Methods are provided for using a compound to treat, for example, endothelial dysfunction including vascular abnormalities. More specifically, methods are described for using an oligosaccharide compound or glycomimetic compound wherein a cyclohexane derivative is incorporated in either.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to methods for using oligosaccharide mimics, and more particularly for using oligosaccharide mimics wherein a cyclohexane derivative is incorporated.
2. Description of the Related Art
Naturally occurring monosaccharides and oligosaccharides play a role, or are capable of playing a role, in a variety of biological processes. In certain cases, non-naturally occurring monosaccharides and oligosaccharides may serve to replace or even improve upon their naturally occurring counterparts. Monosaccharides and particularly oligosaccharides may be difficult, and thus costly, to produce. Even where the degree of difficulty to produce is not particularly elevated, the production of monosaccharides and oligosaccharides may still nevertheless be costly. This problem is multiplied where a costly monosaccharide or oligosaccharide needs to be mass produced. While mimics of monosaccharides and oligosaccharides ("glycomimetics") may improve upon their biological properties, the cost of producing the mimics may not be significantly reduced relative to that which they mimic. The mimics used herein have reduced production cost or reduced complexity.
Endothelial dysfunction, including vascular abnormalities, is associated with a number of diseases. Diabetes is an example of such a disease. There is a need for improvements in the treatment of diabetes or symptoms or complications associated therewith.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for new methods for treating diabetes or symptoms or complications associated therewith. The present invention fulfills these needs and further provides other related advantages.

Methods of use of glycomimetics with replacements for hexoses and n-acetyl hexosamines


A method of preparing a gap filler agent includes adding a halosilane to a basic solvent, and, to the basic solvent and the halosilane, adding ammonia in an amount of about 50 to about 70 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the halosilane at a rate of about 1 g/hr to about 15 g/hr.

1. Field
Embodiments relate to a method of preparing a gap filler agent, a gap filler agent prepared using the same, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor capacitor using a gap filler agent.
2. Description of the Related Art
Semiconductor devices may include features variously disposed on a substrate. During fabrication of a semiconductor device, certain features of the device may be formed by depositing, and subsequently removing, one or more layers of materials.

Process of preparing a gap filler agent, a gap filler agent prepared using same, and a method for manufacturing semiconductor capacitor using the gap filler agent


A rotary hybrid bearing that utilizes both hydrostatic and hydrodynamic principles to support a rotatable shaft in which lubricating fluid is fed through orifices or other flow restriction devices to a plurality of recesses, and finally across lands and out of the bearing. The shaft is rotated in such a direction as to pump the fluid back through grooves from lands to recesses, thereby reducing the flow rate of lubricant through the bearing. The recesses are located at an angular position from lands such that a force is generated by hydrostatic action that substantially cancels the destabilizing force generated by hydrodynamic action, thereby greatly enhancing the stability of the bearing and enabling higher rotational speeds.

Hybrid bearings have been widely used in many applications ranging from machine tool spindles to high-speed turbomachinery. Particularly in machine tool spindles that use air or water as the lubricating fluid, the bearings are likely to experience deleterious combined hydrostatic and hydrodynamic effects. The speed with which these spindles can operate is often considerably less than the desired speed because of the stability limitations of the bearings. A bearing with enhanced stability, such as provided by the present invention, later explained, would enable higher speeds and advance the start-of-the-art in high-speed machining applications. In optics grinding applications, for example, the ability to achieve higher speeds would enable a higher level surface finish and a greater quality of optics. In milling applications, as another example, the ability to achieve higher spindle speeds would enable higher rates of material removal and lower manufacturing costs.
There are many turbomachinery applications, furthermore, in which hybrid bearings are attractive. Hybrid fluid film bearings are predominantly used in turbopumps used to pump cryogenic fluids such as liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen (See, for example, "Hydrostatic Bearings for Cryogenic Rocket Engines" by J. M. Reddecliff and J. H. Vohr, Journal of Lubrication Technology, July 1969, pp. 557-575). Again, however, such machines are limited in their speed capabilities due to stability limitations of the bearings. An improved bearing that could be used to achieve higher speeds would also enable such machines to be built with reduced size and weight and higher pump efficiencies.
Conventional hybrid bearings utilize orifices or capillaries to compensate multi-recess journal bearings with, generally, rectangular recesses. The recesses help to establish more uniform hydrostatic pressure as well as interrupt the circumferential fluid flow to reduce the destabilizing hydrodynamic bearing forces generated by the rotation of the shaft. Destabilizing forces, however, are prevalent in these bearings and so they are limited in the maximum speed that they can achieve. Researchers and inventors have focused on improving the stability of these bearings in recent years; and although some improvement has been made in conventional design by orienting the orifices at an angle and by making minor changes to the shape of the bearing recesses (See, for example, "Experimental Test Results for Four High-Speed, High-Pressure, Orifice-Compensated Hybrid Bearings" by N. M. Franchek and D. W. Childs, Journal of Tribology, Vol. 116, January 1994, pp. 147-153), stability problems still exist.

Hybrid combined hydrostatic and hydrodynamic bearing with enhanced stability and reduced flow rate


A method, apparatus, and computer program product for mapping a first structured information format to a second structured information format, which allows a user to interactively define the mapping. The present invention operates as a user tool by accepting interactive input from a user of a source input, by processing the input to display the source input in a format for accepting and processing user commands to create or edit a transformation map of source components to target components. Interactive user input is then accepted and processed for selection of an input file to be transformed and selection of a transformation map to be used for the requested transformation. Interactive user input is accepted and processed for selection of individual components of the first structured information format for mapping, and for selection of options for the target components. Exemplary options for the target components are a null value, the source component itself, a single selected target component, or plural selected target components. Interactive user input is accepted for processing to assign attribute values to components of the second structured information format. Exemplary options for the sources of attribute values are attribute values obtained from the source components, system attribute values, no value, attribute values input interactively by the user, and content of element. Interactive user input is then accepted and processed to initiate processing of a transformation of the source input file in the first structured information format to a target output file in the second structured information format.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to mapping structured information to different structured information. The present invention relates more specifically to processing a document encoded in a markup language format, a database information format, an ISO/IEC 9070 naming scheme, a UNIX file name scheme, or a DOS file name scheme, transforming it into another markup language format, another database information format, an ISO/IEC 9070 naming scheme, a UNIX file name scheme, or a DOS file name scheme. The invention is more specifically related to a method and apparatus for mapping in which a user interactively defines the mapping for the transformation.
2. Discussion of the Background
Standard Generalized Markup Language ("SGML") is an information management standard adopted by the International Organization for Standardization ("ISO"), as ISO 8879:1986, as a means for providing platform-independent and application-independent documents that retain content, indexing, and linked information. SGML provides a grammarlike mechanism for users to define the structure of their documents and the tags they will use to denote the structure in individual documents. A complete description of SGML is provided in Goldfarb, C. F., The SGML Handbook, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1990, and McGrath, S., Parseme.1st: SGML for Software Developers, Prentice Hall PTR, New Jersey, 1998, which are incorporated herein by reference.
HyperText Markup Language ("HTML") is an application of SGML that uses tags to mark elements, such as text or graphics, in a document to indicate how Web browsers should display these elements to the user and should respond to user actions such as activation of a link by means of a key press or mouse click. HTML is used for documents on the World Wide Web. HTML 2.0, defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force ("IETF"), includes features of HTML common to all Web browsers as of 1995, and was the first version of HTML widely used on the World Wide Web. Future HTML development will be carried out by the World Wide Web Consortium ("W3C"). HTML 3.2, the latest proposed standard, incorporates features widely implemented as of early 1996. A description of SGML and HTML features is given in Bradley, N., The Concise <SGML> Companion, Addison Wesley Longman, New York, 1997, which is incorporated herein by reference.
A markup language generally is a set of codes in a text file that instruct a computer how to format non-code text, graphics, or other types of files on a printer, video display, or other output device, or how to index and link its contents. From a historical perspective, the word "markup" is carried over from the setting in which a scrivener creates a document in handwritten form and hands it off to a secretary for processing into typewritten text. In creating and proofreading documents to get them into their final form, the scrivener or human word processor makes annotations or marks on intermediate documents to indicate operations such as converting upper case to lower case or vice versa, centering text, requesting text to be in bold format or italic format, and requesting a new paragraph with a symbol to denote the new paragraph format.
Markup languages typically provide symbolic means for accomplishing effects similar to those described above by insertion of tags in the text. For example, in HTML, a `<P>` inserted in a string of text denotes a new paragraph to be formatted. End tags typically turn off a particular requested format. In HTML, a `</P>` denotes the end of the current paragraph. A `<B>` denotes turning on a bold format for the text that follows. A `</B>` denotes turning off a bold format for the text that follows. Markup languages generally are designed to enable documents and other files to be platform-independent and highly portable between applications.
ISO and the International Electrotechnical Commission ("IEC") form a specialized system for worldwide standardization. ISO/IEC 9070:1991(E) is an international standard which is applied to an assignment of unique owner prefixes to owners of public text conforming to ISO 8879. The standard describes the procedures for making an assignment and the method for constructing registered owner names from them. Procedures for self-assignment of owner prefixes by standards bodies and other organizations are also specified. ISO/IEC 9070:1991(E) is incorporated herein by reference.
UNIX and DOS are well-known operating systems for computers. Both UNIX and DOS support a file naming scheme which involve a path from a root directory, through descendant directories, to leaf nodes which are non-directory file names.
Processing systems are known in which a data processor converts a document encoded in a markup language automatically to another format. For example, Balise software from Computing Art, Inc. processes documents encoded in SGML to convert them to a formatted output for user viewing. However, this software does not allow the user to interactively define the mapping of SGML tags to another format.

