In a process for fabricating a membrane, including, on a substrate, a thin-film multilayer including a film of piezoelectric material placed between a top electrode film and a bottom electrode film and an elastic film supporting said piezoelectric film, the process includes: determining at least one concavity/convexity curvature of said membrane along an axis parallel to the plane of the films so that at least one inflection point is defined, said point allowing a first region and a second region, corresponding to a concave part and a convex part or vice versa, to be isolated; depositing, on the surface of the substrate, a thin-film multilayer including at least one film of piezoelectric material, one bottom electrode film and one top electrode film; and structuring at least one of the electrode films to define at least said first membrane region, in which an electric field perpendicular to the plane of the films may be applied, and at least said second region, in which an electric field parallel to the plane of the films may be applied.

Currently, thin-film piezoelectric membranes are known that use films of piezoelectric materials such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT) or an alloy of aluminium nitride (AlN), described in the United States patent application US 2006/0209128. The membranes may operate in two possible actuation modes: the d31 or the d33 mode.
Generally, the following equations give the coefficients d31 and d33 as a function of the strain of a material of polarization P in an electric field applied to the material:d31=S1/E3 d33=S3/E3
with S1 corresponding to the strain along the axis 1, S3 corresponding to the strain along the axis 3 and E3 corresponding to the electric field along the axis 3 (as shown in FIG. 1).
The operating modes depend on the direction in which the material is polarized and on the direction in which an actuating electric field is applied. FIGS. 2a and 2b thus show two typical actuating structures with coefficients d31 and d33. In a d31 mode, the voltage is applied between the top electrode and the bottom electrode as shown in FIG. 2a. In the case of the d33 mode, the voltage is applied between the top electrodes, denoted + and − in FIG. 2b.
More precisely, the structure comprises a membrane on the surface of a substrate 1, said membrane comprising a deformable piezoelectric film 3 on the surface of an elastic film 2 and furthermore actuating electrodes. In the case shown in FIG. 2a, the actuating electrodes are a bottom electrode Ebot and a top electrode Eup, between which are sandwiched the films 2 and 3. In the case of FIG. 2b the top control electrodes are denoted Eitop.
In operation, the membrane has a non-monotonic profile—that is to say that the curvature is, at a given moment, convex in certain places and concave in others. Muralt has shown (P. Muralt, M. Kohli, T. Maeder, A. Kholkin, K. Brooks, N. Setter and R. Luthier, Sensors and Actuators A, 48(2), 157 (1995)) that the profile is roughly that shown in FIG. 3, which figure shows the curvature profile of a hybrid elastic film/piezoelectric film membrane. The abscissa x=0 corresponds to the position of the centre of the membrane and the abscissa x=0.001 corresponds to the edge of the membrane in the fixed or immobilized region.
Thus, whether the membrane operates in the d33 or the d31 regime, actuating the piezoelectric material all over the membrane is counterproductive since it is essential that the piezoelectric material is made to operate identically in a curvature region of the same sign.
For a non-ferroelectric piezoelectric material unpolarized by the electric field (e.g. AlN, ZnO or quartz), the in-plane strain Sp is given by the following equation (1):
                              S          p                =                                            d              31                                    E                    =                                    -                              d                31                                                                V                              e                p                                                                        (        1        )
with ep being the thickness of the piezoelectric material and V the applied voltage.
It should be noted, as notably described in the paper by KyongWon Seo, JongSeon Park, HyongJung Kim et al.: Micromachined piezoelectric microspeakers fabricated with high quality AlN thin films, published in Integrated Ferroelectrics, 95 (74-82), pp. 74-82 (2007), that in the case of certain currently used crystalline materials, such as AlN, the sign of the coefficient d31 depends on the crystal orientation of the material. Thus, when the polarization direction of the AlN material is turned as shown in FIG. 2a, the coefficient d31 is negative.
It is this piezoelectric strain that causes a piezoelectric moment that deflects the membrane.
It is known to exploit a change in sign of the piezoelectric excitation, in an AlN-type material, by two separate top electrodes placed between the centre of the membrane and the edge of the membrane as shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b, which show a top view and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of a structure in which the two regions of the membrane of different curvature are excited simultaneously. Here, a d31 actuation is used in both regions but the sign of the applied voltage is reversed.
The voltages are applied between the top electrodes Eitop and the bottom electrode Ebot which remains grounded. Piezoelectric moments of different sign can therefore be applied to the convex and concave regions of the membrane, thus improving the actuation.

Process for fabricating an optimally-actuating piezoelectric membrane

Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives


A tanning pool (10) comprising an elongated bed tray (12) to hold some cool water (14) therein. In a first instance, when the elongated bed tray (12) is placed upon the ground outdoors in sunlight and in a second instance, when the elongated bed tray (12) is placed upon a floor (16) within a building (18), under a tanning apparatus (20), a person (22) can lie down in the cool water (14) within the elongated bed tray (12) to get a tan in a fun, comfortable and safe manner.

1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates generally to tanning equipment and more specifically it relates to a tanning pool. The tanning pool is an elongated bed tray to hold some cool water therein, so that a person lying down in the bed tray can get a tan in a fun, comfortable and safe manner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ultraviolet radiation can produce direct and indirect effects upon the human body. The direct effects are limited to the surface skin because the rays have low penetrating power. Direct effects include sunburn, suntan, and progressive adaptation to heavier doses. Ultraviolet burns can be mild, causing only redness and tenderness, or they can be so severe as to produce blisters, swelling, seepage of fluid, and sloughing of the outer skin. The blood capillaries, which are tiny blood vessels, in the skin dilate with groups of red and white blood cells to produce the red coloration. A suntan occurs when the pigments in cells in the deeper, tissues portion of the skin are activated by ultraviolet radiation, and the cells migrate to the surface of the skin. When these cells die, the pigmentation disappears. The degree of pigmentation is directly related to the length of ultraviolet exposure and the body's inherent ability to produce pigments. Tanning is a natural body defense to help protect the skin from further injury.
Many people enjoy obtaining a golden tan in the warm summer months. The convenience of getting and maintaining that tan for some can be costly, unsafe and very uncomfortable. No everyone can afford a backyard pool, a pool membership, a tanning bed apparatus, which could prove to be unsafe, or have the convenience of a beach or lake. To lie down in a kiddie pool is very uncomfortable, while the inflatable mattress is subject to punctures and tears.
Numerous tanning equipment have been provided in prior art that are adapted to produce ultraviolet radiation, which will brown the skin of persons using the tanning equipment. While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.


A device for use in performing an end-to-end anastomosis comprises a stapling member insertable into a first end segment of a tubular organ, a plurality of staples arranged in a circular array in the stapling member, and an anvil member insertable into a second end segment of the tubular organ. The anvil member is movably connected to the stapling member to enable a clamping of the first and the second end segment to one another in juxtapositon to the circular array. A staple ejector is provided in the stapling member for ejecting the staples in a radial direction towards the anvil member, thereby stapling the first and the second end segment to one another along an annular locus.

This invention relates to a device or apparatus for use in performing end-to-end anastomoses. This invention also relates to an associated method for performing end-to-end anastomoses.
Where the colon is ressected, for example, owing to trauma or in corrective cancer surgery, the loose ends must be connected to one another to form a continuous, functioning colon. This connection or reconnection is commonly performed with a stapling instrument comprising a stapling member inserted through the rectum and into a first closed colon segment. An anvil member is inserted through the open end of another colon segment. That open end is then closed via a purse-string tie about a shaft projecting from the anvil member. The shaft is subsequently attached in telescoping fashion to a rod projection through the first colon segment from the stapling member.
Upon a connection of the stapling memebr and the anvil member, the two section are drawn towards one another via a screw mechanism operated from the proximal end of the stapling member, i.e., from outside the rectum. The closed ends of the colon segments are thus clamped between the stapling member and the anvil member of the anastomosis device. Upon completion of the clamping operation, the staples are ejected in two staggered circular arrays in a distal, axial direction from the stapling member towards the anvil member. Simultaneously, or immediately after the stapling operation, a circular blade is pushed in the distal direction from the stapling member axially towards the anvil member, thereby opening the colon segments to communication with one another.
After the stapling and cutting operation, the entire instrument is removed out through the rectum. Frequently, there is some difficulty in removing the instrument owing to the fact that the diameter of the colon segments at the anastomosis joint is smaller than the diameter of the instrument, particularly the anvil which must be pulled through the anastomosis joint.

