An apparatus for measuring the deviation from a specific position of a mirror surface, includes an auto collimating system in which a point light source is located at a reference point on a reflecting surface of the mirror surface located at a predetermined correct position. A light emitter emits detecting light onto the point light source from an incident optical axis inclined with respect to a normal of the mirror surface. A position detector measures the deviation of the detecting light reflected by the mirror surface and reciprocally transmitted through the auto collimating system and again reflected by the mirror surface.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mirror surface measuring apparatus which can be used to measure, for example, an inclination angle and/or a position, etc., of a reflection surface of a movable mirror in a single lens reflex camera.
Description of Related Art
In a conventional view finder of a single lens reflex camera, the light flux of an object transmitted through the taking lens is reflected by a movable mirror, such as a quick return mirror, toward a finder optical system, so that an object image can be formed on a screen lying in a plane which is spaced from the mirror at the same distance as the film plane but orthogonal thereto. The object image on the screen is observed through a pentagonal prism and an eyepiece.
If the inclination angle of the movable mirror does not meet an intended design value, the object image will be distorted or partially out of focus, or parallax might occur in which the range of the image in the finder might not be identical to the range of an actual object image exposed on the film. Furthermore, parallax error can also occur when the position of the movable mirror in the optical axis direction is deviated from a predetermined design value. To avoid these problems, it is necessary to measure or detect the inclination angle and the axial position of the movable mirror, upon assembly thereof.
The significant requirements needed to measure the inclination angle and the axial position of the movable mirror are 1 non-contact measurement, 2 quick measurement, and 3 selection of simultaneous or independent measurement of the angle and the position, etc.
Among the known measuring methods are the contact-probe method, the microscope method, and the auto-collimating method. In the contact-probe method, since a probe is brought into contact with a mirror to be measured, the mirror can be damaged. Furthermore, the measurement and adjustment can not be effected simultaneously.
A major disadvantage of the microscope method is that it requires a long time to complete the measurement. In the auto-collimating method, the detection of the position cannot be carried out while the angle is being detected.


Materials and a method are provided whereby polymers with least 0.5 mole % of the pendant group or end group containing —Si(OR″)3 (where R″ is H, an alkyl group, Na, K, or NH4) are used to control aluminosilicate scaling in an industrial process having an alkaline process stream such as a pulping mill process stream. When materials of the present invention are added to the alkaline process stream, they reduce and even completely prevent formation of aluminosilicate scale on equipment surfaces such as evaporator walls and heating surfaces. The present materials are effective at treatment concentrations that make them economically practical.

The problem of scaling in and on process equipment used in industrial processes and particularly in those having an alkaline process stream is very well known. The scales present a significant problem when they build up on the surface of process equipment and cause a loss in the heat transfer coefficient. Thus, additional heat may be required to be provided to the evaporator equipment in these processes resulting in added cost.
An example of such an industrial process having an alkaline process stream is the Kraft recovery process for manufacturing paper which has been known for over 100 years and is eloquently described in many texts on the subject (see G. A. Smook "Handbook for Pulp and paper technologists," 3rd Edition). More recently the development of closed loop cycles in kraft paper mills has resulted in an increase in scaling problems in process equipment due to the build up of aluminum and silicon in the system as is described by P. N. Wannamaker and W. J. Frederick in "Application of solubility data to predicting the accumulation of aluminum and silicon in alkaline pulp mills", Minimum Effluent Mills Symposium, 1996, p303. This article describes the occurrence of aluminosilicate scales in the black, green and white process liquors streams of the Kraft process. When the scales form on the surface of black liquor evaporators, tough glassy scales which are difficult and costly to remove, are formed. It has, therefore, been a well recognized need to provide a method for inhibiting the formation of aluminosilicate scales in kraft pulp mills. U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,571 describes the use of terpolymers of maleic acid, acrylic acid and hypophosphorous acid as scale inhibitor for kraft pulp mills. This type of polymer is shown to be effective against calcium carbonate scales but has not been shown to be effective for aluminosilicate scales.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Compositions for preventing or reducing aluminosilicate scale in industrial processes


New polymers, and their applications in water-based wellbore service fluids, such as, for example, drilling fluids, yield desirable filtration control and rheological properties to such fluids even after exposure to HTHP aging. Typical temperatures encountered during such aging are around 350–400° F. and the duration of the exposure is some significant time such as 16 hours or longer. Preferably, the polymers are random terpolymers of N-vinylcaprolactam, vinyl sulfonate monomer 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid, and monomer acrylamide, most preferably in a molar ratio of 15:20:65 respectively. The polymers reduce HTHP filtration volumes in fresh water, sea water, potassium chloride, and lime mud systems. The polymers may also be used to inhibit or reduce shale erosion.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in water-based well servicing fluids which better enable drilling and well servicing at high temperatures and high pressures. More particularly, this invention relates to polymer additives for water-based drilling fluids and other wellbore servicing fluids that afford desirable filtration control and rheological properties after exposure to a prescribed HTHP aging process.
2. Description of Relevant Art
Water based or aqueous based drilling fluids or muds are well known in the oil and gas industry, as are certain synthetically prepared polymers belonging to the vinyl sulfonate/vinyl amide (VSVA) class of polymers for use in such fluids. The polymer compositions often include the vinyl sulfonate monomer 2-acrylamide-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS). The vinyl amide structure of the polymer is often derived from the monomer acrylamide (AM).
Several AMPS/AM (or VSVA) polymers are available commercially for use as high temperature/high pressure (HTHP) filtration control additives for water based muds. Examples of such polymers include KEMSEAL™, available from Baker Hughes, Inc. in Houston, Tex., DURALON™, available from MI, L.L.C. in Houston, Tex., DRISCAL®-D, available from Phillips Petroleum Co. in Bartlesville, Okla., and ALCOMER® 242, available from Allied Colloids Ltd of the United Kingdom. Such commercially available polymers typically comprise two monomers AMPS and AM and are either linear or crosslinked in structure. During preparation, crosslinking of the VSVAs can be induced or controlled by the choice of reaction initiator chemistry or by the deliberate incorporation of some monomer known to induce crosslinking, such as methylene-bis-acrylamide or divinylbenzene. When VSVAs incorporate the monomer N-methyl-N-vinylacetamide (VIMA or VMA), the fluid typically shows desirable wellbore fluid performance characteristics under HTHP conditions. Random terpolymers consisting of AMPS, N-methyl-N-vinylacetamide (VIMA or VMA), and AM are commercially available and known to usually impart desirable performance characteristics to a water-based mud under HTHP conditions. Preferred examples are THERMA-CHEK™, available from Halliburton Energy Services, Inc., and HOSTADRILL® V2825, available from Clariant of Switzerland and previously from Hoechst Aktiengesellschaft of Germany.
Although VSVA polymers are known to typically impart desirable mud performance characteristics under HTHP conditions to water-based muds, and such polymers have been available for many years, there is a need for improved fluid performance beyond that which the VSVA polymers can provide.

Synthetic filtration control polymers for wellbore fluids


This invention is in the field of plant molecular biology. More specifically, this invention pertains to isolated nucleic acid fragments encoding PAE or PAE-Like proteins in plants and seeds and the use of such fragments to modulate expression of a gene encoding PAE or PAE-Like protein activity in a transformed host cell.

At maturity, about 40% of soybean seed dry weight is protein and 20% extractable oil. These constitute the economically valuable products of the soybean crop. Plant oils for example are the most energy-rich biomass available from plants; they have twice the energy content of carbohydrates. It also requires very little energy to extract plant oils and convert them to fuels. Of the remaining 40% of seed weight, about 10% is soluble carbohydrate. The soluble carbohydrate portion contributes little to the economic value of soybean seeds and the main component of the soluble carbohydrate fraction, raffinosaccharides, are deleterious both to processing and to the food value of soybean meal in monogastric animals (Coon et al., (1988) Proceedings Soybean Utilization Alternatives, Univ. of Minnesota, pp. 203-211).
As the pathways of storage compound biosynthesis in seeds are becoming better understood it is clear that it may be possible to modulate the size of the storage compound pools in plant cells by altering the catalytic activity of specific enzymes in the oil, starch and soluble carbohydrate biosynthetic pathways (Taiz L., et al. Plant Physiology; The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company: New York, 1991). For example, studies investigating the over-expression of LPAT and DAGAT showed that the final steps acylating the glycerol backbone exert significant control over flux to lipids in seeds. Seed oil content could also be increased in oil-seed rape by overexpression of a yeast glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, whereas over-expression of the individual genes involved in de novo fatty acid synthesis in the plastid, such as acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthase, did not substantially alter the amount of lipids accumulated (Vigeolas H., et al. Plant Biotechnology J. 5, 431-441 (2007). A low-seed-oil mutant, wrinkled 1, has been identified in Arabidopsis. The mutation apparently causes a deficiency in the seed-specific regulation of carbohydrate metabolism (Focks, Nicole et al., Plant Physiol. (1998), 118(1), 91-101. There is a continued interest in identifying the genes that encode proteins that can modulate the synthesis of storage compounds, such as oil, protein, starch and soluble carbohydrates, in plants.
Serine hydrolase enzymes are abundant in nature and perform different biochemical roles in enzymes such as proteases, lipases, esterases and transferases. All these divergent enzymes share a serine residue in the active site that acts in the nucleophilic attack of the substrate thereby forming a covalent intermediate. Pectin Acetyl esterase (PAE) (EC 18.104.22.168) has been purified from plants and microorganisms. PAE specifically de-acetylates acetylated carbohydrate polymers, such as xylan and pectin. PAE has been shown to remove acetylester groups from, for example, sugar beet pectin at the C2 and/or C3 position of galacturonic acid residues (Nielsen, John E.; Christensen, Tove M. I. E. Distribution of pectin methyl esterase and acetylesterase in the genus Citrus visualized by tissue prints and chromatography. Plant Science (Shannon, Ireland) (2002), 162(5), 799-807.) Genes encoding PAE from plants have been cloned and sequenced (Christensen et al. Protein and cDNA sequences of orange fruit pectin acetylesterase, and uses thereof. PCT Int. Appl. (2000), 88 pp. CODEN: PIXXD2 WO 2000017368 A1 20000330). Large gene families encoding protein with similarity to PAE have been identified in every plant that was subjected to in-depth genome or EST sequencing. The divergent nature of sequences and expression pattern observed for the PAE gene family suggest a biochemical function for gene family members outside of the de-acetylation of polysaccharides. Few studies have been conducted on the possible role of these proteins with similarity to PAE. In view of the ubiquitous nature of genes encoding PAE-like proteins in plants further investigation of their role in plant growth and development and specifically in the regulation of storage compound content in seed is of great interest.

