A method for estimating a greenhouse gas emission from a ruminant in a loose housing environment, and in a predetermined time period from T0 to Tdesired, the method including:                determining a model emission rate function EM(t) for the ruminant        determining the moments of eating feed by the ruminant, at least during the predetermined time period, as a series of points in time {T1, T2, T3, . . . , Tn}        constructing the estimated real emission rate function ER(t) on the basis of the model emission rate function and the moments of eating feed, and        integrating ER(t) from T0 to Tdesired.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for estimating a greenhouse gas emission from a ruminant in a loose housing environment, and in a predetermined time period from T0 to Tdesired, and to a greenhouse gas emission estimation device for estimating a greenhouse gas emission from a ruminant, according to said method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Enhanced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are deemed to be a cause of an enhanced greenhouse effect. Emissions by dairy animals are believed to contribute a large part of the enhanced greenhouse gas emissions, not only via manure but also, and believed mainly, via eructation of methane. Therefore, it is important to know the emission of such greenhouse gases in dairy animals, for knowing the emissions is a necessary first step of controlling and reducing such emissions.
In the art, significant research has been conducted to try and determine the GHG emission of individual dairy animals in a controlled environment, such as completely sealed cabins, in which the complete emission of the animal could be measured and analyzed. However, in a normal dairy environment, useful models are scarce and mainly indirect such as through fatty acid profiles from milk.

Method and device for determining greenhouse gas emission from a ruminant

Abstract: Also provided is a greenhouse gas emission estimation device, arranged to perform this method. In the device and method, use is made of the insight that knowing the eating moments can fine-tune calculations for establishing greenhouse gas emissions from the animals.


A portable terminal, including a first housing including opposing first and second sides, a second housing including opposing first and second sides, a hinge connecting the first sides of the first and second housings, a flexible display including a first end disposed in the second side the first housing, a second end disposed in the second side of the second housing, and a driver configured to drive the display, wherein the first housing and the second housing are configured to rotate on the hinge to form an angle in therebetween such that a corresponding portion of the display is exposed, and the driver is configured to output driving signals corresponding to the angle to the flexible display, such an image is displayed on the exposed portion of the flexible display.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a portable terminal. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a portable terminal being folded in various ways to display various sized images.
2. Description of the Background
In general, a portable terminal, such as a smart phone, a tablet personal computer, etc., includes a display panel to display an image and provide a user with image information. The display panel may be one of various types of display panel, such as a liquid crystal display panel, an organic light emitting display panel, an electrowetting display panel, an electrophoretic display panel, etc.
The display panel includes a plurality of pixels to display the image. The pixels receive data signals in response to gate signals (or scan signals) and display gray scales corresponding to the data signals, thereby displaying a desired image.
In recent years, a flexible display panel has been developed. The flexible display panel includes a substrate formed of a flexible plastic material.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form any part of the prior art nor what the prior art may suggest to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Portable terminal having flexible display


System and method for providing a passivation layer for a phase shift mask (“PSM”) are described. In one embodiment, a PSM comprises a transparent substrate; a phase shift pattern disposed on the transparent substrate; and a passivation layer disposed to substantially cover exposed surfaces of at least a portion of the phase shift pattern.

Phase shift masks ("PSMs") used in photolithography processes typically comprise a transparent (e.g., quartz) substrate having a phase shift pattern formed thereon, the phase shift pattern comprising, for example, a molybdenum silicon (MoSi) film formed on the substrate.
With ever decreasing features sizes and increasing costs of current and future photolithographic masks, the repair of masks becomes a substantial factor of the total mask production cost. One method of repairing PSMs involves the deposition of tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate, ("TEOS") on the area the be repairer and then reacting the TEOS to SiO2 using an electric beam ("e-beam"). Although such a repair is initially effective. TEOS is easily removed during wet cleaning of the PSM using a solution of sulphuric acid (H2SO4) and ammonia (H3), for example. As a result, such repairs are fairly temporary and must be made repeatedly over the life of the PSM.

