A method and apparatus of providing wave-front color therapy using a computer or portable handheld devices such as PDA's and other portable telecommunication devices to deliver a specific different nanometer wavelength of light to affect a wide variety of visual, binocular, function, perceptual, and cognitive-related vision imbalances that interfere with function and performance. The current proposed device would provide specific treatment for these difficulties by delivering different wavelengths of light through a computer monitor. The exact therapeutic prescription including nanometer specifications and hue-saturation will be prescribed for individuals with a wide range of visual problems caused by a traumatic brain injury, cerebrovascular accident, and Multiple Sclerosis, and the like, to name a few examples. This disclosure claims analog and digital relations of light as it relates to both the spatial and temporal relationship of light.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to human/computer interfaces on portable devices such as PDA's and other similar telecommunication systems, to provide portable software systems intended for rehabilitation by means of color therapy.
2. Prior Art
Prior art is divided into three primary categories, diagnostic tools, rehabilitation treatment methods, and previously designed light therapy treatment methods.
The first area of prior art is the manner of diagnostic tools used in the development of wave-front color therapy in conjunction with therapeutic prescriptions. To date, color therapy in conjunction with therapeutic prescription use has been a manual, often tedious process not capable of pinpointing the precise nanometer of a color's wavelength best suited for the patient's use.
The second area of prior art is the manner of rehabilitation treatment methods for neurological impairments such as stroke, brain injury, CVA, and MS to name several, and learning disabilities such as Attention Deficit Disorder, and ADHD.
There is a host of computer based, non-portable, dumb-terminal rehabilitation systems used within the structure of cognitive, vision and learning disability rehabilitations. They are geared at re-training the impaired or injured neurological processes.
Unfortunately, there are two basic shortcomings to the conventional approach of neurological rehabilitations. These machines are only available to the rehabilitation facility due to cost and size and are therefore not available for private patient consumer use. This limits the amount of time a patient can spend using these rehabilitation tools due to a number of factors, as set forth below.
First, a patient who is a candidate for neurological rehabilitation is often also attending physical and occupational therapies, recovering from surgeries or other treatments and procedures associated with their neurological assault. During the time crucial window of cognitive and visual rehabilitation, a patient's day is consumed with therapies and doctors visits, often leaving the time that can be spent on cognitive rehabilitation shortchanged or even completely neglected.
Second, the neurologically impaired patient's rehabilitation is also subject to the schedules of their caretakers as they are often unable to transport themselves, inclement weather, flare-up of injuries, or office scheduling conflicts.
Despite the enormous amount of time devoted to the rehabilitation process involving doctors and rehabilitation specialists, a patient spends a great deal of time waiting in medical waiting rooms, waiting for transportation between appointments, and at the end of the day, is often too exhausted to attend to cognitive rehabilitation and the associated exercises. This time can be recaptured with a portable rehabilitation device to make best use of spare time to become rehabilitation time.
A patient who does not face the aforementioned problems can also use this device to maximize their rehabilitation, reducing rehabilitation expense while making best use of the window of maximum rehabilitative progress.
Third, a fundamental problem in the conventional approach is that is does not fully take into account the need of the learning impaired student.
A learning impaired student is paired with a learning specialist during school hours, which either robs time from their education or uses their break periods, leaving an already overworked student without a break during the day. The second approach is to team a student with a learning specialist after school, taking time away from homework and putting a student further behind in their work.
Any adaptive technology devices that a mainstreamed student may be offered might not be available in all schools, and a student may often be embarrassed to use them in front of others students who may perceive a learning disability as a lack of intelligence on the part of the disabled student. Fear of such a perception may render a student reluctant or too embarrassed to use the adaptive tech tools designed to help them.
Color Therapy has long been used medically. Color, or Light Therapy is used for a number of purposes, including, Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD), dermatological purposes, cosmetic enhancement, as well as for Syntonic Optometry. The latter has been used for the past 70 years for treatment of several optometric disorders. Recently, it has been shown to be helpful in the diagnosis and treatment of brain injuries, Cerebro-vascular accidents (CVA), and other neurological disorders.
There are, however, several failings of the treatments and therapies developed to date:                1) White light machines.        Many light machines emit full spectrum white light, not specific and finite wavelengths.        There are multiple benefits to being able to isolate a finite wavelength, as in the case of this claimed computer program:                    a. The white light machines available today, by their very nature, emit all wavelengths in the visible spectrum. For as therapeutic as certain wavelengths of color can be to a patient, another wavelength could be harmful or uncomfortable, and there is no way to omit the uncomfortable or harmful wavelengths from a white-light machine and only use the helpful ones for therapy.            b. Many patients who suffer neurological problems suffer from photophobia, or sensitivity to light and glare. While some white light machines have a dimmer, this may not reduce brightness and glare enough for the patient and cause discomfort, and would not be therapeutic.            c. Since all colors are emitted from a white light machine, it is impossible to determine what wavelengths could be most helpful to the patient. In contrast, this computer program can isolate the exact wavelength of color that is beneficial to the patient.            d. White light machines often require extended periods of time per day to receive therapeutic benefit. By this program isolating to the most therapeutic range of wavelengths, the patient will receive the most precise diagnosis and the best therapy for their specific disorder in the shortest amount of time. This is essential as there is a limited window of time after neurological injury or onset of a neurological illness that a patient has to capture the majority of recovery they will make—thus, time is of the essence.                        2) Methods of color therapy developed to date that isolate certain color spectrums are generally unable to provide the diagnostic benefits of the computer program claimed herein due to their inability to produce the scope of colors necessary. In addition, they also lack certain elements of the ideal color manipulation therapy. One such example is the use of lasers and radiation of certain colors on the eye, with the obvious side effects associated with lasers and radiation. Other methods of light therapy involve physically dangerous illumination apparatuses such as gas or flame, which are dangerous and prohibit unattended or at home use due to their very nature. None of these factors are an issue with the current claimed invention.

Method and apparatus of providing wavefront color therapy


Disclosed are a multi-directional input device and a game machine. The operating part includes a hemispherical upper hemisphere at a lower end. The upper hemisphere includes a hemispherical plane part at a lower part. Diameters of the hemispherical plane part and the upper hemisphere are the same. The diameter of the upper hemisphere is greater than that of the operating part. An upper support is fixed to the base and defines a hemispherical hole and hole wall of which is abutted against the upper hemisphere. The upper support further defines a through hole above the hemispherical hole, and the operating part is penetrated through the through hole. A diameter of the through hole is greater than that of the operating part. The upper support includes an upper support plane part below the hemispherical hole. A diameter of the upper support plane part is greater than that of the hemispherical hole.

A multi-directional input device generally includes a housing, an operator pivotably arranged in the housing, two rocker arms that rotate with pivoting of the operator, and a detection device that detects rotating amount of the rocker arms and outputs a corresponding signal according to the rotating amount of the rocker arms. However, in the related art, the operator of the multi-directional input device is rotatably connected with one of the two rocker arms to limit the position, so that after the operator is driven, the reaction force generated by the spring sleeved on the operator only acts on the rocker arm. At this time, the rocker arm is prone to deformation and form resistance, which in turn results in that the rocker arm and another rocker arm need different operating forces when driven by the operator, so that the multi-directional input device has different hand feelings when operating in different directions.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Multi-directional input device and game machine


An ESD protection circuit connected between an input pad and an internal circuit is disclosed. The ESD protection circuit includes a main ESD protection device, a first resistor and a secondary device. The main ESD protection device is connected to the input pad for clamping a voltage of the input pad. The first resistor has a first end connected to the input pad and a second end connected to the internal circuit. The secondary device is connected to the second end of the first resistor and the main ESD protection device for clamping a voltage of the internal circuit. During an ESD event, the secondary device is turned on first to receive an ESD current and accordingly provides a trigger current to turn on the main ESD protection device.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to an ESD protection circuit, and more particularly to a substrate-triggered ESD protection circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional substrate-triggered ESD protection circuit. As shown in FIG. 1, for an input pad 110, it will receive an external signal S to an internal circuit 120, such as an input buffer. An ESD protection circuit 100 is connected between the input pad 110 and internal circuit 120 for protecting the internal circuit 120 from ESD damage. The ESD protection circuit 100 includes a primary device 102, a resistor R, and a secondary device 104. The resistor R is connected between the input pad 110 and internal circuit 120. The primary device 102 is connected to the input pad 110 and one end of the resistor R for clamping the voltage of the input pad 110, and the secondary device 104 is connected to the internal circuit 120 and the other end of the resistor R for clamping the voltage of the internal circuit 120.
The primary device 102 further includes a substrate pump 102a and a main ESD protection device 102b, such as a field transistor with a parasitic bipolar junction transistor (BJT). The main ESD protection device 102b is connected to the input pad 110 and resistor R. The substrate pump 102a is connected to the input pad 110 and the main ESD protection device 102b for pumping the substrate voltage of the main ESD protection device 102b.
When an ESD current enters the input pad 110, the voltage of the input pad 110 will rise rapidly and the secondary device 104 is turned on first to clamp the voltage of the internal circuit 120. The voltage of the input pad 110 keeps rising until the substrate pump 102a is turned on to drain the ESD current into the bulk of the main ESD protection device 102b to raise its potential. Higher bulk potential can speed up the turn-on of the main ESD protection device 102b and make it drain most of the ESD current more efficiently.
However, the substrate pump 102a is conventionally formed by a RC circuit or a RC-coupled inverter. In order to couple enough voltages from the input pad 110 to the bulk of the main ESD protection device 102b, a large area of the RC circuit or RC-coupled inverter needs to be used, which increases the production cost. In some applications, the substrate pump 102a is implemented by a ground-gate N-type metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) transistor. Because of the gate-aided effect, the ground-gate NMOS transistor turns on before the main ESD protection device 102b and may fail first if the protection device 102b cannot turn on immediately, therefore the substrate pump 102a will be damaged.