Method and apparatus for mapping structured information to different structured information


A tablet for oral administration of nutritional indium comprises about 10–50 mg indium sulfate, about 4–20 mg caffeine, about 2–10% by weight cocoa powder, and about 5–10% by weight ethyl cellulose, in combination with about 50–150 μg of each of zinc oxide, copper (II) oxide, magnesium oxide, potassium iodide, selenium amino acid chelate, chromium amino acid chelate and manganese amino acid chelate.

Indium is a very soft silver-white metal having an atomic number of 49 and atomic number of about 115. Indium is available in several forms including bar, foil, pieces, powder, nano-sized activated powder, rod, shot, sheet, and wire. The use of indium for industrial applications is widely documented. Indium is generally found in combination with lead compounds. The use of indium as a nutritional supplement is not well known, but purified indium salts that are free of lead salts are known. Such purified indium salts are used in trace quantities as supplements for human consumption for stimulating metabolism.
Several attempts have been made to introduce indium in a digestible form. For example, Bonadio, U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,847 discloses the administration of indium sulfate as a human nutritional supplement. According to Bonadio, U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,847, indium sulfate must be administered either as a solution or as a lozenge which is pre-dissolved in the mouth. Indium sulfate must be taken on an empty stomach and with no other supplement or dietary ingredient mixed with indium sulfate.
Indium sulfate has a bitter, metallic taste which makes it generally unsuitable for administration in the preferred, liquid form disclosed by Bonadio, U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,847. While an indium sulfate tablet would be greatly preferred, Bonadio, U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,847 discloses that because indium sulfate is extremely hygroscopic, it absorbs water and ruins its packaging when formed into pills, capsules and tablets. Bonadio, U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,847 has further disclosed indium sulfate and any GRAS approved indium compounds are poorly absorbed when taken orally.
The applicant of this invention has overcome the above described difficulties by providing a compressed tablet comprising indium salts for oral administration.

Indium supplement compositions and methods therefor


Various methods, devices, and systems are described for aerosolizing a liquid. Embodiments may include sealing the liquid within a reservoir. An output waveform signal may be generated. A nebulizer element may be vibrated to aerosolize the liquid. A negative pressure may be produced within the reservoir as the liquid is aerosolized. The output waveform signal may cause the nebulizer element to vibrate. Embodiments may involve determining a phase shift between a current of the output waveform signal and a voltage of the output waveform signal. Also, embodiments may involve adjusting a frequency of the output waveform signal at least partially based on the phase shift. Further, embodiments may involve adjusting the voltage of the output waveform signal at least partially based on the frequency of the output waveform signal.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to nebulizers. In particular, the present invention relates to use of a variable voltage and frequency driver for at nebulizer having a sealed liquid drug reservoir capable of maintaining a negative internal bias pressure.
A wide variety of procedures have been proposed to deliver a drug to a patient. In some drag delivery procedures the drag is a liquid and is dispensed in the form of fine liquid droplets for inhalation by a patient. A patient may inhale the drug for absorption through lung tissue. Further, the droplets forming the atomized mist may need to be very small to travel through small airways of the lungs. Such a mist may be formed by a nebulizer.

Systems and methods for driving sealed nebulizers


A method and system that registers data carried by a watermark with a server, reads watermark data from a document and generates an action string if a watermark read from a document matches registered data. In one embodiment the system includes two servers. Registration is done on one server via the internet the registration data is sent to a second server. The second server is interrogated via a local area network (LAN) to determine if particular watermark data is registered. The LAN allows data carried on documents such as tickets to be authenticated very quickly. In a second embodiment, there are multiple registration servers, each of which registers a different sets of watermark data. The compartmentalization of data increases security and privacy of data.

The technology for inserting digital watermarks in documents and the technology for detecting and reading digital watermarks that are embedded in documents is well developed. Furthermore, methods and systems for linking to internet sites in response to physical objects that contain watermarks are known. For example see co-pending application Ser. No. 09/571,422 May 15, 2000 entitled "Methods and Systems for Controlling Computers or Linking to Internet Resources from Physical and Electronic Objects" the content of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
It is also noted that a system marketed by Digimarc Corporation under the trademark "Media-Bridge" includes a central computer which accepts and registers identification numbers and associated action strings, and software which reads a watermark containing an identification number. When a watermark is read, the data base is interrogated via the Internet to locate a previously registered action string, and a response is returned to the requesting software via the Internet.
In some situations, the turn around time between when a watermark is read and when a desired action occurs is very critical. For example, watermarks on a ticket for an event can be used to carry authentication data. The data carried by the watermark on the ticket can be compared to data registered on a server in order to authenticate the ticket. When a ticket is presented at an entry point for an event, the ticket must be authenticated very quickly. The present invention provides a system which can be used to very quickly authenticate documents such as tickets through a local area or a wide area network. The authentication is done without the use of communication via the Internet. Tickets may be sold at many different locations, hence, identification data is registered at a central site using the Internet. At a specified time, the registration data is downloaded to a computer data base at a local site where the tickets will be presented for entry to an event. At the time of the event, when the tickets are presented for authentication, the identification is done quickly for the local data base via a local area network (LAN). Data for tickets sold after the initial download can be downloaded as increments to the local data base.
In other situations, for security considerations, it is not desirable to store all the registration data in a single local data base. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a number of local computers which exchange data on a peer to peer basis. Thus the data can be compartmentalized for security reasons.
In still other situations, due to security and other considerations, it is desirable that all communication be over a local area or wide area network other than the Internet. The present invention provides a system that can operate on a local area network (LAN) or on a wide area network (WAN).

Distributed system for responding to watermarked documents


A tubing injector for injecting tubing (4) into a pipeline or bore or the like comprises: an annular piston for moving the tubing (4); a collet for gripping the tubing on movement of the piston in an injecting direction, the collet (14) and the tubing being movable with the piston, and the collet being releasable from the tubing (4) on movement of the piston in another direction, and a ratchet collet for preventing the tubing from being ejected.

The oil and gas industry makes wide use of coiled tubing, in for example well intervention, coiled tubing drilling and pipeline maintenance. In order to inject tubing into a well, and also pull it therefrom, a tubing injector must be provided on the surface. Conventional tubing injectors are large and heavy, and also relatively complex. The main reason for this is the very large pulling and injection forces required for the successful deployment of the tubing.
In order to repair sub-sea pipelines, coiled tubing can be injected through a hot tap while the pipeline is under a pressure of typically 100–200 bar. This tubing is used to deploy inflatable stoppers or plugs to isolate particular pipeline sections. By doing this, repairs can be made to the isolated sections without having to close down the entire pipeline, which as will be appreciated would incur considerable costs and cause considerable inconvenience.
A problem with existing injectors is that injection and indeed ejection of coiled tubing can be difficult to control when there is a pressure differential between the pipeline and the exterior of the tool. Typically, large injection and pulling forces are needed, which as noted above, means that equipment tends to be large and heavy. This can cause problems, because pipeline repairs often need to be done at short notice, anywhere in the world and deployed from a variety of support vessels. The need for rapid deployment means that it is important that tubing injectors are compact and can be easily broken down into small parts for transportation by conventional aircraft and/or helicopter. In addition, the injectors have to be simple enough to be reliable and easily stripped down and serviced in the field.
An object of at least one embodiment of the invention is to provide a simple and compact coiled tubing injector.


Pipetting device for metering liquids comprising a piston actuating rod, at least one receiver for a piston head arranged on one end of the piston actuating rod and which is defined by an abutment surface for the piston head in the axial direction of the piston actuating rod, and comprises a through-opening for a piston rod opposing said piston head and a base for supporting the piston head surrounding the through-opening, at least one cylinder with a hollow space, at least one seat for holding a pipette tip, at least one through-channel connecting the hollow space of a cylinder to a through-hole in a seat and at least one piston arranged longitudinally displaceably in a cylinder with a piston rod extending through the through-opening of a receiver and a piston head at the end of the piston rod arranged in the receiver, which is positioned on the base with a lower face facing the piston rod and comprises a resilient body projecting beyond the upper face facing away from the piston rod, which does not bear against the abutment surface in an elastically compressed manner or bears against the abutment surface in a partially elastically compressed manner.