Plant seeds with altered storage compound levels, related constructs and methods involving genes encoding PAE and PAE-like polypeptides


A dry analysis element which gives a calibration curve having a constant blank value for every lot and can be used without the need of correction of the internal calibration curve memorized in an analyzer. The dry analysis element including a water-permeable layer which contains: a reagent composition capable of producing an optically detectable substance in the presence of a predetermined analyte in an aqueous sample; and a fogging agent selected from the group consisting of the optically detectable substance and a material which is detectable by the same method for detecting the optically detectable substance. Also provided is a process for preparing the analysis element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dry analysis element having a constant blank value on a calibration curve, and process for making the dry analysis element. More particularly, the invention provides a dry analysis element which is conveniently used in an automated analyzer system having a fixed calibration curve, and also provides a process for preparing such a dry analysis element.
2. Prior Art Statement
Dry chemistry has been increasingly used in various clinical tests in recent years since they are easily handled and give results instantaneously. In order that the dry chemistries are handled more easily in a small-scale hospital by medical personnel, it is desirous that they can be used without the need of correction operation. This means that the test system need not be adjusted by using a standard solution or like control before it is used for practical test. An important merit of the systems in which dry chemistries are used is that a sample can be tested immediately at any desired time. In other words, a dry chemistry is used particularly conveniently when a small number of samples, sometimes a single sample, is subjected to test. By such a procedure, a real-time test result can be obtained to realize more effective medical treatment. However, need of correction operation obstructs a prompt test. If it is required to test individual samples promptly at any desired time, it becomes a problem when the correction operation of the system should be conducted or at what time intervals correction operations should be conducted. Since such a correction operation requires time and cost, need of correction operation poses a serious problem in case where the number of samples to be tested is so small as only one or two a day as is often a case in an individual doctor's office. Accordingly, if the correction operation becomes unnecessary, it contributes realization of effectual medical treatment at an extent more than that attainable by an improvement in prompt operation of the system. Although it is particularly preferable for the user if the correction operation of the system becomes not requisite, provision of such an analysis element imposes an extreme burden on the maker. This is because the analysis elements are usually produced by lots which are differentiated with each other due to the differences in used materials and variations of factors in the producing steps.
In automated analysis systems using dry chemistries which do not require daily correction operations, calibration curves are usually memorized in the analyzers per se. The calibration curves mean the graphs, numerical tables or equations indicating the interrelations between the quantities of individual analytes and the optical densities (hereinafter referred briefly to as "O.D.") of the coloring (including color changes and generation of fluorescent lights), and are usually obtained by the correction operations. In order to exempt the correction operation in a system in which a dry chemistry is used, the calibration curve must be obtained by the maker which is memorized in the analyzer. The thus memorized calibration curve will be referred to as internal calibration curve.
In order to guarantee the performance characteristics of a system in which an internal calibration curve is memorized, the characteristics of the available analysis elements shall not be shifted from the memorized internal calibration curve and the characteristics of the available analysis elements shall not be changed with the lapse of time. Non-shifting from the internal calibration curve means that the practical calibration curves of commercially available analysis elements are coincident with the memorized internal calibration curve. In general, properties of industrial products are dispersed and industrial standards are stipulated for individual products for standardization of industrial products. Likewise, coincidence of calibration curve means that the difference between the practical calibration curve and the memorized internal standard curve is within the standard allowable error range. Of course, the standard allowable error range must be narrow enough not to cause any problem in practice even if the properties of the products are changed within this range.
The calibration curves are linear in many cases, and can be represented by a linear equation of y=ax+b when the amounts (density, active value, activity, etc.) of analytes are plotted along the x-axis (abscissa) and the O.D. of coloring or like are plotted along the y-axis (ordinate). In the equation set forth above, slope a indicates the extent of changeability of O.D. in terms of the quantitity of the analyte to be analyzed, and thus a will be referred to as sensitivity constant. In the same equation, b indicates the blank value when the quantity of the analyte is zero, and thus b will be referred to as blank constant.
In the systems wherein dry chemistries are used, since the optical densities of reflected lights are usually measured, there are often cases where the obtained calibration curves are not linear. In such a case, the calibration curves may be transfigured into linear by transforming the same while making use of an interrelation between the reflected light and the transmitted light. However, rarely is a linear calibration curve obtained. It is considered that such a result is due to the fact that the total yield of the complicated reactions in the plural layer is not 100 percent. Even when the obtained calibration curve is a slightly arcuated curve, it may be deemed expediently as approximate to linear and expressed by the two parameters, i.e. the sensitivity constant a and the blank constant b. Particularly when the products are the same kinds, such an approximation is acceptable, since the curvature of the arcuated curve are identical if the structure of layers and the reaction mechanisms are identical.
The sensitivity constant a and the blank constant b are varied depending on the variations in processing steps and properties of the used raw materials. Particularly, the blank constant b is affected by the variation in properties of the used raw materials. If the blank constant is varied for every lot, the internal calibration curve must be altered for every lots or the internal calibration curve must be corrected using a standard solution, leading to the result that the merit of the dry chemistry is injured seriously.
In view of the above, it is desirous that the raw materials used for the preparation of analysis element should have constant purities, and preferably be as pure as possible. However, raw materials usually contain various impurities. Particularly, raw materials of natural origin or materials which tend to decompose to produce decomposition products during the preparation steps or storage time contain different quantities of impurities. Some examples of unstable raw materials will be set forth below.
(1) Since the bond gelatine forms a bone together with calcium (Ca), it contains Ca. When the bone gelatine is used as a raw material for the preparation of an analysis element for analyzing Ca, the blank constant b is affected significantly by the Ca contained as an impurity in the raw bone gelatine.
(2) Since diazonium salts used as the color formers are unstable, portions thereof are decomposed during the refining step to form dyes having absorption peaks within the visible range. Accordingly, when a diazonium salt is used for the preparation of an analysis element for analyzing bilirubin, the blank constant b is affected by the dye formed by decomposition of the diazonium salt.
(3) When a color former of redox system wherein hydrogen peroxide is used as an intermediate product is used, the blank constant b is sometimes affected by oxides contained in raw materials.
Since the blank constant b is varied by the above and other factors, it is desirous that the used raw materials are sufficiently refined to use at high purities in order to remain the blank constant at a constant value. However, purification of raw materials causes increase in cost, and when the raw materials are used without purifying them, the produced analysis element does not pass the quality control inspection so frequently as to lead an increase in cost of the acceptable product. There is, therefore, a demand for maintaining the blank constant b at a constant value without increasing the cost for preparing the raw materials.

Dry analysis element having a constant blank value and process for preparing the same


A method concerning measurements by using an electrode array comprising three electrodes for central nervous system (CNS) monitoring from the forehead of a patient's head. A first electrode of said three electrodes is positioned between the eyebrows or immediately above the eyebrows of the patient. A third electrode of said three electrodes is positioned apart from the first electrode on the hairless fronto-lateral area of the forehead the patient. A second electrode is positioned between the first and the third electrodes on the forehead of the patient.

