A novel class of energy-generating chemical processes or reactions uses cryogenically Prepared and stored materials exhibiting volcanic ground states having lifetimes exceeding several seconds. Energy generation is provided through activation of cryogenically prepared and stored material characterized by a volcanic ground potential surface in which its lowest rotation-vibration level has a lifetime sufficiently long to permit practical storage and subsequent energy release. Cryogenic preparation and storage provides that the material is kept in these lowest rotation-vibration levels, thereby avoiding thermodynamic population of the higher levels which are short-lived and therefore not suitable for practical use. In one embodiment, the He .sub.2.sup.++ v=0, J=0 level has been found to have a lifetime of 220 minutes making He.sub.2.sup.++ an ideal candidate for a fuel in which laser-induced fragmentation of He.sub.2.sup.++ into He.sup.+ +He.sup.+ fragments results in an energy release of 234 Kcal and a chain reaction. The resulting specific impulse reaches 1400 sec., which is about 3 times greater than that of hydrogen-oxygen fuel. Larger amounts of energy, as high as 1032 Kcal, can be produced when He.sub.2.sup.++ is probed with the light ground state hydrogenic species H, H.sup.-, H.sub.2 and H.sub.2.sup.+, with corresponding propellants having specific impulses greater than 2000 sec. Improvement of propulsive performance can be achieved via field-induced acceleration of the light ionic species which are the reaction products. Methods for production of cold He.sub.2.sup.++ include collisional and radiative processes.

In recent years, special interest has been devoted to the area of high energy density materials for generation of propulsive energy. In general, the quest for new fuels involves properties of matter as well as related energetic processes. Specifically for propellants, the limiting parameters of their effectiveness is stability of the fuel, followed by the amount of energy which is released upon reaction, and the mass which is involved. The best available propellants, such as the liquid hydrogen-oxygen mixture, are limited to specific impulses (I.sub.sp) of 450-480 sec. In order to break through the current efficacy threshold of known fuels, new and practical highly energetic processes involving light atomic elements must be forthcoming. If a new class of high energy chemicals were to increase the I.sub.sp above 1000 sec., this would, for instance, enable a single-stage, airliner-sized vehicle to make a horizontal takeoff, convey a 25,000 lb. Payload to orbit and return for a runway landing.
Obviously, energy containing materials are those having electronic atomic and molecular excited states. However, these systems are not suitable for use as fuels due to their extreme instability, sec. and 10.sup.-14 sec. and 10.sup.-6 sec. Nonetheless, efforts are currently under way for establishing the existence of sufficiently metastable energetic excited states.
On the other hand, as will be described, it has been found that certain molecular species have a metastable ground state with a lifetime on the order of hundreds of minutes and with releasable energy, a fact which makes them eminently practical as a fuel or propellant. These species are those which have dissociating ground state surfaces that have deep energy wells which are caused by special interactions with the first excited surface which characterizes the species. The existence of a real potential energy minimum implies practical energy trapping. Once trapped, this energy can dissipate via tunneling or, occasionally, via small interactions with plunging dissociative states of a different symmetry. Such a ground state potential surface is referred to herein as a volcanic ground state.
By way of background, volcanic ground states are, of course, rarities. Two categories of diatomic or polyatomic systems having volcanic ground states have been analyzed thus far. First, as reported in the Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 80, p. 1900, 1984 by C. A. Nicolaides, et al., slices of hypersurfaces of a special class of polyatomic molecules show deep minima and the volcanic form along a reaction coordinate which leads to neutral ground and excited fragments. This situation emerges as a natural consequence of intramolecular charge transfer at very narrow avoided crossings whose geometric dependence is predicted by the maximum ionicity of excited state (MIES) theory. However, calculations on clusters such as (H.sub.2).sub.2 have thus far shown that the minima of these ground hypersurfaces are only virtual, i.e. existing for only one slice through the surface. Also, the chemically bound first excited state formed at the avoided crossing dissociates via non-adiabatic coupling within 10.sup.-13 sec. Thus, in the first category, not only are only virtual volcanic ground states exhibited, the lifetimes of corresponding excited states are much too short for the corresponding molecules to be of practical value for energy storage and release.
On the other hand, in a second category, if a volcanic ground state exists in a diatomic system, there is only one reaction coordinate and thus the minimum is always real. This being the case, at least for cryogenically-stored diatomics, if they exhibit a volcanic ground state and if the corresponding lowest rotation-vibration level has a sufficiently long lifetime, they are candidates for highly energetic practical fuels.
Note that all prior theoretical research on such diatomic and polyatomic systems has been in the chemical bonding area and has involved lifetimes which correspond to transient species observable mass spectroscopically. In this regard, the distinguishing volcanic bonding feature was first determined by Linus Pauling for the case of the He.sub.2.sup.++ 1 .SIGMA..sub.g.sup.+ ground state. As reported in the Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 1, p. 56, 1933, Pauling obtained a volcanic potential energy curve which theoretically allowed tunneling and fragmentation to He.sup.+.sub.+ He.sup.+. Pauling explained this property in a valence-bond picture, in terms of covalent-ionic mixing in the wave-function and in particular of the structures He. +He. and He: +He. Furthermore, he predicted that for large R, the potential curve is defined by the 1/R Coulomb repulsion between the two He.sup.+ ions and that at about 1.3.ANG. the resonance interaction of the electrons becomes important, causing the force to become attractive at about 1.1.ANG.. This led Pauling to the postulation of a molecule which would be sufficiently metastable to give rise to a band spectrum. Referring to the intrinsic instability of such a diatomic ground state, Pauling predicted that the four vibrational levels would show pronounced autodissociation characteristics, meaning that they would have short lifetimes. As will be seen, Pauling's qualitative predictions were correct only for the higher vibrational levels and not for the v=0 or even the v=1 levels.
Regardless, Pauling's paper signaled the beginning of a series of publications on the chemical bonding of doubly ionized diatomics. For example, further theoretical work on the bond formation and the potential energy function, V(R), of He.sub.2.sup.++ 1 .SIGMA..sub.g.sup.+ has been published using methods which include electron correlation. A previous study by C. A. Nicolaides, et al., published in the Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 114, p 1, 1987, relating to the adiabatic surfaces of the .sup.2 .SIGMA..sub.g.sup.+ Rydberg series of He.sub.2.sup.+ a calculation of the He.sub.2.sup.++ 1 .SIGMA..sub.g.sup.+ threshold. This study also showed how the volcano form is created by the two-electron rearrangement 1.sigma..sub.g 1.sigma..sub.u.sup.2 .rarw..fwdarw.1.sigma..sub.g.sup.2 n.sigma..sub.g. Similarly, this study showed that the configurational mixing which determines the character of the He.sub.2.sup.++ 1 .SIGMA..sub.g.sup.+ state is mainly 1.sigma..sub.g.sup.2 .rarw..fwdarw.1.sigma..sub.u.sup.2 .rarw..fwdarw. 1.sigma..sub.g n.sigma..sub.g. No predictions as to the lifetime of the He.sub.2.sup.++ 1 .SIGMA..sub.g.sup.+ ground state were formed at that time, and no predictions as to the chemistry of He.sub.2.sup.++ were made.
As regards other doubly ionized diatomics with volcanic ground states, as reported in the Canadian Journal of Physics, Vol. 36, p. 1585, 1958, P. K. Carrol observed a spectral emission in N.sub.2.sup.++, while as reported in the Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol. 35, p. 575, 1961, Dorman and Morrison, at A. C. Hurley's suggestion, used the Pauling type of analysis in their discussion on the bond formation of CO.sup.++, N.sub.2.sup.++ and NO.sup.++. Since then, much theoretical and experimental work ha been published on such systems. Apart from methods of ambient temperature preparation and observation, the focus of these efforts has been on the scientific realm of molecular structure and spectroscopy with analysis analogous to those used for other molecules. As reported, the lifetimes of the vibrational levels of the studied diatomics deduced from the mass spectroscopic experiments are in the microsecond (10.sup.-6) range. The computations of reported tunneling widths have revealed that this range corresponds to excited rovibrational levels, as opposed to ground levels. Given the conventional spectoscopic aims of the experimental research, longer lifetimes for lower levels were not studied. Indeed, D. L. Cooper simply refers to the widths of the lower levels as negligible in a report published in Chemical Physics Letters, Vol. 132, p. 377, 1986.
Moreover, except for He.sub.2.sup.++, for the dications whose computed potential energy curves are in the literature, it is estimated that the energy which could be released upon induced fragmentation is in the range of 3-7eV. While it would be useful to harness such energies, even if they became available, their magnitude coupled with the values of the masses of the outgoing fragments, would not lead to an impulse capacity which is competitive with the best available mono- or bi-propellant systems.
Note, the only reported observation of He.sub.2.sup.++ was made by M. Guilhaus et al, in the Journal of Physics, Vol. B17, L605, 1984, in which the He.sub.2.sup.++ was produced at ambient temperature and observed by charge-stripping mass spectroscopy. At that time, Guilhaus, et al., reported that no accurate measurement of lifetime could be made to determine whether the diatomic was stable or unstable. It is interesting to note that Guilhaus, et al., could not have discovered lifetimes of the lowest rotation-vibration level for the ground state because the set-up of their mass spectroscopic experiment was not aimed at the detection and spectroscopic analysis of states with lifetimes on the order of hundreds of minutes.
From the above scientific evidence over the years, it has been deemed unlikely for a molecular system to possess simultaneously those crucial optimal characteristics of energy, stability, mass and releasability for the realization of a practical propellant, or any practical energy storage and release system.

