272(30):18974-81; Pan Z Q et al (1993) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 90(1):6-10). It has been recently discovered that RFC40 is required for accurate chromosomal segregation and completion of cell division after mitosis in proliferating neonatal rat cardiac myocytes, suggesting a role for RFC40 in mitosis and cytokinesis (Ata H et al (2012) PLoS One 7(6):e39009). Additionally, it was also observed that inhibition of endogenous RFC40 in proliferating neonatal rat cardiac myocytes causes cell death (Ata H et al (2012) PLoS One 7(6):e39009). Consistently, it has been demonstrated that deletion of RFC40 gene is embryonically lethal in yeast (Cullmann G et al (1995) Mol Cell Biol 15(9):4661-71). Also, halo-insufficiency of RFC40 causes growth retardation in Williams-Beurner syndrome (Peoples R et al (1996) Am J Hum Genet 58:1370-3). Taken together these findings suggest that RFC40 is essential for cell proliferation.
Interaction between the second subunit of the Replication Factor C, RFC40, and the regulatory subunit of Protein Kinase A, R1α, has been identified using yeast two-hybrid screening (Gupte R S et al (2005) Cell Cycle 4(2): 323-329). This complex has been shown to be essential for cell survival and that R1α functions as a nuclear transport protein for RFC40 via its non-conventional nuclear localization sequence (NLS) (Gupte R et al (2005) Cancer Biology and Therapy 4(4):429-437). Moreover, deletions in the RFC40 binding region on R1α, or either deletion or mutations of the non-conventional NLS of R1α, leads to G1 arrest, suggesting that the R1α-RFC40 complex is transported to the nucleus at the G1/S transition. Additionally, elevated intracellular cAMP levels exert transcriptional/post-transcriptional effects on mRNA levels and a translation effect on the protein expressions of both RFC40 and R1α, thereby increasing the amount of the R1α-RFC40 complex formation and hence promoting the nuclear transport of RFC40 by R1α (Gupte R et al (2006) Exper Cell Res 312:796-806).
Currently there clearly is a need for molecular targets that are non-receptor based for use and application towards the development of drug therapies for breast cancers lacking endocrine and growth receptors such as triple negative breast cancers (TNBC) and for therapies which are endocrine and growth factor receptor independent and therefore applicable to all or most forms of breast cancer. The present invention provides a novel independent marker and target for cancer diagnosis and therapy, particularly including breast cancer.
The citation of references herein shall not be construed as an admission that such is prior art to the present invention.

Replication factor C-40 (RFC40/RFC2) as a prognostic marker and target in estrogen positive and negative and triple negative breast cancer


A dispenser suitable for dispensing a rolled product includes a housing having a back plate and a cover openably engaged with the back plate. Each of a pair of roll holder appliances disposed within the housing include a leg having a first end and a second end, and a first side and a second side. The first end has an attachment feature, and the second end has a first roll holder on the first side, and a second roll holder on the second side opposing and different from the first roll holder. The attachment feature of each appliance is removably attached to the back plate, each appliance being oriented with associated roll holders facing each other and suitably spaced apart so as to receive the rolled product therebetween.

The present disclosure relates generally to a roll holder for a dispenser, and particularly to a reversible roll holder appliance having opposing roll holders that accommodate different types and/or widths of rolls of product.
Sheet products are typically supplied on rolls that are loaded into sheet product dispensers for the purpose of dispensing sheets. The term "sheet products" or "roll of product" as used herein is inclusive of natural and/or synthetic cloth or paper sheets. Sheet products may include both woven and non-woven articles. There are a wide variety of nonwoven processes and they can be either wetlaid or drylaid. Some examples include hydroentagled (sometimes called spunlace), DRC (double re-creped), airlaid, spunbond, carded, paper towel, and meltblown sheet products. Further, sheet products may contain fibrous cellulosic materials that may be derived from natural sources, such as wood pulp fibers, as well as other fibrous material characterized by having hydroxyl groups attached to the polymer backbone. These include glass fibers and synthetic fibers modified with hydroxyl groups. Examples of sheet products include, but are not limited to, wipers, napkins, tissues, rolls, towels or other fibrous, film, polymer, or filamentary products.
In general, sheet products are thin in comparison to their length and breadth and exhibit a relatively flat planar configuration and are flexible to permit folding, rolling, stacking, and the like. The sheet product may have perforations extending in lines across its width to separate individual sheets and facilitate separation or tearing of individual sheets from the roll at discrete intervals. Individual sheets may be sized as desired to accommodate the many uses of the sheet products. For example, perforation lines may be formed every 13 inches to define a universally sized sheet. Multiple perforation lines may be provided to allow the user to select the size of sheet depending on the particular need.
Rolls of product may be supplied coreless or with a plug inserted in one or both ends to serve as a pivot, and my come in different widths, which makes reloading a full roll of sheet product into a sheet dispenser limited by the type of roll product originally used. As such, there is a need in the industry for improved dispenser configurations to accommodate different roll types and widths.
This background information is provided to reveal information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present invention. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present invention.

