An apparatus for associated search terms with a downloaded file includes a storage device storing machine-readable code and a processor executing the machine-readable code. The machine-readable code includes a reference module that references one or more search terms for a file selected for download. The file is retrieved by a search engine searching with the one or more search terms. The machine-readable code includes an embedding module that embeds the one or more search terms into data associated with a file copy. The file copy includes a copy of the file for saving on a storage device.

1. Field
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to search terms and downloaded files located by those search terms and more particularly relates to associating search terms with a downloaded file.
2. Description Of The Related Art
When a user downloads a file from a network, such as local network, the Internet, a cloud-computing platform, and the like, the downloaded file often lacks a context for the user to relocate the downloaded file in the future. For example, a user may have downloaded a file as part of a network search. At a later time, the user may wish to locate the downloaded copy of the file on the user's local computer, but may have difficulty because the downloaded file lacks any indication of the topic of the user's search, often sharing the filename of the original file. The filename and file data may include different terms than those associated with the user's search topic.
Furthermore, the downloaded file may not be on an indexed drive or may not be indexed, preventing the user from key word searching on the local computer. Often, the user may re-perform the search and re-download the file.

Associating search terms with a downloaded file


The present disclosure discloses a vehicle-mounted type back scattering inspection system. The vehicle-mounted type back scattering inspection system includes a carriage and a back scattering imaging device, the scanning range of the back scattering imaging device is variable. As the scanning range of the back scattering imaging device of the present disclosure is variably set, the inspection range of the back scattering imaging device can be expanded.

The X-ray back scattering imaging technique is a technique for imaging by detecting back scattering photons of an object while using a pen-shaped X-ray beam to illuminate the object. In a vehicle-mounted type back scattering inspection system, an X-ray back scattering imaging device is installed in a carriage to perform scattering ray imaging on the inspected object. The appearance of the system is not much different from that of an ordinary van, so it has good inspection concealment: the system can perform scanning while passing by a scanned vehicle that is parked on the roadside or in a parking lot, and generate a scanned image in real time. In addition, the system also has good maneuverability and can be quickly transferred for use in different occasions.
However, when neither the above-described vehicle-mounted type back scattering inspection system nor the inspected object can move back and forth, the back scattering imaging device can only scan one plane of the inspected object, so that the inspection range is limited.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Vehicle-mounted type back scattering inspection system


A stress detection circuit includes a function block and a detection signal generation circuit. The function block outputs a first voltage such that the first voltage is varied depending on an extent that the function block is stressed. The detection signal generation circuit generates a stress detection signal based on the first voltage and a second voltage during a test mode. The stress detection signal represents integration of the function block, and a level of the second voltage corresponds to a level of the first voltage before the function block is stressed.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to measurement of stress in a semiconductor circuit, and more particularly to a stress detection circuit, a semiconductor circuit including the stress detection circuit, and a method of detecting stress in semiconductor circuits.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
As a scale of semiconductor devices is reduced, integration of semiconductor devices becomes more difficult. When a high voltage is applied between a gate and a body of a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor, a high electric field is formed in a dielectric film between the gate and the body. Also, the high electric field may be formed when the high voltage is applied between the source and the drain of a MOS transistor.
Defects may be caused in the dielectric film and the body of the MOS transistor due to the aforementioned high electric field, and these defects could change the characteristics of the MOS transistor such as a threshold voltage. Even when a transistor operates at a relatively low voltage, the characteristics such as the threshold voltage may be altered by repeated application of the voltage.
When transistor characteristics such as a threshold voltage are changed due to a high operation voltage or repeated application of a voltage, a transistor or a function block including the transistor is referred to as "being stressed" or "being degraded".
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram illustrating an example of a function block in a semiconductor device.
A function block 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 is an example of a driver included in a row selection circuit of a semiconductor memory device. The function block 10 includes transistors TR1, TR2, and TR3 serially coupled between a high voltage VPP and a ground voltage. The function block 10 generates a word line enable signal NWEi that is selectively activated in response to a bit signal ADDi and the high voltage VPP applied to gates of the transistors TR1, TR2, and TR3. The bit signal ADDi is a signal decoded from an address signal. When the word line enable signal NWEi is activated to near the high voltage VPP, a corresponding word line is enabled.
When the transistors TR1, TR2, and TR3 have been stressed by repeated application of the voltages, a level of the word line enable signal NWEi is decreased, and thus a memory cell transistor (not shown) coupled to the corresponding word line may not be fully turned on, thereby degrading the performance of the entire semiconductor memory device.
Since the performance of an entire system may be affected by variation of the characteristics of some function blocks due to such stress, the stress of the function blocks needs to be tested before and after the packaging of semiconductor chips. That is, after a semiconductor chip including a function block sensitive to stress is manufactured, a burn-in test is performed under high temperature, high voltage, and high pressure conditions for measuring variation of the characteristics of the semiconductor chip due to stress. Such burn-in test may cause additional and excessive stress on the semiconductor chip, thereby unnecessarily reducing the lifetime of the semiconductor chip.

Stress detection circuit and semiconductor chip including same


A modified diene-α-olefin copolymer which is represented by the formula (1) below and has H2C═C(R5)—COO— in at least a part of the ends.

Because it is difficult to cause a non-polar polyolefin, a rubber component, and the like to become soluble with or to adhere to a polar polymer, an inorganic material, and the like, various compatibilizers and adhesives have been developed. In general, polyolefins and rubber components modified with a polar compound are used. Such modified products have a high industrial value.
Specifically, a number of polyethylenes and polypropylenes modified with maleic anhydride or chlorine are commercially available. These modified products are used for applications such as a compatibilizer, adhesive, agglutinant, primer, and the like. They are produced using a modifier compound and/or a polar compound capable of forming radicals. This method, however, cannot introduce thermally instable substituents such as a (meth)acryloyl group into molecules.
As the method for introducing a thermally instable substituent, a method of previously introducing a substituent having reactivity with such a thermally instable substituent into the molecular end and introducing the target group via this reactive group can be given, for example. However, since a special catalyst system and polymerization technique are required in order to efficiently introduce a reactive group into the molecular end, this method is difficult to apply to industrial scale production. In addition, because the rate of introduction is low if such groups are introduced only to the ends of polymers, the effect of introduction is insufficient in many cases.
On the other hand, it has been disclosed that in the case of diene monomers, reactive groups such as a hydroxyl group can be efficiently introduced to the end of the polymer by using a special catalyst system (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 50-18582). The hydroxyl group at the end is used for introducing suitable functional groups (Japanese Patent Applications Laid-open No. 62-148346 and 2002-371101).
The effect of introducing functional groups into ends is increased particularly in the case of a lower polymer having reactive groups at the ends, since the proportion of the end groups inevitably increases in the case of such a lower polymer. In addition, the effect of compatibility and adhesiveness is thought to be effectively controlled in a wide range if a suitable olefin compound is copolymerized with the main chain structure of a polymer having a reactive end.
The invention has been achieved in view of the above-described problem. An object of the invention is to provide a modified diene-α-olefin copolymer with improved compatibility and adhesiveness and a method for producing the same.

Modified diene-α-olefin copolymer and method for producing same

Abstract: wherein R1 and R2 independently represent a hydroxyl group or H2C═C(R5)—COO—, R3s, R5s, and R6s are independently represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, R4s independently represent a phenyl group, a pyridyl group, a chlorine atom, a cyclohexyl group, or a carbonyloxyalkyl group, and l, m, and n represent the number of repetition.


