A device and method for generating a representation of a subject's attention level. The device measures brain signals from the subject; extracts temporal features from the brain signals; classifies the extracted temporal features using a classifier to give a score X1; extracts spectral-spatial features from the brain signals; selects spectral-spatial features containing discriminative information between concentration and non-concentration states from the set of extracted spectral-spatial features; classifies the selected spectral-spatial features using a classifier to give a score X2; combines the scores X1 and X2 to give a single score; and presents the score to the subject.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common behavioural disorder in children, characterised by symptoms such as inattention and hyperactivity. Today's management of ADHD often leads to the use of pharmacological stimulant medication. Parents, however, may be concerned about potential unknown side effects of these medications which include headache, stomach pain, sleeplessness, poor appetite, physical growth retardation, etc.
Recently, there has been a growing interest in treatment of ADHD based on psychosocial aspects. Although important, such treatment has, to date, been shown to be less superior compared to pharmacological treatments.
At the same time, it has been noted that advanced technologies such as brain-computer interface (BCI) can be used to improve the treatment of ADHD based on psychological aspects. BCI provides a direct communication pathway between a human brain and an external device. It relies on bio-signals such as electroencephalogram (EEG) and thus is a low cost and non-invasive interface. Various studies have demonstrated the efficacy of neurofeedback (NFB) or EEG biofeedback in the treatment of ADHD.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,520 describes regulating theta and beta wave activity (more specifically, to decrease theta wave activity and increase beta wave activity) as measured based on respective average millivolt activity. However, a clear and direct correlation between the measured average millivolt theta and beta activities and attention has not been established. Thus, the users involved in the training approaches in that document only learn to control their measured average millivolt theta and beta activities, which are not a direct measure of attention. As a result, while the users may develop a mechanism for controlling the measured average millivolt theta and beta activities, this does not directly correlate with achieving higher attention levels.
A need therefore exists to provide device and method for generating a representation of a subject's attention level that seek to address at least one of the above problems.

Device and method for generating a representation of a subject's attention level

AGENCY FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH


In an approach to longevity management of social network data, a computer detects a posting of a social artifact by a first user of a social network. A computer stores the social artifact with associated identification information. A computer stores activity associated with the social artifact by one or more other users. A computer detects a status change in an account associated with the first user, wherein the status change indicates the first user is not active in the social network. In response to detecting the status change, a computer determines a second user from the one or more other users to which to transfer the social artifact based on the social artifact, the associated identification information, and the activity associated with the social artifact by the one or more other users. A computer transfers the social artifact to an account associated with the second user on the social network.

The present invention relates generally to the field of data management, and more particularly to longevity management of social network data.
A social network service (also social networking site or social media) is an online platform that people use to build social networks or social relationships with other people who share similar personal or career interests, activities, backgrounds, or real-life connections. Social network services provide a space for interaction to continue beyond in-person interactions. The computer mediated interactions link members of various networks and may help to both maintain and develop new social and professional relationships. Social network services enable users to share ideas, digital photos and videos, posts, comments, and to inform others about online or real-world activities and events with people in their network.

Longevity management of social network data

International Business Machines Corporation


A system and method are provided to detect defects in a data storage medium by sampling data read from the data storage medium. Time referenced samples of data read from the data storage medium are equalized to mediate the effects of channel noise and the equalized samples are decoded by a decoder, such as a Viterbi decoder. The decoded signal is then reconstructed through a reconstruction filter to approximate the equalized signal. The equalized data signal and the reconstructed data signal are then combined and compared in a bit-by-bit deconstruction scheme to determine, based on a variation between the signal elements, that a defect exists on the data storage medium. Additional action is then taken to mediate the effects of attempting to process corrupted data based on the defect by isolating the defective bit.

This disclosure relates to systems and methods for detecting defects in data storage media that store data such as for archiving and subsequent retrieval purposes.
With a proliferation of removable non-volatile data storage media on which increasing amounts of data can be recorded and/or rerecorded, there has arisen an incumbent need to be able to detect defects in such media in order to, for example, avoid data corruption and adverse effects to downstream units, devices and adaptations based on trying to process corrupt data. Such defects may manifest themselves in a number of ways. Some of the more common manifestations of the types of defects that may be advantageous to detect include, but are not limited to, excessive amplitude variations such as amplitude drops, amplitude jumps, and/or shifts in the signal with a drop in dynamic range. These defects may be caused by, for example, a record/playback head flying too high or too low over a data track, being offset from the track, or by collisions with particles or asperities on the surface of the media. The defects may be temporary such that they disappear at the next read operation or after the next write operation or they may grow in severity or extent with successive operations.
In order to be able to retrieve data with a certain desired confidence level, it is important that the integrity of such data be established. The existence of a defect on a data storage medium represents a situation that often cannot be easily modeled or otherwise modeled at all. Hence, in view of the adverse impact that a defect may have on the integrity of the read or retrieved data and components or adaptations that may attempt to process the data, a reliable defect detector system may prove advantageous.
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a simplified conventional data signal communication and processing system 1000. As shown in FIG. 1, the system 1000 may include an input signal source 1010 and a number of components for processing the input signal. These components may include, for example, an encoder 1020, and one or more transmission channel filters 1040. In this manner, an input signal received via the input signal source 1010 may be processed by one or more of the above-mentioned devices in order to provide a substantially distortion-immune and bandwidth-efficient signal to be recorded on a recording or transmission channel 1050. Such recording or transmission channel 1050 in different embodiments, it should be appreciated, may comprise virtually any form of, for example, wire-line media, wireless media, or data storage medium.
The encoder 1020 may encode the input signal to, for example, improve a Bit Error Ratio (BER) of the signal.
A transmission channel filter 1040 may shape the input signal waveform to attempt to make optimal use of the available channel bandwidth to support a highest data storage density based on an optimally filtered signal, with minimal signal distortion, from sources of distortion such as inter-symbol interference (ISI).
In general, the encoder 1020 and transmission channel filter 1040 are referred to as the transmitting side of the system for receiving an input signal from an input signal source 1010 and optimally presenting such a signal to a recording or transmission channel 1050. In other words, the overall objective of the transmitter side elements 1020 and 1040, as depicted in FIG. 1, is to allow the data to be stored in the recording or transmission channel 1050, received in raw form from the input signal source 1010, to achieve a desired level of immunity from various sources of distortion, degradation and noise, as well as to be converted into a form such that the data has a desired level of reliability after transmission through the recording or transmission channel 1050, to include being stored on a data storage medium.
As shown in FIG. 1, receiver side processing is undertaken by a series of receiver side elements consisting in this exemplary embodiment of elements 1070, 1080, 1090 and 1110. Processing through these elements essentially reverses the processing that the transmitter side elements performed to render the output signal as close a match to the input signal as pre-determined by a specified fidelity criterion. The receiver signal elements may include an automatic gain controller 1070, a receiver channel filter 1080, an equalizer 1090 and a decoder 1110, each element included with an objective of delivering to an output signal sink 1120, an output signal that precisely matches the input signal received from the input signal source 1010.
The automatic gain controller 1070 may modify the level of the received signal or recovered data such that the data signal is within an appropriate dynamic range to proceed through further processing.
The receiver channel filter 1080 may process the signal in much the same manner as the transmitter channel filtering performed by the transmitter channel filter 1040.
The equalizer 1090 may filter the dynamic range adjusted signal, which was previously filtered by the receiver channel filter 1080, in an attempt to mitigate the impact of phenomena, such as, for example, ISI. As the equalizer 1090 may be provided to further optimize the output signal to a specific capability of the output signal sink 1120, any one of the several available equalizer algorithms including, but not limited to, a linear feedforward equalizer, a linear feedback equalizer or a decision feedback equalizer may be used.
The decoder 1110 may optimally decode the signal to correspond to the specific capabilities of the output signal sink 1120. There are several available decoding schemes any of which may be employed by the decoder 1110. These include, but are not limited to, threshold decoding, Viterbi decoding and/or Turbo decoding.
The integrity of the information stored on a data storage media or transmitted via a recording/transmission channel is of paramount importance. The integrity of the data retrieved may be impacted in a number of ways. For example, retrieved data may be corrupted due to random noise, bursty noise, inter-symbol interference (ISI), non-linear distortions in the channel such as non-linear transition shifts (NLTS), read-write offsets and writing non-idealities. Many of these degradations may be corrected by applying one or more of the above methods commonly used in high-speed communications links, such as signal processing techniques, coding and channel estimation, and subsequent corrections. However, other factors may contribute to degradation and distortion in recovered data, particularly data stored on various types of data storage media. Principal among these factors effecting degradation and/or distortion in recovered data may be defects in the data storage media itself. Physical, and/or recording equipment induced, defects in any data storage medium that stores an input information signal as stored data have the potential to severely impact the integrity of the retrieved data and to render ineffective, or unusable, components and adaptations that attempt to process the data corrupted by one or more defects.
Such defects are not conventionally accounted for because conventional input data signal processing methods and capabilities, such as those discussed above, do not lend themselves to such defect detection and/or mitigation. Data storage media are often considered virtually defect-free. Based on the amount of data being compacted onto individual data storage media today, such an assumption may not recognize the possible hazards to the recovery and/or reproduction of data stored on such media. Complicating this problem even further is the fact that a given defect could be only temporary, and/or otherwise non-repeatable. In such an instance the defect could disappear on the next write cycle or the media could deteriorate from cycle to cycle. It is for this reason that modeling of certain defects, unlike many other of the factors that may degrade the integrity of the input signal data which can be corrected or mediated through a series of devices and related processes such as those described above, i.e., be they noise or other channel related failures, is extremely difficult. Possible contributing factors to the defects could be a record/playback head flying too high or too low over a data track, being offset from the track, or by colliding with particles or asperities on the surface of the media.
Impacts of these defects at the read channel retrieved signal manifest themselves in many forms or combinations of phenomena. These manifestations include but are not limited to the following. First, the amplitude of the recorded data signal sometimes drops to an extent of signal wipeout over a duration of several bits. Second, the amplitude may jump, possibly due to thermal aperities, and third, the signal may shift, often with an accompanying dynamic range drop. The random nature of the types of defects described, and the fact that many and often widely varied factors may contribute to the defects make these anomalies very difficult to model with an objective of such modeling being to subsequently isolate or compensate for the defects.
Previous efforts to address the problems of defect detection have included methods for generating special patterns, or defect scan patterns, to detect anomalies and isolate local defects (e.g. MADS) in the magnetic flux coupling of a recording media to a read head. The defect scan patterns affect normal operation of magnetic data storage devices. Other methods of defect detection, such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) and other microprobe techniques, are suited to laboratory use but not necessarily to production use due to their limited throughput.
These efforts encompass a range of solutions from partial detection to defect isolation. Techniques include harmonic analysis of the read head signal to detect head-to-media spacing or flying height (e.g. Harmonica Sensor (HSC)). Harmonic analysis methods may implicitly use thermal, fluid dynamic, and electromagnetic factors to optimize the average height of the read head. These methods may preclude effective means to isolated defects because the defect waveform is convolved with a long impulse response due to the harmonic analysis averaging window. In other words, harmonic-sensing methods may impose narrow analysis bandwidths around the harmonics to be analyzed. Narrow analysis bandwidths impose slow response times that prevent pinpointing defects.
Additional conventional techniques include run time methods such as level detectors in an analog front end (AFE). Run time methods do not require special patterns or defect scans. Run time methods can pinpoint defects, such as amplitude jumps due to thermal asperities. However, level detection methods have not proven to be very sensitive to detecting level drops.
Shortfalls in prior efforts include: (1) incompatibility with run-time or real-time operations; (2) requirements for special patterns; (3) inability to localize or pinpoint defects; and/or (4) insensitivity to signal amplitude jumps, amplitude drops, and/or signal shifts accompanied by dynamic range shifts.


