An LED mounting holder for mounting one or more LEDs on a printed circuit board and for having the printed circuit board on a front panel of an electronic apparatus with the LEDs mounted on the printed circuit board. The LED mounting holder has a plurality of holding sections each formed by a plate of an electrically conductive material, a plurality of height position setting sections, a contacting section of an electrically conductive material for being contacted with the main body of the electronic apparatus, and a holder support for supporting the LED mounting holder by the printed circuit board. The holding sections are provided at the positions on the holder in register with the mounting positions of the LEDs on the printed circuit board for holding the LEDs and are protruded towards the distal ends of the LEDs for facing away from the printed circuit board. The height setting sections are provided at the positions on the holder in register with the mounting positions of the LEDs on the printed circuit board for setting the height positions of the distal ends of the LEDs held by the holding sections. When mounted in the electronic apparatus, the holder assures accurate setting of the mounting height positions and the mounting positions in the array of the LEDs, while preventing static charges from being introduced into the main body of the electronic apparatus via the holding sections and contact sections.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an LED mounting holder used for setting the mounting position for plural diodes mounted on a front panel of an electronic apparatus, or setting the relative mounting height thereof, and a device for mounting the LEDs using such holder.
2. Description of the Prior Art
On a front panel, such as an operating panel, provided on the front side of a variety of electronic apparatuses, a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) are usually arranged as display means for allowing an operator to recognize the current operating state or to prompt the operator's attention.
When LEDs are mounted on the printed circuit board, usually the external connection terminals of the LEDs are introduced into component mounting openings, such as throughholes, bored in the printed circuit board at predetermined mounting positions, such as at LED mounting positions on a front panel, and are soldered in situ for establishing electrical and mechanical connections in a required manner.
Consequently, for mounting plural LEDs by soldering on the printed circuit board for manufacturing an electronic apparatus having the LEDs mounted on its front panel, it is necessary to have the LEDs mounted with predetermined relative positioning and height setting on the printed circuit board prior to the soldering process. This is because the LEDs are finally mounted in position by soldering.
That is, for mounting plural LEDs by soldering on the printed circuit board, it is a frequent practice to pass the printed circuit board, with external connection terminals of the LEDs introduced into the component mounting openings of the printed circuit board, through a soldering bath containing a solder therein in the melted state, for accomplishing the soldering process. In such case, the LEDs need to be held on the printed circuit at the predetermined position and height until the soldering operation comes to an end.
After the LEDs are soldered to the printed circuit board, they are mounted on the front panel of the electronic apparatus along with the printed circuit board. In such case, it is necessary for the LEDs not to become detached from the front panel. Meanwhile, when the LEDs mounted within a front panel produced by molding a non-conductive synthetic resin are handled by an operator, it may occur that static electrical charges are intruded from the operator into the electric circuit through LED elements as noise to produce malfunctions or destruct various driving circuits,
For this reason, it is a frequent occurrence in the manufacture of electronic apparatus to take anti-static measures such as by bonding a metal piece in the form of a spring sheet or an electrically conductive foil or by applying an electrically conductive paint to the LEDs. However, such bonding or coating are not desirable because the number of the manufacturing steps is thereby increased.
On the other hand, for preventing static charges from being introduced into the elements of the LEDs, it is a frequent practice to provide the LEDs within a recessed part of the main body of the electronic apparatus so as not to protrude out of the front panel surface and to attach a piece of a transparent or semi-transparent acrylic photoconductive material to the front panel for conducting the light from the LEDs to the front panel surface. However, in such case, the light from the LEDs tends to be lowered in intensity due to passage through the piece of the photoconductive material to darken the display on the front panel surface. Consequently, in order for the display on the front panel surface to be as bright as possible, it is necessary that the LEDs be mounted at mounting positions as close to the front panel surface as possible.

LED mounting holder and device for mounting LED using it


An integrated circuit package bond pad includes an insulating layer and an electrode located over the insulating layer. The electrode has a first surface configured to be bonded to external circuitry and a second surface opposite the first surface. A plurality of conductive members is located in the insulating layer, wherein ones of the plurality of conductive members contact the second surface of the electrode.

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of integrated circuit package bond pads and, more specifically, to an integrated circuit package bond pad having a plurality of conductive members.
Semiconductor device geometries continue to dramatically decrease in size since such devices were first introduced several decades ago. Today's fabrication plants are routinely producing devices having feature dimensions less than 90 nm. Of course, such scaling has been accompanied by obstacles involving implementing new processes and equipment technology especially as device requirements become more demanding.
Typical semiconductor devices include a stack of various types of films formed over a device layer, the stack substantially comprising layers of metal and/or other conductive materials and dielectric layers interposing the conductive layers. One or more bond pads are typically formed in a topmost conductive layer, followed by a packaging layer having openings exposing the bond pads. The stack of layers can suffer internal stress due, for example, to lattice mismatches at interfaces between adjacent layers. The stress may also build-up within the stack as the device is exposed to changes in the environment, the application of force and thermal cycling during manufacturing, assembly, packaging and handling. The dielectric layers typically comprise low-k materials that are sensitive to stresses that can occur during and after manufacturing and assembly. Consequently, the stress build-up in and around the dielectric layers can cause cracking and peeling of various layers, adversely affecting device performance and reliability.
One of the processes which can contribute to the stress build-up in the stack of layers is package bonding. For example, in a wire bonding process, a small-diameter wire comprising gold and/or other conductive materials is electrically and mechanically coupled to a bond pad. Generally, one or more of the application force, thermal energy and acoustic energy used in bonding the wire causes the terminus of the wire to bond with the bond pad, thereby allowing connection of the integrated circuit package with an external feature, such as a circuit board. Wire bonding and other bonding processes induce mechanical and thermal stress in and around the bond pad, including in the conductive and dielectric layers underlying the bond pad. As discussed above, the build-up of such stress can be detrimental to the performance and reliability of the integrated circuit package and, consequently, the electronic device incorporating the integrated circuit package.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is an integrated circuit package bond pad and method of manufacture thereof that addresses the above-discussed issues of the prior art.

Integrated circuit package bond pad having plurality of conductive members

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd


The anchoring system generally comprises a solid support and a chemical linking moiety useful for ether formation with another chemical moiety on a nucleic acid molecule. The present invention further contemplates methods for anchoring a nucleic acid molecule to a solid support via a covalent linkage. The anchoring system of the present invention is useful inter alia in construction of nucleic acid arrays, to purify nucleic acid molecules and to anchor nucleic acid molecules so that they can be used as templates for in vitro transcription and/or translation experiments and to participate in amplification reactions. The present invention is particularly adaptable for use with microspheres and the preparation of microsphere suspension arrays and optical fiber arrays. The anchoring system permits the generation of an anchored oligonucleotide for use as a universal nucleic acid conjugation substrate for any nucleic acid molecule or population of nucleic acid molecules. The present invention further provides a kit useful for anchoring nucleic acid molecules or comprising nucleic acid molecules already anchored to a solid support.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an anchoring system for nucleic acid molecules. The anchoring system generally comprises a solid support and a chemical linking moiety useful for ether formation with another chemical moiety on a nucleic acid molecule. The present invention further contemplates methods for anchoring a nucleic acid molecule to a solid support via a covalent linkage. The anchoring system of the present invention is useful inter alia in construction of nucleic acid arrays, to purify nucleic acid molecules and to anchor nucleic acid molecules so that they can be used as templates for in vito transcription and/or translation experiments and to participate in amplification reactions. The present invention is particularly adaptable for use with microspheres and the preparation of microsphere suspension arrays and optical fiber arrays. The anchoring system permits the generation of an anchored oligonucleotide for use as a universal nucleic acid conjugation substrate for any nucleic acid molecule or population of nucleic acid molecules. The present invention further provides a kit useful for anchoring nucleic acid molecules or comprising nucleic acid molecules already anchored to a solid support.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and should not be taken as, an aclcnowledgment or any form of suggestion that this prior art forms part of the common general knowledge in any country.
The increasing sophistication of recombinant DNA technology is greatly facilitating research and development in a range of biotechnology-related industries.
Many manipulations involving nucleic acid molecules require immobilization strategies. One immobilization strategy involves the use of binding partners such as avidin and streptavidin. Whilst the latter system has been successfully employed in many nucleic acid anchoring systems, it does have some limitations and does not enable the full gamut of nucleic acid manipulations now available to be performed on single and mixtures of nucleic acid molecules. It is also subject to non-specific binding thus limiting the accuracy of any immobilization reactions.
In addition, there are difficulties in using linker systems like streptavidin and avidin in automated and high throughput systems.
The immobilization procedure can be complex and involve the use of expensive reagents. There is a need, therefore, to develop a universal conjugation system for nucleic acid molecules.
In accordance with the present invention, a universal conjugation system has been developed for anchoring nucleic acid molecules to a solid support. The system of the present invention has a myriad of uses in molecular biology including micro or macro nucleic acid arrays, capturing, purifying and/or sorting nucleic acid molecules, RNA production for RNAi and short, interfering RNA (si-RNA) applications and microsphere nucleic acid technology, especially for microengineered structures and nanoshells. The system may also be usefully employed in high throughput and/or automated systems. In particular, the present invention provides a re-usable anchoring system for nucleic acid molecules.