The present invention relates to a method for central nervous system (CNS) monitoring, and more specifically to a method of positioning electrodes in an electrode array comprising three electrodes for monitoring central nervous system (CNS), ie electroencephalography (EEG) and frontal electromyography (FEMG) signals from the forehead of a patient's head. The invention also relates to a method of sensing pain reactions of a patient.
Electroencephalography (EEG) is a well-established method for assessing the brain function by picking up the weak signals generated in the brain with electrodes on the skull surface. To obtain the signals, multiple electrodes are placed on the scalp of a patient in accordance with a recognized protocol. EEG has been in wide use for decades in basic research of the neural system of brain as well as clinically in diagnosis of various neurophysiological disorders.
In a traditional EEG measurement electrodes are attached following the standard 10–20 system. Said system has been used by neurophysiologists for decades to record EEG and to find pathological EEG changes. The system however requires cumbersome attachment of multiple electrodes, especially, when the electrodes are attached in the hair environment.
One of the special applications for EEG which has received attention to during the 1990's is use of a processed EEG signal for objective quantification of the amount of brain activity for the purpose of determining the level of consciousness of a patient. In its simplest form, the usage of EEG allows for the automatic detection of the alertness of an individual, ie. if he or she is awake or asleep. This has become a significant issue, both scientifically and commercially, in the context of measuring the depth of unconsciousness induced by anesthesia during surgery. Modern anesthesia practices use a sophisticated balanced anesthesia technique with a combination of drugs for maintaining adequate hypnosis, analgesia, muscle relaxation, and suppression of the autonomic nervous system. The need for a reliable system for monitoring of the adequacy of the anesthesia is based on both safety and economical concerns. An anesthesia dose which is too light can, in the worst case, cause the patient wake up in the middle of the operation and create a highly traumatic experience both for the patient and for the personnel administering the anesthesia. At the opposite extreme, the administration of too much anesthesia generates increased costs due to the excessive use of anesthesia drugs and the time needed to administer the drugs. Over dosage of the anesthesia drugs also affects the quality and length of the post-operative period immediately after the operation and the time required for any long-term post-operative care.
In the anesthesia and the intensive care environment said 10–20 system is very rarely used. This is because these environments are already crowded by many other measuring systems, such as blood pressure, ECG, inspired and expired gas measurements. The additional labour-consuming measuring system would take too much time and effort from the care personnel. There is even though need for central nervous system monitoring in these areas. The consciousness level of the patient is varied in both of said environments and till today there has not been a practical method for monitoring the level of consciousness in the anesthesia and the intensive care environment.
As told before in the anesthesia environment patient is anesthetized with hypnotic, analgesic and neuromuscular blocking agents. The neuromuscular blocking agents, given in a certain extent block the neuromuscular junction and the patient looses ability to move herself/himself. This can create a situation where patient feels pain but cannot communicate. Without central nervous system monitoring there is a risk of giving too little or too much anesthetics. If too little hypnotic drugs is given to the patient she/he could awake during operation, which could cause traumatic experience especially for the patient and also for the personnel. On the other hand over dosage of hypnotic drugs affects the quality and length of the post-operative period.
The above mentioned reasons have generated commercial efforts to develop EEG devices to said environments during the past ten years. The main requirements for such monitoring can be described by the following features, ease of use, reliability and good quality. The efforts in this area have concentrated into reliable and easy electrodes as well as to good quality signal processing.
A significant advancement in making the EEG-based measurement of the adequacy of anesthesia an easy-to-use, routine was a finding based on Positron Emission Tomography (PET) that determined that the effects of the anesthetic drugs on the brain are global in nature. This means that for many applications it is enough to measure the forebrain or frontal cortex EEG from the forehead of the patient. The forehead is both an easy to access and is hairless location on the patient. Electrodes placed with an appropriate spacing between the electrodes on the forehead can pick up an adequate signal originating from the anterior cortex in the brain.
Since the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) studies have shown that the anesthesia effect is a global phenomena in the brain, the sensor development efforts have concentrated on the hairless frontal area of the head. The first commercial sensor for this application area was developed by the company Aspect Medical Systems, Inc. U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,064 can be mentioned as an example of the art describing the sensor developed by Aspect Medical Systems, Inc. The company mentioned above also has patented many electrode configurations relating to placement of the electrodes on frontal and temple areas of the patient's head. Reference is made here to U.S. Pat. No. 6,394,953.
While the foregoing has discussed the use of EEG signals, it is also desirable to obtain frontal electromyographic (FEMG) signals arising from the forehead of the patient. The frontalis muscle is the first indicator of approaching consciousness. When this muscle activity is sensed by appropriately placed electrodes it provides an early indication that the patient is emerging from anesthesia. Similarly these electrodes can sense pain reactions originating from this same muscle activity when the anesthesia is not adequate, for example because of inadequate analgesia. So the FEMG signals give an early warning of arousal and may also indicate inadequate analgesia.

Method of positioning electrodes for central nervous system monitoring and sensing pain reactions of a patient


A portable holding and mixing tank is provided with a valving assembly, the activation of which responsively enables substantial simultaneous flow of each dissimilar liquid contained within the respective holding compartments to a manifold assembly. The substantial simultaneous flow of each dissimilar liquid to the manifold assembly thereby minimizes (if not eliminates entirely) the possibility that incorrect mixing ratios of the dissimilar chemicals will occur. The manifold assembly mixes the liquids and discharges the mixed liquid through a meter to a transfer conduit. As such, the mixed liquids may be transferred to a storage tank (for example, a storage tank associated with agricultural spraying equipment).

Novel self-contained pressurized and portable tank systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,465,874 and 5,628,431 whereby dissimilar agricultural chemicals can be stored separately of one another, yet are mixed at a selected ratio in response to transferal of the chemicals to crop applicator equipment. More specifically, such previously proposed tank systems include at least two fluid-isolated holding compartments (e.g., separate tank units or a dividing wall within the tank interior space) for holding a respective one of the dissimilar liquid chemicals.
A manifold assembly associated with such previously proposed tank systems defines respective channels for the liquid chemicals and for pressurizing fluid supplied from a source thereof. The liquid and pressurizing fluid channels are fluid-connected to each of the holding compartments. A pressurizing supply conduit fluid-connects the source of pressurizing fluid to the pressurizing fluid channel, while liquid supply risers respectively fluid-connect the liquid chemicals contained in each of the holding compartments to the liquid channel defined by the manifold assembly. A liquid discharge port fluid-connects the liquid channel defined by the manifold assembly. As a result, the liquid chemicals within each of the holding compartments are forcibly introduced by means of the pressurizing fluid therewithin into the liquid channel defined by the manifold assembly and are mixed with one another within the liquid channel prior to discharge through the discharge port.

Portable multi-compartment chemical storage and mixing tank


A sized demonstration kit distributable or mailable to customers for marketing purposes is illustrated with reference to a moisture control material and system for wicking away and dissipating body moisture. The kit has a relatively small holder in the shape of a container or foldable device having, an exterior surface for at least a printed address and postage, an interior surface defining a storage space, with access to the storage space. Optionally the holder is transparent or with a viewing window. Samples of the moisture control material and associated items for testing purposes are removably offered to the interior surface of, a first space for printed information on the nature and operation of the moisture control material and system, and a second space for printed instructions on how to test at least one of the samples of the moisture control material are disposed in the holder.

The present invention relates to marketing and selling devices, methods and techniques and, more particularly, to a simple sized demonstration kit with samples of the product and instructions, distributable to potential customers at tradeshows, sales meetings, by mail, through media advertisements and other marketing techniques to enable customers to understand the application, operation and advantages of the particular product or system.
In the competitive marketplace, there are many marketing techniques, direct communication to assess the customers' needs and uses for the product being sold, mail communication with printed information on the products or systems being offered, point-of-sale advertisements and demonstrations at trade shows or special marketing events in the given industry which utilize the given product or system.
The present invention relates to a demonstration kit of limited size and shape which includes samples of the products; instructions on how to use the samples to show the function and operation of the product and use in any associated system; advertisement information to describe the uses, application and advantages of the product available for demonstration and test by the potential customer; and a container, either of a clear material such as a plastic bag into which the elements and material of the demonstration kit can be packed or in a foldable, paper, cardboard or plastic device or holder on which the demonstration samples and associated element can be affixed for distribution at trade shows, sales meetings and point of sales of the products and which can be adapted for mailing to potential customers or users of the products and system.
The present invention will be described with particular reference to these demonstration kits for the marketing and sale of a product or material manufactured by Dicon Technologies of Fair Lawn, N.J., and sold in the commercial marketplace under the trademark "DRYZ" and the system utilizing such product for moisture management by wicking away and dissipating body moisture in, for example, footwear, body braces, orthotic devices and other products closely associated with and in contact with the human body and parts thereof, as shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,763,335 and 6,025,287. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that this is only for purposes of illustration and that the demonstration kits in accordance with the present invention has uses for the promotion and advertising of products and systems other than those as shown and described in the above-identified patents.

Demonstration kit for marketing a product or system


A silver halide color photographic material which comprises a coupler is disclosed. The coupler is represented by a formula I or II, ##STR1## The meaning of each symbol is defined in the specification. The color photographic material of the invention gives a magenta image excellent in preserving stability.