Roll holder appliance usable with a dispenser


A hard surface cleaning composition comprising a malodor control component, and methods of cleaning hard surfaces are provided. In some embodiments, the hard surface cleaning composition comprises at least one volatile aldehyde and an acid catalyst.

Scented hard surface cleaning compositions are known. Typically, hard surface cleaning manufacturers develop perfume technology that provides a pleasant scent and masks malodors associated with soiled hard surfaces.
However, not all odors on hard surfaces are effectively controlled by products on the market because amine-based malodors such as fish and urine malodors, and sulfur-based malodors such as garlic, onion, foot, and fecal malodors are difficult to combat. Further, the time required for a product to noticeably combat malodors may create consumer doubt as to a product's efficacy on malodors. For example, the consumer may finish cleaning a hard surface and leave the area before the product begins to noticeably reduce the malodor.
The difficulty in overcoming a broad range of malodors has spawned a diverse assortment of products to neutralize, mask, or contain the malodors. There remains a need for a hard surface cleaning composition that cleans and is effective on a broad range of malodors, including amine-based and sulfur-based malodors, while not overpowering malodors with an overwhelming perfume.

Hard surface cleaning composition having a malodor control component and methods of cleaning hard surfaces


A light device includes a substrate on which a light source is provided; and a positional information transmitter that is provided on a surface of the substrate on which the light source is provided and transmits predetermined positional information to a terminal device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light device and a positional information management system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various positional information management systems have been proposed to determine and manage the position of a wireless terminal, or a person or a thing which has a wireless terminal, in such a facility or the like in which it is difficult to accurately carry out positioning using GPS or the like.
In such a positional information management system, a plurality of transmitters for transmitting positional information to the wireless terminals are installed on the ceiling of a room or the like for example. However, for this purpose, new power supply installation work is needed for supplying the power to the transmitters, and thus, the introduction cost may be increased.
International Patent Publication No. 2005/086375 discloses a system in which the position of the wireless terminal is determined as a result of the wireless terminal receiving unique information from a light device and transmitting the unique information to a server. According to the system of International Patent Publication No. 2005/086375, communication with the wireless terminal is made available using the power supplied to the light device as a result of providing the light device with a function of transmitting the unique information to the wireless terminal. Thus, it is not necessary to carry out new power supply installation work at a time of introducing the system.
However, according to the system of International Patent Publication No. 2005/086375, in the case of providing the light device with the above-mentioned function of transmitting the unique information to the wireless terminal by installing a corresponding communication device in the light device, the communication device may obstruct the light irradiated from a light source of the light device depending on the placement of the communication device.