Energy generated from volcanic groundstates


The invention relates to a high-performance, high-zoom-ratio zoom lens that is reduced in length upon received at a collapsible lens mount. The zoom lens is a four-group zoom lens comprising a first lens group G1 of positive refracting power, a second lens group G2 of negative refracting power, a third lens group G3 of positive refracting power and a fourth lens group G4. For zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the 1st G1 to the 4th lens group G4 are each operable to move with a change in the space between adjacent lens groups. The second lens group G3 comprises three lenses, and an aperture stop S located between the second lens group G2 and the third lens group G3, wherein the aperture stop is positioned nearer to the image side at the wide-angle end than at the telephoto end. The zoom lens satisfies conditions (1) and (2).7<(β2t·β3t·β4w)/(β2w·β3w·β4t)<15  (1)7<(β2t·β3t)/(β2w·β3w)<15  (2)Here, βnt is the magnification of an n-th lens group at the telephoto end, and βnw is the magnification of the n-th lens group at the wide-angle end.

The present invention relates generally to a zoom lens and an imaging system incorporating it, and more particularly to a high-zoom-ratio zoom lens lending itself to an electronic image pickup device such as a CCD or C-MOS and an imaging system incorporating it.
Zoom lens systems having a high zoom ratio, good image-formation capability and a short total length, which comprise, in order from the object side, a positive first lens group, a negative second lens group, a positive third lens group and a fourth lens group wherein all the lens groups are operable to move for zooming, are set forth typically in patent publications 1, 2 and 3.
Patent Publication 1
U.S. Pat. No. 3,008,380
Patent Publication 2
JP(A)7-5361
Patent Publication 3
JP(A)2004-12639

Zoom lens and imaging system incorporating it


A hydrophone assembly includes at least four hydrophone units for converting an acoustic signal to an electrical signal, the hydrophone units being in a parallel, cylindrically symmetric spaced spatial relationship with each other, and at least one spacer element to maintain the hydrophone units fixed in the spatial relationship to each other, wherein the hydrophone units and spacer element are embedded in an encapsulant to form an elongated, flexible body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hydrophone assembly and a system and method for deploying the assembly, particularly in hydrophone arrays for underwater acoustic sensing of subsurface marine vehicles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hydrophone arrays are used militarily to detect the presence of submarines and to provide information about their movements. Because modern submarines have the ability with cruise missiles to attack surface ships at great distances, the protection of surface shipping requires the ability to detect and track submerged submarines over vast areas of ocean. Hydrophone arrays have typically been used for this purpose.
Hydrophones are acoustic transducers that operate by detecting acoustic signals and converting them to electrical impulses that can then be transmitted by radio waves to a distant receiver. Typically, an array of hydrophones is loaded into a sonobuoy, which can then be dropped by airplane into the ocean. The array is then deployed while a float containing a transmitter remains at the surface of the water.
It is desirable to detect not only the presence and magnitude of acoustic signals, but also the direction of the signals. Various directional acoustic sensors are known. Such vector acoustic sensors often employ an accelerometer, which can add to the cost of such equipment. What is needed is a simple and less costly acoustic sensing system, which can also provide directional information about the received acoustic signals.


Disclosed in an active power management architecture, including a remote power management system having a database; a power distribution unit communicated with the remote power management system through an internal network; a plurality of electronic devices each includes a power supply unit; and a plurality of transmission cables respectively connected to the power distribution unit and the power supply units of the electronic devices for outputting power of the power distribution unit to the power supply units. The information of the power supply units is transmitted from the power supply units to the power distribution unit through the transmission cables in compliance with a power line communication protocol, and the power distribution unit is configured to transmit the information to the database, such that the remote power management system gives an instruction to the power distribution unit to control the power distribution unit and the power supply units.

With the progress of computer technology and the rapid growth of Internet, the service or utility rendered by the Internet is mushrooming. Therefore, the cloud computing systems consisted of a number of computers and data centers are increasing. In order to allow the data center to provide more services or utilities over the Internet, the number of the computer or server of the data center has to be increased. As a result, the problems arising from the power supply and the power distribution as well as the power management of the data center is forthcoming. In order to meet the demands of power supply, distribution and management for the data center, the data center uses power distribution units to distribute the required power for each computer or server. Furthermore, a remote power management system is employed to manage each power distribution unit to check whether each power distribution unit supplies the required power for the computers or servers, thereby optimizing the power efficiency for the data center.
Referring to FIG. 1, in which the systematic architecture of a conventional power management architecture for data centers is shown. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional power management architecture for data centers 1 employs a remote power management system to manage the operation of the computers or servers 14 connected to the power distribution units 12. The computer or servers 14a-14d of the data center is stacked on a cabinet 15. Each data center includes a plurality of cabinets. Thus, a cloud computing system consisted of computers or servers 14a-14d is formed. As shown, each computer or server 14a-14d is connected to a corresponding power distribution unit 12a, 12b. However, each power distribution unit 12 may be connected to two or more computers or servers 14a-14d. For example, the power distribution unit 12a includes a plurality of outlets. Hence, the power distribution unit 12a may be connected to a plurality of computers or servers 14b, 14c in addition to a corresponding computer or server 14a. Each outlet of the power distribution unit 12 includes a switch element (not shown). With the switching operation of the switch elements, the power management, distribution and control of the computers or servers 14a-14d can be implemented.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the power management and information transmission architecture of a conventional data center. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, each computer or server 14a-14d includes a central processing unit (CPU) 140 and a power supply unit 141. The CPU 140 of the computer or server 14a is connected to the network management system 13 through a first external network 16a. The network management system 13 is connected to the remote power management system 11 through a second external network 16b. On the other hand, the power distribution unit 12a is connected to the remote power management system 11 through the same network channel and is remotely controlled by the remote power management system 11. Each power distribution unit 12 is connected to the power supply unit in the corresponding computer or server 14a-14c through the cable 18 for supplying power to the corresponding computer or server 14a-14c.
Generally, the power supply unit 141 will actively and periodically detect the power consumption information or the energy consumption information of the computer or server 14. For example, the power supply unit 141 will actively and periodically detect the information about the output power, power consumption, power supplying status of each outlet and the information about the input voltage, input current, and the power consumption of the power supply unit 141. Next, the information is transmitted to the network management system 13 by the computer or server 14 through the first external network 16a. The network management system 13 will transmit these power status information to the remote power management system 11 through the second external network 16b, so that the remote power management system 11 can periodically receive the power status information of each computer or server 14 and remotely control the power distribution units 12a, 12b through the same network channel. Therefore, the remote power management system 11 can management the overall power usage.
However, each computer or server 14 is configured to connect to the remote power management system 11 and transmit information to the remote power management system 11 through the same data transmission channel. Hence, the larger data stream will congest the network channel and affect the data transmission speed. Also, when the computer or server 14 is under the normal operating mode, if the first external network 16a or the second external network 16b is congested or inaccessible, the remote power management system 11 can not acquire the information of each computer or server 14a-14d through the network channel and can not control the power distribution units 12a, 12b. Furthermore, when the remote power management system 11 can not acquire the information of the computer or server 14 through the network channel, it is required to detect and confirm if the network is inaccessible or the computer or server 14 is malfunctioned, impaired, or crashed. This would disturb the operator of the remote power management system 11.
More disadvantageously, if one of the computers or servers 14 in the data center is malfunctioned, impaired, or crashed, the remote power management system 11 can only ascertain which computer or server 14 did not transmit data without the ability of ascertaining which computer or server 14 is problematic and the address of the problematic computer or server 14, as the conventional power management architecture 1 does not provide the function of positioning and addressing. When it is desired to repair or reboot the malfunctioned, impaired, or crashed computer or server 14, it is required for the operator to move to the data center and inspect the computers or servers 14 in the cabinet 15, so as to find out the malfunctioned, impaired, or crashed computer or server 14 for repair or reboot. As the number of the computers or servers 14 in each data center is large and the conventional power management architecture is incapable of providing the function of positioning and addressing and incapable of rebooting the computers or servers 14 automatically, the operator or maintainer of the power management system will be bothered by the complex repair operation and wasted inspection and repair time and cost.

Active power management architecture and managing method thereof


A device (20) for computing a threshold Sthi used in demodulating a quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) signal to generate a plurality of soft bits per received symbol for input to a turbo decoder, the device including: means (30) for computing the mean amplitude A of the received symbols and multiplying the mean amplitude A by of the received symbols and multiplying the mean amplitude A by a constant Ci for a square QAM constellation with 4m points, such that Sthi=A×Ci where m is a positive integer and i is a positive integer from 1 to (√4m-1)−1.