A refrigerator having sliding doors that is easily accessible by handicapped individuals, such as individuals in wheelchairs. The refrigerator includes a rectangular housing having a pair of doors thereon that is arranged side-by-side. The doors are secured to the housing via upper and lower rails. The upper and lower rails are disposed within upper and lower tracks on the rectangular housing. The rails can slide within the tracks and may further be telescopic, allowing the doors to open in a sliding motion. In this way, a user can access the refrigerator without having the doors swing outwards and towards the user. The doors are also attached to the rails via a hinge so that the doors can pivot open in the traditional manner. Thus, the refrigerator can be opened by sliding or pivoting, or a combination thereof, for easy access by handicapped individuals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a handicap accessible refrigerator. More specifically, the present invention provides a handicap accessible refrigerator comprising doors that both slide and pivot in order allow a user in a wheelchair or similar device to more easily access the interior of the refrigerator. The device includes a pair of vertical doors mounted on rails slidably positioned within tracks on the refrigerator housing, such that the doors can slide outward towards the sides of the refrigerator so that users can gain access to the refrigerator without having to open the doors towards themselves.
Individuals with disabilities, such as individuals in wheelchairs, have difficulty gaining access to kitchen storage areas, including refrigerators. When a user is seated in a wheelchair, the user must move close toward the refrigerator in order to reach the door. However, traditional refrigerators include doors that swing open towards the user. Thus, the handicapped individual and his or her wheelchair may impede the path of the door as it is opening and may have to maneuver out of the way. The user must then move towards the interior of the refrigerator in order to retrieve items stored therein. This process is inconvenient and frustrating for handicapped individuals who desire any easier way to access the interior of a refrigerator.
The present invention provides a refrigerator that is easily accessible by handicapped individuals. The refrigerator includes a pair of vertical doors arranged side-by-side. Each door is connected to the refrigerator housing via an upper rail and a lower rail, each rail is slidably positioned within a track on the housing. The upper and lower rails are adapted to extend outward from the refrigerator such that the doors can slide open. Further, each door is pivotally connected to the rails so that the door can open by pivoting in the traditional manner. Thus, the present invention provides a refrigerator with doors that open in a sliding fashion and in a pivoting fashion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to refrigerators of various construction. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. These devices generally relate to refrigeration systems having doors that swing outward. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
One such device, U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,568 to Peffley discloses a refrigerator having a slidably positioned freezer compartment. A frame is slidably disposed in the freezer compartment and can slide outward from the refrigerator, towards the front of the refrigerator. Thus, Peffley discloses a sliding compartment rather than sliding doors. Further, the compartment of Peffley slides towards the user or the front of the refrigerator, and not to the sides of the refrigerator. Thus, Peffley is not adapted for easy accessibility by a handicapped individual.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,454,103 to Jeon et al. discloses a refrigerator having left and right doors that are pivotally opened and closed. Further, a sliding door is positioned between the left and right doors. The sliding door slides outward towards the user who is opening the refrigerator. Thus, while Jeon et al. discloses a refrigerator with a sliding door, Jeon et al. does not disclose a refrigerator having a left and right door that can open by sliding the doors towards the sides of the refrigerator in order to facilitate access to the refrigerator by a handicapped individual.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,971,250 to Imre et al. discloses a refrigerator having an elliptical cross section and a refrigeration compartment. The compartment has two or more shelves that are rotatable about a vertical axis. Each sidewall of the compartment includes at least one door member to provide access to the shelf members. Preferably, the doors are transparent. A refrigeration unit supplies cooling air to the compartment in order to cool the food therein. Similarly, U.S. Design Patent Number D517,572 to Imre et al. discloses the ornamental design for a refrigerator having transparent doors. The refrigerator comprises an elliptical housing and a plurality of transparent doors on the sidewalls thereof. Imre et al., however, fails to disclose a refrigerator having a rectangular housing with doors that open either slidably or pivotally.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,182 to Imre discloses a refrigeration system having a vacuum panel insulated cabinet having mirrored cylindrical compartments. The compartments are accessed by sliding doors. The compartments are cooled with water that passes through water jackets surrounding the compartments. Cold air can also be used to cool the compartments. Thus, Imre discloses a refrigeration system having cylindrical compartments, and does not disclose a conventional household refrigerator adapted to facilitate accessibility by handicapped individuals.
These prior art devices have several known drawbacks. The prior art devices include refrigeration systems with sliding compartments. These compartments slide outward towards the front of the refrigerator. Such an arrangement is inconvenient for a handicapped individual, who must move away from the door as it is opening towards the user. The prior art devices fail to disclose a conventional household refrigerator having a left door and a right door, wherein the doors can open pivotally in the conventional manner, but can also slide outwards towards the sides of the refrigerator to provide access to the interior of the refrigerator.
In light of the devices disclosed in the prior art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the prior art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing refrigerator devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.

Refrigerator having sliding and pivoting doors


The present invention relates to a compound of formula (I)

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium which causes tuberculosis (TB), remains a major cause of death in the world in spite of relatively effective treatments with multi-drug combinations due to the lack of treatment accessibility, HIV co-infection, and the lengthy treatment time. Combinations of multiple drugs are required to prevent the emergence of drug resistance and to effectively treat the infection. Drug sensitive TB is treated with isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide and ethambutol or streptomycin. Importantly, there are many side effects associated with the drugs making compliance difficult and tolerability challenging. For example, isoniazid causes peripheral nervous system disorder and induces serious liver dysfunction in some people when used in combination with rifampicin; rifampicin can cause liver dysfunction or hepatopathy, malaise, drug allergy, and its use with other drugs such as HIV protease inhibitors, is compromised due to P450-associated enzyme induction. In summary, tolerability remains a major challenge for current TB drug treatment regimens.
A revitalized effort to develop new drug treatments and combinations of drugs has been inspired by medical philanthropy and cooperative efforts of public private partnerships. In addition, in spite of the total number of cases of TB having decreased in most countries, the lack of accessibility of treatment of multi-drug resistant (MDR-TB) and extensively drug resistant (XDR-TB) combined with the emergence of extremely drug resistant (XXDR-TB) or totally drug resistant (TDR-TB) raises global concerns about the sustainability of the current control measures. Furthermore, there remain too few combinations that have the potential to shorten the treatment time of drug sensitive and drug resistant TB infection (currently from six months to two years, respectively), which remains critical to treatment compliance and preventing the emergence of drug resistance. Moreover, there is mechanistic and chemical redundancy for compounds currently in clinical development and safety liabilities for most classes of drugs reflecting a lack of bold and innovative approaches. For example, two fluoroquinolones in phase 3 clinical trials do not address the problem of XDR-TB and may exacerbate drug resistance; three oxazolidinones in phase 2 clinical trials have not proven to shorten the time of treatment; and two nitroimidazoles in clinical development may be incompatible with some of the front line treatment drugs. Thus, there remains an overall dearth of drug candidates for the treatment of tuberculosis; see WGND pipeline as reference http://www.newtbdrugs.org/pipeline.php.
As a result of the need to combat drug-resistant bacteria and the increasing failure of the available drugs, there has been a resurgent interest in discovering new antibiotics. One attractive strategy for developing new antibiotics is to inhibit DNA gyrase and/or topoisomerase IV, bacterial enzymes necessary for DNA replication, and therefore, necessary for bacterial cell growth and division. Gyrase and/or topoisomerase IV activity are also associated with events in DNA transcription, repair and recombination. Gyrase is one of the topoisomerases, a group of enzymes which catalyze the interconversion of topological isomers of DNA (see generally, Kornberg and Baker, DNA Replication, 2d Ed., Chapter 12, 1992, W. H. Freeman and Co.; Drlica, Molecular Microbiology, 1992, 6, 425; Drlica and Zhao, Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, 1997, 61, pp. 377-392). Gyrase itself controls DNA supercoiling and relieves topological stress that occurs when the DNA strands of a parental duplex are untwisted during the replication process. Gyrase also catalyzes the conversion of relaxed, closed circular duplex DNA to a negatively superhelical form which is more favorable for recombination. The mechanism of the supercoiling reaction involves the wrapping of gyrase around a region of the DNA, double strand breaking in that region, passing a second region of the DNA through the break, and rejoining the broken strands. Such a cleavage mechanism is characteristic of a type II topoisomerase. The supercoiling reaction is driven by the binding of ATP to gyrase. The ATP is then hydrolyzed during the reaction. This ATP binding and subsequent hydrolysis cause conformational changes in the DNA-bound gyrase that are necessary for its activity. It has also been found that the level of DNA supercoiling (or relaxation) is dependent on the ATP/ADP ratio. In the absence of ATP, gyrase is only capable of relaxing supercoiled DNA.
Bacterial DNA gyrase is a 400 kilodalton protein tetramer consisting of two A (GyrA) and two B subunits (GyrB). Binding and cleavage of the DNA is associated with GyrA, whereas ATP is bound and hydrolyzed by the GyrB protein. GyrB consists of an amino-terminal domain which has the ATPase activity, and a carboxy-terminal domain which interacts with GyrA and DNA. By contrast, eukaryotic type II topoisomerases are homodimers that can relax negative and positive supercoils, but cannot introduce negative supercoils. Ideally, an antibiotic based on the inhibition of bacterial DNA gyrase and/or topoisomerase IV would be selective for these enzymes and be relatively inactive against the eukaryotic type II topoisomerases.
Topoisomerase IV primarily resolves linked chromosome dimers at the conclusion of DNA replication.
The widely-used quinolone antibiotics inhibit bacterial DNA gyrase (GyrA) and/or Topoisomerase IV (ParC). Examples of the quinolones include the early compounds such as nalidixic acid and oxolinic acid, as well as the later, more potent fluoroquinolones such as norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, and trovafloxacin. These compounds bind to GyrA and/or ParC and stabilize the cleaved complex, thus inhibiting overall gyrase function, leading to cell death. The fluoroquinolones inhibit the catalytic subunits of gyrase (GyrA) and/or Topoisomerase IV (Par C) (see Drlica and Zhao, Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, 1997, 61, 377-392). However, drug resistance has also been recognized as a problem for this class of compounds (WHO Report, "Use of Quinolones in Food Animals and Potential Impact on Human Health", 1998). With the quinolones, as with other classes of antibiotics, bacteria exposed to earlier compounds often quickly develop cross-resistance to more potent compounds in the same class. The associated subunits responsible for supplying the energy necessary for catalytic turnover/resetting of the enzymes via ATP hydrolysis are GyrB (gyrase) and ParE (topoisomerase IV), respectively (see, Champoux, J. J., Annu. Rev. Biochem., 2001, 70, pp. 369-413). Compounds that target these same ATP binding sites in the GyrB and ParE subunits would be useful for treating various bacterial infections (see, Charifson et al., J. Med. Chem., 2008, 51, pp. 5243-5263).
There are fewer known inhibitors that bind to GyrB. Examples include the coumarins, novobiocin and coumermycin A1, cyclothialidine, cinodine, and clerocidin. The coumarins have been shown to bind to GyrB very tightly. For example, novobiocin makes a network of hydrogen bonds with the protein and several hydrophobic contacts. While novobiocin and ATP do appear to bind within the ATP binding site, there is minimal overlap in the bound orientation of the two compounds. The overlapping portions are the sugar unit of novobiocin and the ATP adenine (Maxwell, Trends in Microbiology, 1997, 5, 102).
For coumarin-resistant bacteria, the most prevalent point mutation is at a surface arginine residue that binds to the carbonyl of the coumarin ring (Arg136 in E. coli GyrB). While enzymes with this mutation show lower supercoiling and ATPase activity, they are also less sensitive to inhibition by coumarin drugs (Maxwell, Mol. Microbiol. 1993, 9, 681).
Despite being potent inhibitors of gyrase supercoiling, the coumarins have not been widely used as antibiotics. They are generally not suitable due to their low permeability in bacteria, eukaryotic toxicity, and poor water solubility (Maxwell, Trends in Microbiology, 1997, 5, 102). It would be desirable to have a new, effective GyrB and ParE inhibitor that overcomes these drawbacks and, preferably does not rely on binding to Arg136 for activity. Such an inhibitor would be an attractive antibiotic candidate, without a history of resistance problems that plague other classes of antibiotics.
As bacterial resistance to antibiotics has become an important public health problem, there is a continuing need to develop newer and more potent antibiotics. More particularly, there is a need for antibiotics that represent a new class of compounds not previously used to treat bacterial infection. Compounds that target the ATP binding sites in both the GyrB (gyrase) and ParE (topoisomerase IV) subunits would be useful for treating various bacterial infections. Such compounds would be particularly useful in treating nosocomial infections in hospitals where the formation and transmission of resistant bacteria are becoming increasingly prevalent. Furthermore, there is a need for new antibiotics having a broad spectrum of activity with advantageous toxicological properties.