System and method for providing phase shift mask passivation layer

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


The invention relates to nematic liquid-crystal compositions comprising bisalkenyl compounds of the formula Ia.

The invention relates to nematic liquid-crystal compositions based on bisalkenyl compounds and terminally fluorinated compounds. These compositions are particulary suitable for plasma-addressed display devices.
Plasma-addressed displays (PADs) are of great utility for high-information displays, which are of commercial interest. Such PADs are used in TV applications and in high-information displays for computer screens, automobiles and aircraft.
PADs have electrical switching elements and a plasma cell with a plurality of addressing channels which is connected to the display cell.
Such PADs are disclosed, for example, in WO 96/00925, EP 0 628 944, EP 0 545 569, U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,149 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,553.
In a PAD, the switching elements are addressed via a multiplexing scheme. This charges the electrodes of a pixel in the limited time during which they are active. They subsequently become and remain inactive until they are addressed again in the next cycle. Consequently, the voltage change at a plasma-addressed pixel is an unwanted, but very crucial characteristic of such a display. Discharge of the electrodes of the pixel is determined by two factors, the capacity of the pixel and the specific resistance of the liquid-crystal material, i.e., the liquid crystal, between the electrodes.
Conventional liquid-crystalline materials for active matrix displays (AMDs) are unsuitable for PADs since they have excessively high values for the dielectric anisotropy.
There therefore continues to be a great demand for liquid-crystal compositions having high specific resistance and having other material properties which are suitable for use in PADs, such as, for example, a broad nematic mesophase range with an extremely low smectic-nematic transition temperature and the absence of crystallization at low temperature.
A further requirement in such compositions is for high steepness of the characteristic lines (small difference between V90 and V10).
An object of the invention is to provide liquid-crystal compositions which have very high specific resistance and which also satisfy the other requirements.
An additional requirement is for compositions having low xcex94n values of  less than 0.1 and rotational viscosities of xe2x89xa6150 mPaxc2x7s at 20xc2x0 C., preferably xe2x89xa6120 mPaxc2x7s, in particular xe2x89xa6100 mPaxc2x7s.
It has now been found that nematic liquid-crystal compositions for plasma addressed liquid crystal displays (PALCDs) comprising at least one compound of the formula I
in which
R1 and R2, independently of one another, are alkenyl or alkenyloxy having 1 to 8 carbon atoms,
each Z1 and Z2, independently of one another, and if Z1 is present a number of times, these radicals also independently of one another, are a single bond, xe2x80x94(CH2)2xe2x80x94 xe2x80x94COOxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94OCOxe2x80x94, trans-CHxe2x95x90CHxe2x80x94, xe2x80x94CH2Oxe2x80x94 or xe2x80x94OCH2xe2x80x94, where Z2 is preferably a single bond,
each A1, A2 and A3, independently of one another, and if A1 is present a number of times, these radicals also independently of one another, are trans-1,4-cyclohexylene, 1,4-cyclohexenylene, in which also one or two nonadjacent CH2 groups may be replaced by oxygen, 1,4-phenylene, 2-fluoro-1,4-phenylene, 3-fluoro-1,4-phenylene, 2,3-difluoro-1,4-phenylene, 3,5-difluoro-1,4-phenylene, 2,6-difluoro-1,4-phenylene or 1,5-pyridyl or 1,5-pyrimidyl, in which one or two H atoms are optionally replaced by F,
where at least one of the rings A2 is preferably a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene rings, and particularly preferably both rings A2 and A3 are trans-1,4-cyclohexylene, and