Nucleic acid anchoring system comprising covalent linkage of an oligonucleotide to a solid support


A pharmaceutical composition comprising a pharmaceutical diluent and a compound of formula IV wherein R21=H, C1-C20 alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, arylalkyl, or alkylaryl, —CH2OR25, —C(O)R25, —CO(O)R25, —C(O)NR25R26, —CH2C(O)R25, or —CH2C(O)NHR25, where R25 and R26 are each independently H, C1-C10 alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, arylalkyl, or alkylaryl, optionally containing one or more halogen atoms. R22=—OH, —OR27, —OCH2C(O)R27, —OCH2C(O)NHR27, —OC(O)R27, —OC(O)OR27, —OC(O)NHNH—R5, or —OC(O)NR27R28, where R27 and R28 are each independently H, C1-C20 alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, arylalkyl, or alkylaryl, and where R27 and R28 can each optionally contain halogen atoms; R23 and R24, the same or different from each other, are C1-C20 alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, aryl, arylalkyl, or alkylaryl. Methods of using such formulations for the treatment of cancer, to effect weight loss, to treat microbially-based infections, to inhibit neuropeptide-Y and/or fatty acid synthase, and to stimulate CPT-1.

Fatty Acid Synthase
Fatty acids have three primary roles in the physiology of cells. First, they are the building bocks of biological membranes. Second, fatty acid derivatives serve as hormones and intracellular messengers. Third, and of particular importance to the present invention, fatty acids are fuel molecules that can be stored in adipose tissue as triacylglycerols, which are also known as neutral fats.
There are four primary enzymes involved in the fatty acid synthetic pathway, fatty acid synthase (FAS), alkynyl CoA carboxylase (ACC), malic enzyme, and citric lyase. The principal enzyme, FAS, catalyzes the NADPH-dependent condensation of the precursors malonyl-CoA and alkynyl-CoA to produce fatty acids. NADPH is a reducing agent that generally serves as the essential electron donor at two points in the reaction cycle of FAS. The other three enzymes (i.e., ACC, malic enzyme, and citric lyase) produce the necessary precursors. Other enzymes, for example the enzymes that produce NADPH, are also involved in fatty acid synthesis.
FAS has an Enzyme Commission (E.C.) No. 188.8.131.52 and is also known as fatty acid synthetase, fatty acid ligase, as well as its systematic name acyl-CoA:malonyl-CoA C-acyltransferase (decarboxylating, oxoacyl- and enoyl-reducing and thioester-hydrolysing). There are seven distinct enzymes—or catalytic domains—involved in the FAS catalyzed synthesis of fatty acids: alkynyl transacylase, malonyl transacylase, beta-ketoacyl synthetase (condensing enzyme), beta-ketoacyl reductase, beta-hydroxyacyl dehydrase, enoyl reductase, and thioesterase. (Wakil, S. J., Biochemistry, 28: 4523-4530, 1989). All seven of these enzymes together form FAS.
Although the FAS catalyzed synthesis of fatty acids is similar in lower organisms, such as, for example, bacteria, and in higher organisms, such as, for example, mycobacteria, yeast and humans, there are some important differences. In bacteria, the seven enzymatic reactions are carried out by seven separate polypeptides that are non-associated. This is classified as Type II FAS. In contrast, the enzymatic reactions in mycobacteria, yeast and humans are carried out by multifunctional polypeptides. For example, yeast have a complex composed of two separate polypeptides whereas in mycobacterium and humans, all seven reactions are carried out by a single polypeptide. These are classified as Type I FAS.
FAS Inhibitors
Various compounds have been shown to inhibit fatty acid synthase (FAS). FAS inhibitors can be identified by the ability of a compound to inhibit the enzymatic activity of purified FAS. FAS activity can be assayed by measuring the incorporation of radiolabeled precursor (i.e., alkynyl-CoA or malonyl-CoA) into fatty acids or by spectrophotometrically measuring the oxidation of NADPH. (Dils, et al., Methods Enzymol., 35:74-83).
Table 1, set forth below, lists several FAS inhibitors.
TABLE 1Representative Inhibitors Of The Enzymes Of The Fatty Acid Synthesis PathwayInhibitors of Fatty Acid Synthase1,3-dibromopropanoneceruleninEllman's reagent (5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoicphenyoceruleninacid), DTNB)melarsoprol4-(4′-chlorobenzyloxy) benzyl nicotinate (KCD-iodoacetate232)phenylarsineoxide4-(4′-chlorobenzyloxy) benzoic acid (MII)pentostam2(5(4-chlorophenyl)pentyl)oxirane-2-carboxylatemelittin(POCA) and its CoA derivativethiolactomycinethoxyformic anhydrideInhibitors for citrate lyaseInhibitors for malic enzyme(−) hydroxycitrateperiodate-oxidized 3-aminopyridine adenine(R,S)-S-(3,4-dicarboxy-3-hydroxy-3-methyl-dinucleotide phosphatebutyl)-CoA5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid)S-carboxymethyl-CoAp-hydroxymercuribenzoateN-ethylmaleimideoxalyl thiol esters such as S-oxalylglutathionegossypolphenylglyoxal2,3-butanedionebromopyruvatepregnenoloneInhibitors for alkynyl CoA carboxylasesethoxydim9-decenyl-1-pentenedioic acidhaloxyfop and its CoA esterdecanyl-2-pentenedioic aciddiclofop and its CoA esterdecanyl-1-pentenedioic acidclethodim(S)-ibuprofenyl-CoAalloxydim(R)-ibuprofenyl-CoAtrifopfluazifop and its CoA esterclofibric acidclofop2,4-D mecoprop5-(tetradecycloxy)-2-furoic aciddalaponbeta, beta′-tetramethylhexadecanedioic acid2-alkyl glutaratetralkoxydim2-tetradecanylglutarate (TDG)free or monothioester of beta, beta prime-methyl-2-octylglutaric acidsubstituted hexadecanedioic acid (MEDICAN6,02-dibutyryl adenosine cyclic 3′,5′-16)monophosphatealpha-cyanco-4-hydroxycinnamateN2,02-dibutyryl guanosine cyclic 3′,5′-S-(4-bromo-2,3-dioxobutyl)-CoAmonophosphatep-hydroxymercuribenzoate (PHMB)CoA derivative of 5-(tetradecyloxy)-2-furoicN6,02-dibutyryl adenosine cyclic 3′,5′-acid (TOFA)monophosphate2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin
Of the four enzymes in the fatty acid synthetic pathway, FAS is the preferred target for inhibition because it acts only within the pathway to fatty acids, while the other three enzymes are implicated in other cellular functions. Therefore, inhibition of one of the other three enzymes is more likely to affect normal cells. Of the seven enzymatic steps carried out by FAS, the step catalyzed by the condensing enzyme (i.e., beta-ketoacyl synthetase) and the enoyl reductase have been the most common candidates for inhibitors that reduce or stop fatty acid synthesis. The condensing enzyme of the FAS complex is well characterized in terms of structure and function. The active site of the condensing enzyme contains a critical cysteine thiol, which is the target of antilipidemic reagents, such as, for example, the inhibitor cerulenin.
Preferred inhibitors of the condensing enzyme include a wide range of chemical compounds, including alkylating agents, oxidants, and reagents capable of undergoing disulphide exchange. The binding pocket of the enzyme prefers long chain, E, E, dienes.
In principal, a reagent containing the sidechain diene and a group which exhibits reactivity with thiolate anions could be a good inhibitor of the condensing enzyme. Cerulenin [(2S,3R)-2,3-epoxy-4-oxo-7,10 dodecadienoyl amide] is an example:
Cerulenin covalently binds to the critical cysteine thiol group in the active site of the condensing enzyme of fatty acid synthase, inactivating this key enzymatic step (Funabashi, et al., J. Biochem., 105:751-755, 1989). While cerulenin has been noted to possess other activities, these either occur in microorganisms which may not be relevant models of human cells (e.g., inhibition of cholesterol synthesis in fungi, Omura (1976), Bacteriol. Rev., 40:681-697; or diminished RNA synthesis in viruses, Perez, et al. (1991), FEBS, 280: 129-133), occur at a substantially higher drug concentrations (inhibition of viral HIV protease at 5 mg/ml, Moelling, et al. (1990), FEBS, 261:373-377) or may be the direct result of the inhibition of endogenous fatty acid synthesis (inhibition of antigen processing in B lymphocytes and macrophages, Falo, et al. (1987), J. Immunol., 139:3918-3923). Some data suggest that cerulenin does not specifically inhibit myristoylation of proteins (Simon, et al., J. Biol. Chem., 267:3922-3931, 1992).
Several more FAS inhibitors are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/096,908 and its CIP filed Jan. 24, 1994, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Included are inhibitors of fatty acid synthase, citrate lyase, CoA carboxylase, and malic enzyme.
Tomoda and colleagues (Tomoda et. al., Biochim. Biophys. Act 921:595-598 1987; Omura el. al., J. Antibiotics 39:1211-1218 1986) describe Triacsin C (sometimes termed WS-1228A), a naturally occurring acyl-CoA synthetase inhibitor, which is a product of Streptomyces sp. SK-1894. The chemical structure of Triacsin C is 1-hydroxy-3-(E, E, E-2′,4′,7′-undecatrienylidine) triazene. Triacsin C causes 50% inhibition of rat liver acyl-CoA synthetase at 8.7 μM; a related compound, Triacsin A, inhibits acyl CoA-synthetase by a mechanism which is competitive with long-chain fatty acids. Inhibition of acyl-CoA synthetase is toxic to animal cells. Tomoda et al. (Tomoda el. al., J. Biol. Chem. 266:4214-4219, 1991) teaches that Triacsin C causes growth inhibition in Raji cells at 1.0 μM, and have also been shown to inhibit growth of Vero and Hela cells. Tomoda el. al. further teaches that acyl-CoA synthetase is essential in animal cells and that inhibition of the enzyme has lethal effects.
A family of compounds (gamma-substituted-alpha-methylene-beta-carboxy-gamma-butyrolactones) has been shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,981,575 (the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference) to inhibit fatty acid synthesis, inhibit growth of tumor cells, and induce weight loss. The compounds disclosed in the '575 patent have several advantages over the natural product cerulenin for therapeutic applications: [1] they do not contain the highly reactive epoxide group of cerulenin, [2] they are stable and soluble in aqueous solution, [3] they can be produced by a two-step synthetic reaction and thus easily produced in large quantities, and [4] they are easily tritiated to high specific activity for biochemical and pharmacological analyses. The synthesis of this family of compounds, which are fatty acid synthase inhibitors, is described in the '575 patent, as is their use as a means to treat tumor cells expressing FAS, and their use as a means to reduce body weight. The '575 patent also discloses the use of any fatty acid synthase inhibitors to systematically reduce adipocyte mass (adipocyte cell number or size) as a means to reduce body weight.
The primary sites for fatty acid synthesis in mice and humans are the liver (see Roncari, Can. J. Biochem., 52:221-230, 1974; Triscari et al., 1985, Metabolism, 34:580-7; Barakat et al., 1991, Metabolism, 40:280-5), lactating mammary glands (see Thompson, et al., Pediatr. Res., 19:139-143, 1985) and adipose tissue (Goldrick et al., 1974, Clin. Sci. Mol. Med., 46:469-79).
Inhibitors of Fatty Acid Synthesis as Antimicrobial Agents
Cerulenin was originally isolated as a potential antifungal antibiotic from the culture broth of Cephalosporium caerulens. Structurally cerulenin has been characterized as (2R,3S)-epoxy-4-oxo-7,10-trans,trans-dodecanoic acid amide. Its mechanism of action has been shown to be inhibition, through irreversible binding, of beta-ketoacyl-ACP synthase, the condensing enzyme required for the biosynthesis of fatty acids. Cerulenin has been categorized as an antifungal, primarily against Candida and Saccharomyces sp. In addition, some in vitro activity has been shown against some bacteria, actinomycetes, and mycobacteria, although no activity was found against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The activity of fatty acid synthesis inhibitors and cerulenin in particular has not been evaluated against protozoa such as Toxoplasma gondii or other infectious eucaryotic pathogens such as Pneumocystis carinii, Giardia lamblia, Plasmodium sp., Trichomonas vaginalis, Cryptosporidium, Trypanosoma, Leishmania, and Schistosoma.
Infectious diseases which are particularly susceptible to treatment are diseases which cause lesions in externally accessible surfaces of the infected animal. Externally accessible surfaces include all surfaces that may be reached by non-invasive means (without cutting or puncturing the skin), including the skin surface itself, mucus membranes, such as those covering nasal, oral, gastrointestinal, or urogenital surfaces, and pulmonary surfaces, such as the alveolar sacs. Susceptible diseases include: (1) cutaneous mycoses or tineas, especially if caused by Microsporum, Trichophyton, Epidermophyton, or Mucocutaneous candidiasis; (2) mucotic keratitis, especially if caused by Aspergillus, Fusarium or Candida; (3) amoebic keratitis, especially if caused by Acanthamoeba; (4) gastrointestinal disease, especially if caused by Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba, Cryptosporidium, Microsporidium, or Candida (most commonly in immunocompromised animals); (5) urogenital infection, especially if caused by Candida albicans or Trichomonas vaginalis; and (6) pulmonary disease, especially if caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Aspergillus, or Pneumocystis carinii. Infectious organisms that are susceptible to treatment with fatty acid synthesis inhibitors include Mycobacterium tuberculosis, especially multiply-drug resistant strains, and protozoa such as Toxoplasma.
Any compound that inhibits fatty acid synthesis may be used to inhibit microbial cell growth. However, compounds administered to a patient must not be equally toxic to both patient and the target microbial cells. Accordingly, it is beneficial to select inhibitors that only, or predominantly, affect target microbial cells.
Eukaryotic microbial cells which are dependent on their own endogenously synthesized fatty acid will express Type I FAS. This is shown both by the fact that FAS inhibitors are growth inhibitory and by the fact that exogenously added fatty acids can protect normal patient cells but not these microbial cells from FAS inhibitors. Therefore, agents which prevent synthesis of fatty acids by the cell may be used to treat infections. In eukaryotes, fatty acids are synthesized by Type I FAS using the substrates alkynyl CoA, malonyl CoA and NADPH. Thus, other enzymes which can feed substrates into this pathway may also effect the rate of fatty acid synthesis and thus be important in microbes that depend on endogenously synthesized fatty acid. Inhibition of the expression or activity of any of these enzymes will effect growth of the microbial cells that are dependent upon endogenously synthesized fatty acid.
The product of Type I FAS differs in various organisms. For example, in the fungus S. cerevisiae the products are predominately palmitate and sterate sterified to coenzyme-A. In Mycobacterium smegmatis, the products are saturated fatty acid CoA esters ranging in length from 16 to 24 carbons. These lipids are often further processed to fulfill the cells need for various lipid components.
Inhibition of key steps in down-stream processing or utilization of fatty acids may be expected to inhibit cell function, whether the cell depends on endogenous fatty acid or utilizes fatty acid supplied from outside the cell, and so inhibitors of these down-stream steps may not be sufficiently selective for microbial cells that depend on endogenous fatty acid. However, it has been discovered that administration of Type I fatty acid synthesis inhibitor to such microbes makes them more sensitive to inhibition by inhibitors of down-stream fatty acid processing and/or utilization. Because of this synergy, administration of a fatty acid synthesis inhibitor in combination with one or more inhibitors of down-stream steps in lipid biosynthesis and/or utilization will selectively affect microbial cells that depend on endogenously synthesized fatty acid. Preferred combinations include an inhibitor of FAS and alkynyl CoA carboxylase, or FAS and an inhibitor of MAS.
When it has been determined that a mammal is infected with cells of an organism which expresses Type I FAS, or if FAS has been found in a biological fluid from a patient, the mammal or patient may be treated by administering a fatty acid synthesis inhibitor (U.S. Pat. No. 5,614,551).
The inhibition of neuropeptide-Y to depress appetite and stimulate weight loss is described in International Patent Application No. PCT/US01/05316 the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. That application, however, does not describe or disclose any of the compounds disclosed in the present application
The stimulation of carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1 (CPT-1) to stimulate weight loss is described in U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/354,480, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. That application does not describe or disclose any of the compounds disclosed herein, either.
The use of FAS inhibitors to inhibit the growth of cancer cells is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,837, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. That application does not describe or disclose any of the compounds disclosed herein.
The use of FAS inhibitors to inhibit the growth of cancer cells is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,837, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. That application does not describe or disclose any of the compounds disclosed herein.