This invention relates to a silver halide color photographic light sensitive material containing a magenta coupler and, particularly, to a silver halide color photographic light sensitive material on which a color image excellent in color reproducibility can be obtained by containing a novel pyrazolotriazole type magenta coupler therein.
In silver halide color photographic light sensitive materials, a yellow coupler, a magenta coupler and a cyan coupler are commonly used and, among them in particular, a pyrazolone type compound is used for a magenta coupler. However, the dyes produced of pyrazolone couplers have been demanded to be improved, because they have an undesirable side-absorption.
With the purpose of solving the above-mentioned problem, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,725,065, 3,810,761, 3,758,309 and 3,725,067 propose pyrazoloazole type couplers. However, there are still earnest demands for improving the color reproducibility, because the compounds proposed in the above-given patent specification still do not satisfy the demands.
For improving the color reproducibility, many pyrazolotriazole type couplers have been developed and it was discovered that a desirable color reproducibility can be obtained by a IH pyrazolo- [5,1-c] [1,2,4] triazole type magenta coupler having a phenyl group substituted from the 2nd, 4th and 6th positions to the 3rd position. The couplers of this type are described in Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection (hereinafter referred to as Japanese Patent O.P.I. Publication) Nos. 56-133734/1981, 61-141446/1986 and 61 292143/1986 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,117. However, the couplers described therein have the problems that color developability is unsatisfactory and fogging is increased so that they cannot be used for practical purposes.

Silver halide color photographic light sensitive material containing a pyrazolotriazole type magenta coupler


Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for intracellular payload delivery by nanomotor structures. In some aspects, a nanomotor for intracellular payload delivery includes an asymmetric body having a concave cavity at one end of the nanowire body; a functionalization layer on an outer surface of the nanowire body; and a payload substance coupled to the nanomotor by the functionalization layer in a biologically active conformation, wherein the payload substance is attached to a portion of the functionalization layer or at least partially encapsulated within the functionalization layer, in which the nanomotor is operable to propel in a biological medium and into an intracellular region of a living cell to initiate an interaction of the biologically active payload substance with an intracellular constituent of the living cell.

Nanotechnology provides techniques or processes for fabricating structures, devices, and systems with features at a molecular or atomic scale, e.g., structures in a range of one to hundreds of nanometers in some applications. For example, nano-scale devices can be configured to sizes similar to some large molecules, e.g., biomolecules such as enzymes. Nano-sized materials used to create a nanostructure, nanodevice, and/or a nanosystem can exhibit various unique properties, e.g., including optical properties and/or electrical, that are not present in the same materials at larger dimensions and such unique properties can be exploited for a wide range of applications. These nanostructures can be designed for use in challenging biomedical applications including diagnostics and therapeutic treatments.

Nano/micromotors for active and dynamic intracellular payload delivery

THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNA


Presented herein are techniques to facilitate extending a multiple access Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session and Access Traffic Steering, Switching, and Splitting Low-Layer (ATSSS-LL) policies to an enterprise network. In one example, a method may include obtaining a request for an ATSSS-LL policy for a user equipment (UE) for establishing a multiple access protocol data unit session for the UE via a wireless wide area access network for an enterprise network; and providing to the UE one or more ATSSS-LL rules for the ATSSS-LL policy, an Internet Protocol (IP) address for the multiple access protocol data unit session for the UE, and an identifier for the multiple access protocol data unit session for the UE in which the IP address is utilized for a wireless local area access network connection for the UE established via a wireless local area access network of the enterprise network.

Networking architectures have grown increasingly complex in communications environments, particularly mobile networking environments. Mobile communication networks have grown substantially as end users become increasingly connected to mobile network environments. As the number of mobile users increases, efficient management of communication resources becomes more critical. In particular, there are significant challenges in managing user equipment sessions for multiple accesses.

Techniques to extend a multiple access session and access traffic steering, switching, and splitting low-layer (ATSSS-LL) policies to an enterprise network


A call-setup method in a digital cellular radio communication system determines a plurality of parameters defining the current state of the system. By evaluating and combining these parameters into a communication resource request, a communication resource that best matches the request may be allocated in order to optimize system resource usage and/or service quality.

In present digital cellular mobile radio communication systems, such as the GSM and D-AMPS systems, a call-setup allocates a fixed gross bit rate channel for a subsequent fixed bit rate speech service. This implies that the net bit rate conveying the speech information and also the amount of added redundant bits which are used for channel error protection are fixed. A compromise has to be made between the quality of the speech service, the gross bit rate and the degree of channel error protection:
On one hand a maximum speech quality requires a high net bit rate and a high gross bit rate.
On the other hand the system resources are limited and the system should be able to accommodate a very large number of users at any given time.
Since the total maximum gross bit rate that simultaneously can be transmitted by the system is limited, the system capacity is limited to a fixed maximum number of users that may simultaneously use the system within one cell. In order to accommodate a maximum number of users of the speech service at any given time, the net bit rate, the degree of channel error protection and thus the channel gross bit rate are set to certain minimum values which still guarantee a certain minimum degree of speech quality under various radio conditions.
The fixed setting of gross bit rate, degree of channel error protection and net bit rate and service causes the following problems:
The amount of channel error protection is fixed to such value that a certain level of speech quality is maintained in situations of a low C/I level, e.g. at cell borders. In some situations, however, a higher degree of channel error protection (with the cost of a lower net bit rate) could give a higher speech quality (more robust transmission). On the other hand, in situations of a high C/I level the degree of channel error protection is unnecessarily high, a considerable amount of protection bits being wasted. In such a case the speech service quality could be higher at a higher net bit rate (more accurate speech encoding) and a lower degree of channel error protection.
The fixed gross bit rate causes a hard limit of possible simultaneous users. Thus, in situations of high system load the risk of overload is high. An overload may result in failures of connection establishments and lost connections. In the opposite situation of low system load there is a lot of unused system capacity which is in principle free to be used for transmission at a higher gross bit rate and therefore a higher service quality.
The current inflexible use of a fixed speech service at a fixed gross bit rate and a fixed degree of channel error protection makes it impossible for an operator to offer selected services that could depend on the current situation, e.g. network load, time of day and date, location, etc. Moreover, it is also impossible for the user to select a more user-suited service.
In the current inflexible system speech decoding of the bit stream received from the mobile station is performed at the network side. This ignores the kind and the capabilities of the other terminal. Such a system may lead to quality degrading due to speech codec tandem configurations, e.g. in the case of a mobile station-mobile station connection.

Call-setup method in a digital cellular radio communication system


A nanotube mat is provided with an array of conduits to support, direct growth, select or interface one or more biological cells or cell processes. The carbon nanotube mat provides mechanical stability, is biocompatible, will support cell growth, can desirably be derivatized with growth factors, molecules, nutrients, inhibitory factors, ligands, transduction molecules or morphogenic factors, and would allow the formation of conduits to guide cells and cell extensions to be hosted or grown. The conduits could take any size or shape to support, direct growth, select or interface one or more cells or processes. In general the conduits could be channels, discontinuous channels, tapered channels or walls. The nanotube mat could be used to interface biological cells with other cells, tissue or structures that have electrical, mechanical, magnetic means, or optical means. The nanotube mat could also incorporate chemicals, analytes, drugs, lips, carbohydrates, secretory products or the like.

Cell and tissue engineering is an emerging field with solutions being directed to control, growth, hosting or interfacing of cells. There is however a need to develop devices to support cells in the third dimension. For instance, in a neural prosthesis it would be desired to incorporate a stable and biocompatible interface with conduits to allow neural cells to grow on or through the conduits. The neural cells that grow on or through the conduits of the neural prosthesis could then functionally be in contact with other cells, tissue or devices, and potentially restore functionality of the lost or deteriorated cells.
One solution for developing such a device is the use of hydrogel membranes. However, hydrogel membranes may not be suitable for use as a lamina to support the arraying of cells and also cell growth in the third dimension. Hydrogels such as Matrigel (a collagen sol/gel) will dissolve over a period of days and are mechanically fragile. They are also difficult to handle in the form of, for instance, a 100-micron thick membrane. Furthermore, they become unstable when conduits are introduced into the membrane. Another drawback of using hydrogel membranes is that they are a proteinacious. Furthermore, these membranes tend to stick to molds and therefore releasing compounds must be used to separate the hydrogel casting from, for instance, a SU-8 mold which might distort the final casting of the membrane with conduits. The hydrogel matrix material may also be immunogenic and could stimulate a host's immune system leading to inflammation and ultimate failure of the device. Accordingly, the art is in need for new devices and methods that are mechanically more stable, biocompatible, and are easier to develop.