Method and apparatus for performing end-to-end anastomoses


A method and apparatus for soil conditioning, the apparatus comprising a frame, a rotary harrow supported by the frame for engaging the soil and a plurality of disks supported by the frame and in front of the rotary harrow along the advancing direction for rotation about disk axis and for engaging soil below the frame, each disk including a scalloped peripheral edge that forms a plurality of teeth and a space between each two adjacent teeth.

The present invention is related to seedbed conditioning tillage tools and more specifically to vertical tillage tools.
To prepare a seed bed for planting, many types of tilling tools have been developed. Currently, the most commonly used tilling tools include cultivators and combination tillage units that include soil engaging components (i.e., disks, tillage tines, etc.) that completely sweep (i.e., smears) an entire tillage floor to turn over and loosen all of the top soil that covers a field. For example, some tillage systems may include two rows of disks arranged such that the disks essentially completely turn over all top soil in a field. To this end, the disks are designed to have characteristics and are juxtaposed with respect to each other and a travel direction such that all of the soil is turned. Typically, to turn all soil via disks, each disk is relatively deeply concave and is inclined at a relatively steep angle with respect to the travel direction. In addition to loosening top soil, these types of tilling tools also have an advantageous leveling effect on soil as they are pulled through a field. Here, level soil is important to minimize bounce of planter assemblies that are subsequently used in a field so that seed depth can be relatively accurately controlled. Unfortunately, while these types of tilling tools loosen or till top soil well, these types of tools tend to compact under soil (i.e., soil below the top soil) as portions of the soil engaging components smear across the under soil during travel. More specifically, when a deep dish disk is inclined relatively steeply to a travel direction, the backside of the disk tends to smear and compress soil therebelow. When under soil is smeared, the density of the under soil increases and root growth is inhibited.
To reduce the smearing effect, rotary spike harrows have been developed that, as the label implies, include rotary spike toothed members that are mounted to a harrow axle and that generally rotate about a horizontal harrow axis substantially normal to or on a slight incline (e.g., 15°-35°) with respect to a travel direction. Here, the spikes of each toothed member penetrate soil by being driven substantially vertically downward and disrupt the soil as the spike angle within the soil changes during member rotation. The end result is tillage with less smearing effect (slight smearing still results in some applications).
While rotary spike harrows reduce smearing/soil compaction, unfortunately these types of tilling tools have several shortcomings. First, rotary spike toothed harrows usually include a relatively large number of toothed members arranged on an axle so that the weight of the tilling implement is distributed over a large number of member teeth and the spikes do not, under typical soil conditions, penetrate the soil being tilled to a desired level during a single pass. Second, rotary spike toothed harrows do not level soil to the same extent as other types of tilling tools during a single pass through a field. Here, the shortcomings of the spike toothed harrows can be overcome by increasing the number of passes through a field (e.g., 3 passes instead of a single pass). Obviously additional passes require additional time and thus are not desirable.
Thus, it would be advantageous to have a tilling tool or assembly that could adequately till a field in a single pass while minimizing smearing and soil compaction.

Seedbed conditioning vertical tillage apparatus


A method for in-situ formation of surface modified mixed oxide material includes burning a titanium chloride comprising compound and a silicon chloride comprising compound in the presence of oxygen and hydrogen in a reactor to form a plurality of silica-titania mixed oxide particles, wherein a temperature during the burning step is from 700 to 1100° C. In embodiments of the invention a concentration of hydrogen is in a stoichiometric excess (H2:O2) to oxygen from 2.02:1 to 2.61:1 during the burning step. While the mixed oxide particles are still in the reactor, a metal is deposited on a surface of the mixed oxide particles at a temperature below the temperature of the burning step, such as in the form of randomly located nanoparticle clusters which only partially cover the surface of the mixed oxide particles. The titania can be non-stoichiometric TiO2-x, wherein 0.1<x<0.3 at a surface of the particles and in the bulk of the particles x is less than at the surface.

Composite materials formed from a base material together with one or more filler materials are known to be capable of improving properties of the base material. For example, SiO2 (silica) filling is known for improving the thermal conductivity of resin-based semiconductor packaging. Theoretical thermal conductivity coefficients of silica are generally larger than the conventional resin based materials, so a high-density packing of silica filler is one promising approach to obtain such composite materials. As known in the art, the morphology of the filler particles can change the properties of the resulting polymer composite.
Certain materials that can be used as fillers can also provide chemical activity. For example, TiO2 (titania) is known to provide photocatalytic activity. Photocatalytic activity can be enhanced by certain surface processing, such as addition of certain metals on the titania surface. There are some solution-based methods for production of finely dispersed titania having metal on the surface of the particles. However, solution-based methods are generally lengthy multi-step process flows, which form a large amount of wastewater, and may lack sufficient photocatalytic activity and/or stability of photocatalytic activity of the modified titania for certain applications.
What is needed is a new silica comprising filler material that provides significant photocatalytic activity, good catalytic stability, and a simpler process flow for forming the same.

Metal surface-modified silica-titania composites and methods for forming the same


A sensor assembly for measuring an intensity of a current includes a first sensor apparatus configured to record an intensity of the electrical current with contact, a second sensor apparatus configured to record an intensity of the electrical current, the second sensor apparatus having a common measurement range with the first sensor apparatus, and a first analog-digital converter configured to convert analog measured values into digitized measured values. The first sensor apparatus, the second sensor apparatus and the first analog-digital converter are arranged on a common circuit carrier.

DE 100 60 490 A1 describes a device for monitoring a vehicle electrical system, and which includes a sensor for measuring electrical current flowing in a connecting line. In order to cover an overall larger measurement range than can be recorded using an individual sensor for the purpose of measuring the current, two sensors with different measurement ranges are provided. A Hall sensor is provided for measuring currents between 10 mA and 10 A. A resistor (shunt) which is arranged in the connecting line is provided as a sensor for measuring currents between 1 A and 10 kA. The voltage drop caused by the current to be measured at the shunt is used as an auxiliary measurement variable for determining the value of the current to be measured.

Sensor assembly, sensor controller and current-measuring circuit


A basestation in a cellular communication system corrects frequency errors in signals generated within the basestation. The frequency errors may be corrected on the basis of signals transmitted by one or more other basestations within the network. As an alternative, the basestation may request information from one or more mobile devices that are also able to detect transmissions from other basestations.

This invention relates to a basestation for a cellular communication system, and in particular to a method for achieving a required accuracy for the frequencies of signals generated within the basestation.
In common with other radio frequency transmitter and receiver devices, a cellular basestation needs to be able to generate signals having a desired frequency, with an acceptable level of accuracy. These signals can then be used in order to generate the signals that are in fact transmitted over the air interface to other devices. Similarly, these signals can also be used in demodulating signals received over the air interface from other devices.
In order that the signals transmitted by the basestation can be successfully demodulated by their respective receivers, and in order that the basestation can successfully demodulate its received signals, the frequencies of these signals need to be controllable with a high degree of accuracy. For example, the 3GPP specification requires that an oscillator in a basestation should be accurate to +/−0.1 ppm.
The required degree of accuracy can typically be obtained by using an oscillator, such as an Oven Controlled Temperature Compensated (OCXO) crystal oscillator. However, this has the disadvantage that such oscillators are somewhat expensive, in particular relative to the overall cost of a basestation that may only intended be to provide coverage over a relatively small area.