Light device and positional information management system


A bottom wall of a Petri dish used for capturing a cell is provided with a first through hole and a second through hole. A grove that connects the first through hole and the second through hole is formed on an outer surface of bottom wall. The first through hole, the second through hole, and the grove is covered with a transparent plate member. A plate used for capturing the cell is arranged in the Petri dish above the first through hole. An aspiration tube is connected to the second through hole from inside the Petri dish.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for capturing a cell for injecting a substance such as a gene or drug into the cell. More specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus that allows observation of the cell while the substance is being injected in the cell.
2. Description of the Related Art
The injection (introduction) of genes or drugs into cells using a needle to alter their properties has recently been carried out in the life science fields, and particularly in the fields of regenerative medicine and genome drug development. When injecting a gene or drug into a cell, it is necessary to immobilize the cell to prevent it from moving. A cell immobilizing plate (hereinafter, "cell capturing plate") has been conventionally used to immobilize a cell. The cell capturing plate has a plurality of microscopic capturing holes. The diameter of these holes is smaller than that of the cells. The diameter of the cells can vary from 10 micrometers to 100 micrometers depending on the type of the cells. Cells are caught, and thereby immobilized, in these holes when the cells, or a liquid containing the cells, is aspirated from the other side of the cell immobilizing plate with an aspiration pump.
A microinjection method has been developed as a method for injecting a gene or drug directly into a cell through a needle. In the microinjection method, an ultrafine needle having a diameter of 1 micrometer or less (tip outer diameter: 1 micrometer, inner diameter: about 0.5 micrometers) and filled with a drug is inserted into a cell and the drug is injected into the immobilized cell. This process is performed while observing the cell and the needle under a microscope.
Petri dishes used in the conventional cell capturing apparatus require a capturing plate that captures cells, a well for holding a cell turbid solution, and on the bottom, a connection for an aspiration tube from an aspiration pump used to aspirate cells into microscopic capturing holes in the capturing plate. Consequently, a structure is mainly employed for conventional Petri dishes for cells in which microscopic holes are formed at predetermined positions in a Petri dish, a cell capturing plate is adhered to form a well, and the Petri dish is placed on a unit that was machined to serve as an aspiration connector from an aspiration pump.
FIG. 17 is a schematic block diagram of a Petri dish used in a conventional cell capturing apparatus. A cell turbid solution is contained inside a Petri dish 100a, a through hole 112 is formed approximately in the center of the Petri dish 100a, and a capturing plate 30 is fixed on the through hole 112 by adhesion and the like.
A plurality of micropores 330 are formed in the capturing plate 30. Cells are captured in these micropores 330 by aspirating the cell turbid solution from below with an aspiration pump 200 through the through hole 112. The captured cells can be observed with a microscope (not shown) from above the Petri dish 100a.
Conventional techniques relating to capturing of cells have been disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-180555 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-163.
In the conventional Petri dish 100a, there has been a problem of the occurrence of leakage from a gap between the Petri dish 100a and the capturing plate 30, thereby preventing the necessary cells from being aspirated (captured) reliably.
It is a common practice to observe the cells with a transmitted light. Since the well and aspiration connection are molded into a single unit as a result of machining in a conventional Petri dish as previously described, however, the machined surface on the bottom of the capturing plate cannot be optically polished, thereby resulting in the problem of being unable to observe the cells from below the capturing plate with transmitted light.
Furthermore, there are no particular considerations given to the handling of injected cells, which are cells in which a substance has been injected, and empty cells, which are cells in which the substance has not been injected because they are not suitable for injection of the substance. Since a technique capable of distinguishing between these injected cells and empty cells has not been examined, a method of distinguishing these injected cells and empty cells is desired.


A hot water supply apparatus for combined use with an air conditioner is provided that may include an indoor unit having an indoor heat exchanger to heat exchange a first refrigerant with indoor air, and a cascade hot water heater connected to the indoor unit to receive the first refrigerant and to provide a second refrigerant to heat water. The cascade hot water heater may perform a heat exchange between the first refrigerant and a second refrigerant. The cascade hot water heater may include a capacity variable compressor to limit a maximum flowing amount of the second refrigerant and increase a flowing amount of the first refrigerant to flow to the indoor unit.

1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention may relate to a hot water supply apparatus for a combined use with an air conditioner. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention may relate to a hot water supply apparatus for a combined use of an air conditioner and a cascade hot water heater.
2. Background
A hot water supply apparatus is an apparatus for generating hot water by heating water using heating equipment, such as a boiler or the like.
A heat pump type hot water supply apparatus may heat water using a cooling cycle of a compressor, a condenser, an expander and an evaporator, and an refrigeration and heat pump apparatus having a low-pressure side heating cycle and a high-pressure side heating cycle so as to heat water in a storage tank using different types of refrigerants.
In a refrigeration and heat pump apparatus according to disadvantageous arrangements, a problem may occur in that when not only the high-pressure side heating cycle but also an indoor unit for performing air conditioning on a room space are connected to the low-pressure side heating cycle, and refrigerant is concentrated in the high-pressure side heating cycle, thereby degrading the air-conditioning performance of the indoor unit.