Nanotube mat with an array of conduits for biological cells

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University


The present disclosure is direct to method of performing measurements while drilling in an earth formation. The method may include estimating a location of a seismic reflector using signals from one or more of seismic sensors located at a plurality of locations in a borehole and the drilling depth of the one or more seismic sensors in a borehole. The signals may include information about times when the seismic sensors detect a direct wave and a reflected wave. The method may include storing the information in a memory using a processor.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a method of locating seismic features in an earth formation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional reflection seismology utilizes surface sources and receivers to detect reflections from subsurface impedance contrasts. The obtained image often suffers in spatial accuracy, resolution, and coherence due to the long travel paths between source, reflector, and receiver. In particular, due to the two-way passage of seismic signals through a highly absorptive near surface weathered layer with a low, laterally varying velocity, subsurface images are poor quality. To overcome this difficulty, a technique commonly known as vertical seismic profiling (VSP) was developed to image the subsurface in the vicinity of a borehole. With VSP, a surface seismic source is used and signals are received at a single downhole receiver or an array of downhole receivers. This is repeated for different depths of the receiver (or receiver array). In offset VSP, a plurality of spaced apart sources may be sequentially activated, enabling imaging of a larger range of distances than would be possible with a single source.
VSP measurements made during drilling operations are referred to as Seismic-while-drilling (SWD®). The signals generated by seismic sources are reproducible and may be stacked. The other kind of data recorded by the seismic sensors is noise. Background noise (drilling noise, circulation noise, rig noise, cultural noise, environmental noise) may be distinguished from spiky noise (e.g. due to hitting the drill string while connection; micro earthquakes close to the borehole). It may be helpful to restrict seismic recording of data to low-noise periods. It may also helpful to stack the data. Because the noise is random, stacking the data may increase the signal to noise ratio.
The SWD® measurements may include the VSP-while drilling (VSP-WD) method and the checkshot-WD (CS-WD) method. These methods permit updating of the geological model. In this way one can reduce the drilling risk and/or update the optimal well path. The importance of real-time processing is evident, but a full real-time processing isn't possible yet. One limitation of Seismic-while-drilling measurements is the small bandwidth of the uplinks and downlinks. The communication is done via mud telemetry, which is possible only while circulating. Hence when tripping in or tripping out, measurements are done without circulating between shooting windows, and it is not possible to send uplink signals and downlink signals. Even when mud telemetry is possible, the bandwidth available for uplink signals and downlink signals is very small.
Due to the small uplink bandwidth, the downhole tool must automatically detect and process the shooting sequence(s) downhole. Only the final results (e.g., the first-break time) are sent to the surface.
Another limitation VSP-WD is the requirement highly accurate clocks (on the order of 1 millisecond time drift per ten day period) that are synchronized for performing measurements. The requirements for high accuracy and synchronization may result in high complexity and cost.
There is a need for a method of performing seismic measurements that may use less accurate, and hence less complex and less expensive, clocks and synchronization systems. The present disclosure addresses this need.


Methods for transferring a payload such as passengers and/or luggage and/or freight between an airport and a cabin of an aircraft are provided. Air terminals, aircraft and removable cabin modules suitable for implementing these methods are also provided. An aircraft is provided which includes a removable cabin module. A docking module is also provided for transferring a removable cabin module between an aircraft and an airport. A method for modifying the internal configuration of the cabin of such an aircraft by replacing a removable cabin module of the aircraft is also provided.

Transferring a payload in a commercial aeroplane requires that the aeroplane is immobilized on the ground. This is the case when boarding passengers, but also when loading their luggage, or again when loading freight. In addition, settling passengers in their respective seats in the aeroplane may lengthen the aeroplane's period of immobilisation.
Air terminals habitually include multiple boarding rooms from which the departing passengers can reach their respective aeroplanes, possibly via a footbridge, or by means of a transfer in a land vehicle. These rooms sometimes also allow passengers to pass through them when deplaning.
These boarding rooms are generally accessible through an area dedicated to security controls intended to check the identities of the departing passengers, and to prevent prohibited objects being introduced into the cabin.
In order to limit the necessary area of the boarding rooms, access to each control area and each associated boarding room is generally authorised only when the aeroplane is available for boarding the passengers, so that the latter do not have to wait in the boarding room. As a consequence the aeroplane is also immobilized during the entire duration of the passenger control.
The operations to check the passengers, to board them and to load their luggage, and/or the freight loading operations, may consequently lead to periods of immobilisation on the ground of the aeroplanes which are greater than the time required for the pre-flight operations, such as the provision of fuel, the routine technical checks, cleaning of the passenger cabin, or again the preparation of the flight plan by the pilots.
And, generally, the period of immobilisation on the ground of the aeroplanes between two successive flights increases their operational cost. Indeed, the longer this period of immobilisation, the less the actual flight time of each aeroplane. A long period of immobilisation on the ground can also result in additional fuel consumption.
Furthermore, the internal configuration of the cabin intended to transport a payload in an aeroplane is determined when the aeroplane is manufactured, and cannot easily be modified during the aeroplane's period of commercial exploitation.
As a consequence, airlines which wish to offer different types of cabins, in particular different levels of comfort, according to the type of journey, the timetable, or for other reasons, must have more aeroplanes. This leads to additional costs for these airlines.
In addition, the production of an aeroplane includes testing before delivery, which requires a special modification of the passenger cabin, and therefore a subsequent modification of this cabin after testing, to prepare for the delivery of the aeroplane to its purchaser. Such a modification of the cabin increases the overall duration of the aeroplane's production cycle, and therefore its cost price.

Method for boarding and unloading of passengers of an aircraft with reduced immobilization time of the aircraft, aircraft and air terminal for its implementation


According to one aspect of the disclosure, there is provided an apparatus (210) for performing electrochromatography. The apparatus (210) includes a die block (222) which is movable to exert a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure on a chromatography sample plate during performance of an electrochromatography procedure. A method of performing electrochromatography is also disclosed.

Numerous chromatography techniques have been developed which enable the separation of mixtures into individual chemical components. Electrochromatography is one such technique. Electrochromatography involves the use of an electrical potential applied across the sorbent layer. As described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,303,029, desirable results may be achieved by performing electrochromatography at pressures greater than atmospheric pressure. Such a technique is referred to as Planar Electrochromatography at Elevated Pressure (PPEC). Planar Electrochromatography at Elevated Pressure builds on the notion that applying pressure to the layer prevents accumulation of liquid on the surface of the layer, and also allows the removal of heat from the system. This allows the use of higher voltages, which results in higher electric fields. This causes the mobile phase to migrate more rapidly, which shortens analysis time. High pressure also decreases the space between particles in the sorbent bed, and this increases the efficiency of the system.

Method and apparatus for performing planar electrochromatography at elevated pressure

