An image sensor operable to vary the output spatial resolution according to a received light level while maintaining a desired signal-to-noise ratio. Signals from neighboring pixels in a pixel patch with an adjustable size are added to increase both the image brightness and signal-to-noise ratio. One embodiment comprises a sensor array for receiving input signals, a frame memory array for temporarily storing a full frame, and an array of self-calibration column integrators for uniform column-parallel signal summation. The column integrators are capable of substantially canceling fixed pattern noise.

An active pixel sensor ("APS") is a light sensing device with sensing circuitry inside each pixel. Each active pixel includes a light sensing element and one or more active transistors within the pixel itself. The active transistors amplify and buffer the signals generated by the light sensing elements in the pixels. In comparison with the widely used charge coupled devices (CCDs), an APS device has a number of unique and beneficial features. These features include the ability to receive and process input signals with the active pixels without the charge transfer process inherent in CCDs. An APS device is also compatible with CMOS processes.
Elimination of the charge transfer allows APS devices to have a higher readout rate than those of CCDs and also to maintain their performance as the array size increases. Compatibility with CMOS processes allows many signal processing functions and operation controls to be integrated on an APS chip. Use of CMOS circuitry with APS devices also reduces cost of manufacturing and power consumption. Moreover, the active pixels of APS devices allow non-destructive readout and random access.
One configuration of APS sensors is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,515 by Fossum et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Such an image sensor typically operates at a constant finite frame rate with a constant signal integration time. The frame rate and the integration time are often preset for normal operating conditions under which illumination is usually sufficient. The performance of such a conventional image sensor suffers when the illumination is below the typical level to which the image sensor is configured. Since the frame integration time is usually preset for a predetermined normal light condition, little signal may be collected under a low light condition with an illumination level below the predetermined normal light condition. Conversely, too much signal may also be collected when input light level is higher than the predetermined level. Thus, a clear image of a target can be difficult to obtain under different light conditions.
One conventional technique to circumvent this problem under low light conditions uses averaging the signals from a plurality of neighboring pixels in order to reduce the noise level. This averaging technique improves the signal-to-noise ratio of the image sensor. The averaging process, however, also reduces the image resolution. Suppose a patch of N.times.N pixels are averaged, the signal-to-noise ratio is then improved by a factor of N.sup.1/2 while the resolution is reduced by a factor of N. One limitation of this averaging technique is that the signal level achieved from averaging essentially remains unchanged compared to the signal levels of the selected neighboring pixels. Additional signal amplification is thus needed to obtain a brighter image.

Integrated sensor with frame memory and programmable resolution for light adaptive imaging


Systems and methods are described for coordinating clocks in a distributed computing environment. In one embodiment, a plurality of groups of nodes are formed. Nodes within a group may be time-synchronized and time differences between groups may be tracked. Clock adjustments between groups may be accumulated for tracked activities. The accumulated clock adjustments may be used to determine an ordering of the tracked activities.

A data center is one example of a distributed computing environment that houses computer systems, various networking, storage and other related components. The computing resources provided by a data center may include various types of resources, such as data processing resources, data storage resources, data communication resources and the like. To facilitate increased utilization of data center resources, virtualization technologies may allow a single physical computing machine to host one or more instances of virtual machines (VMs) that appear and operate as independent computer machines to a remotely connected computer user. Such complex computing environments allow for use of distributed services and scalable applications.
In a distributed computing environment, a group of computing resources may each contribute to a processing task. Consequently, determining which computing resource performed which aspect of a processing task may be useful for understanding the function and behavior of the distributed computing environment under various conditions. As such, tracing the activities of each computing resource for a particular processing task in a group of processing tasks that contribute to the overall performance of a processing task may be useful. In particular, ordering the processing tasks performed by each of the computing resources that contribute to performing the overall task can be determined based on timestamps. The use of timestamps in a distributed computing environment requires accurate and synchronized time sources in the distributed computing environment so that an order of events can be accurately determined.

Distributed clock network with time synchronization and activity tracing between nodes


A self-compensating weapon sight includes                a housing,        partially reflective optics, through which a user may observe a target and receive visually displayed information simultaneously,        a light source, for visualization of an aiming point to the user via the partially reflective optics,        means for receiving a measure of the distance to the target        a processor, for determining the adequate position of the aiming point, based on the distance to the target, and for controlling the light source to emit light so that the aiming point is visualized at the adequate position,        wherein the light source is an array capable of selectively emitting light in well defined locations on its surface.

When using ammunition with low exit velocity, high trajectory or firing at targets at a significant distance, where the time of flight is significant, the weapon sight has to have certain properties. In such conditions the barrel of the weapon needs to have a considerable elevation in order for the ammunition to reach the target. A normal sight will generally not suffice, since it is difficult or impossible to have a visual contact with the target via the sight and at the same time have the correct inclination of the barrel, thus aiming is impossible. In this context it should be clarified that some weapons/ammunitions have an inherent high trajectory, while others only have high trajectory when applied under certain conditions, e.g. ammunition normally following a level trajectory in shorter ranges will generally fall within the definition of high trajectory if the distance they travel to the target is considerable. For the purpose of the present invention this is the relevant definition of high trajectory.
The known solution to the above problem has been to incorporate an iron sight, similar to those used for historical long guns, with a foldable primary part including distance markings, e.g. tang sight or ladder sight, such that if the distance is known, the correct distance marking can be used. This type of sight is still used, since it provides a rugged, simple solution.
More elaborate solutions include advanced optics, mechanics and computer software for calculating optimal aiming, and movement of a physical light-source inside the sight (see e.g. WO2004001324).
Though functional, more elaborate solutions generally are too complicated and thus not as rugged as one would prefer for field use or too heavy to be handheld with maintained user friendliness. The existence of moving parts inside the sight generally also increase power consumption, increase the response time, and makes the sight less versatile.


There is disclosed a microbicidal composition comprising as active ingredients:. (I) a dithiocarbonimide compound represented by the general formula: ##STR1## wherein Z represents CH group or nitrogen atom, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are the same or different and represent hydrogen atom, C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl group, halogen atom, C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkoxy group, C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 haloalkyl group or C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 haloalkoxy group, or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are taken together to form methylenedioxy group optionally substituted with fluorine atom, and PA1 (II) at least one compound selected from the group consisting of ethylenebis (dithiocarbamate) compound, copper compound, phthalimide microbicidal compound, chlorothalonil, anilide microbicidal compound, cymoxanil, dimethomorph and fosetyl.

There have been hitherto known many microbicidal compositions. However, many of diseases caused by Oomycetes have the rapid development of disease symptom once attacked with Oomycetes, and its pathogenic microorganism spreads rapidly by secondary infection. Therefore, the diseases caused by Oomycetes are difficult to effectively control. Thus, there is a great demand for a microbicidal composition showing the superior effects of controlling the diseases caused by Oomycetes.


An electrophotographic photoreceptor comprising a charge transporting material containing at least one triphenylamine compound represented by general formula (1) and at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a hydrazone compound, a triphenylamine dimer compound and a distyryl compound: ##STR1## said charge transporting material being able to express high carrier mobility, being high in solubility in a binder polymer, and being able to form a homogeneous charge transporting layer.

Organic photoconductive materials are excellent in mass productivity and incur little risk of causing pollution problems when discarded, compared with inorganic photoconductive materials such as selenium alloys, cadmium sulfide and zinc oxide. They have therefore been widely used as photoreceptors for copying machines or printers utilizing electrophotographic systems. In particular, the function separation type laminated photoreceptors are high in material selectivity and easy in functional design, compared with the monolayer type photoreceptors, so that applied research and development thereof in many fields have been made. The function separation type laminated photoreceptors comprises charge generating layers for generating carriers (charge) by light and charge transporting layers for efficiently transporting the carriers generated in the charge generating layers and neutralizing surface charge, and have the possibility of providing electrophotographic photoreceptors high in electrophotographic characteristics such as charging characteristics, sensitivity and residual potential.
Of these, the characteristics of charge transporting materials constituting the charge transporting layers require efficient receiving of the carriers generated in the charge generating layers, rapid transportation of the carriers in the photoreceptor layers and rapid neutralization of surface charge. For example, charge transporting materials such as hydrazone compounds (JP-A-59-223432 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application") and JP-A-60-173112), triphenylamine compounds (JP-A-7-173112), distyryl compounds (JP-A-63-269158), triphenylamine dimer compounds (N,N,N',N'-tetraphenylbenzidine compounds) (Denshi Shasin Gakkai Shi (Journal of Electrophotographic Society) 30, 16-21 (1991) and heterocyclic compounds such as poly-N-vinylcarbazole and oxadiazole are already known. When they are used alone, however, some compounds are liable to suffer from light fatigue and cause an increase in residual potential in repeated use. Further, there are still many unsolved problems with respect to the compatibility with binder polymers, and the like.
On the other hand, it has been attempted that specified compounds selected from the known charge transporting materials are used in combination. For example, mixtures of hydrazone compounds and tetraphenylbutadiene compounds (JP-A-63-223755), and mixtures of distyrene compounds and butadiene compounds (JP-A-3-252861) are known. The former discloses that the problem of the light fatigue phenomenon is solved, and the latter discloses that the problem of prevention of a decrease in residual potential is solved. However, even such photoreceptors are not sufficiently high in light sensitivity yet.
Further, use of two positive hole transporting materials, poly(N-vinylcarbazole) and N,N'-diphenyl-N,N'-bis(3-methylphenyl)-(1,1-biphenyl)-4,4'-diamine, as a mixture is described in J. Phys. Chem. 88 (20), 4714-4717 (1984). However, it was observed that combined use of the two materials more reduced the mobility at certain mixing ratios than single use of each material. Accordingly, in some cases, even if two kinds of compounds selected as charge transporting materials both independently exhibit high mobility, they result in decreased performance of the charge transporting materials, leading to the failure to sufficiently keep the characteristics necessary for electrophotographic photoreceptors.
As described above, for the charge transporting materials obtained by mixing two kinds of compounds, ones satisfying all various desirable characteristics such as high charging performance in the dark, high static charge keeping ability, high mobility of charge generated in light irradiation and formation ability of charge transporting layers which are high in solubility in binder polymers and homogeneous have not necessarily been obtained yet at present.
Accordingly, in the charge transporting materials, it has been expected to obtain materials in which the above-mentioned disadvantages are overcome, higher carrier mobility can be exhibited, and various excellent characteristics can be expressed even when the electrophotographic photoreceptors are formed, and the electrophotographic photoreceptors comprising the charge transporting materials having such excellent characteristics have been desired.