n is 0, 1 or 2,
are particularly suitable for PAD applications. Z2 is preferably a single bond, and at least one of the rings A2 and A3 is preferably a trans-1,4-cyclohexylene ring. Particularly preferably, both rings A2 and A3 are trans-1,4-cyclohexylene. In PADs, very high values for the RC time (i.e., the time constant for the discharge of the pixel electrodes) can be achieved. These compositions likewise have reduced viscosity and enable AMDs to be operated at the first transmission minium, and exhibit no crystallization and no occurrence of smectic phases when stored in test cells of appropriate cell gap for times of at least 100 hours preferably 500 hours and most preferably 1000 hours at a temperature of xe2x88x9220xc2x0 C., preferably at xe2x88x9230xc2x0 C. and most preferably of xe2x88x9240xc2x0 C.
Preference is furthermore given to liquid-crystal mixtures which comprise at least one compound of the formula II
in which
R3 is alkyl, alkenyl, alkyloxy or alkenyloxy having 1-8 carbon atoms,
Z3 and Z4, independently of one another, are a single bond, (CH2)2, OCH2, CH2O, COO, CN, F, CF2H or CF3
X is OCF2H, OCF3, OCH2CF3, OCHFCF3, OCF2CF2H or F
L is H or F and
A4 is trans-1,4-cyclohexylene, 1,4-phenylene, 3-fluoro-1,4-phenylene or 3,5-difluoro-1,4-phenylene.
Particular preference is given to nematic liquid-crystal compositions which comprise at least one compound of the formula Ia
in which
R1 and R2, independently of one another, are alkenyl or alkenyloxy having 1 to 8 carbon atoms,
and
Z2 is a single bond, xe2x80x94(CH2)2xe2x80x94 or trans-CHxe2x95x90CHxe2x80x94.
Z2 is particularly preferably a single bond.
Nematic liquid-crystal compositions of the present invention furthermore preferably comprise at least one compound of the formula III
in which
R4 and R51 independently of one another,
are alkyl, alkoxy, alkenyl or alkenyloxy having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, in which 1 or a maximum of 2 non-adjacent CH2 groups may be replaced by O,
each Z5 if it is present a number of times independently of one another, is a single bond, COO, OCO, (CH2)2, OCH2, CH2O or trans-CHxe2x95x90CH,
each A5 and A6 independently of one another, and if A5 is present a number of times these radicals also independently of one another,
are trans-1,4-cyclohexylene, 1,4-cyclohexenylene, in which also one or two nonadjacent CH2 groups may be replaced by oxygen, 1,4-phenylene, 2-fluoro-1,4-phenylene, 3-fluoro-1,4-phenylene, 2,3-difluoro-1,4-phenylene, 3,5-difluoro-1,4-phenylene, 2,6-difluoro-1,4-phenylene or 1,5-pyrimidinediyl, in which one or two H atoms are optionally replaced by F, and
n is 1, 2 or 3.
Very particular preference is given to nematic liquid-crystal compositions which comprise at least one compound of the formula Iaa
in which
R1 and R2, are each, independently of one another, CHxe2x95x90CH2, CHxe2x95x90CHxe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94CH3 and/or CHxe2x95x90CHxe2x80x94CH3 and
Z2 is (CH2)2 or a single bond.
Z2 is preferably a single bond and R1 and R2 are preferably identical to each other.
Preference is furthermore given to nematic liquid-crystal compositions which, besides compounds of the formula Iaa, comprise at least one further compound of the formula I
and/or of the formula II
In a preferred embodiment, the compositions according to the invention comprise from 10 to 34% of two or more compounds of the formula I.
The nematic compositions particularly preferably comprise at least two compounds of the formula Iaa from the group consisting of the formulae Ia1 to 1a9:
The symmetrically substituted compounds of the formula Iaa, i.e., the compounds Ia1, Ia3, Ia5 and Ia8, are preferred, and of these, very particular preference is given to the 1-alkenyl compounds Ia1, Ia3 and Ia5. The best response times are achieved when using Ia1, Ia2 and Ia3. The most preferred compounds are those of the formulae Ia1 and Ia5.