Heat pump supply apparatus having a combined use with an air conditioner


An information processing method and apparatus includes elements and steps to rapid figure editing and its execution environment by quickly executing a program and a file from a diagram showing a flow of the program and file. According to the invention, a rectangular figure object in which a line width is set to "0.2 mm", a line type is set to "solid line", and a line color is set to "black" and which is filled by a pattern of a "diagonal-1" of "red" is pasted to a drawing sheet by using a mouse or the like by the user. After a character attribute "dir" was pasted to the rectangular object by using a keyboard, for example, when an instruction to point the rectangular object by using the mouse or the like or to depress a button of the mouse while depressing a control key of the keyboard, or the like is performed, a command interpreter stored in a memory device is activated by a CPU, the character attribute "dir" of the rectangular object is read out, the characters "dir" are sent to the activated command interpreter, and the computer command "dir" is executed, so that the above object can be accomplished.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information processing method and apparatus in an apparatus such as personal computer, workstation, word processor, or the like having a figure editing function.
The invention also relates to information processing method and apparatus which can easily input a character string suitable for a document on the document formed by a user or can easily operate o to execute a command.
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, an apparatus having a figure editing function can form a figure of a desired form by adding various kinds of attributes such as the width of a line, a filler pattern in an area, color, and the like, which can be used when forming a figure of a figure object to be formed and edited by the apparatus.
According to the conventional apparatus, however, the attributes which can be added to the figure object are only attributes regarding parameters when the figure is formed. Therefore, in order to add some attributes other than the figure formation parameters, for example, a character string in correspondence to the figure formed by the figure editing function, processes for inputting the character string as a character train object which is displayed together with the figure object, newly grouping, and the like are needed.
Moreover, a program name, a file name, and the like cannot be added as attributes to the figure object.
For instance, in a desk-top type computer of an OS (Operating system) of Macintosh (trade name of Apple Computer Inc. of the U.S.A.) although the program name and the file name are linked to the icons, the icon is built in the OS and can be displayed on only an icon display picture plane, so that the program name or file name cannot be handled as one data in a document.

Information processing apparatus and method and computer usable medium for storing an input character train in correspondence to a figure object to which the character train is instructed to be pasted


Systems, methods, and devices for controlling a DC-bus voltage for a power conditioning system. A control system regulates the DC value of the DC-bus voltage. The control system uses an adaptive DC-value estimator/observer to estimate this DC-value. Instead of having to determine the DC-value of a signal with a low frequency ripple without compromising the signal's dynamic response, a suitably precise estimate for that DC-value is used.

Renewable energy is the key to future global sustainability, and many endeavours are being made to harvest renewable energy in an efficient and profitable manner. Environmental concerns and diminishing fossil fuel reserves increase the urgency of transitioning towards clean renewable energies. This explains the exponential growth of wind turbine (WT) and photovoltaic (PV) usage in the past few years. However, the variable nature of the power produced by WTs and PVs makes their controllability a challenge. Furthermore, when connecting renewable energies to the grid, increasingly stringent grid connection standards must be met. These standards emphasize the importance of fast control, the quality of the injected power into the grid, and robustness. Two main issues must be addressed in order to bring grid-connected renewable energies into the mainstream: cost and controllability.
A typical power conditioning system for renewable energy applications has two stages, and therefore requires two separate control schemes. The first stage is called the input-side converter, and is typically an AC/DC rectifier for WTs (see FIG. 1A) or a DC/DC converter for PVs (see FIG. 1B). The second stage is called the grid-side converter, and is typically a DC/AC inverter for most systems. The main task of the input-side converter is to achieve Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) and extract maximum power from WTs or PVs. The main task of the grid-side converter is to ensure that all of the power extracted by the first stage is transferred to the grid quickly. To achieve this, the voltage across the capacitor between the two stages, also called the DC-bus capacitor, must be regulated. Although the second stage converter should also perform other important tasks, such as injecting high quality current to the grid, islanding detection, synchronization, reactive power compensation, and other ancillary services, regulating the DC-bus voltage is vitally important in order to guarantee the reliable operation of the power conditioning system.
The DC-bus capacitor acts as an energy storage capacitor and provides the flexibility to alternate the instantaneous power in between the two stages, giving the system the ability to absorb sudden changes in power coming from the input-side converter. More importantly, in single-phase power conditioning systems, the DC-bus capacitor is used to decouple the power ripple by providing a low frequency current. The main challenge regarding the DC-bus voltage loop controller for grid-connected single-phase inverters is the presence of the low frequency ripple in the DC-bus capacitor voltage (this ripple is also present in three-phase unbalanced systems). In a conventional DC-bus voltage control scheme, a very low bandwidth PI controller is usually used to regulate the DC-bus voltage. The PI controller should have a very low bandwidth in order to prevent the low frequency ripple from propagating to the control loop through the DC-bus voltage feedback. Because of this, the conventional DC-bus voltage controller produces a very sluggish and poor transient response. This not only affects the performance of the DC/AC converter, but also forces the designer to over-design the converter in order to have reliable performance against the overshoots/undershoots that occur during transients.
Based on the above, there is therefore a need for developments which mitigate if not overcome the shortcomings of the prior art.