Compounds, pharmaceutical compositions containing same, and methods of use for same


A system for cooling an electrical machine is disclosed. The electrical machine includes a rotor, a stator, and at least one cooling pathway extending through the stator. During operation of the electrical machine, fluid flows through the pathway and carries away heat generated by the electrical machine.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a system for cooling an electrical machine. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a system for cooling stator laminations and coils of the electrical machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrical machines, including motors and generators, operate by rotating a rotor relative to a stator that surrounds the rotor. Electrical machines generate heat during operation that flows radially outward from the rotor to the stator to an exterior housing. To cool the electrical machine, air or a liquid coolant may be directed through channels located in the exterior housing, through apertures located in sealed laminations of the stator, or through channels located between coils of the stator, for example.

SR motor alternative cooling device and method


In eight electrodes arranged at an interval of a rotational angle of 45° around an ion optical axis, two neighboring electrodes are electrically connected together as one group, and electrodes in alternate groups are also electrically connected together. A voltage VDC+v cos ωt is applied to electrodes in alternate groups around the optical axis, and a voltage VDC−v cos ωt is applied to the other electrodes. Then, while an ion guide has the same electrode structure as that of an octupole-type ion guide, a radio-frequency electric field mainly having a quadrupole field component is formed, and the ion guide can be used as a quadrupole-type ion guide. Accordingly, only by changing the wiring for applying a voltage by using the electrodes having the same structure, ion guides of, for example, a quadrupole type and an octupole type, having different properties such as ion receiving properties and ion passing properties can be achieved.