The invention relates to a pipetting device for metering liquids.
Pipetting devices are used in laboratories for metering liquids. Air cushion pipettes have at least one integrated displacement unit comprising a cylinder and a piston arranged longitudinally displaceably therein. The hollow space of the cylinder is connected via a connecting channel to a through-hole in a seat for a pipette tip. By displacing the piston in the cylinder an air column may be displaced, in order to draw sample liquid into a pipette tip arranged sealingly on the seat and to eject sample liquid therefrom. In this connection, the displacement unit does not come into contact with the liquid. Only the pipette tip, which generally consists of plastics, is soiled and may be replaced after use,.
The piston is connected to a drive for displacing the piston within the cylinder. It is known to couple to the piston rod a piston actuating rod which may be driven manually or by means of an electromotive linear drive. The piston rod is inserted into a receiver of the piston actuating rod. Additionally, a spiral spring or helical spring is inserted into the receiver which rests against the piston spring in a pretensioned state, in order to avoid play.
The assembly cost for the known pipetting device is high, in particular because the exceptionally small spring is difficult to handle. This is also disadvantageous during use, for example when the user disassembles and reassembles the pipetting device for cleaning or autoclaving or for the replacement of faulty parts.
Proceeding therefrom, the object of the invention is to provide a pipetting device in which the assembly and disassembly of the piston actuating rod and displacement unit is associated with a lower cost.


The disclosure discloses a recorded matter producing apparatus comprising a data acquisition portion and an end adjusting portion. A printing head performs printing on a medium to be recorded and produce recorded matter where desired print based on print data is formed. The data acquisition portion acquires unit print data for periodically performing print formation per data print area and total length data. The data print area comprises a predetermined unit length. The total length data indicates a total length of a recorded matter print area on which a unit image corresponding to the unit print data is periodically printed. The end adjusting portion makes adjustments so as to match an end position both of the recorded matter print area and the data print area where the unit image is formed in a last sequence, by either print data mode adjustment or total length data adjustment.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a recorded matter producing apparatus that repeatedly prints print data at a predetermined unit length with respect to a transport direction of a print-receiving medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
A technique that continuously repeatedly forms print of identical contents based on identical print data along a longitudinal direction on a surface of a wound tape wound in a cylindrical shape is disclosed.
In repeated printing that continuously repeatedly prints identical print contents such as that of the prior art described above, the print length of one print object is normally arbitrarily set by the user. On the other hand, the length of an entire tape on which a plurality of the print objects is formed by the repeated printing is also normally set to an arbitrary length by the user.
Nevertheless, in a case where the print length and the total tape length are each arbitrarily individually set as described above, the possibility exists that the total tape length will not be an integer multiple of the print length. In such a case, when a print object is repeatedly printed per the print length from the start of the tape, there is a high possibility that formation of one print object at the tape end position will end halfway. In particular, in a case where the tape with print is wound into a roll shape, the halfway formed print object stands out at the tape end positioned on the outer circumference, marring the aesthetics.


A head stack assembly for a data recording disk drive has a carriage on which a coil is mounted. The carriage has a first surface and a second surface. A first head gimbal assembly is mounted on the first surface, and a second head gimbal assembly is mounted on the second surface. A datum member is formed on each of the surfaces of the carriage. The datum member is used to position each of the head gimbal assemblies on their respective surfaces. The datum member has two pins that engage apertures in the head gimbal assemblies. A pivot member is located in a separate aperture between the pins such that the head stack assembly is balanced at the center of the pivot member.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to an improved data recording device, and in particular to improving the fabrication of miniature data recording devices. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to solving various problems associated with the manufacture and assembly of the components of miniature data recording disk drives, such as the head stack assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hard disk drive devices have been used as a data recording device of a personal computer. With the advance of technology, a data recording density has been increased, and a size of a hard disk, i.e., a magnetic data recording disk and a size of a housing have been decreased. The examples of the size, i.e., a diameter, of the previous hard disk are 3.5 inches (95 mm), 2.5 inches (65 mm), 1.9 inches (48 mm) and 1.3 inches (34 mm).
Referring now to FIG. 1, the structure of a prior hard disk drive device 1 is shown. The major parts of device 1, such as a hard disk 2, a head stack assembly 3, a magnet 4, an outer crash stop 5 made of rubber, an inner crash stop 6 made of rubber, a flexible cable 7 and a control unit 8 mounted on the flexible cable 7, are mounted within a housing 9. The hard disk 2 is supported by a shaft 10 which is rotated by a spindle motor, not shown. The head stack assembly 3 is pivotally moved around a pivot point 12. A voice coil 11 is mounted on the head stack assembly 3. The voice coil 11 and the magnet 4 constitute a voice coil motor. A current supplied to the voice coil 11 is controlled to move the head stack assembly 3 along a radial direction indicated by an arrow xe2x80x9cAxe2x80x9d to position a head on a head slider assembly 13 on a data recording track on the hard disk 2 to read data from the data recording track or to write the data into the data recording track. Electrical conductive wires on the flexible cable 7 connect the head and the voice coil 11 to the control unit 8.
FIG. 2 shows a structure of the prior art head stack assembly 3. A plurality of head gimbal assemblies 14 and spacers 15 are stacked on a carriage 16. A screw 18 is used to align the head gimbal assemblies 14, the spacers 15 and the carriage 16. A pivot cartridge 19 is inserted into the aperture and is fixed by a nut 20. A circuit substrate 21 connected to the flexible cable 7 is fixed to the carriage 16 by a screw 22. Each of the head gimbal assembly 14 includes an extended plate 23 on which connecting pads, not shown, electrically connected to the head are arranged. The extended plate 23 is cantilevered from the head gimbal assembly 14. The connecting pads, not shown, which are connected to the connecting pads of the extended plate 23, are arranged on the circuit substrate 21 and are connected to electrically conductive wires on the flexible cable 7. Electrically conductive wires 26 of the voice coil 11 are connected to connecting pads, not shown, on the circuit substrate 21.
Head gimbal assembly 14 has a plurality of parts including an arm assembly 24 and a suspension load beam 25. The arm assemblies 24 and load beam 25 of each of the head gimbal assemblies 14 must be aligned in order to precisely align each of the heads with respect to a center of the pivot point. In the larger, prior art hard disk drive devices (such as 95 mm form factor and 65 form factor), an external positioning jig is used to align the arm member 24 and the suspension load beam 25 since the size of the head stack assembly 3 is relatively large. See Japanese patent application 9-264596 (IBM Docket No.JA9-97-161), assigned to the assignee of the present invention. It is noted that the form factor represents the outer size or dimension of the housing of the hard disk drive device. The 95 mm form factor indicates the size, i.e., a width, a length and a height of the housing containing the 3.5 inch (95 mm) hard disk, and the 65 mm form factor indicates the size, i.e., a width, a length and a height of the housing containing the 2.5 inch (65 mm) hard disk.
The smaller hard disk drive devices, such as the 34 mm form factor (the size of the housing including the 34 mm (1.3 inches) hard disk) or the 27 mm form factor (the size of the housing including the 27 mm (1.0 inches) hard disk), have been recently developed. One problem associated with small size hard disk drive devices is that it is difficult to assemble the head gimbal assembly 14 on the carriage by using the external positioning jig since the size of the head gimbal assembly 14 is very small. Therefore, it is desirable to assemble the head gimbal assembly 14 on the carriage without using the external positioning jig.
Another problem associated with small disk drive devices is that it is difficult to assemble the discrete, inner and outer crash stops 5, 6 within the small space of the housing. A third problem with small disk drive devices is that it is difficult to affix the circuit plate 21 to the carriage 16 with the screw 22. A fourth problem with small disk drive devices is that it is difficult to connect the wires of the voice coil 11 to the connecting pads on the circuit substrate 21. Thus, there is a need to improve the ability to fabricate and assemble miniature hard disk drive devices.
A head stack assembly for a data recording disk drive has a carriage on which a coil is mounted. The carriage has a first surface and a second surface. A first head gimbal assembly is mounted on the first surface, and a second head gimbal assembly is mounted on the second surface. A datum member is formed on each of the surfaces of the carriage. The datum member is used to position each of the head gimbal assemblies on their respective surfaces. The datum member has two pins that engage apertures in the head gimbal assemblies. A pivot member is located in a separate aperture between the pins such that the head stack assembly is balanced at the center of the pivot member.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved data recording device.
It is an additional object of the present invention to improve the fabrication of miniature data recording devices.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide techniques for solving various problems associated with the manufacture and assembly of the components of miniature data recording disk drives, such as the head stack assembly.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, in view of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawings.