A method for preparing tapered block copolymers in a polymerization process by charging an initiator and monomers sequentially with one or more charges of first one of the monomers, then with a mixture of the two monomers, and then with one or more charges of the second monomer alternating with one or more charges of the first monomer with subsequent coupling to produce a polymodal tapered block copolymer. Suitable monomers include conjugated dienes and monovinylaromatic compounds. The copolymers are suitable for use in injection and blow molding equipment; the copolymers are particularly useful for shrink films, containers, tubes, fibers and other packaging applications.

This invention relates to tapered block copolymers of conjugated dienes and monovinylarenes.
In another aspect, this invention relates to a method of preparing tapered block copolymers of conjugated dienes and monovinylarenes.
Polymerization of styrene and butadiene with organolithium initiators to produce block copolymers in which one or more non-elastomeric polymer blocks are bonded to one or more elastomeric polymer blocks has been disclosed. Similarly, styrene and butadiene with terminal tapered blocks have been prepared by sequential charging of initiator and monomers to the polymerization zone to produce block copolymers suitable for manufacture of transparent colorless blister packages.
There is a continuing need for transparent colorless material suitable for shrink wrap packaging applications. Having better shrinkage properties exhibited at lower temperatures would facilitate the use of block copolymer shrink wrap in packaging applications.
There has also developed in the polymer field, and especially in the packaging and related industries, a need for thermoplastic polymers that can be formed into transparent articles having high impact strength with good environmental stress crack resistance. These should be suitable for use with conventional injection and blow molding equipment and also suitable for use in other methods of forming plastics into containers, tubes, films, fibers and the like. Polystyrene, high impact polystyrene, branched block copolymers, and the like have been developed to meet these criteria with various degrees of satisfaction. there is a continuing need for colorless transparent materials with high impact strength and good environmental stress crack resistance.

Tapered block monovinyl aromatic/conjugated diene copolymer


An image of an original is read and stored into a first buffer memory and encoded. The encoded data is stored into a second buffer memory. The stored encoded data is transferred to, e.g., a magneto-optic disk drive unit. Further, the image data stored in the first buffer memory is converted into the image data of a low resolution and is encoded and stored into a third buffer memory. The stored encoded data is transferred to the magneto-optic disk drive unit. After the image data stored in the first buffer memory is encoded, the resolution conversion of the image data stored in the first buffer memory is started in a manner such that the recording of the encoded data of low resolution to a magneto-optic disk can be started just after the encoded data of high resolution was recorded to the magneto-optic disk. Thus, the image data of high resolution and the image data of low resolution can be promptly recorded onto the magneto-optic disk.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a control apparatus of an image filing apparatus for storing images into a memory medium.
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, in the case of storing images into a memory medium, the images are compressed and encoded and stored so that a larger number of images can be stored within a range of a limited memory capacity.
In a compound image processing apparatus to which a filing function is added to a digital copying apparatus, there is a demand for the ability to display an image retrieved from the memory medium onto a large liquid crystal display provided for an operation unit and to confirm the image.
In the liquid crystal display of the operation unit, however, for example, since the number of display pixels is small (for example, 400.times.200 dots or the like), only a part of the original image can be displayed.
Therefore, when image data of an ordinary high resolution is stored into the memory medium, there is considered a method whereby image data of a low resolution which was reduced to the image suitable for displaying to the liquid crystal display is previously separately formed and stored into the memory medium. In this case, however, if two storing processes are sequentially executed in a manner such that after the image data of the ordinary high resolution was subjected to an encoding process and stored, in order to separately store the image data of the low resolution obtained by reducing the image data of the high resolution, the reducing process and the encoding process are executed and the resultant data is stored, it takes a long time to store the image data into the memory medium.


The invention relates to a acrylated-based optical coating composition containing an organic peroxide initiator which presents a low yellowness level. The initiator has a range of free radical energy that is below a predetermined level. The cure process is controlled by the use a catalyst and a low energy initiator to avoid deleterious reactions that can increase yellowness. The composition is well suited to be applied to a lens and cured in the mold to form a coating with reduced yellowness having high adhesion and abrasion-resistant properties. A dye can be introduced into the composition to form a tinted lens.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an acrylate-based optical coating composition comprising an organic peroxide initiator which presents a low yellowness level. More particularly, the composition is applied to a lens and cured in the mold to form a coating with reduced yellowness having high adhesion, abrasion-resistant, or photochromic properties.
2. The Prior Art
Injection molded polycarbonate ophthalmic lenses are lightweight and possess excellent mechanical properties. Photochromic dyes are incorporated into certain lenses to enhance their optical properties by automatically lightening or darkening based on the amount and type of light that they receive. Since the photochromic dye molecules can decompose when exposed to the heat of the injection molding process, such dyes need to be introduced on to the lens after the injection molding step. One method is to incorporate the photochromic dye into a coating composition and apply it to a lens surface via dip coating or spin coating. The surface discontinuity of bifocal and trifocal segmented lenses are not well suited to these typical coating processes. The viscous coating material builds-up at the segment which results in an undesirable darker color at the segment when exposed to UV light. A prior art process utilizing a photochromic polyurethane coating is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,187,444 and 7,258,437. These approaches do not use organic peroxides in the coating compositions, rather they utilize condensation reactions.
Photochromic (PhCh) Semi-finished Straight-Top (SFST) lenses can be made by injection molding polycarbonate (PC) behind a photochromic wafer. The wafer can be a tri-layer of PC/PhCh/PC. VisionEase U.S. Pat. No. 7,036,932 and U.S. Published Patent Application 2007/0122626 describes such a product.
Another method is to over-mold a photochromic coating onto a clear substrate or a clear coating onto a photochromic substrate. In one example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,863,844 describes a composite lens utilizing an acrylic photochromic monomeric solution and curing it by UV. These UV cure processes describe using UV radiation wavelength outside the absorption of the photochromic or employ filters to minimize UV absorption. This helps to protect the photochromic and ensure a good cure. In another example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,258,437 describes over-molding a non-photochromic polyurethane-acrylic solution on top of a photochromic polyurethane coated substrate by UV.
Some general photochromic acrylic coatings are cured as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,602,603 utilizing UV initiators and azo initiators. The photochromic coatings utilizing the azo thermal initiator was cured in a vacuum oven, flushed with nitrogen and cured by IR for 4 minutes reaching a maximum temperature of 124° C. U.S. Pat. No. 5,621,017 describes the UV cure of an acrylic photochromic composition.
Other such photochromic coatings are Aminoplast melamine PhCh coatings, mentioned in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,506,488 and 6,432,544. Thermal initiators are used to prepare polymers, while acid catalysts (eg. p-TSA) cure the photochromic Cymel resin mixture. A photochromic epoxy coating is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,268,055. Thermal initiators are only used to prepare the polymers, no peroxide initiator is used to cure the epoxy PhCh coating.
Yet another method is proposed in U.S. Published Patent Application 2007/0138665 where a thermoplastic segmented lens substrate is injection molded. The mold block opens and a coating liquid is applied to the front surface of the segmented thermoplastic lens. The mold block then closes. This serves two (2) purposes. First, when the mold block closes, it spreads the coating over the front (CX) surface of the segmented thermoplastic lens to provide a uniform thickness. Secondly, the mold block will provide suitable heat to cure the coating formulation. A thermal initiator (t-butylperbenzoate) and a catalyst (cobalt naphthenate) are utilized to ensure a good cure. When the coating is a photochromic coating, the organic peroxide thermal initiator (t-butylperoxybenzoate) appears to damages the photochromic molecules resulting in a visible yellow color. Accordingly, there is a need to produce coatings with low yellow color. More particularly, it would be desirable to provide a photochromic coating composition with reduced yellowness, and a method for in-mold coating, especially for coating bifocal or trifocal segmented lenses.