In mass spectrometers, in order to send ions sent from a front stage into a mass analyzer, such as a quadrupole mass filter, in a rear stage while converging the ions, an ion optical element called an ion guide is used. The ion guide typically has a multipole-type configuration in which four, six, eight, or more rod electrodes having an approximately cylindrical shape are arranged apart at an interval of the same angle around an ion optical axis, and parallel to each other. In the multipole-type ion guide as described above, normally, radio-frequency voltages having the same amplitude and the same frequency, and phases inverted from each other are respectively applied to two rod electrodes circumferentially adjacent around the ion optical axis. By applying the radio-frequency voltages as described above to the respective rod electrodes, a multipole radio-frequency electric field is formed in an approximately-cylindrical space surrounded by the rod electrodes, and ions are transported while being oscillated in the radio-frequency electric field.
To meet demands for enhanced sensitivity, enhanced accuracy or other improved qualities in the mass spectrometers, it is necessary to bring the shape of equipotential lines in the radio-frequency electric field in the ion guide closer to a theoretically-derived predetermined curve, thereby improving the qualities such as ion receiving properties and ion passing properties. To this end, the accuracy in the arrangement of the respective rod electrodes needs to be improved, and in order to achieve the improvement, the present applicant proposed an ion guide having a novel configuration in Patent Literature 1. One example of the ion guide is described with reference to FIG. 9 to FIG. 13.
FIG. 9A is a side view of an ion guide unit 100, and FIG. 9B and FIG. 9C are respectively sectional views on the lines A-A′ and B-B′ in FIG. 9A. The ion guide unit 100 includes an ion guide 110 in which eight metal plates extending in the direction of an ion optical axis C are employed as electrodes, and a hollow cylindrical case 140 that encloses the ion guide 110. The respective electrodes of the ion guide 110 are arranged rotationally symmetrical so as to be apart at an interval of an angle of 45° around the ion optical axis C, with their longitudinal-side end surfaces directed toward the ion optical axis C. Here, four electrodes alternately positioned among the eight electrodes are employed as first electrodes 111, and four electrodes adjacent thereto are employed as second electrodes 112.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of one of the first electrodes 111. In the first electrode 111, an end edge on the side of the ion optical axis C has an arc shape or a hyperbolic shape bulging toward the ion optical axis C in a sectional plane perpendicular to the ion optical axis C. Further, the end edge on the side of the ion optical axis C is slightly inclined with respect to the ion optical axis C so as to become slightly apart from the ion optical axis C as an ion travels (rightward in FIG. 9C and FIG. 10). Because of the inclination, the intensity of the multipole electric field is smaller toward the outlet side of the ion guide 110, thereby decelerating flying ions. The other three plate electrodes of the first electrode 111, and the four electrode plates of the second electrodes 112 adjacent thereto also have the same shape.
The case 140 includes a tubular section 141 that encloses the first electrodes 111 and the second electrodes 112, a first support section 142 that is attached to one end portion of the tubular section 141 to support one end surfaces (left-side end surfaces in FIG. 9C) of the respective electrodes, a second support section 143 that is attached to the other end portion of the tubular section 141, and a disk spring fixing section 144 that fixes a disk spring 130 as shown in FIG. 11A by sandwiching the disk spring 130 between the disk spring fixing section 144 and the second support section 143. The first support section 142 and the second support section 143 are made of insulators such as ceramics, plastics or the like, and an opening for allowing ions to pass therethrough is provided in the center. A cylindrical through hole is provided in the second support section 143 at a position corresponding to each of the electrodes.
The disk spring 130 shown in FIG. 11A is made of metal, and includes a ring-shaped frame portion 131 and eight spring portions 132 working as cantilever springs projecting inward from the frame portion 131. The spring portions 132, each having a T shape with the head inward, are arranged so that the heads are close, but without contacting, to each other.
A thin plate 150 made of metal as shown in FIG. 11B is placed on a surface supporting the electrodes in the first support section 142. The thin plate 150 includes a ring-shaped frame portion 151 and four metal contacts 152 projecting inward from the frame portion 151. In the thin plate 150 placed on the first support section 142, the positions of the metal contacts 152 correspond to the positions of the first electrodes 111. Accordingly, the thin plate 150 contacts only the first electrodes 111, and does not contact the second electrodes 112.
FIG. 12 is a plan view of a state in which the disk spring 130 and the disk spring fixing section 144 are removed from the end portion on the side of the second support section 143 of the ion guide unit 100. Insulating spacers 121 made of insulators are inserted into four holes corresponding to the first electrodes 111, and conducting spacers 122 made of conductors are inserted into four holes corresponding to the second electrodes 112, as to the eight through holes provided in the second support section 143. The respective spacers are cylindrical members having the same length, which sets one end of the spacer to slightly project from the surface of the second support section 143 when the other end is in contact with the electrode.
FIG. 13 is a partial plan view of a state in which the disk spring 130 and the disk spring fixing section 144 are attached to the ion guide unit 100 shown in FIG. 12. The disk spring 130 is arranged such that the right and left ends close to each other of the adjacent spring portions 132 press the projecting portion of one insulating spacer 121 or one conducting spacer 122. Accordingly, the disk spring 130 is insulated from the first electrodes 111 by the insulating spacers 121, and electrically connected to the second electrodes 112 via the conducting spacers 122.
In the ion guide unit 100 having the above configuration, the spring portions 132 of the disk spring 130 press the first electrodes 111 and the second electrodes 112 toward the first support section 142 via the insulating spacers 121 or the conducting spacers 122. Accordingly, the respective electrodes 111 and 112 are sandwiched between the disk spring 130 and the first support section 142 from both sides and thereby fixed. At this point, end surfaces of the first electrodes 111 are in contact with the insulating spacers 121 or the metal thin plate 150, and end surfaces of the second electrodes 112 are in contact with the conducting spacers 122 or the second support section 143 made of an insulator. A voltage VDC+v·cos ωt in which a radio-frequency voltage v·cos ωt is superimposed on a direct current voltage VDC is applied to the first electrodes 111 via the thin plate 150, and a voltage VDC−v·cos ωt in which a radio-frequency voltage of inverted phase (i.e., phase shifted by 180°) is superimposed on the same direct current voltage is applied to the second electrodes 112 via the disk spring 130 and the conducting spacers 122 from a voltage application section (not shown in the drawing). Accordingly, a multipole radio-frequency electric field is formed in the space surrounded by the edge end surfaces of the eight electrodes 111 and 112, and ions introduced therein are converged.
Since the end edges of the eight electrodes 111 and 112 facing the ion optical axis C have an arc shape or a parabolic shape convex toward the ion optical axis C in a plane perpendicular to the ion optical axis C, an electric field whose equipotential lines are shaped along the curve is generated in the vicinity of the electrodes 111 and 112. Thus, an electric field nearly an ideal state can be formed in the space surrounded by the end surfaces of the respective electrodes 111 and 112.
Recent mass spectrometers tend to have a complicated configurations where, for example, a plurality of multipole-type ion guides as described above are used. In a liquid-chromatograph tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer described in Non Patent Literature 1, for example, a two-stage octupole-type ion guides are provided between an ion source and a first-stage quadrupole mass filter, and a quadrupole-type ion guide is disposed within a collision cell. That is, a plurality of ion guides having different number of poles are used in an apparatus. In conventional mass spectrometers, ion guides having different number of poles as described above have respective configurations different from each other. For example, when the above ion guide unit 100 is used, it is necessary to change not only the number of the metal plate electrodes, but also the shape of the members for holding the metal plate electrodes, such as the first support section 142, the second support section 143 and the disk spring 130, according to the number of poles. If, in the mass spectrometer using a plurality of ion guides as described above, ion guides having the same structure can be used, it is advantageous in reducing the cost.

Mass spectrograph apparatus and method of driving ion guide


In a normal operation mode, a dynamic random access memory DRAM has a plurality of memory mats simultaneously selected. During a refresh operation, refreshing is effected simultaneously on a plurality of memory sub-arrays in one of the memory mats. A control signal only for one memory mat is required to be driven, so that a current consumption in a data holding mode can be reduced. Further, by reducing a circuit operation speed, a peak current can be reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device, and in particular to a structure for reducing a current consumption in a data holding mode for holding data stored in a dynamic memory cell.
2. Description of the Background Art
In a dynamic semiconductor memory device (which will be referred as a DRAM), a memory cell of one bit is formed of one MOS transistor (insulated gate field-effect transistor) and one capacitor. The DRAM has been widely used as a storage device of a large storage capacity, because an area occupied by a memory cell of one bit is smaller and a cost per bit is lower as compared to a static random access memory (SRAM) in which a memory cell of one bit requires a plurality of transistor elements.
The DRAM stores information in a form of electric charges. In order to prevent destruction of storage data which may be caused by reduction in quantity of the accumulated charges due to current leakage, it is necessary to perform refreshing for periodically reading and rewriting storage data from and into the memory cell.
In recent years, DRAMs have been widely used as main storage devices of portable terminals such as a laptop computer. Information equipments such as a portable terminal utilize a battery as an operation power source, and it is necessary to minimize a current consumption of the portable terminal in order to maximize a battery life. Even during a period in which information processing is not performed in the portable terminal, it is necessary to refresh periodically storage data of the DRAM. Such an operation mode is called "data holding mode" that only the refreshing of storage data of the memory cell is internally performed without performing input/output of data to and from the DRAM as described above.
In connection with this data holding mode, it has been attempted to reduce a current consumption, for example, by lowering a power supply voltage of the DRAM and/or increasing a length of period between refresh operations.
However, in order to increase the battery life in the battery-powered equipments, it is now required to reduce further the data holding current consumed in the data holding mode (i.e., current during the refreshing and current during standby).

Semiconductor memory device with reduced current consumption in data holding mode


The present invention is an infra red (IR)-blocking coating and a process for applying the IR-blocking coating onto the surface of a polymer. The process comprises the steps of dispersing an IR-blocking material in a mixture of solvent comprising a dissolved polymer and using standard printing processes to coat at least a portion of the surface of a bulk polymer, preferably a sheet or film. The present invention also provides safety glass laminates whose polymer interlayers have improved adhesion to glass in addition to light blocking properties.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to films useful for blocking infrared (IR) and/or near infra red (NIR) light. This invention particularly relates to polymers having IR and/or NIR-blocking coatings on at least a portion of their surface and to a process for preparing same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several patents and publications are cited in this description in order to more fully describe the state of the art to which this invention pertains. The entire disclosure of each of these patents and publications is incorporated by reference herein.
There is growing interest in means of controlling solar heat gain in automobiles and buildings. Various coated glasses have been proposed to reduce solar heat gain through windows. These coatings, however, which are generally thin films of silver or other metallic compounds, also generally block out electromotive energy. This effect renders inoperative various modern necessities such as cell phones, global positioning satellite (GPS) units, and automatic toll takers on toll roads. It has been demonstrated, however, that electromotive energy can pass through treated windows when the blocking particles are well separated from one another.
Coatings comprising dispersed blocking particles and disposed on glass or other substrates are well known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,518,810; 6,579,608; and 6,506,487. These particles can include UV absorbing compounds, visible colored pigments, NIR (heat) absorbing compounds, or any combination of these entities. However, the energy blocking coatings known in the art generally have poor adhesion to some polymeric surfaces, particularly polyvinyl butyral (PVB). Good adhesion between the polymer interlayer and both the energy blocking coating and the glass are necessary requirements for appropriate functionality in a laminated safety glass. Adhesion that is too low can lead to exfoliation of the safety glass laminates, while adhesion that is too high can lead to impact failures.