Abstract: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof wherein X and R are as defined herein. The compounds of formula (I) are useful as gyrase and/or topoisomerase IV inhibitors for treating bacterial infections. The compounds of formula (I) either possess a broad range of anti-bacterial activity and advantageous toxicological properties or are prodrugs of compounds having said activity.


A substrate under tension and/or compression improves performance of devices fabricated therein. Tension and/or compression can be imposed on a substrate through selection of appropriate gate sidewall spacer material disposed above a device channel region wherein the spacers are formed adjacent both the gate and the substrate and impose forces on adjacent substrate areas. Another embodiment comprises compressive stresses imposed in the plane of the channel using SOI sidewall spacers made of polysilicon that is expanded by oxidation. The substrate areas under compression or tension exhibit charge mobility characteristics different from those of a non-stressed substrate. By controllably varying these stresses within NFET and PFET devices formed on a substrate, improvements in IC performance have been demonstrated.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to inventive methods of manufacturing a semiconductor device for improving device performance, and to the resulting unique high-performance device structure. In particular, this invention has improved charge mobility in FET devices by structurally imposing tensile and compression forces in a device substrate during device fabrication.
Within the field of semiconductor device design, it is known that mechanical stresses within the device substrate can modulate device performance. Individual stress tensor components affect device behavior of PFETs and NFETs differently. Previous improvements that utilized stress enhancements tended to focus on one or the other type of device outside of a practical performance environment, such as in an IC chip. In order to maximize the performance of both PFETs and NFETs within IC chips, the stress components need to be engineered and applied differently, yet simultaneously. The best stress design is tension in both directions for the nFET and compression in the longitudinal direction for the pFET along with tension in the transverse direction relative to channel current. In this invention we show a method and structure by which we can use spacers to introduce a longitudinal tensile stress for the nFET while at the same time applying a longitudinal compressive stress on the pFET device in a conventional FET structure, and selectively deposited layers on silicon-on-insulator ("SOI") structures. The longitudinal stress is induced along the same axis as the current, or charge, being carried in the channel. It may be more difficult to impose a stress in the transverse direction using spacers so we lose benefit from that direction. However, by virtue of the fact that we can move the stress inducing component closer to the device through the use of stress inducing spacers and layers, the modulation of stress can be improved relative to the isolation material or STI stress approach as suggested in the patent application identified above. One advantage of the method and structure of the present invention that it has provided a device performance improvement for both the nFET and pFET simultaneously.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ito et al (IEDM, 2000) impose stress using an etch-stop nitride superlayer that is deposited after the device is completely constructed. Again, here the films have a built-in intrinsic biaxial stress which they modulated from compressive through tensile. They found that when the film is in tension the nFET performance is enhanced while that of the pFET's is degraded. They found the reverse for compression, namely nFET is degraded while the pFET is enhanced. They could not improve the performance of both the pFET and nFET simultaneously. Also, since the film is well above the device the stress translated down into the silicon will be somewhat lesser, particularly when compared to material that is adjacent to the device.
In the application identified above entitled "Isolation Structures for Imposing Stress Patterns", we showed how to modulate the stresses imposed on the silicon by isolation (the preferred example used STI). One of the embodiments advocates the use of materials with different intrinsic stress and coefficients of expansion mismatched in the appropriate regions of the nFETs and pFETs to modulate induced stresses. In another embodiment, we discussed how to add compressive stress by oxidation through openings in a nitride liner as needed for pFETs in the longitudinal direction, while retaining all the tensile stresses (in the transverse pFET direction and transverse+longitudinal nFET directions) from intrinsic and thermal mismatch properties. Prior to these two recent disclosures, all prior known solutions and methods using mechanical stress for device performance enhancement improved neither both nFETs and pFETs simultaneously nor taught the individual device isolation structures and methods of making them. In the present specification we leverage stress effects on devices using stress induced by spacers and by processing, e.g. oxidizing, a selectively deposited silicon isolation liner on SOI structures. We also show how to modulate the stresses for both pFETs and nFETs, which brings the stress effect much closer to the device.

International Business Machines Corporation


A compliant engagement member for use with tree-shaking apparatus that resists deformation along the axis of vibration, thereby avoiding dissipation of vibrational energy, yet allows sufficient off-axis deformation to prevent slippage and consequent abrasion of the tree. The engagement member includes a pouch for containing a variable amount of a liquid lubricant; means for conducting a liquid lubricant to and from the pouch; and means for flexibly coupling the pouch to the tree-shaking apparatus. The invention preferably also includes a blanket surrounding at least part of the pouch and frictionally engaging both the pouch and the tree, adding further resistance to slippage against (and consequent injury to) the tree. Lateral inward movement of the shaking device compresses the lubricant pouch against the interior of the contact blanket. The pouch either releases lubricant or is packed sufficiently tightly with lubricant to resist deformation as a result of this compression. However, the pouch and the flexible connections accommodate deformation in the direction transverse to the axis of vibration, thereby absorbing transverse movement and preventing its transmission to the tree. The contact blanket frictionally engages both the pouch and the tree, adding further resistance to slippage against (and consequent injury to) the tree.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fruit- and nut-harvesting equipment, and more particularly to a compliant engagement member for use with the heads of tree-shaking apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mechanical devices for harvesting fruit and nuts from trees typically operate by gripping the tree trunk and imparting thereto a controlled, low-frequency vibration or shaking action. This operation dislodges the fruit or nuts, which are then collected and transported.
A typical tree-shaking apparatus includes two opposing clamp members that engage the tree trunk, and which are themselves driven by dual oscillation units. These units coact to rock the tree laterally. In older devices, the clamps were provided with simple pads that would make direct contact with the tree. This approach, unforunately, resulted in frequent injury to the tree due to abrasion.
To reduce the abrasive effect of pad contact, equipment manufacturers have experimented with various types of deformable engagement pads, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,318,629. Deformable pads were, for example, filled with a loose packing of granular material, and could therefore fit snugly around a variety of irregularly shaped trees or limbs without excessive local pressures. This type of configuration, while less harmful to the trees, is far less efficient at transmitting vibration than non-deformable pads, since the loosely packed material inherently absorbs vibratory force before it reaches the tree.
Current tree-shaking devices often utilize non-deformable shaker pads that contain associated lubrication arrangements; these avoid tree damage through deliberate slippage within the devices rather than against the trees. An example of this approach appears in U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,073, which describes a shaking head that includes a main shaker pad, a sling that surrounds the pad, and a slip pad that overlies the sling and makes contact on its outer face with the tree. A heat-resistant lubricant or grease is applied between the sling and the slip pad, ensuring that vibration causes the sling to slide across the inner face of the slip pad, while the outer face of the slip pad remains stationary with respect to the tree and therefore does not abrade the bark.
Although externally lubricated arrangements such as this avoid tree damage while preserving adequate transmission of vibration from the oscillation units to the tree, they require cumbersome manual or mechanical systems that replenish the lubricant as it is squeezed out from between the padding layers during operation. Like any forced-fluid device, these mechanical systems require maintenance and are vulnerable, particularly in the vigorous operating environment of a tree-shaking device, to malfunction. Furthermore, because spent lubricant is ejected or falls to the ground during operation, the possibility of environmental contamination must also be considered and prevented.
We disclosed an improvement over these designs in U.S. Pat. No. 5,406,780. Our approach involved a pouch fillable with a lubricant and configured to resist deformation along the axis of vibration, thereby avoiding dissipation of vibrational energy, while allowing sufficient off-axis deformation to prevent slippage and consequent abrasion of the tree. The disclosed engagement member included a shaker pad coupled to the frame of a vibration device; a sealed, lubricant-filled pouch rigidly attached to the pad and frame; and a contact blanket draped over the pouch.
While highly useful under a wide range of conditions, this arrangement has nonetheless been found to exhibit certain limitations. The fact that the pouch is sealed requires a fixed volume of lubricant; as a result, the lubricant may become stale from repeated use, and may also be present in greater quantity than is actually necessary. Furthermore, the contact force between the pouch (via the blanket) and the tree can be controlled only by adjusting the frame; because the frame is a large device not amenable to convenient, precise movement, in practical effect the contact force simply cannot be finely controlled. But insufficient contact between the pouch and the tree prevents efficient transmission of vibratory force and can allow the pouch to strike the tree (risking its injury), while excessive contact force also risks improper operation and injury to the tree.
The rigid connection between the pouch and the frame can also prove problematic. Although the inner surfaces of the pouch are free to slip relative to one another, movement of the frame during vibration can exceed the allowable slippage, with the result that the pouch (again, via the blanket) cannot remain fixed against the tree; instead the pouch drags against the tree, abrading the bark.