System for improved assembly and manufacture of miniature data recording devices and head stack assemblies

International Business Machines Corporation


Query rewrite techniques are provided for rewriting an aggregate query with multiple groupings using multiple summary tables. The rewrite is accomplished by expanding the aggregate query into an equivalent UNION ALL query with multiple subqueries, each containing a single grouping. One or more of the subqueries is then rewritten to reference a summary table. Thus, a grouping of an aggregate query is derived by executing a subquery that either scans the summary table for the grouping, like in the exact-match mode, or by performing a roll-up operation, like in the roll-up mode. In addition, if the grouping of some of the subqueries cannot be derived from a summary table, subqueries are combined into another subquery that computes groupings from the base tables of the aggregate query.

In a database management system (DBMS), data is stored in one or more data containers, each container contains records, and the data within each record is organized into one or more fields. In relational database systems, the data containers are referred to as tables, the records are referred to as rows, and the fields are referred to as columns. In object oriented databases, the data containers are referred to as object classes, the records are referred to as objects, and the fields are referred to as attributes. Other database architectures may use other terminology.
The present invention is not limited to any particular type of data container or database architecture. However, for the purpose of explanation, the examples and the terminology used herein shall be that typically associated with relational databases. Thus, the terms "table", "row" and "column" shall be used herein to refer respectively to the data container, record, and field.
In a database used for "data warehousing" or "decision support", it is common for identical or closely related queries to be issued frequently. For example, a business may periodically generate reports that summarize the business facts stored in the DBMS, such as: "What have been the best selling brands of soft drinks in each of our sales regions, during the past six months?".
To respond to such queries, the DBMS typically has to perform numerous join, aggregation and ranking operations. The join, aggregation and ranking operations are performed to compute sum of sales and ranking to get the top selling brands.
When a DBMS contains very large amounts of data, certain queries processed by the DBMS can take an unacceptably long time to execute.

Union all rewrite for aggregate queries with grouping sets


A product-sum device has a data register and a coefficient register and calculates the sum of products of the outputs of the data register and coefficient register. The data register has register elements that successively shift presently held data whenever new data is supplied to the data register. The coefficient register has register elements corresponding to the register elements. The product-sum device carries out a filtering operation at high speed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a product-sum device, and more particularly, to a product-sum device suited for IIR (infinite impulse response) and FIR (finite impulse response) operations.
2. Description of the Related Art
A product-sum device is used as a filtering circuit in, for example, automobile and mechanical-electronic devices. The automobile and mechanical-electronic industries employ digital filters using product-sum devices and DSPs to carry out filtering processes to remove noise from detected data.
Namely, in an anti-lock braking system (ABS) for a car, for example, speed sensors are arranged near rotors which rotate with the corresponding tires. The output pulses from each sensor are counted by a pulse width counter and the output of the pulse width counter is supplied to a product-sum device. Further, an output of the product-sum device is supplied to an ABS operation unit, and an ABS actuator controls a hydraulic brake pressure, to prevent the wheels from locking, when a driver pushes hard on a brake pedal and the wheels may be locked.
Note that, the output of the pulse width counter generally contains various kinds of noise, and thus the product-sum device carries out an FIR (finite impulse response) operation to eliminate the influence of the noise included in the output of the pulse width counter.
In a conventional product-sum device, the data in each register element of a data register must be updated to carry out the FIR operation, and thus the conventional product-sum device was incapable of executing a filtering operation at high speed.
Further, in another prior art, a pointer is employed to specify data in a register element in the data register when carrying out a filtering operation. This technique, however, involves complicated operations to specify the register element into which the latest data was written and to control the pointer.
The problems of the prior art will be explained hereafter, in detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Product-sum device suitable for IIR and FIR operations


The invention helps an on-line shopper maintain the proper relationship between primary items in a shopping cart and secondary items in the shopping cart, where secondary items are items that normally accompany the purchase of primary items. The server that provides the on-line shopping service awaits a shopper's commands. When a command is detected that indicates a change in an attribute of a primary item, the server checks the shopper's shopping cart to identify secondary items linked to the primary item whose attribute was changed. If a secondary item linked to the primary item is identified, the server then solicits the shopper's authorization to change a corresponding attribute of the secondary item. If the shopper grants authorization, the server changes the corresponding attribute of the secondary item accordingly. An item's attribute may be the quantity of the item in a shopping cart, the size of the item, the color of the item, the texture of the item, and so forth.

On-line commerce is now an important part of our economy, mainly because of the efficiency and the ready convenience that on-line commerce provides. As a general principle, ready convenience and good human factors go hand-in-hand. Moreover, each improvement in human factors opens the use of electronic commerce to a larger segment of the population.
Today, however, many would-be participants in electronic commerce (e-commerce) are limited by the capabilities of the computer systems they use to gain access to e-commerce web servers. This limitation is often experienced, for example, by customers who shop on-line. Because the items to be purchased are not actually seen by the customer at the time the items are selected—rather, the items are carried virtually in an abstract shopping cart—the customer is not able to keep track of purchases conveniently.
One way that the lack of visibility may confound a shopper involves the purchase of linked items. Items are linked when the purchase of a primary item, for example a computer printer, is normally coupled with the purchase of a secondary item, for example a power cord for the printer. When the shopper changes the quantity of a primary item in the shopping cart, for example revising the quantity of the order from four printers to six printers, the shopper must remember also to revise the quantity of the secondary item, here from four power cords to six.
If the shopper forgets to change an attribute of the secondary items in the shopping cart in response to each change in a related attribute of the primary items, the shopper's order will not be filled as intended. As a result, the shopper will be disappointed by the on-line shopping experience, and perhaps be disappointed in the on-line merchant as well.
Thus there is a need for a way of helping an on-line shopper maintain the proper relationship in the shopping cart between primary items and secondary items that are normally ordered along with the primary items, so that the on-line merchant may fill the shopper's order as the shopper intends, and so that the shopper maintains confidence in the on-line shopping process.

Method for managing an electronic-commerce shopping cart

International Business Machines Corporation


A substrate container including a plate, a shell, a connector, and a seal, where the connector is threaded and secured via a nut, and the seal contacts each of the shell, plate, and connector. The plate has a recess accommodating an end of the connector and the nut. Field-serviceable, removable purge modules including check valves may be used with the substrate container, and may be secured to the substrate container in the recess in the plate. Filters may be secured to the connector or included in the purge modules. These filters may have diameters larger than an internal diameter of the connector.

Substrate containers are used to transport wafers during various stages of a semiconductor manufacturing process. Substrate containers include, for example, front opening unified pods (FOUPs). FOUPs typically include a shell which provides an internal space for holding wafers, and a plate that is used to interface with various conveyors and other devices, for example so that the FOUP can be moved around the processing facility. The shell and the plate are fixed to one another, for example by welding, connectors, etc.
During processing, gasses must be introduced and removed from the FOUP, for example during purge processes. This requires one or more locations at which gas can enter or leave the FOUP.

Purge connectors and modules for a substrate container


There is disclosed an optical system for light beam amassment and concentration derived through intensification by cyclical accretion of light energy by passing a parallel light beam perpendicular to a 100% reflection double-faced conical optical glass prism repetitively cyclically via plural 100% reflective single-faced right-angle isosceles optical prisms arranged in a path surrounding said compound optical glass prism defining an endless recycled return path to and through said compound optical glass prism, the amassment occurring during the passage of said light beam through said compound conical prism to be reflected from the conical prism as an emergent amassed and concentrated light beam occasioned by each repeated pass to and from said conical portion of said compound prism and to and through a beam-splitting quadrivial prism to said return path to said compound prism and the conical prism portion thereof and emergence therefrom, an single-faced right-angle isosceles prism arranged to intercept said emergent light beam for discharge of the light energy therefrom. Single, double and unitary compound optical prisms are disclosed.