Communication systems employ forward error correction in order to correct errors caused by noise generated in transport channels. For example, a communication system typically uses a turbo code for the forward error correction. At the transmitter side, turbo encoder introduces redundancy bits based on information bits. The encoded bits at the output of turbo encoder are then modulated and transmitted to the receiver. At the receiver end, the receiver demodulates the received signal and produce received encoded bits to the turbo decoder. Turbo decoder decodes the received encoded bits to recover the information bits.
To maximize the advantage of the coding gain obtained by the iterative decoding process in the turbo decoder, rather than determining immediately whether received encoded bits are zero or one, the communication receiver assigns each bit of value on a multi level scale representative of the probability that the bit is 1. A common scale, referred to as Log-Likelihood Ratio (LLR) probabilities, represents each bit in an integer in some range, for example −32 to 31. The value of 31 signifies that the transmitted bit was 0 with a very high probability, and a value of −32 signifies that the transmitted bit was 1 with a very high probability. A value of 0 indicates that the logical bit value is indeterminate.
The turbo decoder in a communication receiver uses the LLR to determine whether a given information bit were transmitted given a particular received encoded bits. However, the computation of the LLR probabilities is a time-consuming and processing-intensive calculation. By way of explanation, in a transmitter of a communication system, each N encoded bits are mapped to one symbol (2 dimensional symbol with I and Q components). The symbol is transmitted over a channel to reach a receiver. The received symbol is attenuated and corrupted by noise. The task of the receiver's demodulator is to recover the N encoded bits from that noisy received symbol. To utilize the coding gain of the turbo decoder, N soft bits (or LLR) are generated.
Usually, the log likelihood is used to approximate the soft bit. The log likelihood L(bi) for i-th bit (i=0, 1, . . . , N−1) is calculated as:
                              L                                (                          b              i                        )                          =                                  ln                                              P                                            (                                                      b                    i                                    =                                      0                    ❘                    y                                                  )                                                    P                                            (                                                      b                    i                                    =                                      1                    ❘                    y                                                  )                                                                            =                                  ln                                                              ∑                                                      z                    ❘                                          b                      i                                                        =                  0                                                                          P                                                  (                                      z                    ❘                    y                                    )                                                                                ∑                                                      z                    ❘                                          b                      i                                                        =                  1                                                                          P                                                  (                                      z                    ❘                    y                                    )                                                                                ≈                                              1                          2                                            σ                2                                                                    (                                                            min                                                            z                      ❘                                              b                        i                                                              =                    1                                                                                                                          y                      -                      z                                                                            2                                            -                                                min                                                            z                      ❘                                              b                        i                                                              =                    0                                                                                                                          y                      -                      z                                                                            2                                                      )                              where y is the received symbol, z is a symbol in the reference constellation, and σ2 is noise variance. From this formula, it can be seen that significant computational complexity is involved in the estimation of σ2, the estimation of the reference constellation (estimation of average amplitude of the desired signal), the calculation of the distances and min searches and the division to derive L(bi)
In order to simplify the log likelihood computation, a simplified method is proposed in International Patent Application No WO 01/67617 for generating the soft decisions. A particular example described in that document is the demodulation of a 16 Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) signal in a spread spectrum communication system. A 16 QAM constellation is shown in FIG. 1, where each of the 16 symbols in the constellation corresponds to 4 encoded bits. FIG. 2 highlights the relationship between the encoded bits and the location of each symbol. For example, if b0=1 and b1=0, the symbol has negative I and positive Q component. Based on similar observations for b1 and b3, soft bits L(bi) can be generated as follows:L(b0)=yI,L(b1)=yQ,L(b2)=Sth−abs(yI),L(b3)=Sth−abs(yQ)However, a complex circuit must be used in the arrangement described in the above-mentioned document for calculation of Sthi, which involves:
(i) calculation of interference power and calculation of desired signal power for each multipath based on pilot signal, and
(ii) mapping signal and interference power to C/I for each path, and summing to get total C/I, which is then used as an estimate of the threshold Sthi
Accordingly, there currently remains a need to compute log-likelihood ratios for use by a turbo decoder in a computationally simple manner.

Computation of soft bits for a turbo decoder in a communication receiver


A discharge-lamp lighting apparatus includes series circuits connected to each end of a DC power source, a transformer, FETs Qp1, Qn1, Qp2, and Qn2, and a drive circuit. The drive circuit includes transistors Q1 and Q3 to discharge gate-source capacitances of the Qp1 and Qp2, resistance elements to determine gate potentials of the transistors Q1 and Q3 when the transistors Q1 and Q3 are turned on, transistors Q2 and Q4 to charge the gate-source capacitances of the Qp1 and Qp2, constant current circuits, and switches connected in series with the series circuits of the constant current circuits and resistance elements, respectively, to turn on/off the constant current circuits.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a discharge-lamp lighting apparatus for lighting a discharge lamp, and particularly, to a discharge-lamp lighting apparatus for lighting a cold cathode lamp installed in, for example, a liquid-crystal portable device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Discharge-lamp lighting apparatuses are classified into those employing n-type MOSFETs as high-side switching elements and those employing p-type MOSFETs as high-side switching elements. Liquid-crystal portable devices such as notebook computers employing cold cathode lamps usually use p-type MOSFETs as high-side switching elements because, if n-type MOSFETs are used as high-side switching elements, bootstrap circuits and the like are needed to drive the n-type MOSFETs, to complicate drive circuits and increase cost.
A capacitor boost technique is a simple example of driving a discharge-lamp lighting apparatus employing p-type MOSFETs as high-side switching elements. An example thereof is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-164163 shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, first and second series circuits are arranged between a DC power source Vin and the grounding. The first series circuit includes a p-type MOSFET Qp1 serving as a high-side switching element and an n-type MOSFET Qn1 serving as a low-side switching element. The second series circuit includes a p-type MOSFET Qp2 serving as a high-side switching element and an n-type MOSFET Qn2 serving as a low-side switching element. Between a connection point of the p- and n-type MOSFETs Qp1 and Qn1 and a connection point of the p- and n-type MOSFETs Qp2 and Qn2, there is connected a series circuit consisting of a resonance capacitor C3 and a primary winding P of a transformer T. Each end of a secondary winding S of the transformer T is connected to a capacitor C4.
The DC power source Vin is connected to a source of the p-type MOSFET Qp1 (hereinafter referred to as p-type FET Qp1) and a source of the p-type MOSFET Qp2 (hereinafter referred to as p-type FET Qp2). Between the gate and source of the p-type FET Qp1, there is connected a parallel circuit consisting of a diode D1 and a resistor R1. Between the gate and source of the p-type FET Qp2, there is connected a parallel circuit consisting of a diode D2 and a resistor R2. The gate of the p-type FET Qp1 is connected through a capacitor C1 to a terminal PD1 of a control IC 1. The gate of the p-type FET Qp2 is connected through a capacitor C2 to a terminal PD2 of the control IC 1. The gate of the n-type MOSFET Qn1 (hereinafter referred to as n-type FET Qn1) is connected to a terminal ND1 of the control IC 1. The gate of the n-type MOSFET Qn2 (hereinafter referred to as n-type FET Qn2) is connected to a terminal ND2 of the control IC1.
The control IC1 (or a discrete circuit) includes a regulator 11, a frequency divider 13, an error amplifier 15, and an oscillator 17. The regulator 11 receives the DC power source Vin and generates a predetermined voltage Vp.REG, which is supplied to the frequency divider 13. A first end of the secondary winding S of the transformer T is connected to a first electrode of a discharge lamp 3. A second electrode of the discharge lamp 3 is connected to a lamp current detector 5. The lamp current detector 5 detects a current passing through the discharge lamp 3 and provides the error amplifier 15 with a voltage proportional to the detected current. The error amplifier 15 compares the voltage from the lamp current detector 5 with a reference voltage and sends an error voltage to the oscillator 17. The oscillator 17 compares the error voltage with a triangle wave and generates a pulse signal whose width corresponds to the error voltage. When the error voltage is large, the pulse width of the pulse signal is wide, and when the error voltage is small, the pulse width of the pulse signal is narrow.
The frequency divider 13 divides the frequency of the pulse signal from the oscillator 17. Namely, in a first half of a given period, a high-level pulse signal is supplied through the terminals PD1 and ND1 to the p- and n-type FETs Qp1 and Qn1 and a low-level pulse signal is supplied through the terminals PD2 and ND2 to the p- and n-type FETs Qp2 and Qn2. In a second half of the given period, a low-level pulse signal is supplied to the p- and n-type FETs Qp1 and Qn1 and a high-level pulse signal is supplied to the p- and n-type FETs Qp2 and Qn2. This results in alternating an ON-period in which the p-type FET Qp1 and n-type FET Qn2 are simultaneously turned on and an ON-period in which the p-type FET Qp2 and n-type FET Qn1 are simultaneously turned on.
Operation of the discharge-lamp lighting apparatus of FIG. 1 will be explained with reference to a timing chart of FIG. 2. At time t2, the p- and n-type FETs Qp1 and Qn2 are turned on to pass a current from the DC power source Vin along a route consisting of Qp1, C3, P, and Qn2, to apply a voltage to the capacitor C3 and the primary winding P of the transformer T. As a result, the capacitor C3 and an inductance of the primary winding P of the transformer T cause resonance to produce a sinusoidal wave current. The secondary winding S of the transformer T then generates a voltage to pass a current to the discharge lamp 3, thereby turning on the discharge lamp 3.
At time t3, the p- and n-type FETs Qp2 and Qn1 are turned on to pass a current from the DC power source Vin along a route consisting of Qp2, P, C3, and Qn1, to reversely apply a voltage to the capacitor C3 and the primary winding P of the transformer T. As a result, the secondary winding S of the transformer T generates a high sinusoidal wave voltage of opposite phase, to turn on the discharge lamp 3.
If the input voltage Vin suddenly varies due to, for example, the insertion or removal of an adaptor, the related art of FIG. 1 increases the gate-source voltage of each of the p-type FETs Qp1 and Qp2 without regard to the levels of drive signals from the terminals PD1 and PD2 and turns on the p-type FETs Qp1 and Qp2. As a result, a bridge circuit consisting of the four FETs Qp1, Qn1, Qp2, and Qn2 passes a shoot-through (short-circuit) current to break the p-type FETs Qp1 and Qp2. For example, if the input voltage Vin suddenly increases, charge currents pass through the capacitors C1 and C2, to increase the terminal voltages of the resistors R1 and R2, i.e., the gate-source voltages of the p-type FETs Qp1 and Qp2, thereby turning on the p-type FETs Qp1 and Qp2.
To cope with this problem, a bipolar totem pole technique is used to drive p-type FETs serving as high-side switching elements. FIG. 3 shows a discharge-lamp lighting apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-298308 employing the totem pole technique. FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing signals at various parts in the apparatus of FIG. 3. The apparatus of FIG. 3 has a control IC 1a that differs from the control IC1 of FIG. 1 in drivers for driving p-type FETs Qp1 and Qp2. In FIG. 3, the driver for driving the p-type FET Qp1 includes transistors Q1 to Q4 and resistors R0 to R4 and the driver for driving the p-type FET Qp2 includes transistors Q5 to Q8 and resistors R5 to R9.
If an input voltage Vin suddenly increases in FIG. 3, a voltage from the resistor R1 turns on the transistor Q1 to substantially zero the gate-source voltage of the p-type FET Qp1. Similarly, a voltage from the resistor R6 turns on the transistor Q5 to substantially zero the gate-source voltage of the p-type FET Qp2. Since the p-type FETs Qp1 and Qp2 are OFF, no shoot-through current passes through a bridge circuit.