A YIG oscillator circuit including a closed loop control system which maximizes loop gain during start-up and minimizes loop gain after start-up to minimize gain compression. In one embodiment the closed loop control circuit includes a PIN diode coupled between the collector and base of a BJT, and comparison circuitry for comparing the YIG oscillator output voltage level with a reference voltage and providing a resulting feedback current to the PIN diode at the collector of the BJT. In operation, during start-up when the output voltage of the YIG oscillator is less than the reference voltage, the feedback current will be minimal and the PIN diode will reverse bias to maximize loop gain. When the output voltage approaches the reference voltage level, the feedback current will increase to forward bias the PIN diode to reduce loop gain and minimize gain compression. In a second embodiment, the PIN diode is not included, and the closed loop control circuit output signal is coupled to the emitter of the BJT. In operation with the second embodiment, during start-up current provided to the emitter of the BJT will be at a maximum and the BJT reflection coefficient will be unaffected to maximize loop gain. When operation approaches steady-state, feedback current will decrease current to the emitter of the BJT to reduce the reflection coefficient of the BJT and thus reduce overall loop gain.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a yttrium iron garnet (YIG) crystal oscillator circuit. More particularly, the present invention relates to control of loop gain in the YIG oscillator circuit to minimize FM noise and harmonics.
2. Description of the Related Art
A YIG crystal resonates at a microwave frequency when placed in a magnetic field. To create a tunable YIG oscillator circuit, a reactive component or YIG resonator is first formed by placing a YIG sphere in the air gap of an electromagnet. Current is then applied to the windings of the electromagnet using an active device such as a field effect transistor (FET) or bipolar junction transistor (BJT) to change the magnetic field as desired in order to obtain a desired frequency of oscillation. The frequency of oscillation of the YIG crystal is related only to the strength of the magnetic field applied and not to the dimensions of the sphere. General background on YIG crystals and circuits using YIG crystals can be found in J. Helszajn, "YIG Resonators and Filters," John Wiley & Sons (New York: 1985), incorporated herein by reference.
The YIG oscillator typically operates at a steady-state power level which is arrived at when the "loop gain" for the YIG oscillator is reduced to unity through gain compression. Loop gain is determined by the reflection coefficient of the YIG resonator multiplied by the reflection coefficient of the active component. Gain compression occurs when an increase in the RF input power versus RF output power of the active component deviates from linearity. As shown in FIG. 1, when gain compression occurs, the reflection coefficient of the active component reduces as the RF input power level increases.
To achieve start-up, loop gain must be greater than one. If the initial loop gain is large compared to one, the amount of gain compression required for the oscillator to reach steady-state oscillation will be large. Significant compression causes the oscillator to operate in a very non-linear manner, causing high FM noise levels, and high harmonic distortion, the former due to up-conversion of base-band active component noise.
To minimize compression, and thus reduce noise, initial loop gain is typically minimized, yet the initial loop gain must remain greater than one to ensure start-up. With an oscillator operating over a broad bandwidth, keeping the initial loop gain very close to one over the entire frequency band is difficult. Changes in ambient temperature and component drift over time further affect control of the loop gain making a broadband design even more difficult.

Controlled loop gain YIG tuned oscillator circuit


Disclosed is a semiconductor device with a current detector, in which a semiconductor element for current-driving a load and a current-detecting element for detecting a driving current flowing through the semiconductor element are integrated on a common semiconductor pellet, and which has: a magnetoresistance effect element which has a two layer film composed of a magnetic film and a conductive film and means for supplying the two-layer film with a constant current and which has a resistivity depending on a magnetic field generated by the driving current; wherein the magnetoresistance effect element is vertically deposited above the semiconductor element to function as the current-detecting element.

A semiconductor device with which a hole element for detecting a current value flowing into a semiconductor element for current-driving a load is provided is known. For example, Japanese patent application laid-open No. 61-97574 (1986) discloses a semiconductor device with a current detector which has a pellet composition around such hole element, where a current path between an output terminal and a ground terminal is formed in the shape of a letter `C`. In an area surrounded by the C-shaped current path, an emitter electrode and an collector electrode are formed. On the both sides of a line tying between the emitter electrode and the collector electrode, a pair of hole electrodes are formed.
As described above, in the conventional semiconductor device, the hole element is formed on the pellet surface and the C-shaped current path is formed around the hole element since the hole voltage can be most efficiently obtained when the direction of a constant current flowing from the collector region to the emitter region, the line tying between the pair of hole electrodes and the direction of magnetic field applied to the hole element are orthogonally disposed one another.
However, due to the current path formed around the hole element, the resistivity between the output terminal and the ground terminal is increased. Therefore, even if the resistivity or voltage generated when the semiconductor element is turned on is reduced, it is difficult for the entire semiconductor device to have a low `on` resistivity or low voltage. At the same time, there occurs an increase in temperature due to the generation of heat. Furthermore, there occurs an increase in temperature due to the generation of heat at the semiconductor element and the surroundings by the driving current and the generation of heat by the constant current fed to the hole element, therefore causing an instability in the hole voltage which indicates a current to be detected.