Basestation for cellular communication system


A method of controlling a guided vehicle to run along a desired running route comprising the steps of; dividing a display screen into a predetermined grid, wherein the display screen corresponds an area over which the running route is desired, and each grid block corresponds to a portion of the area, establishing a plurality of symbol blocks each symbol block representing a running route segment having a predetermined characteristic, the characteristic being visually represented on the display screen and electronically represented by symbol block data, producing a layout diagram corresponding to the running route by entering a selected pattern of symbol blocks into the display screen grid, extracting electronic symbol block data for each selected symbol block entered and storing the electronic symbol block data, and producing map information corresponding to the stored electronic symbol block, such that the guided vehicle is controlled along the running route by the map information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to automatically guided vehicles and, more particularly, it relates to a method and a system for controlling an automatically guided vehicle in which map information relating to the running route of the guided vehicle can be easily generated and running information to be supplied to the guided vehicle can be generated on the basis of the map information by designating a starting station and a terminal station.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In general, automatically guided vehicles are guided by light, magnetism, etc. through the use of, for example, guide lines and signal marks. FIG. 15 shows a model of a running route for a guided vehicle in which a guide line is laid on a running route and signal marks are provided on one or both sides of the guide line.
In the following example, a running route model is described for a case where the guided vehicle travels from a designated home station (hereinafter abbreviated as "HS") to a third station (hereinafter abbreviated as "ST3"). The guided vehicle receives running information corresponding to a sequence of signal marks and stores this running information in memory. That is, the guided vehicle stores running information as shown in Table 1 corresponding to signal marks SM1-SM5 in advance and receives information whenever a signal mark is detected, such that the guided vehicle runs according to the updated control information. Unfortunately, in this type of system, it is difficult or impossible to generate running information from a command instruction, such as, "Go from HS to ST3." In other words, it is difficult to derive running information from starting station-to-terminal station information (hereinafter also called "FROM-TO information" or abbreviated as "F/T information").
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Signal Mark Sequence Control Information ______________________________________ SM1 Run at a high speed. SM2 Run at a low speed, turn to the right. SM3 Run at a high speed. SM4 Run at a low speed. SM5 Stop. ______________________________________
The following two methods are known as conventional techniques for generating running information from F/T information.

Method and system for controlling automatic guided vehicle


An optical carrier drop/add transmission system and method for adding a signal to multiplexed input optical signals conveyed by an optical multiplex input line. The multiplexed input optical signals are demultiplexed to provide isolated input optical signals to an optical switch matrix comprising switches in an array of lines and column, the isolated input optical signals being inputted in a direction parallel to a line of switches in the optical switch matrix. The added optical signal is input in a direction parallel to a column in the optical switch matrix. An output line is selected and the switch that is on the column on which the added optical signal is inputted and on the selected output line is switched.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to optical communication. More particularly, this invention relates to systems and methods using optical switches for adding and dropping channels from an optical transmission medium.
2. Description of Related Art
In current optical communication systems, multiple channels are multiplexed onto a single optical transmission medium using multiplexing techniques, such as wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM). WDM can combine a plurality of communication channels, in the form of discrete wavelengths, onto a single optical fiber. As multiplexing techniques improve, an increasing number of channels are being transmitted on a single optical fiber or group of optical fibers. As the number of channels increase, so too does the need for an ability to add and/or drop a portion of the channels to and/or from the transmission medium.
Current communication systems can use an opto-electronic regeneration technique to add and drop channels from a transmission system. With such a technique, in order to receive or transmit data on the optical network using WDM, a node of the network can include at least one optical sensor that receives the optical signal at one or more wavelengths. The optical sensor can include an optical-electrical converter that can convert the optical signal to electrical signals corresponding to the received optical signals. Adding and/or dropping of the signals can then be performed electronically by processing the electrical signals in the electrical domain. The resulting electrical signal can then be modulated onto the network using an electro-optical converter. Such Optical-Electrical-Optical (OEO) conversion can be very complex, costly and time consuming.
Additionally, optical wavelength add/drop multiplexers (OADM) can be used in WDM transmission systems. Currently, it has been well recognized that OADMs are needed to avoid the complex and costly OEO conversions. However, currently available OADMs are generally fixed. In other words, a given incoming channel (wavelength) is only associated with a fixed add/drop port. Such a device lacks "client-configurability" and therefore severely limits the selection of which channels to add/drop for a client.
Therefore, there exists a need for a device to add and drop channels from a transmission medium that can be readily configured according to the needs of a client.

System and method of wavelength add/drop multiplexing having client configurability


A new and distinct Vriesea sp. plant named ‘SENSE’, characterized as a funnel-form rosette plant, measuring about 32 cm in total height (when flowering) and about 30 cm to 35 cm in diameter; compound, Pink, closest to red-purple, RHS 60A, bipinate spike inflorescence, measuring about 13 cm to 24 cm in height and about 10-17 cm in diameter; about 1 to 5 branches, measuring about 5 cm to 10 cm in length and about 3.5 cm to 4.5 cm in width; and medium green foliage (RHS 137A), measuring about 24 cm in length and about 4.0 cm in width.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Vriesea plant, botanically known as Vriesea sp., hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name 'SENSE'. The genus of Vriesea belongs to the Bromeliaceae family.
The new Vriesea 'SENSE' is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventors, Elly Bak and Nico D. M. Steur, in Assendelft, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to develop a new Vriesea variety with good growing habit and attractive pink inflorescence.
The new Vriesea 'SENSE' originated from a cross-made in a controlled breeding program by the inventors in 1998 in Assendelft, The Netherlands. The female or seed parent is the Vriesea selection designated '89326' (unpatented), and the male or pollen parent is the Vriesea selection designated '93430' (unpatented). 'SENSE' was discovered and selected by the inventors in May of 2002, as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Assendelft, The Netherlands.
Asexual reproduction of the new Vriesea 'SENSE' performed by vegetative means by tissue culture was first performed in 2004, in Assendelft, The Netherlands. The first 'SENSE' plants propagated through the use of tissue culture flowered in 2008, in Assendelft, The Netherlands, and have demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new cultivar are firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction. The new cultivar reproduces true-to-type.


Clustering analysis is used to partition data into similarity groups based on mathematical relationships between the measured variables. These relationships (or prototypes) are derived from the specific correlation required between the measured variables (data) and an environmental property of interest. The data points are partitioned into the prototype-driven groups (i.e., clusters) based on error minimization. Once the data is grouped, quantitative predictions and sensitivity analysis of the property of interest can be derived based on the computed prototypes. Additionally, the process inherently minimizes prediction errors due to the rigorous error minimization during data clustering while avoiding overfitting via algorithm parameterization. The application used to demonstrate the power of the method is pressure gradient analysis.