An oven comprising a cooking chamber, a first tube having an inlet end associated with a heat source and defining an outlet opening disposed within the cooking chamber for delivering heat from the heat source through the outlet opening of the first tube to a first area of the cooking chamber, and a second tube having an end associated with the heat source and defining an outlet opening disposed within the cooking chamber for delivering heat from the heat source through the outlet opening of the second tube to a second area of the cooking chamber, the outlet opening of the second tube disposed above the outlet opening of the first tube. The oven may include additional tubes extending above the first and second tubes to deliver heat to other heights. The tubes may be aligned in a side-by-side manner and may be part of a tube assembly. The oven may further include oven racks disposed in the cooking chamber in a layered fashion corresponding to outlet openings of the tubes.

In the food service industry, when cooking a high volume of food, it typically is desirable to cook all of the food in a consistent manner. When serving food at indoor or outdoor parties, banquets or vending facilities, for example, a high volume of the same food often needs to be cooked substantially contemporaneously, meaning that it is desirable for all of the food to be cooked at or near the same temperature. It therefore is common in the foodservice industry to employ ovens having a chamber sufficiently large to receive a large number of food pans, which is typically accomplished with ovens having multiple layers of oven racks for supporting food pans. It is often difficult for such ovens to cook the large volume of food in a relatively consistent manner, however, because heat is not supplied to each layer at a consistent temperature.