The LC compositions according to the invention have a dielectric anisotropy, measured at 20xc2x0 C. and 1 kHz, of less than 4.0, preferably between 1.0 and 3.0, in particular from 1.5 to 2.5. The LC compositions according to the instant invention have a birefringence at 20xc2x0 C. and 589 nm of not more than 0.1, preferably not more than 0.08, especially preferred of not more than 0.075 and most preferred of below 0.07. The voltage holding ratio HR after 5 minutes at 100xc2x0 C. and IV using a commercial equipment of Antronic-Melchers, Germany, is at least 98%, preferably higher than 98.5%, especially preferred higher than 99.0% and most preferred at least 99.5%. The clearing point of the compositions according to the invention is above 750xc2x0 C., in particular above 80xc2x0 C., very particularly above 90xc2x0 C.
Compositions of this type preferably comprise two, three or four compounds of the formula I. Preferred compositions comprise at least of more than 10% by weight of the individual compounds of the formula I.
The compounds of the formula I are disclosed in the German patent applications and can be prepared analogously to known compounds.
The compounds of the formulae II and III are known to the person skilled in the art.
Preferred compositions likewise comprise two or more compounds of the formula III. Preference is given here to the compounds selected from the group consisting of the formulae IIIa and IIIb:
in which R4 and R5 are as defined above under the formula III.
In a preferred embodiment, the compositions according to the invention comprise at least two compounds of the formula IIIa.
The compositions according to the invention preferably comprise from 6 to 48% by weight, in particular from 10 to 34% by weight or from 16 to 30% by weight, of components of the formula I. The percentages by weight for the other groups are preferably in the following ranges:
Formula II: from 10 to 45%, in particular from 18 to 38%
Formula III: from 5 to 52%, in particular from 12 to 40%.
The components of the formulae I, II and II preferably form the basis of the claimed compositions and together make up at least 60% by weight, particularly preferably at least 75% by weight, of the compositions However, it is also possible to use further LC components in smaller percentages in addition to the components of the formulae I to III for fine adjustment of the claimed compositions. In t his case, compounds having a high clearing point are used in particular.
In general, the compositions consist of a plurality of compounds mixed in a conventional manner. In general, the desired amount of the components used in the smaller amount are dissolved in the components making up the principal constituent, advantageously at elevated temperature. If the temperature selected is above the clearing point of the principal constituent, completion of the dissolution process is particularly easy to observe.
However, it is also possible to mix the components in a suitable solvent, for example in acetone, chloroform or methanol, and, after mixing, to remove the solvent again, for example by distillation under reduced pressure. It goes without saying that it must be ensured here that the solvent does not introduce any impurities or undesired doping substances.
By means of suitable additives, the liquid-crystal phases according to the invention can be modified in such a way that they can be used in any type of PAD which has been disclosed hitherto.
Without further elaboration, it is believed that one skilled in the art can, using the preceding description, utilize the present invention to its fullest extent. The following preferred specific embodiments are, therefore, to be construed as merely illustrative, and not limitative of the remainder of the disclosure in any way whatsoever.