Compliant engagement member with flexible coupling for use with tree-shaking apparatus


An X-ray tomograph comprises an X-ray generator having a function of moving the focal position and radiating X-rays toward a subject, an X-ray image receiving element for receiving transmission images created by X-rays radiated from the X-ray generator, and an image processing section for creating a tomographic image by processing the transmission images of the subject received by the X-ray image receiving element. A stereoradioscopic image constructing equipment comprises the X-ray tomograph and a stereoradioscopic image constructing section for creating a stereoradioscopic image by subjecting the created tomographic images to image processing. By using the X-ray tomograph, a tomographic image can be created without providing any high-precision movable mechanism, and a tomographic image of even a soft subject can be correctly created.

Conventionally, an X-ray tomograph is used to inspect, for example, the inside structure of a subject without destruction. The X-ray tomograph comprises an X-ray generator for radiating X-rays to a subject and an X-ray image receiving element for receiving transmission images formed by the X-rays radiated from the X-ray generator. The X-ray generator is configured to be rotatable around the subject on the same plane by a mechanical movable mechanism. The X-ray image receiving element can be rotated by a mechanical movable mechanism in correspondence with the movement of the X-ray generator. Besides, the X-ray image receiving element is connected to an image processing device which processes the transmission images received by the X-ray image receiving element to create a tomographic image. (See, for example, Patent Document 1)
But, a method using the above X-ray tomograph has a disadvantage that a high-precision movable mechanism must be used to rotate the X-ray generator and the X-ray image receiving element in order to keep a spatial resolution of several micrometers.
The subject may be rotated and translated instead of the rotations of the X-ray generator and the X-ray image receiving element, but such a method needs a high-precision movable mechanism for rotation of the subject and has a disadvantage that it cannot be used for examination of, for example, a soft subject which is deformed when rotated.
Patent Document 1: JP-A 2-501411 (page 12 and FIG. 1)

X-ray tomograph and stereoradioscopic image construction equipment

Toshiba Electron Tubes & Devices Co., Ltd.


A thermal protection system suitable as a heat shield for a space vehicle includes a flexible insulation mat that is adhesively bonded onto the outer skin of the space vehicle, a cover layer made of at least one ply of a ceramic fiber composite material secured onto the insulation mat, and a coating of an inorganic material applied onto an outer surface of the ceramic cover layer. The cover layer is secured to the insulation mat by adhesive bonding, stitching with ceramic threads or the like, or by a snap fastener button connection. The ceramic fiber composite materials of the cover layer include inorganic fibers which are preferably oxides, carbides or mixtures thereof embedded in a matrix of the same compositional components, whereby the components can be selected appropriately depending on the requirements of the particular application. The overall thermal protection system remains flexible, lightweight, and highly effective for thermal shielding, so that it may be used not only on the relatively cooler portions of the space vehicle, but also on the most highly thermally loaded areas such as the nose and the leading edges of wings and the like.

This application is based on and claims the priority under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7119 of German Patent Application 199 45 586.4, filed on Sep. 23, 1999, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to a thermal protection system, especially providing heat shielding for space vehicles, including a flexible insulation mat arranged on the outer skin of the space vehicle.
During ascent and during reentry of a space vehicle into the atmosphere of any heavenly body, e.g. not only during reentry into the Earth""s atmosphere but also during reentry into the respective atmospheres of moons and planets such as Mars or Venus, the space vehicle is subjected to extreme aerodynamic, aerothermic, aeroelastic, mechanical and acoustic loads. For this reason, the ascent and reentry phases of a space mission are regarded as critical and determinative of the success of the mission. Therefore, it is important to equip the cold structure of the space vehicle with an effective thermal protection that can withstand all of the above described loads during the ascent and reentry phases, in order not to jeopardize the success of the entire space mission.
Various so-called reusable space transport vehicles are known, such as the U. S. space shuttle, the Russian BURAN, the originally planned European project HERMES, and the future Japanese space glider HOPE. For such reusable space transport vehicles, it is known to arrange ceramic tiles or shingles and other hot structures in the form of a rigid thermal protection system on the highly thermally loaded areas of the respective space vehicle, such as the underside or belly, the nose area, and the leading edges of the wings of the vehicle. On the other hand, the leeward sides of the components of the vehicle, which are not as highly thermally loaded, are typically provided with flexible insulation mats that are glued onto the cold structure of the space vehicle at such locations. Such conventional flexible insulation mats do not provide adequate thermal protection to be used at the highly thermally loaded areas mentioned above.
Throughout this application, the term xe2x80x9ccold structurexe2x80x9d refers to the structural components of the space vehicle, such as the skin thereof, which cannot directly withstand the high temperatures resulting during ascent and reentry. On the other hand, the term xe2x80x9chot structurexe2x80x9d refers to a structural component that can directly withstand the high temperatures arising during ascent and reentry.
In view of the above it is an object of the invention to provide a thermal protection system of the above described general type for a space vehicle, which achieves the advantages of a flexible insulation mat or the like, such as a low weight, a high flexibility for accommodating the different thermal expansions of the cold structure of the space vehicle and the hot outer wall or surface of the insulation system, and a simple and economical mounting and maintenance of the system on the space vehicle, not only for the leeward or relatively colder surfaces of the space vehicle, but also for the windward or relatively hotter surfaces of the space vehicle. It is a further object of the invention to reduce the overall cost of the total thermal protection system for the space vehicle, while providing a high degree of flexibility to accommodate higher degrees of deformation of the cold structure of the vehicle. Yet another object of the invention is to provide relatively thinner wall thicknesses of the insulation material and thereby achieve a considerable weight reduction of the overall thermal protection system. The invention further aims to avoid or overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, and to achieve additional advantages, as are apparent from the present specification.
The above objects have been achieved in a thermal protection system according to the invention, comprising at least one flexible insulation mat that is applied over a large surface area of the outer skin of the space vehicle. Particularly according to the invention, the thermal protection system further comprises a cover layer including at least one layer or ply comprising a ceramic fiber composite material, and a coating comprising an inorganic material applied onto the cover layer.
The particular composition of the fiber composite material of the cover layer can be adapted to the respective requirements at hand, which depend on the respective particular mission as well as the particular location at which the thermal protection system is being applied to the space vehicle. For example, the fiber composite material preferably and advantageously consists of inorganic fibers, which are preferably oxides, carbides or mixtures thereof, and which are in turn embedded in a matrix of the same material composition as the fibers. Depending on the particular selected composition, different particular thermal protection results as well as mechanical characteristics will be achieved.
The present thermal protection system according to the invention is especially further characterized in that it reliably prevents the penetration or permeation of hot gases into the insulation mat that is applied to the outer surface of the space vehicle, because especially the cover layer and coating form a pressure-tight or gas-tight outer skin covering the surface of the mat and thus of the space vehicle. Simultaneously, the cover layer and coating of the thermal protection system achieves a large surface distribution or spreading and introduction of the arising aerothermic, mechanical and acoustical loads, which are then conducted further through the underlying insulation mat and are then distributed and introduced over a large surface area of the cold structure of the space vehicle. Moreover, the protective layer provides an extremely effective protection against corrosive wear mechanisms and against the occurrence of hot gas oxidation. Also, by appropriately selecting the material of the coating that is provided on the thermal protection system according to the invention, the thermo-optical characteristics, and especially the absorption/emission characteristic of the surface of the thermal protection system, can be optimally adjusted. As a further advantage, the thermal protection system according to the invention is characterized by a rather low catalytic action in comparison to the prior art.
The application of the cover layer onto the insulation mat is preferably achieved according to the invention by means of adhesive bonding or gluing, sewing or stitching, or by a button or snap connection. The connection of the thermal protection system onto the cold structure of the space vehicle is advantageously achieved by an adhesive bonding, and especially by means of a high temperature resistant adhesive that cures at or under normal room temperature (e.g. under 30xc2x0 C.), and most preferably an adhesive based on silicone.