This invention relates generally to radiation concentration methods and means, and more particularly provides an optical method for radiation amassment derived through intrinsic concentrated cyclical accretion of light by passing a parallel beam thereof to a compound double-faced conical optical prism cyclically via plural single faced 100% reflective right-triangular optical prisms in an arrangement defining an endless return path to and through said compound double-faced conical optical prism whereby to produce a controlled single intensified output beam of modified either or both of reduced width and/or length.
Concentration of reflected radiation energy, particularly light energy, has encountered many problems in with efficiency, complexity and expense in systems employed in the past.
Prior art believed pertinent to the state of the art relating to the field of the invention include:
Downs discloses an ellipsoidal reflector/concentrator for light energy in which light from a source enters an ellipsoidal housing in which the ellipse is rotated about a line passed perpendicularly through the ellipse major axis at the second focus (2) with the first focus (1), now a distributed focus (1), in the form of a circle while the other focus (2) remains a point focus with the laws of elliptical reflection remaining in effect. This was said to work well with ultrasonic and explosive energy that may be placed along a distributed focus (1). Such energy, leaving generally perpendicular to the second focus (2), will strike the surface of the ellipsoid in the proper attitude to be reflected to the second focus (2).
However, each point along the generator of such energy radiates its energy in all directions so as to introduce a large axial error for much of its energy when trying to use a filament or gas-discharge tube, for a source of light. Even if it were possible to concentrate all of the light energy from such a source of light, the temperature of an image of incoherent light is a laser, the temperature may reach high enough to bring about atomic fusion, according to Downs.
An ellipsoidal reflection system may be provided with the ellipsoidal reflector by passing the axis of rotation through one focus but missing the other with a distributed focus at one end and a point focus at the other end. Such an ellipsoidal reflective system will be conical as it approached the second focus. With multiple reflectors within an ellipse, a phenomenon results when a ray of energy passes through a focus, it will reflect from the inner surface of the ellipse and pass through the other focus. The internal reflective process will, theoretically, go on after each reflection, the ray path will be more nearly aligned with the major axis. A problem with multiple ellipsoidal reflection systems is that a source of energy located at one focus will be in the path of energy after the second reflection. If multiple ellipsoidal reflections are to be utilized, there must not be substance at either focus. The solution offered to this problem was to position the energy source to the side from the ellipsoidal axis running through both focus points with energy from the energy source injected to converge at one focus so that with no physical obstructions at this focus nor at the other focus multiple reflections may occur. According to Downs, many methods of energy ray concentration are feasible with the only requirement being that energy must converge on one focus.
Downs provided an ellipsoidal system wherein an energy source generates energy radiation focussed through a lens to an ellipsoidal point focus (focus 1) it is thereby confocal with the main ellipsoidal point focus (focus 1). Per Downs, the main ellipsoid was comprised of two ellipsoid reflective sections adjacent two point focus (focus 2) with both curved to match a portion of the common ellipsoid. Both sections are curved to match portions of a common ellipsoid. The internally reflected ellipsoid section is shown to encompass an end of the shape of the ellipsoid and has a small opening to permit passage of a narrow beam of energy outward from the ellipsoidal system, and also, opposite end reflective section that reflects energy beams back through point focus (focus 1) to pass through the small end opening. A cut out was provided in the ellipsoid reflective section to permit passage of focussed energy beams passed through the lens to pass to and through the point focus 1.
One way reflector systems that reflect on the inside and pass radiated energy on through from the outside to the inside could be used in place of the aforementioned cutouts, and with it then possible to have energy directing devices directly opposite of each other rather than having to be spaced. Thus it would be possible to use an annular rotated secondary ellipsoidal reflector projecting radiated energy into a primary reflector through an entire 360 degree circle via a band of one way reflector material as a part of the primary reflector.
Downs asserts that it is not practical to make too many passes since energy is not passing through a system focus the first time has a tendency to go further afield with each pass. Further, if a ray of energy misses a focus on the first pass, it can never cross either focus no matter how many passes it makes.
Downs also suggests placing reflectors at the end exit reflector of the reflective system, so that energy rays reflected toward the point focus (2) are intercepted in front of the point focus (2) by a hyperboloid reflector and reflected back generally along the system primary axis with much of this reflected energy radiation passing out through the small exit opening in the form of a relatively narrow radiated energy beam. This beam as an output is neither coherent nor monochromatic.
Downs does disclose a reflector/concentrator for light energy where light is repeatedly reflected within an elliptical housing through a narrow opening. However, the reflective arrangement within the ellipsoidal reflector system is complex and depends upon the energy reaching specific focus points.
Sauer provides an optical system comprising a pair of prisms disposed removably or at lease variably spaced in front of a lens. The prisms have angular reflecting surfaces adapted to direct rays of light off the angular surfaces as the rays pass through the prism so as to converge directed to a point on the optical axis of a lens and a plane imagined at the point of intersection of these axes and standing at right angle to the optical axis of the lens in a plane of convergence. The purpose is to provide two pictures in proper stereoscopic relation to each other so that when viewed through suitable optical aids, will fuse into a single picture desired by a stereo optical device. Attention should be given to the angle of incidence of the rays of light upon the reflecting surfaces being angles other than 45 degrees so that the rays diverge to reach the lens.
Pullin provides a radiation focussing device using an annular ring and a central focussing body, the ring having an inwardly facing reflecting surface, the reflecting surface being a part of a surface of a cone with a half-angle of 45 degrees. The circularly focussing body has a peripheral reflecting surface whereupon radiation traveling in radial directions with respect to its axial symmetry (which is the cone axis of the reflecting surface) is directed to a focus and is surrounded by the ring and coaxial with said focus. The shape and effect of the said peripheral is derived from a parabola. The function of the ring is to convert parallel rays into radial rays which impinge upon the peripheral reflecting surface of the focussing body. The ring and the said peripheral surface function as an objective. It appears that the primary usage of the Pullin device is as an optical astronomical telescope for receiving radiant energy.
Julin discloses light dispersing annular prisms which are utilized as plural concentrically arranged groupings for therapeutic application to a human being and allows the light rays to pass through and disperses them into the several kinds of spectral rays suitable for varied therapeutic use. Selected rays are directed to a focus by a selected lens placed in their directed path.
Chenausky et al provide a resonator particularly useful in chemical laser applications, said resonator comprising a ring end mirror, a conical folding mirror and a circular end mirror combined to form an unstable resonator including a radial direction propagation having a gain medium region and a region of axial direction propagation. Chenausky et al provides an output beam which is said to be circular in diameter and has a diameter which is essentially equal to twice the extraction length characteristic of the working medium. The energy extracted by the radial propagating portion of the mode has an approximately uniform distribution in the output beam as a result of the reflective surface area of the conical folding mirror and the spatial variation of the gain of the flow direction of the working medium, the light intensity in the gain region decreases with an increase in the perpendicular distance from the plane at which the gain medium originates.
The maximum power handling capability of the unstable toroidal resonator provided by Chenausky et al is limited for all practical purposes by the power handling capabilities of the circular end mirror. The toroidal mirror has the largest surface area of any of the reflective surfaces and the power handling capability of which is said not to be a limiting factor since the large area experiences the lowest flux density of any of the reflective surfaces exposed to the laser radiation; however, the circular mirror has the incidence flux of highest density and this parameter controls the maximum power from the unstable resonator. The folding mirror experiences a flux density which is higher than that on the circular end mirror and lower than that on the circular end mirror. Problems can arise due to excessive heating in the vicinity of the apex of the folding mirror so that the apex preferably is rounded to avoid a sharp point.
Chenausky et al further discloses that in transferring rays between the radial and axial regions, the conical folding mirror made the radial profile symetrical with respect to both intensity and phase, and optically compensated for spatial gain variation in the flow direction. These functions are accomplished because the higher intensity portions of the radial propagating beam which occur on the upstream side of the beam are distributed along the base of the folding mirror cone, the base of said cone being coplanar with the base of the toroidal end mirror. The lower intensity portions of the radial propagating beam which occur on the downstream ride are distributed along the base of the conical folding mirror where the reflective surface is a minimum. As a result, the intensity profile of the beam is made more uniform in the axial region and in the near field.
The cross-sectional curvature of the toroidal end mirror is circular and has a geometrical axis of symmetry which must be made coincident with the downstream side of the resonant mode in the non-axial region of the resonator (the line passing from the upper portion of the concave reflective surface across the apex of the conical folding mirror). The circular contour collimates the beam from the circular end (toroidal) mirror which is divergent. Alternatively, Chenausky et al proposes that the toroidal mirror contour can be convex and combined with a circular end mirror which is concave or both the toroidal and circular end mirrors made with concave or even non-spherical reflective surfaces such as an off-axis paraboloid.
Dorschner provides an example of an optical storage ring where mirrors are used to produce a non-planar equilateral (skew rhombus) ring path, the mirrors being mounted on a supporting cube having passages cut in the path of a beam of light energy propagating therebetween. The mirrors are positioned on the surface of the cube and produce a non-planar equilateral ring path having path segments in two planes. Mirrors are positioned on the corners of the cube to define the vertices of a tetrahedron circumscribed by the cube. The sensitive axis of such arrangement is along one of the mutually orthogonal principal axes of the cube. The tetrahedral ring is equiangular as well as equilateral; thus all the incidence angles on the mirrors are the same. An orthohedral ring is provided with two mirrors placed on a first of adjacent comers of the cube and two mirrors are placed between the corners of two adjacent corner pairs to provide a path substantially on two of the faces of the cube. Mirrors provide the reflective surfaces of the embodiments disclosed by Dorschner.
McKeown discloses a pyramidal beam splitter for splitting a beam light into several beams at right angles to a reference beam, the beam parallel to the pyramid axis impinging on the apex of the pyramid at right angles to the reference beam, the beam being a laser beam.
The art has long sought means for capturing, concentrating and storing a charge from the input of any parallel radiation source, for example, a light energy source, the charge capable of being discharged in either a rapid or metered manner. Such means would have considerable value in high powered laser usage. Further, metered discharge would be beneficial in industrial applications, medical applications and communications.
Additionally, it would be beneficial to provide an optical system whereby a parallel radiation energy, e.g., light energy, can be rapidly increased in intensity, which can effect rapid amassment of radiation energy by minimum short duration passes through the system with storage of the amassed energy for such selective discharge.
The invention contemplates the use of at least one compound double-faced conical optical prism for receiving a parallel beam consisting of parallel rays of light energy directed from a light energy source to the reflective inner face of the compound double-faced conical optical glass prism, where the light is reflected to the reflective surface to the conical face of an inner centrally concentrically arranged coaxially located conical prism of the compound double-faced conical optical prism where it can be retained and selectively discharged as an multiplied amassed and concentrated intensified beam to a quadrivial prism by which it is split into individual beams and directed to a serial group of 100% reflective single-faced optical prisms disposed in their paths whereby to introduce said split beams back to the compound double-faced conical optical prism in a multiple recycling path repeatably through said compound double-faced conical optical prism, each recycled pass causing the beam to wrap around itself increasing the intensity of said input beam geometrically, said intensified beam capable of being retained within said conical double-faced conical prism, said retained intensified light beam being discharged rapidly by a 100% right-angle isosceles optical discharge prism intercepting the exit path of said intensified light beam.
Additionally, the compound double-faced conical optical prism can be formed as a single unitary optical prism. Alternatively, the system according to the invention can comprise an arrangement of a dual compound double-faced conical optical prism array including a pair of offset, partially superposed pair of compound double-faced conical optical prisms arranged one partially over the other with their axes offset one relative the other.
The invention also contemplates the combination of the conical double-faced prisms into a single body optical prism formed of optical glass and including all the necessary reflective surfaces of the right-angle isosceles prisms as a part thereof.
It is important that the incident light beam be parallel, that is, perpendicular to the entry face of the compound double-faced conical optical prisms. The output intensified emergent beam must exit in a path parallel to the incident beam and is further intensified with each pass through said compound double-faced conical prisms.
The invention provides an optical system for radiation amassment derived through intensification by cyclical accretion of energy radiation by passing a ninety degree parallel incident light energy beam perpendicular to a compound double-faced conical optical glass prism repetitively cyclically via plural single-faced 100% reflective right-angle isosceles optical prisms arranged in an endless recycled return path to and through said compound double-faced conical optical prism and plural single-faced 100% reflective right-angle isosceles optical prisms. The energy is amassed and concentrated during the continuous passage of the recycled light beam through the optical system and retained within said compound double-faced conical optical prism upon each pass through said system. A right-angle single-faced reflective isosceles optical glass prism can be inserted into the output (the emergent) intensified energy beam upon its exit from the compound double-faced conical optical energy beam to discharge the amassed energy rapidly to a selected receiving means offset from the optical system. The discharge prism can be inserted between any of the prismatic faces except for the conical prism where the energy beam is not parallel.

