A housing unit installed within a tubing string of a oil well, water well, or gas dewatering well contains at least one reciprocating plunger which utilizes the hydraulic head of the fluid in the tubing to modify the loading in a subsurface pump actuation string, such as a string of sucker rods. The device can be used to either reduce observed polished rod loads at the surface to reduce the required counterbalance, or the device can be used to provide additional loading in the pump actuation string above the pump to reduce buckling. The device is used in a method for modifying the loading in a subsurface pump actuation string.

This application relates to wells which use subsurface pumps to produce fluids from a subsurface reservoir to the surface, where the subsurface pump is actuated by an actuation string, such as a string of sucker rods or a string of small diameter tubing. Typically reservoir pressure declines over time and the wells require some form of artificial lift. This may be true for water wells as well as oil wells.
Sucker rod pumps are the most common form of artificial lift for oil wells. Sucker rod actuated pumps may be operated by reciprocation of the rod string, as with a rod pump having a plunger which seals within a barrel, drawing fluid into the barrel on the upstroke. The rod string is typically reciprocated up and down by a pumping unit at the surface. Another type of subsurface pump—the progressive cavity pump—is actuated by the rotation of the rod string, which rotates a rotor within a stator. In both cases, the rod string acts as a pump actuation string. While the typical installation utilizes a string of individual rods coupled in an end-to-end configuration, it is to be appreciated that other configurations of a pump actuation string may be utilized, such as a string of small diameter tubing joints connected together. In addition, because continuous lengths of tubing or rod are known, such as reeled tubing, etc, such a continuous single length may also be utilized as a pump actuation string.
Pumping units for rod pumped wells must be sized according to the loading induced on the pumping unit by the loading at the polished rod or top rod in the rod string. The sizing is further complicated for wells produced with reciprocating rod pumps because the loading varies as the rod string moves between the up stroke and the down stroke. During the up stroke, the polished rod lifts the fluid, rod string suspended from the polished rod, and the pump plunger. During the down stroke, the polished rod lowers the rods and pump plunger. Therefore the pumping unit would be fully loaded on the upstroke and lightly loaded on the down stroke. Compensation for this uneven loading is partially addressed by counter balance effects (CBE) which attempt to reduce equipment loading and balance the loading across the pumping cycle. In the ideal installation, the CBE would equal the rod weight plus one-half of the fluid load, that is the pumping unit would lift half the fluid on both the up and down stroke. The rod load would be eliminated by the ideal CBE.
The walking beam pumping unit is the most common sucker rod pumping system. These types of units convert rotational motion of the prime mover of the pumping unit into a generally vertical reciprocating motion of the polished rod. Typical pumping units have a horse head which is shaped such that the polished rod reciprocates vertically without a horizontal motion. Therefore the polished rod forces act vertically. This shape produces an increase in the effective length of the waking beam as the walking beam reaches the top and bottom of the stroke. Therefore the horizontal distance from the polished rod to the balance point remains constant. Polished rod torque, on the walking beam, is the product of the vertical force and the horizontal distance, therefore the torque is constant. However, for walking beam mounted counter-weights, the distance from the walking beam balance point to the counterbalancing weights is constant. In that gravity works vertically through the weights, the horizontal distance from the weights to the balance point is constantly changing. Torque from the fixed point CBE is therefore at a minimum at the top of the stroke, a maximum in the middle, and a minimum again at the bottom. Therefore the torque from the chosen CBE will vary and only match at one position of the stroke. Counter-weights are typically placed to match the load in the middle of the stroke. The CBE mismatch increases as the walking beam angle is increased to obtain longer strokes.
As discussed above, the geometry of these units prohibits an ideal CBE throughout the entire stroke cycle, and an ideal CBE can only be realized at a few specific stoke positions. Consequently, the CBE is less than ideal at the other stroke positions. This limitation of the known methods for achieving CBE has required that the sizing of the various components of the pumping units, including walking beams, structural members, and gear boxes be sized for loading which occurs in the stroke positions where the ideal CBE cannot be achieved.
The known method of achieving CBE for walking beam pumping units is by utilizing counter-balance weights on either the walking beam opposite the polished rod or on the crank arms of the pumping unit. However, the mounting of weights on the walking beam greatly increases the load supported by the walking beam and its structure. This loading is compounded by the dynamics of stabilizing a large reciprocating mass at the end of the walking beam. These forces increase with longer strokes, rapid strokes, and larger loads. Therefore beam mounted counter-weights have been limited to the smallest of pumping units.
Crank mounted counter-weights have been utilized in an effort to overcome the above problems. However, while placing weights on the crank arms generally solves the dynamic load problems associated with the beam mounted weights, the crank mounted weights introduces a severe problem with matching CBE to polished rod load. Pumping units having crank mounted weights retain the problems from the horsehead geometry discussed above and add another compounding effect. As stated above, the induced torque from the fixed mounting point changes depending upon the stroke position (i.e., the walking beam angle). However, with crank mounted counter-weights, the induced CBE varies with the crank angle. Gravity works vertically through the center of gravity of the weights. Therefore the resulting CBE torque is at a maximum when the weights are horizontal, typically in the middle of the stroke. However the CBE goes to zero as the weights becomes vertical at the top and bottom of the stroke. Therefore, gear boxes for pumping units are typically sized one or two sizes larger than would otherwise be required.
Various attempts to solve this problem have been attempted. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,837 (Grigsby) discloses a system that uses additional moving crank mounted weights. This solution moves the zero point of CBE to a different crank angle which does not solve the wide variation in CBE. However, auxiliary weights rotating around a rotating crank arm also induce a costly complexity that has not proven cost effective.
As another potential solution to the problem, air balanced walking beam pumping units have been deployed. These units utilize the compression of a trapped gas, normally air, within a cylinder, to induce a CBE. The cylinders are typically installed on the horse head side of the walking beam. However, because the cylinder is attached to the walking beam at a fixed point, these units nevertheless share the geometry problems of units utilizing beam mounted counter-weights. The forces from the walking beam are applied to a fixed point while the effective length of the walking beam is constantly changing. Therefore the application of an ideal CBE does not match the tongue from the load.
In addition the pressure in the air cylinder is constantly changing as the cylinder expands or compresses the trapped air. These pressure swings can induce significant imbalance problems, which are attempted to be solved by eliminating pressure swings by venting air during compression and injecting compressed air during expansion. However, in operation, these units are generally not capable of producing a constant force CBE. In addition to these control problems, the air balanced units have proven very costly to operate. Operating costs and energy usage is much higher than for units utilizing mounted weights.
The above problems are based upon the loading induced at the polished rod by the pump actuation string. Another problem associated with actuation string loading is where insufficient rod load is realized at the subsurface pump to efficiently operate the pump because the actuation string is buckling. This problem is typically observed in wells which are highly deviated. In these installations, frictional loads induced on the actuation string in the deviated sections of the well may cause the actuation string to buckle and so reduce the rod weight realized at the subsurface pump that the plunger of the subsurface pump may not fully stroke within its barrel. In addition this buckling causes premature rod and tubing failures.

Apparatus and method for modifying loading in a pump actuation string in a well having a subsurface pump


A method for facilitating an anonymous communications session in a communications environment is provided that includes receiving, from a first endpoint, a request for a communication session involving a second endpoint. The method also includes identifying end user data associated with a first endpoint. The data associated with the first endpoint is mapped to an identity of the first endpoint. The second endpoint is shown the identity of the first endpoint and not the end user data associated with the first endpoint.

Electronic architectures have experienced significant notoriety because they can offer the benefits of automation, convenience, and data management for their respective online communities. Certain network protocols may be used in order to allow an end user to be matched to other end users or to scenarios in which they stand to benefit (e.g., job searches, person-finding services, real estate searches, online dating, etc.).
In some cases, end users desire that their identity, address, or other personal information remain anonymous. The ability to initiate a communication session between two users without exchanging personal information offers a significant challenge to network operators, administrators, and device manufacturers.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for providing anonymity in a session initiated protocol network