A test system for measuring a rotary load comprises a stepper motor drives a gear box that is mounted at one end of a frame. A torque sensor provides a measurement signal transmission. The gear box's output shaft is connected to one of the torque sensor's stubs by means of a universal joint coupling. On the other side of the torque sensor a second universal joint coupling connects the sensor to a stainless steel shaft. A low friction flange bearing is used to provide support for the shaft. An angle encoder is disposed on the end of the shaft distal to the gear box. The gear box's output shaft, the torque sensor's cylindrical shaft hubs and associated couplings are arranged such that they are directly aligned with the shaft. The test system has been designed to take automated torque and angle readings from a shaft capable of rotary motion. The measurement arm configuration with the stepper motor directly connects the torque and angle sensors to a PC based data acquisition card for acquisition and processing of data. The system operates according to a method used to make a true torque measurement of a rotary actuated shaft or wheel in a process where a first data set is acquired with the system unloaded as the shaft or wheel is actuated through the defined travel path. The actuation force applied by the stepper motor is accurately controlled through a computer interface. Torque data is measured at each angular step as the wheel is actuated in a first direction. Torque data is then measured at each angular step as the wheel is actuated in the opposite direction. A load is then placed on the test system. With the load on the system, torque data is acquired/measured at each angular step through the defined travel path. Torque data is then measured at each angular step as the wheel is actuated in the opposite direction through the defined travel path. Ultimately, the true torque, i.e. torque less the effects of friction and the system baseline mechanical profile, is determined by adjusting measurement data to virtually eliminate these two effects.

It is often desirable to measure the forces associated with motion of a load, such as the motion of a fly-wheel or the linear or rotary motion of a rotary actuator. It is also desirable, in measuring such forces, to eliminate extraneous forces that might interfere with the true measurement of the force under measurement.

System and method for measuring interaction of loads


The present invention relates to a steel powder having a composition containing, in mass %, 0.10≤C<0.25, 0.005≤Si≤0.600, 2.00≤Cr≤6.00, −0.0125×[Cr]+0.125≤Mn≤−0.100×[Cr]+1.800 in which the [Cr] represents the value of Cr content in mass %, 0.01≤Mo≤1.80, −0.00447×[Mo]+0.010≤V≤−0.1117×[Mo]+0.901 in which the [Mo] represents the value of Mo content in mass %, 0.0002≤N≤0.3000, and the balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities.