In the oilfield industry, performing pressure testing in a borehole leads to a characterization of the formation in terms of the fluids present. Conceptually, pressure exhibits a linear dependency with respect to the depth of the formation, and the linear slope (gradient) of the pressure is indicative of the fluid type (e.g., oil, water, or gas). Therefore, discrete sampling of formation pressures at different formation depths can indicate where and what types of fluids are present in the formation.
Traditionally, human analysts interpret pressure gradients based on visual inspection of the sampled data. However, noise, undersampling, complexity, and other problems with the sampled data may render the manual interpretation difficult or ambiguous for the human analyst. Moreover, manual analysis of the data can be cumbersome, labor intensive, and/or prone to analyst bias.
Data of measurable physical properties can be analyzed in a number of ways. In particular, exploratory statistical methods, such as data clustering (grouping), can suggest patterns in the data that are otherwise unpredictable by an analyst. By classifying collected data into clusters, the cluster analysis can help analysts interpret the data, optimize a process (e.g., control an operation), and/or infer properties of interest.
Common forms of cluster analysis use the popular c-means clustering models. The c-means models cluster a batch of data points into c partitions (groups) and employ an iterative optimization (or alternating optimization) principle to minimize a clustering objective function, which incorporates a presumed clustering similarity measure. These clustering models output a set of points representative of their associated clusters (typically cluster centers) and a matrix that indicates the probability that a given point belongs to a given cluster.
The three general clustering algorithms for the c-means clustering models include hard c-means (also known as k-means), fuzzy c-means, and possibilistic c-means. In the hard c-means clustering algorithm, cluster partitions are crisp so that every point has a single certain cluster membership. In the fuzzy or possibilistic clustering algorithms, each point may have varying degrees of likelihood for belonging to each possible cluster.
For the purposes of background information, the following references discuss clustering algorithms, which may be referenced herein:    a. [Bezdek et al. 1978]: J. C. Bezdek and J. D. Harris, "Fuzzy Relations and Partitions: An Axiomatic Basis for Clustering," Fuzzy Sets and Systems 1, 112-127 (1978).    b. [Bezdek et al. 1981b]: J. C. Bezdek, C. Coray, R. Gunderson, and J. Watson, "Detection and Characterization of Cluster Substructure: I. Linear Structure: Fuzzy c-Lines," SIAM J. Appl. Math., Vol. 40, 339-357 (1981).    c. [Bezdek et al. 1981b]: J. C. Bezdek, C. Coray, R. Gunderson, and J. Watson, "Detection and Characterization of Cluster Substructure: II. Fuzzy c-Varieties and Convex Combinations thereof," SIAM J. Appl. Math., Vol. 40, 358-372 (1981).    d. [Bezdek et al. 1995]: J. C. Bezdek, R. J. Hathaway, N. R. Pal, "Norm-Induced Shell Prototype (NISP) Clustering," Neural, Parallel and Scientific Computation, Vol. 3, 431-450 (1995).    e. [Bezdek et al. 1999]: J. C. Bezdek, J. M Keller, R. Krishnapuram, N. R. Pal, "Fuzzy Models and Algorithms for Pattern Recognition and Image Processing," Kluwer, Dordrecht, in Press (1999).    f. [Botton et al. 1995]: L. Botton and Y. Bengio, "Convergence Properties of the K-means Algorithms, In G. Tesauro and D. Touretzky (Eds.) Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems 7," Cambridge, Mass., The MIT Press, 585-592 (1995).    g. [Hathaway et al. 1993] R. J. Hathaway and J. C. Bezdek, "Switching Regression Models and Fuzzy Clustering," IEEE Transactions on Fuzzy Systems, Vol. 1, 195-204 (1993).    h. [MacQueen 1967]: J. B. MacQueen, "Some Methods for Classification and Analysis of Multivariate Observations, Proceedings of 5-th Berkeley Symposium on Mathematical Statistics and Probability," Berkeley, University of California Press, 1:281-297 (1967).
The c-means clustering models assume point prototypes and the computed clusters under such models typically have a hyperellipsoidal or cloud-like structure that is implicitly defined. One clustering algorithm known in the art based on the hard c-means model is the k-means clustering algorithm mentioned previously. The k-means algorithm classifies or clusters multi-attribute objects (i.e., points) into a number (k) of groups based on a similarity measure or distance function between any two points. To do the grouping, the algorithm starts with a predefined number (k) of clusters randomly initialized and then follows an iterative local optimization scheme to minimize the sum of squared distances between each data point and its corresponding cluster centroid the cluster's data mean point). See [MacQueen 1967].
Although such traditional clustering assumes point prototypes, shape-driven clustering algorithms are also known that use other mathematical constructs, such as mathematical models or surfaces for cluster prototypes. In general, the shape-driven clustering algorithms can be divided into two categories: (1) algorithms that match the norm used in the distance or similarity function to the geometry of the individual clusters, and (2) algorithms that redefine the cluster prototype to assimilate the cluster shape information. Much of the optimization principles applied by the algorithms are based on the c-means clustering models. Any specialized treatment for each algorithm lies mainly in the proper choice of the prototype definition, the appropriate corresponding distance function, and possibly the objective function. Complexity of the iterative optimization steps depends on these choices. See [Bezdek et al. 1999].
As one example, the Gustafson-Kessel (GK) model is a fuzzy clustering algorithm that matches data to desired or expected cluster shapes. It performs shape matching using an adaptive distance norm that defines the similarity function while keeping the cluster prototypes as regular points. Hence, optimization is done with respect to an additional variable matrix used to adapt the distance norm. The shapes of the computed clusters are implicitly defined by the Eigen properties of the adaptive matrix used in the optimization. In particular, the GK model obtains hyperellipsoidal cluster shapes, which can also approximate lines and planes as these may be viewed as special limit cases of ellipsoids. See [Bezdek et al. 1999].
Another algorithm uses a fuzzy paradigm for clustering multidimensional data assuming r-dimensional flat surface prototypes, which are more formally known as linear manifolds or hyperplanes. Under this approach, the prototype optimization is done with respect to the independent vectors defining the directions of the hyperplane and a point belonging to the hyperplane. This optimization is done in addition to the fuzzy membership matrix included as part of the optimization problem, which is similar to point-prototype clustering described previously. A perpendicular offset (distance) is used as the similarity function. Variants of this approach allow prototypes to be convex combinations of hyperplanes. See [Bezdek et al. 1978]; [Bezdek et al. 1981a]; [Bezdek et al. 1981b]; and [Bezdek et al. 1999].
Surface ("shell") prototypes were devised for boundary detection applications, and several algorithms that implement such prototypes recognize spherical and elliptical cluster prototypes. Various distance functions may be defined and may yield a tradeoff between optimization complexity and solution accuracy. Other methods target quadric prototypes, which can be viewed as a generalization of shell clustering that includes forms of quadric surfaces. Similar to "shell" prototype clustering, the choice of the distance function may be critical to the complexity of the optimization procedure. See [Bezdek et al. 1999].
Another clustering algorithm uses prototypes that are shells of shapes defined by norm functions, hence norm-induced shell prototypes. The shells are formally represented by multidimensional closed/open balls of a given radius. The norm-dependent point-to-shell shortest distance is used along with a c-means-type optimization algorithm. Among the shell shapes implied by this norm-induced model are hyperspherical, hyperelliptical, squares, diamonds, etc. See [Bezdek et al. 1995].
Finally, a fuzzy c-regression clustering model assumes that a number of functional relationships exist among the dependent and independent variables and that clustering should seek to partition the data under the assumption that cluster prototypes conform to these presumed functional relationships or regression models. The distance function is tied to the measure of the model error; however, the latter is restricted to special class of models that satisfy a special property to assure global optimization when fitting a prototype through a cluster of points. The algorithm assumes the data exist in a pre-collected batch to be clustered into a fixed number of clusters prototyped by any of a fixed number of switching regression models. The algorithm employs the iterative optimization principle of the fuzzy c-means clustering model to compute the fuzzy partitions. See [Hathaway et al. 1993].
The subject matter of the present disclosure is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.

Clustering process for analyzing pressure gradient data


According to the present invention there is also provided an apparatus for estimating the fiber fineness of a known mass of fibers, the apparatus including: an image capturing device for capturing either i) all of the fibers selected for testing or ii) a fraction thereof, in one or more images; a computer capable of automatically determining the total length of fiber or fibers in the or each image; and a means for estimating the fiber fineness of the fibers using the total fiber length in the image(s).