Thermal protection system especially for space vehicles


A mobile terminal and a method for wirelessly charging the mobile terminal are provided. The method includes searching for a wirelessly rechargeable mobile terminal; receiving, upon finding a wirelessly rechargeable mobile terminal, power state information from the found rechargeable mobile terminal; setting the mobile terminal as one of a power supplying terminal and a power receiving terminal based on the received power state information; and performing a power charging operation with the found rechargeable mobile terminals according to the setting.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to charging a mobile terminal, and more particularly, to a mobile terminal and a method for receiving wireless charging from another mobile terminal or providing wireless charging to another mobile terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile terminals such as mobile phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), etc., are powered by rechargeable batteries that are charged with electrical energy supplied by a separate charging apparatus. In general, a separate contact terminal is arranged outside of the charging apparatus and the battery, and the charging apparatus and the battery are electrically connected to each other through contact between them.
However, since the contact terminal protrudes outwardly in such a contact-type charging scheme, the contact terminal is easily contaminated by foreign substances, and in such cases, battery charging may not be performed correctly. Further, battery charging may not be performed correctly when the contact terminal is exposed to moisture.
Recently, a wireless charging (i.e., a non-contact charging technology) has been developed and used for electronic devices to address the above-mentioned problems.
Such a wireless charging technology employs wireless power transmission/reception, and corresponds to, for example, a system in which a battery can be automatically charged if the battery is laid on a charging pad, without the need to connect the mobile phone to a separate charging connector. The wireless charging technology is generally used for devices such as a wireless electric toothbrush or a wireless electric shaver. Accordingly, a waterproof function of such devices can be improved, and the portability of such electronic devices can be increased, since there is no need to provide a wired charging apparatus. Technologies related to wireless charging technology are also expected to be significantly developed in the coming age of electric cars.
Wireless charging technology commonly includes an electromagnetic induction scheme using a coil, a resonance scheme using a resonance, and a Radio Frequency (RF)/microwave radiation scheme converting electrical energy to a microwave and then transmitting the microwave.
The electromagnetic induction scheme is commonly-used, but it is expected eventually, all electronic products will be charged, at any time and location, without a wire, due to the strength of recent successful experiments for wirelessly transmitting power to a destination dozens of meters away, through the use of microwaves.
A power transmission method through the electromagnetic induction corresponds includes transmitting power between a first coil and a second coil. When a magnet approaches the coil, an induced current is generated. A transmission side generates a magnetic field by using the induced current and a reception side generates energy through an induced current according to changes in the magnetic field. The phenomenon is referred to as magnetic induction, and power transmission methods using magnetic induction transmit energy very efficiently.
Power transmission methods through electromagnetic induction have been commercialized, and are applied to various devices. The electromagnetic induction scheme makes up a majority of the non-contact charging technology corresponding to wireless charging, and this technology was originally applied to products such as electric shavers, electric toothbrushes, etc., using a nickel battery.
Another wireless charging scheme uses resonance. Prof. Soljacic of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced a system in which electricity is wirelessly transferred using a resonance-based power transmission principle, based on a coupled mode theory that operates even when a device to be charged is separated from a charging device by several meters. This wireless charging system used by an MIT team employs a resonance concept in physics in which, when a tuning fork oscillates at a particular frequency, a wine glass next to the tuning fork will tend to oscillate at the same frequency. The research team resonated an electromagnetic wave containing electrical energy instead of resonating sounds. The resonated electrical energy is directly transferred only when there is a device having a resonance frequency, and parts of electrical energy that are not used are reabsorbed into an electromagnetic field instead of being spread in the air, so that the electrical energy does not affect surrounding machines or people, in contrast to other electromagnetic waves.
Lastly, there is the RF/microwave radiation scheme. The RF/microwave radiation scheme is a new conceptual power transmission method of converting energy to a microwave favorable to wireless transmission and then transmitting the converted energy. The microwave scheme transmits the power energy instead of a concept of a signal used in the wireless communication technology such as a radio, a wireless phone or the like. While normal communication corresponds to carrying a signal on a carrier signal and then transmitting the carrier signal, the wireless power transmission corresponds to transmitting only the carrier.
A wireless charging system to which the wireless charging technology is applied typically includes a charging stand for supplying power to a terminal. Accordingly, there is a disadvantage in that, in such a system, wireless charging is only possible in locations of charging stands.

Method and apparatus for wirelessly charging a mobile terminal


A power transmission device includes a reception unit configured to receive, from each of a plurality of power reception devices as power transmission objects, identification information for identification of the power reception device, a device determination unit configured to determine, based on the identification information, whether each of the power reception devices is a registered device that has been registered beforehand, and a power transmission unit configured to transmit power to the registered device.

Field
Aspects of the present invention generally relate to a power transmission device, a power transmission method, and a storage medium.
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a technique for supplying electric power in a contactless manner (by radio) has been known. As exemplary contactless power supply methods, the following four types are available: an electromagnetic induction type; a magnetic field resonance type; an electric field coupling type; and a radio wave reception type. Among these, the magnetic field resonance type is characterized in that sufficient electric power can be transmitted for a long distance, and therefore, the magnetic field resonance type has particularly attracted attention among the four types. Regarding the magnetic field resonance type, the one-to-N power supply method where a power transmission device performs power transmission to a plurality of reception devices by radio has been proposed, in which this characteristic of the long power transmission distance is taken advantage of (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-136132).
According to the technique discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-136132, a power transmission device performs search, by emitting a constant pulse signal in a stand-by mode when not performing power transmission, so as to determine whether any power reception device is present in the vicinities within several meters. Then, when a reception device sends its own unique ID to the power transmission device, the power transmission device determines whether a transmission source of the unique ID is a power reception device that is a power supply object. In a case where the transmission source is a power reception device that is a power supply object, the power transmission device supplies electric power to the power reception device. Here, the power transmission device can send a unique code to the power reception device, in order to receive information about the amount of charge, a state of the device, etc., individually.
The power transmission device performs power transmission at a transmission frequency at which the power reception device as a power transmission object can receive power. Here, however, any device that can receive power at a frequency that coincides with the transmission frequency can receive power, even if it is a device other than those that the power transmission device assumes as the power reception devices. This results in a problem that a third party may steal electric power.

Power transmission device, power transmission method, and storage medium


A combinable sneaker with a replaceable male cushion has a sole provided with a female cushion formed integral with the sole. The female cushion has a plurality of chambers lengthwise and transverse, crossing each other to form corners. A male cushion is provided to releasably fit in the female cushion, having a plurality of projecting hollow cell bodies to fit in the chambers of the female cushion and then the male cushion is inflated to force the cell bodies to be expanded a little for firmly engaging the corners of the female cushion. The male cushion has a cross-section of three dimensional and hollow shape, with the projecting cell bodies sealed and a hollow tube connected to an air valve.

Conventional sneakers with air cushions generally have a definitely shaped air cushion disposed in a heel of a sneaker. Some sneakers have an air cushion formed in a sneaker to provide an anti-shock effect. The air cushion cannot be too thick, so the height of the air filled in the cushion is also comparatively low, with the practical shock-absorbing effect being small. An air cushion disposed in a heel can have a larger space so that it has comparatively large shock-absorbing dimensions. However, an air cushion often breaks, so a sneaker has to be discarded owing to the broken air cushion, and to date no sneakers have a structure for replacing an air cushion with a new one, resulting in waste.

Combinable sneaker with a replaceable male cushion


An intermediate result set is obtained from a first machine learning model whose input data set comprises values of a first set of properties associated with a session of operations. The intermediate result and a second set of properties associated with the session are provided as input to a second machine learning model. A value of at least one property of the first set is determined before a value of at least one property of the second set is determined. A particular action recommendation, based at least in part on output generated by the second machine learning model, is implemented.