In general, molds or dies such as injection molding mold used for molding a resin, a rubber and the like, die-cast die, hot press (also called hot stamp or die quench) die are manufactured by melting a steel to produce an ingot, then subjecting the ingot to forging and/or rolling to produce a block or a flat rectangular material, cutting it by means of machining to form a mold-shaped product, and then applying a heat treatment such as hardening or tempering to the mold-shaped product.
For those molds, cooling of the mold is generally conducted by providing a cooling circuit (water cooling line) in the inside thereof and flowing cooling water through the cooling circuit.
In such molds, increasing the efficiency of cooling with cooling water results in a reduction in cycle time, that is, fast-cycle production (molding) of products, and this leads to an improvement in production efficiency.
As a method for enhancing cooling efficiency, it is considered that a cooling circuit is formed in meanderingly and complicatedly in all directions in the inside of the mold, thereby enhancing cooling ability by an overall shape, layout and the like of the cooling circuit. However, it is technically impossible to form the cooling circuit in such a complicated form in a method for producing a mold by cutting by means of machining.
Under the above circumstances, attention is recently being focused on a technology for manufacturing a mold by additive manufacturing method (three-dimensional additive manufacturing).
The additive manufacturing method is a processing method for converting a three-dimensional model data into an actual object by accumulation of a material. In the additive manufacturing method, a shape expressed by three-dimensional computer aided design (CAD) data is first sliced along a plurality of planes perpendicular to a predetermined axis, and the sectional shapes of the resultant slices are calculated. The shapes of these slices are actually formed, and the formed slices are stacked and bonded together, thereby converting the computer-expressed shape into an actual object.
The additive manufacturing method includes the case of using a powder as a material and the case of using a plate as a material.
In the method in which a powder is used as a material, the powder is evenly spread into a layered form (each layer has a thickness of, e.g., several tens of micrometers), and certain regions of the powder layer are irradiated with thermal energy such as a laser beam or an electron beam, to melt/solidify or to sinter the powder layer. Layers are thus stacked one by one to thereby fabricate a whole shape.
On the other hand, in additive manufacturing in which plates are used as a material, individual parts (plates) resulting from the slicing of three-dimensional model data in a CAD are actually produced by machining, or the like, and these parts are stacked and bonded together by, for example, diffusion bonding, thereby fabricating a whole three-dimensional shape.
Examples of mold production by these additive manufacturing methods are disclosed, for example, in Patent Documents 1 and 2.
Specifically, Patent Document 1 discloses an invention relating to "a metal powder for selective laser sintering, a method for manufacturing a three-dimensional shaped object by using the same, and the three-dimensional shaped object obtained therefrom." Disclosed therein is a feature that a solidified layer is formed by irradiating a predetermined portion of a layer of a powdery material containing a precipitation-hardening metal composition with a light beam, thereby sintering or melting and solidifying the powder of the predetermined portion, another solidified layer is formed by newly forming a powder layer on the resulting solidified layer, and then irradiating another predetermined portion of the new powder layer with the light beam, and these steps are repeatedly performed to thereby produce a three-dimensional shaped object.
Patent document 2 discloses an invention relating to "a cavity insert for mold, a method for manufacturing an insert for mold, and a resin molding mold." Disclosed therein is a feature that a cavity insert having a spiral cooling passage inside is produced by processing a groove to be form the cooling passage in each of a plurality of metal plates based on slice data of the cavity insert, stacking the groove-processed metal plates in a prescribed order, diffusion-bonding the stacked metal plates, and shape-processing the metal block obtained.
The techniques of additive manufacturing methods described above are ones that fabricate a whole shape by stacking a material, and are capable of easily forming a complicated cooling circuit which runs meanderingly in all directions and which cannot be formed by machining at all. As a result, the cooling efficiency can be effectively rendered higher than that of molds produced by conventional machining, without disposing the cooling circuit unnecessarily close to the molding surface of the mold.
As described above, cooling ability has been enhanced by providing a meandering and complicated three-dimensional cooling circuit in the inside of a mold or the like. However, the cooling efficiency has already reached its limit, and further improvement of the cooling efficiency is difficult. As the cause of inhibiting the improvement of cooling efficiency, there are the problems of (1) low thermal conductivity, (2) promotion of cracking of a water-cooling hole and (3) low corrosion resistance. As another problem apart from the cooling efficiency in a mold, there is a problem of (4) frequent occurrence of heat check. The problems (1) to (4) are described below.
The problem of (1) low thermal conductivity is first described below. In general, in additive manufacturing method is used powder of 18Ni maraging steel or SUS420J2-type steel, but those steels have low thermal conductivity. Therefore, even though a cooling circuit is efficiently provided, heat transfer in a mold (between a design surface and a cooling circuit) is not fast, and there is a limit in the improvement of cooling efficiency.
The problem of (2) promotion of cracking of a water-cooling hole is described. In order to increase cooling efficiency, a cooling circuit may be provided close to a design surface. However, if the cooling circuit is provided excessively close to the design surface, cracks from the cooling circuit become easy to develop on the design surface due to superposition of the increase of stress and the decrease of penetration distance. Therefore, there is a limit in the closeness of the cooling circuit to the design surface, and therefore, there is a limit in the improvement of cooling efficiency. Furthermore, 18Ni maraging steel and SUS420J2-type steel have low thermal conductivity, and therefore, temperature gradient in a mold becomes large. As a result, thermal stress of an inner surface of a cooling circuit is increased, and cracking of a water-cooling hole constituting the cooling circuit becomes easy to occur. In this sense, too, a material having low thermal conductivity makes it difficult to provide a cooling circuit close to a design surface, and becomes bottleneck in the improvement of cooling efficiency.
The problem of (3) low corrosion resistance is described. Since 18Ni maraging steel has low corrosion resistance, a water-cooling hole rusts easily. Rust which is an oxide has very low thermal conductivity, therefore becomes a barrier of heat exchanging between cooling water and a mold, and inhibits the improvement of cooling efficiency. When rust becomes remarkable, a cooling circuit becomes narrow by the rust, and a flow volume of a coolant is decreased, thereby decreasing cooling efficiency. In a sever case, a cooling circuit sometimes clogs by rust, and in such a case, a curved cooling circuit becomes meaningless.
Finally, the problem of (4) frequent occurrence of heat check is described. Since 18 Ni maraging steel and SUS420J2-type steel have low thermal conductivity, temperature gradient in a mold becomes large. As a result, thermal stress of a design surface is increased and heat check becomes easy to occur. If high-temperature strength is low, the problem of heat check is further emerged.
Summarizing the above, the problems of a mold or parts having a three-dimensional cooling circuit boil down to low thermal conductivity and low corrosion resistance. Because of low thermal conductivity, there is a limit in the improvement of cooling efficiency, and in addition, cracking of a water-cooling hole is promoted and heat check frequently occurs. Furthermore, because of low corrosion resistance, cooling efficiency is decreased (in the worst case, a water-cooling hole clogs) due to rust, and this makes further difficult to improve cooling efficiency.
In other words, if a mold or parts are manufactured by means of additive manufacturing method using a steel powder attaining both high thermal conductivity and high corrosion resistance, the above problems will be solved.
However, regardless of manufacturing a mold by an additive manufacturing method, steels conventionally used for a mold, such as JIS SKD61-type steel, SUS420J2-type steel and a maraging steel contain large amounts of elements such as Si, Cr, Ni, and Co that have high-temperature strength but are easy to solid-dissolve in a matrix. Therefore, such the steel has low thermal conductivity, and it is difficult to enhance cooling efficiency from the standpoint of thermal conductivity.
That is, heretofore, there has been provided no steel for a mold, which can achieve sufficient performance in corrosion resistance and thermal conductivity performance in addition to high-temperature strength in the case where a mold is formed from the steel.
As a further prior art of the present invention, Patent Document 3 discloses an invention relating to "a tool steel for hot working". Specifically, Patent Document 3 discloses a tool steel for hot working containing C: 0.28% to 0.55%, Si: 0.15% to 0.80%, Mn: 0.40% to 0.85%, P: 0.020% or less, S: 0.018% or less, Cr: 2.5% to 5.7%, Mo: 1.4% to 2.8%, V: 0.20% to 0.90%, W: 0.01% to 1.65%, Co: 0.03% to 0.89% and Ni: 0.01% to 1.65%, with the balance being substantially Fe and unavoidable impurities, in which N as the unavoidable impurities is restricted to 0.009% or less, Ti is restricted to 0.003% or less, and B is restricted to 0.012% or less, the cleanness of non-metallic inclusions is JIS dA 0.005% or less and d(B+C) 0.020% or less, and the orientation of martensite structure after heat treatment is a range of from 17% to 33%.
As another prior art of the present invention, Patent Document 4 discloses an invention relating to "a steel for a crushing blade and a method for producing a crushing blade." Specifically, Patent Document 4 discloses a steel for a crushing blade containing C: 0.3% to 0.5%, Si: 0.2% to 0.5%, Mn: 0.1% to 1.0%, Cr: 4.0% to 6.0%, one or two of Mo and W as Mo+1/2W: 0.8% to 2.5%, and one or two of V and Nb as V+1/2Nb: 0.3% to 1.0% as basic components, with the balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities.
As further another prior art of the present invention, Patent Document 5 discloses an invention relating to "a hot forging mold and a manufacturing method thereof. Specifically, Patent Document 5 discloses a hot forging mold containing C: 0.32% to 0.42%, Si: 0.3% or less, Mn: 0.3% to 1.5%, Ni: 0.5% or less, Cr: 4.0% to 6.0%, V: 0.2% to 1.0%, Mo+1/2W: 0.8% to 2.0%, and N: 0.005% to 0.04%, with the balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities.
As further another prior art of the present invention, Patent Document 6 discloses an invention relating to "a mold for hot working". Specifically, Patent Document 6 discloses a mold for hot working having a chemical composition containing C: 0.30% or more and less than 0.50%, Si: 0.10% to 0.5%, Mn: 0.30% to 1.0%, P: 0.02% or less, S: 0.005% or less, Cr: 4.0% to 8.0%, Mo: 0.2% or more and less than 1.5%, V: 0.05% to 1.0%, Al: 0.03% or less, N: 0.0150% or less, and O: 0.0030% or less, and the balance being Fe and impurities, in which Ni and W as the impurities each are less than 0.7%, and having tensile strength of 900 MPa or more, and in which the mold for hot working has a nitrided layer having a hardened depth exceeding 200 μm provided on at least the surface contacting a material to be worked, and the nitrided layer has a hardness of 900 or less in terms of Vickers hardness at a position of a depth of 30 μm or more.
As further another prior art of the present invention, Patent Document 7 discloses an invention relating to "a steel for a hot forging die". Specifically, Patent Document 7 discloses a steel for a hot forging die containing C: 0.25% to 0.45%, Si: 0.50% or less, Mn: 0.2% to 1.0%, P: 0.015% or less, S: 0.005% or less, Ni: 0.5% to 2.0%, Cr: 2.8% to 4.2%, Mo: 1.0% to 2.0%, V: 0.1% to 0.5%, with the balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities.
As further another prior art of the present invention, Patent Document 8 discloses an invention relating to "a tool steel for hot working". Specifically, Patent Document 8 discloses a tool steel for hot working, which is an alloy steel containing C: 0.25% to 0.40%, Si: 0.50% or less, Mn: 0.30% to 1.00%, P: 0.015% or less, S: 0.005% or less, Ni: 0.50% to 2.00%, Cr: 2.70% to 5.50%, Mo: 1.00% to 2.00%, V: 0.40% to 0.80%, B: 0.0005% to 0.0100%, Al: 0.015% to 0.10%, and N: 0.015% or less, with the balance being Fe and unavoidable impurities, in which the alloy steel has a fracture toughness value (KQ) of 250 Kgf/mm3/2 or more at room temperature, and proof stress (0.2% PS) of 60 Kgf/mm2 or more at a high temperature (600° C.).
However, the steels disclosed in Patent Documents 3 to 8 are that C content is 0.25% or more, and are therefore different from the steel of the present invention in the C content. Additionally, those patent documents do not refer to the embodiment that the steel is used as a material of an additive manufacturing method in the form of a powder.
Patent Document 1: WO2011/149101
Patent Document 2: JP-A-2010-194720
Patent Document 3: JP-A-2003-268486
Patent Document 4: JP-A-2007-297691
Patent Document 5: JP-A-2008-308745
Patent Document 6: JP-A-2010-65280
Patent Document 7: JP-A-H06-256897
Patent Document 8: JP-A-H08-269625


A computer implemented method, server computer and computer program for securely storing a data file via a computer communication network. The method includes: providing a computer device of a user with code for providing a unique user name for the user; asking the user for a password; generating an asymmetric key pair for the user having one public key and one private key; encrypting the private key via the hash of the password; generating a file-specific symmetric key specific for the data file; encrypting the data file via the file-specific symmetric key; encrypting the file-specific symmetric key via the public key of the user; where the code is executed by a web browser on the computer device. The server is then receiving the encrypted data file, the encrypted file-specific symmetric key, the encrypted private key of the user and the public key of the user from the computer device.

There are several known technologies for online storing and sharing of data files. For example a service may provide server capacity, where registered users can transfer data files between their personal/work computer device and the server via internet for backup of data files, for sharing data files, for collaboration on data files, for synchronisation of data files etc. Some service providers use encryption methods when transferring files between the server and the computer device of the user.
The encrypted transfer of a file between the computer device and the server often uses a protocol like the Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) to encrypt the transfer of a data file from the computer device to the server. Hence, the server receives an encrypted file, but when received, the data file is decrypted and the data file is stored unencrypted. A person with administration privileges on the server will easily have access to the data file.
This type of technology has several disadvantages. First of all, many service providers require that an application has to be downloaded and installed on each computer device used to connect to the servers. This may be cumbersome; in addition, the user may not have privileges on the computer device to install applications.
Some service providers also offer a system with the possibility of encrypting the data file before transferring the file to the server, and storing of the data file encrypted on the server. In order to share the data file, the encryption key must be stored together with the encrypted data file. Again, a person with administrator privileges may then access the file. Alternatively, no encryption key is stored on the server; however, no sharing of the data file is then possible.
One object of the present invention is to provide a method and system for secure storing of a data file via a computer communication network, which can be used even if the user does not have administrator privileges on his computer and without the need for installation of a separate application. Moreover, one object is to provide that the data files are kept continuously encrypted from the time when the data file is leaving the computer device of the user and to the time when the same or another computer device is receiving the data file from the server. In this way it is avoided that a person with administration privileges has access or can get access to the unencrypted data file. Moreover, if a hacker breaks into the server, he/she will not get access to the data files as well.
Another object is to provide a method and system where the user can give access to the data file to other users.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for secure storing of a data file via a computer communication network


Technologies are generally provided for reactive loop sensing in multi-datacenter deployments. In some examples, tagged metrics from deployment elements on different datacenter or platform providers may be used by a stability module to generate a synthetic generalized deployment model that aliases multiple system elements into general state vectors. The state vectors may include a transfer vector on the border between each datacenter or platform, and the feedback from the metrics may cause the states of the datacenters/platforms to match the deployment's unobserved variables allowing stability analysis before failure. For example, the metrics may be associated with a portion of the deployment on one of the multiple datacenters. The stability analysis module may compare the received metrics with model metrics derived from a model of the multi-datacenter deployment to determine the stability of the deployment and/or adjust the model for increased stability.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
As cloud services and service providers proliferate, many web applications may actually span multiple applications, services, and datacenters. In many cases, such multiple applications, services, datacenters, and similar entities may implement automation feedback loops to reduce costs, efficiently distribute loads and optimize performance. However, these automation feedback loops may not necessarily be visible to users. In a situation where a web application spans multiple entities (applications, services, and/or datacenters), such automation feedback loops may interact in unexpected and undesirable ways.