Indiana University Research and Technology Corporation


Prepare a polymeric nanofoam using a continuous extrusion process by providing a polymer melt of a polymer composition in an extruder, introducing carbon dioxide to a concentration above the solubility in the polymer melt, cooling the polymer melt without increasing the pressure to achieve conditions where all of the carbon dioxide is soluble in the polymer composition and then extruding the polymer composition and carbon dioxide mixture through an extrusion die so as to experience a pressure drop of at least five MegaPascals at a rate of at least ten MegaPascals per second and allowing the polymer composition to expand into a polymeric nanofoam.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a continuous process for extruding polymeric foam having an average transverse cell size of less than one micrometer, preferably less than 500 nanometers.
2. Introduction
Increasing energy efficiency is an ever present goal. One large use of energy is in creating and maintaining environments at a particularly desirable temperature by heating and/or cooling. Efficient use of energy while controlling temperature requires minimizing thermal energy transport between the area of controlled temperature and the environment surrounding that area. Therefore, thermal insulating materials are commonly used to isolate temperature controlled areas from other areas that may be at a different temperature. Thermally insulating materials are commonplace in building structures and appliances such as refrigerators and freezers for instance.
Polymeric foam has long been used as a thermal insulating material. Historically, typical thermally insulating polymeric foam comprises a plurality of closed cells having dimensions of 100 micrometer or greater and require presence of gas having low thermal conductivity in the foam cells. While these polymeric foams serve well as thermally insulating materials, there is opportunity to improve the thermally insulating properties of polymeric foam without resorting to low thermal conductivity gases. One characteristic of polymeric foam that controls thermal conductivity through the foam is the cell size. Behavior of gas molecules in foam cells can contribute to thermal conductivity through the polymer foam if the gas molecules are free to move within the cells and collide with the cell walls. Cell size has little influence on the contribution of cell gas to the thermal conductivity through foam when the cell size is between about one micron and about one millimeter. Convection behavior of a gas within a foam cell tends to increase thermal conductivity through the foam when the cell size exceeds about one millimeter. The contribution of cell gas to thermal conductivity through polymeric foam decreases dramatically when the cell size of the foam is reduced below one micrometer. For example, thermal conductivity due to cell gas reduces almost in half upon reducing a foam cell size from one micrometer to 300 nanometers (nm) and reduces by almost ⅔ upon reducing the cell size from one micrometer to below 100 nm. Therefore, polymeric foam having a nanoporous structure (that is, having an average cell size that is below one micron), especially polymeric foam having an average cell size of 300 nm or less, and most preferably 100 nm or less is desirable as thermal insulation. In particular, it is desirable for the polymeric foam to have such cell size dimensions as measured in a direction of the foam through which thermal conductance occurs (for example, the thickness dimension of a foam board). For extruded foam, for example, this cell size dimension typically corresponds to a dimension in a transverse direction of the foam, which is a direction in a plane perpendicular to the foam's extrusion direction.
It is further desirable for thermally insulating polymeric foam to have a high void volume. Generally, thermal conductivity is higher through the polymer network of a polymeric foam structure than through the cell gas. Therefore, maximizing the amount void space due to cells in foam will generally result in a decrease in thermal conductivity through the foam. This is particularly true for polymeric foam having a nanoporous structure. One way to characterize void volume is by "porosity", which is the ratio of void volume to foam volume. Porosity values of 0.50 or greater are desirable for thermally insulating foam.
Preparation of polymeric foam having a nanoporous structure (that is, "nanofoam") in a commercially viable manner has proven challenging, particularly with a high enough void volume to make it a desirable thermally insulating material. Current processes for preparing thermally insulating polymeric foam are typically continuous extrusion processes. Continuous extrusion processes are desirable because they can produce greater quantities of product in less time than, for example, batch processes. Yet, the technology required for preparing nanofoam has proven challenging to incorporate in a continuous extrusion process at least partially due to the amount and type of blowing agent required to prepare nanofoam. Nanofoam has typically been prepared in batch processes using supercritical carbon dioxide (or a similar blowing agent) under extremely high pressures. Few have achieved a continuous extrusion process for producing nanofoam.
U.S. reissue patent 37,932E describes a process for preparing polymeric foam having cell sizes that can be below 0.1 micrometers that includes use of an extruder to prepare a foamable polymer composition and then extrude that composition into a mold. The "extrusion" process is really a batch process since the extruder is only used to fill a mold with foam rather than extrude a continuous foam article. It would be desirable to have a truly continuous process that extrudes a continuous foam article. U.S. Re37,932E discloses a method of imbibing solid polymer with carbon dioxide and a method of blending supercritical carbon dioxide fluid into a molten polymer material. The molten process involves dissolving the carbon dioxide into the molten polymer to form a homogeneous and uniform fluid/polymer solution and then heating the mixture. Heating reduces the carbon dioxide solubility and initiates nucleation of the carbon dioxide blowing agent. However, heating to initiate nucleation is an energy intensive step that would be desirable to avoid.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,383,424 discloses an extrusion process for preparing polymeric membranes and claims such membranes having a microcellular structure of 0.5 to 15 micrometers. The extrusion process requires mixing carbon dioxide with a polymer melt to achieve near complete dissolution of the carbon dioxide into the melt. The process then requires reducing the temperature and increasing the pressure to push the polymer out through a shaping device. The process requires a means (such as a pump) for increasing pressure on a polymer melt after mixing in blowing agent. The step of increasing pressure adds complexity to the process both by requiring additional equipment (for example, an additional pump) and by requiring heavy duty equipment that can withstand the pressures of the process (the reference identifies the pressure is in the range of up to 1500 bars). It is desirable to be able to prepare nanofoam without requiring an increase in pressure after mixing blowing agent with a polymer melt. It is further desirable to be able to achieve cell sizes below 0.45 microns.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,053 discloses a process for producing a continuous stream of supermicrocellular polymers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,053 teaches that only a soluble amount of carbon dioxide blowing agent can be added to a polymer melt or undesirably voids in the polymer melt will occur, resulting in hollow cavities in the final product. It is desirable, however, to incorporate into a foamable polymer composition more blowing agent than is soluble in the polymer melt in order to lower foam density while at the same time avoiding undesirable voids in the polymer melt and cavities in the final product.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,838,108 discloses theoretical concepts for making nanofoam that include conceptually how to prepare nanofoam by extrusion methods. U.S. Pat. No. 7,838,108 discloses addition of dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) to a polymer melt in combination with carbon dioxide gas in order to achieve a homogeneous phase in a single phase solution zone of the extruder. Combining dry ice with a polymer melt is a challenging process to do safely due to the volatility of the dry ice and the tremendous temperature difference between the dry ice and the polymer melt. Additionally, as with U.S. Pat. No. 5,866,053, adding only enough carbon dioxide to achieve a homogenous phase in a single phase solution restricts the amount of carbon dioxide that can be added in the process to the solubility limit of the polymer melt, which restricts how low of a density is achievable and nascent cell count in the resulting foam.
While processes for preparing nanofoam using an extruder are known, there remains opportunity to improve and advance the technology of producing nanofoam by continuous extrusion. In particular, it is desirable to be able to have a truly continuous extrusion process that produces a continuous foam article as opposed to a process that extrudes foamable compositions into a mold. Moreover, it is desirable to provide a process that includes mixing into a polymer melt more blowing agent than is soluble in the polymer melt in order to achieve low density foam, but do so without creating undesirably large hollow cavities in the final product. It is further desirable for the process to be free from having to mix dry ice with a polymer melt or increase the temperature of or pressure on the polymer melt after introducing blowing agent and prior to extruding.

Continuous process for extruding nanoporous foam


A predistortion function is evaluated with in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) data words as arguments, while additive I and Q data words are generated in accordance with a comparison of the I and Q data words with a full scale value that generates maximum current in a digital power amplifier. The additive I and Q data words are added to the computed I and Q data words to produce predistorted I and Q data words. The predistorted I and Q data words are provided in a sequence to the digital power amplifier, which generates a corresponding radio-frequency (RF) analog signal.

Amplitude-modulation (AM) to AM (AM-AM) distortion is a third order intermodulation distortion (IMD) effect by which the magnitude of the output signal of a system is compressed or expanded, referred to as compansion or the state of being companded, in response to changes in current amplitude in a digital power amplifier (DPA), or in radio-frequency (RF) power amplifiers in general. Highly linear amplifiers exhibit the least distortion and, as such, are preferred when signal quality has precedence over cost. However, such highly linear amplifiers operate at high power levels and are relatively large and expensive. And, while such linear amplifiers offer the best performance, they are typically not used in wireless applications where cost is a factor.
To strike a balance between efficiency, linearity and cost, a DPA may be designed to exhibit known nonlinearity. Predistortion may then be used to compensate for this nonlinearity, resulting in a linearization of the output of the DPA. That is, if the DPA's distortion characteristics are known in advance, an inverse function, referred to herein as a predistortion function, can be applied to the input data prior to reaching the DPA. The DPA distortion is essentially cancelled by the predistortion resulting in an amplified output signal having substantially reduced distortion.
Digital predistortion is most often carried out through a lookup table (LUT) that associates predistorted output data values with input data values. That is, entries in the LUT are addressed by the samples of the input data. The LUT is typically populated by way of calibration procedures designed to detect AM-AM distortion. One limitation of LUT-based predistortion in digital transmitters using a DPA is that data samples must be converted and transmitted at a very high rate. Thus, a predistorter must look up and retrieve output values very quickly. Another drawback is the LUT's inherent quantization, even when the LUT is interpolated. This is especially problematic at low output current levels, i.e., when fewer current cells in the DPA are conducting. Activating additional current cells in the DPA responsive to an increasing number of bits in the data represents a higher degree of current change from step to step than at higher power levels. As such, quantization effects have a greater impact at lower power levels than at higher power levels.
Given the state of the current art, the need is apparent for a high dynamic range predistortion technique that results in smoother transitions between power levels across the entire range of input data while realizing an arbitrarily nonlinear predistortion function.


Method to separate polypropylene in the processing of silk schappe, whereby a lap (14) of silk fibers which are partly combed or are at least made sufficiently parallel undergoes an action of heating between 110.degree. C. and 160.degree. C. together with a simultaneous action of controlled compression so as to form clusters of polypropylene and silk fibers and thereafter an action of combing or pre-combing for the definitive removal of those clusters of polypropylene and silk fibers.. Device to separate polypropylene in the processing of silk schappe, which is positioned downstream of a drawing frame (13) or analogous machine producing a lap (14) of silk fibers, the device including a conveyor means (belt/drum) cooperating with means that heat and apply adjustable pressure to the lap (14).

This invention concerns a method and device to separate polypropylene in the processing of silk.
To be more exact, this invention concerns a method and separator device able to separate manmade fibres, and polypropylene fibres in particular, from silk schappe, that is to say, pure silk of discontinuous fibres coming from waste silk.
It is known that during recent years the old packages based on cellulose in which waste silk was conveyed from its collection points to its places of recovery and re-use have been replaced with packages containing manmade fibres and, in particular, polypropylene fibres.
The technology of the state of the art has already found a system for eliminating the cellulose fibres from the silk schappe but is powerless to do so in the case of manmade fibres.
This position entails the shortcoming that the fibres of polypropylene or other manmade materials impair the silk fibres, but the presence of these manmade fibres cannot be identified at present by any method other than dyeing.
Indeed, the only existing system to identify the polypropylene fibres is to dye the silk since the polypropylene fibres possess no affinity to dyes and remain white.
These undyed polypropylene fibres lead to an end product of an unacceptable quality, and these rejects containing polypropylene fibres cause a great increase in the production costs of the silk free of defects precisely owing to the subsequent elimination of such defects.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,565,196 discloses the purifying of silk from extraneous products such as wooden chips, leaves and straw. These products are visible and do not entail the problems of separation and purification caused by polypropylene.
In any event the method disclosed cannot be used and in fact makes the silk containing the impurities pass into an oven so that the impurities are dried, and then passes the whole mixture into a crusher, so that the impurities are removed in the form of a powder.
EP-A-0.344.729 too is not acceptable because it concerns cotton and because it proposes to remove the sugar which the insects deposit on the cotton flower and then to caramellize and pulverize the sugar.