Semiconductor device including a magnetoresistance effect element functioning as a current detector


A process for producing hydrogen peroxide which comprises reacting hydrogen and oxygen in a reaction medium containing a halide of platinum group metal. The process is far simplified and the produced amount of hydrogen peroxide per the halide of platinum group metal is large.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for producing hydrogen peroxide. Furthermore this invention relates to a process for producing hydrogen peroxide by reacting hydrogen and oxygen directly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hydrogen peroxide is one of the most important industrial products having wide variety of uses, such as bleaching agents (for papers/pulps and natural fibers), industrial chemicals (oxidizing agents, plasticizers, rubber chemicals, and reducing agents for pollution processing), medical supplies (oxidizing agent), foods (bleaching sterilization agents for processed marine products, other various bleaching agents) and the like.
At present, the most general process for industrial production of hydrogen peroxide is the autoxidation which uses alkyl anthraquinone. However, the process needs many steps, such as reduction and oxidation of alkyl anthraquinone, and extraction separation, purification and concentration of hydrogen peroxide produced, and the process becomes complicated. Moreover, loss of alkyl anthraquinone and degradation of a reduction catalyst, etc. have been a problem.
In order to solve these problems, conventionally, hydrogen and oxygen are contacted in an aqueous medium in the presence of a platinum group metal supported catalyst to produce hydrogen peroxide directly. (JP-B 55-18646, JP-B 56-47121, JP-B 1-23401, JP-A63-156005, etc.). In the process, it has been used a solution to which acid and inorganic salt is added as a reaction medium.
For example, JP-A 63-156005 describes that hydrogen peroxide is produced in high concentration using a metal catalyst supporting a platinum group metal on a support material, by reacting hydrogen and oxygen in aqueous medium under a high pressure condition. In the process, however, it is necessary to add an acid in high concentration, and to add a compound which dissociates to generate halogen ion, for example, sodium bromide.
JP-A 57-92506 describes that ketone, ether, ester, amide, etc. can be used as a reaction medium, and methanol is excellent among them. However, the catalyst system used here is a metal supporting a platinum group metal on a support material, an acid, and a halogen ion. And to depress the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, it is necessary to make formaldehyde exist together in methanol. Therefore, the process requires the step of adding these compounds, and in some cases the step of removing formaldehyde, and becomes disadvantageous industrially.


A bottom-freezer refrigerator comprises a generally rectangular box-like refrigerator housing including a top division and a bottom division with an adiabatic partition wall intervening between the top and bottom divisions. The top division has a refrigerator chamber and a crisper chamber both defined therein. The bottom division has a freezer compartment defined therein. The bottom-freezer refrigerator of the structure described above also comprises a first cooler provided in the top division at a location spaced from a rear wall portion of the crisper chamber, a first circulating fan disposed in the vicinity of the first cooler, a second cooler provided in the bottom division, and a second circulating fan disposed in the vicinity of the second cooler. The refrigerator chamber and the crisper chamber are cooled by the first cooler in cooperation with the first circulating fan, whereas the freezer compartment is cooled by the second cooler in cooperation with the second circulating fan.