A medicament for treating a patient who cannot be cured with a medicament comprising as an active ingredient an antibody composition produced by a cell unresistant to a lectin which recognizes a sugar chain in which 1-position of fucose is bound to 6-position of N-acetylglucosamine in the reducing end through α-bond in a complex N-glycoside-linked sugar chain, which comprises as an active ingredient an antibody composition produced by a cell resistant to a lectin which recognizes a sugar chain in which 1-position of fucose is bound to 6-position of N-acetylglucosamine in the reducing end through α-bond in a complex N-glycoside-linked sugar chain, and a method for screening the patient by using the medicament.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medicament for treating a patient who cannot be cured with a medicament comprising as an active ingredient an antibody composition produced by a cell unresistant to a lectin which recognizes a sugar chain in which 1-position of fucose is bound to 6-position of N-acetylglucosamine in the reducing end through α-bond in a complex N-glycoside-linked sugar chain, and a method for screening the patient by using the medicament.
2. Brief Description of the Background Art
Since antibodies have high binding activity, binding specificity and high stability in blood, their applications to diagnosis, prevention and treatment of various human diseases have been attempted [Monoclonal Antibodies: Principles and Applications, Wiley-Liss, Inc., Chapter 2.1 (1995)]. Also, production of a humanized antibody such as a human chimeric antibody or a human complementarity determining region (hereinafter referred to as "CDR")-grafted antibody from a non-human animal antibody have been attempted by using genetic recombination techniques. The human chimeric antibody is an antibody in which its antibody variable region (hereinafter referred to as "V region") is derived from a non-human animal antibody and its constant region (hereinafter referred to as "C region") is derived from a human antibody. The human CDR-grafted antibody is an antibody in which the CDR of a human antibody is replaced by CDR derived from a non-human animal antibody.
It has been found that five classes, IgM, IgD, IgG, IgA and IgE, are present in mammal antibodies. Antibodies of human IgG class are mainly used for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of various human diseases because they have functional characteristics such as long half-life in blood and various effector functions [Monoclonal Antibodies: Principles and Applications, Wiley-Liss, Inc., Chapter 1 (1995)]. The human IgG class antibody is further classified into the following 4 subclasses: IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4. A large number of studies have so far been conducted for antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxic activity (hereinafter referred to as "ADCC activity") and complement-dependent cytotoxic activity (hereinafter referred to as "CDC activity") as effector functions of the IgG class antibody, and it has been reported that among antibodies of the human IgG class, the IgG1 subclass has the highest ADCC activity and CDC activity [Chemical Immunology, 65, 88 (1997)]. In view of the above, most of the anti-tumor humanized antibodies, including commercially available an anti-CD20 antibody RITUXAN (Rituximab) (manufactured by IDEC/Genentech) and an anti-HER2 antibody HERCEPTIN (manufactured by Roche/Genentech), which require high effector functions for the expression of their effects, are antibodies of the human IgG1 subclass.
Also, ills known that the degrees of ADCC activity and CDC activity show a positive correlation to the expressed amount of antigens on target cells [J. Immunol., 116, 253 (1976), J. Natl. Cancer Inst., 72, 673 (1984), J. Nucl. Med., 27, 422 (1986), Cancer Res., 48, 6303 (1988), British J. Cancer, 78, 478 (1998)]. Also, it has been proved by examinations using Herceptin that commercially available therapeutic antibodies do not show their therapeutic effects unless an antigen amount at a certain degree is present on target cells.
That is, as a result of analysis on the correlation between the ADCC activity of HERCEPTIN and the expressed amount of HER2 antigen on target cancer cells, it was shown that the ADCC activity is hardly induced when the number of HER2 on the target cell is at the level of 104, that significant ADCC activity is induced when the number of HER2 on the target cell is at the level of 105 or more, and that high ADCC activity is induced when the number of HER2 on the target cell is at the level of about 106. For example, HERCEPTIN shows high ADCC activity upon a human breast cancer cell line SK-BR-3 expressing 9.0×105 of BER2 molecules, but HERCEPTIN did not exert ADCC activity upon a human breast cancer cell line MCF7 expressing 2.2×104 of HER2 molecules [Cancer Immunol. Immunother., 37, 255 (1993), HERCEPTIN injection 150 pamphlet, HER.PA.1.2 (June, 2001)].
Also, in clinical tests, it is known that therapeutic effect of HERCEPTIN is significantly high for patients recognized to have high expression of tumor tissue BFR2 by an immunohistochemistry method or a fluorescence in situ hybridization method, rather than for patients having low HER2 expression [Proc. Am. Soci. Clin. Oncol., 20, 22a (2001)]. Thus, since its therapeutic effect is hardly shown for patients having low HER2 expression, application of HERCEPTIN is limited to patients having BER2 over-expression.
In addition to HERCEPTIN, an anti-CD20 antibody RITUXAN, an anti-CD52 antibody CAMPATH and the like are known as therapeutic antibodies. All of these antibodies aim at obtaining their therapeutic effects by destroying target cells, and the ADCC activity is considered to be the major mechanism in each case. The number of antigen molecules on the treatable target cell of these antibodies is 1 to 3×105 in CD20 [J. Olin. Pathol., 51, 364 (1998)] and is also 1 to 5×105 in CD52 [Seminars in Oncology, 26 (5 Suppl 14), 52 (1999)], each requiring 105 or more. Thus, the therapeutic antibodies so far known require that an antigen is expressed at 105 or more on the target cell for the expression of ADCC activity, and no therapeutic agent which uses, as an active ingredient, an antibody for a target cell which expresses an antigen at an amount of less than 105 is known.


A system for an engine, comprising of a cylinder of the engine; a first injector configured to inject a first substance to said cylinder; a second injector configured to inject a second substance to said cylinder; and a controller configured to commence combustion in the engine by injecting fuel into said cylinder, where said fuel is injected by only one of said first and second injectors during said start and/or warm-up.

Engines may use various forms of fuel delivery to provide a desired amount of fuel for combustion in each cylinder. One type of fuel delivery uses a port injector for each cylinder to deliver fuel to respective cylinders. Still another type of fuel delivery uses a direct injector for each cylinder.
Engines have also been described using more than one injector to provide fuel to a single cylinder in an attempt to improve engine performance. Specifically, in US 2005/0155578 an engine is described using a port fuel injector and a direct injector in each cylinder of the engine.
Another approach utilizing multiple injection locations for different fuel types is described in the papers titled "Calculations of Knock Suppression in Highly Turbocharged Gasoline/Ethanol Engines Using Direct Ethanol Injection" and "Direct Injection Ethanol Boosted Gasoline Engine: Biofuel Leveraging for Cost Effective Reduction of Oil Dependence and CO2 Emissions" by Heywood et al. Specifically, the Heywood et al. papers describe directly injecting ethanol to improve charge cooling effects, while relying on port injected gasoline for providing the majority of combusted fuel over a drive cycle.
However, the inventors herein have recognized several issues with such systems. For example, warmed-up engine operation may be optimized for various speed or load ranges by using multiple injectors per cylinder to each inject a portion of total fuel to give improved operation. However, when such speeds or loads are encountered during engine starting or warm-up, degraded operation may result due to effects on fuel injection and combustion caused by engine run-up, cold cylinder or valve temperatures, and other factors.
Thus, in one approach, a system is provided for an engine, comprising: a cylinder of the engine; a first injector configured to inject a first substance for said cylinder; a second injector configured to inject a second substance for said cylinder; a controller configured to commence combustion in the engine by injecting fuel for said cylinder, where said fuel is injected by only one of said first and second injectors during said start and warm-up.
In this way, it is possible to reduce the effects of degraded engine starting and warm-up under various operating conditions by using the injector most suited to the specific conditions of the start and warm-up, such as reduced engine temperature, reduced air temperature, or reduced barometric pressure.
In another approach, a system for an engine is provided, comprising: a cylinder of the engine; an injector configured to inject a mixture of gasoline and an alcohol for said cylinder; and a controller configured to vary a relative amount of said gasoline and alcohol to increase an amount of gasoline combusted in the engine during engine starting and warm-up. In this way, it is possible to provide improved engine starting and warm-up by preferentially using gasoline, at least under some conditions, to compensate for reduced engine temperature and other factors.

Warm up strategy for ethanol direct injection plus gasoline port fuel injection


A helicopter has a power unit supported on an arch support member above an airframe. The power unit may be moved forward and rearward by a trim actuator to trim the helicopter and tilted about pitch and roll axes by control actuators for directional control. The control actuators may form a parallelogram linkage with the arms of the arch support member. Each control actuator may comprise a hydraulic cylinder having two cavities and a pair of pistons which further divide each cavity into a pair of volumes. The arch support member and landing gear assemblies may connect to transversely extending struts. The landing gear assemblies may be designed to progressively deform in case of a high impact landing.

Current helicopters and other vertical take-off aircraft are extremely complicated and maintenance intensive. As a result, it is often prohibitively expensive to fly helicopters. In practice the use of helicopters is limited to government and commercial operations in which their capabilities are indispensable. Despite their desirable flight characteristics, helicopters are rarely used in general aviation.
Helicopters have captured human imagination since prior to the first successful airplanes. As a result, there have been a variety of proposed helicopter designs. Many of these proposed designs are impractical. Various patents and published patent applications disclose helicopter designs. These include:                U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,482 which discloses a helicopter having two rotors driven coaxially. The rotors can be tilted relative to an airframe of the helicopter.        U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,592 which discloses another tilting coaxial rotor helicopter design.        U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,341 which discloses an ultra lightweight helicopter having coaxial rotors that a pilot can manoeuver by moving his or her center of gravity.        U.S. Pat. No. 5,791,592 which discloses a coaxial rotor helicopter with no tail rotor.        U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,492 which discloses a helicopter having coaxial rotors that can be tilted for directional control.        U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,999 which discloses a helicopter having a transmission and rotors that can be tilted for directional control.        U.S. Pat. No. 2,486,059 which discloses a lightweight helicopter having coaxial rotors.        U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,923 which discloses a helicopter having a rotor and power assembly that is slidable in one direction and pivotal in another.        U.S. patent application publication No. 20020125368 which discloses an ultralight helicopter having tilting rotors.        U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,830 which discloses a helicopter type vehicle having coaxial rotors in which steering is accomplished by shifting a center of gravity of the vehicle.        PCT patent application publication No. WO02/062661A1 which discloses a lightweight helicopter.
Despite the wide variety of existing helicopters and proposed helicopter designs, there exists a need for practical helicopters which avoid at least some disadvantages of the prior art. There is a particular need for practical helicopters which are suitable for general aviation use and for practical helicopters having sizes intermediate proposed one-person personal helicopters and larger commercial helicopters.