Process for preparing polymeric films useful for blocking the transmission of near infra red light


Methods for inhibiting growth or proliferation of breast cancer cells are provided. The methods include administering to a subject in need thereof in an amount that is effective to inhibit growth or proliferation of the breast cancer cells a MELK inhibitor, wherein the breast cancer cells are estrogen receptor (ER) negative. In some aspects, the methods include administering to a subject in need thereof in an amount that is effective to inhibit growth or proliferation of the breast cancer cells a MELK inhibitor, a FoxM1 inhibitor or a MELK inhibitor and a FoxM1 inhibitor, wherein the breast cancer cells are estrogen receptor (ER) negative. Methods of treatment for breast cancer and methods of identifying patients having cancer that are likely to benefit from treatment with a MELK inhibitor, a FoxM1 inhibitor or a MELK inhibitor and a FoxM1 inhibitor are also provided.

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease with a high degree of diversity in histology, therapeutic response, and patient treatment outcomes. Transcriptional profiling analyses have reproducibly identified at least five major "intrinsic" subtypes of breast cancer: normal breast-like, luminal A, luminal B, HER2/Neu-enriched, and basal-like breast cancer (BBC) (Perou et al., 2000; Sorlie et al., 2001). These molecular subtypes have recently been confirmed in a comprehensive characterization of human breast tumors at the genomic, epigenetic, transcriptomic, and proteomic levels (Koboldt et al., 2012). Among these subtypes, basal-like breast cancer (BBC) is strongly associated with an aggressive phenotype and poor prognosis (Foulkes et al. 2010; Perou 2011). Unlike their luminal counterparts, BBC cells lack expression of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR), and thus largely overlap with the clinically defined "triple-negative" breast cancers (TNBC), which is also characterized by the lack of ER/PR expression (Foulkes et al, 2010; Perou 2011). The lack of these molecular targets renders BBC or TNBC cells relatively unresponsive to targeted therapies that are highly effective in the treatment of luminal breast cancer. Establishing the molecular pathogenesis of this subtype and identifying potential targets for treatment remains a key challenge for BBC/TNBC.
Kinases represent a unique population of genes that are frequently involved in tumor pathogenesis. Indeed, a large number of mutations, alterations in copy number and/or in expression level have been observed in many kinases across multiple types of human cancers. In addition, kinases are also pharmacologically tractable making inhibition of kinase activity, such as via small molecules, a highly effective strategy for cancer treatment (Zhang et al., 2009). Accordingly, there remains a need for identification of kinase(s) critical for ER/PR expression negative cells in a manner that elucidates "druggable" targets for effective long-term treatment strategies for ER/PR expression negative breast cancers, for new methods of identifying patients that are likely to benefit from the treatment strategies, and for methods of treating patients with the effective long-term treatment strategies.

MELK regulation for the treatment of breast cancer


A fishing rod flotation device including a buoyancy member constructed from a length of tubular plastic foam having a centrally located, cylindrically shaped, rod receiving cavity defined by a defining wall running the length thereof and a longitudinal insertion opening defined by a first and a second side edge, each of the first and second side edges running the entire length thereof; and at least two part securing mechanisms wherein one part of each two-part securing mechanism is attached adjacent to one of the first and second side edges. In a preferred embodiment a section of plastic film having a plurality of air bubbles formed therein is secured the defining wall of the rod receiving cavity. In a second aspect of the invention a method of increasing the buoyancy of a fishing rod is provided.

Each year many fisherman lose valuable fishing rods when the fishing rods are accidentally dropped into a body of water or are pulled into the body of water by a fish. It would be a benefit, therefore, to have a flotation device that could be secured to the fishing rod without interfering with the operation of the fishing rod and that would provide sufficient buoyancy to the fishing rod to maintain at least a portion of the fishing rod at or near the surface of a body of water. It would also be a benefit to have a method for increasing the buoyancy of a fishing rod that allowed a user to provide increased buoyancy to a fishing rod to prevent loss of the fishing rod should the fishing rod be dropped or pulled into a body of water.

Fishing rod flotation device and method of increasing the buoyancy of a fishing rod


A drilling device has a frame (1) with a feed device (2) for carrying a drilling device (3) movable to-and-fro for rotating a drill string (4). The drilling device includes a sensor (6) for sensing an end (7) of a drill string element (8) in the drill string (4), and a register for the position of the end (7) along the feed device (2) and for the displacement of the drilling device (3) along the feed device (2).

The present invention relates to a drilling device of the type used for drilling in rock or earth layers or similar. More specifically the invention relates to a drilling device which is suitable for drilling with long drill strings comprising a large number of drill string elements which may have somewhat different lengths.
In prior art drilling devices, e.g. for exploration drilling, of the kind which the present invention aims at improving it is important for achieving good efficiency in the handling of the drill string to have two operators, one who handles the drilling machine and one who handles the drill string elements. In exploration drilling this handling is very time-consuming since one takes up drill samples every third meter or so and the drill string comprises several hundred drill string elements.


The present invention refers to the use of phenolic compounds and their derivatives represented by formula I wherein R1 and R2 are selected from among: OH, OCOalkyl, or OCOalkenyl, and R3 is either H, OH, OCOalkyl or OCOalkenyl, wherein the alkyl or alkenyl chains present from 2 to 22 carbon atoms and wherein at least one OCOalkyl or OCOalkenyl group is present in the structure, for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular, hepatic or renal diseases, as well as to their cosmetic applications, to compositions that include these compounds and to some novel phenolic compounds and derivatives.

Cardiovascular diseases are the first cause of death in developing countries. One of the non-genetic risk factors associated with the development of cardiovascular disease is diet. It has been shown that the incidence of these diseases is directly related to the presence of high blood cholesterol levels that can be caused by a diet with high cholesterol and saturated fat contents.
On the other hand, many studies have shown that oxidation or modification of low density lipoproteins (LDL) triggers the whole atherosclerotic process, in which endothelial activation and activated oxygen species play an important role. Epidemiological studies indicate that the Mediterranean diet is associated with a low incidence of cardiovascular diseases. The most common components of this diet include fruit and vegetables and also olive oil as the main source of fats, all products rich in antioxidants. Results from in vivo and in vitro studies show that antioxidants present in food can counteract the harmful effects of free radicals, preventing LDL oxidation and, therefore, also the atherosclerotic process.
Oxidative stress and the generation of free radicals also play an important part in hepatic and renal diseases, due to the high presence of oxygen in these organs, as well as in the trigger of the inflammatory processes in numerous situations. For this reason, antioxidants in the diet can be crucial to prevent this type of diseases.
Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that UV radiation is the main risk factor in skin cancer. The skin has a defence system to protect against reactive oxygen species produced after exposure to UV radiation, mainly via the enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathion peroxidase. A reduction in this defence system, more specifically, in intracellular glutathion levels, produces an increase in the pigmentation, ageing of the skin, induction of apoptosis and can, finally, lead to skin cancer. Hence, supplementation with antioxidants (e.g. vitamin E) has been shown to reverse the situation of oxidative stress induced by UV radiation in human fibroblasts.
Olive oil is a healthy food product rich in oleic acid and antioxidants. Tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol are phenolic compounds obtained from the olive, with a strong antioxidant capacity that has been disclosed both in vivo and in vitro. The possible favorable role of tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol in cardiovascular diseases has been disclosed by some authors who have shown that these compounds reduce the susceptibility of LDL lipoproteins to the in vitro and in vivo oxidation (Masella et al. 2001, Lipids, 36, 1195–1202). It has also been suggested that hydroxytyrosol could reduce lipidic peroxidation in hepatic microsomes in animal studies and that the phenolic antioxidant compounds present in olive oil (tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol) could have a potent antiinflammatory effect.
Tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol are easily oxidizable and, therefore, the use thereof in the form of olive extracts can result in an important proportion of the tyrosol and the hydroxytyrosol being oxidised in the food matrix, which would prevent oxidation of the food. However, both of these compounds would be degraded before entering the organism. It is, therefore, highly beneficial for tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol to reach the organism intact and to exert their strong antioxidant activity therein.
Olive extracts that contain tyrosol or hydroxytyrosol are polar fractions highly soluble in the aqueous phase. A process that would increase the solubility of the antioxidant in an oily phase would be of considerable interest for the food industry. The solubility of tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol can be increased by adding fatty acid chains. In this case, fatty acids can be used that also have beneficial effects on the type of diseases treated in this invention.
Diets have been disclosed such as the Mediterranean diet, which are rich in monounsaturated fats (MUFA) and poor in saturated fats, that have favorable effects on the cardiovascular risk profile (Feldman et al. 1999, Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 70, 953–4). It has been shown that MUFA intake reduces the triglyceride concentration in plasma in healthy volunteers with normal lipid levels (Kris-Etherton et al. 1999; Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 70, 1009–15).
It has also been reported that polyunsaturated fatty acids of the series n-3 (n-3 PUFA), mainly eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA), have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system and on inflammatory processes. The activities disclosed for the n-3 PUFA include antiarrhythmic activity, inhibition of platelet aggregation and reduced plasma lipids and cholesterol levels (Connor et al. 2000, Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 71, 171S–5S).