In recent years, as the costs of collecting and storing data has decreased, machine learning algorithms that analyze collected data sets for various types of predictions are being increasingly employed to increase the effectiveness of various services and applications. Large amounts of data with respect to user interactions with network-accessible applications (such as e-retail applications) may be collected, for example using logs generated at the applications, and used to enhance usability or customize user experiences with the applications. Similarly, data collected from numerous sensors may be analyzed to improve the functionality of various devices and algorithms, including algorithms for enhancing security, predicting failures, and so on.
As machine learning models have become more sophisticated, the sizes and complexity of the input observations—e.g., the total number of variables for which respective values are collected for a given example observation to be used to train a model—have also increased. Input observation examples with hundreds or thousands of variables are becoming commonplace.
Depending on the application for which machine learning models are being used, the amount of time and resources available for executing the models may vary. For example, in a scenario where machine learning models are used to manage inventories for time periods which are a number of weeks or months in the future, a large amount of time may be available for model execution, and models with feature vectors with thousands of elements may be used without much difficulty. However, some decisions reached using machine learning-based methodologies may have to be made relatively quickly—e.g., within at most a few hundreds of milliseconds for some types of information presentation decisions associated with a potential customer browsing an e-retail web site, or when quick response actions have to be taken based on the results of monitoring a mission-critical system. Handling tradeoffs between model input complexity and time/resource constraints may present a non-trivial technical challenge.
While embodiments are described herein by way of example for several embodiments and illustrative drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize that embodiments are not limited to the embodiments or drawings described. It should be understood, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit embodiments to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims. The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word "may" is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words "include," "including," and "includes" mean including, but not limited to. When used in the claims, the term "or" is used as an inclusive or and not as an exclusive or. For example, the phrase "at least one of x, y, or z" means any one of x, y, and z, as well as any combination thereof.

Artificial intelligence system with hierarchical machine learning for interaction session optimization


A platform has wheels extending below the platform and a generally flat upper surface. A coupling means has a top and a bottom. The bottom is coupled to the platform. A beverage container has a lower region. The lower region is configured for allowing the beverage container to be coupled to top of the intermediate member and to be removed therefrom for the consumption of a beverage therein.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a beverage container/coaster system and more particularly pertains to retaining a beverage spaced above a recipient surface.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of beverage retainers of known designs and configurations is known in the prior art. More specifically, beverage retainers of known designs and configurations previously devised and utilized for the purpose of retaining beverages through known methods and configurations are known to consist basically of familiar, expected, and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which has been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,918,866 issued Jul. 18, 1933 to Reget relates to a decorative table device. U.S. Pat. No. 3,086,314 issued Apr. 23, 1963 to Pender relates to a coaster. Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,410,514 issued Nov. 12, 1968 to Ford relates to a placement with detachable coasters.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe beverage container/coaster system that allows retaining a beverage spaced above a recipient surface.
In this respect, the beverage container/coaster system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of retaining a beverage spaced above a recipient surface.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved beverage container/coaster system which can be used for retaining a beverage spaced above a recipient surface. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.


An improved braze alloy is microalloyed to include about 0.0005 wt % to about 0.5 wt % of at least one aggressively surface acting element selected from tellurium (Te), selenium (Se), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), and gallium (Ga), or any combination thereof. The braze alloys may include at least about 30% by weight of at least one base metal selected from the group of silver (Ag), copper (Cu), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), or aluminum (Al). In one example, a silver braze alloy suitable for brazing a cutter to a drill bit body is microalloyed to improve a characteristic of the braze material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to brazing material. More particularly, the present invention relates to a brazing material that is microalloyed to improve a characteristic of the brazing material.
2. Background Art
Base metals, including metals and metal alloys, can be joined in a number of different ways, such as by mechanical fastening, adhesive bonding, or using heat and a filler material to join the metals together. Metal joining techniques involving heat and filler materials are separated into three distinct classes known as soldering, brazing, and welding.
Soldering is a relatively low temperature metal joining process, which occurs at temperatures below 840° F. (450° C.). Soldering is a metallurgical bonding technique which involves the melting of a soldering alloy material between the surfaces of metallic members which is then allowed to cool to a solid state to join the metallic members together. Soldering offers relatively low joint strength for metallurgically bonding a base metal to another base metal. Soldering is often used in the electronics industry where the parts to be joined are not in motion or susceptible to large loads, stresses or impact. Metals typically used as the base metal for soldering alloys include lead, tin or zinc.
Welding is the highest temperature metal joining processes. Welding is used to join metal pieces together by raising the temperature at the seam between the base metals to be joined so that they are united by fusing, forging or pressure. Welding involves high temperatures that are close to the melting point of the base metals being joined, which is typically above 1830° F. (1000° C.). A filler metal, typically in the form of a welding rod, is usually used during a welding process to fill in the gaps between the base metals being joined and to facilitate the joining of the base metal metallurgically.
Brazing is a metal joining process that occurs at temperatures between those for soldering and welding. A braze joint offers higher joint strength (shear strength) than that of soldered. Referring to FIG. 1, brazing temperatures are above the melting point of the filler metal (braze 24) used and below the melting point of the base metals 20, 22 being joined. Brazing typically occurs at temperatures between 1100° F. and 1800° F. (600° C. to 1000° C.). Since the base metals 20, 22 are not melted by brazing, they typically retain most of their physical properties and the danger of metal distortion or warping, associated with welding, is minimized. Also, unlike soldering, brazing provides a strong metallic bond between the filler metal 24 and the base metals 20, 22 being joined. A properly made braze joint (like a weld joint) can in many cases be as strong as or stronger than the base materials themselves. However, brazing is typically more economical than welding because it is performed at lower temperatures and does not require the higher level skill set, accuracy, and attention to detail of welding. Metal alloys typically used as braze material (braze 24) include aluminum, copper, nickel, silver, or gold based alloys.
For brazing applications in particular, there is a desire for new or improved braze alloys that offer improved characteristics, such as higher braze strength and/or improved corrosion resistance. Also, in general, there is a desire for a brazing material that offers improved braze strength without significantly increasing braze temperature.


A data transmission method includes: identifying a priority of a received user plane data packet, and transmitting and processing the received user plane data packet according to the identified priority. Also disclosed is a data transmission device and a base station.

Since in the mobile communication network, the terminal data traffic has increased significantly, the construction of the 5th generation (5G) mobile communication network needs to reach targets of ultra-high speed, large throughput, ultra-high reliability and ultra-low latency. These targets bring enormous pressures and challenges to the service capability and deployment strategy of the mobile network. Operators, on the one hand need to enhance network deployment and communication technologies, and on the other hand hope to accelerate new technology promotion and network development, so as to implement the goal of rapid improvement of network performance.
The network architecture of the 4th generation (4G) mobile communication has a flat organization structure, in which the radio network control (RNC) is removed and an evolved base station (eNodeB) is directly connected to a core network, thereby reducing the delay. The eNodeB in the 4G network includes a centralized base band unit (BBU) and a radio remote unit (RRU). The BBU has a complete controller plane function (CPF) entity and a complete user plane function (UPF) entity. The UPF entity includes a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP), radio link control (RLC) and medium access control (MAC). A fronthaul interface between the BBU and the RRU uses a common public radio interface (CPRI). Since the CPRI interface is used for transmitting an in-phase quadrature (IQ) signal subject to processing such as physical layer encoding and modulation, the CPRI interface has high requirements for transmission latency and bandwidth. In the 5G network, in order to reduce transmission latency and scheduling latency between different network elements, a higher layer (such as an RLC layer) is required to transmit data to a lower layer (such as a MAC layer) in advance before receiving the scheduling. Due to the introduction of a method of packaging data in advance and transmitting the data, a lower layer under the long term evolution (LTE) architecture cannot distinguish and process the user plane data, causing low transmission efficiency and processing efficiency of the user plane data transmitted by the higher layer.

Data transmission method and device, and base station


A method of erasing data using a file-based protocol from a data storage apparatus for repurposing, reallocation to a new user or retirement of the data storage apparatus, the data storage apparatus comprising a memory using a file-based protocol, and the method comprises: receiving one or more signals representative of the available free space of at least one selected region of the memory; iteratively writing files to the at least one selected region of the memory using the file based protocol, wherein: at least one of the files is sized based on at least one of the received signals and the iterative writing of the files comprises writing the files in sequence such that for at least part of the sequence each file is smaller in size than the preceding file of the sequence; and wherein the files are written to collectively occupy all of the at least one selected region of the memory; and the method further comprises receiving an indication that said at least one selected region of memory is full following the writing of said files, and in response to the indication writing at least one further file to said at least one region of memory.