A rolling bearing assembly comprising an inner ring, an outer ring, and at least one row of rolling elements located between raceways provided on each of the inner and outer rings. The rolling bearing assembly comprises an angular adjustment feature for angularly adjusting the inner ring relative to the outer ring, wherein the adjustment feature comprises at least one angular indexing finger extending radially from one of the inner ring and the outer ring towards the other of the inner ring and the outer ring and an arc-shaped stop for the angular indexing finger mounted on the other of the inner ring and the outer ring.

In such applications, known ISO deep groove ball bearings are usually used. These bearings comprise inner and outer rings of the massive or solid type. A "solid ring" is to be understood as a ring obtained by machining with removal of material (by turning, grinding) from steel tube stock, bar stock, rough forgings and/or rolled blanks.
However, in order to precisely position medical devices, there is a need in adjusting the angular position of the inner ring relative to the outer ring.

Rolling bearing with means for angularly adjusting of the inner ring relative to the outer ring


A physicochemically stable aqueous composition including clozapine suspension.

Clozapine (8-chloro-11-(4-methyl-1-piperazinyl-5H-dibenzo[b,e][1,4]diazepine) is a well-known compound having anti-psychotic activity. Details about this compound are disclosed in monograph 2448 of the 13th edition of the Merck Index, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by way of reference.
Currently there are no liquid formulations of clozapine commercially available and, as a result, hospital pharmacists are often required to compound liquid formulations using crushed clozapine tablets for patients who have difficulty in swallowing or who feign ingestion.
Clozapine is insoluble in water and therefore the logical option for preparing a liquid formulation is to form it into an aqueous suspension. However, when clozapine is simply added directly to water, the compound settles rapidly to form a dense cake at the base of the aqueous mixture. The caking cannot easily be redistributed and as such would potentially compromise the accuracy of drug dose delivered to a patient.
In order to overcome this, a standard formulation technique would be to use a suitable wetting agent, to promote flocculation. Flocculation is a process where suspended particles agglomerate, forming larger particles that settle loosely and can be readily re-dispersed with gentle shaking thus overcoming the caking problem.
Clozapine is generally regarded as a stable molecule. But, surprisingly, when clozapine is formed into an aqueous suspension with a wetting agent and other formulating agents as might be considered standard in the art, the suspended active was found to be readily susceptible to hydrolysis which was indicated by a marked pH change on extended storage. As a result, the accuracy of the drug dose delivered to the patient could again be compromised.
There would be a clear advantage to be able to provide a physicochemically stable suspension formulation of clozapine for oral administration which would retain its physico-chemical stability over a reasonable storage period. Such a product characteristic would be important to the production of a commercial liquid formulation.


A collision obstacle discrimination device for a vehicle has at least one upper detection unit arranged between a bumper and side members and at least one lower detection unit disposed at a lower side of the upper detection unit. The upper detection unit detects at least a component of a side-member extension direction of a collision energy when an obstacle collides with the bumper. The lower detection unit detects a collision energy which is closer to the ground than the component of the side-member extension direction of the collision energy detected by the upper detection unit. A discrimination unit is further provided to sort-distinguish the obstacle by comparing the collision energy detected by the upper detection unit and that detected by the lower detection unit.

Recently, a pedestrian-protecting airbag system for a vehicle is developed to protect a pedestrian. When the vehicle collides with the pedestrian, the pedestrian-protecting airbag system provides an airbag which is deployed on a bonnet of the vehicle to prevent a head portion and a breast portion of the pedestrian from colliding with the bonnet or a windshield of the vehicle.
Thus, a collision obstacle discrimination device becomes necessary for an actuation of the pedestrian-protecting airbag system. That is, it is necessary for the collision obstacle discrimination device to real-time discriminate between a pedestrian who is to be protected by the deployed airbag and other objects which are unnecessarily protected. In the case where the pedestrian-protecting airbag is unnecessarily deployed, an extra repair cost is to be spent. Moreover, the collision obstacle discrimination device is required to have a quick response performance, because the pedestrian-protecting airbag is to be deployed earlier than the violent collision of the pedestrian with the vehicle.
Referring to U.S. Pat. No. 6,784,792-B2, for example, each of the bonnet and a bumper of the vehicle is provided with a collision detection sensor, to judge whether or not the obstacle is a pedestrian based on outputs of the sensors.
In this case, the single sensor is attached to the bonnet so that the collision obstacle cannot be sort-distinguished until colliding with the bonnet. That is, the quick response performance of the discrimination device referring to JP-2003-535769A is inferior. Thus, when the obstacle is a pedestrian, it is difficult to deploy the pedestrian-protecting airbag to protect the pedestrian before the pedestrian violently collides with the bonnet. Furthermore, because the collision detection sensor is attached to the bonnet, the obstacle having a total height smaller than that of the bonnet cannot be substantially sort-distinguished.

Collision obstacle discrimination device for vehicle


A separator with a heat resistant insulation layer includes a porous substrate, and a heat resistant insulation layer formed on one surface or both surfaces of the porous substrate and containing at least one kind of inorganic particles and at least one kind of a binder, wherein a content mass ratio of the inorganic particles to the binder in the heat resistant insulation layer is in a range from 99:1 to 85:15, a BET specific surface area of the inorganic particles is in a range from 3 m2/g to 50 m2/g, and a ratio of the moisture content per mass of the binder to the BET specific surface area of the inorganic particles is greater than 0.0001 and smaller than 2.

In recent years, hybrid vehicles (HEV), electric vehicles (EV) and fuel cell vehicles have been manufactured and sold in view of environmental effects and fuel consumption, and further development of these vehicles is being carried out. In such electric-powered vehicles, the use of chargeable-dischargeable power supply systems is essential. As for such power supply systems, secondary batteries such as lithium ion batteries and nickel hydride batteries, and electric double-layer capacitors are generally used. Among these, lithium ion secondary batteries are particularly suitable for used in electric-powered vehicles because of high energy density and high resistance to repeated charge and discharge, and recent batteries tend to have much higher capacity.
Such lithium ion secondary batteries have a configuration in which a positive electrode and a negative electrode are connected via an electrolyte layer and these are housed in a battery case. The electrolyte layer may include a separator in which an electrolysis solution is held. The separator is required not only to hold the electrolysis solution to ensure lithium ion conductivity between the positive electrode and the negative electrode but also to serve as a partition between the positive electrode and the negative electrode.
Separators are being developed that have a shutdown function to stop a charge-discharge reaction when batteries reach high temperature. The shutdown function is to prevent movement of lithium ions between the electrodes. In particular, when a battery reaches high temperature, resin contained in the separator is dissolved and pores are then filled with the resin so that a shutdown is carried out. Therefore, the material used in the separator having such a shutdown function is generally thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP).
Here, it is well known that such a separator containing thermoplastic resin has a problem with mechanical strength due to the flexibility of the material. In particular, the separator is thermally contracted under high temperature conditions, and the positive electrode and the negative electrode interposing the separator therebetween come into contact with each other so that an internal short circuit may be occurred. In view of such a problem, there is proposed a method of forming a heat resistant insulation layer containing insulation inorganic particles and an organic binder as main components and interposed between the separator and the respective electrodes.
Such a separator may have influence on cycle performance and output performance when applied to a battery because the adsorption moisture amount in the separator is higher than that of a separator only including a porous substrate due to the presence of the heat resistant insulation layer containing the inorganic particles and the binder. With regard to measures to control a moisture content in a separator with a heat resistant insulation layer, International Publication WO 08/029,922 discloses a method of performing hydrophobic treatment on surfaces of inorganic fine particles. Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2010-232048 also discloses a method relating thereto.