The present invention relates to a refrigerator of a type having a refrigerator compartment, including a vegetable storage chamber, and a freezer compartment defined below the refrigerator compartment.
It is well known that the refrigerator has a plurality of utility compartments, respective inside temperatures of which are controlled to a different temperature appropriate for storage of particular food materials. The refrigerator very popular in the art has a freezer compartment defined at top of the refrigerator housing and a refrigerator compartment defined in the refrigerator housing at a location below the freezer compartment, and is generally referred to as a top-freezer refrigerator. The refrigerator compartment is usually divided into a refrigerating chamber and a crisper or vegetable storage chamber generally defined below the refrigerating chamber.
However, in view of ease of use, a bottom-freezer refrigerator has recently come into the mainstream. In the bottom-freezer refrigerator, the refrigerator compartment is positioned below the refrigerator compartment with the crisper located at the bottom of the refrigerator compartment. An example of this bottom-freezer refrigerator is disclosed in, for example, the Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 5-71850.
Some prior art bottom-freezer refrigerators will now be discussed with reference to the accompanying drawings and particularly to FIGS. 9 to 11. Referring first to FIG. 9, the known bottom-freezer refrigerator comprises a generally rectangular box-like refrigerator housing 1, the interior of which is divided into a freezer compartment 2 and a refrigerator compartment 3 defined above the freezer compartment 2 and separated therefrom by means of an adiabatic partition wall 4. The freezer compartment 2 has an engine chamber 5 defined therein at a location rearwards of the refrigerator compartment 2 with respect to and opposite to a front door assembly (not shown), for accommodating therein a cooler 6 and a circulating fan 7 for creating a forced draft of cooling air. The refrigerator compartment 3 has a crisper or vegetable storage chamber 9 defined or positioned therein at the bottom thereof, and a low-temperature storage chamber 10 such as, for example, a chilled chamber or a partial freezing chamber defined or positioned therein at a location above the crisper 9. Reference numeral 8 represents a first cooled air return passage defined inside the engine chamber 5.
Reference numeral 11 represents an automatic temperature controller disposed at a lower rear deep area of the refrigerator compartment 3, in which controller 11 there are disposed a first cooled air supply regulator 12 for controlling the supply of a cooled air into the refrigerator compartment 3, a second cooled air supply regulator 13 for regulating the supply of the cooled air into the low-temperature storage chamber 10, a first cooled air discharge passage 14 for discharging the cooled air from the refrigerator compartment 3, a second cooled air discharge passage 15 for discharging the cooled air from the low-temperature storage chamber 10, and a second cooled air return passage 16 communicated with the first cooled air return passage 8. Reference numeral 17 represents a return port defined in a rear wall of the low-temperature storage chamber 10 and communicated with the second cooled air return passage 16 within the automatic temperature controller 11. Reference numeral 18 represents a discharge port communicated with the low-temperature storage chamber 10 and fluid-connected with the second cooled air discharge passage 15. Reference numeral 19 represents a return port defined in a rear wall of the refrigerator compartment 3 and communicated with the second cooled air return passage 16 within the automatic temperature controller 11. Reference numeral 20 represents a discharge duct having a cooled air discharge port 21 communicated with the refrigerator compartment 3, and communicated with the first cooled air discharge passage 14.
The flow of the cooled air in the prior art refrigerator shown in FIG. 9 will be discussed. Air cooled by the cooler 6 is forcibly supplied by the circulating fan 7 in part to the refrigerator compartment 3 through the first cooled air discharge passage 14, the first cooled air supply regulator 12 and the discharge duct 20 and in part to the low-temperature storage chamber 10 through the second cooled air discharge passage 15, the second cooled air supply regulator 13 and the discharge port 18. The cooled air supplied into the refrigerator compartment 3 flows through the return port 19 and the cooled air supplied into the low-temperature storage chamber 10 flows through the return port 17. The cooled air from the return port 19 and the cooled air from the return port 17 are subsequently returned to the cooler 6 through the second cooled air return passage 16 and the first cooled air return passage 8, respectively. In this way, the cooled air circulated within the refrigerator through the various compartments and chambers to cool those compartments and chambers to respective predetermined temperatures.
FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate another prior art bottom-freezer refrigerator. The known bottom-freezer refrigerator best shown in FIG. 10 comprises a generally rectangular box-like refrigerator housing 22, the interior of which is divided into a refrigerator compartment 24 and a freezer compartment 25 defined below the refrigerator compartment 24 and separated therefrom by means of an adiabatic partition wall 23. The refrigerator compartment 24 which is most frequently utilized in home has a removable crisper box 26 mounted inside the refrigerator compartment 24 and slidably resting on the adiabatic partition wall 23. The refrigerator compartment 24 accommodates therein a first cooler 27, a first circulating fan 28 and a first temperature detecting means 29 for detecting the inside temperature of the refrigerator compartment 24. On the other hand, the freezer compartment 25 accommodates therein a second cooler 30, a second circulating fan 31 and a second temperature detecting means 32 for detecting the inside temperature of the refrigerator compartment 24.
As shown in FIG. 11, the refrigerating system employed in the refrigerator shown in FIG. 10 includes a compressor 33, a condenser 34, a decompressor 35, the first cooler 27 and the second cooler 30, all of which are fluid-connected in the order specified above.
Cooling of the refrigerator of the structure shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 is generally carried out by driving the compressor 33 in response to a signal from the temperature detecting means 32 disposed in the freezer compartment 25. Simultaneously with the drive of the compressor 33, the first and second circulating fans 28 and 31 are also driven to forcibly circulate the cooled air within the refrigerator compartment 24, including the crisper box 26, and the freezer compartment 25 to cool and freeze the food materials accommodated therein, respectively. When the freezer compartment 25 is cooled to a predetermined temperature as a result of the cooling operation, the compressor 33 is brought to a halt in response to a signal from the temperature detecting means 32. On the other hand, when the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means 29 is higher than a predetermined cut-in temperature, the first circulating fan 28 continues its rotation to circulate within and cool the refrigerator compartment 24, but when the inside temperature of the refrigerator compartment 24 lowers to such an extent that the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means 29 is lower than a predetermined cut-off temperature, the first circulating fan 28 is brought to a halt.
With the first-described prior art refrigerator, a problem has been found that since the cooled air is circulated through the various compartments and chambers, a relatively large number of the air passages are required, resulting in reduction of the maximum available capacity of the refrigerator. Also, the refrigerating system employed therein requires some or all of the air passages to have an increased length from the cooler 6 to the respective compartment or chamber, resulting in reduction in cooling efficiency.
In addition, in the first-described prior art refrigerator, the single cooler 6 is utilized to cool all of the compartments and chambers and is therefore so bulky in size that the adiabatic partition wall 4 is required to be installed at a relatively high level, for example, about 900 mm or more above a support surface such as, for example, a house floor. This makes it difficult to remove or place food materials from or into the crisper chamber 9 that is placed at such a high level above the support surface.
The use of the single cooler 6 to cool all of the compartments and chambers requires the evaporation temperature of the cooler to be designed to a value equal to the lowest available temperature of the freezer compartment 2 and, consequently, the efficiency of the refrigerating system is limited.
Again, considering that the automatic temperature controller 11 is communicated with the freezer compartment 2, the automatic temperature controller 11 is thermally conducted to the crisper chamber 9 within the refrigerator compartment 3 to cool the crisper chamber 9 so excessively that the food materials, particularly vegetables, within the crisper chamber 9 may be frozen undesirably.
On the other hand, the second-described prior art refrigerator shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 is effective to eliminate a possible excessive cooling of the crisper chamber such as occurring in the refrigerator of FIG. 9 and also to eliminate the problems associated with the reduction in capacity and reduction in cooling efficiency of the refrigerating system both resulting from the use of the increased length of the air passage. However, when it comes to installation of the first cooler 27 at a location rearward of the refrigerator compartment 24 and opposite to the front door assembly, a problem would arise that if continued cooling of the freezer compartment 25 is required even though the first circulating fan 28 is brought to a halt as a result of the refrigerator compartment 24 having been cooled sufficiently, a coolant still flows in the first cooler 27 and therefore the refrigerator compartment 24 may be excessively cooled by natural convection. Also, a local area of the crisper box 28 disposed relatively close to the first cooler 27 may be excessively cooled by the first cooler 27 and this is indeed problematic in terms of vegetables kept crisp.
Considering that the second-described prior art refrigerator has a substantial weight and that the crisper box 26 within the refrigerator compartment 24 is held in contact with the bottom thereof, that is defined by an upper surface of the adiabatic partition wall 23, while the first cooler 27 is disposed rearward of the crisper box 26, the crisper box 26 cannot have a sufficient distance between its front and rear walls and would therefore have a relatively small capacity to accommodate the vegetables.
The freezer compartment 25, although less frequently used than the refrigerator compartment 24, is required to have an increased effective capacity. For this reason, if design is made to reduce the depth of the second cooler 30, but to increase the height of the second cooler 30, there is the possibility that the adiabatic partition wall 23 must be reduced in thickness or shifted in position upwardly to accommodate the increased height of the second cooler 30. If the adiabatic partition wall 23 is shifted in position upwardly, the capacity of the refrigerator compartment 24, that is frequently used, would be reduced, posing a problem associated with the proportion of capacity between the freezer compartment 25 and the refrigerator compartment 24. To observe the design proportion in capacity between the refrigerator compartment 24 and the freezer compartment 25 would result in complication of the rear structure of the adiabatic partition wall 23, accompanied by increase in cost of manufacture of the refrigerator along with reduction in production thereof.
Accordingly, the present invention has been devised to eliminate the problems inherent in the prior art bottom-freezer refrigerator and is intended to provide an improved bottom-freezer refrigerator effective to secure sufficiently required capacities with a simplified air passage structure.
Another important object of the present invention is to provide an improved bottom-freezer refrigerator of the type referred to above capable of exhibiting a high cooling efficiency even though the air passage structure is simplified.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved bottom-freezer refrigerator of the type referred to above, having no possibility of food materials within the refrigerator compartment and the crisper chamber or box being cooled excessively.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved bottom-freezer refrigerator of the type referred to above, that provides an ease of use and particularly that of a zone of high utility in a household work.
In order to accomplish these objects, the present invention according to one aspect thereof provides a bottom-freezer refrigerator comprises a generally rectangular box-like refrigerator housing including a top division and a bottom division with an adiabatic partition wall intervening between the top and bottom divisions. The top division has a refrigerator chamber and a crisper chamber both defined therein, which crisper chamber is, although not exclusively, dedicated to accommodate food materials required to be kept crisp such as, for example, vegetables. The bottom division has a freezer compartment defined therein.
The bottom-freezer refrigerator of the structure described above also comprises a first cooler provided in the top division at a location spaced from a rear wall portion of the crisper chamber, a first circulating fan disposed in the vicinity of the first cooler, a second cooler provided in the bottom division, and a second circulating fan disposed in the vicinity of the second cooler. The refrigerator chamber and the crisper chamber are cooled by the first cooler in cooperation with the first circulating fan, whereas the freezer compartment is cooled by the second cooler in cooperation with the second circulating fan.
According to the present invention, the capacity of the refrigerator can be secured by utilizing the simplified air passage structure. More specifically, no air passage that extend completely across the adiabatic partition wall is employed to thereby simplify the air passage structure having a reduced length thereof. Shortening of the air passage results in reduction in resistance and, therefore, the top and bottom divisions can be independently cooled by the first and second coolers in cooperation with the first and second circulating fans, respectively, to accomplish a high cooling efficiency. Also, since the first cooler is installed at a location deep rearward of the crisper chamber, neither does thermal conduction to the crisper chamber occur, but the depth of the crisper chamber will not be invaded.
Preferably the crisper chamber is divided into upper and lower rooms so that relatively heavy and/or bulky food materials can be placed in or removed from the crisper chamber which is used highly frequently, at a position convenient to the user. The use of the a low-temperature chamber inside the refrigerator chamber preferably above the crisper chamber and having a capacity smaller than that of the crisper chamber is, if cooled by the first cooler in cooperation with the first circulating fan, effective to substantially eliminate any possible variation in temperature.
Preferably, assuming that the first cooler has a height a, a width b and a depth c and the second cooler has a height A, a width B and a depth C, the first and second coolers have respective sizes that satisfy at least the following relation:
A less than a and C greater than c
This feature makes it possible to use the first cooler of a lean structure sufficient to secure a depth of a zone of high utility and also to use the second cooler of a reduced height to make it possible to expand the zone of high utility.
In addition, in order to render the bottom-freezer refrigerator of the present invention to be more user-friendly and convenient to use, it is preferred that a lower end of the first cooler is positioned a distance of 900 to 1,500 mm above a support surface on which the refrigerator is placed and an upper end of the second cooler is positioned a distance of 400 to 700 mm above the support surface.
In any event, these and other features of the present invention will become clear from the detailed description of preferred embodiments of the present invention which follows with reference to the accompanying drawings.


A device for determining the abnormal degree of deterioration of a catalyst of a catalytic converter arranged in an internal combustion engine exhaust system is disclosed. The device includes first and second air-fuel ratio sensors located upstream and downstream of the catalyst. The device determines a first purification ability based on readings of the sensors during a warmup stage of the catalyst, and a second purification ability after the warmup is completed. An overall purification ability of the catalyst is determined by combining the purification ability of the catalyst during warmup and the purification ability of the catalyst after warmup, where the weight of the purification ability during warmup is less than the purification ability after warmup in the overall purification ability. If the overall purification ability of the catalyst is less than a certain amount, then the device determines that the catalyst has deteriorated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for determining the abnormal degree of deterioration of a catalyst.
2. Description of the Related Art
A catalyst is usually arranged in an exhaust passage to purify the exhaust gas. Once the catalyst deteriorates excessively, the catalyst cannot purify the exhaust gas sufficiently. Accordingly, it is necessary to determine the abnormal degree of deterioration of the catalyst, to inform the driver about this, and to urge the driver to exchange the catalyst for a new one.
The exchange is costly and requires much time. Accordingly, it is necessary to determine the abnormal degree of deterioration of a catalyst precisely. In a usual device for determining the abnormal degree of deterioration of a catalyst, the current purification ability of a catalyst is detected after the catalyst has been activated and, thereafter, the current purification ability is compared with the threshold which corresponds to the abnormal degree of deterioration thereof. In a catalyst, only a purification ability before the catalyst has been activated can drop excessively. In this case, the usual device determines that the degree of deterioration of the catalyst is normal. Therefore, the catalyst is not exchanged and thus the exhaust gas is not completely purified before it has been activated.
To solve this problem, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 5-248227 discloses a device for determining the abnormal degree of deterioration of a catalyst. The device corrects the threshold which corresponds to the abnormal degree of deterioration of a catalyst, according to the degree of activation thereof, i.e., the temperature thereof, detects a current purification ability thereof before and after the catalyst has been activated, compares the current purification ability with the corrected threshold, and determines if the degree of deterioration thereof is abnormal.
However, a purification ability of a catalyst before the catalyst has been activated is particularly unstable, because it varies largely according to not only the temperature thereof but also the harmful materials content of the exhaust gas and the like. Accordingly, if the device merely compares the current purification ability with the corrected threshold and determines the degree of deterioration of the catalyst, the device can mistake the determination.