Reactive loop sensing in multi-datacenter deployments


Bifunctional compounds of the formula (I), ##STR1## in which: ##STR2## are naphthalene-2,6-diyl or ##STR3## is naphthalene-2,6-diyl or ##STR4## U, X, Y and Z are --CH.dbd., --CF.dbd. and --N.dbd., with the proviso that --CF.dbd. and --N.dbd. may each only be represented at most twice per six-membered ring, and that --CF.dbd. and --N.dbd. may not at the same time be represented twice in a six-membered ring;. Hal is Cl, Br or I; or H, if X and/or Y are --CF.dbd. PA0 R.sup.3 is CH.sub.3 or OCH.sub.3 PA0 l is 0 or 1 PA0 m and n are 0, 1, 2 or 3.. The compounds of the formula I are useful intermediates for the preparation of liquid-crystalline mixtures.

The unusual combination of anisotropic and fluid behavior of liquid crystals has resulted in their use in electro-optical switching and display devices, where their electrical, magnetic, elastic and/or thermal properties can be utilized to cause changes in alignment. Optical effects can be achieved, for example, with the aid of biorefringence, the inclusion of dichroically absorbing dyes ("guest-host mode") or light scattering.
In order to satisfy the constantly increasing practical requirements in the various areas of application, there is a constant demand for new improved liquid-crystal mixtures and thus also for a large number of mesogenic compounds of various structures. This applies both to applications in which nematic liquid-crystal phases are used, and to those having smectic liquid-crystal phases.
The processes for the preparation of the components of such liquid-crystal mixtures also have to meet constantly increasing requirements, in particular with respect to the effects on ecology, but also with respect to process economy. The liquid-crystal mixtures virtually always comprise at least two different classes of substance, and very frequently at least two homologs differing, for example, in the chain length of an alkyl or alkoxy substituent are very frequently found in a certain class of substances (see, for example, EP-A 497 176, U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,506, EP-A 495 686, EP-A 319 167, EP-B 317 587, EP-A 316 181, EP-A-315 958).
Attempts have therefore already been made to find ways in which the syntheses of various classes of substance, but ones which contain common part-structures, can be accomplished on the basis of the same precursors.
EP-A 354 434 describes derivatives of boric acid, including boronic acids, which are reacted with certain halogen compounds with catalysis with metal compounds to give liquid-crystal compounds.
However, a significant disadvantage of the compounds described in EP-A 354 434, which impairs inexpensive production and is ecologically unacceptable due to additional processing steps, is the fact that on further conversion into liquid-crystal compounds for the preparation of more than one homolog of a substance class, in each case more than one boric acid derivative or halogen compound is necessary, since the substitution pattern of the desired target molecules is already defined in the starting compounds for the boric acid derivatives or hydrogen compounds, and homologization is no longer possible in the subsequent reaction steps.
For the preparation of different classes of substance--which is taken to mean here, for example, not only phenylpyridine versus phenylpyrimidine, but also, for example, 5-alkyl- versus 5-alkoxy- versus 5-alkoxycarbonyl- versus 5-alkylcarbonyloxypyrimidine, since significant differences with respect to mesogenic properties, stability, synthesis and thus not least also of the precursors exist--different precursors must in each case be prepared in accordance with the prior art.

Bifunctional precursors for the preparation of liquid crystals


A projector includes a projection section adapted to project a projection image on a projection surface including a target part, a detection section adapted to detect a distance from a predetermined position to the target part, and a control section adapted to set an area to be projected on the projection surface other than the target part out of the projection image as a partial area based on the distance thus detected, and change a display state of the projection image so that the partial area set is masked.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a projector and a projection image control method.
2. Related Art
There has been studied and developed a method or the like of space production for projecting an image on a wall, an object or the like other than a screen using a projector to thereby decorate a room in a pseudo manner.
In conjunction with the above, there has been known a device for displaying an image of an object on the object itself in a superimposed manner to change the appearance such as the contrast of the object to thereby emphasize the object (see Japanese Patent No. 3276637 (Document 1)).
Further, there has been known an image display device for performing coloring or drawing on an object while monitoring light, which is projected on the object, via an interface device (see JP-T-7-504515 (Document 2).
Further, in JP-A-2012-248183 (Document 3), there is described the fact that a depth sensor is used for measuring the three-dimensional shape of an object on which the projection image is projected (see Document 3).
Further, in JP-A-2007-121293 (Document 4), there is described the fact that the outline of an object is obtained using CAD (Computer Aided Design) data or edge detection when checking presence or absence of a defect of the object (see Document 4).
However, in the device and the method of the related art, it has not been considered to prevent an area other than the desired area out of the projection surface, on which a projection image is projected, from being emphasized.

Projector and projection image control method


A semiconductor system includes a controller configured to output external commands and external addresses; and a semiconductor device configured to generate internal commands from the external commands by a delay amount controlled according to PVT information in a boot-up operation, generate internal addresses by delaying the external addresses, and select a plurality of banks according to the internal addresses in synchronization with the internal commands.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments of the invention relate to a semiconductor device and a semiconductor system.
2. Related Art
General semiconductor devices are placed on the market as products, by being packaged with other semiconductor devices. Most of such semiconductor devices receive and output various signals by reception circuits for receiving signals transmitted from an exterior, through input pads, and output circuits for outputting signals through output pads.
The delay amounts of transfer paths through which such various signals are received and outputted are differently set due to differences in their characteristics. A synchronous semiconductor device such as an SDRAM receives and outputs various signals in synchronization with a clock, and delay amounts when receiving and outputting signals may be various according to variations in PVT (process, voltage and temperature) characteristics. Therefore, a technology for controlling the delay times of signals to be received and outputted, in conformity with variations in PVT characteristics, is demanded in the art.

Semiconductor device and semiconductor system


A controller for controlling a light emitting diode (LED) light engine. The controller includes a temperature sensor configured to sensor temperature at the LED light engine. A current sensor senses a drive current of the LED light engine. A voltage differential sensor senses a voltage differential across LEDs of the LED light engine. A timer monitors a time of operation of the LED light engine. Further, a control device controls the drive current to the LED light engine based on the sensed temperature, the sensed drive current, the sensed voltage differential, and the monitored time of operation. Further, the control device outputs an indication of intensity degradation of an LED, and if the intensity degradation exceeds a predetermined threshold the control can output an indication of such to a user, so that the user can be apprised that the LED needs to be changed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a control device for a light emitting diode (LED) light engine, and more particularly to a control device that can efficiently control a drive current provided to the LED light engine.
2. Description of the Background Art
Light engines including LEDs as light sources are well known. An LED as a light source degrades over time, in contrast to an incandescent lamp that operates at a given light output and then at a specific time bums out and ceases to operate at all.
One manner to compensate for the long term degradation of light output by an LED is to initially drive the LED with a much higher driving current than is necessary for a desired light output. For example, an LED can be initially driven with a drive current at, for example, 30% higher than required for a desired light output. In that manner when the LED slowly degrades over time, the light output from the LED will decrease, but the light output can decrease 30% and still output the desired amount of light. For example in this instance if a LED degrades to output 30% less light over five years, then by initially driving the LED with 30% greater drive current than necessary to have a 30% greater light output, the LED will properly operate for five years before its light output falls below a desired level.
Further, in such a background system when the LED finally outputs less light than desired, i.e. in this example when the light output is degraded by greater than 30%, no clear indication is provided that the light output from the LED has significantly decreased or fallen below a determined threshold.

Intelligent drive circuit for a light emitting diode (LED) light engine


A field programmable gate array configured to use RAM control signals as routing and/or logic resources. By using RAM bit lines as routing, and/or to implement Wire-OR functions, and/or with word lines to implement PAL functions, one may increase the efficiency of lines normally used only for programming the control memory.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of Field Programmable Gate Arrays and more specifically to an increase in the efficiency of signal line usage in an FPGA by employing RAM control lines as routing or logic resources after these lines are used to program control memory.
2. Prior Art
In a SRAM-programmed Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) a large proportion of the available metal planes are used by bit line and word line signals required for programming the control memory. In one commercial device approximately one-half of the total available routing resources on the second metal layer are used by RAM bit lines and of the remaining area a proportion is required by power and ground distribution. Numerically, there are 10 user signals routed from east to west on second metal in a unit tile and 16 RAM bit lines. The situation in the north/south direction is less serious with 12 user signals and 3 RAM word lines, but RAM signals still use a significant proportion of the available resources. After configuration of the device, the state of the RAM control memory is often not changed and these control signals are normally unused. A technique which could make use of these expensive resources for routing or logic within user designs would have considerable benefits. The techniques described here are most applicable to an FPGA where the control memory is partitioned into many smaller memories and the device can tolerate random values in its control memory without causing contention on tri-state routing resources. Such an FPGA is disclosed in British Patent Application No.9604496.1 filed on Mar. 1, 1996 and entitled "EMBEDDED MEMORY FOR FIELD PROGRAMMABLE GATE ARRAY" (Docket No. X-185 GB). These techniques are also applicable to blocks of embedded RAM within a more conventional FPGA. The Programmable Logic Data Book published in 1996 by Xilinx, Inc., contains relevant information and is incorporated herein by reference. Other relevant information may be obtained from the following:
1) "Semiconductor Memories", Betty Prince, Wiley 1991. PA1 2) "The Design of a New FPGA Architecture", Anthony Stansfield and Jan Page in Lecture Notes in Computer Science 975, Springer Verlog 1995; PA1 3) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/460,314 filed on Jun. 2, 1995 by inventor Steven Churcher and entitled "Sense Amplifier For Reading Logic Devices".
The latter reference discloses a preferred sense amplifier for use in the present invention and is therefore incorporated herein by reference.