Separator with heat resistant insulation layer


A decimatorless continuous-time delta-sigma analog-to-digital receiver includes a continuous-time delta-sigma modulator (CTDSM) that receives a receiving signal and is configured to encode analog signals into digital signals; and a demodulator that receives a digital output of the CTDSM and is configured to recover information content from the receiving signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a communication receiver, and more particularly to a decimatorless continuous-time delta-sigma analog-to-digital receiver.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram illustrated of a conventional receiver 100 that includes an automatic gain controller (AGC) 11, an anti-aliasing filter (AAF) 12, a delta-sigma modulator (DSM) 13, a decimator (DEC) 14 and a demodulator 15. The AAF 12 is commonly implemented by a low-pass filter that attenuates signals with frequencies higher than a cutoff frequency such that the signals may not be affected by frequency aliasing. In view of the fact that the sampling rate of a digital signal from the DSM 13 is usually higher than the cutoff frequency, the DEC 14 is ordinarily used to reduce the sampling rate.
Due to increasing miniaturization and cost down in the communication technology for electronic devices, particularly handheld electronic devices, a need has arisen to propose a novel communication receiver with more compact circuit area and reduced manufacturing cost.

Decimatorless continuous-time delta-sigma analog-to-digital receiver


A single-liquid type paint composition comprises: a hydroxyl group-containing polyester resin (A) of which the weight average molecular weight is from 1,500 to 8,000, the acid value is from 0 to 50 mgKOH/g, the hydroxyl group value is from 100 to 180 mgKOH/g and the glass transition temperature is from −30 to 0° C. and a crosslinking agent (B) which reacts with hydroxyl groups, wherein the (A) component has been obtained by reacting a polybasic acid (a), a polyhydric alcohol (b) and at least one type of component (c) having at least six carbon atoms selected from among the saturated mono-carboxylic acids, saturated mono-alcohols, saturated glycidyl ethers and saturated glycidyl esters where the proportion by mass of the (c) component is from 20 to 60 mass % with respect to the sum of the solid fraction masses of the (a) to (c) components.

Generally the method for forming a multi-layer paint film when the object being painted is an automobile involves forming an electro-deposited paint film on the part which is to be painted and curing this by heating and then forming a multi-layer pain film comprising a mid-coat paint film, a colored base paint film and a clear paint film. Here the clear paint film provides various characteristics such as acid resistance, water resistance, weather resistance and the like and not just an excellent paint film appearance.
Generally an acrylic resin which has excellent water resistance, resistance to chemical attack, weather resistance and the like is used as the main resin of a clear coat paint, but clear paint compositions with which clear coat paint films which have excellent characteristics can be obtained by using polyester resins are also known.
A film-forming binder which includes polyester resin which has a specified alicyclic part content and which has specified characteristic values has been disclosed in Patent Document 1 as a clear paint composition in which polyester resin is used.
Furthermore, a coating composition which includes a binder which includes polyester resin which has specified characteristic values, acrylic polyol which has specified characteristic values and crosslinking agent which reacts with hydroxyl groups has been disclosed in Patent Document 2.
However, with the paints disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 there is a problem in that a good paint film appearance cannot be obtained with the so-called 3C1B type multi-layer paint film forming method which includes a first base paint film forming process in which a first base paint is coated on the object which is being painted and a first base paint film is formed, a second base paint film forming process in which a second base paint is coated over the uncured aforementioned first base paint film and a second base paint film is formed, a clear paint film forming process in which a clear paint is coated over the uncured aforementioned second base paint film and a clear paint film is formed and a heating and curing process in which these three paint film layers are heated and cured at the same time.
Moreover, a hydroxy-functional binding agent which has specified characteristic values has been disclosed in Patent Document 3. In this patent document a polyester resin can be used for the hydroxy-functional binding agent and those where at least one hydroxyl group of the polyester resin has been esterified with at least one non-cyclic aliphatic mono-carboxylic acid are especially useful.
Furthermore a paint composition which contains as essential components a carboxyl group-containing polyester resin, carboxyl group-containing radical copolymer, an epoxy group-containing radical copolymer and a crosslinking agent which reacts with hydroxyl groups has been disclosed in Patent Document 4. In this patent document carboxyl group-containing polyester resins obtained by reacting specified components which have six or more carbon atoms with a polyol and then carrying out an addition reaction with an acid anhydride are preferred and, furthermore, a polyester resin can be used for the polyol.
However, with the inventions disclosed in Patent Document 3 and Patent Document 4 again a good paint film appearance is not obtained with a multi-layer paint film forming method with the 3C1B system and, furthermore, it is not possible to obtain paint compositions which have good storage stability under high temperature conditions.

Single-liquid type clear paint composition and method of multi-layer paint film formation in which it is used


A device and system for a rotary boring tool that enables a user to align the tool with respect to a target work surface is disclosed. The alignment system includes a rotating member that is mounted on the rotating portion of a rotary boring tool, and a separate portable stationary member that is designed to reside on the work surface. The rotating member includes a focused light source, such as a laser, that projects a light beam parallel to the direction of the rotary boring tool bit onto the stationary member which reflect the beam and produces a visible pattern on the surface of the stationary member that indicates alignment or misalignment of the rotary boring tool with respect to the work surface.

Craftsmen and women often experience difficulty in maintaining correct alignment of a rotary boring tool with a work surface such as a wooden workpiece being drilled by a hand-held power drill. It is also desirable to be able to drill perpendicular to walls, floors and ceiling, as well as to structural elements such as joists, beams, columns, posts and rails. Maintaining proper alignment is especially true when drilling longer distances as a minor initial misalignment of a rotary boring tool with regards to a work surface can ultimately result in a non-perpendicular or severely angled bore hole. In other circumstances, such as wood, metal or composite joining applications, it is desirable to align a bore hole at a predetermined angle with respect to the work surface.
In addition to drilling into wood, concrete, composites and stone, other applications that can benefit from precision directional drilling include the aviation industry (or other manufacturing related industries) where there is drilling into metals and composites, and in the medical field where there are drilling or cutting applications into bodily tissues such as bone.
There is a continuing need for an apparatus that will help a user to maintain correct alignment of a rotary boring tool with regards to a work surface. This need is especially acute when drilling longer distances into a surface.

Rotary boring tool alignment device and system


A stabilized isothiazolone liquid formulation including:. an isothiazolone compound represented by the formula (I): ##STR1## (where X represents a hydrogen atom or halogen atom, and Y represents a lower alkyl group), and PA1 a mixed solvent containing 50-99.9 wt. % of a glycol-type solvent and 50-0.1 wt. % of an amide-type compound represented by the formula (II): ##STR2## where R.sub.1 represents a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 each represent a lower alkyl group, R.sub.1 may bond to R.sub.2 or R.sub.3 to form a nitrogen-containing heterocycle), PA1 the compound of the formula (I) being dissolved in the mixed solvent of which amount is at least sufficient to dissolve the compound of the formula (I).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stabilized isothiazolone formulation. More specifically, it relates to a highly stabilized liquid formulation containing an isothiazolin-3-one compound useful as a non-medicinal biocide, which is capable of inhibiting decomposition of the isothiazolin-3-one compound even stored for a long period of time at room temperature or above.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Isothiazolone compounds such as 5-chloro-2-methylisothiazolin-3-one and 2-methy-isothiazolin-3-one have so far been known as a non-medicinal blocidal, antiseptic or antifungal agents. They are, in particular, useful as antiseptic or antifungal agents for synthetic polymeric emulsions such as NBR latex, SBR latex and acrylic resin emulsion.
The isothiazolone compounds are highly water-soluble, and accordingly it is desired to use them in the form of an aqueous solution in view of their dispersion into systems to be treated. However, the active ingredient of the aqueous isothiazolone formulations is decomposed in a short period of time to result in a precipitate, and at the same time, the content of an isothiazolone compound in the formulation decreases. Therefore, a mere aqueous solution of the compound is extremely unstable as a formulation, and cannot be put into practical use at all.
In view of the above, there has been proposed an aqueous formulation imparted with stability by forming an isothiazolone compound as a complex with a metal salt, such as a calcium or magnesium salt, or further adding thereto a stabilizer such as magnesium nitrate, and then dissolving it in water or in an aqueous solvent (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 23968/1979, U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,795). There has also been proposed recently an organic solvent formulation not containing water nor a metal salt, or a remarkably reduced amount of the same, which is prepared by dissolving an isothiazolone compound in a particular organic solvent, such as glycol-type solvent (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 56174/1986, 212576/1986).
Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 85271/1990 suggests the dissolving of an isothiazolone compound in a single or mixed solvent of two or more solvents selected from the group of ethylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, propylene carbonate, dimethylformamide, and the like; however this document specifically discloses the stability of formulations each containing a single solvent of the above solvents in which an isothiazolone compound is dissolved.
However, if the conventional aqueous formulation containing a complex of isothiazolone compound with a metal salt or containing a metal salt stabilizer as described above is added as it is by an effective amount as an antiseptic or antifungal agent to a synthetic polymeric emulsion, there arises a problem that the emulsion phase is broken to cause phase separation or coagulation (so-called emulsion shock) due to the effect of polyvalent metal ions such as of calcium or magnesium ions contained in the formulation, resulting in decreased antiseptic or antifungal action of the isothiazolone compound.
Further, although the above organic solvent formulation does not cause emulsion shock, it cannot contain an isothiazolone compound at high concentration. In addition, the decomposition of the isothiazolin-3-one compound cannot be satisfactorily inhibited when the formulation is stored for a long period of time. For example, the above U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,795 teaches at column 4, lines 35-45 that a non-aqueous solution containing about 25% of 5-chloro-2-methyl-3-isothiazolone/2-methyl-3-isothiazolone (93:7) decomposed completely when allowed to stand at 50.degree. C. for 28 days.
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing situations, and it is an object thereof to provide an isothiazolone compound formulation, not containing the above polyvalent metal ions, which is excellent in long storage stability.