The dimensions of fibres and in particular the cross-sectional dimensions transverse to the length of fibres are of considerable interest in determining the quality of fibres. In the case of fibres with an approximately circular cross-section the fibre diameter can be used to provide this information. For fibres with non-circular cross sections, a useful measure of the transverse 'size' of a fibre is its weight per unit length which is also known as linear density or fibre fineness. Fibre fineness is used widely with synthetic fibres where a variety of cross-sectional shapes can be readily engineered.
Average fibre fineness can be measured directly using a technique known as the gravimetric technique and is described in standard texts such as 'Physical Properties of Textiles', 2nd edition by W. E. Morton and J. W. S. Hearle. For a given sample:
                              Average                                                              Fibre                                                              Fineness                =                              (                          Total                                                                                weight                                                                                of                                                                                fibre                                                                                being                                                                                tested                        )                                (                          Total                                                                                length                                                                                of                                                                                fibre                                                                                being                                                                                tested                        )                                              [                  Equation                                                              1                ]
The gravimetric technique can be carried out by forming bundles of parallel fibres, cutting the bundles into known lengths, weighing the cut fibres, and then counting the number of fibres in the sample. The average fibre fineness of the fibres in the bundles is calculated as follows:
                              Average                                                              Fibre                                                              Fineness                =                              (                          Total                                                                                weight                                                                                of                                                                                fibre                                                                                being                                                                                tested                        )                                              (                              Length                                                                                of                                                                                fibres                            )                        ×                          (                              Total                                                                                number                                                                                of                                                                                fibres                            )                                                          [                  Equation                                                              2                ]
This direct approach when undertaken manually requires considerable skill, time and labour. This is compounded by two practical limitations. Firstly, when using conventional weighing balances, the requirement of a certain level of precision in the weight measurement generally defines a minimum weight leading to a large number of fibres to be counted. Secondly, due to the inherent variability in many textile fibre samples and the need to obtain a measurement representative of the whole sample, it is generally necessary for the sample to have a large number of fibres.
Numerous attempts have been made to devise alternative methods for measuring the quality of fibres. The most successful alternative has been the development of porous plug or air flow fineness tester. The underlying principle of this method is that the resistance to airflow through a randomised compressed plug of fibres of known mass provides an indication of size of the pores between the fibres and thus the surface area of the fibres. Based on a theoretical relationship between the measured airflow resistance and the surface area per unit volume of the fibre it is possible to estimate the fineness of the fibres. The theoretical relationship is based on the assumption that the fibres are solid and have regular cross sectional shape.
This airflow approach has been widely applied for testing cotton and provides a characteristic of the fibres known as the 'micronaire' value. However, cotton and other cellulosic fibres generally have a central lumen and have irregular cross sectional shapes which complicates the interpretation and usefulness of the 'micronaire' value.
In cotton and other cellulosic fibres, the lumen or hollow centre is a result of the growth pattern of the fibre: layers of cellulose are deposited on the inside of the thin primary cell wall. FIG. 1 attached at the back of this specification illustrates the cross section of a cotton fibre.
For fibres having the structure shown in FIG. 1, another important property effecting the quality of the fibres is the degree of thickening of the cell wall which is sometimes referred to as fibre maturity. Following the nomenclature first introduced in the text "The Fineness and Maturity of Cotton" by F. T. Pierce and E. Lord (1939), the degree of thickening or circularity θ is defined from a cross section of a fibre to be the ratio of the wall area A to the area of a perfect circle having the same perimeter P:θ=4πA/P2  [Equation 3]The maturity value M of a fibre may be expressed as function of the degree of thickening as follows:M=θ/0.577  [Equation 4]
An empirical relationship between micronaire (Mic), fibre fineness(F) and maturity (M) was published in a journal article entitled "Airflow through Plugs of Textile Fibres Part II. The Micronaire test for cotton" by E. Lord in 1956. The empirical relationship is as follows:F*M=3.86*Mic2+18.16*Mic+13  [Equation 5]
Limitations of the micronaire value are readily apparent from Equation 5. In particular, micronaire is related to the product of fibre fineness and fibre maturity. As a result, a coarse immature sample of fibres and a finer more mature sample of fibres can both have the same micronaire value. Moreover an infinite set of fibre fineness and maturity values can provide the same micronaire value. In other words micronaire is not a comprehensive indicator of the quality of fibres.
One attempt at resolving this shortcoming of micronaire values was addressed by the so-called double compression airflow method. Specifically, rather than taking one airflow resistance measurement, the double compression airflow method involves taking measurements of two different compression ratios applied to the plug. The double compression airflow method is commercially available via at least two avenues namely, the Shirley fineness-maturity tester (FMT) and the ASTM test method D3818-1979.
An alternative method previously proposed by one of the inventors of the present invention was mentioned at the Beltwide Cotton Conference in 1999 and described in a paper entitled "Measuring Cotton Fineness Independently of Maturity Using the Sirolan Laserscan," by G. R. S. Naylor and J. Sambell. The aim of the method was to semi-automate the direct gravimetric method for determining fibre fineness. The method involved suspending fibre snippets of approximately 2 mm long in a very dilute concentration in a liquid transport medium and counting the snippets one by one as each fibre snippet passed an optical sensor in the measurement cell. This approach utilised an existing instrument called the Sirolan-Laserscan as the automatic counter. Whilst this approach was found to give satisfactory results technically, it was too slow to be viable commercially.
At the Beltwide Cotton Conference in 2001 a paper entitled "Cotton Maturity and Fitness Measurement using the Sirolan-Laserscan" by G. R. S. Naylor identified that the fibre fineness value and a micronaire value independently measured could be used with Equation 5 to provide the average fibre maturity.
In addition, International patent application PCT/CH91/00017 (WO91/11705) describes the approach whereby fibres are placed in a plane between a lighting source and receiving optics connected to a CCD sensor i.e. a digital camera. The image is then manually analysed.
Several other approaches have been explored for determining cotton fineness. However, in spite of considerable research effort over the last 50 years there is still a need for a commercially viable method and apparatus for testing fibre fineness.

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation


The present invention provides a polyesteramine, a composition having a polyesteramine according to the present invention as an active ingredient and methods for improving hair detangling, wet and dry combing, shine, gloss, conditioning, surface smoothening, water resistance, film-forming properties, static charge reduction and any combination thereof in various personal care products, such as, hair care, skin care, nail care and cosmetic products. Preferably, the polyesteramine is incorporated into a shampoo, hair conditioner, styling mousse, hair treatment preparation, hair coloring product, semi-perm product, oxidation dye, body wash, liquid soap, skin care preparation, lipstick, mascara, color cosmetic, nail care preparation or any combination thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a polyesteramine ingredient and use of the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to the use of the polyesteramine in a variety of personal care, hair care and cosmetic products to provide water resistance, shine, gloss, surface smoothening and film-forming benefits.
2. Description of the Related Art
Water resistance, shine, gloss, surface smoothening, and film-forming are all desirable attributes in personal care, nail care and cosmetic compositions, products and preparations. For example, water resistance is a much-desired quality amongst consumers of color cosmetics, lipsticks, eyelash mascara, insect repellents and sunscreen preparations. Additionally, shine and gloss are much desired attributes in nail color and hair care preparations. Surface smoothening is important in a shampoo, hair conditioner, styling mousse and other hair treatment preparation and can provide superior wet and dry hair combing. Film-forming is a desired attribute in, for example, body wash, liquid soap, hair color and skin care preparations.
There is a long felt need in cosmetic industry for a single ingredient which, when incorporated into formulated compositions, can deliver multiple functions to these compositions, including the aforementioned desired attributes and benefits.
Such results can now be attained by the use of compositions that have an effective amount of a polyesteramine according to the present invention as a single ingredient. This single ingredient delivers multiple performance advantages to a composition that heretofore had required the use of a number of different ingredients. Furthermore, these performance advantages have not been achieved by simple esteramines known in the literature.

Polyesteramine ingredient and use of same


A method is disclosed for protecting a network against a denial-of-service attack by inspecting application layer messages at a network element. According to one aspect, when a network element intercepts data packets that contain an application layer message, the network element constructs the message from the payload portions of the packets. The network element determines whether the message satisfies specified criteria. The criteria may indicate characteristics of messages that are suspected to be involved in a denial-of-service attack, for example. If the message satisfies the specified criteria, then the network element prevents the data packets that contain the message from being received by the application for which the message was intended. The network element may accomplish this by dropping the packets, for example. As a result, the application's host does not waste processing resources on messages whose only purpose might be to deluge and overwhelm the application.