Initiators for optical coating formulations with reduced yellowness

Essilor International (Compagnie Generale d'Optique


An exhaust apparatus for an engine is provided, which is capable of efficiently sucking in secondary air for a catalyst by utilizing an ejector (entraining) effect caused by the exhaust gases and which has a simple and inexpensive structure. Exhaust gases from the engine are introduced into a main muffler body, are expanded and muffled by passage through a plurality of silencer chambers, and are also passed through a catalyst and scrubbed thereby in a state in which they are mixed with secondary air introduced from the exterior. A secondary air introduction pipe for introducing secondary air is provided in a first-stage silencer chamber. A mixing pipe is provided into which are introduced the secondary air introduced from the secondary air introduction pipe and the exhaust gases from the first-stage silencer chamber. An ejector (entraining) portion for sucking in the secondary air from the secondary air introduction pipe is formed from an outlet of the secondary air introduction pipe and an inlet of the mixing pipe.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exhaust apparatus for an engine. This apparatus accelerates the purifying reaction through a catalyst of exhaust gases from an engine that have been mixed with secondary air from the exterior, so that the exhaust gases are sufficiently purified. In addition the exhaust noise is reduced on output.
2. Related Technical Information
When exhaust gases are emitted from an engine which is being operated at an excessively rich air/fuel ratio, it has long been known to further accelerate the purifying reaction of such exhaust gases by passing them through a catalyst in a state in which they have been mixed with secondary air introduced from the exterior. When this secondary air is supplied to the exhaust system of the engine, means for forcibly increasing the flow velocity by a pump or the like is generally used. Such a means of supplying secondary air, however, must adjust the amount of supplied secondary air in accordance with the amount of emitted exhaust gases, by controlling it by a throttle valve or the like, but such control is comparatively complicated and thus the apparatus becomes larger and more expensive.
To solve this problem, each of Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 6-212964 and 7-19039 disclosed means for automatically introducing secondary air from the exterior, utilizing an ejector (entraining) effect induced by exhaust gases emitted from an engine. Such a secondary air introduction means has an advantage in that the negative pressure generated by the flow of exhaust gases sucks in secondary air from the exterior. This ensures that an amount of secondary air corresponding to the amount of emitted exhaust gases is introduced, so that there is no particular need for means of controlling the amount of secondary air that is introduced, thus simplifying the configuration.
However, the exhaust apparatus of each of these applications utilizes an ejector (entraining) effect using exhaust gases of a flow velocity that has been reduced after they have left a silencer chamber (expansion chamber), and a swirl tube is provided in order to swirl the exhaust gases and increase the flow velocity thereof. This increases the number of components, increasing the cost.
The present invention has the objective of providing an exhaust apparatus for an engine which is capable of using the ejector (entraining) effect of the exhaust gases to suck in secondary air efficiently, but which has a simple and inexpensive structure.


A device connector has a detachment preventing plate (50) mounted on surfaces of terminal blocks (30) to prevent detachment of nuts (35) and has escaping holes (52) at positions corresponding to nut accommodating holes (33) for allowing the tips of bolts (8) to escape. Fixed rails (40) are formed on the surface of each terminal block (30) at opposite sides of the nut accommodating hole (33) and extend in a projecting direction of the terminal block (30). Moving rails (53) are provided on a facing surface of the detachment preventing plate (50) and fit slidably to the fixed rails (40). The detachment preventing plate (50) is pushed and attached to cover the surfaces of the terminal blocks (30) from projecting ends of the terminal blocks (30) while the moving rails (53) are slid along and guided by the fixed rails (40).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device connector in which terminal fittings are connected to mating terminals by bolt fastening.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 8,251,756 discloses a device connector with a housing and a plurality of busbar-like terminal fittings mounted side by side in the housing. Each terminal fitting has a bolt insertion hole on a tip. The tips of the terminal fittings project on one surface of the housing and can be supported on terminal blocks. Square nuts are press-fit in a rotation prevented manner in nut accommodating holes on the respective terminal blocks. This housing is mounted on an outer surface of a case of a device and, the terminal blocks are arranged to project into the case through mounting holes on the case.
A busbar-like mating terminal fitting is placed on the upper surface of the terminal fitting supported on each terminal block, and also has a bolt insertion hole. The terminals are connected electrically by inserting a bolt through the bolt insertion holes and threadedly tightening the bolt into the nut.
Detachment of the nuts is prevented by press-fitting the nuts into the nut accommodating holes of the terminal blocks in this device connector.
The above-described device connector often is used in an environment where ambient temperature varies widely. Thus, the synthetic resin housing repeatedly expands and contracts with temperature changes, and the press-fit nuts may become loose. The loose nut may detach if the terminal fittings are separated for maintenance or the like and a subsequent fastening of the bolt becomes more time consuming.
The invention was completed based on the above situation and aims to enable a bolt fastening operation to be performed efficiently and accurately by preventing the detachment of nuts.


Provided is a two-dimensional large-area growth method for a chalcogen compound, the method including: depositing a film of a transition metal element or a Group V element on a substrate; thereafter, uniformly diffusing a vaporized chalcogen element, a vaporized chalcogen precursor compound or a chalcogen compound represented by M′X′2+δ within the film; and, thereafter, forming a film of a chalcogen compound represented by MX2 by forming the chalcogen compound represented by MX2 through post-heating.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a two-dimensional large-area growth method for a chalcogen compound, a method of manufacturing a CMOS-type structure, a film of a chalcogen compound represented by MX2 (wherein M is a transition metal element or a Group V element and X is a chalcogen element), an electronic device including a film of a chalcogen compound represented by MX2 and a CMOS-type structure.
This research was supported in part by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2013M3C1A3059590, NRF-2014M3A9D7070732).
This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning (No. 2015R1A5A1037548).
This research was supported by the Commercializations Promotion Agency for R&D Outcomes (COMPA) funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MISP).
2. Description of the Related Art
Chalcogen compounds such as transition metal chalcogen compounds form a common crystalline structure, have electrically, magnetically and optically large anisotropy, and exhibit a variety of unusual properties. Understanding for properties of such chalcogen compounds and application thereof have been interested.
There is a need to grow a two-dimensional plate-type chalcogen compound having semiconductor-like properties on a large-area substrate by growing such chalcogen compounds to a large area. However, there is limitation of low mobility when a solution process is performed using a known method, and there are a problem of slow growth and limitation in obtaining a uniform film upon application of chemical vapor deposition method wherein a chalcogen compound is deposited through chemical vapor deposition of a precursor compound.

Two-dimensional large-area growth method for chalcogen compound, method for manufacturing CMOS-type structure, film of chalcogen compound, electronic device comprising film of chalcogen compound, and CMOS-type structure

UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY COOPERATION GROUP OF KYUNG HEE UNIVERSITY


The beverage producing device comprises a housing (3) and a removable water container (9) which is designed to be connected to the outside of said housing (3) in an operative position, when the device is in use. The water container is further designed to be recoverable in an inoperative position inside a recovery seat (27) formed by said housing or parts thereof, when the device is not in use.

A beverage producing device of the above mentioned type is disclosed for example in WO 2010/032271.
These beverage producing devices are becoming more and more popular and efforts are being made to reduce the costs and the dimension thereof, as well as the packaging and shipping costs and to make their use more practical also in houses where little space is available.

Beverage producing device with a dual-position water container


In a web cutter where a blade is used to cut a continuous paper web into sheets, a tractor is used to move the web past the blade for cutting. The tractor operates in a start-and-stop cycle so that the web is temporarily stopped to allow the blade to lower and shear the web. The tractor accelerates in the next cycle to move another length of paper downstream from the blade. A high-speed cutter requires high acceleration of the tractor. This acceleration force causes the web to whip up uncontrollably, causing the web to break or wrinkle. To reduce the web breakage, a moving mechanism positioned upstream from the tractor and operate a second motion cycle is used to move the web toward the tractor such that a loop of paper is formed upstream of the tractor, thereby reducing the whipping action of the web.

Continuous web cutters are known in the art. Typically, a continuous web cutter is used to cut a continuous web of material into cut sheets, and provide the cut sheets to a sheet accumulator, where the accumulated sheets are moved to an insertion station in a mass mailing inserting system. In a typical web cutter, a continuous web of material with sprocket holes on both side of the web is fed from a fanfold stack into the web cutter. The web cutter has a tractor with pins or a pair of moving belts with sprockets to move the web toward a guillotine cutting module for cutting the web cross-wise into separate sheets. Perforations are provided on each side of the web so that the sprocket hole sections of the web can be removed from the sheets prior to moving the cut sheets to other components of the mailing inserting system. In particular, some continuous web cutters are used to feed two webs of material linked by a center perforation. In the cutter, a splitter is used to split the linked webs into two separate web portions before the linked webs are simultaneously cut by the cutting module into two cut sheets.
In a feed cycle, the paper is advanced past the blade of the guillotine cutting module by a distance equal to the length of the cut sheet and is stopped. In a cut cycle, the blade lowers to shear off the sheet of paper, and then withdraws from the paper. As soon as the blade withdraws from the paper path, the next feed cycle begins. The feed and cut cycles are carried out in such an alternate fashion over the entire operation.
In some web cutters, it is desirable to achieve a cutting rate of 25,000 cuts per hour or more, for example. This means that the web cutter has a feed/cut cycle of 144 ms. Typically the length of the cut sheet is 11 inches (27.94 cm). If the time to complete a cut cycle is about 34 ms, then the total time in a feed cycle is 110 ms. This means that the web must be accelerated from a stop position to a predetermined velocity and then decelerated in order to stop again within 110 ms. The acceleration and deceleration action of the tractor causes the paper web immediately upstream of the tractor to whip up and down uncontrollably. If the whipping motion is severe, the web may break. As the cutting rate increases, the problem becomes more acute.
Lorenzo (U.S. Pat. No. 5,768,959) discloses a web cutter wherein two separate modules are used to take in a web from upstream: a slitter module for slitting the web into two web portions so as to allow a cutter module to separately cut the web portions into sheets. In order to coordinate the movement of the web portions between the slitter module and the cutter module, two parallel paper loops are provided between the two modules.
While this approach helps reduce the breakage of the web, the loops are too large. Moving such a large loop might still cause the web to tear because of the inertia and whip when the web cutter operates at a high cutting rate.
It is advantageous and desirable to provide a method and device for further reducing the whipping motion of the web paper immediately upstream of the tractor and the tension in the web due to acceleration of the tractor so as to avoid breakage of the web.