Stabilized isothiazolone liquid formulation


A blade angle feedback system for use with a propulsion system having a plurality of angularly adjustable blades, wherein each of the blades has an axis of rotation and is rotatable about the axis of rotation through a plurality of blade angles. The system includes a mechanism for indicating blade angle position of each of the sensed blades. The mechanism for indicating is movable through the plurality of blade angles with the blades, wherein the mechanism for indicating has a plurality of identities depending on and indicative of the blade angle. Mechanisms for designating a plurality of reference positions on the blades of the propulsion system and relative the mechanism for indicating are also provided. The system further includes a mechanism for sensing the passing and identity of the mechanism for indicating and the passing of the mechanism for designating, wherein the propulsion system, the mechanism for indicating, the mechanism for designating, and the mechanism for sensing have geometric relationship defined by geometric parameters. A device for determining time between the passing of the mechanism for indicating and the mechanism for designating and for determining the blade angle from the time, identity, and a plurality of the geometric parameters is also included. A method for determining blade angle is also provided.

The determination of the blade angle of propulsion system blades is critical for controlling today's propeller and other multi-bladed fan propulsion systems used in aircraft and other vehicles. In typical systems known in the art, blade angle measurements are taken at some remote location instead of directly from the actual blades. Typically, this remote position is found in the mechanism used for adjusting blade angle. Moreover, due to aggregate tolerances in mechanical systems, disconnections, and malfunctions within such mechanical systems, such a remote measurement of blade angle can, in many cases, be incorrect. With an incorrect reading on blade angle, further adjustment of blade angle based on these readings either manually or by a control system, could cause the propulsion system to enter an unwanted mode, such as feather or flat pitch, when such a mode is not conducive to safe operation given the particular flight conditions. Accordingly, the only sure manner to avoid originating blade angle adjustments from an incorrect base reading, is to directly measure the angle of the propulsion system blades. However, a reliable application of such a system, prior to this invention, has yet to be discovered.
The prior art includes a plurality of blade angle systems, all of which suffer from at least one of the defects discussed above.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,370,167 to Hoover et al. discloses an indicator for variable pitch propellers. The mechanism includes a drive shaft, a part connected to the shaft for rotation therewith, and a part normally rotating with the shaft capable of rotation at a speed different from that of the shaft. Means responsive to differential rotation of the two parts is also included for adjusting the pitch of a blade carried by the shaft. Also, means for causing differential rotation of the parts and means for indicating pitch of the blade are also included. The means for indicating the pitch of the blade comprises means surrounding the shaft for setting up a magnetic field. The mechanism further includes means carried by the shaft and rotatable therewith in the magnetic field for producing an alternating current of a frequency proportional to the speed of rotation of the shaft. Means carried by the second named part and rotatable therewith in the magnetic field produces an alternating current of an alternating frequency, proportional to the speed of rotation of the second named part. Finally, means for producing an indication of the amount of any variation between the frequencies of the two alternating currents is provided. Accordingly, in this mechanism, the blade angle is determined through measurement of discrete parts and is not determined directly from measurements taken from the blade potentially leading to false readings.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,539 to McCarty discloses an apparatus for indicating the pitch of turbo fan blades. The apparatus indicates changes in blade pitch of variable pitch blades by detecting relative displacements of first and second members of a blade pitch actuator. The members are selectively displaced to change the pitch of the blades. The apparatus includes sensors which provide output signals to a microprocessor, and which determines displacement of each member with respect to a frame of reference. The microprocessor takes the difference between a displacement of the two members to determine the relative displacement, which is indicative of a change in blade pitch. As indicated above, an inherent problem with such a design is that the pitch determination is dependent upon positions of members comprising the blade pitch actuator and not the actual blade. Accordingly, if a malfunction occurs where the blade is somehow partially or fully disconnected from the actuator, readings from the pitch indicator disclosed herein will provide incorrect information as to the actual pitch of the blades. Accordingly, corrective measures or other adjustments could place the blades into a highly undesirable pitch angle.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,485,245 to Schonembaum discloses a control system for use in controlling the pitch angles of propeller blades. The pitch indicating system, in combination with an aircraft housing, a propeller shaft extending therethrough, a hub mounted on a shaft and variable pitch propeller blades journaled to the hub, includes control members rotatable with the propeller system and moveable relative to each other in correspondence with the pitch angle of the propeller blades. Means energized by one of the control members for part of each revolution of the propeller is provided along with means energized by another of the control members for the remaining part of each revolution of the propeller. Means proportionally responsive to the difference in average energization of the first named means and the second named means is also used. Specific attention is directed to the FIGS. 4 and 5 embodiments, wherein bars 44 are used with propeller blades for sensing by magnet 42. The bar 44 and a structure 45 are the control members which move relative to each other when the pitch of the propeller blades is changed. The bar is shaped such that for any pitch position of the propeller blade, there is substantially no change in the length of the air gap between the surface of the bar and the end of the magnetic pole pieces, when the bar is in an armature forming position. Based on the dual sensing of the bar 44 and of structure 45, the pitch angle can be determined. Since the use of only one bar 44 is shown and taught, the length of bar 44 is problematic for current propeller designs, substantially enhancing the possibility of damaging the bar and also requiring large openings in the propeller bulkhead for sensing by sensors. Accordingly, since such a design is highly subject to damage, the usefulness of the same and current propeller systems is highly suspect.
There exists a need, therefore, for an improved direct blade angle measurement system wherein blade angle is measured directly from propulsion system blades, which system does not require components which are prohibitively long as with current propeller designs, thereby decreasing the likelihood of system component damage.

System and process for direct blade angle measurement in propulsion systems


A punch plasterer is disclosed which in one action, drives and countersinks a fastener into wood or other materials and which fills the resulting cavity above the fastener thereafter. The present invention includes a punch tool for driving the fastener and first and second resilient springs for reciprocating the punch and for dispensing a predetermined amount of plaster. A plurality of plaster sizes may be used according to the size of the fasteners utilized.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to carpentry and construction tools, and more specifically, to a tool which in one action, countersinks a fastener and fills the countersink cavity to provide a smooth finish.
2. Description of Related Art
When a carpenter places a nail into a finished piece of wood such as a door or a piece of furniture, it is necessary to countersink the nail and to apply filler to the countersink cavity in order to provide a smooth finish. The filling or plastering process is typically accomplished in two steps. First the nail is countersunk into the material and second, plaster or other filler is manually applied to the cavity created by countersinking. This two step process wastes a considerable amount of time and is not uniform since there is no way of knowing precisely the exact amount of filler needed to fill each cavity. The carpenter inevitably uses too much or not enough plaster. Furthermore, manual plastering becomes very laborious and less precise after repeat applications.
Pneumatically driven nail machines are known which dispense a predetermined quantity of plaster into the cavity thereafter. However, these machines can be expensive, bulky, and not appropriate for all applications. Thus, it can be seen that a device that is relatively small and inexpensive is needed for countersinking nails and for plastering the resulting cavity.


A radiation detector includes a substrate, a lower electrode disposed on the substrate, a radiation detecting layer formed on the upper surface of the lower electrode, an upper electrode formed on the upper surface of the radiation detecting layer, a protection layer which is formed on the upper electrode, whose end portion extends to an end surface of the substrate and which covers the upper electrode, and a reinforcement member which is formed from the lower surface of the substrate to the surface of the protection layer and which covers the end portion of the protection layer.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a radiation detector used in a medical radiographic apparatus.
2. Related Art
There are known, as a radiation detector, an indirect conversion type electromagnetic radiation detector by which, after radiation such as X-rays and the like is converted into light first, the converted light is further converted into an electric signal by photoelectric conversion. And a direct conversion type electromagnetic radiation detector by which incident radiation is converted into an electric signal immediately by a charge conversion layer. Further, the radiation detector disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2006-58171 is known as the electromagnetic radiation detector using photostimulable phosphor.
In the radiation detector, a vapor proof protection film as a protection layer has bent portions and an end portion. The bent portion is bent along a side surface and the back surface of a substrate, and the end portion is bonded to the bottom surface of the substrate on one side thereof by a seal bonding layer. The bonding length of the vapor proof protection film bonded on the bottom surface of the substrate is a length by which a vapor proof effect may be obtained and 2 mm or more.
A vapor proof effect may not be obtained in a case that a vapor proof protection film is bonded on the top surface of the substrate where the distance between a phosphor layer and the side surface at one side of the substrate is short. According to the above arrangement however, even in the configuration that the distance between a phosphor layer and the side surface of the substrate is short, a predetermined vapor proof effect may be obtained. As a result, an image position necessary to radiograph an image of a breast wall portion may be secured by reducing the distance between the end portion of the phosphor layer and the side surface of the substrate. With this arrangement, the radiation detector may be preferably applied to mammography.