DC-bus controller for grid-connected DC/AC converters


Apparatuses and methods for the control and self-assembly of particles into adaptable monolayers and changing the relative position of a plurality of particles at an interface between two fluids, including applying an electric field perpendicular to the interface; moving the particles vertically in the interface in response to applying the electric field; moving the particles laterally within the interface in response to the electric field and capillary forces; maintaining the particles at the interface when moving the particles vertically; and maintaining the particles at the interface when moving the particles laterally.

Particles floating at an interface, in general, self-assemble or cluster because they deform the interface, thus giving rise to lateral capillary forces which cause the particles to cluster. For example, cereal flakes floating on the surface of milk cluster by this mechanism. The attractive lateral capillary forces arise due to the fact that for two floating particles, the deformed interface is such that the interface height between the particles is lowered due to the interfacial tension. See, for example, M. A. Fortes, "Attraction and repulsion of floating particles", Can. J. Chem. 60, 2889 (1982); W. A. Gifford and L. E. Scriven, "On the attraction of floating particles", Chem. Engrg. Sci. 26, 287-297 (1971); Kralchevsky, P. A., V. N. Paunov, N. D. Denkov, I. B. Ivanov and K. Nagayama. "Energetical and force approaches to the capillary interactions between particles attached to a liquid-fluid interface", J. Colloid and Interface Sci. 155, 420-437 (1993), J. Lucassen, "Capillary forces between solid particles in fluid interfaces", Colloids Surf 65, 131-137 (1992); and P. Singh and D. D. Joseph, "Fluid dynamics of Floating particles", J. Fluid Mech. 530, 31-80 (2005). The lateral component of the capillary force acting on the particles is attractive and causes them to move towards each other.
This naturally occurring phenomenon, however, produces monolayers that display many defects, lack order (both short and long ranged) and whose distance between the particles cannot be controlled. These are three drawbacks which seriously limit the range of applications one can target using this technique. In addition, such a phenomenon does not manifest itself on particles smaller than ˜10 μm, which further limits the applications for this technique.
The vertical position of a floating particle within a two-fluid interface is such that the total force acting on it in the direction normal to the interface is zero, and this position determines the extent of interfacial deformation and lateral capillary forces. A particle that is denser than the liquid below can float on its surface because the vertical component of capillary force, which arises due to the deformation of the interface, balances the particle's buoyant weight.
As mentioned above, such a phenomenon does not manifest itself on particles smaller than ˜10 μm. In particular, for a small particle of radius a, the buoyant weight, which scales as a3, becomes negligible compared to the capillary force, which scales as a, and therefore insignificant interfacial deformation is needed for balancing the buoyant weight of small particles. Consequently, the lateral capillary forces due to the deformation of the interface are too small to move micron and submicron sized particles, and thus, small particles, in general, do not self-assemble under the action of capillary forces alone. However, small particles can self-assemble if they are charged or if they have irregular contact lines.
Many envisioned applications of nanotechnology and fabrication of mesoscopic objects strongly rely on the manufacturing of such micro- and nano-structured materials. Future progress in this area will critically depend upon our ability to accurately control the particles arrangement (e.g., lattice spacing, defect-free capability and long range order) in three dimensions (3D) as well as in two dimensions (2D) for a broad range of particle sizes, shapes, and types.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved methods and systems for the fabrication of self-assembled, defect-free adjustable monolayers of particles. Those and other advantages of the present invention will be described in more detail hereinbelow.