Method and device for reducing web breakage in a web cutter


An electromechanical device for generating elastic waves in a material medium such as the subsoil in a frequency range where the wavelengths of the waves generated are great in view of the dimensions of the device, and method of implementation. The device comprises one or more vibrators which are buried in the medium, associated with a control system. Each vibrator comprises at least one inertia mass (1), several plates (2, 3) providing mechanical coupling with the medium, electromechanical transducers (4, 5) connecting inertia masses (1) to plates (2, 3). A control system (7) applies to the various transducers (4, 5) respective control signals so that the resulting elastic wavefield generated in the medium by the device is preferentially oriented in one or more directions.

The object of seismic prospecting operations is to record seismograms of the formation to be explored from elastic waves picked up by suitable receivers coupled with the formation (arranged at the surface or in wells), these waves being reflected by the subsoil discontinuities in response to waves emitted by an elastic wave source of any type, either an impulsive source: explosive charge in a hole, air guns towed by a ship at sea, etc., or vibrators emitting signals of variable length, generally variable-frequency signals. The frequency variation can be continuous within a certain frequency range (sweep) as described in patent U.S. Pat. No. 2,688,124 or discontinuous with binary coding as described in patent FR-2,589,587.
The vibrators can be, for example, of electromagnetic or electrohydraulic type, or piezoelectric. A piezoelectric type vibrator comprises for example a plate intended to provide coupling with the ground, a sufficiently heavy inertia mass coupled with the plate by means of one or more piezoelectric transducers. Each transducer comprises for example a pile of piezoelectric ceramic elements coupled in parallel, and it is connected to a vibrational signal generator. A piezoelectric vibrator is described for example in patent FR-2,791,780 filed by the applicant.
The seismic sources coupled with the ground surface are directional but the seismic energy they can emit depends very much on the coupling quality, which itself depends on the local climatic variations. This is a drawback notably when long-term monitoring operations are carried out in a reservoir under development so as to be able to compare, at intervals of several months for example, the seismograms obtained successively, and thus to detect variations in the state thereof. It is therefore preferable, when a certain emission reproducibility is desired, to couple the sources with the formation, below the weathered zone. A well of sufficient depth to reach the base of the weathered zone is therefore bored, the source is installed at the bottom thereof and connected to a suitable power generator.
However, the drawback of this coupling mode is that the source is no longer directional and emits upwards. The radiation that crosses the weathered zone disturbs the seismograms obtained.
A directional source is described, for an acoustic application, in patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,674. It is a high-frequency Janus type immersed source comprising a mass fastened between two piezoelectric transducers. A plate is fastened to the end of each transducer opposite the central mass. The mechanical impedance put up by the immersion medium is identical for each plate. The two transducers are fed independently of one another so that the motion of one or the other plate is inhibited. In the relatively high acoustic frequencies range, since the wavelengths of the waves emitted are short in view of the dimensions of the source, the waves are emitted only towards the outside of the mobile plate and practically not on the opposite side. In the very low frequencies range in which seismic sources operate, inhibition of the speed of one of the plates does not make the source directional because the mobile plate generates a back wave in phase opposition.

Device for generating focused elastic waves in a material medium such as underground, and method using same


A process and system for removing silica from large volumes of wastewater is disclosed. In the process, a wastewater stream containing silica is treated with a chemical coagulant, such as a epichlorohydrin/dimethylamine polymer, to create spherical particles which agglomerate into clusters having a diameter greater than 5 microns. Treated wastewater is passed through a microfiltration membrane which physically separates the silica contaminant particle from the wastewater. Commercially available microfiltration membranes having a pore size from 0.5 micron to 5 microns may be used. The treated wastewater flow rate through the microfiltration membranes can range from 150 gallons per square foot of membrane per day ("GFD") to 600 GFD. Solids are removed from the membrane surface by periodically backflushing the microfiltration membranes and draining solids at timed intervals from the filtration vessel within which the membranes are located. The dislodged solid material within the filtration vessel is flushed into a holding tank for further processing of the solids.

Many industrial operations generate large quantities of water containing silica. For instance, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) processes, widely used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices, produce waste water streams containing high quantities of silica. CMP processes are used to polish the silicon-based wafer surface during various stages of semiconductor manufacture. Waste streams containing the polishing slurry and silica are produced during CMP. The silica must be removed before the water can be safely discharged to the environment or recycled within the facility.
Dissolved silica in industrial cooling water is a major problem. Silica is a scale forming material commonly found in cooling water which can foul heat exchangers, pipes, valves, pumps, and boilers. No known inhibitor, chelating agent or dispersant exists which will significantly control silica's tendency to form scale. When the silica concentration in a cooling water system exceeds its solubility limit of roughly about 150 to about 200 milligrams per liter, silica polymerizes to form scale. It may also react with multivalent cations, such as magnesium and calcium, to form scale.
Researchers have examined many different methods of removing soluble silica, including the use of ferric sulfate, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, magnesium sulfate, magnesium oxide, aluminum hydroxide, sodium aluminate and activated alumina. Activated alumina has received much attention in processes for removing silica. See, U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,180 to Matson and U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,181 to Matchett. Other aluminum containing compounds such as sodium aluminate, aluminum sulfate, and aluminum chloride in an alkaline environment (pH greater than 8) have been used to remove soluble and colloidal silica. See, U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,206 to Browne. However, these processes are not capable of processing large volumes of wastewater through high flow mechanical systems because of degradation of particles and particulates below 5 micron in size.
Microfiltration systems have been considered to remove silica contaminants from wastewater. However, traditional microfiltration membranes having a pore size of about 0.5 microns rapidly clog with silica that was precipitated with conventional inorganic coagulants. Such particulates are consistently less than 1.0 micron in size. Moreover, the inorganic coagulants cannot aid in the precipitation of microfine colloidal silica. The partially formed floc will also deform and block the membrane pores, preventing flow.
There is, therefore, a need in the art for improved processes for removing silica from wastewater.
Such processes and systems are disclosed and claimed herein.

Process for removing silica from wastewater


A device for expanding an elongate opening formed in a skin layer of a patient includes a first arm for engaging one side of the opening and a second arm for engaging the other side of the opening. The device further includes a spreader mechanism, coupled to at least one of the first and second arms, to move the at least one of the first and second arms to widen the opening. The at least one arm is configured to move between a retracted position in which the at least one arm is positioned next to the other arm and an extended position in which the at least one arm is extended to expand the opening. Other embodiments of the device as well as methods for performing a medical procedure are further disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to methods and devices for performing surgery, and more particularly, to methods and devices for performing minimally invasive surgery, such as cardiac surgery, including, but not limited to, coronary artery bypass grafting, valvular, dysrhythmia and aortic surgery, as well as thoracic surgical procedures.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Coronary artery disease is the largest or one of the largest causes of death in the United States. Interventions for coronary artery disease include education, medication, percutaneous coronary intervention, such as balloon angioplasty and stenting, and coronary bypass surgery.
Coronary artery bypass surgery is the most common type of heart surgery, with over 300,000 people having successful surgery in the United States each year. As is well known, arteries can become clogged over time by the build-up of fatty plaque in the artery wall. Coronary bypass surgery bypasses the diseased artery with a new blood vessel taken from the leg (greater saphenous vein) or an artery from the chest or arm. This procedure creates a new route for blood to flow.
Coronary artery bypass surgery is typically performed through an open chest exposure (i.e., to access and circumvent obstructed coronary arteries). A common approach involves making a 15-20 cm long incision in the skin overlying the breastbone, and splitting and separating the sternum to provide full access to the heart. With reference to FIG. 1, during coronary artery bypass surgery, the patient's breastbone 10 (sternum) is divided by means of a sternal saw. As stated above, a typical incision 12 is approximately 15-20 cm long. After appropriate bypass conduits are taken (e.g., a vein from the patient's leg), a sternal retractor is placed to spread the skin and breastbone to expose the heart and vessels for the bypass procedure. During the procedure, the heart may be stopped, and the patient's blood is sent through a heart-lung machine. This procedure typically takes three to five hours to perform, depending on the number of bypasses required. Three to four smaller incisions may be made inferior to the initial incision for drain placement around the heart after the procedure is completed. At the end of the procedure, the patient's breastbone is wired back together and the muscle and skin are closed as well with absorbable sutures.
The long incision 12 described above, which starts from the very top of the breastbone and extends the bottom of the breastbone, cuts not only the breastbone, but tissue and muscle as well. During the operation, a sternal retractor is situated above the cavity to spread the skin, tissue, muscle and breastbone. This large incision may cause several potential negative side effects. Of all the layers of body tissue, the skin is the most innervated with sensory nerves, as compared to muscle and breastbone. Further, closure of the pectoral muscles must be done in a fashion that results in much more tension on the muscles than the native state. This may result in extreme pain at rest which is exacerbated by any action that stretches the skin or muscle, which can lead to respiratory complications and general inactivity due to splinting. There may also be associated negative psychological effects.
Experience from other surgical procedures has shown that minimized surgical incisions result in shorter intensive care unit and hospital stays, less complications, less pain, and an overall better experience for the patient. For example, prior techniques in gallbladder removal (cholecystectomy) involved a substantial incision of 12-15 cm in the abdomen, which results in expected increased patient discomfort. When laparoscopic cholecystectomy was developed, which involves making four small incisions (each between 0.5 and 1.2 cm long) and the use of video equipment, the results was shorter hospital stays, less complications and quicker patient recovery.
Pecutaneous coronary intervention ("PCI") was developed as a less invasive way than coronary artery bypass grafting to treat coronary artery disease. PCI has progressed from balloon angioplasty, to stents, to drug eluting stents. However, PCI may not be suitable for patients who are diabetic or who have three or more artery blockages, according to the official recommendations of the American College of Cardiology.
Although there are examples of "minimal" invasive coronary artery bypass surgery, such surgery typically involves bypassing only left sided, anterior coronary vessels, through a limited rib spreading incision. This operation is only used for patients whose entire set of blockages can be bypassed through this smaller incision which represents a minority of patients.
Minimally invasive approaches to all types of operations are desirable because of the advantages of less scarring and pain, shorter hospital stays and recovery time. With minimally invasive approaches, such approaches generally try to avoid splitting the sternum and may use a series of incisions to gain adequate visualization and access the patient's heart. Rarely, with these approaches, is it possible to use videoscopic imaging systems or robotic guidance devices. While these techniques may provide advantages when dealing with a limited set of anatomic heart problems, they are not widely adopted due to their cumbersome nature, and the limited mobility through relatively fixed bony and muscular structures. There is concern that sub-par results may be obtained. In addition with small incisions, reduced three-dimensional visibility and perceptual orientation may increase some risk to the patient.