Device for determining the abnormal degree of deterioration of a catalyst


Embodiments of the invention are directed to a method of inhibiting proliferation of a cell induced by asTF that includes exposing the proliferating cell to an inhibitor of asTF at a concentration sufficient to attenuate asTF induced proliferation. In an embodiment, the proliferating cell is a cancer cell such as a breast cancer cell. The inhibitor of asTF may be an anti-asTF antibody, such as a monoclonal antibody or an antibody fragment, a small molecule, a peptide, nucleic acid, and combinations thereof.

Full-length Tissue Factor (flTF) is the principal initiator of blood coagulation. Following vascular damage, flTF binds its ligand FVII(a) which triggers clot formation. Aside from sub-endothelial tissues, flTF is also abundant on cancer cells and fuels tumor progression by modulating major signaling pathways; flTF regulates integrin α3β1 function and cell migration, and flTF in complex with FVIIa activates Protease Activated Receptor (PAR)2, while association of flTF with β1 integrins enhances PAR2 activation. flTF-dependent PAR2 activation and integrin regulation result in the production of pro-angiogenic factors such as VEGF, CXCL1 and IL-8, thus promoting the angiogenic switch and, consequently, tumor growth in vivo.
Alternative splicing of TF pre-mRNA yields alternatively spliced TF (asTF). asTF lacks the transmembrane domain and can thus be secreted. In humans and mice, asTF contains a novel C-terminus with poor homology to any known proteins. High expression of asTF expression in tumor cell lines suggests a role in tumor progression. Subcutaneous growth of pancreatic cancer cells overexpressing asTF, results in larger and more vascularized tumors. We recently discovered that asTF induces angiogenesis, independent of PAR2 activation, by acting as an integrin ligand. Thus, flTF and asTF facilitate cellular signaling via distinct mechanisms critical to tumor cell behavior.
Alternative pre-mRNA splicing increases the repertoire of cellular proteins. In cancer cells, such as breast cancer cells, proteins that modulate splicing events such as ASF/SF2 and SRp55, are frequently upregulated and contribute to cell transformation. Breast cancer cells exhibit specific alternative splicing signatures that were proposed as potential prognostic factors in breast cancer. Alternative splicing of proteins such as spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk), p53, PTEN, CXCR3 and Rac1 impacts breast cancer cell behavior and therefore, disease progression.
Currently, nothing is known about asTF expression and function in breast cancer. Regulated splicing of TF pre-mRNA in human monocytes is controlled by several SR proteins, including ASF/SF2 and SRp55. Expression of SR proteins is frequently perturbed in breast cancer tumors, and it is thus plausible that the relative abundance of flTF and asTF is also altered in breast cancer.

Method of inhibiting cell proliferation induced by alternatively spliced tissue factor by administering a monoclonal antibody


An etching processing method capable of etching a low dielectric constant layer at a reduced cost by using an etching processing apparatus comprising a vacuum vessel, a sample loading electrode disposed in the vacuum vessel, a gas introduction device for introducing a reaction gas into the vacuum vessel, an antenna for forming plasmas in the vacuum vessel, and a high frequency power supply for supplying a bias power to a sample loaded on the sample loading electrode, wherein the bias power to be supplied to the sample is 3 W/cm2 or less, and the gas introduction device introduces a gas containing chlorine atoms or bromine atoms to apply etching processing to an inorganic insulation material of low dielectric constant loaded on the loading electrode.

The present invention relates an etching processing method; and, more particularly, it relates to an etching processing method that is capable of decreasing the amount of particle contaminants and reducing the production cost.
For etching processing of insulation materials of low dielectric constant, for example, OSG (Organo-Silicate Glass), which is an inorganic insulation material of low dielectric constant doped with methyl groups, U.S. Pat. No. 6,362,109, for example, discloses an etching method which utilizes reaction gases mainly comprising fluoro carbons as a way of applying an oxide film etching technique.
When etching processing is conducted by utilizing reaction gases mainly comprising fluoro carbons, a reduction of the production cost becomes difficult, since the carbon ratio contained in the reaction gas is high, and the bias power to be applied to the wafers is increased. That is, since a high bias power is applied to the wafers, a power supply capable of supplying high power is necessary.
Further, in order to remove large amounts of input heat along with application of the high bias power, a chiller having a high cooling performance is necessary. Further, the withstand voltage of the components constituting the etching apparatus has to be increased, which increases the initial cost, and further increases the overall cost of the etching apparatus. Further, in the case where wafers having a large diameter, such as 300 mm, are processed, since the area of the chamber wall, which serves as the ground, is relatively decreased, the plasma potential fluctuates greatly by the bias voltage, and the chamber wall is consumed as it is subjected to sputtering. Accordingly, the chamber wall has to be replaced frequently, which results in an increase in the running cost.
Further, in a case of using inexpensive aluminum that has been subjected to alumite processing, which has generally been used as the material for the chamber wall, the aluminum material is exposed by abrasion of the alumite caused by the sputtering effect, in which aluminum fluoride, that is formed in the reaction between aluminum and fluorine, forms particles under the sputtering effect, thereby to lower the yield in the processing.
Further, when a gas having a high carbon ratio is used as described above, the deposition is caused in a chamber region where the plasma sputtering is weak. Accordingly, this frequently requires plasma cleaning or wet cleaning, involving opening of the chamber to the atmospheric air, which lowers the throughput.
Further, in the etching processing utilizing the reaction gases described above, fluoro carbons having a high carbon ratio, such as C5F8 have often been used. However, since these gases are special gases, they require high production cost, which results in an increase in the running cost.


[Object] To provide a wing achieving reduction of friction drag and easy to design and also easy to manufacture and an aircraft including such a wing.

It is an important problem to reduce drag in order to improve economic efficiency of aircrafts. Many aerodynamic design concepts for reducing pressure drag have been developed. Meanwhile, a beneficial concept for reducing friction drag in order to further reduce drag has not been produced.
In a swept-back wing, boundary layer transition is easily induced in the vicinity of a leading edge due to a physical mechanism called cross-flow instability (C-F instability). Therefore, it has been considered that it is difficult to realize natural laminarization over a wide range.
Yoshine UEDA, et al., inventors of the present invention, have proposed a natural laminarization-related technique of delaying the boundary layer transition on a wing surface to reduce friction drag (see Patent Literature 1).
That technique uses: a process of setting an initial shape of a cross-sectional wing shape; a CFD analysis process of determining pressure distribution of a flow-field in the vicinity of the cross-sectional wing shape obtained; a transition analysis process of estimating a boundary layer transition position on a wing surface; a process of setting target pressure distributions for wing upper and lower surfaces based on the pressure distribution; and a CFD-based inverse problem design process including the CFD analysis process and a shape correction process "correcting the cross-sectional wing shape such that the pressure distribution obtained from the CFD analysis process converges on the target pressure distribution." Moreover, the technique is as follows: in such a CFD-based inverse problem design process, among the target pressure distributions, the wing upper surface target pressure distribution defines "a wing chordwise direction from a wing leading edge to a wing trailing edge" as a domain at each spanwise station, and moreover is provided by a functional type with parameters dependent on the spanwise station as coefficients; then the sensitivity of the wing upper surface boundary layer transition due to fluctuations in each of the parameter values of the parameters is analyzed by the transition analysis process; and an optimal combination of parameter values that delays the wing upper surface boundary layer transition the furthest rearward at a desired Reynolds number is determined by performing a search.

Abstract: [Solving Means] A wing 1 is typically used as a main wing of an aircraft 100. The wing 1 is a swept-back wing having a swept-back angle A. The wing 1 is configured such that a surface pressure (pressure distribution (Cp)) on an upper surface of a vicinity of a leading edge 11 in a fluid increases from a wing root 17 to a wing tip 15. A cross-flow component of an external streamline of a surface of the wing 1 is reduced in the vicinity of the leading edge 11, and boundary layer transition is not easily induced in the vicinity of the leading edge 11. With this, friction drag caused by cross-flow instability can be reduced.


A semiconductor device and method of forming the same include a substrate having a plurality of memory cells formed thereon. A memory cell includes pass-gate transistors, pull-up transistors, and pull-down transistors. The pass-gate transistors and a portion of the pull-down transistors have different doping concentrations.