The approaches described in this section could be pursued, but are not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
In a business-to-business environment, applications executing on computers commonly communicate with other applications that execute on other computers. For example, an application "A" executing on a computer "X" might send, to an application "B" executing on a computer "Y," a message that indicates the substance of a purchase order.
Computer "X" might be remote from computer "Y." In order for computer "X" to send the message to computer "Y," computer "X" might send the message through a computer network such as a local area network (LAN), a wide-area network (WAN), or an inter-network such as the Internet. In order to transmit the message through such a network, computer "X" might use a suite of communication protocols. For example, computer "X" might use a network layer protocol such as Internet Protocol (IP) in conjunction with a transport layer protocol such as Transport Control Protocol (TCP) to transmit the message.
Assuming that the message is transmitted using TCP, the message is encapsulated into one or more data packets; separate portions of the same message may be sent in separate packets. Continuing the above example, computer "X" sends the data packets through the network toward computer "Y." One or more network elements intermediate to computer "X" and computer "Y" may receive the packets, determine a next "hop" for the packets, and send the packets towards computer "Y."
For example, a router "U" might receive the packets from computer "X" and determine, based on the packets being destined for computer "Y," that the packets should be forwarded to another router "V" (the next "hop" on the route). Router "V" might receive the packets from router "U" and send the packets on to computer "Y." At computer "Y." the contents of the packets may be extracted and reassembled to form the original message, which may be provided to application "B." Applications "A" and "B" may remain oblivious to the fact that the packets were routed through routers "U" and "V." Indeed, separate packets may take different routes through the network.
A message may be transmitted using any of several application layer protocols in conjunction with the network layer and transport layer protocols discussed above. For example, application "A" may specify that computer "X" is to send a message using Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). Accordingly, computer "X" may add HTTP-specific headers to the front of the message before encapsulating the message into TCP packets as described above. If application "B" is configured to receive messages according to HTTP, then computer "Y" may use the HTTP-specific headers to handle the message.
In addition to all of the above, a message may be structured according to any of several message formats. A message format generally indicates the structure of a message. For example, if a purchase order comprises an address and a delivery date, the address and delivery date may be distinguished from each other within the message using message format-specific mechanisms. For example, application "A" may indicate the structure of a purchase order using Extensible Markup Language (XML). Using XML as the message format, the address might be enclosed within "<address>" and "</address>" tags, and the delivery date might be enclosed within "<delivery-date>" and "</delivery-date>" tags. If application "B" is configured to interpret messages in XML, then application "B" may use the tags in order to determine which part of the message contains the address and which part of the message contains the delivery date.
Sometimes, malicious users attempt to disrupt the communications described above by mounting a "denial-of-service" attack on a server application—application "B" in the example above. Traditionally, denial-of-service attacks are conducted by continuously sending very large quantities of data packets toward a server application. The server application receives these data packets and attempts to process the messages contained therein, consuming a portion of the processing resources of the computer that hosts the server application in doing so. If the server application receives enough data packets from a malicious user, then all or nearly all of the server application's host's processing resources may become occupied with processing the bogus messages from the malicious user. Additionally or alternatively, a malicious user may deploy malicious software, or "malware," which may cause an application to crash or become unavailable, or may cause an application to perform large amounts of computations, or may cause an application to fetch unauthorized content or modify content that the application should not modify.
As a result, the server application's ability to process legitimate messages sent from legitimate users decreases immensely. Indeed, the server application might not be able to process a legitimate message until after an unacceptable amount of time passes after the legitimate message was sent. Legitimate client applications—such as application "A" in the example above—may assume, due to the lack of a timely response from the server application, that the server application is no longer operational.
In an attempt to thwart such traditional denial-of-service attacks, an automated sentry process is sometimes established between the server application and all other applications that might send packets toward the server application. For example, the sentry process might execute on the same computer as the server application, or on some intermediate network appliance that acts as a proxy for the computer that hosts the server application. In any case, the sentry process receives data packets before sending the data packets on to the server application.
Under this sentry approach, legitimate client applications need to be configured to send packets toward the sentry process rather than the server application itself, because the server application is configured to receive packets only from the sentry process. The configuration process can be a burden to users and/or programmers of the legitimate client applications, especially where a different customized configuration is required for each different sentry process toward which a client application might send packets.
When a sentry process receives a data packet, it inspects the protocol headers—such as the IP and TCP headers—of the data packet and stores state information concerning one or more characteristics of the protocol headers. For example, for each packet that a sentry process receives, the sentry process might record the source IP address indicated in the packet's IP header. If the sentry process determines that a significantly high number of data packets have been received from the same source IP address within a relatively short period of time, then the sentry process may conclude that an application associated with the source IP address is conducting a denial-of-service attack. In response to such a determination, the sentry process may take some protective action, such as alerting a network administrator or the server application.
Though burdensome, the sentry approach described above may be somewhat effective in deterring traditional denial-of-service attacks. However, being rather persistent, malicious users have innovated non-traditional denial-of-service attacks that effectively circumvent the protections provided by the sentry approach. Using a "distributed" denial-of-service attack, multiple separate computers, each having a different IP address, may cooperate to send, concurrently, a large quantity of data packets toward a target. The number of data packets that each individual attacker sends is not large enough to trigger the sentry process' protective countermeasures, but the combined mass of all of the attackers' data packets is enough to deluge the target and consume most of the target's processing resources.
Other non-traditional attacks are even more sophisticated and more easily conducted. A server application might have a published interface to which messages from client applications need to conform in order for the server application to process those messages. The server application might not be robust enough to handle messages that do not conform to the interface. For example, a server application's interface might expose a method that accepts an integer as a parameter. If the server application receives a message that invokes the method with a floating-point number parameter instead of the expected integer parameter, the server application might behave erratically; the server application might corrupt legitimate data, or the server application might even become non-responsive to further messages from legitimate client applications. Because the non-conforming elements usually are contained in a data packet's payload portion instead of the data packet's protocol headers, the sentry approach described above is powerless to defend against such an attack.
Although it might initially seem feasible to defend against such non-traditional attacks by adjusting the sentry process so that the sentry process would inspect the payload portions of data packets to ensure that the payload portions do not contain any non-conforming elements, such a defense would merely transfer the point of vulnerability from the server application to the sentry process. Because payload inspection is processing resource-intensive, malicious users could send data packets to the sentry process at a greater rate than the sentry process could inspect the payload portions of those data packets. When the processing resources of the sentry process' host computer became entirely or almost entirely consumed with inspecting data packet payloads, the denial-of-service attack would have achieved its goals, since the sentry process would not be able to send legitimate data packets to the server application in a timely manner. Whenever the server application only receives data packets from a single sentry process, the sentry process becomes a vulnerable bottleneck.
For security reasons, the payload portions of some legitimate data packets may be encrypted before being sent toward a server application over encrypted sessions. Even if a sentry process were designed to inspect data packet payloads, the sentry process would not be able to detect offensive content contained in a data packet payload if that content was encrypted in such a way that only the server application could decrypt the content.
The form of denial-of-service attacks continuously changes. Almost as soon as a sentry process is developed to counter one form of attack, another form of attack, against which the sentry process cannot defend, emerges. By the time that sentry process developers have shipped the next revision of a sentry process to counter new forms of attack, significant damage from those new forms of attack might already have been done.
Thus, previous approaches for negating denial-of-service attacks in a network are only partially effective, inherently vulnerable, and limited in longevity. A more effective, adaptive, and invulnerable technique for preventing denial-of-service attacks in a network is needed.