A method of developing an immune response to HIV using a composition of inactivated HIV. Inactivation is through psoralen and ultraviolet radiation. The composition is rendered more effective by the removal of structural features of HIV that interfere with immune response. In particular, sialic acid is removed to enhance immune recognition of the composition and to impair Complement Factor H binding. CD55 and CD59 are also removed to prevent the binding of Complement Factor H.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the fields of virology and immunology. Particularly, but not exclusively, it relates to a method of inducing an immune response to HIV using a psoralen inactivated composition of HIV and a substance for achieving the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a retrovirus within the slow or Lentivirus group, and is the cause of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Some retroviruses that attack the immune system, such as HIV-1, are variable and mutate readily, creating many strains of varying genetic composition that hamper efforts to develop effective treatment. These strains, which may be categorized into groups or subtypes, have individual biological characteristics. Sequences within a subtype may have genetic clustering or similarities that sometimes reveal their common lineage. However, variations in evolutionary rate can produce differences among mutations even within a subtype. Further, the tendency of retroviruses to recombine with related retroviruses complicate the viral genotype.
HIV uses its RNA as a template for making complementary viral DNA in target cells through reverse transcription, viral DNA can then integrate into the DNA of an infected host. HIV infects cells having surface CD4, such as lymphocytes, monocytes, dendritic cells and macrophages, and destroys CD4 positive helper T lymphocytes. This process relies in part on two glycoproteins of HIV. These glycoproteins are gp120 (an Env glycoprotein, the exterior receptor-binding component) and a non-covalently interacting partner, gp41 (the Env transmembrane glycoprotein.) Gp120 and gp41 are associated in a trimeric unit, where three molecules of gp120 are exposed on the virion surface and are associated with three molecules of gp41 in the viral lipid membrane. Gp120 binds to a CD4 receptor on the surface of helper T cells. This binding is generally considered to be high affinity, and can be further enhanced by high sialic acid content on the surface of the virus; sialic acid reduces the threshold binding energy needed to overcome repulsive electrostatic forces. The virus then begins to fuse with the T cell, producing structural or conformational changes and exposing other receptors. Upon fusion, the gp120 fragment is shed, exposing the gp41 ectodomain in a process that also varies conformationally. Gp41 is then available to project peptide fusion domains for binding to the target cell. This leads to HIV entering and infecting the target cell.
The envelope of HIV begins formation from the plasma membrane of the host cell when the virus buds through the cell membrane. Thus, the envelope includes the lipid and protein constituents of the host cell. (Frank, Ines, Heribert Stoiber, et al., Vol. 10, pp. 1611-20 (1996)) (Stoiber, Heribert, et al., Vol. 15, pp. 649-74 (1997)) Some enveloped viruses use spike proteins to mimic the host molecules in order to bind to target cell receptors and to enter other target cells. However, these spikes can also be antigenic surfaces for immune system recognition. Yet HIV offers protection. In addition to the variability of conformational changes, gp120 provides other surface features that disguise it from immune detection and attack, such as a coating of glycoproteins, covalently bound sialic acid residues, or steric occlusion. (Haurum, John, Treffen Thiel, et al., Vol. 7(10), pp. 1307-13 (October 1993)) (Sande, Merle, et al., The Medical Management of Aids, (6th ed. 1999)) (Cohen, P. T., The AIDS Knowledge Base, (3rd ed. February 1999))
The core of the HIV virion functions as a command center. Inside an HIV virion is a capsid composed of the viral protein, p24 (CA). The capsid holds two single strands of RNA, each strand of which provides a copy of HIV's nine genes, which encode 15 proteins. Of the nine genes, three (gag, pol and env) are considered essential. Six additional genes are also found within the 9-kilobase pair RNA genome (vif, vpu, vpr, tat, rev and nef) More specifically, the env gene holds the information or code for creation of gp160, which breaks down into gp120 and gp41. Likewise the gag gene encodes the matrix (p17 or MA), capsid (p24 or CA), nucleocapsid (p9 or NC) and p6. The pol gene provides the genetic information for the virus to produce the reverse transcriptase enzyme as well as the integrase enzyme and RNAse H enzyme. The other six genes are regulatory, and control the mechanisms of infection and replication (vif, vpu, vpr, tat, rev and nef). Among other things, the nef gene holds information for efficient replication, while vpu holds information regulating the release of new viral particles from the infected host cell. Ultimately, in order for HIV to infect a target cell, it must inject the HIV genetic material into the target cells cytoplasm.
As noted above, the nef gene is believed to aid efficient replication of HIV. The creation of a new virus particle occurs at the host cell's membrane. Nef appears to affect an infected cell's environment in a way that optimizes replication. Viral proteins collect near the host cells membrane, bud out within the membrane, and break away. These proteins are the three structural proteins (gp160, gp120, gp41) plus two other internal precursor polyproteins (Gag and the Gag-Pol). The Gag-Pol protein brings two strands of the positive RNA into the bud, while protease cuts itself free. After the virus has budded, protease cuts itself free and cuts up the rest of the proteins in Gag or Gag-Pol, releasing the various structural proteins and reverse transcriptase. The viral proteins are not functional until they are separated by the protease. Thus, protease is responsible for cleavage of Gag-Pol and the smaller Gag polyprotein into structural proteins. Released proteins p24, p7 and p6 form a new capsid, while at the base of the lipid membrane is p24. In this process, gp160 breaks down into gp120 and gp41 by a host enzyme.
Most HIV vaccines use portions of the envelopes of these glycoproteins (gp160, gp120, and gp41) in an attempt to induce production of neutralizing antibodies against the envelope spikes of the virus. (Johnston, et al., 2001) Some have been successful in producing high titers of neutralizing antibodies. The thought behind this approach is that the antibodies that bind to these glycoproteins would neutralize the virus and prevent infection. A functioning immune system could then activate the complement system, which would cascade to lysis and destroy the virus. The complement system is a series of circulating proteins that "complements" the role of antibodies. The components of the complement system are activated in sequence or turn, which is the complement cascade. The conclusion of complement is a protein complex, the Membrane Attack Complex (MAC) that seeks to attach to an invading organism's surface and to destroy it by puncturing its cell membrane.
However, HIV provides an additional protection against humoral immune response. HIV will activate human complement systems even in the absence of specific antibodies. This activation would be harmful to the virus if complement were left unimpeded to reach MAC, triggering virolysis. However, HIV avoids virolysis by incorporating into its structure various molecules (e.g., CD55, CD59) that regulate complement. HIV includes these cell membrane molecules in the virus membrane upon budding from infected cells, or by attachment to gp41 and gp120. Complement Factor H may be incorporated into the structures of both gp41 and gp120. Factor H inhibits the activity of C3b, a molecule that is central within complement cascade. This interaction with complement components enables HIV to take advantage of complement activation to enhance infectivity, follicular localization, and target cell range.
Vaccine Therapy and Related Art
Immunotherapy involves the use or stimulation of the immune system with respect to a condition or sensitivity. Vaccines are a form of immunotherapy. In 1955, Dr. Salk introduced the poliovirus vaccine; this vaccine used the chemical formaldehyde (formalin) to kill the virus or render it non-infective or inactive, so that it could be administered to patients. In 1961 Dr. Sabin introduced a live attenuated relatively avirulent poliovirus vaccine. The Sabin vaccine was basically composed of viral mutants capable of eliciting an immune response but not capable of significant active replication or virulence, and therefore were considered relatively safe for human use.
There have been effective vaccines against retroviruses in animals. One vaccine is available for feline immunodeficiency retrovirus (or FIV) (i.e., Fel-O-Vax); a second example is a vaccine against Equine Infectious Anemia Virus (or EIAV), (i.e., EIAV(UK)deltaS2) an important retroviral infection of horses. These vaccines argue powerfully that vaccines can work against retroviruses, although neither disease is an ideal model for HIV in humans. (Beyer, 2003)
However, a vaccine for HIV has proven elusive. The vast majority of vaccines under consideration, research, or trials are comprised of either "live" attenuated viral particles or whole inactivated viral particles. The use and research of recombinant technology, adenoviral vectors, DNA-based vaccines or a combination thereof has tested the boundaries of immunology, offering some hopes for addressing HIV. Such immunogenic compositions could be used for the following purposes:
To enhance the immune system of a person who has already been infected with the disease systemically.
To prevent a person from contracting the disease after exposure.
To prevent a person from contracting the disease prior to exposure. This is the most common use for a vaccine today.
To prevent a patient from contracting a different strain of HIV disease, particularly non-compliant or immunosuppressed patients.
To prevent vertical transmission from mother to fetus or from mother to newborn.
To attenuate HIV disease in an HIV negative patient who contracts the disease at a later date
To research potential compositions and methods for any of the purposes above
Unfortunately, medicine lacks a definition for HIV immunity. (Gonsalves, Gregg, Basic Science (2000)) (Cohen, 1999) This is a fundamental problem with an important consequence: there is no known correlate of protection against HIV. However, there are well-characterized correlates for disease progression, such as viral loads and CD4 counts. Furthermore, there is no evidence that any of the current candidate vaccines can elicit responses in HIV-positive patients that would improve these parameters (viral loads and CD4 counts) for an extended period. (Beyrer, Chris, "The HIV/AIDS Vaccine Research: An Update." The Hopkins Report (January 2003)) Additionally, while there have been advances in some animal models, there is no validated animal model system for testing vaccine candidates, an obvious limitation when working with a high fatality pathogen such as HIV. (Beyrer, 2003) Current life expectancy after contracting HIV disease is approximately 10 to 15 years. Even a vaccine that failed to prevent transmission but extended life expectancy of a patient after contracting the disease would constitute an improvement.
Inactivated viruses may be useful for research and medicine. In fact, most of the successful early vaccines relied on inactivated virus. Inactivation produces a virus that is not infective, yet still induces an immune response based on its residual characteristics. An inactivated virus is typically generated from stocks of a virulent strain grown in cultured cells or animals. A potentially virulent virus is then made non-infectious or inactivated by chemical treatment. Viruses are by definition non-viable entities; they do not consume oxygen and food, nor do they produce waste; they replicate via their host, as described above for HIV. Viruses have no inherent metabolic activity and do not produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP). However, a live virus vaccine is capable of reproduction, while a killed virus vaccine is not. In general, live vaccines are more efficacious but also more dangerous than killed vaccines.
When a virus is inactivated, an immunogenic composition based on inactivated virus must retain its antigenicity in order to be useful. The inactivation process should preserve the three-dimensional structure of the virus while at the same time eliminating its virulence. Many methods are available to inactivate or kill a virus, but most destroy or change the three-dimensional structure of the virion, harming its antigenic characteristics. Originally, formaldehyde (formalin) treatment was used; for example, the Salk poliovirus vaccine was a formalin-inactivated preparation of three virus serotypes. Despite its wide use in early vaccines, formalin is difficult to remove and therefore poses the danger of residual toxicity. More recently, β-propriolactone has become a commonly used chemical to inactive a virus because residual amounts of the reagent can be readily hydrolyzed into non-toxic products. U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,204 to J. Hearst, et al., suggested the use of psoralens with irradiation to inactivate viruses for vaccine preparation. Psoralens are attractive because of their ability to inactivate virus without damaging the structure and without harmful residue. (Hanson, C. V., Bloodcells, Vol. 18(1), pp. 7-25 (1992)) Psoralens occur naturally in plants, including limes and celery, which use them to attack insects and fungi.
As noted above, the general notion of using psoralen to inactivate viruses is known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,619 disclosed psoralen inactivation of a live virus in order to prepare vaccines. That invention involved treatment or inactivation of virions using furocoumarins, including 4′-aminomethyl-4,5′, 8-trimethylpsoralen hydrochloride (AMT), and ultraviolet light in a limited oxygen environment. The inactivation is directed to double and single stranded DNA viruses, double and single stranded RNA viruses, and enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. This disclosure was general, and did not specifically contemplate HIV.
Some inventors have contemplated the use of psoralen in an HIV vaccine or composition. U.S. Pat. No. 6,107,543 disclosed a whole particle HIV immunogen that is inactivated preferably by gamma radiation; also disclosed, however, are a variety of alternative inactivation methods including psoralen, formalin, β-propriolactone, etc. The whole particle is treated for removal of the outer envelope proteins gp120 or gp160, while retaining the remainder of the structure. An alternative embodiment is a reduced immunogen comprising the remaining purified gene products, such as those encoded by the gag genes, the pol genes, the trans-membrane protein gp41, or the remaining genes of the HIV genome.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,383,806 and 6,503,753 disclosed a composition and method for development of an HIV vaccine based on psoralen photoinactivation of Reverse Transcriptase (RT). In other words, the objective of this invention is to promote an immune response based on the inactivation of a single inactivated enzyme within HIV. Preservation of the remainder of the particle is deemed to enhance immune response to the composition.
Although psoralen has been contemplated by inventors for use in an HIV immunogen or vaccine, none have looked to certain structural preservation issues inherent with psoralen inactivation of HIV. For example, HIV is highly mutagenic, changing structures frequently in the process of reverse transcription. Mutation may provide a means for an HIV strain to escape immune response caused by a vaccine. (Cohen, 1999) In addition, the preservation of HIV structure may result in the preservation of HIV components that disadvantage immune response.
Past efforts have not focused on the problems of mutation. HIV is a highly mutagenic retrovirus which, through reverse transcriptase converts its RNA into DNA. HIV reverse transcriptase is error prone, leading to mutation. Further, rapid replication exacerbates mutation. The high level of genomic diversity in HIV complicates diagnosis, treatment, and public health monitoring of disease progression. In particular, this diversity is manifested in biological peculiarities characterizing as infectivity, transmissibility, and immunogenicity. The divergence in viral genotypes of HIV has contributed to polymorphism, transmission efficiency, and the historical epidemic development of HIV. The variety of subtypes and sub-subtypes with each having a peculiar three dimensional structure can render a subtype vaccine ineffective for a patient having a different subtype. The high rate of mutation of HIV is certain to complicate selection of the appropriate immunogen.
The preservation of HIV structural components may present performance issues. As with U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,619, both U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,383,806 and 6,503,753 preserve whole particles. The later inventions are directed to inactivating only the RT. The preservation of the antigenic structure is intended to take advantage of a wider range of immunogens. This preservation of the correct antigenic conformation is considered important for access to the cytoplasm via micropinocytosis or mannose-receptor mediated uptake at dendritic cells. U.S. Pat. No. 6,107,543 includes psoralen inactivation within its disclosed method, but conversely required the removal of envelope glycoproteins gp120 and gp160 (but not gp41) because antibodies to those glycoproteins might facilitate virus absorption to cells. In fact, it is known that HIV can bind to and use C3b as ligands to permit infectious immune complexes to bind to dendritic cells and B lymphocytes. Antibodies to gp160 or gp120 sometimes lead to concentrations of virus in the lymph nodes and spleen. The '543 approach, like the others, would preserve transmembrane protein gp41 and some or all of the viral membrane.
At any rate, this preserved viral structure can hold unintended consequences. First, as described above gp160, gp120, and gp41 provide binding sites for complement factor H. (Pinter, Claudia et al, Aids Research and Human Retroviruses, Vol. 11(5), pp. 577-88 (1995) (Pinter, Claudia, et al., Aids Research and Human Retroviruses, Vol. 11(8) (1995))(Stoiber, Heribert, et al., Immunobiology, Vol. 193, pp 98-113 (1995)) Accordingly, the retention of these structures means that factor H will interfere with humoral immune response following vaccination. The removal of gp120 gp160 in U.S. Pat. No. 6,107,543 may mitigate this effect to some degree; nevertheless, the preservation of the gp41 Factor H binding sites would work against the immunogenicity of the composition. Second, both approaches are silent as to the cellular plasma membrane and retain some or all of the viral membrane, including certain bound proteins that interfere with immune response. As an assembling, replicating HIV particle buds through the infected cell plasma membrane, the membrane is enriched by CD55 (the decay accelerating factor) and CD59 (the homologous restriction factor) that regulate complement. These molecules are incorporated into the viral membrane upon budding from infected cells. Preservation of some or all of these features or structures could interfere with complement activation and humoral response. (Saifuddin, 1995) Third, HIV surface components bear sialic acid, which could remain on the preserved structure of inactivated HIV. Sialic acids are typically found on host proteins and cellular structures; high sialic acid content on a virus, even if the virus were inactivated, would limit the host's ability to recognize the virus and respond properly. Importantly, sialic acid residues are also used in the binding of Factor H. (Meri, Seppo, et al., "Discrimination Between Activator and Nonactivators of the Alternative Pathway of complement Regulation: Regulation Via a Sialic acid/Polyanion binding site on Factor H." Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA, Vol. 87(10), pp. 3982-6 (May 1990)) (Blackmore, T. K., et al., J. of Immunology, Vol. 157(12), pp. 5422-7 (December 1997)) (Kuhn, S., et al., Eur. J. Immunol., Vol. 26(10), pp. 2383-7 (October 1996)) (Pangburn, M. K., et al., J. of Immunology, Vol. 164(9) (May 2000))
The present invention is directed to an immunogenic composition that addresses these issues. It is intended that by creating compounds available to target different subtypes and aspects of HIV, it will advance treatment and research. Ultimately, it is hoped to extend survival and to improve the quality of life for infected individuals.