It may be desirable to remove data such as sensitive data from a data storage apparatus when the data storage apparatus is to be repurposed, reallocated to a new user, or retired. The continued drive towards enhanced privacy and data protection legislation and the introduction of associated environmental regulations serves to emphasise the importance of the effective erasure of data from data storage apparatuses.
Billions of devices are in circulation that hold sensitive data, for example personal or company data. Privacy concerns arise when there is a failure to secure this data, which can lead to a difficult and a legally uncertain situation when retiring or disposing of data bearing assets. As a result, security measures are required to mitigate potential threats and reduce the likelihood of a data breach. Prior to repurposing and/or retiring a device, stored data should be securely and efficiently erased. Indeed data protection legislation, national data security guidelines and environmental regulations support this notion.
In some case, industrial processing plants, referred to as IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) services, are used to facilitate the redeployment of devices, often processing tens of thousands devices a week. In these situations the speed at which devices can be processed is paramount to the return on investment from the recycling facility as the value of a device can decline over time and the resource costs required during the handling process increase. The secure redeployment of devices is a key part of this industry and ensuring that user data has been removed is a key part of the disposition process.
Turning to mobile technologies, for example smart phones and tablets, the foremost way to erase data and prepare it for redeployment or retirement is to access the 'factory reset' option via the operating system installed on the device. For the specific example of a device running iOS an 'Erase All Contents and Settings' function can be selected from an appropriate menu. Likewise, a similar procedure is provided on other phone platforms i.e. Android, Windows and Blackberry.
It is known that, in many cases, a functional operating system should be retained when re-conditioning a device. If the operating system is removed during data erasure, the device must, in some cases, be re-flashed with an operating system, adding to time needed to process the device. The manufacturer's warranty is also likely to be voided and a device that appears to be rooted may be prevented from being re-sold. Therefore any data removal procedure for the purpose of re-conditioning a device may be constrained by restrictions imposed by the operating system. Therefore, in many cases, internal data erasure processes of the operating system must be used. This means that, for example, no direct access may be available to the memory and access may only be granted via the installed operating system.
Individual users typically use in-built factory reset processes of the installed operating system to erase all of the user data, including application data, stored files and user credentials. Factory reset processes for developers of devices such as smart phones is not standardised by any technology consortium or officially agreed upon within industry. For example, Android operating system offer guidelines on these processes but phone developers are not necessarily bound to these guidelines. These guidelines do not offer any insights into the underlying processes undertaken by a phone when factory reset is selected. Some may perform adequate data erasure, others may report success but do very little to actually remove the data physically stored on the memory chip inside the phone (i.e. the eMMC package). It is therefore difficult for a user to reliably know how effective the factory reset process is. On the other hand, iOS offers a user more information about their security process. However, it follows that the same or similar problems exist for other mobile platforms and technologies.
Known factory reset processes include utilizing cryptographic techniques, whereby the cryptographic key that is used to encrypt user data (and is therefore required to decrypt the user data) is erased, hence rendering the data cryptographically inaccessible. Such techniques involve encryption built into the hardware of a device, and therefore, once activated, all stored data is encrypted by default. This process, applied to all stored data, is generally irreversible.
Cryptographic approaches applied to storage devices come with several problems. For example, recently it has been reported that brute force attacks have been successful on Android devices with full disk encryption. In general, cryptographic techniques may be circumvented or eventually broken in the future through, for example, unforeseen developments in technology. Coupled with continuous methodological attempts to break them by researchers and hackers this creates an uncertainty in their security. There are historical examples of cryptographic systems being broken. From the point of view of a user, encrypting the data of a device may have adverse effects on the performance of the device. It may be hard for a user to determine the quality of the encryption applied i.e. how secure the data is. Furthermore, from a user's perspective, it may be difficult to determine if data encryption has been turned on since the beginning of the device's usage. In addition, cryptographic approaches rely on a device completely and effectively destroying previous encryption keys. Data is not actively removed or overwritten by the process. Therefore, an error in destroying the keys provides a potential security breach, as data is recoverable.
Other known factory reset processes implemented by original equipment manufacturers include logically deleting data through making stored data on a storage device invalid without actually physically removing it from the storage device. Another process is issuing firmware commands to empty the contents of a user data partition of the memory device. However, when removing a file, an operating system typically only deletes the name of the file from an associated table and does not delete its content. Crucially, a user is not aware of the details and has little control over the factory reset process.
Another known process for erasing data on a storage device is to overwrite the stored data with redundant content. Typically, data on the storage device is accessed using the transfer protocol associated with the interface. In the case of addressing a mobile device, the transfer protocol is designed for transferring media or other files to the device. An outstanding problem with this process is that incomplete overwriting provides a security risk.
In summary, amongst other things, there is a need to provide a reliable and preferably platform-independent process for erasing data on storage devices on a large scale to mitigate issues arising from a reliance on factory reset processes.

Erasure of data from a memory of a data storage apparatus by identifying available free space in the memory and iteratively writing a sequence of files decreasing size to the memory using a file-based protocol


A computerized method and system for managing risk associated with a Hedge Fund is disclosed. Information relating to Hedge Funds is gathered and stored as data in preparation for a risk inquiry search relating to a Hedge Fund. Documents and sources of information can also be stored. A subscriber, such as a Financial Institution, can submit a Hedge Fund descriptor for which a risk inquiry search can be performed. The risk assessment or inquiry search can include data retrieved resultant to augmented retrieval methods. Scrubbed data as well as augmented data can be transmitted from a risk management clearinghouse to a subscriber or to a proprietary risk system utilized by a subscriber, such as a risk management system maintained in-house. Risk inquiry searches can be automated and made a part of standard operating procedure for any transaction conducted by the subscriber in which a Hedge Fund is involved.

This invention relates generally to a method and system for facilitating the identification, investigation, assessment and management of legal, regulatory financial, market, credit, operations and reputational risks ("Risks"). In particular, the present invention relates to a computerized system and method for banks and non-bank financial institutions to access information compiled on a worldwide basis and relate such information to a Hedge Fund, wherein the information is conducive to quantifying and managing Risks associated with the hedge fund.
Although the term "hedge fund" may not be strictly defined by government statute, over time, the term generally refers to a variety of pooled investment vehicles that are not registered under the federal securities laws as public corporations, investment companies, or broker-dealers.
As money-laundering and related concerns have become increasingly important public policy concerns, regulators have attempted to address these issues by imposing increasing formal and informal obligations upon financial institutions, including hedge funds. Government regulations authorize a broad regime of record-keeping and regulatory reporting obligations on covered financial institutions as a tool for the federal government to use to fight drug trafficking, money laundering, and other crimes. The regulations may require financial institutions to file currency and monetary instrument reports and to maintain certain records for possible use in tax, criminal and regulatory proceedings. Such a body of regulation is designed chiefly to assist law enforcement authorities in detecting when criminals are using banks and other financial institutions as intermediaries for, or to hide the transfer of funds derived from, criminal activity.
Obligations include those imposed by the Department of the Treasury and the federal banking regulators which adopted suspicious activity report ("SAR") regulations. These SAR regulations require that financial institutions file SARs whenever an institution detects a known or suspected violation of federal law, or a suspicious transaction related to a money laundering activity or a violation of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). The regulations can impose a variety of reporting obligations on financial institutions.
Perhaps most broadly relevant for the present invention, current regulations require an institution to report transactions aggregating to $5,000 that involve potential money laundering or violations if the institution, knows, suspects, or has reason to suspect that the transaction involves funds from illegal activities, is designed to disguise such funds, has no business or legitimate purpose, or is simply not the sort of transaction in which the particular customer would normally be expected to engage, and the institution knows of no reasonable explanation for the transaction after examining the available facts.
Federal regulators have made clear that the practical effect of these requirements is that financial institutions are subject to significant obligations to "know" their customer and to engage in adequate monitoring of transactions.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) typically will receive limited information regarding the activities of various large market participants, including some hedge fund s, through reports that are filed when they acquire 5% or more of a class of security issued by a publicly traded company. The SEC will also receive limited information about hedge fund s through reports filed by managers exercising investment discretion over accounts having $100 million or more in equity securities. This information, however, does not reveal much detail about the trading activities of Hedge Funds and other large participants in our markets. In addition, the limited partnership structure of a hedge fund can make it more difficult to ascertain who the ultimate "customer" of a financial institution is.
Risk associated with a transaction involving a hedge fund can be increased due to the difficulty in gathering and accessing pertinent data on a basis timely to managing risk associated with the transaction. As part of due diligence associated with performing financial, it is imperative for a financial institution to "Know Their Customer" including whether a customer is contained on a list of restricted entities published by the Office of Foreign Access Control (OFAC), the Treasury Office or other government or industry organization. The amount of information that needs to be considered to evaluate whether an entity poses a significant risk or should otherwise be restricted, is substantial.
What is needed is a method and system to draw upon information gathered globally that relates to hedge fund s and the partners associated with a fund. The information can be utilized to assist with risk management and due diligence related to a financial transaction involving a hedge fund. A new method and system should anticipate scrubbing data from multiple sources in order to facilitate merging data from all necessary sources. In addition, data mining should be made available to ascertain patterns or anomalies in the query results. Risk information should also be situated to be conveyed to a compliance department and be able to demonstrate to regulators that a financial institution has met standards relating to risk containment.