Method to separate polypropylene in the processing of silk and device to separate polypropylene which employs such method

Cascami Seta-Filature Seriche Riunite SpA


There is provided with a communication station including: a receiving unit, a determining unit, a transmitting unit and a reachability testing unit wherein the receiving unit receives a packet from a network in which a plurality of communication stations are interconnected, the determining unit determines whether the receiving unit receives a first packet in which a transmission source address is an address of a first communication station, the transmitting unit transmits a reply request packet to request a reply to the first communication station, and the reachability testing unit omits for the transmitting unit to transmit the reply request packet when the first packet is received before the transmitting unit transmits the reply request packet.

In recent years, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) has actively developed an IPv6 routing protocol for low power and lossy networks (RPL) as a communication scheme dedicated for a sensor network.
The RPL is a protocol that automatically forms an optimum route used for a communication channel based on wireless propagation routes between nodes connected in a meshed shape (network shape). Communication data is transmitted to reach a destination along a multi-hop route in a bucket relay scheme along an optimum route derived by the RPL by each node. In general, since a radio wave reach distance is physically restricted due to an antenna performance, a radio wave output value, an obstacle object, or the like, the communication range of a wireless station is restricted to a neighboring node with which the wireless station can directly communicate. However, in a wireless meshed network scheme, each node actions as a relay station of the neighboring nodes. Therefore, it is possible to obtain the characteristics in which communication with a wide-range node regardless of restriction on the radio wave reach distance is enabled.
In the RPL, priorities (ranking value) of all routes that become selection candidates are calculated based on a determination criterion (metric) defined in advance. The higher the priority of a route is, the smaller a calculated ranking value is. Therefore, the route with the smallest ranking value is selected as the optimum route. A criterion utilized as the metric has currently been discussed. As the candidates of the criterion, the number of hops indicating a meshed configuration scale, a signal intensity and a packet retransmission ratio each indicating a wireless propagation route quality, a transmission rate and a sleep state each indicating availability of a relay node, and the like have been enumerated.
In general, when the quality of a wireless propagation route is comprehended, combination of both the signal intensity and the packet retransmission ratio is recommended to improve reliability. As a specific method, a method of periodically performing a reachability test on nodes on a route and actively monitoring the signal intensity and the packet retransmission ratio has been generalized.
As described above, the method of periodically performing a reachability test on nodes on a route and actively monitoring the signal intensity and the packet retransmission ratio has been generalized to comprehend to the quality of a wireless propagation route. However, when the reachability test is introduced, the amount of control packet increases and consumption of wireless resources may thus increase. In particular, in a large-scale meshed network environment, it is necessary to perform confirming reachability to nodes on all of the routes which become alternative candidates. Further, in wireless communication at a narrow portable region at which a 900 MHz band or the like is used, an available band is short and a negative effect may be serious.

Communication station, communication control program, and communication network system


A system and method for automatic weapon allocation and scheduling of the present invention. The inventive method includes the steps of providing data with respect to threats, weapons, weapon allocation options; weapon allocation rules; and temporally dependent constraints with respect thereto; evaluating the data; and temporally allocating the weapons to the threats automatically in accordance with the evaluation. The invention computes the optimal pairing and the best time to deploy each weapon system against threat(s) it is paired with in arriving at the pairing. This results in an optimal assignment where weapon resource constraints are not exceeded and therefore guarantee availability of sufficient resources for engagement of every threat that is paired with a weapon system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for allocating and scheduling resources to satisfy one or more time critical objectives. More specifically, the present invention relates to systems and methods for automatically allocating and scheduling weapon system to threats such that a pre-specified battle-space engagement objective is optimized.
2. Description of the Related Art
Previous approaches for automatically allocating and scheduling defensive weapons against attacking threats to maximize an engagement objective have only addressed the static target-weapon pairing problem which is to determine the optimal allocation of weapon systems to engage threats.
While some of these approaches have used trial-intercept calculations to determine the window of engagement to determine a weapon system""s effectiveness against a threat, they do not address the issue of when to deploy the weapon system against the threat in this window. This decision is typically made by the individual weapon systems after threats have been assigned to it by the target-weapon pairing algorithm.
Thus, the previous approaches are based on a sequential two-step decision process. In the first step, the target-weapon pairing algorithm decides on which threat(s) to assign to a weapon system based on their effectiveness measures. In the second step, each weapon system makes its decision about when to deploy and engage threat(s) assigned to it from the first step.
Since the first step did not model the engagement-time resource requirements and temporal constraints of the weapon systems, there is a possibility that this step may have assigned enough threats to a weapon system to overwhelm its time-dependant resources, possibly rendering some of the threats unengageable. For example, certain weapon systems have ground-based sensors that guide the interceptor towards the threat either from launch to impact or during some part of the interceptor""s flight (seeker on the interceptor may guide during remaining part of flight). Since the number of such ground-based sensors is limited, a weapon system can only guide a limited number of interceptors at any time. If the number of threats requiring simultaneous guidance exceeds this number, then the weapon system will not be able to engage all its threats. The weapon system may then inform the operator about the situation and the operator may then pass it to another weapon system, possibly resulting in delay and even leaked threats.
This sequential disconnected decision making process has two disadvantages:
(1) since actual weapon resource requirements have not been modeled in the first step, weapon systems may end up being assigned more threats than they can engage, and,
(2) consequently, there may be engagement delays and/or leaked threats (sub-optimal engagement).
There are several U.S. patents in the area of automatic weapon assignment against threats. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,288 issued Nov. 30, 1999 to Gregory R. Barnes and entitled Knowledge Based Automatic Threat Evaluation And Weapon Assignment. This patent evaluates threats and based on trial-intercept calculations determines which weapon systems can engage it and ranks them based on their effectiveness in neutralizing a threat. The algorithm selects the best weapon to neutralize the threat. No optimization across the battle-space is provided.
See also U.S. Pat. No. 5,511,218 issued Apr. 23, 1996 to P. Castelaz and entitled Connectionist Architecture For Weapons Assignment; U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,516 issued Apr. 04, 1995 to D. E. Georgiades, P. R. Jensen and T. S. Nichols and entitled System For Allocating Resources And Method; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,153,366 issued Oct. 06, 1992 to T. Lucas and entitled Method For Allocating And Assigning Defensive Weapons Against Attacking Weapons. As discussed before, none of these inventions optimize the deployment or launch time of the weapon system. U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,516 incorporates the temporal dimension in an embodiment that deals with assigning jamming resources to assist in missions attacking enemy assets, where each mission has a predetermined weapon allocation to threat, weapon loading, etc. This assumes that the time of engagement between a threat and weapon (of a mission) is predetermined (i.e., fixed) and the jammer is supposed to be available to jam from this time up to a fixed future time (10 minutes). Each jammer supports a set of missions. While the allocation of jammers to support missions is optimized to maximize an objective function, there is no optimization of the jamming time itself as the start time and duration are fixed. Thus the reference assumes fixed resource allocation and only determines the scheduling of available resources such that no resources overlap in time. In other words, it does allocation and scheduling without optimizing the temporal dimension.
In short, none of these patents address and solve the problem of optimizing xe2x80x9cwhenxe2x80x9d to deploy the resources (weapon systems). Some of these approaches use a simple weapon model to perform trial-intercept calculations (battle-space analysis). The weapon model used includes weapon system parameters such as weapon system location, type of interceptor, range of interceptor, etc. that determine if and when the weapon system will be able to engage and intercept a specific threat. All weapon systems that can potentially engage a threat become options for engaging that threat. However, weapon system resource limitations during actual engagement of the threat when multiple threats are assigned to it are not considered. So if a threat can be intercepted by a weapon system based on battle-space calculations, it is assumed that the weapon system will be able to engage and intercept it.
These approaches do not determine whether the weapon system can actually engage the threats if several threats are assigned to this weapon system with each threat individually engagable by the weapon system based on battle-space calculations. For example, if several threats have overlapping intercept time windows and each interceptor needs to be guided during some part of its flight from launch to intercept, then there may not be enough guidance sensors at this weapon system to guide interceptors to engage all threats assigned to it. Thus, every threat may end up being assigned a weapon system in these methods, but every threat may actually not be engaged as its assigned weapon system may not have enough resources at engagement time. As a consequence, they suffer from the disadvantages listed above. Even if engagement time resources are considered in the allocation and scheduling, as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,516, optimal engagement objectives cannot be achieved without optimizing the time of allocation (scheduling) of these resources.
Hence, a need remains in the art for a weapon allocation system and method that determines weapon allocation and scheduling to optimize an objective function while simultaneously incorporating and optimizing the temporal dimension.
The need in the art is addressed by the system and method for automatic weapon allocation and scheduling of the present invention. The inventive method includes the steps of providing data with respect to threats, weapons, weapon allocation options; weapon allocation rules; and temporally dependent constraints with respect thereto; evaluating the data; and temporally allocating the weapons to the threats automatically in accordance with the evaluation.
The current invention computes the optimal pairing and the best time to deploy each weapon system against threat(s) it is paired with in arriving at the pairing. This results in an optimal assignment where weapon resource constraints are not exceeded and therefore guarantee availability of sufficient resources for engagement of every threat that is paired with a weapon system.
The invention overcomes the disadvantages of previous approaches by combining the first and second steps typical of the prior art into a single decision step. Thus, it determines not only which threats to assign to a weapon system but also when to deploy them (launch interceptors) so that a pre-specified engagement objective is optimized. This requires modeling the weapon time-dependent resource constraints during the assignment evaluation itself. By calculating the best combination of deployment times as part of the allocation decision itself in evaluating a particular assignment, it can determine whether the assignment would have resulted in a situation where each weapon system would have been able to engage all its threats or not. As a result, it can achieve an optimal assignment where all weapon systems will actually be able to engage threats assigned to them. This will result in effective battle management even under extremely heavy attack situations that seemingly outnumber weapon resources.
However, combination of the two steps introduces temporal dimension optimization into the asset allocation problem causing a combinatorial explosion in the solution space and resulting in a resource-constrained scheduling problem i.e., a Weapon Allocation and Scheduling problem (WASE). This is a far-more computationally expensive problem than the static problem tackled in previous approaches. Since one of the primary objectives is to have a system that runs in close to real time (i.e., update times of at most few seconds), we have developed a fast algorithm to solve the WASE problem. The novel algorithm is a hybrid genetic algorithm that uses a true genetic algorithm and merges it with a simulated-annealing type algorithm. The engagement objective in the genetic algorithm is posed as a function of the deployment times that are optimized by the simulated-annealing type algorithm. Thus, by optimizing the deployment or launch times in this step, the objective function of each trial assignment in the genetic algorithm is optimized. The genetic algorithm then optimizes the engagement objective by searching for the best assignment.
A novel heuristic measure in a temporal optimization algorithm is also disclosed that provides a fast, but approximately optimal solution with significant reduction in the computational cost.