The ongoing development of semiconductor memory technology is driving memory devices to higher level of integration, lower power consumption, and faster speed. Compared to dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices, static random access memory (SRAM) devices do not need to periodically refresh the memory cells to maintain the data stored therein. Therefore, SRAM devices have been widely used in many applications.
Recently, fin-type transistors, such as fin field effect transistors (finFETs), have been used to replace planar transistors in logic devices. Embedded static random access memory (SRAM) devices have been widely used, SRAM bit cells have thus, been designed using FinFETs. In a FinFET bit cell, the channel has raised, fin-like structure, allowing the gate to be placed on two or more sides of the channel to improve conduction and leakage control. As the fin width is constant, it is not convenient to use the width of the active area to define the finFET SRAM ratio as is the case in conventional planar SRAM devices.
When the SRAM bit cells are formed using finFETs, the effective width is constant, the SRAM ratio may only be adjusted by changing the critical dimension (CD). However, when compared with planar SRAM devices, finFET RAM devices may have a smaller process window. It is thus challenging to widen the process window for finFET formed SRAM devices.

Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation


An air ratchet hand tool has an elongated, generally cylindrical handle portion with an axial air inlet passage therethrough, and having an outer surface with two longitudinally extending channels formed therein, each communicating with the air motor. A thermoplastic grip jacket covers the handle portion and cooperates with the channels to form therebetween two exhaust air passages which exit at the distal end of the handle. Longitudinal ribs on the jacket project radially inwardly into engagement with longitudinal recesses in the handle portion to inhibit relative rotational movement, while a lug on the handle portion extends through an opening in the jacket to inhibit relative axial movement. A flexible and resilient trigger cover covers the valve trigger and the jacket opening through which it projects.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to power hand tools and, in particular, to pneumatic hand tools and the channeling of air therethrough.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pneumatic hand tools, such as air ratchets, are well known. Typically, these hand tools have an elongated housing with a handle portion at one end and a head portion at the opposite end carrying a ratchet mechanism. An air motor is typically disposed in the housing intermediate the ends for driving the ratchet mechanism, the air motor being coupled to a source of pressurized air through an air inlet passage which commonly extends axially through the handle portion. The housing may be provided with a trigger, which may be in the form of a lever alongside the outside of the housing or a radially projecting button, adapted to be operated by a finger or fingers of the user's hand which grasps the handle, for operating an internal valve to admit air to the air motor. Typically, the housing and the handle portion thereof are formed of a suitable metal.
In prior air tools, various types of exhaust arrangements have been utilized. In one arrangement the air is exhausted from a forward portion of the housing, sometimes through a muffler arrangement. Commonly, the air exits the air motor into a circumferential passage or chamber which communicates with an exit opening at a forward portion of the housing. Alternatively, rear-exhaust arrangements have also been utilized, which include an exhaust passage which passes back through the handle portion, generally parallel to the inlet passage. While such an arrangement has the advantage of providing more effective cooling of the rear end of the air motor adjacent to the handle portion, it also requires a thicker handle portion to accommodate both the inlet and exhaust passages.

Air ratchet hand tool with thermoplastic jacket


Disclosed is a process for preparing 4-fluoro-3-trifluoromethylphenol from 4-fluoro-3-trifluoromethylaniline, which comprises the steps of (1) using about 1 to 20 parts by weight of water based on 1 part by weight of 4-fluoro-3-trifluoromethylaniline in the presence of sulfuric acid to obtain 4-fluoro-3-trifluoromethylaniline sulfate; (2) subjecting the obtained 4-fluoro-3-trifluoromethylaniline sulfate to a diazotization reaction by using a diazotizing agent to obtain an aqueous solution containing about 8 to 25% by weight of a 4-fluoro-3-trifluoromethylbenzene-diazonium salt where a sulfuric acid concentration after diazotization is about 30 to 70% by weight in terms of the amount of sulfuric acid added, and the amount of water used is about 1 to 20 parts by weight based on 1 part by weight of 4-fluoro-3-trifluoromethylaniline; and (3) hydrolyzing the obtained 4-fluoro-3-trifluoromethylbenzenediazonium salt where a sulfuric acid concentration is about 30 to 70% by weight in terms of the amount of sulfuric acid added in a copper sulfate aqueous solution.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for preparing 4-fluoro-3-trifluoromethylphenol which is a starting material of an agricultural chemical.
2. Prior Art
"4-Fluoro-3-trifluoromethylphenol" (hereinafter also referred to as "the desired compound") is a compound which is useful as a starting material of an agricultural chemical.
For example, N-benzyl-2-(4-fluoro-3-trifluoromethylphenoxy)butanoic acid amide (a compound described in Japanese Provisional Patent Publication No. 10749/1988) which is used as a herbicide is synthesized through the desired compound.
As a process for preparing the desired compound from "4-fluoro-3-trifluoromethylaniline" (hereinafter also referred to as "the starting aniline"), there may be mentioned processes described in (1) Japanese Provisional Patent Publication No. 125245/1976, (2) Japanese Provisional Patent Publication No. 246244/1991, (3) J. Med. Chem., vol. 25, pp. 1097 to 1101 (1982) and (4) Japanese Provisional Patent Publication No. 268658/1989.
Further, as a process for preparing 4-fluorophenol from 4-fluoroaniline which is an analogue of the starting aniline, there may be mentioned a process described in (5) Japanese Provisional Patent Publication No. 316544/1994.
In the publication (5), it is described that a 4-fluorobenzenediazonium salt derived from 4-fluoroaniline has poor heat stability and a fluorine group at 4-position relative to a diazonium group which is an electron attractive group is easily substituted by a hydroxyl group (a defluorination-hydroxylation reaction). However, it is described that a defluorination-hydroxylation reaction does not occur at 15.degree. to 25.degree. C.
However, it could be confirmed that in the case of the starting aniline, a trifluoromethyl group at 3-position relative to a diazonium group further activates a reactivity of a fluorine group at 4-position by a hydroxyl group, whereby a defluorination-hydroxylation reaction at 4-position occurs even at room temperature.
That is, the present inventors have isolated 2-trifluoromethyl-4-diazocyclohexa-2,5-dienone with a yield of 88% showing that a defluorination-hydroxylation reaction proceeds by preparing "a 4-fluoro-3-trifluoromethylbenzenediazonium salt" (hereinafter also referred to as "the diazonium salt"), retaining the diazonium salt at room temperature for 24 hours and then neutralizing it with sodium carbonate according to a method as shown in Reference example 1 described below.
It is considered that the reason why the diazonium salt is extremely unstable in this case is not merely that its stability to temperature is poor but that such a problem is caused by neutralization operation using sodium carbonate.
Even in the case of a method in which the diazonium salt is retained at 0.degree. to 5.degree. C. at which better temperature stability is given as compared with retention at room temperature as shown in Comparative example 5 described below, an amount of the desired compound is reduced by 42% after 24 hours.
From these two facts, it can be seen that a main side reaction is a defluorination-hydroxylation reaction of the diazonium salt due to heat.
Also, from a result of preparing the diazonium salt by the process described in the publication (4) and examining the stability of the diazonium salt at 0.degree. C., it has been found that the same by-product as described above is produced with the lapse of time (it was produced by about 15% in 24 hours) to lower the yield of the desired compound.
Therefore, it has been clarified that when the diazonium salt is prepared from the starting aniline under preparation conditions of 4-fluoro-3-trifluoromethylphenol described in the publication (4), there is a problem that the yield of the diazonium salt is lowered by a side reaction in which fluorine at 4-position is subjected to a defluorination-hydroxylation reaction, whereby lowering of the yield of the desired compound is brought about.
From the foregoing, it has been found that in order to heighten the yield of the desired compound, it is extremely important to heighten the stability of the diazonium salt.
Incidentally, in the above publications and literature (1) to (4), the desired compound can be obtained through the respective steps of preparing "sulfate of the starting aniline" (hereinafter also referred to as "the starting aniline sulfate"), diazotizing the starting aniline sulfate and hydrolyzing the resulting diazonium salt. It has been considered that the diazotization reaction step is an exothermic reaction accompanied with high heat and the produced diazonium salt has poor heat stability so that a method of effecting a diazotization reaction at 0.degree. to 10.degree. C. has been used.
However, a time required for preparing the desired compound on an industrial level is much longer than a time required on an experimental level as in the above publications and literature (1) to (4).
This fact means that lowering of the yield of the desired compound is brought about in industrial production.
Incidentally, one of the important factors for reducing fixed cost in industrial production of the desired compound is to heighten a substrate concentration in order to heighten productivity.
Although the diazonium salt concentrations described in the publications (1) and (2) are high, an isolation yield is as low as 52% in the publication (1), and it is described in the publication (2) that the desired compound was obtained with a yield of 85%, but the desired compound could be obtained only with a reaction yield of 25% in a tracing experiment by the present inventors.
In tracing experiments of the literature (3) and the publication (4) by the present inventors, it could be confirmed that the desired compound could be obtained with a high yield and a yield at 0.degree. C. after 24 hours of the literature (3) is not decreased, but productivity was poor due to a low diazonium salt concentration.
The desired compound is obtained through the steps of preparing sulfate of the starting aniline, diazotizing the sulfate and hydrolyzing the resulting diazonium salt.
Therefore, in the case where a substrate concentration is heightened, in the step of preparing the starting aniline (an exothermic reaction), such a fear that the starting aniline sulfate is precipitated (scaling) in a reaction tank during cooling to the temperature (0.degree. to 5.degree. C.) of a diazotization reaction, and a thermal conductivity coefficient is lowered to worsen a cooling effect is increased. Further, the diazotization reaction is an exothermic reaction so that a diazotizing agent is reacted under cooling. When excessive cooling is effected, a part of the starting aniline sulfate which has been dissolved is reprecipitated, and further, inorganic substances such as sodium sulfate are precipitated, whereby a cooling efficiency is worsened.
As temperature is controlled strictly so that excessive cooling is not effected in order to avoid such a fear, a time required for adding a diazotizing agent is elongated.
Thus, when a substrate concentration is heightened, long and strict temperature control is required, and various troubles are liable to be caused.
Due to the troubles, the yield of the desired compound is lowered.
As described above, in the above publications and literature (1) to (4), processes for preparing the desired compound are described, but it is not disclosed that the yield of the desired compound greatly depends on the stability of the diazonium salt in a process for preparing the desired compound on an industrial scale.
That is, in the above publications and literature (1) to (4), it is not disclosed that the stability of the diazonium salt is intended to be heightened and the desired compound can be obtained with a high yield by using the diazonium salt retained at a high concentration.