Radiation amassment device derived through cyclical accretion of light


An arrangement for the mechanical coupling of physical units, such as, for example, of a printing assembly (15) of an electrophotographic printer or copier, to further physical units (23, 24) in axially parallel orientation with respect to the transport path of a recording carrier (12) includes a basic unit (28) containing especially the printing assembly (15) coupled in an articulated manner to a carrier (32), oriented vertically with respect to a machine frame (1), via a crossmember (30) which consists especially of two individual crossmember elements (301, 302). The physical units (23 or 24) to be arranged axially parallel with respect to the basic unit are then themselves articulated on the carrier (32) in paired receptacles (for example C1, C2).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an arrangement for the mechanical coupling of physical units, such as, for example, of a printing assembly of an electrophotographic printer or of a copier, to further physical units in axially parallel orientation with respect to the transport path of a recording carrier running through.
2. Description of the Related Art
Printers or copiers working on the electrophotographic principle are generally known. The electrophotographic printing principle as such involves a relatively high outlay. As an intermediate carrier for printing information generally there is provided a continuously rotating photoconductive drum which is initially charged uniformly when rotating in order to generate a latent charge image. The uniform charge is discharged light-optically point-by-point as a function of the printing information and consequently produces on the intermediate carrier a charge distribution corresponding to the printing information. This charge image is inked by means of a toner mixture by the utilization of electrostatic forces, and subsequently the toner particles are transferred onto a recording carrier and fixed there chemically or thermally.
Especially critical junctures in this process are the transfer of the toner particles onto the recording carrier, the so-called transfer printing, the further transport of the recording carrier together with the transfer-printed toner image which is not yet smudge-proof, and the fixing operation. Particularly in this region of the transport path of the recording carrier through the printer or copier, the quality of the printing result is influenced decisively. Thus, for example, it is of paramount importance that, in the transfer-printing station, the recording carrier be moved exactly axially parallel to and without relative speed in respect of the intermediate carrier, that is to say the photoconductive drum, otherwise the printing image is smudged even as early as here. The fixing operation is similarly critical, especially when the fixing of the toner image on the recording carrier is executed by means of the thermal printing process. In this process, the recording carrier runs between a pair of rollers, the so-called fixing roller and the pressure roller. The heated fixing roller, which faces toward the image side of the recording carrier, transmits a sufficient quantity of heat to the recording carrier in order, in combination with the pressure exerted by the pressure roller, to plasticize the toner particles and fuse them on the surface of the recording carrier. Here too, it is of absolutely essential importance that said pair of rollers at the fixing station be set exactly axially parallel to the transport path of the recording carrier, otherwise there are not only mechanical pinchings of the conveyed recording carrier, but also defects in the fixing which lead to a reduction of the printing quality.
It must be remembered, at the same time, that current electrophotographic printers generating the printing information in the form of dots by the screen process already produce in the high-performance range a screen of the order of magnitude of 600 dpi (dots per inch) and more. Screen-dot widths of the order of magnitude of 0.04 mm and below correspond to this. These figures highlight the mechanical and structural requirements demanded as regards the accuracy of transport of the recording carrier with respect to the individual assemblies of the electrophotographic printer or copier, if the aim is to obtain a printing result having the contrast definition which can be achieved per se by means of the printing process.
Known furthermore is the basic mechanical construction of such printers or copies which work on the electrophotographic principle. In addition to the exact allocation of individual assemblies of the printer or copier to the transport path of the recording carrier obtained by means of drive and guide elements, it is necessary, moreover, to bear in mind that individual assemblies should be relatively easily accessible, for example for maintenance work. Finally, at least some of these assemblies should also be pivotable away from the transport path of the recording carrier. This is especially true when the recording carrier is fashioned as continuous stock and, before the start of a printing operation, the start of a paper web first has to be inserted into the printer or copier.
The mechanism of electrophotographic printers or copiers is correspondingly complicated and involves a high outlay. For simpler mounting, but also for maintenance reasons, therefore, electrophotographic printers or copiers are constructed in a modular manner from individual physical units, appropriate tolerance limits being adhered to within a module, so that this module can then also be exchanged in a relatively simple way, apart from a secondary condition, namely that, after such an exchange, the necessary axially parallel orientation with respect to the corresponding part of the transport path of the recording carrier has to be provided once again. The first mounting in the assembling of the individual physical units to form a printer or copier therefore conventionally necessitates a series of time-consuming measures involving a high mechanical outlay, precisely also in order to orient all the individual physical units exactly axially parallel to one another. The same applies accordingly when test or maintenance work has to be carried out.

Arrangement for the mechanical coupling of physical units of an electrophotographic printer or copier

Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme Aktiengesellschaft


Provided is a road surface information-based imaging environment evaluation method, an imaging environment evaluation device, an imaging environment evaluation system, and a storage medium. The imaging environment evaluation method includes: acquiring a disparity information matrix and pixel coordinates of a vanishing point in the disparity information matrix; subjecting the disparity information matrix to matrix partition and projection in accordance with the pixel coordinates of the vanishing point so as to acquire a disparity projection image; acquiring a road surface model-based statistic model in accordance with the disparity projection image; and acquiring an evaluation result of a current imaging environment in accordance with a relationship between the statistic model and a predetermined threshold.

Along with the development of the sensor technology and the machine vision technology, binocular cameras have been widely applied to robots and intelligent vehicles. A binocular visual system is a visual detection system based on a binocular imaging principle, so its performance depends on imaging quality. The imaging quality of a visual sensor is restricted by various factors, and an imaging environment is one of the important factors. The so-called imaging environment mainly refers to an environmental brightness value when an image is captured by the visual sensor. An operating principle of the visual sensor just lies in photovoltaic conversion, i.e., a received optical signal is converted into an electric signal and then the electric signal is outputted. When images are captured in a same scene, the imaging quality is absolutely affected due to different brightness values. Typically, the brightness value in the scene may be measured through such a device as illuminometer. However, it is unable to monitor the brightness value on line and in real time, so it is impossible to meet the requirements in the automatic driving field.