Method for automatic weapon allocation and scheduling against attacking threats


A voltage multiplier circuit for raising an input voltage to a predetermined voltage is characterized in that a plurality of multiplier cells for raising an input voltage to be outputted, and a connection switching circuit for switching a connection state of these multiplier cells are provided, and the connection switching circuit connects multiplier cell groups formed by connecting one or a plurality of the multiplier cells, in parallel to an output, and varies the number of the multiplier cells of the multiplier cell groups and that of the multiplier cell groups.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a voltage multiplier circuit and a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device having the voltage multiplier circuit, and particularly to improvement of a voltage multiplier formed in a semiconductor integrated circuit device such as an EEPROM.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in a semiconductor nonvolatile semiconductor memory device (EEPROM), since a voltage, which is higher than a power supply voltage, is needed at the time of writing and erasing a signal, there is used a voltage multiplier to which a plurality of multiplier cells CL are connected in series as shown in FIG. 1. The multiplier cell CL comprises a capacitor C and a switching element Q as shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B. The specific structure of the voltage multiplier circuit is shown in FIG. 3A, and clocks .phi., /.phi. for driving the circuit are shown in FIG. 3B.
In the voltage multiplier circuit, the number of multiplier cells to be connected in series for an output is determined in accordance with the value of high voltage as required, and the voltage multiplier circuit is generally driven with the unchanged number of the multiplier cells. Therefore, in the conventional voltage multiplier circuit, charge transfer efficiency is unnecessarily dropped for a period of time when the smaller number of the multiplier cells connected in series is sufficient for multiplier voltage start up. Due to this, there was a problem in that it took much time to obtain a necessary voltage.
As mentioned above, in the conventional voltage multiplier circuit formed in the semiconductor integrated circuit device such as EEPROM, etc, there was a problem in that charge transfer efficiency is unnecessarily dropped and a large amount of multiplier voltage rising time was required for a period of time when the required number of the multiplier cells to be connected in series may be smaller than the predetermined number of the multiplier cells.

Voltage multiplier circuit and nonvolatile semiconductor memory device having voltage multiplier


It is determined that a read count has reached one of a set of read count thresholds. An initial test page which corresponds to the read count threshold that has been reached is selected from a set of initial test pages. There is at least one page that is not in the set of initial test pages and is victimized by an offending page that also victimizes a page in the set of initial test pages. A test read is performed on the selected test page and the results of the test read of the selected test page are evaluated for read disturb noise.

Read disturb noise is a type of noise that is introduced during the process of reading solid state storage (e.g., NAND Flash). During a read, the control gates of all cells in the selected block (other than the cells being read) are biased to a voltage (sometimes referred to as Vpass) which exceeds the maximum voltage that any cell in the block may be written to. In doing so, these cells are placed into the pass state, in which they act as short-circuits, thus isolating only the cells which are being read. An undesirable byproduct of this biasing, however, is the application of additional electrons to the floating-gates of these cells. This unintentional and additional voltage is referred to as read disturb. New read disturb detection techniques which improve upon existing techniques (e.g., as measured by performance metrics such as the amount of storage required, the maximum amount of time it takes to check an entire block for read disturb, and/or the number of additional, test reads consumed) would be desirable.


A seal assembly adapted for use in sealing two mating surfaces spaced apart by a gap is provided. The seal assembly includes a sealing element adapted to be located in a groove in one of the mating surfaces. A back-up ring assembly is provided which includes a first back-up ring made from a relatively soft material and a second back-up ring made from a relatively hard material. The first back-up ring includes a body with first and second sides, with one of a groove and an interlocking projection being located on the body along the second side. The second back-up ring includes a body with first and second sides, with the other of the groove and the interlocking projection being located along the first side. The groove is complementarily shaped to the projection and includes a rounded mating surface such that the first and second back-up rings can be interlocked together by connecting the interlocking projection and the groove, with the rounded mating surface reducing stress concentrations on the first and second back-up rings under load.

The present invention relates to a seal assembly for sealing a clearance space between first and second displacable cylindrical surfaces, and more particularly to a seal assembly which includes mechanically inter-locked anti-extrusion rings located adjacent to at least one side of the seal.
The use of seal assemblies which include a T-shaped sealing ring and a pair of back up or anti-extrusion rings to form a seal between two relatively displacable cylindrical surfaces is generally known. Such assemblies are often used in hydraulic or pneumatic systems, in both rod in bore and piston in cylinder seal applications. T-shaped seal assemblies provide a significant performance advantage over the previously known O-ring seal configurations.
In one known seal arrangement described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,905, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth, a T-shaped seal ring with two anti-extrusion rings is provided. The anti-extrusion rings prevent the seal from extruding into the gap between the cylindrical surfaces being sealed. In one embodiment, the anti-extrusion rings are provided in two pieces. An inboard ring is provided which contacts the upstanding portion of the seal and an outboard ring is located between the inboard ring and the wall of the groove. The inboard ring is made of a softer, resilient material in order to avoid abrasive wear to the upstanding seal leg. The outboard back-up ring is preferably made of a harder material and prevents abrasion of the inner ring on the groove wall and extrusion of the inner ring in the clearance space. However, the known anti-extrusion rings of this type sometimes create problems during installation. This concern is primarily due to the number of pieces needed to be installed.
In another known seal arrangement described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,188,099, interconnected back-up rings are provided for a seal. An inner back-up ring is provided with a groove, and a rib is provided on the outer back-up ring which can be a dovetail fit with the groove. However, the rib and groove have angular corners which increase stress concentrations in the back-up rings at the juncture.
It is also known to use anti-extrusion rings with cap seals. Cap seals generally consist of an elastomer energized seal located in a groove, with the elastomer energizer pressing the seal member against the mating surface. Anti-extrusion rings are provided on each side of the seal member and the energizer, adjacent to each of the groove side walls, in order to prevent abrasion and extrusion of the seal and the energizer. In one known cap seal, described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,386, the anti-extrusion rings are made of inner and outer elements. The outer element is made from a relatively hard, non-resilient material which is sufficiently strong to prevent extrusion of the cap seal. The inner member is made of a relatively soft plastic material which does not abrade or chafe the soft elastomer energizer. The outer member and inner member are provided as single pieces which matingly position the outer member adjacent to the inner member. However, the pieces must be formed as complete rings or be bonded together in order to maintain the outer member in position. This limits the installation options.
It would be desirable to provide a two-piece backup ring to protect against extrusion of a seal member at high pressure or vacuum, which also protects the seal member from excessive abrasion. Ideally such a seal would provide the option of being closed around a fixed shaft and desirably have a fool proof assembly arrangement to assure proper alignment of the soft and the hard back-up rings. Preferably, such back-up rings can be machined or formed from strips of material to a specific size as appropriate for a given application.

Seal assembly with mechanically joined anti-extrusion rings