The invention relates to a method having applications for oil exploration and CO2 storage of determining the three-dimensional distribution of the absolute permeability of a heterogeneous sample. The method includes: determining a 3D porosity map of the sample; carrying out a viscous miscible displacement experiment during which the evolution of the differential pressure on either side of the sample is determined; from this evolution, determining a 1D absolute permeability profile along the sample and constructing a first 3D permeability map from the 3D porosity map; estimating a simulated differential pressure by simulating numerically a viscous miscible test from the first permeability map and from the 1D permeability profile; determining the three-dimensional distribution of the absolute permeability of the sample by modifying at least once the first permeability map so as to minimize the difference between the simulated differential pressure and the differential pressure measured over the course of time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of petrophysical measurements on rock samples. More particularly, the invention relates to processes for characterizing the three-dimensional distribution of the absolute permeability of a heterogeneous sample from a rock.
2. Description of the Invention
There are different known approaches for characterizing a three-dimensional (3D) permeability map of a rock sample.
Identification of a 3D Map Based on "Manual" Identification
This approach uses a tracer test, that is a miscible test but without viscosity contrast, to obtain a permeability map. This technique is described in the following documents:                Dabbouk, C., Ali, L., Williams, G., Beattie, G.: "Waterflood in Vuggy Layer in a Middle East Reservoir-Displacement Physics Understood", SPE 78530, Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference, 13-16 Oct. 2002.        Olivier, P., Cantegrel, L., Laveissière, J., Guillonneau, N.: "Multiphase Flow Behaviour in Vugular Carbonates Using X-Ray", SCA 2004-13, Society of Core Analysts Symposium, Abu Dhabi, 5-9 Oct. 2004.
One or more laws K(Φ) are used to deduce from a porosity map a permeability map used for simulation of the tracer experiment. These laws K(Φ) are then manually adjusted until good agreement with the experiment is obtained. The advantage of this approach is its simplicity. On the other hand, a major drawback is that there is a very large number of solutions to this problem. Manual calibration only gives access to a single solution.
Identification of a 3D Map Based on a "Mathematical" Inversion
This technique also uses tracer tests. According to this method, it is possible to monitor, by tomography for example, the displacement of a front at various times. From this information, the permeability map is the solution to a non-linear problem with known boundary conditions. This method is described in:                Zhan, L., Yortsos, Y. C.: "A Direct Method for the Identification of the Permeability Field of an Anisotropic Porous Medium", SPE 62976, Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Dallas, 1-4 Oct. 2000.
Insofar as the boundary conditions (permeability or pressure profile at the boundaries) and the porosity map are known, this technique leads to a single solution that is valid only when the permeability contrasts are low. Implementation of this technique therefore remains limited in practice because the boundary conditions are not always known. This method does not apply to very heterogeneous media.
1D Profile Based on a Viscous Displacement
Using a viscous displacement to obtain information on the 1D permeability profile was proposed by Fincham and Gouth:                Fincham, A., Gouth, F.: "Improvements of Coreflood Design and Interpretation Using a New Software", SCA 2000, Society of Core Analysts Symposium, Abu Dhabi, 9-12 Oct. 2000.
The authors interpret the differential pressure signal of a viscous oil injection at a high flow rate in an initially brine-saturated clump in order to determine the 1D oil permeability profile at Swi. This technique enables better characterization of the "local" heterogeneity of the sample and thus to fine tune the interpretation of the experiments intended to determine the relative permeability curves. However, this approach does not obtain the absolute permeability values, whether in 1D or in 3D.

Method of characterizing the distribution of the absolute permeability of a heterogeneous sample


Perfluorinated cycloalkane solvents for dissolving high melting polymers containing tetrafluoroethylene, are disclosed. These solvents dissolve such polymers more rapidly, and/or are more stable, than previously known solvents. Also disclosed is a process for dissolution of the polymers and their resulting solutions. The solutions are useful for making polymer films, coatings and for encapsulating objects.

This invention concerns novel solvents for dissolving polymers containing tetrafluoroethylene (particularly the homopolymer, PTFE) which have a relatively high melting point. The solvents dissolve such polymers more rapidly, and/or the solutions are more stable, than previously disclosed solvents, which are advantages in equipment utilization and other manufacturing costs, and/or the purity of the resulting solution and any product made from it. For example, the instant solvents dissolve the TFE polymers more rapidly than perfluorinated aliphatic compounds, and do not discolor (at the required elevated temperatures) as perfluorinated aromatic solvent solutions may do.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,388 discloses certains solvents for TFE polymers, including perfluorodecalin, perfluoromethyldecalin, perfluorodimethyldecalin, perfluoromethylcyclohexane and perfluoro(1,3-dimethylcyclohexane). All of these solvents are believed to have critical temperatures below 340.degree. C. and hence are not solvents for PTFE.
B. Chu, et al., in a series of papers [Macromol., vol 20, p 702-703 (1987); Macromol , vol 21, p. 397-402 (1988); Macromol., vol. 22, p. 831-837 (1989); J. Appl. Polym. Sci., Appl. Polym. Sym., vol. 45, p. 243-260 (1990)] describe the measurement of the molecular weight of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (hereinafter sometimes PTFE) in solution. The solvents used in these studies were perfluorotetracosane and oligomers of poly (chlorotrifluoroethylene).
P. Smith and K. Gardner, Macromol., vol. 18, p. 1222-1228 (1985) review and discuss both the practical and theoretical aspects of dissolving PTFE. As reported by them, PTFE has been dissolved only in perfluorokerosenes and perfluorinated oils, in other words, perfluorinated higher molecular weight alkanes. They report that PTFE will not dissolve in perfluorodecalin, octafluoronaphthalene or decafluorobenzophenone. There is no discussion in this paper on the rates of dissolution of PTFE in solvent.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,461,129 reports in Example A that 4-ethoxy-2,2,5,5-tetrakis(trifluormethyl)-3-oxazoline dissolves low-melting (83.degree.-145.degree. C. melting point) PTFE. There is no mention of dissolution of higher melting PTFE.

Solvents for tetrafluoroethylene polymers


A haptic alert system generally includes an active material based actuator for providing the haptic alert. The active material based actuators refer to the use of several different classes of active materials all of which exhibit a change in at least one attribute such as dimension, shape, and/or flexural modulus when subjected to at least one of many different types of applied activation signals, examples of such signals being thermal, electrical, magnetic, stress, and the like.

This disclosure generally relates to haptic alerts, and more particularly, to active material based haptic alerts for alerting a driver and/or passenger of a condition.
Haptic-based alert systems are emerging in the marketplace to provide a signal to the drivers and/or occupants of a vehicle of various conditions that may occur in the forward, side (left and right), and rear directions. For example, it is known to provide vibrotactile devices and displacement devices to alert a driver of a potential impact event or to warn a driver when the vehicle drifts out of a designated lane. All of these haptic based alert systems utilize mechanical actuators such as solenoids, pistons, and the like that act in concert to provide the desired haptic alert. Conventional mechanical actuators are costly, their form factor is large, they have higher power consumption, and it is not a straightforward process to couple their output to the driver. Moreover, even when conventional mechanical actuators can be made to fit, their large form factor often modifies the normal shape and feel of the vehicle surfaces that the actuators are under. This can result in reduced comfort for the driver and passengers.
While these prior art haptic based systems can be adequate for their intended use, it is desirable to provide other types of systems that overcome some of the problems and response limitations inherent with the use of mechanical actuators.