Natural compounds and their derivatives for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular, hepatic and renal diseases and for cosmetic applications


A powder composition is used for the fabrication of casting inserts, designed to produce local composite zones resistant to abrasive wear. The composite zones are reinforced with carbides and borides or with mixtures thereof formed in situ in castings. The powder includes powder reactants of the formation of carbides and/or borides selected from the group of TiC, WC, ZrC, NbC, TaC, TiB2, ZrB2, or mixtures thereof. The carbides and/or borides forming after crystallization particles reinforces the composite zones in castings. The powder composition further includes moderator powders in the form of a mixture of metal powders, which after crystallization form matrix of the composite zone in casting. A casting insert is disclosed for the fabrication in casting of local composite zones resistant to abrasive wear. A method for the fabrication of local composite zones in castings uses for this purpose the reaction of the self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS).

The object of the present invention is powder composition for the manufacture of casting inserts used in the fabrication of wear-resistant local composite zones; another object of the present invention is a casting insert, the use of which allows increasing the resistance to abrasive wear in cast parts of machines operating under conditions of heavy mechanical loads. The present invention also provides a method for the fabrication of local composite zones in castings, wherein said local composite zones increase the resistance of castings to the degradation process and the resistance to abrasive wear of machinery operating under conditions of heavy mechanical loads.
In the technology of making castings, which in selected areas are characterized by increased resistance to shock and abrasion, the process of in situ synthesis of the silicon carbide SiC uses the method of Self-Propagating High Temperature Synthesis (SHS). The process of the synthesis of titanium carbide TiC is well known in the field of classical powder metallurgy. Equally well known are the problems concerning the control of the SHS reaction, wherein said reaction once initiated is a self-sustained process, which means that the amount of heat generated by the reaction can further spread out this reaction. Fading of the reaction can occur only then, when the heat volume dissipated by the system is larger than the heat volume generated during the reaction.
As regards casting processes, well-known is the method disclosed in U.S. Patent US2011/0226882A1, by means of which local composite reinforcements are fabricated in the cast parts of machines and equipment. The disclosed method involves placing in mould cavity the shaped inserts or granules of reactants responsible for the formation of titanium carbide TiC, which are next poured with molten iron-based alloy. The heat supplied by molten alloy initiates the reaction of the synthesis of titanium carbide TiC. The in situ process of the synthesis taking place in molten alloy is governed by the physical phenomena occurring in liquids. This applies, in particular, to the reactive infiltration assisted by capillary phenomena, intensified by a high temperature of the alloy cast and by a high value of the heat generated during the reaction of the synthesis of titanium carbide TiC. After initiation of the reaction of synthesis, the crystals of titanium carbide TiC nucleating and growing in molten alloy can build bridges and undergo coalescence. However, said reactive infiltration results in spreading of molten alloy between the nucleating and growing crystals or coagulated particles of TiC. As a consequence, particles or crystals of titanium carbide TiC are separated by the liquid. Since the crystals or particles of titanium carbide TiC are exposed to the effect of the force of buoyancy caused by different densities of the molten iron-based alloy and titanium carbide, the result is an uneven distribution of said elements in casting. This can lead to fragmentation of the composite zone, which is an obstacle to the formation of an effective local composite reinforcement in the casting. Particularly undesirable in castings is the devastating effect of crack propagation. Cracks in the cast material are initiated by microcracks, which can occur in those areas of the casting where the most brittle phase of the material is located, said phase being in this case composed of the particles of titanium carbide TiC. It is therefore advantageous and desirable that the brittle areas composed of titanium carbide TiC were thoroughly separated from each other by a metallic matrix material, since any larger amount of the metallic matrix material present between the particles of titanium carbide TiC will arrest further propagation of these brittle areas.
U.S. Patent US 20110303778A1 discloses a process which reduces the phenomenon of crack propagation. The aim has been achieved through the use of material characterized by a hierarchical structure, wherein the reinforced phase comprises, spread in a ferrous alloy, millimetric granules containing micrometric coagulated particles of titanium carbide TiC, and wherein the areas between the particles of titanium carbide TiC are also filled with a ferrous alloy. In order to achieve the structure shown, previously prepared granules of compressed powders of Ti and C are placed in selected areas of casting mould, and are prevented from being dispersed by separating means, and then the mould is poured with a ferrous alloy. The granulated composite structure allows controlling the size of the areas with clusters of titanium carbide TiC and partial control of the distance between these clusters. Additionally, it also facilitates the removal of gases formed during the SHS synthesis, which reduces the number of pores in casting. On the other hand, the granular structure does not provide sufficient resistance of the material to abrasive wear. Large distances between the granules with particles of titanium carbide TiC are not preferred, since they facilitate the erosion process in the infiltrating material, and this, in turn, promotes chipping of the agglomerates of titanium carbide TiC. Hence the target is to develop a composite structure that will resist the effect of crack propagation and also the effect of erosion.

Powder composition for the manufacture of casting inserts, casting insert and method of obtaining local composite zones in castings


A yielding tie bar transfers load stress across a joint between adjacent concrete slabs, and accommodates internal movement of the slabs to reduce cracking. A combination of adjacent slabs have a cracking strength and comprise a plurality of such tie bars. A yieldable strip made of yieldable metal is welded to the bar and mounted near each end of the bar perpendicular to the bar axis. The strip has a predetermined yield strength (a) sufficient to restrain slab movement in a direction which opens the joint, and (b) yielding in the metal thereof to an extent that will prevent substantial cracking of the slabs. The bar is preferably rectangular and further comprises a resilient facing attached to at least one face to accommodate movement perpendicular to the facing. As preferred, the bar yield strength is sufficient to restrain slab movement at forces between the slabs below 80% of the slab cracking strength, and insufficient to restrain slab movement above at least 80% of the slab cracking strength. The strips are preferably made from a non ferrous metal or plastic resin.

The prior art discloses bars of various constructions which extend across the joints between adjacent concrete slabs to provide vertical shear stress load transfer. Dowels are smooth bars, not bonded to the concrete, and allow movement of the concrete with respect to the bars so that upon shrinkage of the concrete, the joint may open. Wide gaps between slabs admit water, salt and foreign materials which erode the joint. Dowels, therefore, may be effective in vertical shear stress transfer, but do not limit or control the maximum joint gap width. Tie bars traditionally are deformed reinforcing bar segments that cross the joint to provide vertical load transfer and also tie the adjacent concrete slabs together so that the joint does not open. Tie bars keep adjacent slabs from floating apart, but because they provide a rigid connection, the joint cannot open sufficiently to relieve internal stresses in the concrete. The tendency of slabs to pull away from each other at the joint is typically caused by contraction of the concrete due to drying, shrinkage, thermal contraction, or the tendency of a slab to slide downhill on a sloped surface. When the joint is prevented from opening, the movement which relieves shrinkage stresses in the slabs is almost totally prevented. This results in cracking or reduced capacity of the slab to carry its intended applied loads such as vehicular traffic.


A collapsible container having a base with opposed edges, first and second pairs of side walls pivotably attached to opposed edges of the base, one pair of side walls having a lateral edge, and the other having a lateral flange inwardly depending therefrom, the lateral edge being selectively connected to the lateral flange by a latch, the latch including a latch member and at least one clip member.

Plastic containers and crates are commonly used today to transport and store a variety of items. When in use, such containers are typically rectangular in shape and have a base surrounded by four upstanding side panels. When not in use, many of the plastic containers employed by the produce and food industries have panels which are capable of folding both outwardly and inwardly. The folding feature, and particularly the inwardly folding feature, allows the containers to be folded or otherwise reduced in size for conserving storage space. In practicality, while the outwardly collapsing feature allows the container to generally have a lower profile than when in the inwardly folded position, the outwardly folding feature is underutilized, as the container with outwardly folded panels is often bulky, awkward to carry, and may not nest or stack easily with like folded containers.
Furthermore, folding containers are often formed of various components, including the side panels and the base, which are molded separately. In particular, the walls typically include strengthening ribs on their outer surfaces in order to provide strength and torsional resistance to the parts. However, during the molding process, the components having ribs may be subject to slight warpage and deformation during cooling, when plastic tends to shrink. The warping may particularly occur at the edges of the parts. Under these circumstances, the parts may have lower dimensional accuracy individually as well as with mating components, and may result in scrapped parts, and elevated manufacturing and part costs.
When assembled and in use, adjoining walls of some present containers are typically locked together by a latch mechanism, requiring additional user handling and manipulation of the latch in order to unlock and unfold the walls prior to storage. One such container and latch mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,086, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention. While such locking latch mechanisms are sturdy and effective, the user in the field may not be able to apply the extra handling and manual disengagement necessary to release the latch and collapse the locked container. In fact, on some containers, it is sometimes necessary to use both hands to release the locking features.
In present containers, the side panels and base have adjoining hinge features, whereby the side panels are typically snapped into the base via an interference fit. This often requires strength and effort, and once snapped together the panels may be difficult to separate from the base, whereby separating the components may result in deformation of the parts.
Consequently, an improved container is desired which has walls which are relatively easy to latch and unlatch without excessive user handling and manipulation. The container, when in the assembled orientation, should also have the requisite strength properties capable of supporting the load and forced placed on these walls. The container and its components should also be resistant to warpage during the molding and cooling process. The container should provide for a relatively low profile when the walls are in the inwardly folded position. The components (particularly walls from base) should also be easily assembled and disassembled without deformation. The container should also allow for efficient wall movement and usage.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A passenger detection system for a person on a seat of a vehicle, includes a long range capacitance sensor for measuring a long range capacitance between a seating portion of the seat and a body of the vehicle and a short range capacitance sensor for measuring a short range capacitance in the seat, and a detection unit for detecting a passenger on the seat based on the measured long range capacitance and the measured short range capacitance. Therefore, the passenger detection system accurately detects a passenger on the seat of the vehicle while suppressing a detection error caused by an external effect.