Method of inducing an immune response in a host by administering immunogenic compositions comprising UV-irradiated, psoralen-inactivated, desialated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) particles devoid of CD55 and CD59 in the viral membrane

Abstract: A method of developing an immune response to HIV using a composition of inactivated HIV. Inactivation is through psoralen and ultraviolet radiation. The composition is rendered more effective by the removal of structural features of HIV that interfere with immune response. In particular, sialic acid is removed to enhance immune recognition of the composition and to impair Complement Factor H binding. CD55 and CD59 are also removed to prevent the binding of Complement factor H.


A system for managing irrigation equipment comprises a first irrigation system for applying water in a first irrigated area, a second irrigation system for applying water in a second irrigated area, a control system for controlling the irrigation systems, and a user interface for enabling a user to configure the control system. The user interface presents a map view of a geographic area including the irrigated areas and includes a first graphical element corresponding to the first irrigation system and a second graphical element corresponding to the second irrigation system. The user interface further presents a first interactive control panel for controlling the first irrigation system concurrently with the map view when the user selects the first graphical element, and presents a second interactive control panel for controlling the second irrigation system concurrently with the map view when the user selects the second graphical element.

1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to user interfaces for irrigation systems. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to graphical user interfaces for remotely monitoring and controlling irrigation systems.
2. Related Art
Mobile irrigation systems used in the agricultural industry include elevated water conduits with a plurality of sprinkler heads depending from the conduits for dispensing water to an irrigated area. The water conduits are supported by towers mounted on wheels that propel the towers along the ground to be irrigated. Pivot type irrigation systems include a series of sections connected at a pivot end to a water source such that the sections follow a circular or curved path about the pivot end during operation. Lateral type irrigation systems also include a series of sections, but rather than pivoting about a single point follow a generally linear path.
Users must manage various aspects of the operations of such irrigation systems including, for example, water application rates, irrigation starting positions, irrigation ending positions, irrigation start times, direction of travel of the irrigation systems, and application of chemicals via irrigation system accessories. Modern irrigation systems include control systems for automatically managing certain aspects of irrigation system operations. Such control systems allow users to program irrigation start positions, irrigation end positions, irrigation application rates, irrigation start times and other operational parameters. Such control systems may additionally allow users to program irrigation system accessories, such as accessories for applying pesticides and fertilizers.
It is often desirable or necessary to modify the operation of irrigation systems during operation in response to, for example, changes in weather or to allow for maintenance of the irrigation system or the irrigated area in which the system operates. There may be tens or even hundreds of irrigation systems controlled by a single irrigation control system, and a user may need to make a modification when he or she is in the field performing visual inspections of the irrigation systems and corresponding irrigated areas. Modern irrigation control systems are not suited to enable users to quickly and easily modify operation of multiple irrigation systems. Accordingly, there is a need for a system which overcomes these limitations.

Irrigation system including a graphical user interface


Aspects of the disclosure provide a communication apparatus that can use preferable settings regardless of which of communication in a near-field wireless communication method and communication in a wireless communication method different from the near-field wireless communication method is used as a trigger to start a function. The communication apparatus may include a controller. The controller may, if communication carried out in a near-field wireless communication method, transmit at least one of first setting table and data created based on the first setting table to an external device, and, if communication is carried out in the wireless communication method, transmit at least one of second setting table and data created based on the second setting table to the external device.

A technology known in the prior art is applicable to a communication apparatus that can perform both communication in a near-field wireless communication method and communication based on a wireless local area network (LAN) standard. Specifically, in the known technology, if the communication method used in a distant apparatus, the method being obtained through communication in a near-field wireless communication method, indicates a wireless LAN standard applicable to the local apparatus, communication with the distant apparatus is switched to communication based on the wireless LAN standard, after which data transmission is carried out.


In an optical scanning device (10) capable of scanning an information plane of an optical record carrier (5) of different types such as BD, DVD and CD, the diameter of the radiation spot on the detector (7) is dependent on the numerical aperture of the objective system (4) that is used for scanning the record carrier An optimal design of the optical detection system for scanning a BD, result in a small radiation spot for the other types such as DVD and CD. By implementing an optical element (13) that increases the diameter of the radiation spot in the situation a DVD or CD is scanned, the influence of stray light is reduced and the tracking signals are improved