Active material based haptic alert system


A method of forming arrays of articles, comprising: (a) providing a stacker having a plurality of compartments for receiving the articles, the stacker traveling along a closed loop path; (b) transporting a plurality of the articles along a first path to the stacker in sequential fashion; (c) introducing the articles into the compartments at an inlet position; (d) removing a first array of the articles from the stacker at a first stripping position by urging the articles from the compartment in a first stripping direction; (e) transporting the first array along a second path away from the stacker in a direction substantially opposite to the first stripping direction; and (f) repeating steps (b) through (e) for subsequent articles. An apparatus for use in this method is also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for forming arrays of articles for subsequent packaging. More particularly, the present invention provides an array forming apparatus and method wherein each array exiting the apparatus can be in one of two orientations (e.g., nose forward or tail forward).
2. Description of Related Art
Many consumer products or other articles are not of a uniform or symmetrical shape, and thus the packaging of these items can be problematic. If these products are not packaged in an optimal manner, package strength and integrity may suffer and an excessive amount of packaging material may be needed to compensate for such shortcomings. In addition, the resulting package may not be consumer-friendly. It is also usually desirable to load as many articles as possible into a package of a given size in order to minimize slack space. When the articles are not uniform in size, optimal packaging often requires that the articles be packaged in a non-uniform manner. Non-uniform packaging, however, is difficult to accomplish in an automated, mechanical production/packaging process.
One particular type of asymmetrical articles having unique packaging difficulties are diapers, adult incontinence pads, sanitary napkins and pantiliners. These products are often profiled, particularly diapers and adult incontinence pads, such that the crotch portion of the products is much thicker than the waist area due to the additional absorbent material placed near the likely areas of discharge. This difference in thickness is even more pronounced when diapers or incontinence pads are packaged, since each diaper or pad is typically folded in half prior to insertion into an outer package. In addition, the diapers or pads are usually compressed prior to insertion into the package, and differences in compressibility caused by the profiling of these products may create additional packaging difficulties.
Diapers, adult incontinence pads, and similar articles typically are produced in sequential fashion such that the articles leave the production area one after another along a conveyor system. In the case of diapers and adult incontinence pads, these products typically leave the production area lying flat on a moving transport device such as a conveyor belt. The diapers or pads are then folded in half, and then rotated to an upright orientation. In this upright orientation, the diapers or pads are transported serially with the folded nose portion (referred to herein as the proximal end) leading. The diapers or pads are then deposited into an array forming apparatus which compiles a predetermined number of diapers or pads into an array (or stack) for packaging purposes. This array forming apparatus, often referred to as a stacker or accumulator, converts a series of products advancing sequentially along a conveyor system into an array (or stack) comprising a plurality of the diapers or pads positioned side by side. The product array may then be advanced onward to further packaging steps. Exemplary stacking devices are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,954,165, 4,325,475 and 5,474,168.
Depending on the orientation of the array leaving the stacker, it may be necessary to rotate the array of diapers or pads prior to packaging. Stack rotation is typically accomplished using a stack turning device, such as a turning drum. Such devices, however, are costly, add an additional step to the packaging process, and consume valuable floor space in the manufacturing facility.
The present invention eliminates the need for array turning devices, and allows arrays of articles to be transported directly to packaging equipment in nose forward (i.e., proximal end forward) and/or tail forward (i.e., distal end forward) orientations without interruption.

Apparatus and method for forming arrays of articles for packaging


A method for fabricating a pad redistribution layer. First, at least one bonding pad exposed by a first passivation layer is provided. A diffusion barrier layer and a seed layer are then formed over the first passivation layer and the bonding pad. A patterned mask layer is then formed over the seed layer to expose a portion thereof over the bonding pad, and a metal layer is then formed thereon. A sacrificial layer is then formed over the substrate and the sacrificial layer over the patterned mask layer is removed. The conductive film exposed by the metal layer and the remaining sacrificial layer is then removed, leaving a pad redistribution layer for the bonding pad.

The present invention relates to semiconductor fabrication, and in particular to a method for fabricating a pad redistribution layer.
In the fabrication of IC devices, semiconductor chips are frequently attached to other chips or other electronic structures such as a printed circuit board. Attachment of the chip can be accomplished by a wire bonding process or by a flip-chip method. In a wire bonding process, each of a series of I/O bump terminals on a chip built on an aluminum bond pad is sequentially bonded to the connecting pads on a substrate. In a flip-chip attachment method, all the I/O bumps on a semiconductor chip terminate with solder material. In the bonding process, a semiconductor chip is flipped over with the solder bumps aligned and placed in a reflow furnace to effect all the I/O connections to bonding pads on a substrate.
A major processing advantage made possible by flip chip bonding is its applicability to very high density I/O connections and high reliability of interconnects formed, compared to wire bonding. Moreover, wire bonding also presents limitations in the total number of I/O interconnections that can be made in high performance devices.
A limiting factor of flip-chip bonding is the fine pitch of bonding pads that are frequently required with modern high density devices. For instance, in a high density memory device, bonding pads arranged along the periphery of the device may have a pitch, or spacing, as small as 100 μm, making it is difficult and costly to bond to the pads using solder bumps in flip chip bonding, since solder bumps in this case are low profile, making underfill extremely difficult. Moreover, a costly high density substrate is required for flip-chip bonding of devices with fine pitch I/O.
In order to bond high density IC devices having fine pitch peripheral I/O bonding pads, in the range of approximately 100 μm, I/O redistribution must first be carried out before the formation of the solder bumps. In the process, peripheral I/O bonding pads are redistributed by signal traces to area array I/O bonding pads to increase pitch in the area array I/O bonding pads. The I/O redistribution process used in modern high density IC devices is therefore an important fabrication step, to form traces between the varied pairs of bonding pads.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,901, Lam et al. disclose a metal redistribution layer having solderable pads and wire bondable pads, and fabrication thereof. Massive etching is needed to pattern a trimetal layer and form openings therein, forming the metal redistribution layer with increased manufacturing difficulty while forming a copper-comprising redistribution layer. Reliability and topography thereof may thus be affected.

Method for fabricating pad redistribution layer

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


A conductive composition that comprises a branched metal carboxylate and one or more solvents. The solvents may be an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent. In embodiments, the branched metal carboxylate is a silver carboxylate. The conductive composition may be used in forming conductive features on a substrate, including by inkjet printing, screen printing or offset printing.

Disclosed herein, in various embodiments, are stable, high performing conductive compositions suitable for printing, such as by inkjet, aerosol jet, gravure, and flexography printing. In particular, there is provided a conductive ink formulation comprising silver carboxylates which has optimal performance, such as, tunable viscosity for various printing technologies, substantially particle free composition to prevent inkjet nozzle clogging, lower annealing temperatures and improved stability.
Fabrication of electronic circuit elements using liquid deposition techniques is of profound interest as such techniques provide potentially low-cost alternatives to conventional mainstream amorphous silicon technologies for electronic applications such as thin film transistors (TFTs), light-emitting diodes (LEDs), RFID tags, photovoltaics, sensors, and the like. However the deposition and/or patterning of functional electrodes, pixel pads, and conductive traces, lines and tracks which meet the conductivity, processing, and cost requirements for practical applications have been a great challenge. Moreover, it is anticipated that printed electronics will involve multiple printing technologies which have different viscosity requirements, ranging from about a few cps for ink jetting to about 50,000 cps for screen printing. A conductive ink composition with tunable viscosity is therefore desired.
Solution processable or printable silver-based conducting materials have attracted attention for printed electronic applications. In this regard, fabrication of electronic circuit elements using silver nanoparticle ink compositions is known. Silver nanoparticle ink compositions are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,361,350, 8,324,294, 8,298,314, 8,158,032, and 8,057,849, each incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The use of silver nanoparticle ink compositions may have some drawbacks, for example such as consistency in nanoparticle size and quality, which may negatively impact the formation of consistent and reliable conductive features and stability of the ink composition. Silver nanoparticle ink compositions can also be expensive to prepare and use.
Besides silver metal nanoparticles, another type of silver-based conductive material, silver-organic compounds, may offer several benefits such as lower-cost, better stability, and ease of preparation, when compared to silver nanoparticles with respect to use in conductive ink compositions. For example, silver carboxylates, such as silver neodecanoate, are low-cost, very stable silver salts that may be used to print conductive traces at a low processing temperature.
However, silver carboxylates such as silver neodecanoate have previously been synthesized in a two-step process, which involved expensive starting materials and required a large amount of water/methanol to remove sodium salt impurity. For example, silver carboxylate such as silver neodecanoate may be synthesized in a two-step process in which first, neodecanoic acid is reacted with an alkali base solution such as sodium hydroxide solution to form sodium neodecanoate in a water/alcohol mixture. The sodium neodecanoate then is reacted with silver nitrate to precipitate the silver neodecanoate salt, followed by washing with a large amount of water/methanol to remove the sodium salt. The drawbacks of this approach are clear: 1) expensive starting materials such as silver nitrate have to be used; and 2) a large amount of water/methanol is required to wash the product to remove the sodium salt impurity.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,024, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes a method of preparing a silver salt of an organic acid comprising the steps of: (A) preparing a mixture of: (1) at least one organic carboxylic acid, (2) a hydrocarbon solvent, and (3) a mineral acid; and (B) adding a source of silver cation while maintaining the temperature of the resultant mixture at least at about 60° C. for a period of time sufficient to form the desired silver salt. The method described in this patent thus requires the use of a mineral acid and requires an elevated reaction temperature.
There remains a need for improved methods of making silver carboxylates, and conductive ink compositions comprised of silver carboxylates that have tunable viscosity for various printing methods and that are capable of forming high resolution traces having high conductivity, which methods are more economical than present methods.