Apparatuses and methods for control and self-assembly of particles into adaptable monolayers


The present invention provides a method of managing employment data so as to provide access to the employment data via the Internet (18). The method including the steps of determining whether a web site (22, 24) contains employment data, formatting, parsing and storing the employment data and corresponding URL into a database, automatically searching the database (16) for matching employment data, and contacting the employer representative as to the matched employment data.

The rapid expansion of job postings on the Internet has created a large amount of employment related information, which spans hundreds of thousands of web sites. Initially, companies began posting their open job positions on their own corporate web sites. A job seeker could then readily access new employment opportunities by visiting a company's web site. As an increasing number of company web sites began to post their open jobs, however, the job search process grew proportionally. For example, a job seeker searching for a "software developer" position would have had to identify and visit the web site of every company that might have such open job positions. Thus, this growth resulted in a task that was cumbersome and time consuming for the job seeker.
In order to help address these issues, job board web sites have evolved on the Internet. The original purpose of a job board was to provide a single web site where companies could visit to post their open job positions and job seekers could visit to search for new employment opportunities. The job board concept helped the job seekers by creating a central location that a job seeker could visit to search for jobs.
Unfortunately, however, the concept increased the work and cost for companies. In addition to maintaining job postings on their own corporate web sites, companies were now required to visit the job board sites to repost, update and delete their job position information as appropriate. The accuracy of the job board information was affected when companies changed their job information, filled open position, etc., but failed to update the corresponding job board postings. These job boards also often charged a fee to the companies for this posting service. In addition, these job boards only contained job positions from companies that had actively posted jobs on the sites. In other words, companies that did not know about the job boards would have been prevented from listing the company's open positions and, consequently, eliminated opportunities for the job seekers as well as the company itself.
Most recently, the aggregation, accuracy, and freshness of job board postings have been addressed through various web spidering or crawling technologies. The technology of web site spidering or crawling consists of a process in which content from a set of source web sites is retrieved automatically. This content is typically retrieved for purpose of being indexed into a search engine web site in order to provide Internet users a central web site to use as a search tool. The type of content that is spidered is generally not filtered so the search engine web site often has indexed content from a wide variety of source web sites. New web sites that contain content to be spidered have to register with the search engine web site before their content is retrieved and indexed into the search engine. Once a new site is registered into the set of source web sites to spider, the search engine web site will periodically spider the site to search for new or updated content to index.
In these updated models, the job board periodically sends out spiders to the web sites of companies that register with the job board web site. The purpose of these spiders is to retrieve and input the latest job posting information from the company web sites and thereby automatically update the job information listed on the job board. The method, however, creates a disadvantage for companies and job seekers because the sites do not post the numerous job positions from the companies that do not register with or know of the job board web site. As such, the Internet contains a vast amount of job postings which exist only on company job boards and which are not being collected and displayed by the job board web sites.
Another new approach to job posting aggregation is the master search engine site. In this approach, the master web site collects a job seelcer's search criteria and submits it to multiple other job board web sites. The master search engine site aggregates the individual sites and presents the results to the job seeker in a single format. An advantage to this method is that the job seeker only needs to visit a single site to perform a job search. The disadvantages of this approach are that, as described above, only a subset of the job board sites on the Internet are actually searched and individual company job postings are completely omitted. Furthermore, in these types of searches, the formatting of the results can vary thereby causing the job seeker to become confused when presented with search results.
An additional feature of prior art job board web sites is the electronic notification of new job opportunities. When a new job is posted that fits within his selected category information, the job seeker automatically receives notification of the new job via email. A limitation to this system is that user may miss employment opportunities which are filtered outside of the selected category information.
Another drawback of the prior art systems relate to the search engines used for identifying a position of interest to the job seeker. The prior art systems use a table, key word or boolean driven search engine. The search engines use a pull-down menu, keyword or boolean search methodology that has a limited ability to implement intelligent searches. For instance, a job seeker may be in search of a position in a specific technical field. A search of job postings with one or two keywords may identify many unrelated jobs. It may be very time consuming for the job seeker to review every identified job posting. The effort becomes even greater when compounded by the number of such searches to be completed at each of the numerous online employment sites. The job seeker may use additional keywords to reduce the number of unrelated job postings. However, the additional keywords often have the effect of reducing certain of the job postings, which may be of interest to the job seeker, but do not necessarily contain all of the designated keywords. In other words, the search strategy may have become too restrictive. Therefore, the job seeker ends up accessing only a small fraction of jobs currently available on the Internet.
Along with the evolution of job board related web sites, the prior art systems have provided job seekers the ability to post electronically their resumes. These systems have increased the amount of resumes available online. This increase has created web sites, which collect resumes into searchable databases. These web sites often sell subscription access to their databases, which employers and recruiters purchase in order to search for qualified candidates. However, these web sites suffer from the same disadvantages and limitations as described in the job posting process: a) companies and job seekers must visit the web sites to add and update information; b) searches are limited to narrowly targeted keywords; and c) job seeker resumes are sorted into restrictive categories.
Furthermore, if these companies do not post at the job board web sites, without adequate traffic to their corporate web site and employment pages, employers cannot, on their own, reach a sufficient number of qualified candidates. As a result, the employers must choose to either pay the third party job board web sites to post a portion of their jobs online, making these opportunities accessible to a larger candidate pool, or miss many qualified candidate. Despite this investment, however, the factors listed above still limit the effectiveness of the job boards and prevent many qualified candidates from matching with the opportunities employers have paid to list.
In summary, there are deficiencies in the current state of the art in the Internet based employment process. The gap between job board listings and actual online jobs is growing rapidly. Companies develop and add recruiting pages to their own web sites much faster than the rate at which the top job boards add clients. Moreover, the gap between unique job board listings and unique jobs available online is expanding at an even faster pace, as companies that use job boards often post the same opening to between six and ten sites. Furthermore, the current web site job boards fail to aggregate completely all job postings on the Internet. Even the sites that aggregate a larger amount of the available job listings are limited by the search engine technology currently used by those job boards. In addition, the current prior art systems are deficient in their information exchange capabilities. Job board web sites rely on companies and/or job seekers to continually visit the job board web sites and update the applicable information.