The present invention provides a method of preparing a sample comprising one or more proteins of interest, the method comprising: providing a sample comprising a population of proteins of interest solubilised with a surfactant in a medium; exposing said sample to a mild precipitant to cause precipitation of said proteins; during or after the precipitation step, bringing said sample into contact with a matrix adapted to capture said precipitated proteins and prevent excessive aggregation of precipitated protein particles; and washing the matrix with captured precipitated proteins to remove the surfactant. A sample preparation device to carry out the same is also provided.

A typical bottom-up proteomic experiment is based on tryptic proteolysis with subsequent characterization of the generated peptide products by mass spectrometry (MS)1. In order to obtain a thorough map of proteins, detergents (surfactants), amphipathic by nature, which facilitate solubilisation of hydrophobic proteins, are deployed.
Most charged or ionisable molecules interfere with the ionisation of the analyte (i.e. compete for charges) and cause signal suppression and/or elevation of the background noise, and thus the following should be avoided:                Salts: Na+, Cl−, Tris, etc.        Chaotropes: Urea, Thiourea, Gu-HCl, etc.        Detergents/surfactants: SDS, NP-40, Triton X, octyl glucoside, TWEEN, etc.        Polymers: PEG, Ampholytes, etc.        Non-volatile, ionic compounds: glycerol, DMSO, etc.
It can be seen that conventional detergents, which are required to extract hydrophobic proteins (e.g. membrane bound proteins) are not compatible with mass spectrometry and must be eliminated from the samples prior to MS analysis. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), an anionic surfactant, is the most widely used detergent for protein separation and solubilisation. The most common analytical utility of SDS is in separation of proteins by means of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE)5. The protein-containing gel bands may be cut out and in-gel digestion performed6. However, the overall value of this procedure for proteome profiling and quantitation is limited due to such adverse effects as partial protein digestion, artifactual modifications, poor peptide recovery and the difficulties in processing of large numbers of gel bands if large-scale comparative profiling across multiple samples is needed.
During recent years, the Filter Aided Sample Preparation Method (FASP) has gained popularity as one of the key tools for gel-free proteomic processing of the cellular and tissue SDS-extracted material7. The FASP method, however, is very time-consuming, dependent on batch-to-batch reliable performance of the commercial spin-filter units, requires careful implementation and control to prevent drying-out or damage of the spin-filter membrane, and is disconnected from the clean-up step.
There remains a need for a simple, efficient and reproducible sample preparation tool, compatible with small sample amounts, which would combine the proven power of the SDS-based protein extraction with rapid detergent removal, protein digestion and in-situ clean-up of the peptides.

Method and device for protein preparation


A piston for a linear spool valve, the valve comprising a body having a inner surface. The body is made of a material with a relatively low heat expansion coefficient α1. The piston comprises a contact member having an outer surface and being adapted to reciprocate within the body of the valve so that the outer surface is in contact with the inner surface. The contact member has at least a first layer made of a material with a heat expansion coefficient α2 essentially greater than α1, i.e. α2>>α1, and at least a second layer made of a material with a heat expansion coefficient α3 close to α1. This causes the contact member to be adapted to behave, along said outer surface, as a material having a heat expansion coefficient essentially closer to α1 than to α2. One of the layers constitutes an outer layer of the contact member and comprises the outer surface.

A linear spool valve is a device commonly employed in work exchangers to obtain energy from one fluid stream and transfer that energy to another stream. It functions as a pump driven by fluid flow, and it normally comprises a body with a cylindrical cavity with an inner surface and piston adapted to reciprocate within the cavity in contact with the inner surface. Most known pistons are made of solid polymer material (not metal) in order to avoid intensive wear and tear of the valve body, which is normally made of steel.
Linear spool valves are often used in work exchangers for recovery of energy in reverse osmosis processes such as desalination. One example of such spool valve is disclosed in the Applicant's WO04111509. The use in reverse osmosis desalination imposes certain limitations on the valve's design because such processes often take place under high pressure differential between two ends of the piston and high temperature range. In particular, in course of a year, the seawater temperature is changed as a rule in a range from 10 to 35° C. The pressure across the piston is usually around 65-70 bars on one end of the piston and 1-2 bars on the other end of the piston. In order to withstand such pressure and temperature conditions, a very small clearance is allowed between the piston and the inner surface of the valve, which is preferably not greater than about 0.06 mm.


An image-forming device for recording images on a dielectric surface of an image-recording medium, in which the dielectric surface is in contact, in an image-forming zone, with developing powder bound to a powder support by a magnet system, the magnet system having two oppositely magnetized areas separated by a gap and, as considered in the direction of transport of the image-recording medium, disposed consecutively, the distance between at least one of the magnetized areas and the surface of the powder support being less than 150 .mu.m and the distance between the same magnetized area and the surface of the image-recording medium being less than 600 .mu.m, thus raising the background-free level while less magnetic material is required for the magnet system than in comparable devices.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an image-forming device, and more specifically to a device for recording images on an image-recording medium having a dielectric surface.
2. Description of Related Art
Image-forming devices of the nature herein under consideration are described, inter alia, in European patent applications 0 191 521 and 0 304 983. As explained in these patent applications, to achieve good image quality it is important that the developing powder mass, hereinafter referred to as the "toner brush," which, in the image-forming zone, is bound by magnetic attraction to a powder support acting as the powder transport means, should have a shape substantially remaining constant. A constant brush shape is important particularly on the side where the image-recording medium leaves the image-forming zone. A constant toner brush can be produced by a magnet system of the kind described in the above-mentioned European application 0 304 983. The construction of the magnet system described therein has the disadvantage that to enable use to be made of developing powder having a low percentage of magnetic pigment by volume, it is necessary to use very strong magnets in order to achieve an adequately strong magnetic field in the image-forming zone via the knife blade. The strong magnets required, which have to be used in duplicate, one on each side of the knife blade, make the magnet system expensive and bulky. In addition, the device has the disadvantage that if toner powder is used which contains only a little magnetic pigment, there is a fairly low background-free level. The term "background-free level" denotes the maximum voltage across the image-forming zone at which no toner deposition on the image-recording medium is observed. The disadvantage of a low background-free level is that, for example, as a result of a low tribo-electric charging effect between the toner brush and the dielectric surface of the image-recording medium, the finer toner particles from the toner brush are deposited on the image-recording medium, so that images are recorded with a background.


A protection circuit including a multi-gate high electron mobility transistor (HEMT), a forward conduction control block, and a reverse conduction control block is provided between a first terminal and a second terminal. The multi-gate HEMT includes an explicit drain/source, a first depletion-mode (D-mode) gate, a first enhancement-mode (E-mode) gate, a second E-mode gate, a second D-mode gate, and an explicit source/drain. The drain/source and the first D-mode gate are connected to the first terminal and the source/drain and the second D-mode gate are connected to the second terminal. The forward conduction control block turns on the second E-mode gate when a voltage difference between the first and second terminals is greater than a forward conduction trigger voltage, and the reverse conduction control block turns on the first E-mode gate when the voltage difference is more negative than a reverse conduction trigger voltage.

1. Field
Embodiments of the invention relate to electronic systems, and more particularly, to protection devices for compound semiconductor circuitry, such as gallium arsenide (GaAs) circuitry.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Electronic circuits can be exposed to transient electrical events, or electrical signals of a relatively short duration having rapidly changing voltage and high power. Transient electrical events can include, for example, electrical discharge/electrostatic overstress (ESD/EOS) events arising from the abrupt release of charge from an object or person to an electronic circuit. Transient electrical events can damage an integrated circuit (IC) due to overvoltage conditions and/or high levels of power dissipation over relatively small areas of the IC. High power dissipation can increase circuit temperature, and can lead to numerous problems, such as junction damage, metal damage, and/or surface charge accumulation.
Transient electrical event protection can be difficult to provide for certain gallium arsenide (GaAs) or other compound semiconductor circuitry, including, for example, radio frequency (RF) power amplifiers, attenuators, gain blocks, multi-voltage circuits, drivers, and/or switches. For instance, conventional ESD/EOS protection devices can have a large parasitic capacitance that can adversely impact circuit gain, linearity, and/or bandwidth, and thus can be unsuitable for protecting such circuits. Additionally, the performance of ESD/EOS protection devices can be limited by the relatively low thermal conductivity and/or current-handling capability associated with compound semiconductor technologies. Accordingly, there is a need for improved protection devices and circuits for providing protection to compound semiconductor circuitry, including, for example, protection devices and circuits having high current-handling capability and compact area.

Bidirectional heterojunction compound semiconductor protection devices and methods of forming the same