Process for preparing 4-fluoro-3-trifluoromethylphenol


A security device for locking a wheel of a vehicle includes first and second generally L-shaped clamp members adjustably positioned on a transversely extending cross member. The L-shaped members are moved toward each other to clampingly engage a steering wheel or road wheel of a vehicle. A lock assembly is slideably disposed within an open end of one of the L-shaped clamp members. The lock assembly includes a lock pin which engages apertures, openings or holes in the cross member.

The present invention relates to vehicle security and safety devices and, more particularly, to a wheel lock adapted to lock the steering wheel and/or a road wheel of a vehicle.
A wide variety of devices are available to prevent or discourage vehicle theft. Alarm systems have been proposed which sound an alarm in the event of an unauthorized entry. These systems may also disable the ignition or fuel systems of a motorized vehicle in an attempt to prevent drive-away theft. Alarm systems can be disabled and generally do not prevent tow-away theft.
Mechanical devices have been proposed to prevent movement of the vehicle or to prevent full use of the steering wheel. Mechanical devices may also be used by police enforcement agencies to prevent movement of a vehicle if it has been involved in a violation. Many of these mechanical devices clamp onto a wheel of the vehicle. If an attempt is made to drive or move the vehicle, the device will prevent wheel rotation by contacting the vehicle frame or undercarriage. Such clamp-like devices may be used on powered and nonpowered vehicles including cars, trucks, trailers, motorcycles and bicycles. Examples of such prior devices may be found in Wade U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,359 entitled WHEEL LOCK, which issued on Sep. 6, 1988; Aspell U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,462 entitled LOCKING CLAMP FOR A TRAILER TIRE-CARRYING WHEEL AND THE LIKE, which issued on Apr. 11, 1989; and Bethards U.S. Pat. No. 5,134,868 entitled WHEEL LOCKING DEVICE FOR ALL TYPES OF VEHICLES, which issued on Aug. 4, 1992.
Other mechanical devices have been proposed which attach to the vehicle steering wheel. Such devices are elongated members which limit wheel movement and, hence, restrict or limit drive-away theft.
A need exists for a vehicle security and safety device which is adapted for use with a full range of powered and nonpowered vehicles, which is usable with a steering wheel or a road wheel, which includes a lock assembly which restricts, prevents or limits tampering and which is relatively easy to manufacture and use.


A solid state PET module for retrofitting to a standalone CT scanner generally includes a housing that is insertable into at least a portion of a bore opening of a gantry of the CT scanner. The housing includes a number of PET coincidence detectors, which are preferably solid state APD detectors. The module may include a base for supporting the module on a floor or platform of the CT scanner, or may be in the form of a disk securably fastened to the CT scanner gantry.

Nuclear medicine is a unique medical specialty wherein radiation is used to acquire images which show the function and anatomy of organs, bones or tissues of the body. Radiopharmaceuticals are introduced into the body, either by injection or ingestion, and are attracted to specific organs, bones or tissues of interest. Such radiopharmaceuticals produce gamma photon emissions which emanate from the body and are captured by a scintillation crystal, with which the photons interact to produce flashes of light or "events." Events are detected by an array of photodetectors, such as photomultiplier tubes, and their spatial locations or positions are calculated and stored. In this way an image of the organ or tissue under study is created from detection of the distribution of the radioisotopes in the body.
In nuclear imaging, a patient is injected with or swallows a radioactive isotope which has an affinity for a particular organ structure or tissue of the body. Gamma rays are then emitted from the body part of interest are collimated by a collimator so that only gamma photons travelino in a direction perpendicular to the surface of a detector head are allowed to impinge on the detector head, and are detected by a gamma camera apparatus including the detector head, which forms an image of the organ based on the detected concentration and distribution of the radioactive isotope within the body part of interest. Nuclear images may be obtained using SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography), or PET (Positron Emission Tomography). SPECT produces multiple image "slices" from single gamma photons, each slice representing a different plane in a three-dimensional region such that when the slices are considered collectively, a three-dimensional image of the region may be studied.
PET is used to produce images for diagnosing the biochemistry or physiology of a specific organ, tumor or other metabolically active site. Measurement of the tissue concentration of a positron emitting radionuclide is based on coincidence detection of the two gamma photons arising from positron annihilation. When a positron is annihilated by an electron, two 511 keV gamma photons are simultaneously produced and travel in approximately opposite directions. Gamma photons produced by an annihilation event can be detected by a pair of oppositely disposed radiation detectors capable of producing a signal in response to the interaction of the gamma photons with a scintillation crystal. Annihilation events are typically identified by a time coincidence between the detection of the two 511 keV gamma photons in the two oppositely disposed detectors, i.e., the gamma photon emissions are detected virtually simultaneously by each detector. When two oppositely disposed gamma photons each strike an oppositely disposed detector to produce a time coincidence event, they also identify a line of response, or LOR, along which the annihilation event has occurred. An example of a PET method and apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,858,847, which patent is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Another known tomography system is computed axial tomography (CAT, or now also referred to as CT, XCT, or x-ray CT). In CT, an external x-ray source is caused to be passed around a patient. Detectors around the patient then respond to the x-ray transmission through the patient to produce an image of the area of study. Unlike PET, which is an emission tomography technique because it relies on detecting radiation emitted from inside the patient, CT is a transmission tomography technique which utilizes a radiation source external to the patient. CT provides images of the internal structures of the body, such as the bones, whereas PET, as described above, provides images of the functional or metabolic aspects of organs or tissues of the body.
A CT scanner uses a similar mechanical setup as a PET scanner. However, unlike PET, a CT scanner requires a source of x-ray radiation mounted opposite a detector. In third-generation computed tomography systems, the CT detector and x-ray source are mounted on diametrically opposite sides of a gantry which is rotated around the patient as the patient traverses the tunnel of the gantry.
The x-ray source of a CT imaging device typically emits a fan-shaped beam of x-rays which pass through the patient and are received by an array of detectors. As the x-rays pass through the patient, they are attenuated as a function of the densities of objects in their path. The output signal generated by each detector is representative of the electron densities of all objects between the x-ray source and the detector.
The CT detectors can utilize scintillator crystals which are sensitive to the energy level of the x-rays. Multiple light pulses produced by each scintillator crystal as it interacts with the x-rays are integrated to produce an output signal which is related to the number of the x-rays sensed by the scintillator crystal. The individual output signals are then collectively processed to generate a CT image. Other detectors can be used in CT tomographs. For example, a solid state silicon diode can be used to detect the low energy x-rays directly.
CT imaging is generally suited for providing anatomical and structural information, whereas PET is more adept for studying the biochemistry or physiology of a specific organ, tumor or other metabolically active site. Consequently, it is particularly useful in certain studies such as oncological, neurological and cardiovascular studies to use PET imaging for diagnostic purposes, and to align or register the nuclear image with a medical image from another modality such as CT, which offers better anatomical information. Such a fused image, for example, enables clinicians to determine the anatomical position of a lesion displayed by the nuclear image more accurately and the organs and structures that are affected can be ascertained with a higher degree of accuracy and confidence.
Hybrid imaging devices, which combine the functional sensitivity of PET with the anatomical detail of diagnostic multi-slice CT in a single, integral imaging device generally are known in the art, see, e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,449,331, 6,490,476 and 6,631,284, incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. However, such integrated devices are costly and impractical for diagnostic service providers that already possess stand alone-type CT imaging devices. Indeed, it may not be economically feasible for a diagnostic service provider to purchase a new, integrated hybrid device when such individual already possesses a stand alone-type CT imaging device. Additionally, in many instances, clinicians may have already constructed special buildings or rooms with which to house their existing stand alone-type CT imaging device such that the purchase of a new hybrid device may require the demolition and/or construction of a new building or room—which can be undesirable and/or cost prohibitive. Consequently, there is a need for a mobile compact SPECT imaging device that can be retrofitted with an existing stand alone-type CT imaging device to thereby form a hybrid device.