With growing demand for higher storage capacities in optical recording systems new storage systems are being developed over CD (Compact Disc) and DVD (Digital Versatile Disc). The Blu-ray Disc (BD) is such a new storage system. Where a CD can store some 650 MB and the DVD some 4.7 GB per 12 cm diameter disc, the BD can already store some 27 GB on a 12 cm disc. For further increase in data storage capacity of a disc multi-layer media have been developed for DVD and also for BD. Such media contain, for example, two data layers, which are separated by a spacer layer. Each layer can be accessed through the same entrance surface of the record carrier.
The main differences from an optical point of view between these generations of optical disc systems are the wavelength of the radiation source and the numerical aperture of the objective system that focuses the radiation beam onto the data layer. For CD the wavelength is typically 785 nm and a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.45 is used, while for DVD this is about 660 nm and 0.60, and for BD about 405 nm and 0.85, respectively. To bridge all these different optical storage systems compatible optical scanning heads are being developed that are capable of reading and recording discs of the different optical recording system generations. When designing such compatible optical scanning heads it is desirable to use a single light-path and a single radiation detector as this leads to an optical head with fewer optical elements and, therefore, would be cheaper and more competitive.
Due to the difference in NA of the objective lens system for each application (CD, DVD or BD) also the NA of the returning radiation beam towards the radiation detector will be different. This implies that the diameter of the spot focused onto the photo-detector is also proportional to the NA. For example, a diameter of the radiation spot of 70 μm on the photo detector for a BD application with the astigmatic focusing method may use a typical photo-detector with dimensions of 200 μm by 100 μm, while the diameter of the radiation spot for the DVD application is about 54 μm and for the CD application only about 37 μm.
A problem arises when beamlanding occurs i.e. the detector and light spot are mutually displaced in the lateral direction due to for example mechanical stress, misalignment during manufacturing of the optical head or thermal instabilities in the optical scanning head. This beamlanding has deteriorating effects on the quality of the focusing and tracking signals of the scanning system. Beamlanding errors of up to 10-15 μm are common in optical scanning heads. For the DVD and CD application of the system such beamlanding values are relatively large with respect to the diameter of the radiation spot of respectively about 54 μm and 37 μm.
Another problem occurs when the system is reading dual-layer DVD discs. The radiation beam is focused by the objective system on one of the two information layers for reading out the data. The reflection at the other layer not being in focus causes a secondary spot on the radiation detector. This secondary spot has a much larger area on the radiation detector as it is out of focus at the record carrier, but a portion of the light distribution is still captured by the sensitive areas of the radiation detector. This secondary spot can be considered as unwanted stray light, as it may affect a robust focusing and tracking signal generation. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,841,735 the requirements for detector dimensions in relation to multi-layer disc are described. But the fixed detector dimensions optimized for the BD application, lead to a mismatch of such requirements and result in a large portion of stray light on the radiation detector for the dual-layer DVD application of the system that may result in reduction of the readout and recording performance of the system in the DVD application.
JP 10-177738 discloses a two-objective-lens actuator for a DVD-CD compatible optical scanning head with specific requirements on the relation between the numerical apertures and focal lengths of both objective lenses such that the numerical aperture of the radiation beam towards the radiation detector, thus the size of the focused spot on the radiation detector, is about the same for both the DVD as well as the CD application. When the optical scanning head also needs to be compatible with a third generation optical record carrier, such as BD, the proposed solution requires three lenses in the actuator. This will make the actuator head more complex and costly. It also increases the mass in the actuator, which limits the bandwidth of the actuator system, resulting in a limitation of the readout speed of record carriers. Also the possibility to use the solution in a 3D-actuator will become much more complex. A 3D-actuator is used for focusing and radial tracking of the record carrier as well as for the correction of record carrier tilt (usually in the radial direction). Such a 3D-actuator is commonly used in DVD systems.
It is an object of the invention to provide an optical scanning head (and its application) suitable for readout and/or recording of multiple record carrier generations without impact on the actuator performance and solving one or more of the above-mentioned problems.

Optical head with switchable diameter of the radiation spot on the radiation detector


A quoting system for housing components, especially cabinets, includes a product database storing a plurality of product identifiers for different cabinet components, each having an associated cabinet style. The database also includes identifiers for products and/or services that are outsourced. The user need enter the description and product or service identifiers only once for an entire quote. The user can assign the pricing by style (or wood species).

This invention relates to housing construction and more particularly to a system for generating a quote for housing components, namely cabinets.
Generally, when a housing development is under construction a cabinet supplier for the development provides the builder with a quote for cabinets for the houses in the development. The cabinet supplier has numerous product lines with different wood species (or styles), each with different prices. The builder selects a subset of the supplier's product lines of cabinets and the supplier provides a quote to the builder for the cabinets in that subset. This subset of cabinets is made available at different prices for selection by purchasers of the houses in the development. However, the subset of cabinets still presents numerous styles at numerous different prices. In order to simplify the selection process for the purchasers, these cabinets are usually subgrouped into "buckets," so that all cabinets in the same bucket have the same price. Therefore, the decision for the purchaser can be simplified into "standard, upgraded or premium" price levels (for example), with several cabinets available at each price level.
The housing development typically includes several floor plans, each with different requirements for cabinets. Each floor plan may further include optional layouts, such as an expanded kitchen or master bath, which would have different requirements for cabinets.
The cabinet supplier provides a quote to the builder for each optional layout of each floor plan in each style of available cabinet. In that way, the builder could provide the range of options to the purchasers and the prices for each option. When the purchaser selects a floor plan, any optional layouts and cabinet style, the builder would communicate these selections to the cabinet supplier to place the order.
The quotes often include products and/or services that are outsourced. The price for these products or services often varies by wood species, causing a user to have to enter an appropriate price for each style. Maintenance for these outsourced items has to be done individually at each occurrence in the quote. The current quoting system allows only one price per outsourced item. A user must therefore manually manipulate the quote output to reflect the price by style. In addition, the pricing is not stored and to maintain, must be recreated.


Cell search synchronization in spread spectrum communications systems using primary and second synchronization codes with symbol partitioning for shorter coherent combinations (despreading) which are combined non-coherently, and Fourier transform analysis automatically adjusts for phase rotation of the despread sub-symbols.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to communications, and more particularly to spread spectrum digital communications and related systems and methods.
2. Background
Spread spectrum wireless communications utilize a radio frequency bandwidth greater than the minimum bandwidth required for the transmitted data rate, but many users may simultaneously occupy the bandwidth. Each of the users has a pseudo-random code for "spreading" information to encode it and for "despreading" (by correlation) the spread spectrum signal for recovery of the corresponding information. This multiple access is typically called code division multiple access (CDMA). The pseudo-random code may be an orthogonal (Walsh) code, a pseudo-noise (PN) code, a Gold code, or combinations (modulo-2 additions) of such codes. After despreading the received signal at the correct time instant, the user recovers the corresponding information while the remaining interfering signals appear noise-like. For example, the interim standard IS-95 for such CDMA communications employs channels of 1.25 MHz bandwidth and a code pulse interval (chip) Tc of 0.8138 microsecond with a transmitted symbol (bit) lasting 64 chips. The recent wideband CDMA (WCDMA) proposal employs a 3.84 MHz bandwidth with QPSK (quadrature phase-shift keying) modulation and chip duration of 0.26 microsecond. The CDMA code length applied to each information symbol may vary from 4 chips to 256 chips. The CDMA code for each user is typically produced as the modulo-2 addition of a Walsh code with a pseudo-random code (two pseudo-random codes for the real and imaginary parts of QPSK modulation) to improve the noise-like nature of the resulting signal. A cellular system could employ IS-95 or WCDMA for the air interface between the base station and the mobile users within a cell.
A spread spectrum receiver synchronizes with the transmitter by code acquisition followed by code tracking. Code acquisition includes an initial search to bring the phase of the receiver's local code generator to within typically a half chip of the transmitter's, and code tracking maintains fine alignment of chip boundaries of the incoming and locally generated codes. Code acquisition will also include a three-step cell search as described in more detail below. Conventional code tracking utilizes a delay-lock loop (DLL) or a tau-dither loop (TDL), both of which are based on the well-known early-late gate principle. Note that there are roughly 500 carrier cycles per chip.
In a multipath situation a RAKE receiver has individual demodulators (fingers) tracking separate paths and combines the results to improve signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), typically according to a method such as maximal ratio combining (MRC) in which the individual detected signals are synchronized and weighted according to their signal strengths. A RAKE receiver usually has a DLL or TDL code tracking loop for each finger together with control circuitry for assigning tracking units to received signal paths.
The 3GPP UMTS (universal mobile telecommunications system) approach UTRA (UMTS terrestrial radio access) provides a spread spectrum cellular air interface with both FDD (frequency division duplex) and TDD (time division duplex) modes of operation. UTRA currently employs radio frames with 10 ms duration and partitioned into 15 time slots (0.667 ms duration) with each time slot consisting of 2560 chips. In FDD mode the base station and the mobile user transmit on different frequencies, whereas in TDD mode a time slot may be allocated to transmissions by either the base station (downlink) or a mobile user (uplink). In addition, TDD systems are differentiated from the FDD systems by the presence of interference cancellation at the receiver. The spreading gain for TDD systems is small (8–16), and the absence of the long spreading code implies that the multi-user multipath interference does not look Gaussian and needs to be canceled at the receiver.
In currently proposed 3GPP in FDD mode, a mobile user performs an initial cell search when first turned on or entering a new cell. During the cell search the mobile user determines the downlink scrambling code and frame synchronization of the cell (base station). The 3GPP informative cell search procedure has the following three steps:
1. Slot synchronization. The mobile user first detects the primary synchronization code (PSC) on the downlink synchronization channel (SCH) to acquire slot synchronization to a cell. The SCH occupies the first 256 chips out of the 2560 chips of each slot. This may be done with a single matched filter that is matched to the PSC which is common to all cells and not scrambled. The slot timing of the cell can seen from peaks in the matched filter output; see FIG. 2a.
2. Frame synchronization and code-group identification. Next, the mobile user detects the sequence of secondary synchronization codes (SSCs) on the SCH to find frame synchronization an identify the code group of the cell found in step 1. This may be done by correlating the received (slot-synchronized) signal with all 64 defined SSC sequences of length 15 (one SSC per slot), and identifying the maximum correlation. There are 16 distinct SSCs, and the length-15 sequence of SSCs may include repeats of a particular SSC. The length-15 sequences are unique under cyclic shifts of less than 15, so the maximum correlation identifies both the particular length-15 sequence and the frame synchronization. The 64 length-15 sequences correspond to 64 scrambling code groups, so step 2 also determines the scrambling code group of the cell. Because there are 64 length-15 sequences and 15 possible shifts of each sequence, there are 64×15=960 correlations over a 15-slot interval to compare.
3. Scrambling-code identification. Lastly, the mobile user determines the primary scrambling code used by the found cell (base station) in steps 1–2 through symbol-by-symbol correlation of the received signal over the common pilot channel (CPICH) with all 8 scrambling codes within the scrambling code group identified in step 2. After the primary scrambling code has been identified, the mobile user detects the primary common control physical channel (P-CCPCH) and reads system-specific and cell-specific broadcast channel (BCH) information.
Analogously, a TDD mode cell search also has three steps, but the channel structure differs in that the physical synchronization channel (PSCH) has 256 chips in just one or two time slots per frame and with a selected offset from the beginning of the slot. As with FDD, the TDD base station transmits the PSC and SSCs in the PSCH without scrambling. However, the TDD base station transmits a sum of the PSC and a scaled linear combination of three SSCs of a code set; the linear combination varies with periodicity of one or two frames and thereby allows determination of the code set. The cell search steps are.
1. Slot synchronization. The mobile user achieves slot synchronization to the strongest cell using the PSC. Furthermore, frame synchronization with the uncertainty of 1 out of 2 is obtained in this step. A single matched filter which is matched to the PSC may be used.
2. Frame synchronization and code-group identification. The mobile user next uses the linear combination of SSCs to find frame synchronization and identify one out of 32 code groups. Each code group is linked to a specific offest and thus to a specific frame timing, and each code group associates with four scrambling codes. Each scrambling code associates with a specific short and long basic midamble code. Also, for the cases of PSCH in two slots per frame, the mobile user performs more PSC correlation to find the position of the next PSCH slots (7 or 8 slot durations).
3. Scrambling code identification. Lastly, the mobile user determines the exact basic midamble code and the accompanying scrambling code used by the found cell. These are identified through correlation over the primary common control physical channel with all four midambles of the code group identified in step 2.
However, these synchronization methods have problems including low performance in the presence of frequency errors between the base station oscillator and the mobile user oscillator.