FPGA using RAM control signal lines as routing or logic resources after configuration


A low mode beam combiner (10) including individual entry fibers (12) that maintain a low mode operation, an exit fiber (16), and a spliced section (14) including a bundle of spliced entry fibers (12), in which a bundle diameter is reduced to a LMA (large mode area) core of the exit fiber (16).

A great effort has been made to enhance power extracted from fiber lasers. Recently, state of the art individual single mode (SM) fiber laser units have proven to be able to deliver up to 3 kW of power. A possible way to deliver higher power is by combining several fiber lasers. Generally, combining several fiber lasers results in outputs with high efficiency, but degraded laser beam quality; vice versa, in order to maintain a high beam quality of a combined beam, only a small amount of the power can be collected and thereby the combining efficiency is degraded.
Commonly available fused fiber combiners utilize multimode entry fibers and a deep multimode output fiber; thus, the major restriction is preventing light from radiating to the surrounding media. The combined structure is obtained by bundling, heating and pulling the individual source fibers together. An optional addition is to splice an output fiber with a mode capacity that can efficiently deliver the bundle output beam power while maintaining its beam quality. This addition may have some engineering benefits such as preferred thermal management and good structural behavior. The fused section is cleaved at a point where its diameter is equal to the inner core of the exit fiber. A connecting splice is done between the reduced bundle and the exit fiber's inner core. The propagating beam is bounded to the core only.
Various methods for combining fiber lasers have been suggested in the past. The principal methods and their limitations are described as follows:
1. Coherent fiber beam combining—in this technique, the temporal phases of the laser sources are matched. The method needs either a self-locking mechanism or a precise control system that corrects the phase mismatch of each individual laser. Until now, either small power was extracted, usually utilizing fiber laser interferometer setups, or medium to high power, in the order of several hundreds Watts with a complicated setup that is hard to implement in an industrial/field environment. Another approach is combining many diode lasers through fibers that are held in front of free space, partially reflecting mirrors, so a mutually phase locking is created between the sources by partial reflection. It has been reported that only a few of the sources are actually locked and there is extreme sensitivity to ambient conditions.
2. Incoherent fiber spectral beam combining: This method uses a highly dispersive element, usually a blazed Bragg grating, or photo-refractive Bragg grating. The individual lasers are designed to be wavelength-shifted from one another. The laser outputs are launched upon the dispersive element and are either reflected or refracted at different angles related to their wavelength. The method suffers from the needs of free-space optics setup, precise angular and translational positioning tolerances and very narrow line width of the sources wavelengths; otherwise the combined beams are not spatially overlapped, and the transfer efficiency of the refractive element decreases. Up to now the state of the art of combined power is approximately 500 W, while maintaining a good beam quality.
3. Direct fiber combining using a multimode fiber bundle and a deep multimode collection (exit) fiber: This technique combines the power of several fiber coupled diode lasers, for example by introducing a "fiber junction" where the beams are brought into close proximity by bundling and tapering the fibers using a hot flame and pulling machine. At a certain stage, the fused bundle is cleaved and attached to the final exit fiber. The exit fiber can contain the whole mixed beams since it is of a multimode type. The common application of this method is combining high power fiber-coupled laser diodes. The combined power levels have reached to the level of near 1 Kw with good power transfer efficiency. Although high power can be combined, the resulting beam quality is relatively low because of the deep multimode nature of the exit (collecting) fiber.
US Patent Application 20100189138 describes a high power fiber laser system that has a combiner including single mode (SM) fibers fused together that define an output end of the fiber combiner. The fused SM fibers radiate respective fiber outputs, which collectively define a multimode (MM) combiner output. The SM fibers each are configured with such optimally small numerical apertures (NA) that the MM combiner output is characterized by a minimally possible beam quality factor (M2) for the plurality of SM fibers. To reduce the possibility of burning the components of the fiber laser system with a multi-kilowatt combiner output, a coreless termination block is fused to the output end of the fiber combiner and configured so as to provide expansion of the combiner output without modifying the minimally possible M2 factor.
US Patent Application 20100189138 limits the combined lasers, which are coupled into each of the input ports, to be purely SM, due to the SM input fibers which are used. However, most high power fiber lasers are characterized by a non-SM output; typically the laser output M2 is ˜1.4, which cannot be coupled efficiently into a purely SM fiber (of which M2 is <1.1). Accordingly, when coupling non-SM lasers to each of the SM inputs, a low coupling efficiency is achieved, which renders the device of US Patent Application 20100189138 to be sub-optimal in terms of efficiency and/or brightness.

All-fiber low mode beam combiner for high power and high beam quality


A method of expanding a diameter of a tube includes the steps of positioning the tube with one end abutting a stop member, extending a mandrel through an interior passageway of the tube, and expanding a diameter of an expandable head connected to the mandrel as the mandrel is moved in a direction toward the stop member. The diameter of the tube expands in correspondence with the expansion of the diameter of the mandrel. A longitudinal axial force is applied to the tube in a direction toward the stop member as the expandable head expands the diameter of the tube.

Tubes of the type having larger diameters at the base and smaller diameters at the top are often used for street lights, signs, etc. Many times, these are made from nested cylindrical tubes of varying diameters which nest within one another and are welded together at their junctions. These techniques are generally slow and expensive and require more metal than necessary for the proper strength. These operations require machinery which is both costly and space consuming.
Alternatively, tubular members are tapered to a variety of useful shapes by conventional swaging operations. In these operations, the uniform wall thickness of the tubular member is swaged to reduce the diameter of the member at selected portions with the consequent result that the wall thickness increases at the reduced diameter portion. The swaging process includes multiple steps which are different and separate from each other. An initial stock must be passed through the step-by-step procedures until it can finally be finished to a desired shape. The steps start with cutting a flat metal blank to a tapered shape, followed by forming it to a tapered tubing with the opposite longitudinal edges left unjoined together. Then, the next step causes the edges of the tubing to be joined together by means of a welding process. Any undesired portions that are present along the welded edges of the tubing are removed by means of a polishing or finishing process. The manufacture of such a product involves many steps, each including different processes. As a whole, a combination of these processes permits the manufacture of the product. However, it is a highly inefficient mass production technique. This swaging process also increases the manufacturing cost for each item.
Single-step swaging processes are also known, in which the swaging machine is specifically designed to provide a small-length tapered metal tubing (such as forks for bicycles). For long tapered tubes which are between 12 and 30 feet long, such as lighting standards, it is practically impossible to implement a single-step swaging process.
Another type of tube tapering machine has been devised wherein tubular metal stock is rotated about its longitudinal central axis. During this rotation, spinning rolls or shoes work on the exterior of the tube to deform it from its initial cylindrical shape to a smaller diameter of either straight or tapered shape. The surface presented against the work piece or tubular stock by the rolls or shoes tends to bend or flex the metal of the tube wall in a direction opposed to its circumferential curve or configuration. This flexing, which is repeated revolution after revolution of the tube, has a tendency to produce longitudinal cracks or to propagate insignificant scratches on the tube wall into cracks. This is particularly true on the inner surface of the tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,879,977, issued on Apr. 29, 1975 to F. B. Cauffiel, describes an apparatus and method for producing tapered poles. In this patent, the tapered pole is made from a particular tapered strip which is wound in a pseudo-helical manner on a tapered mandrel. Suitable means are provided for directing and guiding the strip on the mandrel such that the strip is wound from the small end of the mandrel toward the large end. Welding procedures are provided so that the edges of the strips can be formed together so as to produce a tapered pole.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,735,463, issued on May 29, 1973 to A. Merola, describes a method of forming tapered tubular members. In this method, a generally uniform wall thickness, hollow, cylindrical body is utilized as the starting material. The body is elongated by engaging the body at two spaced portions along its length. By applying a predetermined force to the body of the engagement portion, a substantial component of the force is directed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body. When the body elongates between the engaged positions, the wall thickness of the elongated portion is reduced a predetermined amount. The process described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,735,463 was designed for the production of ball bats through a conventional type of swaging process.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,041,990, issued on Jul. 3, 1962 to C. K. Le Fiell, describes a tube tapering machine. This machine tapers tubes by using a tool which works on the metal of the workpiece to deform it. This tool is in the form of an annular ring presenting a concave surface or line of contact toward the convex surface of the tubular stock.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,841, issued on Nov. 18, 1986 to K. Yoshida, shows a single-pass swaging operation. In this patent, several swaging units are arranged in series in a tandem configuration. Each swaging unit includes a flywheel which acts as an anvil. It also includes a set of metal dies. In the tandem configuration, the die sets and the swaging units are arranged sequentially from one to another. On the entry side of the tandem configuration machine, a tubing stock of a prescribed length (which is to be tapered) is inserted, progressing through the machine toward the other side thereof. While the tubing stock is being fed forward, it is sequentially processed by the dies in the swaging unit that provide the tapered shape over the length. After having been processed through all of the dies, the stock is formed to a totally tapered shape.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,330,145, issued on Jul. 11, 1967 to G. F. Adolphi, describes a machine and method for tapering rod-like tubular workpieces. In particular, this patent describes the technique in which a cylindrical tube is gripped at both ends and a tension is applied axially to the tube. The tube does not rotate during the forming pass but is rotated at the completion of each pass. This device is generally intended for the manufacturing of tapered tubes having a diameter of less than one inch.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,854, issued on May 31, 1994 to the present inventor, describes a tube tapering apparatus having a variable orifice die. This apparatus has a frame, a tubing receiving end connected to the frame, a variable-orifice die arranged so as to be movable relative to the frame, and an axial tension cylinder connected to the tube receiving end so as to apply tension forces to the tube. The variable-orifice die includes a stand having a housing and a plurality of die segments arranged within the housing. The die segments contain a circular groove of varying radius. The die segments define an orifice having an entry plane and an exit plane. The exit plane and the entry planes are offset from the plane of rotation of the die segments.
Each of these prior art patents is designed so as to form a tapered tube whereby forces are applied to the exterior of the tube. As such, a relatively large diameter tube is cold-formed so as to have a wide diameter end that matches the original diameter of the tube and a narrow diameter end that is less than the original diameter of the tube.
Since the cost of the steel material used for the formation of such tapered tubes is of great importance in the manufacture of tapered tubes, it is important to be able to minimize the amount of material that is used for the tube. As such, under certain circumstances, it may be desirable to expand a relatively narrow diameter original tube so as to have a wide diameter that is greater than the diameter of the original tube. This reduces the cost of the material involved in the formation of the tapered tube.
It is object of the present invention to provide a tube expanding method and apparatus which increases the diameter of a tube via forces applied to the interior of the tube.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for forming a tube which enhances the tensile integrity of the tube in the narrow diameter portion.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tube expanding device which minimizes the cost of materials for the formation of the tapered tube.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a pole that is formed by the tube expanding method and apparatus of the present invention in which minimizes undesired harmonic effects.
It is still a further object of the present invention to pole that is manufactured by the method and apparatus of the present invention which minimizes effective projected area while maximizing yield strength for the pole.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for the expansion of a tube diameter which is easy to use and relatively inexpensive.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.