Network and application attack protection based on application layer message inspection


A system and/or method that reduces the blanking time between changing from one video channel to another video channel, particularly from a digital video channel. The system provides as much video of the old video channel as possible for display until video from the new channel is acquired. Particularly, video output signal from the old channel which is stored in a video packet buffer is provided until the video packet buffer is underflowed (underflow condition or event). This is accomplished while the system is acquiring the new video channel (i.e. the selector in the case of an analog or different frequency digital video channel, or a PID filter of an MPEG transport stream decoder thereof in the case of a digital video subchannel of the old digital video channel). Blanking of the video output may or may not be accomplished if the new video is acquired before an video packet buffer underflow condition or event, else blanking may occur for only a short period of time. This can save about 400-500 ms.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing video signals and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for changing from one television channel to another television channel.
2. Background Information
When changing television channels, there is a period of time between the receipt of the command to change the channel and the providing of the newly acquired channel. Thus, there is a period of time during which video blanking occurs. This period of time or latency is due to several factors. The most significant factor is the time it takes the television channel tuner to tune to or acquire the new channel.
Because users want to see the newly selected channel as fast as possible, most channel changing schemes concentrate on shortening tuner response time. While these schemes are somewhat effective, there is still a period of time to wait and blank the screen in order to avoid displaying broken macro-blocks or errors on the screen during the channel change.
Typically, when a channel change is being effected, the video is first blanked while the tuning frequency of the tuner is changed. Once the new channel is acquired, the video output is then unblanked. This prevents the user from seeing the abnormal behavior such as broken macro-blocks, color mismatch and/or the like during channel change. This blanking period, however, may seem too long before the new channel is displayed.
It is, therefore, evident from the above discussion that what is needed is a video signal processor that reduces blanking time between changing from one television channel to another television channel.
It is, therefore, further evident from the above discussion that what is needed is a video signal processor that provides as small a video interruption as possible during a television channel change.
These needs and others are accomplished through application of the principles of the subject invention and/or as embodied in one or more various methods, form and/or systems such as are shown and/or described herein.

System and method for changing television channels in a video signal processor


An apparatus for treating a patient with acoustic waves having a treatment head with a treatment head which is connectable to a generator with variable frequency. The apparatus has at least a first sensor which measures the heart rate of the patient before and after treatment, wherein the frequency of the generator is adjustable in dependence on the change of the heart rate as a result of treatment.

This invention relates to an apparatus for treating a patient with acoustic and/or electromagnetic waves or mechanical vibrations, comprising a treatment head with a source for providing acoustic and/or electromagnetic waves or mechanical vibrations which is connectable to a generator with a variable frequency, and at least one sensor for measuring a parameter of the patient.
The apparatus of the invention is intended for the therapeutic treatment of disturbances in the blood circulation, especially of obstructions or stenosis occurring in the limbs of the patient or of body parts which are insufficiently provided with blood for other reasons. Treatment has been effective when the patient feels warmth at the treated body part or by an increase of the temperature measured by a thermometer. A thermometer can be used which is located against or immediately adjacent the treated body part for measuring the temperature.

Apparatus for treating a patient with acoustic waves


“Context” of an environment or area is considered to be one or more characteristics of the environment or area, manifested by the presence of various types of equipment or devices. Detection of various types of devices and equipment in a localized area is by way of short-range wireless signals over which data about the devices is transmitted to one or more subscriber units. The subscriber units can forward context-determinative data and information to a service provider which can vicariously use the equipment or devices in the area via the subscriber device.

Two-way wireless communication has become a nearly ubiquitous service. Cellular and 900 MHz. "PCS" (personal communications systems) provide instantaneous voice and data communications to and from portable subscriber units (e.g., a cellular telephone, pager or two-way radio) via a communication system infrastructure (e.g., one or more base stations and controllers).
The next generation of mobile communication services will likely be expected to do more than just provide two-way communications. In addition to supplying communications, the next generation of communication services will likely provide the ability to detect a user's location and environments in which the user is located. By knowing or detecting a user's location or environment, ancillary services can be rendered to the wireless communication subscriber through his or her wireless communications device. Ancillary services that are derived from knowing a persons surroundings or environment can provide additional revenue streams to the service providers that deliver them.


A can bodymaker, which includes a disc feed (1) for feeding a disc (5) directly to the bodymaker itself. A locator (9) positions the disc (5) centrally to a blankholder (12) and a draw pad (10) clamps the disc (5) against a draw die (11). The blankholder (12) then forms the disc into a cup (20) and clamps the cup against a redraw die (14) ready to be picked up by a punch and carried through dies for forming a can body.

In known bodymakers for the production of thin-walled metal cans by the so-called "drawing and wall-ironing" (DWI) process, cups are fed to the bodymaker and carried by a punch on the end of the ram, through a series of ironing dies to obtain the desired size and thickness of the can.
Ultimately, the can body carried on the punch may contact a bottom forming tool so as to form a shape such as a dome on the base of the can.
The cup is mounted on the free end of a punch which extends from a reciprocating ram, and the cup wall is then "ironed" by passing through one or more ironing dies to lengthen the side wall of the cup and form a can.
In existing apparatus for the formation of a "two piece" container (i.e. one piece can body with side wall and base, and separate end component), a cupping press is first fed with a coil of metal, and then punches out discs and makes them into cups. The flat circular blanks or discs of metal are drawn through one or more drawing dies in the cupping press to form the shallow cups. The cups are then transferred to a bodymaker for conversion into the finished can body.
The cupping press is an enormous, and extremely expensive, machine. It is therefore an aim of this invention to provide alternative equipment and methods, which could replace or reduce the footprint (floor space) required by the conventional cupping press. By reducing or avoiding the need for the significant capital expenditure of the cupping press, it would become possible to eliminate the need to stock large coils, and all the scrap (the 'web') created by the cupper, which would normally have to be shipped back to the supplier to get the scrap value back, is avoided.


A press arrangement of a paper or cardboard machine for the treatment of a fibrous pulp sheet in a press opening that is extended in the run direction of the fibrous pulp sheet. The press opening is defined by two press surfaces, at least one of which is constructed of a flexible press sleeve that is guided over at least one press shoe. The flexible press sleeve is further able to press against the opposing press surface with the aid of the press shoe due to the creation of a fluid cushion between the press shoe and the press sleeve. The press shoe is thus able to be tensioned such that a resulting main press force is exerted in a direction that runs substantially perpendicular to the fibrous pulp sheet being guided through the press opening. A lever is designed to load the press shoe with an positive or negative force that acts on the press shoe substantially perpendicular to the resulting main press force. The additional positive or negative forces transfer a tilting moment to the press shoe whereby the press shoe tilts around a respective tilting axis. The tilting axis extends substantially perpendicular to the run direction of the fibrous pulp sheet and in the transverse direction of the press arrangement. Thus, the additional forces can, substantially, independently influence the pressure profile in the press opening, set along the run direction of the fibrous pulp sheet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a press arrangement of a paper or carton machine for the treatment of a fibrous pulp sheet in a press opening.
2. Background of the Invention
Typically, the press opening of a press arrangement extends in the run direction of the fibrous pulp sheet and is defined by two press surfaces. It is known to have at least one of the press surfaces constructed of a flexible press sleeve that is guided over a press shoe, such that a resulting main press force, acting in one direction, is exerted. The resulting main press force is directed essentially perpendicular to the fibrous pulp sheet that is being guided through the press opening.
In a press arrangement of this type, the pressure force profile that is established in the press opening and along the run direction of the fibro is determined by the given relative shape of the press shoe and the suitable hydraulic arrangements located on the opposing press surface.
It is generally known to exert an additional force on the press shoe with the aid of additional pistons on the entrance or exit side, i.e. outside the main target area. The additional pistons supply the press shoe with increased pressure force on the entrance or exit side, causing the pressure profile to tilt and causing a corresponding increase in pressure force.
It is possible to compensate for the effect of the additional forces by employing technical control measures for the main loading force. This process, however, is disadvantageous because it is associated with significant expense and risk respecting possible disturbances impairing the functional safety of the press arrangement. Thus, the productivity of the paper machine facility may be adversely affected.

Press arrangement with lever arm to move press shoe


A host processor (22) in a communication system (10) identifies a level of program visibility for reporting predetermined activation state changes, and signals a communications transceiver (24) to begin an initialization process. The communications transceiver (24) begins executing a series of states (51-55, 61-64) for initializing the communication system (10). A determination is made by the transceiver (24) whether a state change has occurred. A state change is identified and reported to a host processor (22) based on the program visibility select level.