Methods and apparatus for performing minimally invasive surgery


An apparatus for dispensing fluid during semiconductor substrate processing operations. The apparatus includes a central fluid dispense bank comprising a plurality of dispense nozzles coupled to a plurality of fluid sources and a first processing chamber positioned to a first side of the central fluid dispense bank. The apparatus also includes a second processing chamber positioned to a second side of the central fluid dispense bank and a dispense arm adapted to translate between the central fluid dispense bank, the first processing chamber, and the second processing chamber.

The present invention relates generally to the field of semiconductor processing equipment. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for dispensing fluids onto a semiconductor substrate. Merely by way of example, the method and apparatus has been applied to two processing chambers in a coat/develop module sharing a central fluid dispense bank. But it would be recognized that the invention has a much broader range of applicability.
Portions of the process of forming electronic devices are commonly performed in a multi-chamber processing system (e.g., a cluster tool) that has the capability to sequentially process substrates, (e.g., semiconductor wafers) in a controlled processing environment. A typical cluster tool used to deposit (i.e., coat) and develop a photoresist material, commonly known as a track lithography tool, will include a mainframe that houses multiple substrate transfer robots which transport substrates between a pod/cassette mounting device and multiple processing chambers that are connected to the mainframe. Cluster tools are often used so that substrates can be processed in a repeatable way in a controlled processing environment. A controlled processing environment has many benefits which include minimizing contamination of the substrate surfaces during transfer and during completion of the various substrate processing steps. Processing in a controlled environment thus reduces the number of generated defects and improves device yield.
Two types of processing chamber generally included in a track lithography tool are substrate coating modules and substrate developing modules, sometimes collectively referred to as a coat/develop module. Typically, in a coat module, a spin coating process is used to form a layer of photoresist or other coating on an upper surface of a substrate. One method mounts a substrate on a spin chuck, which is rotated at up to several thousand revolutions per minute (RPMs). Several milliliters of a liquid (e.g., photoresist) is applied to a central region of the substrate and the spinning action of the spin chuck disperses the liquid over the surface of the substrate. The coating is processed in subsequent steps to form features on the substrate as is well known to one of skill in the art. In develop modules, a developer is applied to the surface of the substrate after exposure of the photoresist. The coat/develop modules contain a number of similarities, as well as differences, including different nozzle designs corresponding to varying viscosities of dispense fluids, among other factors.
In some previously known coat/develop modules, a single spin bowl is attached to a system for dispensing photoresist or other coating liquids. In some photoresist coating applications, it is desirable to provide a number of different coatings, including different thicknesses and materials. Particularly, the industry transition to 300 mm substrates has led to an increase in the number of different coating liquids. Accordingly, in some coat/develop modules, and particularly in photoresist coat modules, the dispense system may include a number of different dispense nozzles dispensing different photoresists. Additionally, a number of other dispense nozzles may be included that provide photoresists with varying concentrations of solutions and solvents.
In some coat/develop modules, the dispense nozzles are fabricated to precise tolerances in accordance with the tolerances associated with a particular semiconductor process. As a result of the number and quality of the dispense nozzles in some of these modules, the cost of the dispense system may be much larger than the cost of the spin bowl.
In general, coat/develop applications rotate the substrate to achieve a predetermined rotation speed, dispense the coating fluid, and then continue rotating the substrate for a predetermined period after the dispense step is completed. As described above, the rotation of the substrate is utilized to disperse the coating fluid over the surface of the substrate. In these processes, the dispense system is inactive while the substrate rotation dispenses the resist. Therefore, in some dispense systems, the most expensive system components, namely those included in the dispense apparatus, are idle during a significant fraction of the processing time.
Other previously known coat modules employ multiple spin bowls. One example of a coating apparatus with two spin chucks located in a single casing is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,250,114. Wafers are loaded and unloaded from the spin chucks by a single robot located outside the casing. A single resist nozzle for dispensing a resist liquid is attached to a nozzle arm attached to an endless belt surrounding two rollers. The endless belt is driven by a motor. Through use of the motor and endless belt, the nozzle arm is able to serve both spin chucks.
The system as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,114 suffers from several problems. First, the system provides only a single resist nozzle that dispenses a single resist. Thus, the system does not provide a number of different coatings, including coatings of different materials. Second, the only isolation provided between the spin chucks and the other items contained inside the casing is a cup surrounding each spin chuck. The cup is raised into position during coating. Although this cup design may provide some containment for liquid particles scattered from the wafer surface, control of the atmosphere in the vicinity of the wafers is not provided by this design. As a result, air-borne particles and solvent mist are free to move from one spin chuck to the other or from a waiting trench where the single nozzle waits to either of the wafers.
Therefore, a need exists in the art for improved coat/develop modules and improved methods of operating the same.

Coat/develop module with shared dispense


A hydraulic control system in a construction machine is provided with a hydraulic pump delivering hydraulic oil, a directional control valve controlling flow of the hydraulic oil, an actuator driven by the hydraulic oil outputted from the directional control valve, and a tank into which the hydraulic oil delivered from the hydraulic pump is bleeded. A cut-off valve controlling flow of the bleeded hydraulic oil is arranged between the directional control valve and the tank. Transient characteristics are added to a signal controlling the cut-off valve so that variation of the signal is suppressed to be small. Transient characteristics are added also to a signal controlling the hydraulic pump so that variation of the signal is suppressed to be small. Thereby the construction machine can travel smoothly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mainly a hydraulic control system in a construction machine such as a hydraulic excavator.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally in a hydraulic excavator of crawler type, since a car body is vibrated while running on the rough ground, hands supporting a traveling lever can not hold the traveling lever to a definite position. Therefore pilot pressure drawn from a traveling hydraulic remote control valve arranged at lower side of the traveling lever is varied, and hydraulic oil corresponding to rocking of the traveling lever flows into the hydraulic oil flowing-in side of the traveling motor and the traveling of the hydraulic excavator becomes unstable.

Hydraulic control system in construction machine


A non-anticoagulant (NAC) form of heparin which shows antiproliferative activity with respect to smooth muscle cells is useful in the prevention of restenosis and other conditions benefited by antiproliferative activity with respect to smooth muscle cells. This NAC form of heparin is prepared by oxidizing heparin/heparan sulfate to a desired level with periodate followed by reduction of the resulting aldehyde groups; all under conditions which prevent depolymerization of the heparin.