Apparatus and method for expanding a tube diameter and a pole formed thereby


Communication network security risk exposure management systems and methods are disclosed. Risks to a communication network are determined by analyzing assets of the communication network and vulnerabilities affecting the assets. Assets may include physical assets such as equipment or logical assets such as software or data. Risk analysis may be adapted to assess risks to a particular feature of a communication network by analyzing assets of the communication network which are associated with that feature and one or more of vulnerabilities which affect the feature and vulnerabilities which affect the assets associated with the feature. A feature may be an asset itself or a function or service offered in the network and supported by particular assets, for example.

In complex systems such as telecommunications and Information Technology (IT) infrastructures, the potential impacts of security vulnerabilities, even if discovered and disclosed, tend to be difficult to assess in a timely fashion. This is primarily due to the number and nature of these vulnerabilities, as well as the number of assets in such systems. Some assets may also have embedded software layers and other dependencies, which further complicates security assessments.
The capacity to understand and make informed decisions soon after a vulnerability is disclosed is one key aspect of proactive security. Such capacity allows network operators, for example, to understand the security state, i.e., the risk to a network infrastructure, at any given time and assign a priority action list for risk mitigation. Identification of commercial risks associated with relying on data stored and transmitted on network segments during a period of elevated security risk may also be of use in performing a comprehensive security assessment.
Despite an ever increasing number of security event management systems, however, there is no currently available solution which offers the functionality of consolidating risk impacts at the network and/or service levels.
In the area of risk calculation, currently available solutions are further deficient in that they use proprietary and fixed risk calculation formulas. These formulas are based on various fixed assumptions which typically include, among others, assumptions relating to network topology (mesh, star, etc.), data (modeling, availability, uncertainty, and type such as qualitative or quantitative), organization type (military, government, business, etc.), and variables (threat, vulnerability, asset value, attack paths). Outputs provided by such formulas also tend not to reflect the current complexity of security.
Thus, there remains a need for more comprehensive and flexible security assessment and management tools.


According to various examples, a device is described. The device may include a stiffener member including a first step section and a second step section. The device may also include a plurality of vias extending from or through the stiffener member. The device may be coupled to a printed circuit board.

Voltage regulator (VR) components such as bulk capacitors, decoupling capacitors, inductors and MOSFET are foundational to enable high performance in a semiconductor system. However, these VR components consume sizable printed circuit board (PCB) real estate, posing huge challenges to platform miniaturizations.
The presence of a VR component may affect the electrical properties of the PCB traces, which is an important consideration as electronic components continue to increase in speed. As a design "rule of thumb", placing signal routings/traces immediately beneath the VR component in PCB is generally prohibited due to the significant noise coupling ascribed to the magnetic field (H-field) may lead to signal quality degradation, e.g., increased signaling jitter that may reduce signal transmission bandwidth. This restriction in the placement of signal routings may pose a significant challenge when seeking to aggressively reduce board size.
The existing solution to accommodate the ever-increasing VR component count includes PCB footprint expansion. Electrical signal routings are restricted to inner layers of PCB e.g., at least 3 layers apart from the surface layer or inductor components to avoid magnetic field coupling noises that could result in functionality failures. However, this results in the increased PCB footprint and layer count. This also inhibits device form-factor miniaturizations.

Semiconductor miniaturization through component placement on stepped stiffener


An image forming system which is capable of, when a manual stapling process is to be carried out on sheets, reducing waiting time for a user and decreasing power consumption. The image forming system has an image forming apparatus, which forms images on sheets, and a sheet post-processing apparatus. When the sheet post-processing apparatus is to shift into a power-saving state, a movable stapler is moved to a manual stapling position. When it is detected that sheets have been set into a sheet setting unit in a state in which the image forming apparatus and the sheet post-processing apparatus have shifted into the power-saving state, the image forming apparatus is held in the power-saving state, and the sheet post-processing apparatus is returned from the power-saving state.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming system having a stapler that staples sheets, a sheet post-processing apparatus, and a control method therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as apparatuses that staple sheets on which images have been formed by image forming apparatuses such as copiers and printers, post-processing apparatuses equipped with a stapling mechanism that staples a sheet bundle comprised of a plurality of stacked sheets using stapling members such as metallic staples have been widely used. Generally, in a post-processing apparatus of this type, a user sets automatic stapling as an operation mode in image formation from an operation unit of the post-processing apparatus, and the post-processing apparatus automatically carries out a stapling process on a sheet bundle conveyed from an image forming apparatus to the post-processing apparatus. On the other hand, there is also a demand to, aside from an automatic stapling process, carry out a stapling process on a sheet bundle through a manual operation by a user independently of an image forming operation.
As an example of techniques to carry out a stapling process on a sheet bundle by the manual operation, a technique to carry out a stapling process on a sheet bundle by performing a manual operation in which a user inserts the sheet bundle from an opening (sheet discharge port) of a post-processing apparatus (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,407,156).
According to the technique described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,407,156, when a stapling process is carried out on a sheet bundle by the manual operation, a user accesses the post-processing apparatus from a side thereof on which the opening (sheet discharge port) is provided, and hence it is uneasy for the user to operate the post-processing apparatus. With consideration given to the ease of operation for the user, it is more preferable to access the post-processing apparatus from a front surface thereof. Accordingly, it is conceivable to provide an insertion slot for a sheet bundle in the front surface of the post-processing apparatus.
In a case where a stapling process is to be carried out on only one place at a corner of a sheet bundle, it is unnecessary to insert the sheet bundle to a rear of the post-processing apparatus, and the stapling process is carried out by merely inserting a part of the sheet bundle, on which the stapling process is to be carried out, into an insertion slot provided in a front surface of the post-processing apparatus. Therefore, as compared to a post-processing apparatus configured such that a sheet bundle is inserted into an opening (sheet discharge port) on a side of the post-processing apparatus as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,407,156, a post-processing apparatus configured such that a sheet bundle is inserted into an insertion slot in a front surface of the post-processing apparatus can enhance the ease of operation for a user.
However, in the case where the stapling process described above is carried out on a sheet bundle, a position at which a stapling mechanism that staples a sheet bundle stands by presents a problem. Ordinarily, there is one stapling mechanism mounted in the post-processing apparatus, and by moving this stapling mechanism, stapling on various places of a sheet bundle can be realized.
This stapling mechanism stands by at a position different from a standby position, which is used in the case of a stapling process manually carried out by a user, considering that a print job in which an image forming process and a stapling process are carried out on sheets by an image forming apparatus having a post-processing apparatus. For this reason, in a case where a user is to carry out a stapling process by a manual operation (manual stapling process), the user has to wait until the stapling mechanism has been moved to the standby position for the manual operation.
Further, if the manual stapling process is to be carried out in a state where the image forming apparatus is in a power-saving state in which power consumption is minimized, a problem explained hereafter will arise. The waiting time that elapses before the manual stapling process is carried out is long due to the need to detect a home position of the stapling mechanism, the need to move the stapling mechanism, and so on, and this stresses the user out.