An air bag system is installed in many vehicles. The air bag system is installed not only to the driver's seat but also to the passenger's seat, which is next to the driver's seat. The air bag system inflates an air bag when it detects a collision of a vehicle with an object by means of an acceleration sensor in the vehicle.
The air bag system is generally set to inflate the air bag on the side of the driver's seat when the vehicle collides with an object, irrespective of whether a passenger is on the passenger's seat. In recent years, however, it is desired that the air bag system controls the air bag based on a physical size of a person on the seat. In the case that a grown person is sifting on the seat, the air bag system can protect the person by inflating the air bag when the vehicle collides with the object. However, in the case that a child is seated in a child restraint system fixed to the seat in a backward-looking posture, the air bag cannot protect the child effectively.
To cope with the problem, a passenger detection system is provided for determining whether a person in the passenger's seat is a grown person or a child in a child restraint system by means of a sensor at the passenger's seat. In JP patent 3346464B, an example of the passenger detection system is disclosed which has multiple antenna electrodes installed to the seat and detects by using a pair of the electrodes a passenger on the seat.
However, the passenger detection system in the JP 3346464B cannot detect whether the passenger on the seat is a grown person or not with a sufficient accuracy when the seat gets wet. This is because a wet portion of the seat functions as an antenna electrode and an output power from the electrodes on the seat increases. The increase of the output power may cause the passenger detection system to wrongly recognize the child in the child restraint system as a grown person. In this case, the air bag tends to expand incorrectly.
Another passenger detection system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,816,077, US 2004-0196150A1 and US 2004-0199318A1 (all of them correspond to JP 2002-347498A) which has a water sensor and/or a humidity sensor and detects with a high accuracy whether the passenger on the seat is a grown person even when the seat is get wet. However, the sensor dedicated for detecting water on the seat increases manufacturing cost of the passenger detection system.


An object of the present invention is to provide corresponding tactile sensations in accordance with a characteristic of an image displayed. Specifically, an electronic device 10 according to the present invention includes a display unit 102 configured to display an image, a touch sensor 103 configured to detect a touch, a tactile sensation providing unit 104 configured to provide the tactile sensation to a touch face of the touch sensor 103, and a control unit 109 configured to divide the image into a plurality of areas and, when the touch sensor detects the touch to a position corresponding to any of the plurality of areas, to control the tactile sensation providing unit 104 to provide the tactile sensation associated with the area.

Recently, touch panels and touch pads have been popularly used as input devices of electronic devices. There has been suggested an input device which, when an operator operates the touch panel or the touch pad, provides an operation feeling as feedback to operator's fingertip by vibrating the touch panel or the touch panel in a curving manner (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Electronic device and control method for electronic device


A switching regulator with its less ripples, less switching loss, and low noise, which is capable of being miniaturized with high efficiency is provided. PWM control signals outputted from a terminal T6 of a pulse width control circuit IC1 are inputted to delay circuits DLa and DLb, respectively. The PWM control signal inputted to the delay circuit DLa, only a rise of which is delayed by a resistor Ra and a capacitor Ca, is applied to a gate of FET Q2 via a wave shaping circuit IC2. On the other hand, the PWM control signal inputted to a delay circuit DLb, only a fall of which is delayed by the resistor Rb and the capacitor Cb, is inverted via a wave shaping circuit IC2 and is applied to a gate of FET Q1 as an inverted control signal. Therefore, FETs Q1 and Q2 are turned ON/OFF in a predetermined period, and a pause period where FETs Q1 and Q2 are turned OFF is only a delayed constant period.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switching regulator, and more particularly to a pulse modulation controlled switching regulator capable of miniaturized with high efficiency.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, a switching regulator is indispensable as an DC-CD converter of a mobile or a portable device using a power source of communication equipment that often uses a direct current power source or a direct current power supply of dry batteries, storage batteries or the like.
In FIG. 5, there is shown an example of a general switching regulator. This switching regulator employs a pulse width modulation (PWM) controlled half bridge system in which a load voltage can be stabilized or changed by varying a pulse width, i.e., conducting period at a fixed frequency. In FIG. 5, a pulse width control circuit 21 inputs a PWM control signal to a switching elements SW1 and SW2 such as transistor, FET or the like and performs ON-OFF control of the switching elements SW1 and SW2.
When the switching element SW1 is turned ON while the switching element SW2 is OFF, a current from an input voltage Vin flows an inductor L21 on a primary side of a transformer T and a capacitor 20, excites an inductive voltage at an inductor L22 on a secondary side, is voltage-converted, and flows a rectifying and smoothing circuit 20.
In a next period, the switching element SW1 is OFF. When the switching element SW2 is turned ON, a current energy accumulated in the inductor L21 by the stored voltage of the capacitor C20 flows via this switching element SW2. The current energy accumulated in the inductor L21 is conveyed to the inductor L22 and flows the rectifying and smoothing circuit 20. The voltage and current smoothened by the rectifying and smoothing circuit 20 are outputted as an output voltage Vout.
The output voltage Vout is detected by a detecting circuit (not shown), and the detection result is fed back and inputted to the pulse modulation circuit 21. The pulse width control circuit 21 properly controls the conducting time of the switching elements SW1 and SW2, i.e., a pulse width, based on this feedback input and stabilizes the output voltage Vout. Here, a coil T is employed so that the input voltage Vin and the output voltage Vout are insulated from each other.
However, in the conventional PWM controlled half bridge switching regulator shown in FIG. 5, two switching elements are employed, and the time when a current flows while each switching element is ON or OFF and the time when a voltage is applied are partially overlapped. Therefore, there has been a problem that a switching loss occurs resulting in heat generation and noise generation from the switching elements.
Further, in the case where an ON period of the PWM control signal is short, and OFF period thereof is long, for example, in the case where a duty cycle during ON period is 10%, there has been another problem that it becomes difficult to smoothen a voltage or a current during the short ON period, a ripple increases, and an inductor and a capacitor of the rectifying circuit must be inevitably increased to decrease this ripple.

Pulse width modulation controlled switching regulator


A floating gate field effect transistor (FET) is provided on a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) or silicon-on-insulator structure. The silicon substrate is etched to form stepped structures upon which the transistors are formed. Layers of silicon substrate can be stacked upon each other to form a multi-layer system. Interlayer vias can be provided to connect each layer of the two-layer structure.

Semiconductor devices, such as, non-volatile memory circuits often include floating gate field effect transistors (FETs). For example, flash memory devices employ floating gate FETs which are arranged as a matrix of memory cells coupled together by word lines and bit lines. Each floating gate transistor generally includes a control gate, a floating gate, a drain, and a source. The word lines are coupled to the control gates of the transistors, and the bit lines are coupled to the drains of the transistors.
Floating gate FETs are generally bulk semiconductor-type devices in contrast to semiconductor-on-insulator-type devices, such as, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) devices. The FETs are disposed in a single plane on a top surface of a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon substrate.
In bulk semiconductor-type devices which have lateral floating gate FETs, the top surface of the substrate is doped to form source and drain regions, and a conductive layer is provided over a floating gate on the top surface of the semiconductor substrate between the source and drain regions to operate as the control gate. The number of layers of lateral floating gate FETs is limited to one layer (e.g., the top surface). Additionally, the anisotropic nature of the top surface of the silicon substrate due to the conductive layer limits the number of metal layers and insulative layers which can be provided over the lateral FETs.
Bulk semiconductor-type devices can be subject to some disadvantageous properties, such as, less than ideal subthreshold voltage slope during operation, high junction capacitance, and ineffective isolation. Additionally, bulk semiconductor-type devices often require epilayers, P-wells, or N-wells which require additional fabrication steps.
Semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) (e.g., silicon-on-insulator) devices have significant advantages over bulk semiconductor-type devices, including near ideal subthreshold voltage slope, low junction capacitance, and effective isolation between devices. SOI-type devices generally completely surround a silicon or other semiconductor substrate with an insulator. Devices, such as, conventional FETs or other transistors, are disposed on the silicon by doping source and drain regions and by providing gate conductors between the source and drain regions. SOI devices provide significant advantages, including reduced chip size or increased chip density, because minimal device separation is needed due to the surrounding insulating layers. Additionally, SOI devices can operate at increased speeds due to reductions in parasitic capacitance.
Conventional SOI devices generally have a floating substrate (the substrate is often totally isolated by insulating layers). Accordingly, SOI devices are subject to floating substrate effects, including current and voltage kinks, thermal degradation, and large threshold voltage variations. SOI devices also can have some limited packing densities because they are limited in vertical integration. Generally, SOI devices are only comprised of a single SOI layer and do not include floating gate FETs for use in non-volatile memory applications such as flash memory.
Thus, there is a need for an SOI or bulk semiconductor device which has improved density and improved vertical integration. Further, there is a need for an SOI device which includes a floating gate FET which has increased operating speed. Further still, there is a need for a multilayer SOI or bulk semiconductor device which contains floating gate FETs.