Proliferation of smooth muscle cells in blood vessel walls occurs in response to vascular injury, and in association with certain disease states (Austin, G.E., et al., J Am Coll Cardiol (1985) 6:369-375). The proliferation of these cells can have negative effects due to the production of excess proteins or other matrix molecules, which, along with the cells themselves, form pathologic lesions of, for example, atherosclerosis, renal hypertension, pulmonary hypertension, vasculitis, and post-surgical vascular restenosis. These results are distinguished from the acute response to trauma characterized by blood clotting.
Heparin/heparan sulfate is known to inhibit smooth muscle cell proliferation. Heparin/heparan sulfate is a member of a class known as glycosaminoglycans (GAG). These materials are copolymers of alternating hexosamine and aldouronic acid residues which are found in sulfated forms and are synthesized as proteoglycans.
In the compositions of interest herein, heparan sulfate and heparin, the hexosamine is mostly N-acetylated or N-sulfated glucosamine (GlcNAc and GlcNS), and the aldouronic acid is mostly L-iduronic in heparin and mostly D-glucuronic acid in heparan sulfate. Heparan sulfate is commonly considered to have a higher proportion of glucuronic acid than heparin.
Problems of heterogeneity in preparations of heparan sulfate or heparin isolated from tissues make sharp distinctions difficult, since these oligosaccharides are related by their biosynthesis pathway, as explained below. Conventional heparin (used as an anticoagulant) has a molecular weight of 5-25 kd and is extracted as a mixture of various chain lengths by conventional procedures. These procedures involve autolysis and extraction of suitable tissues, such as beef or porcine lung, intestine, or liver, and removal of nonpolysaccharide components.
The molecular weight of the chains in the extract is significantly lower than the 60-100 kd known to exist in the polysaccharide chains of the heparin proteoglycan synthesized in the tissue. The GAG moiety is synthesized bound to a peptide matrix at a serine residue through a tetrasaccharide linkage region of the sequence D-GlcA-D-Gal-D-Gal-D-Xyl.fwdarw.protein, which is then elongated at the D-GlcA residue with alternate additions of GlcNAc and GlcA.
The polysaccharide side chains are modified by a series of enzymes which sequentially deacetylate the N-acetyl glucosamine and replace the acetyl group with sulfate, epimerize the hydroxyl at C5 of the D-glucuronic acid residue (to convert it to L-iduronic acid and the GAG chain from the heparan type to a heparin type), sulfate the O-2 of the resulting L-iduronic acid and the O-6 of the glucosamine residue. Some of the chains are further sulfated at the O-3 of the glucosamine residue, either at the heparan or heparin stage. This further sulfation is associated with the active site for binding to antithrombin III (ATIII) which is associated with anticoagulant activity. A synthetic pentasaccharide sequence capable of binding ATIII has been identified as ##STR2## by Choay (French Application No. 2,535,324). However it appears that the sequence in heparin corresponding to this pentasaccharide is generally ##STR3##
Other chemically possible sulfation sites are on the O-3 of L-iduronic or D-glucuronic and O-2 of D-glucuronic acid; however, these are seldom found.
Due to their obvious chemical similarity, isolated "heparin" may contain considerable amounts of what might otherwise be classified as heparan sulfate.
There is an extensive body of art concerning depolymerization of heparin/heparan sulfate chains and separation of products by size. In a generally used procedure, the heparin starting material is depolymerized in the presence of nitrous acid with or without pretreatment to remove acylation from any GlcNAc residues present. Nitrous acid, under the appropriate conditions, cleaves at the linkage between a GlcNS or GlcNH.sub.2 residue and the uronic acid residue through which it is linked through a glucosamine .alpha.(1-4) uronic acid linkage. If the heparin has been deacetylated, all of the glucosamine.fwdarw. uronic acid residues are susceptible and complete depolymerization results in disaccharides. If the heparin has not been deacetylated, the glucosamine.fwdarw. uronic acid residues wherein the glucosamine is acetylated are resistant, and both disaccharides and tetrasaccharides containing the resistant linkage result. In all cases, the glucosamine residue at the reducing terminus of the disaccharide or tetrasaccharide is converted to a 2,5-anhydromannose in the course of cleavage. This residue may further be reduced to the corresponding 2,5-anhydromannitol. These methods have been described by Bienkowski, M.J. and Conrad, H.E., J Biol Chem (1985) 260:356-365; Guo, Y., et al., Anal Biochem (1988) 168:54-62; and Guo, Y. and Conrad, H.E., Analyt Biochem (1989) 176:96-104. These methods are useful in analyzing the structure of heparin and in assessing the results of various treatments of the heparin chains. Further, there has been considerable attempt to use the products of degradation of heparin from both complete and partial digestion with nitrous acid as described in the foregoing papers, or from heparinase digestion or from periodate oxidation followed by .beta.-elimination. All of these processes generate low molecular weight heparins for therapeutic use.
The involvement of heparin or heparan sulfate or degradation products thereof in smooth muscle proliferation has been recognized for some time. Heparin and heparan sulfate can slow or arrest the vascular proliferation associated with injury described hereinabove (Clowes, A.W., et al., Nature (1977) 265:625-626). The effect of heparan sulfate and heparin on smooth muscle proliferation is also described by Marcum, J.A., et al. in Biology of Proteoglycan, Academic Press (1987) pp. 301-343 The inhibition of vascular smooth muscle cell growth by heparin was further described by Castellot, J.J., Jr., et al., J Biol Chem (1982) 257:11256-11260, and the effect of heparin on vascular smooth muscle cell growth in fetal tissue was described by Benitz, W.E., et al., J Cell Physiol (1986) 127:1-7. The effect of heparin as an inhibitor of both pericyte and smooth muscle cell proliferation was shown by Orlidge, A., et al., Microvascular Research (1986) 31:41-53, and these authors further showed that chondroitin sulfate, and dermatan sulfate do not have this effect. A review of the effects of heparin and heparan sulfate on the proliferation of smooth muscle cells has been published by Benitz, W.E. in "The Pulmonary Circulation: Normal and Abnormal", Fishman, A.P., ed., University of Pennsylvania Press (1988).
It is not clear by what mechanism these glycosaminoglycans operate, or to what extent they interact with other growth factors such as epithelial and fibroblast growth factors. It has been proposed that a 3-O sulfate on glucosamine in an oligosaccharide of at least 5 sugars is important in this process and that both O-and N-sulfation is important (Castellot, J.J., et al., J Cell Physiol (1984) 120:315-320; Castellot, J.J., et al., J Cell Biol (1986) 102:1979-1984). Hexasaccharides-decasaccharides obtained from partial nitrous acid digestion of heparin bind to acidic fibroblast growth factor and aid its mitogenic activity in fibroblasts, but inhibit the proliferation of endothelial cells under some conditions (Barzu, T., et al., J Cell Physiol (1989) 140:538-548). The effective hexasaccharide was stated to have the structure: ##STR4##
Others have indicated that the presence of 2-0-sulfate glucuronic acid is not necessary for antiproliferative activity (Wright, Jr., T.C., et al., J Biol Chem (1989) 264:1534-1542). In this article, size separated fragments of defined length prepared by nitrous acid cleavage and gel filtration were further separated according to charge for some assays. Partially digested heparin separated only according to size was tested with respect to stimulation of smooth muscle cells and epithelial cells. Similar results were found in both cases, although the results were not identical. Tetrasaccharides of the type tested were shown to have very low antiproliferative activity; hexasaccharides, octasaccharides and decasaccharides were shown to be active to approximately the same level on a weight/volume concentration basis. Also tested was a synthetic pentasaccharide which represents a unique sequence of the heparin-binding site in heparin to antithrombin III; this pentasaccharide was active in inhibiting proliferation for smooth muscle cells, but not for epithelial cells.
The size separated fractions were then treated chemically to produce "O-oversulfation" and this treatment enhanced the inhibitory activity; indeed, O-oversulfation of the tetrasaccharide fragment preparation caused the tetrasaccharide fraction to become active in inhibiting proliferation. The converse process, comprising desulfation and reacetylation of the amino groups or glucosamine results in a reduction in antiproliferative activity. These fragments could, however, be made more active by subsequent O-oversulfation.
Also capable of reducing the antiproliferative activity of the heparin fragments was reduction of the carboxyl groups so as to reduce the total negative charge. O-oversulfation partially, at least, restores this activity. These results with N-desulfated, N-acetylated fragments which are lacking in antiproliferative activity are distinguishable from previous results wherein similarly treated heparin retains the capacity to prevent cell division because of the size dependency of the antiproliferative activity-larger fragments being more powerful in general than smaller ones.
Finally, when the size separated fraction was then further fractionated according to charge, it was found that the most highly charged fractions showed the greatest activity. Furthermore, it was shown that although the synthetic pentasaccharide identified with the antithrombin III binding site is capable of inhibiting proliferation in smooth muscle cells, treatment of heparin which would destroy the sequence corresponding to this pentasaccharide (i.e., periodate treatment) does not destroy antiproliferative activity. As stated above, this synthetic pentasaccharide has the structure: ##STR5##
U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,502 describes the treatment of heparin with periodate, followed by depolymerization with base, and reduction of the aldehydes generated in the periodate treatment. The resulting material is said to contain a mixture of polymers containing 17-33 residues and containing a multiplicity of residues of the formula ##STR6## wherein the glucosamine residue is sulfated at the 2 and/or 6 position in an arbitrary manner, and wherein some of the IdoA residues may be replaced by cleaved IdoA ##STR7## or GlcA residues resulting from the periodate oxidation. These shortened polymeric chains are said to lack the binding site for ATIII but to be capable of inhibiting smooth muscle proliferation and to have physiological activities that include acceleration of tissue repair, prevention of atherogenous lesions, prevention of states of shock, and prevention of the development of metastasis.
Treatment of heparin/heparan sulfate with periodate has also been reported by others. Fransson, L.-A. and Lewis, W., FEBS Lett (1979) 97:119-123, describe a variety of conditions relating to the treatment of heparin/heparan sulfate with periodate and reduction by sodium borohydride or fragmentation in alkaline medium. Fransson concluded (erroneously as will be shown hereinbelow) that the glucuronic acid residues were preferentially oxidized as compared to idouronic acid residues, and that complete cleavage of all susceptible uronic acid residues, which is said to result in pronounced fragmentation of the molecule, resulted in the absence of anticoagulant activity. Fransson, L.-A. et al., Carbohydrate Res (1980) 80:131-145, studied chemistry of various forms of treatment of heparin with periodate. In one study, the treatment with periodate is followed by .beta.-elimination in base to produce fragmentation. They further report treatment of heparin with periodate followed by partial acid hydrolysis which results in fragmentation of the chains and partial destruction of the functional groups.
Casu, B. et al., Arzneim Forsch/Drug Res (1986) 36:637-642, studied the effect of periodate oxidation on the anti-lipemic (lipoprotein lipase-releasing) activity of heparin. In this study, the heparin was oxidized with periodate and the products were reduced with borohydride without depolymerization. The resultant was said to have the same molecular weight as the starting material. Although the ATIII binding activity of the treated material was greatly diminished, the anti-lipemic activity was said to be maintained. The amount of reduction in anticoagulant activity was said to be less for heparin derived from beef lung than that derived from porcine mucosa.
In addition to activities in releasing lipoprotein lipase and in inhibiting smooth muscle cell proliferation, heparin has been shown to inhibit platelet aggregation. This has been evidenced by the ability of heparin to prolong the bleeding time in animals. Indeed, the interference with platelet aggregation is thought to lead to an undesirable side effect of anticoagulant treatment with heparin, namely a bleeding liability with respect to some patients.
It will be noted that heparin is a complex molecule with a complex array of activities in vivo. While a particular subunit, specifically a pentasaccharide, has tentatively been designated as responsible for anticoagulant activity, heparin is also known to bind to a variety of growth factors to mediate or inhibit growth of various cell types, and may provide additional functions as yet to be ascertained. The overall structure of the molecule may be important in some degree in some or all of these. Also, the polymers generally are expected to have multiple binding sites which results in a bonding affinity not generated by a smaller fragment. Thus there is advantage in maintaining the integrity of the heparin molecule to the extent possible when destroying undesirable functions, i.e., anticoagulation properties.
The present invention provides inactivation of the anticoagulant ability of heparin without destruction of antiproliferative activity without fragmentation of the heparin chains, thus preserving to the extent possible desirable additional functions. This process has the additional advantage of retaining the size distribution of the naturally-occurring heparin/heparan sulfate preparation, which results in a therapeutic having a more readily recognized physiological profile.