Road surface information-based imaging environment evaluation method, device and system, and storage medium


A system can reduce congestion in slice-based networks, such as a virtual service network (“VSN”). The system can include a monitoring module that communicates with agents on switches, such as routers or servers. The switches report telematics data to the monitoring module, which determines slice-specific performance attributes such as slice latency and slice throughput. These slice-specific performance attributes are compared against software license agreement (“SLA”) requirements. When the SLA is not met, the monitoring module can implement a new slice path for the slice to reduce the congestion.

Today's 3G, 4G, and LTE networks operate using multiple data centers ("DCs") that can be distributed across clouds. These networks are centrally managed by only a few operating support systems ("OSSs") and network operations centers ("NOCs"). 5G technology will dramatically increase network connectivity for all sorts of devices that will need to connect to the Telco network and share the physical network resources. Current network architectures cannot scale to meet these demands.
Network slicing is a form of virtualization that allows multiple logical networks to run on top of a shared physical network infrastructure. A distributed cloud network can share network resources with various slices to allow different users, called tenants, to multiplex over a single physical infrastructure. For example, Internet of Things ("IoT") devices, mobile broadband devices, and low-latency vehicular devices will all need to share the 5G network. These different use cases will have different transmission characteristics and requirements. For example, the IoT will typically have a large number of devices but very low throughput. Mobile broadband will be the opposite, with each device transmitting and receiving high bandwidth content. Network slicing can allow the physical network to be partitioned at an end-to-end level to group traffic, isolate tenant traffic, and configure network resources at a macro level.
However, traditional approaches to Quality of Service ("QoS") and congestion avoidance do not easily scale to keep up with the dramatic increase in network usage otherwise afforded by a slice-based network. For example, if there is congestion in the network, existing solutions throttle the source of congestion, effectively slowing data transmission to free up bandwidth. For example, existing flow control mechanisms, like Priority Flow Control ("PFC"), notify upstream switches (e.g., routers) about congestion and reduce it by throttling traffic at the source, such as a host that is sending traffic through the switches. But in a slice-based network, throttling can adversely affect other slices and inefficiently cause slices to perform more poorly than allowed under a software license agreement ("SLA"). New slice-based solutions that do not break SLA requirements are needed.
Important performance metrics, such as latency and throughput, are particularly challenging to accurately monitor in a slice-based network. In traditional networks, latency can be calculated in software by sending probe packets, such as a ping, between any two end points. However, software-based monitoring probes do not scale in large Telco networks that have tens of millions of users. Generally, detecting congestion in the virtual layer, such as with virtual network functions ("VNFs") of slices, is not scalable and would quickly overwhelm the underlying physical hardware.
Without additional ways to relieve congestion, when the network infrastructure becomes overburdened, important slices can be negatively impacted. SLAs often require reliable transmission of important traffic, such as 911 calls and communications to self-driving vehicles, among others.
As a result, a need exists for systems that relieve congestion in slice-based networks.

Congestion avoidance in a slice-based network


Compounds represented by the structural formula (1) R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6 are inhibitors of nucleases, and are useful in particular in a method of treatment and/or prevention of proliferative diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and other genomic instability associated diseases.

Despite intense development of new anticancer substances, the clinical treatment of most frequently diagnosed solid tumors needs to be improved and for some malignancies reasonably efficient therapies need to be developed, as they are practically non-existent. Early detection followed by surgery remains the main tool that enables significant expansion of life span for majority of patients. In most malignancies it may be necessary to modulate (preferably in a synergistic manner) several relevant biological pathways. Accordingly, the required phenotype (death of tumor cells) can be elicited by synthetic lethal modulation of properly chosen biological processes. Synthetic lethal interactions tend to form clusters; one significant network of such interactions encompasses the biological processes involved in the DNA damage/repair. Selective and efficient activity modulation of selected processes is therefore of significant importance and can lead to a new generation of modern anticancer drugs.
Maintenance of genomic integrity ensured by multifaceted cellular DNA damage response (DDR) is a fundamental biological phenomenon shared by all organisms. On one hand, the DDR network of genome surveillance, checkpoint and repair pathways counterbalances the potentially mutagenic effects of endogenous (oxidative and replicative lesions) and exogenous (e.g. ionizing or UV radiation, cigarette smoke) DNA damaging assaults. On the other hand, modulation of selected components can be exploited in efficient treatment of malignant diseases. It is likely that optimal synthetic lethal treatments will be different for particular tumor sub-populations; this approach is therefore compatible with the concept of personalized medicine.
Amongst the DNA repair processing enzymes, the MRE11-RAD50-NBS1 (MRN) complex plays an important role in preserving genomic integrity by acting as a DNA damage sensor of double strand breaks (DSB) and by promoting repair through non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) or homologous recombination (Nature Reviews 2002, 3, 317; Trends Biochem. Sciences 2002, 27, 410). In response to DSB, MRN activates and recruits ATM (belonging to the phosphatidylinositol-3′ kinase-related kinases (PIKKs) family) to damaged DNA sites. ATM initiates a signaling cascade leading to cell cycle arrest and DNA repair. MRE11 is the subunit core of the MRN complex and displays 3′-5′ exonuclease activity, single-stranded and DNA-hairpin endonuclease activity. The MRE11-RAD50 complex functions include DNA binding, bridging the ends of DSBs and their processing. NBS1 does not possess any enzymatic activity; its role lies in signaling and interacting with other proteins (DNA Repair 2010, 9, 1299; Cell 2008, 135, 97). The significance of MRN complex is underlined by the fact that germline mutations of MRE11, NBS1 and RAD50 cause ataxia-telangiectasia-like disease (ATLD), Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS) and NBS-like disorder (NBSLD), respectively (Cell 1998, 93, 477; Cell, 1999, 99, 577; Am. J. Hum. Genet. 2009, 84, 605). ATLD, NBS and NBSLD have similar features as does ataxia-telangiectasia (AT), caused by mutations in the ATM gene, which include hypersensitivity to DSB-inducing agents, chromosome fragility, DNA damage-dependent cell-cycle arrest and high predisposition to cancer (Cell 1998, 93, 477; Oncogene 2007, 26, 7749; Cell 1999, 99, 577; Am. J. Hum. Genet. 2009, 84, 605). In addition, depletion of MRE11 leads to sensitization to poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibition (Cancer Res. 2011, 71, 2632). Furthermore, MRE11-deficient cells are also sensitive to topoisomerase poisons, suggesting a role of MRE11 in removal of TOP1/TOP2-lessions and in stimulating an effect of topo inhibitors (Mol. Cell. Biol. 2004, 24, 9682). Indeed, triapine (RNR inhibitor) was recently shown to block MRN-mediated recombination and sensitize ovarian cancer cells to PARP and topo inhibitors (Mol. Cancer Res. 2014, 12, 381; Cancer Res. 2012, 72, 2814). Therapeutic importance of MRE11 inhibitors in modern oncology is further supported by recently reported synthetically lethal genetic interactions for MRE11-FEN1 (PLoS Genet. 2013, 9, 1, e1003254) and MRE11-BRCA2 (Cancer Res., 2012, 72, 2814). Defects in some DNA repair processes also manifest themselves in neuronal tissues and thus can be associated with human neurological disorders (Cell 2007, 130, 991). Mirin and two its structurally closely related analogs PFM01 and PFM03 (Mol. Cell 2014, 53, 1; WO 2010/075372) are essentially the only reported examples of (relatively weak) inhibitors of MRE11 nuclease.

Substituted aminothiazoles as inhibitors of nucleases


The invention provides a hair conditioning composition comprising an aqueous carrier, a lamellar gel phase formed from cationic surfactant and fatty material and a rheology modifier for the lamellar gel phase which comprises a fatty acid and a water-soluble, nonionic polymer of alkylene oxide of the general formula:H(OCH2CHR)nOHin which R is H, methyl, or mixtures thereof, and n has an average value of at least 150.