Multilayer floating gate field effect transistor structure for use in integrated circuit devices


There is provided a hand-holdable vacuum cleaner, comprising: an electric motor; an electrical on-off switch for operating said motor; a fan connected to an output shaft of said motor; an airflow pathway comprising an inlet for dirty air, an outlet for clean air, and a collection chamber located in fluid communication between said inlet and said outlet; means for separating out debris entrained with dirty air entering via said inlet and depositing the debris in said collection chamber; and means for adjusting an angle of said inlet relative to a main axis of said vacuum cleaner; wherein the vacuum cleaner further comprises a rigid, elongate nose having said inlet at one end thereof, said nose being pivotable relative to said main axis through an angle of at least 135 degrees. The elongate nose can be pivoted from a first, folded position in which it is angled alongside the main axis of the vacuum cleaner, substantially parallel thereto, allowing the vacuum cleaner to be stored in a very compact overall space, to a second, extended position in which it is angled by only a small amount or not at all from the main axis of the vacuum cleaner to provide an extension thereof. Secondly, since the nose is rigid and elongate and has the dirty air inlet located at one end thereof, it may be introduced into narrow spaces without any need to be supported by a hand of a user, unlike a flexible hose extension known from prior art hand-holdable vacuum cleaners.

More specifically, the present invention relates to hand-holdable vacuum cleaners comprising a component part which can be adjusted to allow the dirty air inlet of the vacuum cleaner to be pointed in different directions, whilst a user of the vacuum cleaner is able to hold the vacuum cleaner in the same orientation. This has the advantages that the vacuum cleaner may be used to access awkward spaces and can be held more comfortably by orienting a main axis of the vacuum cleaner to suit the user and adjusting the position of the dirty air inlet to be in proximity to a surface to be cleaned, rather than orienting the main axis of the vacuum cleaner to best suit the surface to be cleaned and requiring the user to hold the vacuum cleaner in whichever orientation this demands. A hand-holdable vacuum cleaner of this type, which has a pivotable nose comprising the dirty air inlet, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,237.
Hand-holdable vacuum cleaners provided with a flexible hose attachment which give the same advantages as these are also known. An example of a hand-holdable vacuum cleaner with such a flexible hose attachment is described in German utility model no. DE 203 14 544 U. However, these vacuum cleaners have other disadvantages over vacuum cleaners of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,237, which are as follows. Firstly, the hose attachment must either be stored on the vacuum cleaner itself, as in DE 203 14 544 U, which takes up valuable room, or if it is removable, it must be stored elsewhere, in which case it may become lost or may not be readily to hand when required. Secondly, the flexible hose attachment must be supported in use by a hand of a user.
However, whereas vacuum cleaners of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,237 are advantageous for these reasons over hand-holdable vacuum cleaners provided with a flexible hose attachment, there is still room for considerable improvement over the type of vacuum cleaner disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,237. Specifically, in spite of the disadvantages of flexible hose attachments just stated, a flexible hose attachment can access a wider range of angles than a vacuum cleaner of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,237 and can also access narrower spaces in comparison thereto.


A method for manufacturing a semiconductor optical waveguide device includes the steps of forming a waveguide mesa having first and second portions by etching a stacked semiconductor layer through a first mask; forming a dummy buried region embedding a top surface and side surfaces of the waveguide mesa; forming a second mask on the dummy buried region, the second mask having an opening on the first portion and having a pattern on the second portion; forming a third mask having an opening that reaches a top surface of the first portion, the third mask including a dummy buried mask formed by etching the dummy buried region through the second mask; forming an upper mesa by etching the waveguide mesa through the third mask; and after removing the third mask, forming a lower mesa by etching the stacked semiconductor layer, the lower mesa having a greater width than that of the upper mesa.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor optical waveguide device and to a semiconductor optical waveguide device.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,310,995 (Patent Literature 1) discloses a spot size converter.
Spot size converters have various structures. For example, a spot size converter described in Patent Literature 1 includes a plurality of optical waveguide structures that are stacked on a substrate. At the spot size converter, light propagating through one of the optical waveguide structure is transferred to another optical waveguide structure.
In the spot size converter described in Patent Literature 1, a stacked semiconductor layer for forming the optical waveguide structures is formed in a single step of epitaxial layer growth. A plurality of waveguide mesas is formed from the stacked semiconductor layer to obtain the corresponding optical waveguide structures. For example, the spot size converter includes a semiconductor optical waveguide having a large mode filed diameter to optically couple to a single-mode optical waveguide (for example, an optical fiber). In addition, the spot size converter also includes a single-mode semiconductor optical waveguide having a small mode field diameter in which light having a single mode propagates.

Method for manufacturing semiconductor optical waveguide device, and semiconductor optical waveguide device


An electro-pneumatic control system pneumatically connected to a pressure source and electrically connected to an electrical signal source includes a selector switch having an electrical input connected to the electrical signal source, and having a first electrical output and a second electrical output. The system further includes a body having a movable member positioned therein, wherein the body has a first port and a second port; a first regulator valve having a bidirectional port connected to the first port of the body, having an input port connected to the pressure source, having an exhaust port, and having an electrical actuator connected to the first electrical output of the selector switch; and a second regulator valve having a bidirectional port connected to the second port of the body, having an input port connected to the pressure source, having an exhaust port, and having an electrical actuator connected to the second electrical output of the selector switch.

Control of a 3-port weld cylinder is a difficult problem which to date still has problems due to the technology used. The current technology used in the field has not been updated for approximately twenty years. It was discovered that using this current technology would not solve the current control problems inherent in a 3-port weld cylinder. Therefore, an update to the latest technology was required.
The current method of controlling a 3-port weld gun is to have a bank of manually adjusted regulators, all preset to specific pressures and mounted to solenoid valves so that when a specific valve is turned on, that particular preset pressure is applied to the weld gun. The selected pressure and the line pressure are sent to a 5-port, 2-way solenoid valve. In one position, the preset pressure is sent to the extend port of the cylinder while the return port is exhausted. In the other position, the return port is pressurized with the line pressure while the extend port is exhausted. An alternative method currently used is to have one preset pressure sent to the 5-port, 2-way solenoid valve. In one position, the preset pressure is sent to the extend port of the cylinder while the return port is exhausted. In the other position, the return port is pressurized with the preset pressure while the extend port is exhausted.
The current method only allows a discrete set of preselected pressures to be applied to the weld gun. Addition of another discrete selectable pressure requires adding another valve to the control system which can be expensive and time consuming depending on space and other factors. The larger this discrete set of pressures is made the larger, heavier, and more unwieldy the pressure control system becomes. The further a valve is from the system to be controlled the longer it takes for a change in pressure to be applied by the controlled system.

Electro-pneumatic pressure control system for welding and like apparatus


A technique for implementing dynamic S curve stepper motor velocity profiles provides improved performance in controlling the motion of a mass. A method for controlling a moving mass comprises accelerating the moving mass according to a velocity profile, detecting that the moving mass has a specified position, and altering the velocity profile based on the detection of the moving mass having the specified position. The velocity profile is altered by reducing a maximum velocity of the moving mass, if the moving mass has the specified position before a maximum velocity of the velocity profile is achieved.

Computer controlled stepper motors are one of the most versatile forms of positioning systems, particularly when digitally controlled as part of a servo system. Stepper motors are used in floppy disk drives, flatbed scanners, printers, plotters, and many more devices. Conventionally, a stepper motor positioning system uses a fixed S curve stepper motor profile when smooth motion is needed. This fixed profile has limitations because the stepper run distance is not dynamically alterable, which increases the total cross process registration time for small cross process adjustments.
A need arises for a technique that provides dynamic S curve stepper motor velocity profiles.


The invention relates to an immunogenic composition comprising influenza virus antigens derived from at least 5 influenza virus strains and one or more compounds of formula (I) or physiologically acceptable salts or esters thereof: wherein: R1 represents hydrogen or C1-6 alkyl; R2 represents C1-6 alkyl; and R3 represents C1-6 alkyl. The invention also relates to methods of preparing the immunogenic composition, to pharmaceutical and vaccine compositions comprising the immunogenic composition and to use of the immunogenic, pharmaceutical and vaccine compositions for preventing influenza virus infection.

Influenza virus is a member of the Orthomyxoviridae family. There are four types of influenza viruses designated A, B, C and D. A, B and C infect humans.
Seasonal epidemics of influenza can spread around the world quickly and inflict a significant economic burden in terms of hospital and other healthcare costs and lost productivity. The World Health Organization estimates that in annual influenza epidemics there are between three and five million cases of severe illness and approximately 250,000 and 500,000 deaths every year around the world.
The current seasonal influenza vaccines are trivalent or quadrivalent. The cost of the vaccines was 3.1 billion US dollars in 2015 and it is forecast to be 4.3 billion dollars by 2025. Each year new seasonal influenza vaccines are developed based on predicting what will be the predominant circulating influenza strains.
An influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza strain emerges in the population with high pathogenicity and antigenic novelty. Global pandemics can afflict between 20% and 40% of the world's population in a single year. The pandemic of 1918-19, for example, affected 200 million people, killing over 30 million worldwide. Although healthcare has dramatically improved since that time, with vaccines and antiviral therapies being developed, it is estimated that a pandemic today would result in two to seven million deaths globally.
The number of antigens that a vaccine can comprise was thought to be limited because of immune interference (J Exp Med. 1969 Oct. 1; 130(4): 821-832). When more antigens are included in a composition, the response to each antigen is reduced, thus limiting the number of antigens which could be included in a vaccine. Influenza vaccines are typically trivalent and more recently quadrivalent.