Provided is a method for industrially producing a conjugated Z-alken-yn-yl acetate such as Z-13-hexadecen-11-yn-yl acetate which is a sex pheromone component of a pine processionary moth, and an intermediate for the conjugated Z-alken-yn-yl acetate under mild conditions at a high yield. More specifically, provided is a method for producing a conjugated Z-alken-yn-yl acetate (5) comprising the steps of: reacting an ω-halo-2-alkynal (1) with an alkylidene triphenylphosphorane (3) through a Wittig reaction to obtain a conjugated Z-alken-yn-yl halide (4), and acetoxylating the conjugated Z-alken-yn-yl halide (4) into a conjugated Z-alken-yn-yl acetate (5).

The present invention relates to methods for producing a conjugated Z-alken-yn-yl acetate and an ω-halo-2-alkynal which is an intermediate thereof, particularly to a method for producing Z-13-hexadecen-11-yn-yl acetate which is a sex pheromone component of a pine processionary moth (scientific name: Thaumetopoea pityocampa), which is a forest pest insect in Europe.
A pine processionary moth (scientific name: Thaumetopoea pityocampa) is an insect widely inhabiting European countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece. It has become a problem as a forest pest insect because of feeding damage to trees such as pine and cedar. In addition, poisonous hair of the larva of this moth is known to cause a serious allergic reaction in humans, livestock, pets and the like. Moreover, in recent years, the habitat of the moth has been expanding northward from the Mediterranean region due to the effect of global warming. There is therefore a demand for the development of a novel control method of the moth.
It has been reported by A. Guerrero et al. in 1981 (A. Guerrero et. al., Tetrahedron Letters, Vol. 22, 2013-2016, 1981) that the sex pheromone component of this pine methodionary moth is Z-13-hexadecen-11-yn-yl acetate having a conjugated Z-alken-yn-yl acetate structure. Development of a control method such as mating disruption or mass trapping using this sex pheromone has therefore been expected.
The methods for producing Z-13-hexadecen-11-yn-yl acetate that have already been reported include: a method reported by F. Camps et al. and making use of an elimination reaction of a secondary tosylate and use of an organolithium compound (Spanish Patent Publication No. 2010719, Spanish Patent Publication No. 8204407, and F. Camps et. al., Chem. Lett., 703, 1981), a method reported by G. Cardillo et al. and using lithium diisopropylamide and a dehydration reaction (G. Cardillo et. al., Gazzetta Chimica Italiana, 112, 231, 1982), a method reported by J. K. Stille et al. and using an acetylene zipper reaction, an organotin compound, and diimide reduction (J. K. Stille et. al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1987, 109, 2138), a method reported by M. Gardette et al. and using a reaction between an organocopper lithium reagent and an acetylene compound (M. Gardette et. al., J. Chem. Ecolg., 9, 219, 1983), and a method reported by D. Michelot et al. and using a hydroboration reaction and a coupling reaction in the presence of a palladium catalyst (D. Michelot et. al., J. Chem. Res., 4, 1043, 1982). Thus, in these methods, a special raw material such as an organolithium compound, an organoboron compound, an organotin compound or a diimide compound is used and a step of requiring a low-temperature reaction at −10° C. or less for the production is comprised.
On the other hand, as a method for producing Z-13-hexadecen-11-yn-yl acetate under mild conditions without using a special raw material, there has been reported a production method using a Wittig reaction between 13-tetrahydropyranoxy-2-tridecyn-1-al obtained by protecting an alcohol group at the C13-position with a tetrahydropyranyl group and propylidene triphenylphosphorane (F. Camps et. al., J. Chem. Ecolg., 9, 869, 1983).

Method for producing an ω-halo-2-alkynal


Blast resistant prefabricated wall panels contain at least one panel consisting of two structural boards having a thermoset resin-impregnated fiber reinforcing layer therebetween and extending from sides of the panel, the extension wrapped at least partially around metal sole and top plates of a metal sole plate, top plate, and stud construction. The panels are capable of resisting explosive blasts without forming secondary projectiles, and are preferably attached to a building structure by energy absorbing deformable brackets.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to blast resistant prefabricated wall units and to the use thereof to construct building structures.
2. Background Art
Blast resistant structures in prior times were generally limited to defense installations where blasts from exploding ammunition dumps, missile lift-off failures, or the threat of enemy action reinstated consideration of such structures. Recently, however, the threat of suicide bombers, car bombs, and the like, have raised the threshold of consciousness relative to the desirability of such structures generally, in particular for desirable terrorist targets such as tall office buildings, government buildings, embassies, and the like, worldwide.
Occupants of buildings subjected to explosive blasts risk the possibility of death or injury not only by the blast itself and primary projectiles set in motion by the blast, but also by "secondary" projectiles which are originally part of the structure walls, and which are detached from the walls and accelerated inwards by the external shock wave. Thus, for example, in the case of prefabricated wall units of layers of sheetrock, masonry board or the like, conventionally fabricated with studs, sole plates, and top plates, a blast easily fragments the exterior and interior boards as the walls bend inward from the blast. The fragments become large projectiles, in many cases exceeding the destructive capacity of projectiles from the blast itself.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,422, a panel construction is disclosed where wall layers such as gypsum board are bonded together with an adhesively bonded web mesh, in order to withstand impacts resulting from high winds such as those caused by tropical storms and hurricanes. However, such panels are unlikely to survive impacts from primary projectiles or the shock waves created by explosive events, and in any case, will still generate secondary projectiles in the case of the latter. No prefabricated walls are disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,242,406 discloses panels which are designed to be structural, i.e. to bear significant load, comprising a plastic surface finish adhered to a reinforcing layer prepared from an organic casting resin and containing reinforcing fibers, an intermediate bonding layer containing chopped glass fibers, and fiberglass-reinforced gypsum board as the final layer. While the panels are designed to be structural, they are not designed to resist impact. Moreover, prefabricated wall structures are not disclosed.
It would be desirable to provide blast resistant prefabricated wall units which do not fragment into secondary projectiles in the case of a blast. It would be further desirable to provide a building structure which can absorb considerable blast energy.

Blast resistant prefabricated wall units


An object is to provide a communication management system that prevents a surveying instrument from being used in an environment exceeding a guaranteed range of specifications. To achieve the above-described object, a communication management system includes a surveying instrument including a survey unit, a temperature sensor, a control unit, and a communication unit, a management server, and a remote terminal, wherein the remote terminal sets a usable temperature of the surveying instrument, sets a determination on the usable temperature and a temperature acquired by the temperature sensor, and an operation responsive to results of the determination, and makes the management server store these, the surveying instrument transmits its own temperature information to the management server, and the management server makes the determination by comparing the usable temperature and a temperature acquired by the temperature sensor, and executes the operation based on results of the determination.

A surveying instrument (total station) is a device that performs a survey by irradiating a distance-measuring light onto a target placed at a measurement point and receives reflected light of the distance-measuring light. Since a surveying instrument is a precision instrument, in order to keep specifications (measurement accuracy) of the surveying instrument, it is preferably used under a temperature not exceeding a guaranteed range of the specifications.
The system disclosed in Patent Literature 1 includes a temperature sensor in a surveying instrument, and this temperature sensor detects a substrate temperature and the substrate temperature is saved in a memory. This temperature information is transmitted on demand from a management company as history information concerning measurement errors through Internet communication.

Communication management system of surveying instrument