Conductive compositions comprising metal carboxylates


The present invention provides peptide conjugates having improved solubility as well as increased secretion during cell based production, as well as methods of utilizing such peptides. The peptide conjugates include a short peptide domain defined by the amino acid sequence AGIH (SEQ ID NO: 8) and may include a biologically active molecule useful in intracellular and intranuclear transport of the biologically active molecule to treat various disorders and diseases.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to conjugate molecules and more specifically, to conjugate molecules and their use in the delivery of biologically active agents into cells.
2. Background Information
Various delivery vehicles have been used to deliver biologically active molecules (e.g., peptides) into cells for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes. Several proteins and small peptides have the ability to transduce or travel through biological membranes independent of classical receptor- or endocytosis-mediated pathways. Examples of these proteins include the HIV-1 TAT protein, the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) DNA-binding protein VP22, and the third alpha helix of Drosophila Antennapedia (Ante) homeotic transcription factor. The small protein transduction domains (PTDs) from these proteins can be incorporated into peptide conjugates including a biologically active molecule to transport the conjugate into a cell. The potential disadvantage of these vectors is that they are foreign proteins that may be immunogenic in humans.
Certain anti-DNA autoantibodies have also been shown to penetrate cells and localize to the cell nucleus. Cellular penetration by anti-DNA antibodies was initially demonstrated in peripheral blood T-lymphocytes and, subsequently, was shown to affect their function. This phenomenon has allowed the use of certain antibodies in the generation of peptide conjugates capable of transporting a wide variety of biologically active materials, e.g., nuclear transcription factors, enzymes, enzyme inhibitors, genes, and the like, to the cell nucleus for a variety of therapeutic effects. Any variety of agents may be transported via conjugation to the antibody, or fragment of the antibody, such as inorganic and organic molecules, pharmaceutical agents, drugs, peptides, proteins, genetic material, and the like.
A particular class of monoclonal antibodies that is known to be utilized to transport a wide variety of biologically important molecules into target cells, such as kidney cells, brain cells, ovarian cells, bone cells, and the like is mAb 3E10 and mutants and/or functional fragments thereof. Monoclonal antibody 3E10 is produced by a hybridoma 3E10 placed permanently on deposit with the American Type Culture Collection, 10801 University Blvd., Manassas, Va. 20110-2209, USA, on Aug. 31, 2000, according to the terms of the Budapest Treaty under ATCC accession number PTA-2439. mAb 3E10 (or functional fragments thereof) can be conjugated to the biological molecule of interest to form an antibody conjugate that is capable of being transported into the cell. Upon entry into the cell, the antibody conjugate localizes in and around the cell nucleus. Such antibody conjugates may be used in the same manner as other conjugated delivery systems where an antibody or other targeting vehicle is conjugated to the biological molecule of interest to provide delivery to desired cells in the in vivo or in vitro environment.
The anti-DNA antibody fragment 3E10 Fv has been demonstrated to be an ideal molecular delivery vehicle due to its efficiency in penetrating into living cells with specific nuclear localization, absence of toxicity, and successful delivery of therapeutic cargo proteins in vitro and in vivo. Although antibodies that penetrate living cells are frequently toxic or injurious and may explain some of the pathologic manifestations of the autoimmune diseases in which they are found, antibody mAb 3E10, in contrast, shows no harm to cells that it penetrates in tissue culture. Moreover, studies in vitro have shown that mAb 3E10 and scFv fragments of mAb 3E10 can transport relatively large proteins, such as catalase, into the nucleus of cells in tissue culture. Moreover, mAb 3E10 or fragments thereof (e.g., Fv) should not generate significant inflammation in vivo which could hinder therapeutic efficacy of a biologically active molecule conjugated thereto.
It is well known that transporter proteins are involved in the cellular uptake of various molecules into and/or through cells. Carrier-mediated transport systems use proteins that are anchored to the cell membrane, typically by a plurality of membrane-spanning domains and function by transporting their substrates via active or passive mechanisms. Carrier-mediated transport systems are involved in the active or non-active, facilitated transport of many important nutrients such as vitamins, sugars, and amino acids. Carrier-mediated transporters are also present in organs such as the liver and kidney, in which the proteins are involved in the excretion or re-absorption of circulating compounds. Polar or hydrophilic compounds typically diffuse poorly across the lipid bilayers that constitute cellular membranes. For many small molecules (e.g., amino acids, di- and tripeptides, monosaccharides, nucleosides and water-soluble vitamins) there exist specific carrier-mediated transporters for active transport of the solute molecules across biological membranes.
The pathways that allow various molecules to cross cell membranes have been determined. For example, 3E10 Fv is transported by a nucleoside transport pathway allowing it to penetrate cells and localize into the nucleus as discussed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/126,810, filed May 23, 2008; incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
While various peptides, such as mAb 3E10 Fv have been developed as an intracellular and intranuclear transport vehicle, it has been difficult to produce large amounts of these peptides while maintaining its solubility.

Amino acid sequences which enhance peptide conjugate solubility

The United States Government as Represented by the Department of Veterans Affairs


A continuously variable transmission in which a transmission unit provides a variable speed ratio between an input member (2) and an output member (3). The output member drives an output transmission member (11) by way of a power recirculation system (7-10) in a first regime of the transmission, through a selectable transmission path (30-34) providing a fixed ratio drive from the input member to the output transmission member, and having a selectable regime which provides a transmission path (19-23) from the output member to the output transmission member. The transmission is arranged so that only a clutching operation is required to effect a synchronous changeover between regimes.

An earlier International patent application published under serial number WO89/09898 describes a vehicle transmission in which the change over between two regimes, corresponding to the two regimes described above, may be a shockless synchronous change, there being no change in overall transmission ratio during the change in regimes, and the transmission is considerably simplified over earlier vehicle transmission systems, avoiding the use of parallel transmission paths between the power recirculation system and the output transmission member and the consequent necessity of a change in transmission path within the first regime.
The transmission is arranged such that when the first or "low" regime provides a maximum forward speed, the ratio of the variator is at its maximum reduction and this corresponds to the minimum forward speed provided in the "high" regime. A change over between regimes under these circumstances is a shockless synchronous change. Only simple declutching and clutching operations are required for the change over and, where clutches are provided in both the transmission path directly from the output member of the variator to the output transmission member (such as the output shaft) and in the transmission path between the power recirculation system and the said output transmission member, both clutches could be engaged during the change over between regimes.


A liquid crystal display panel is disclosed, in which each sub-pixel electrode has an opening in the center and a patterned conductive layer as a bias electrode is positioned relatively around the sub-pixel electrode. Upon being applied with a voltage, the liquid crystal molecules above the sub-pixel around the opening will tilt down outwardly and radially. Upon being applied with a bias voltage, the liquid crystal molecules above the bias electrode will be arranged parallel to the substrate due to the effect from the electric field. The liquid crystal layer may further comprise a chiral dopant, such that the molecules twist when they tilt.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel, particularly a vertical alignment (VA) liquid crystal display panel, which does not include a protrusion and is accordingly without a light leakage occurring at an edge of the protrusion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
LCD devices have been widely used in various electronic devices, such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDA), notebooks, terminals, television sets, becoming a main display product in the market. However, the view angle of the conventional LCD is limited by the structure of the liquid crystal molecule and the optical character. Thus, it is necessary to develop a LCD with wider view angle, such as a vertical alignment liquid crystal display (VALCD) panel.
Please refer to FIG. 1, a schematic plan view of a conventional VALCD panel and a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the LCD panel along the line AA′. As shown in FIG. 1, a sub-pixel area 10 of a conventional VALCD panel includes a first substrate 12, a second substrate 14, a liquid crystal layer 16 filled between the first substrate 12 and the second substrate 14, a common electrode 18 positioned on the first substrate 12 on the side facing to the second substrate 14, a transparent electrode 20 disposed between the liquid crystal layer 16 and the second substrate 14, protrusions 22 disposed on the common electrode 18 on the side facing to the second substrate 14. The sub-pixel area is divided into multi-domains through the settlement of the protrusions 22. The liquid crystal molecules of each domain are aligned in various directions and rotate, respectively, increasing the view angle of VALCD panel 10.
As it is described in the above, although the conventional VALCD panel has wider view angle, due to the protrusions, some liquid crystal molecules slightly tilt without a voltage applied to. Therefore, a light leakage tends to occur at the position 24 or 26 beside the protrusions 22. Accordingly the contrast ratio for the display is decreased and the display performance is affected.
Please refer to FIG. 2, a schematic plan view of another conventional vertical alignment LCD panel which is a modification from the above-mentioned VALCD panel. A transparent conductive layer 32 having fine slits 34 and protrusions 36 are comprised. The alignment of liquid crystal is stable, but in the gray scale display, the display image is not uniform and irregular shapes appear. The pattern of such transparent conductive layer having fine slits is defined by photolithography. It is not easy to control the uniformity of the resist thickness during the manufacture, and accordingly the slit widths are not constant, such that an irregular shape of mura occurs when the display is operated. Furthermore, the liquid crystal arrangement at the edge of the pixel in the vicinity of data lines is not stable, due to the electric field from the data lines.
Therefore, a VALCD panel having a better structure is still needed to allow a stable liquid crystal arrangement and avoid light leakage and mura effect.