Hair conditioning compositions are typically applied to the hair immediately after shampooing and rinsing the hair. The conditioning composition is worked through the hair, and may then be left to penetrate the hair for a period of time before rinsing it from the hair with water.
Traditionally such conditioning compositions have used a combination of cationic surfactants and fatty materials, typically long chain fatty alcohols. This combination forms a lamellar gel phase which imparts a desirable viscosity to the product and deposits on the hair during use of the product to provide a conditioning benefit.
Many consumers desire a "lighter" conditioning product which imparts less of a slippery and coated feel to their hair. This has led to the development of "low-fat" formulations with a reduced content of fatty material.
However, reducing the content of fatty material can also reduce the viscosity of the product to an unacceptable level. Consequently, it has been found to be necessary to incorporate a thickener.
Examples of thickeners which have been used for this purpose are nonionic cellulose ethers such as hydroxyethylcellulose.
Hydrophobically-modified cellulose ethers such as cetyl hydroxyethylcellulose have also been used. Materials of this type are described in EP 412 705, EP 412 706 and EP 412 710 as providing a rheology very much like the gel-network structure of typical hair conditioners without the slimy feel associated with most polymeric thickeners, and without using a typical quaternary ammonium compound/fatty alcohol gel-network thickening system.
A problem associated with hair conditioning compositions such as those described above is that it is difficult to obtain the right viscosity profile under different conditions of product usage. For example, a thick, creamy product viscosity is desirable to enable controlled pouring and product dosage onto the hair. However, in order to facilitate spreading of the product through the hair and rinsing, it is desirable that the product viscosity breaks down rapidly on dilution. If the product is difficult to rinse from the hair, then this may contribute to sensory negatives perceived by the consumer such as a dirty, "coated" hair feel after use.
The inventors have found that this problem can be solved by incorporating a fatty acid and a water-soluble, nonionic polymer of alkylene oxide into the hair conditioning composition.
JP2002226327 describes a hair cosmetic which is readily pourable, which has a rich product feel on the hand, and which provides a smooth hair feel after rinsing and drying. The cosmetic incorporates a higher fatty acid having a hydroxyl group in a side chain, such as 12-hydroxystearic acid.
DE19641841 describes an aqueous composition comprising 10 to 26 C fatty acid, in combination with directly acting hair dye and certain alcohol or glycol ether solvents. The composition is said to provide good conditioning and hair dyeing effects.
WO99/44568 relates to the use of water-soluble nonionic polyethyleneoxide homopolymers to increase hair body and fullness when formulated in a high pH medium and applied to fine hair. They are said to deposit under the hair cuticle and provide it with more surface roughness and texture.
WO95/20939 describes thickened cream rinse emulsions with a combination of low melting point fatty alcohol with polyethyleneoxide homopolymers. The emulsions are said to provide excellent wet hair feel, spreadability, and rinseability, as well as providing glossiness, hair alignment, and volume reduction, and especially dry combing benefits.

Abstract: Compositions of the invention provide a superior viscosity profile.


An automotive body structure includes a tubular load bearing structure and a hardware mount having a base plate with an annular axially extending spin welding initiator. The hardware mount is spin welded to the load bearing structure to provide a reinforced location for the mounting of automotive hardware, such as door hinges, with threaded fasteners.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for providing hard points for mounting vehicle hardware, such as door hinges, to tubular structural members.
2. Disclosure Information
Automotive designers continually seek ways to improve fuel economy. Given the inexorable link between vehicle weight and fuel economy, weight reduction is a constant, invariant, objective of vehicle engineers. The quest for weight reduction has led to increasing use of hydroformed members in vehicle bodies and other structural members. In general, hydroformed members provide great strength with low weight. The low weight comes about in part because the gauge thickness of the walls of hydroformed parts may be relatively light. Unfortunately, this necessitates special processes for accommodating threaded fasteners with hydroformed parts. For example, it is known to provide weld nuts which must be installed from both sides of the surface into which the nut is placed. This necessitates the placing of an additional hole in the hydroformed part, which could have the undesirable effect of reducing the strength of the part. It is also known to weld added plates to hydroformed and other tubular parts, for the purpose of locally strengthening the part, thereby providing excellent purchase for a fastener. However, the added burden of welding such parts increases the expense and complexity of the vehicle.
It would be desirable to provide a structure enabling the use of threaded fasteners with tubular parts, such as hydroformed parts, without the necessity of additional welding, and also without the necessity of piercing holes on both sides of a part into which a fastener, such as a weld nut, is to be inserted.

Automotive body structure with spin welded hardware mounts


The present invention provides a multichip package in which a first semiconductor chip having an RF analog circuit area and a digital circuit area, and a second semiconductor chip having a digital circuit area are plane-arranged over an organic multilayer wiring board and coupled to each other by bonding wires. In the multichip package, the first semiconductor chip is made thinner than the second semiconductor chip.

The present application relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit device (or semiconductor device), and is applicable to, for example, a semiconductor integrated circuit device having an analog circuit area and a digital circuit area.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Laid-Open No. 2001-267491 (Patent Document 1) or U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002-24125 (Patent Document 2) corresponding to it relates to a multichip package in which a plurality of semiconductor chips are arranged side by side at the surface of a semiconductor chip and flip-chip bonded. There has been disclosed therein a technology in which the semiconductor chips to be flip-chip bonded are die-bonded in thin order in such a manner that a flip-chip bonding collet and the previously-bonded chips do not interfere with each other.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Laid-Open No. 2008-251731 (Patent Document 3) or U.S. Pat. No. 8,018,048 (Patent Document 4) corresponding to it relates to a resin-sealed multichip package in which a plurality of semiconductor chips are arranged side by side and die-bonded. There has been disclosed therein a technology in which the semiconductor chip largest in thickness is mounted to the central part of the package to prevent the package from being curved.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Laid-Open No. 2004-356382 (Patent Document 5) relates to a resin-sealed multichip package in which a plurality of semiconductor chips are arranged side by side over a lead frame and die-bonded and the chips are interconnected therebetween by bonding wires. There has been disclosed therein a technology in which in order to prevent a wire shift or the like, the semiconductor chips thick in thickness are coupled to each other by ball bonding, and the semiconductor chips thin in thickness are coupled to each other by wedge bonding.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Laid-Open No. 2012-169417 (Patent Document 6) relates to a high-frequency resin-sealed multichip package in which a plurality of semiconductor chips are arranged side by sided and die-bonded using a lead frame, and the chips are interconnected therebetween by bonding wires. There has been disclosed therein a technology in which the semiconductor chip on the high-frequency side is made thicker in thickness than other semiconductor chips to ensure mechanical strength.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Laid-Open No. Hei 9 (1997)-223705 (Patent Document 7) relates to a resin-sealed package in which semiconductor chips each having an analog circuit area and a digital circuit area are mounted overt die pads. There has been disclosed therein a technology in which the die pads below the analog circuit area and the die pads below the digital circuit area are separated from one another.
International Patent Publication No. 2003/3461, Pamphlet (Patent Document 8) relates to the layout or the like of semiconductor chips each having an analog circuit area and a digital circuit area. There has been disclosed therein a technology in which they are separated from one another by a well structure, a guard ring and the like to prevent noise from propagating from the digital circuit area to the analog circuit area.


A lensed multi-beam base station antenna may include a plurality of linear arrays of radiating elements, a plurality of reflectors, a sidelobe suppressor, and a lens. Each array may include a plurality of radiating elements (e.g., two or more radiating elements) that extends forwardly from a planar section of a respective reflector. The sidelobe suppressor may comprise radiofrequency (RF) absorber material that absorbs energy that is emitted by a first of the arrays and that is directed toward a reflector underneath a second of the arrays. The sidelobe suppressor may comprise a RF choke that reduces the RF energy emitted by a first of the arrays that is directed toward a reflector underneath a second of the arrays.

In cellular communication systems, areas of communication coverage are mapped into cells. Each cell is provided with one or more antennas configured to provide two-way radiofrequency (RF) communication with mobile subscribers geographically positioned within the cell. Cells may be further divided into sectors, and multiple antennas may be utilized, with each of the multiple antennas configured to serve a sector (e.g., a different sector) of the cell. Antennas servicing a cell or a sector thereof are commonly located on a tower or other elevated structure, with each antenna directed away from the tower or structure to provide service within a respective cell or sector.
One common wireless communication network plan involves dividing a cell into three sectors. In such a configuration, a given base station antenna serves a 120° sector. Typically, a 65° Half Power Beamwidth (HPBW) antenna provides coverage for a 120° sector. Three of these 120° sectors provide 360° coverage in the azimuth plane. Other sectorization schemes may also be employed. For example, six, nine, and twelve sector sites have been proposed. Six sector sites may involve six directional base station antennas, each having a 33° HPBW antenna serving a respective 60° sector.
Increasing the number of sectors increases system capacity because each antenna can service a smaller area, and hence have increased antenna gain, and because sectorization allows for frequency re-use. However, dividing a coverage area into smaller sectors has drawbacks because antennas covering narrow sectors generally have more radiating elements that are spaced wider than antennas covering wider sectors. For example, a typical 33° HPBW antenna is generally two times wider than a common 65° HPBW antenna. Thus, costs and space requirements increase as a cell is divided into a greater number of sectors. Additionally, wider antennas may run afoul of local zoning ordinances and may have substantially higher wind loading, which may require sturdier (and more expensive) antenna towers.

Sidelobe suppression in multi-beam base station antennas