A cassette for conducting gel electrophoresis separation of samples is provided comprising two spaced apart flat plates wherein at least one flat plate has well spacers secured thereto.. A space between the plate is filled with an electrically conductive gel. The well spacers are electrically conductive.

This invention relates to an electrophoresis cassette useful for conducting gel electrophoresis separations.
Electrophoresis is the resolution of a complex mixture of macromolecules on the basis of charge and/or size under the influence of an electric field and is a primary tool in biochemistry, used to separate complex mixtures of molecules such as proteins or nucleic acids into their individual components. Electrophoretic analysis is based upon the fact that each molecule is characterized by a particular electrophoretic mobility under a given set of conditions. Macromolecules will migrate within a voltage gradient according to their net charge and will reach equilibrium at their isoelectric point at which their net mobility will be zero. For example, many proteins exhibit a net negative charge which is affected by the surrounding pH. When a mixture of proteins is placed in a support medium, such as a buffered gel, which is subjected to a voltage gradient, each component is caused to migrate through the support medium at its characteristic rate for that set of conditions. Electrophoretic mobility is a function of other factors which are controlled by experimental conditions.
It is common practice to conduct electrophoresis in a buffered gel positioned between two flat plates, usually transparent glass or plastic and separators between the plates which provide essential support for the gel. In order to provide accurate sample resolution, it is necessary that the gel composition be uniform and that the gel thickness be uniform. These conditions are necessary in order to avoid factors which affect molecular electrophoretic mobility other than the characteristics of the molecules being separated. In use, the cassette is positioned between two buffer solutions after the sample or samples have been placed on one gel surface. A voltage is applied between the buffers which causes the samples to migrate within the gel. Upon completion of sample preparation, the gel is separated from the plates for analysis.
Presently, a cassette is produced wherein a void volume is formed between two plates separated by two separators. A suitable separation gel medium such as agarose or a polyacrylamide is poured, in liquid form, into the void volume and allowed to polymerize therein. During formation of the gel, the two plates are compressed to the separators to prevent leakage of the gel material from the void volume and to assure a uniform distance between the plates, which, in turn, assures a uniform gel thickness.
In order to form sample wells at a top end of the cassette, a removable piece having fingers having the desired shape of the wells is positioned at the top end so that the fingers extend into the separation medium while it is polymerizing. After the gel is formed, the fingers are removed from the gel to leave wells wherein samples can be positioned. The use of this removable piece is undesirable since an additional apparatus is required and its use requires an additional manipulative step which must be conducted with care in order to avoid ripping the gel.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a means for forming wells in the gel portion of a cassette which eliminates the need for a piece which must be removed subsequent to gel formation. In addition, it would be desirable to provide such a means which provides a uniform electrical resistance or field so that separation of samples can be maintained during gel electrophoresis.


A web is fabricated by coating at least one layer of thermoplastic material, pigmented polyurethane, onto a transparent polyester plastic film. The resulting web can readily be cut by a computer controlled blade to produce virtually any graphic pattern, including intricate or small letters that may be connected or separated from each other, without penetration of the blade through the carrier sheet. The graphic sheet adheres strongly enough to the carrier sheet, with a peel value in the range of 15-30 ounces, to prevent sliding of the graphic sheet relative to the carrier sheet during cutting, yet permitting release of the carrier sheet after attachment of the graphic by the application of heat and pressure. Thus, the present invention provides an "adhesive up" type of web for polyurethane graphics, whereby the graphic can be cut and peeled from the web, and the graphic, while still adhered to the carrier sheet, placed against the fabric. The transparent plastic carrier sheet permits exact placement of the graphics on the fabric, e.g., on or relative to a shirt pocket.