Image forming system having movable stapler, sheet post-processing apparatus, and control method


A dual stack fuel cell system comprising a first fuel cell stack comprising a first anode side, adapted to receive fuel and to output a first anode exhaust, and a first cathode side, a second fuel cell stack comprising a second anode side, adapted to receive processed anode exhaust derived from the first anode exhaust and to output a second anode exhaust, and a second cathode side, adapted to receive oxidant gas and to output a first cathode exhaust, wherein the first cathode side receives at least the first cathode exhaust outputted from the second cathode side; and wherein the first fuel cell stack includes indirect internal reforming and the second fuel cell stack may not include any indirect internal reforming.

This invention relates to fuel cell power production systems and, in particular, to dual-stack molten carbonate fuel cell systems.
A fuel cell is a device which directly converts chemical energy stored in hydrocarbon fuel into electrical energy by means of an electrical reaction. Generally, a fuel cell comprises an anode and a cathode separated by an electrolyte, which serves to conduct electrically charged ions. In order to produce a useful power level, a number of individual fuel cells are stacked in series with an electrically conductive separator plate between each cell.
In internally reforming fuel cells, a steam reforming catalyst is placed within the fuel cell stack to allow direct use of hydrocarbon fuels such as methane, coal gas, etc. without the need for expensive and complex external reforming equipment. In a reforming reaction, fuel cell produced water and heat are used by the reforming reaction, and the fuel is internally reformed to produce hydrogen for use in the fuel cell. Thus, the endothermic reforming reaction can be used advantageously to help cool the fuel cell stack.
Two different types of internally reforming fuel cell assemblies have been developed and commonly used. The first type of internally reforming fuel cell assembly is a direct internally reforming fuel cell assembly, in which direct internal reforming is accomplished by placing the reforming catalyst within the active anode compartment. The advantage of direct internal reforming is that the hydrogen produced through such reforming is provided directly to the anode. A second type of internally reforming fuel cell assembly utilizes indirect internal reforming, which is accomplished by placing the reforming catalyst in an isolated chamber within the stack and routing the reformed gas from this chamber into the anode compartment of the fuel cell. The advantage of indirect internal reforming is that the reforming catalyst is protected from poisoning by the fuel cell's electrolyte.
The present state of the art utilizes a hybrid fuel cell assembly with both direct and indirect internal reforming. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,696 discloses a hybrid fuel cell system that employs both indirect and direct internal reforming with the delivering of the reformed gas from the indirect reforming chamber to the anode flow field.
As can be appreciated, variable loads, powered by a fuel cell have placed varying power demands on the fuel cell during its operation. Accordingly, fuel cells must efficiently handle these varying power demands, while producing sufficient power to satisfy the demands. As a result, in order to increase the fuel cell efficiency and to improve the handling of high and low power demands, fuel cell systems have been proposed in which the excess hydrogen fuel in the anode exhaust (e.g., in a molten carbonate fuel cell, approximately 10 to 50% of the fuel exits the cell as anode exhaust gas) is either combusted for use in heating or cooling applications, or hydrogen is separated for used by a fuel cell or by other devices, or the exhaust is passed to another device that uses dilute hydrogen, such as another fuel cell or an internal combustion engine. In addition, to improve efficiency, some fuel cell systems extract a portion or all of the hydrogen from the anode exhaust, and recycle the extracted hydrogen fuel back to the anode input of the fuel cell.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,878 to Williams, et al. discloses a fuel cell system that includes a plurality of fuel cell stacks connected in series so that the separate electrode flows are networked in a serial co-current, serial countercurrent or a combination of serial and parallel flows. In the Williams, et al. patent, each of the fuel cells stacks is an internally reforming molten carbonate fuel cell stack, and the anodes of the fuel cell stacks are connected in series so that anode exhaust from a first fuel cell stack is passed to an anode of a second fuel cell stack, and so that anode exhaust from the second fuel cell stack is passed to an anode of the third fuel cell stack, and so on.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,971, assigned to the same assignee herein, and application Ser. No. 10/860,740, also assigned to the same assignee herein, disclose another power production system, which includes a high temperature fuel cell, such as a molten carbonate fuel cell, and a low temperature fuel cell connected in series, such that anode exhaust from the high temperature fuel cell is conveyed to the low temperature fuel cell for generating additional power and increasing efficiency. In the '971 patent, the anode exhaust from the high temperature fuel cell is cooled and shifted to convert CO and water in the anode exhaust to CO2 and H2, and in the '740 application, water is removed from the anode exhaust so as to increase the concentration of fuel in the exhaust before passing the anode exhaust to the low temperature fuel cell.
The systems disclosed in the Williams, et al. patent, the '971 patent and in the '740 application increase the fuel utilization, and hence, the operating efficiency, of the fuel cell system. However, the additional fuel cell stacks used in these systems for utilizing the unspent fuel in the anode exhaust of the first fuel cell stack result in significant increases in equipment and maintenance costs. The equipment cost of using low temperature fuel cell stacks in the '971 patent and in the '740 application instead of a single stack often outweighs the operating and fuel utilization efficiencies of multi-stack assemblies.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved dual-stack fuel cell system with improved efficiency.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a dual-stack fuel cell system with an improved power output at higher efficiency operation.

High-efficiency dual-stack molten carbonate fuel cell system


Provided a process for producing higher content of trans 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane which is used as the raw material for producing polyamides or polyurethanes having physically and chemically excellent properties from 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane which is generally produced by hydrogenation of p-xylylenediamine.. That is, a mixture of cis and trans 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane is isomerized by heating at 120 to 250.degree. C. in the presence of a platinum group catalyst to change to trans isomer. 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane containing more than 80% trans isomer is produced by combining this isomerization technique and crystallization technique.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for producing the trans-isomer of 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane and more particularly concerned with a process for producing a higher content of trans 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane from a mixture of the cis isomer and trans isomer.
2) Description of the Prior Art
1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane is an industrially important compound as a raw material for polyamides. Diisocyanate obtained from the 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclo-hexane is useful as a raw material for polyurethanes.
1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane has two stereoisomers of trans isomer and cis isomer and the content of trans-isomer influences the physical properties of the polyamides and polyurethanes.
For instance, in the case of polyamides produced from 1,4-bis(aminomethyl) cyclohexane and suberic acid, the higher content of trans-isomer improves melting point and heat stability. So more favorable polymers for fibers, films and plastic elements are obtained by using a higher content of trans-isomer. In the case of polyurethanes produced from polyalcohols and diisocyanate derived from 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane, higher content of trans isomer improves solubility in solvents.
So, it is expected to develop a process for producing more valuable 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane which contains more trans 1,4-bis(aminomethyl) cyclohexane.
1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane is produced generally by hydrogenation of p-xylylenediamine. The selective production of trans isomer in this process is difficult because more cis isomer is produced than trans isomer. The content of trans isomer in this process is less than 40%, so the isomerization method or separation method to obtain the product may be considered to produce a higher content of trans-isomer of 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexthane.
Concerning isomerization of the alicyclic amines, isomerization of bis(4-aminocyclohexyl)methane which has three stereoisomers of trans-trans type, cistrans type and cis-cis type is known. Methods of increasing the content of bis(4-aminocyclohexyl)methane of trans-trans type by isomerization by heating higher than 130.degree. C. using a catalyst of ruthenium oxide, nickel or cobalt and hydrogen are disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 46-16979 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 46-30835. In U.S. Pat. No. 4058568, there is described a method for producing a higher content of trans-trans bis(4-aminocyclohexyl) methane by synthesizing an imine compound from bis(4-aminocyclohexyl)methane and benzaldehyde, isomerizing the imine compound with alkali catalyst and hydrolyzing the isomerized imine compound with acid.
As the separation method for producing higher content of trans 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexthane, the distillation method or crystallization method may be considered. However, in general, the distillation method requires a multi-stage distillation column to separate cis isomer and trans isomer because the boiling points of these isomers are very close.
Although the separation method of crystallization and the content of trans isomer are not disclosed, it is described in the Japanese magazine Yuuki Gosei Kagaku (Organic Chemistry) vol. 25, No. 2 page 46 (1967) that the amount of white crystals obtained is increased by keeping 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane at 0 to -5.degree. C. and the peak of the trans isomer obtained by gas chromatography of these white crystals become large.
However, when this method is used with 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexthane which is produced by hydrogenation of p-xylylene diamine and the content of trans isomer is less than 40%, the yield of trans isomer is very low because mutual solubilities of two isomer are large. Even if the recovery from the mother liquor is repeated, more than 60% of 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane remains as cis isomer theoretically.
The first object of the present invention is to increase the content of trans isomer of 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexthane which is generally produced by hydrogenation of p-xylylene diamine and is used as a raw material for polyamide and polyurethane products that have excellent physical or chemical properties.
The second object of the present invention is to provide a method to obtain 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane containing more than 80% of trans isomer with high yield from bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane containing the cis and trans isomers.