Method for providing access to online employment information


A contactor configured for use in a dehumidification system is provided including a plurality of contact modules. Each contact module has a porous membrane that defines an internal space through which a hygroscopic material flows. A membrane property of the porous membrane of at least one contact module is substantially different than the other membranes of the plurality of contact modules.

The invention relates generally to contactors, and more particularly, to porous membrane contactors configured for use in a dehumidification system.
Membrane contactors allow a gaseous phase and a liquid phase, to exchange mass and heat between the phases, without dispersing one phase into the other. A common use for a membrane contactor is the removal or dissolution of gases in a liquid. Examples of conventional contactors include packed towers, flat panel membrane contactors, and tubular contactors. In conventional systems, membrane contactors are operated with an aqueous fluid flow adjacent one side of the hydrophobic membrane, and a gas applied to the other side of the membrane. Because the membrane is hydrophobic, the membrane will not allow liquid water to pass through the pores into the gas side of the membrane. By adjusting the vapor pressure of the gas in contact with the membrane, gases, such as water vapor for example, can be selectively removed or dissolved into the liquid.
The effectiveness of a dehumidification system is dependent on the efficiency of the membrane contactor. Several problems exist with conventional contactors. For example, condensation may form on the gas side of the membrane and individual gas and liquid flows cannot be varied independently over wide ranges. In addition, the heat and mass transfer between the liquid and the gas within the contactor occur at different rates, thereby limiting the efficiency of the contactor. If the heat transfer rate is faster than the rate of mass transfer, the temperatures of the hygrospcopic material stream and the air stream will equalize quickly, thereby decaying the mass transfer potential. If the mass transfer rate is faster than the rate of heat transfer, the heat of absorption will diminish the temperature difference between the hygroscopic material stream and the air stream decaying the heat transfer potential. Therefore, to allow for use of porous membrane contactors in dehumidification applications, the membrane contactor design needs to be optimized to balance the heat and mass transfer rates to optimize performance.

Membrane contactor for dehumidification systems