Solid state based PET retrofit for a CT scanner


A folding table is comprised of a platform connected by hinges to mounting brackets that partially wrap around the vertical supports of a handrail. Slits extend down from the upper edges of the brackets to mate with slits extending up from the lower edges of locking plates on an opposite side of the vertical supports. One of the mounting bracket is a vertically elongated bracket. A folding diagonal brace comprised of upper and lower braces is connected between a lower side of the platform and the elongated bracket. A lower pin at the lower end of the upper brace is positioned through a longitudinal slot in the lower brace. An upper pin on the upper brace is positioned in a coiled slot at an upper end of the lower brace when the platform is fully raised and the diagonal brace is straightened.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention broadly relates to folding tables.
2. Prior Art
Folding tables are convenient for supporting things when needed, and compacting for occupying a smaller space when not in use. Some folding tables are designed for attaching to a vertical structure, such as the support rods of a handrail. U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,993 to Vincelli discloses a folding table with a hinged tabletop screwed to a mounting plate positioned on the opposite side of the support rods. The leg is inserted into a sleeve under the tabletop, so that the leg must be detached for folding. The table is not easily removable from the handrail. U.S. Pat. No. 2,483,899 to Grasso and U.S. Pat. No. 2,249,403 to Stollsteimer each show a folding table with a convenient folding diagonal brace, but the table is still permanently attached to the support by bolts.


A field emission cathode has particular use in a light source. The light source includes an evacuated container having walls, at least a portion of which consists of an outer glass layer which on at least a major part thereof is coated on the inside with a layer of phosphor forming a luminescent layer and a conductive layer forming an anode. The layer of phosphor is excited to luminescence by electron bombardment from a field emission cathode located in the interior of the container. A modulator electrode is arranged between the cathode and the anode for creating an electrical field necessary for the emission of electrons. The field emission cathode, includes a base body, and field emitting bodies extending from the base body. The base body includes a longitudinally extending core having a central axis. The field emitting bodies are elongate and are distributed along at least a part of the length of the core, extend radially outwards from the core, and have free ends provided with field emitting surfaces.

Creating light has always fascinated man. Great efforts have been made to develop and improve different light sources.
One interesting type of light sources is the fluorescent tube. It has many advantages, but suffers from serious drawbacks. For example, there is always a delay after the power has been turned on until it starts to operate giving full light. It needs complicated control equipment, which requires space. To obtain light with a source of this kind it is unfortunately necessary to use materials having negative environmental effects.
Cathodoluminescent light sources is also an interesting type of light sources. Such light sources, including an evacuated envelope containing a grid and a heated cathode, for emission of electrons, are known from GB, A, 2 070 849 (The General Electric Company Limited), GB, A, 2 097 181 (The General Electric Company PLC), GB, A, 2 126 006 (The General Electric Company plc) and GB, A, 2 089 561 (The General Electric Company Limited). The insides of the envelopes are covered with a layer of phosphor of an electron-responsive type. These cathodoluminescent lamps have essentially the form of an electric bulb.
Since these light sources all have a heated cathode, the cathode has to be heated by special means, before the emission of light starts.
The use of electrons exciting phosphor to luminescence has the effect that more heat is produced than in comparable fluorescent tubes. It is therefore advantageous if the active surface, for the emission of light and for the necessary heat dissipation, is large. The cathodoluminescent lamps shown in the documents mentioned do not have optimal surfaces.
A light source of the kind mentioned in the first paragraph above is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,893 (Kentucky Research and Investment Company Limited). A field emission cathode is arranged inside an evacuated glass container having a luminescent layer arranged on its inner surface. A modulator is provided between the cathode and the luminescent layer. The cathode includes carbon fibers, arranged in bundles, preferably in a matrix, on a substrate. This light source is considered to be the prior art closest to the invention concerning a light source. The content of U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,893 is incorporated herein by reference.
However in the last-mentioned known light source, electrons are emitted only in a direction perpendicular to the substrate. Also there is no indication in the document how to produce the light source in a cost-efficient way.
The above mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,588,893 (Kentucky Research and Investment Company Limited) also discloses a field emission cathode of the kind mentioned above. The cathode disclosed includes carbon fibers, arranged in bundles, preferably in a matrix, on a substrate. The document also discloses a method including treatment of the emitting surfaces in order to achieve a cathode with higher efficiency than previous cathodes. This cathode is considered to be the prior art closest to the invention concerning a cathode.
Further, DE, C2, 40 02 049 (Deutsche Forschnungsanstalt fur Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.) discloses an electron emitting source including a cathode which comprises small, felted or fabric plates, spaced apart from each other. The plates can consist of felted carbon fibers, and be arranged on a cylindrical cathode body The use is for irradiating a medium with electrons.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,272,699 (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Forderung der Wissenschaften e.V.) discloses a field emission cathode in an electron impact ion source for an instrument such as a mass spectrometer or molecular beam detector. The cathode has angular configuration, and includes bundles of carbon fibers, with their emitting surfaces directed inwards.
Previously known field emission cathodes are often of a complicated and fragile construction, especially as concerns the mountings and the attachment of field emitting bodies.
It has been found in connection with cathodes including fibers that the electrical fields acting between the cathode and a grid or an anode will cause individual fibers to get loose from their carrier if they are not safely secured thereto. Once loose, the fibers will, in most cases, be attracted by the grid and cause a short circuit between the cathode and the grid, until it burns oft after some time due to the resulting current through the fiber.

Light source including a field emission cathode, and a field emission cathode


A defoaming agent composition containing: (a) from about 10 to about 25% by weight of a microcrystalline wax having a melting point of from about 75 to about 95.degree. C.; and (b) from about 1 to about 5% by weight of an emulsifier selected from the group consisting of alkoxylated sorbitan mono/di/trioleate, alkoxylated sorbitol hexaoleate, sorbitan mono/di/trioleate, polyethylene glycol dioleate, polyethylene glycol distearate, block copolymers of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, and mixtures thereof; and (c) remainder, water, all weights being based on the weight of the composition.

Foaming in aqueous systems causes various kinds of problems in production processes in various industries, such as a decrease in productivity, an increase of defective products, a decrease in the packing ratio of products, and the like. In the pulp production industry, large amounts of foam producing substances are contained in the process water which result in the formation of problem-causing foam.
In the Kraft pulping process, pulp (wood chips) is cooked under pressure in a mixed solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide and everything other than the fiber in the wood is removed and dissolved in the solution to obtain the pulp product. The process water from the digestion process, typically referred to as black liquor, contains large amounts of sodium salts of the lignin and other components including resin.
These components possess foam forming properties during the separation process from the pulp and therefore cause problems during the pulp production process. This problem is also realized when the above-described black liquor, which remains in the separated pulp, is washed from the pulp.
Thus, as described above, the foaming caused during the pulp washing and screening processes after the digestion of the pulp feedstock results in a decrease in the efficiency of the pulp forming process. Similarly, the foaming which occurs in the papermaking process also causes various problems, such as a decrease in the strength of the paper produced, the quality of the paper made due to the presence of spots thereon, and breaks in the paper while travelling through the paper machine.
Various types of defoaming agents are presently being used in the pulp and paper manufacturing industries. However, high temperature defoaming agents are primarily oil based, either silicone and/or mineral, and are thus not environmentally friendly. Also, since they are oil based they are not readily water dispersable, resulting in their coagulation during the pulping and/or papermaking processes.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a defoaming composition and process which, while effective, is environmentally friendly, especially with regard to process waters with elevated temperatures.

Use of microcrystalline wax and low foaming emulsifiers as defoamers