Process for producing trans 1,4-bis(aminomethyl)cyclohexane


Provided is a positioning fence for use in lumber sawmills that facilitates automated positioning of lumber for cutting and a method of positioning lumber for cutting. A continuous moving track loop has a plurality of paddles laterally positionable across the width of the track. Electromagnets are used to control the position of the paddles and, thus, the position of lumber being transported by the paddles. Also provided are uses of the positioning fence to position lumber for cutting.

In sawmills, various lumber or timber handling machinery is provided to cut and shape the lumber or timber into saleable wood products. One of the required operations in a mill, after sawing or forming to the desired cross section, is end trimming individual boards or timbers to a specified length.
To cut the material to length, a typical arrangement of transport equipment has a conveyor that has a lug chain table to transport the lumber pieces to length cutting saws. The lumber pieces are carried along the conveyor in equidistantly spaced succession based on the lug spacing of the lug chains. The conveyor has a set of lateral alignment rollers. The lateral alignment rollers form a roller bed system placed at right angles to the lug chain, which operate to urge one end of the lumber material toward a stop or fence, also referred to as a paddle. In this arrangement, each successive piece of lumber is spaced from the other in the direction of travel along the lumber conveyor by the lugs of the lug chain and one of the ends of the lumber is laterally aligned to the stop or fence.
The piece to be cut to length is positioned for contact with a saw or series of saws. In the configuration of sawmill conveyor equipment just described, the saws are stationary relative to the conveyor and the board is laterally positioned on the conveyor relative to the saw blade. A positioning fence, which one end of the lumber piece abuts against, controls the lateral position of the lumber piece on the feed conveyor. Numerous prior art arrangements for adjustable positioning fences for use with such a feed conveyor arrangement have been proposed in the past. For example a step positioning fence is disclosed in the published Canadian Patent application 2,241,481 of Wight et al. The stepped positioning fence of Wight has a plurality of rigid elevated faces, or steps that extend longitudinally along a side of the fence in an adjacent stepped array of differing offset spacing. The fence is oriented to present one of the steps for contact with the lumber piece to align the lumber end to the corresponding offset of that step. The lumber is urged into contact with the fence by the lateral alignment rollers resulting in alignment of the lumber end to the fence step offset. The stepped fence provides fixed incremental ending settings and a positioning mechanism to ensure the board is presented with a step suitable to obtain the desired or intended lateral translation of the board piece.
Another flexible trimmer position fence is disclosed in Canadian Patent 2,191,390 to Jackson, which discloses a board positioning fence comprised of a plurality of adjustable fence elements each staged one after the other in the downstream direction of travel of the lumber to be positioned. The lumber is urged against the positioning fence by lateral alignment or ending rollers. The ending rollers urge the lumber laterally across the feed conveyor into contact with the successive fence elements of the board positioning fence. When the desired lateral positioning of the board is achieved, lift skids are engaged to remove the lumber from contact with the lateral urging end rollers. This arrangement has multiple flexible fence elements, which are adjusted to allow the board to be ended to the desired positioning or ending location. Once the board has been displaced laterally to the desired position offset, skids are engaged that lift the positioned lumber piece away from the ending rollers.
Another arrangement to provide board lumber end positioning is disclosed in the Canadian patent 2,236,508 of Hannebauer et al. Hannebauer discloses a circulating paddle positioning fence with a flexible guide track. Actuators position the flexible guide track, which results in corresponding positioning of a paddle to a desired offset or ending position.
And yet another positioning mechanism is disclosed in the published Canadian Patent application 2,345,872 of Jobin, for apparatus for positioning pieces of wood for precise cutting. Jobin discloses an adjustable barrier, which is provided with actuators to position the barrier to the desired offset location. Various forms of adjustable barriers are shown including ones which have a face that remains perpendicular to the board as well as providing for incline planes that have a set displacement selected by an actuator to achieve an ending or offset of the lumber laterally to the desired offset amount.
A further positioning mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,419,047. This patent discloses a continuous moving track loop having a plurality of paddles laterally positionable across the width of the track. Complex mechanical brake mechanisms, positioning cams and reset cams are used to position the paddles.
There is a need for a simplified board positioning mechanism that positions accurately, does not operate via cylinders, compressed air or hydraulics and is resistant to wear.


A multilayer ceramic electronic component includes: a ceramic body having a hexahedral shape including at least one rounded corner and including dielectric layers and first and second internal electrodes, and first and second external electrodes. The first and second external electrodes respectively include first and second base electrode layers which at least partially contact the first and second external sides of the ceramic body, and first and second plating layers disposed to cover the first and second base electrode layers, respectively. CP/CT is equal to or greater than 1.6 and equal to or less than 2.4, where CP is a length of a rounded boundary line of the rounded corner of the ceramic body viewed in a cross-section in length and thickness directions, and CT is a thickness of one of the first and second base electrode layers at a central point in the thickness direction.

A multilayer ceramic electronic component has been widely used as an information technology (IT) component in devices such as a computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a portable phone, due to advantages thereof, whereby the multilayer ceramic electronic component is able to be miniaturized, has ensured high capacitance, and may be easily mounted and has also been widely used as an electrical component due to characteristics thereof, such as high reliability and high rigidity.
An external electrode included in a multilayer ceramic electronic component is exposed outside of the multilayer ceramic electronic component and, thus, may largely affect reliability and rigidity.
Recently, an external electrode has been gradually thinned along with the miniaturization and implementation of high performance in products. However, the reliability and rigidity of the external electrode may be degraded as the external electrode is thinned.


A fastener, method of fastening, a fastener and drive tool system, and a drive tool for driving a fastener in which the fastener has a leading portion or drill tip portion which is frangible and detachable from the threaded portion. The fastener includes a shank having a head formed at one end, the leading portion or drill tip at an opposite end thereof, and the threaded portion positioned intermediate the head and drill portion. A weakened or frangible portion is provided on the shank between the drill tip and the threaded portion for dividing the fastener into the threaded portion which is retained in engagement with the workpieces and the drill tip which is detached from the fastener. The method includes driving the fastener into a workpiece and detaching or fracturing the drill tip from the threaded portion generally at a predetermined location. The detachment or frangible portion is formed to facilitate fracture at a predetermined area along the shank either manually or automatically as a function of the structure of the fastener and/or the fastener driving process. The present invention also includes the tool included in the fastener system which is used to drive the fastener into a workpiece. The tool includes an interference block having a surface which promotes fracture and detachment of the drill from the threaded portion when the drill portion abuts and is deflected by the surface.

The present invention relates to self-drilling fasteners having a drill portion which is detachable or frangible from a threaded portion, a method of fastening using a self-drilling fastener of the present invention, and a drive tool for use with a self-drilling fastener of the present invention.
Numerous fasteners are available which provide self-drilling features. In many applications, self-drilling fasteners, such as drill screws, are advantageous as the holes and threads are drilled and formed by the fastener in a single driving application. Self-drilling fasteners eliminate the additional assembly steps of drilling and tapping holes before driving of the fastener. As such, self-drilling fasteners may be highly advantageous by reducing preparation and assembly time, cost and effort.
Self-drilling fasteners are designed with a shank having a head formed at one end, a drill-tip portion at the end opposite the head, and a threaded portion intermediate the drill portion and head. The drill-tip portion is provided with a chisel point and cutting edge which drill into the workpiece material forming a hole for engagement by the threaded portion. The drill portion is sized and dimensioned to provide a hole having a predetermined diameter which provide positive engagement of the thread portion, for cold forming or swaging internal threads thereon.
While self-drilling fasteners of the type briefly described hereinabove have provided many advantages, use of such fasteners in some situations may not provide desirable finished results. For example, in applications where the thickness dimension of the workpiece is less than the total length of the shank of the fastener, the drill-point may protrude from the workpiece. This may be undesirable as it may result in a point extending from a surface or may merely appear to be unfinished or otherwise aesthetically undesirable. Additionally, the drill-point is not required in the workpiece since often it does not include threads and therefore does not provide substantial mechanical advantage or any clamping function in joining the workpieces, as compared to the threaded portion.


This disclosure relates to genetically modified rodent animals and rodent models of human diseases. More specifically, this disclosure relates to genetically modified rodents whose genome comprises a humanized Il1rl2 gene (coding for the IL1rl2 subunit of the IL-36R protein) and human IL-36α, β and γ ligand genes. The genetically modified rodents disclosed herein display enhanced skin and intestinal inflammation as a preclinical model of psoriasis and IBD, respectively, and serve as a rodent model of human DITRA disease.

The Interleukin (IL)-36 subfamily consists of three agonists (IL-36α, β and γ, previously designated as IL1F6, IL1F8 and IL1F9, respectively) and one antagonist (IL36Ra) that signal through a heterodimeric receptor (IL-36R) leading to activation of nuclear factor-κB (NFκB) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Similar to the classical IL-1 family members, IL-36 cytokines are involved in the initiation and regulation of immune responses. Members of the IL-36 family were first demonstrated to be predominantly expressed in squamous epithelial tissues, and, in particular, in psoriatic skin lesions. The link between IL-36R and epithelial-mediated diseases was confirmed in humans based on loss of function mutations in IL-36Ra leading to the diagnosis of Generalized Pustular Psoriasis (abbreviated "GPP"), now understood to be a species of GPP called deficiency of the Interleukin-36R antagonist (abbreviated "DITRA"). Elevated IL-36 expression was reported in GPP, palmoplantar pustular psoriasis (PPPP), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, and ichthyosis.

Mouse model of DITRA disease and uses thereof