The present invention relates to a layered plastic web, particularly adapted for attachment through heat and pressure to fabric.
For many years, the attachment of cloth numerals and/or other identifying information on athletic attire, was made by stitching. For less demanding conditions, including casual sportswear, logos and the like were either attached to the garment by stitching or applied by silk screening.
More recently, the development of thermoplastic films, such as vinyl and polyurethane, has progressed to the point where lettering can be attached directly to the fabric, by the application of heat and pressure. Once attached, the thermoplastic letters retain sufficient flexibility to resist embrittlement and cracking, without separating from the fabric during washing and drying.
The conventional procedure typically includes stacking a plurality of sheets of lettering web material. A die or other cutting means such as a water knife, cuts through the plurality of sheets simultaneously, forming distinct letters or numbers. Thus, a stack of sheets, when cut, may produce dozens of identical characters, for example, the letter "A". In a similar fashion, other stacks of sheets are cut with the characters "B", "C". . . "1". . . "9", etc. Packages of the characters are provided to the athletic lettering retailers, who can arrange particular letters, for example, the name of a player, on a jersey and, by the application of heat and pressure on each letter individually, or on all the letters as arranged on the jersey, attach them to the fabric.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,660,212, issued to Liebe, Jr. on May 2, 1972, discloses one type of material for athletic lettering. The material of the Liebe patent has two layers of polyvinylchloride bonded to each other. Furthermore, one of the layers of polyvinyl- chloride is releasably adhered to a release coated paper sheet. During application on fabric, the cut lettering material of the Liebe patent requires the release sheet backing, to which heat is applied for causing the material to adhere to the fabric of the uniform. This adhering of the lettering material of the Liebe patent to the material of the sport uniform is a mechanical bonding. This is due to the lettering material sinking into the material of the sport uniform and encapsulating the fabric. This type of web can be referred to as an "adhesive up" web, because the top surface of the web prior to cutting, ultimately adheres to the fabric.
A variation of the vinyl lettering described in the Liebe patent, is marketed by Stahls, Inc. of St. Clair Shores, Michigan, and consists of a release coated paper carrier sheet, on which a pigmented, stretch vinyl layer has been applied by casting (i.e., solution coating). A top layer of adhesive is carried on the vinyl, i.e., as an "adhesive up" lettering system.
Vinyl lettering exhibits a number of disadvantages, as mentioned, for example, in Stahls, Encyclopedia of Heat Applied Lettering, Second Edition, Version 2.1 (Library of Congress Registration TXU133-924). The vinyl material itself, has relatively low tensile strength and tear resistance, requiring the use of a relatively thick vinyl letter. Vinyl has relatively low flexibility, which becomes even worse as temperature decreases. The extra weight and inflexibility of large vinyl lettering on athletic jerseys, represents a significant disadvantage. Moreover, vinyl does not resist abrasion, which is another disadvantage in athletic attire as well as casual attire worn for vigorous activities. For example, on the well known Taber test for abrasion resistance, vinyl material is abraded at the rate of 178 mg. This compares poorly with other material such as nylon (44 mg), or urethane (3 mg).
Another disadvantage of the vinyl coated release paper for lettering purposes, arises from the fact that the carrier sheet is release-coated on only one side, with the result that the penetration of moisture from the other side induces curling of the paper. This curling can stress the vinyl such that it, too, has a tendency to curl onto itself.
When such vinyl letters are die cut and stored for a period of time, curling can become a significant problem when the end user attempts to carefully place the cut numerals precisely on the desired location on the fabric. Moreover, the release coating on the paper may not be uniform, with the result that any overlap of the paper over the edges of the vinyl letter, tends to stick to the fabric during the application of heat and pressure through the carrier sheet.
These disadvantages of vinyl lettering, particularly the tendency to curl with the resulting separation of the vinyl material from the carrier sheet, renders vinyl ill-suited for small letters. Known vinyl-based webs for athletic lettering, are not amenable to precision cutting of complex logos or small lettering, as by the use of a computer controlled cutting blade. The susceptibility of the vinyl web to curling, coupled with the rather low peel value of less than 5 ounces between the vinyl and the release-coated sheet, would result in lateral movement of the vinyl on the release sheet adjacent the cutting edge of the blade (which travels horizontally through the web). The edges of the letters would therefore not be cut cleanly, and the resulting shear forces coupled with the inherent tendency of the paper and/or vinyl to curl, would result in the cut letters lifting from the carrier sheet during the cutting operation.
A related disadvantage in the use of vinyl letters, is that in order to achieve satisfactory opacity, the vinyl material must be relatively thick. Nevertheless, commercially available vinyl webs for athletic lettering, typically come with a warning not to apply them to fabrics which have a pattern, for example, a pin-striped baseball jersey. The chance of "strike through" is especially critical with fabric of this type. Moreover, users are typically warned to store the inventory away from heat, and the lettered garments are not to be dry cleaned.
As described in Stahls' Encyclopedia, keeping letters aligned before application has always been a problem. When vinyl letters have been applied and a mistake is discovered, the garment must either be repaired or discarded. Repair of misapplied vinyl letters, typically require considerably physical effort, the use of foul-smelling toxic solvents, and the dirtying of one's hands. Solvents typically used for repair purposes, are either extremely flammable, caustic, or poisonous. The use of vinyl lettering is prone to mistakes, in part due to alignment problems inherent in the placement of individually die cut letters on the garment, e.g., curling or static electricity makes the letters "jump" when a cover sheet, heat resistant tape, or platen come near by.
Because of the disadvantages associated with vinyl, polyurethane has recently been recognized as a superior but more expensive material for athletic lettering. Although the performance of urethane lettering is superior to that of vinyl, urethane materials are more difficult to apply. This is due in part to the difficulty in preparing a satisfactory urethane laminate web which includes layers that exhibit significantly different coefficients of thermal expansion, or elasticity. The advantages of urethane relative to vinyl, however, are overwhelming. Urethane has at least twice the tensile strength, tear resistance, and elongation capability, relative to vinyl. The flexibility of urethane is maintained at low temperatures. The abrasion resistance, as noted above, is far superior.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,269,885 and 4,423,106, issued May 26, 1981 and Dec. 27, 1983 to Mahn, disclose a laminated web consisting essentially of two films, preferably a polyester adhesive bonded to a die-extruded polyurethane lettering layer. After characters are cut out of the web, the polyester adhesive layer is placed against the fabric, a paper cover is placed over the polyurethane layer, and heat and pressure are applied. The melting point of the polyester adhesive is lower than that of the polyurethane, so that the polyester melts into the fabric.
It may be possible that, if the release coated paper carrier sheet used during fabrication of the laminate is retained, a somewhat more complex graphic pattern, for example, a team emblem or logo, can be cut, using programmable cutting equipment. This would, however, be considered an "adhesive down" web, because the polyester adhesive surface which ultimately adheres to the fabric, is hidden between the release coasted carrier sheet and the polyurethane letter material.
Significant problems, however, are presented to anyone who cuts elastomeric letters from the Mahn web, by computer. For example, the presence of a release coating on the carrier sheet prevents the precise cutting of the polyurethane layer. This is in large part a result of the flexibility of the polyurethane, and the softness of the polyester adhesive between the polyurethane and carrier sheet. Unless great care is taken, sharp corners and edges cannot be preserved on the cut web. The adhesive between the polyurethane and carrier sheet, thus presents a practical size limitation on the lettering, i.e., small, precise letters and designs cannot be cut due to the excessive flexibility of the polyurethane and underlying adhesive as the knife makes corner cuts. This relationship between the adhesive and the cutting impression, especially at the corners, makes weeding away the unwanted portion of the web very difficult.
Thus, despite recent advances in the state of the art, the current technology represented by the transfer of elastomeric, thermoplastic lettering by the application of heat and pressure suffers from significant disadvantages.


The invention relates to a process for the production of dichlorohydrin which comprises reacting allylchloride, water and chlorine in a reaction zone to form an aqueous solution comprising dichlorohydrin and chlorinated organic byproducts, and contacting the aqueous solution with 1,2,3-trichloropropane to obtain an aqueous layer comprising the dichlorohydrin and an organic layer comprising the trichloropropane and chlorinated organic byproducts, separating both layers and recovering the dichlorohydrin.

This invention relates to the production of dichlorohydrin. As used herein, "dichlorohydrin" refers to the isomers 1,2-dichloro-3-hydroxypropane and 1,3-dichloro-2-hydroxypropane. It is known to prepare dichlorohydrin by reacting allylchloride, water and chlorine in a dilute aqueous phase. In this process, various by-product chlorinated organic compounds can be formed as well as the desired dichlorohydrin. Also, large amounts of water are required, producing large effluent streams.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a process for preparing dichlorohydrin having reduced chlorinated by-products.


An example implementation includes a system having one or more processors, a definition module, a data store, and a workflow module. The definition module is executable by the one or more processors to determine a first semantic element for a first operation included in a first application interface representing a first service and a second semantic element for a second operation included in a second application interface representing a second service, such as an enterprise service bus. The definition module may further determine a mapping of the first semantic element with the second sematic element. The data store is configured to store the mapping of the first semantic element with the second sematic element by the definition module. The workflow module is executable by the one or more processors to integrate the first application interface with the second service based on the mapping.

The present disclosure relates to defining and mapping application interface semantics.
Integrating applications with an enterprise system can often be a complex process due to differing characteristics and requirements between the enterprise system and the applications being integrated. A significant amount work and time are generally required to document and understand these differences so the integration can be performed reliably and successfully, which can cause the integration to exceed budgets and deadlines. Additionally, since the application and enterprise environment are dynamic and often undergo changes, maintaining, and scaling the integration of the applications can be unsustainable. Furthermore, current approaches for integrating applications with enterprise systems are often limited in providing for collaboration on shared documents; synchronizing common information across related documents; identifying changes and notifying stakeholders; and providing an effective review and approval cycle.

Defining and mapping application interface semantics


A grease tool for a unitized wheelend assembly is provided. The grease tool may have a plug with a fluid conduit to place a lubrication source in fluid communication with an inner bearing and a cap with a fluid conduit to place the lubrication source in fluid communication with an outer bearing. The grease tool may include a cylindrical body having an inner bearing support and an outer bearing support. The cylindrical body has an inner rotor and disc and an outer rotor and disc where the inner rotor and the outer rotor cause the discs to move between an extended and retracted position.

A wheelend assembly typically includes a main body or hub defining a cavity that receives an axle, spindle, or the like. The main body houses an inboard bearing assembly, a spacer (optionally), and an outboard bearing assembly. The spacer generally acts to maintain the distance between the inboard bearing assembly and the outboard bearing assembly and may allow limited movement of both such that the bearing and the associated race/cup can properly seat. Conventionally, the wheelend assembly also includes a spindle nut, oil seal, and retainer located on the assembly.
The inboard bearing assembly is on the inboard side and is bounded by an oil seal. The oil seal secures the inboard side of the wheelend assembly to inhibit the inboard bearing, the spacer, etc. from moving further. An end cap or retainer is typically placed over the outboard bearing and coupled to the main body to inhibit the wheelend assembly from unloading to the outboard side of the main body.
Currently, the trend is to provide a unitized wheelend assembly. The unitized wheelend assembly is shipped fully assembled and generally ready to be installed on a vehicle spindle. While there are numerous benefits to providing a unitized wheelend assembly for installation, one drawback is that the inner and outer bearing assemblies are often dry, e.g., they are not packed with a lubricant such as grease.
To pack the inner and outer bearings with lubricant, the unitized wheelend assembly may be disassembled and packed with a lubricant. However, this defeats the purpose of providing a unitized wheelend assembly as the assembly of the wheelend is exacting, cumbersome, and difficult.
In some uses, the wheelend bearings are installed on the spindle dry. The cavity of the wheelend assembly is provided with lubricant in the normal course. The hope being that during operation the lubricant from the cavity will migrate to the inner and outer bearings. However, this is a less than desirable solution as the level of lubrication to the bearings is unknown and lubrication in wheelends is generally viscous and of limited flowability.
Thus, against the above background, a tool to allow for packing lubrication into the inner and outer bearings of a wheelend assembly is desirable.