In order to make high data rate interactive services such as video conferencing available to more residential and small business customers, high-speed data communication paths are required. Although fiber optic cable is the preferred transmission media for such high data rate services, it is not readily available in existing communications networks, and the expense of installing fiber optic cable is prohibitive. Current telephone wiring connections, which consist of copper twisted-pair media, are not designed to support the data rates, or bandwidth, required for interactive services. Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Lines (ADSL) technology has been developed to increase the effective bandwidth of existing twisted-pair connections, allowing interactive services to be provided without requiring the installation of new fiber optic cable.
Discrete Multi-Tone (DMT) is a multicarrier technique that divides the available bandwidth of twisted-pair connections into many subchannels, or bins. The DMT technique has been implemented in ADSL standard T1.413 for use in ADSL systems. In ADSL, DMT is used to generate 250 separate 4.3125 kHz subchannels from 26 kHz to 1.1 MHz for downstream transmission to the end user, and 26 subchannels from 26 kHz to 138 kHz for upstream transmission by the end user.
The rate at which data is to be transmitted is a function of whether or not a device is implemented as an ADSL central office terminal (ATU-C) or an ADSL remote terminal (ATU-R). According to the ADSL standard T1.413, a device used in an ADSL communications system is designated as either an ATU-C or an ATU-R before digital communications can be initiated.
Initialization of an ADSL transceiver requires the execution of several initialization steps which, in terms of modern semiconductor device operation, take a long time (several seconds). Individual initialization steps include activation and acknowledgment, transceiver training, channel analysis, exchange, and steady state. Individual activation states specify functions necessary to establish a communications channel between a local and a non-local ADSL transceiver.
Each initialization step has numerous individual activation states which when combined comprise the individual initialization step. The execution of the initialization steps, and more specifically the associated activation states require a long initialization time. In certain instances, where synchronization to a specific activation state would be desirable, it would be advantageous for the current state of the ADSL transceiver to be available externally. For example, such synchronous operation would be desirable for interfacing to a debug/development tool, or for sequencing other externally controllable events to an individual activation state of the transceiver.
Prior art teaches several methods of specifying current state activity for modern semiconductor devices such as microprocessors. One such method requires the "polling" of a device in order to identify a current state of operation. Polling generally entails performing a read access to the device having a state which is desired to be known. Such a scheme requires continuous polling in order to have resolution such that the beginning of a transceiver state can be recognized. Continuous polling limits the bandwidth of the device doing the polling. For example, an external processor may be able to poll only one device where it is necessary to identify precisely where a specific state is entered. Therefore, there is a trade-off between the amount of resolution that is attainable, and the number of devices a polling device can control.
A second method of determining the state of a given device is accomplished by performing a breakpoint-type function. The breakpoint-type function is used to monitor an address bus, or a state machine for a specific identifying value. Once a breakpoint is identified, internal hardware or software of the device being polled by a host can continuously monitor for the occurrence of a particular address or state. For example, if in a device using firmware, it is known that a specific state begins at an address location called "ADDR", a register could be set to the value of ADDR, which is in turn compared to the address bus of the device being polled. When the address bus is equal to the value of ADDR, an interrupt breakpoint would be generated. This requires knowing where precisely, in code, a state location desired to be identified resides, as well as the additional overhead of the hardware needed to perform the breakpoint. In addition, the generation of breakpoints interrupts the function of the device being polled, which delays the overall operation of the device.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have state information provided in a time and hardware efficient manner that would allow the synchronization of devices controllable external to the device without requiring the host to generate an interrupt and without the host needing to monitor the code.

Transceiver and method for reporting state transitions in a communication system


Described are nicotine-degrading enzyme variants that exhibit increased nicotine-degrading activity and/or decreased immunogenicity relative to the wild-type NicA2 and NOX enzymes, compositions comprising the variants, and methods using them.

The following discussion is provided to aid the reader in understanding the disclosure and is not admitted to describe or constitute prior art thereto.
Smoking is a global healthcare problem. The World Health Organization estimates that there are 1.3 billion smokers worldwide today and nearly five million tobacco-related deaths each year. If current smoking patterns continue, smoking will cause some 10 million deaths each year by 2020. According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC), tobacco use is the single leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., responsible for approximately 438,000 deaths each year. In addition, it is estimated that smoking results in an annual health-related economic cost of approximately $157 billion. The CDC estimates that, among the 45 million adult smokers in the U.S., 70% want to quit, but less than five percent of those who try to quit remain smoke-free after 12 months.
One reason it is difficult to quit smoking is addiction to the nicotine in cigarettes and other tobacco products. Nicotine is a small molecule that upon inhalation into the body quickly passes into the bloodstream and subsequently reaches the brain by crossing the blood-brain barrier. Once in the brain, the nicotine binds to nicotinic receptors, which results in the release of stimulants, such as dopamine, activating the reward system and providing the smoker with a positive and pleasurable re-enforcing experience, which leads to addiction.
In addition to the detrimental health effects associated with smoking and other tobacco use, nicotine poisoning, which results from ingestion or inhalation of too much nicotine, is another nicotine-related health problem. The LD50 of nicotine is 50 mg/kg for rats and 3 mg/kg for mice. A dose as low as 30-60 mg (0.5-1.0 mg/kg) may be lethal for adult humans, while children may become ill following ingestion of one cigarette, and ingestion of more than this may cause a child to become severely ill. On the other hand, some evidence suggests that a lethal dose may be as high as 500 mg or more (1.0-7.1 mg/kg) for a human adult. In either case, acute nicotine poisoning usually occurs in children who accidentally chew on nicotine gum or patches or ingest the "e-liquid" of electronic cigarettes. In rare instances, children have also been known to become ill after ingesting cigarettes. There are several hundred cases of acute nicotine poisoning reported every month in the United States alone.
Typically, initial treatment of nicotine poisoning may include the administration of activated charcoal to try to reduce gastrointestinal absorption, while additional treatment may address the symptoms that result from nicotine poisoning.
The use of the wild-type NicA2 enzyme for smoking cessation has been proposed (see, e.g., Xue et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 137: 10136-39 (2015)). Nevertheless, there remains a need for additional agents, compositions and methods for treating nicotine addiction, as well as for agents, compositions, and methods for treating nicotine poisoning.

BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM


The invention relates to a structural component for a battery housing of an electrically-driven motor vehicle with a wall that extends from a wall bottom side to a wall top side in a component vertical direction, and from a first end face to a second end face in a component longitudinal direction perpendicular thereto, wherein the wall has a rib arranged on one side of the wall and oriented perpendicular thereto and/or a bead to increase its flexural rigidity, and wherein the rib, or respectively the bead, extends substantially in a component longitudinal direction. Moreover, the invention relates to a battery housing for a battery of an electrically-driven motor vehicle, as well as such a motor vehicle.

An electrically-driven motor vehicle typically has a battery (traction battery), which provides an electrical engine for driving the motor vehicle with energy. An electrically-driven motor vehicle should in particular be understood to mean an electric vehicle which stores the energy needed for driving solely in the battery (BEV, battery electric vehicle), an electric vehicle comprising a range extender (REEV, range extended electric vehicle), a hybrid vehicle (HEV, hybrid electric vehicle) and/or a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV, plug-in hybrid electric vehicle).
An application of force, in particular caused by by an accident, i.e., by a crash or an impact, may result in damage to the battery. In the event of such damage, the energy stored in the battery may for example be released in an explosive manner. Furthermore, the risk of fire and/or hazards resulting from an electrical discharge of the battery may arise for the vehicle passengers (occupants).
To avoid damage to the battery, (reinforcing) elements are arranged for example in a housing interior of the battery housing that increase rigidity of the housing and are to prevent deformation of the battery housing in the housing interior.
For example, a battery housing part for a traction battery of a vehicle is known from DE 10 2015 111 325 A1 that has an electric motor drive. The battery housing part has a seat body in which the traction battery can be accommodated. In this case, the seat body consists of a thermoplastic plastic that comprises at least one integrated organosheet component. It is furthermore provided that the organosheet component has a bottom section and at least one reinforcing section running perpendicular to the bottom section.
DE 10 2016 110 330 A1 discloses a housing for a vehicle battery. The housing has a cover plate and a base plate, a frame connected to the cover plate and base plate being arranged therebetween. In this case, at least one cross member element is arranged in the space enclosed by the frame.

Structural component, battery housing, and motor vehicle with such a battery housing