Abstract: in which

Abstract: R1 and R2, are each independently alkenyl having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, and

Abstract: and to their use in plasma-addressed LCDs.


The present invention relates to a process for the alkylation of an organic compound comprising: (a) providing a catalyst comprising one or more zeolitic materials having a BEA framework structure, wherein the BEA framework structure comprises YO2 and optionally comprises X2O3, wherein Y is a tetravalent element, and X is a trivalent element, (b) contacting the catalyst with one or more alkylatable organic compounds in the presence of one or more alkylating agents in one or more reactors for obtaining one or more alkylated organic compounds, wherein the one or more zeolitic materials is obtainable from a synthetic process which does not employ an organotemplate as structure directing agent.

Alkylation processes and, in particular, processes for the alkylation of aromatics are of considerable importance on the industrial scale for the production of basic chemicals. Thus, the alkylation of benzene with ethylene and propylene to produce ethylbenzene and cumene is for example widely used in the petrochemical industry. In this respect, cumene is an important chemical intermediate mainly used for the production of phenol and acetone, whereas ethylbenzene is an intermediate used in the production of styrene. In addition to these, long chain alkylbenzenes are useful as lubricant base stocks and as intermediates in the production of detergents.
For the production of such basic chemicals Lewis and Bronsted acids are typically used, such that a variety of zeolites are commonly employed as alkylation catalysts. Thus, alkylation of aromatic hydrocarbon compounds employing certain crystalline zeolite catalysts is known in the art. In this respect, alkylation of benzene with ethylene and propylene in the presence of zeolite catalysts represents the preferred commercial techniques for the production of ethylbenzene and cumene.
However, along with the desired monoalkylated products, typical alkylation processes produce di- and tri-alkylated products, in addition to oligomers and other side-products. As a result of this, time and cost intensive separation processes must normally be employed for obtaining an alkylation product which is sufficiently pure to be used as a feed in the production of the follow-up products.
Accordingly, considerable efforts have been made for developing processes and catalysts affording higher selectivities for the monoalkylation products in order to increase the effectiveness of the known industrial processes.
In this respect, U.S. Pat. No. 7,569,739 B2 for example relates to aromatics alkylation, and in particular to the alkylation of benzene with ethylene and propylene to produce ethylbenzene and cumene, respectively. Furthermore, said document is concerned with the alkylation of aromatics with long chain alkylating agents to produce the corresponding long chain alkylbenzenes. In the alkylation reactions, zeolitic materials, and in particular zeolitic materials having the MWW framework structure are used. In particular, relates to a means of enhancing the selectivity of the alkylation reaction towards monoalkylated products by modifying the zeolitic materials with phosphorous.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,348,465 B2 specifically relates to the alkylation of benzene with propylene and butenes, especially for the production of feedstocks used for producing follow-up chemicals such as cumene and s-butylbenzene. In particular, said document aims at providing a method for enhancing the selectivity of aromatic alkylation to monoalkylated species. To this effect, the use of molar blends of propylene and one or more linear butenes are taught therein. A clear drawback to said method, however, resides in the fact that it is highly limited both with respect to the alkylatable organic compounds and to the alkylating agents which may used therein, in addition to the fact that only mixtures of monoalkylated products may be obtained.
In Bellussi et al., Journal of Catalysis 1995, 157, pp. 227-234, the activity and selectivity of various zeolites including zeolite Beta in the alkylation of benzene catalyzed by the former is discussed, in particular with respect to the respective reactions of ethylene and propylene with benzene. In this respect, Bellussi et al. report on an increase in both the conversion rate and the selectivity of zeolite Beta in said alkylation reaction with decreasing Si/Al molar ratio of the zeolite Beta used therein. However, as may be taken from the results disclosed in said document, the moderate increase in selectivity for the monoalkylated species with descreasing Si/Al molar ratio of the zeolite Beta materials is accompanied by a comparatively greater increase in di- and trialkylation products. The corresponding observation is almade in Halgeri et al., Applied Catalysis A: General 1999, 181, pp. 347-354, wherein the effect of dealumination of zeolite Beta on its activity and selectivity in the alkylation of aromatics is discussed. In particular, regarding the selectivity of zeolite Beta towards dialkylation products in the reaction of benzene with isopropanol, the results displayed in said document show a decrease in said selectivity with increasing dealumination of the zeolite Beta material used in the reaction.
Finally, regarding further alkylation reactions catalyzed by zeolite Beta, Yoon et al., Journal of Catalysis 2006, 245, pp. 253-256, for example relates to the trimerization of isobutene over a zeolite Beta catalyst. Tang et al. in "From Zeolites to Porous MOF Materials—the 40th Anniversary of International Zeolite Conference", Studies in Surface Science and Catalysis 2007, pp. 1454-1459, on the other hand, concerns the tert-butylation of phenol over zeolitic materials including H-zeolite Beta.
There however remains a need to improve the selectivity of alkylation reactions, in particular in view of a time and cost-effective method for providing high purity feedstocks of a wide variety of basic chemicals employed in large scale industrial production processes.

Process for the alkylation of organic compounds


The present invention relates to the use of the compound [2-[(5-nitro-1,3-thiazol-2-yl)carbamoyl]phenyl]ethanoate in a method of treatment or prophylaxis of vascular and respiratory disease, fibrotic disease and neurodegenerative disease, particularly interstitial pneumonia, tuberous sclerosis or lymphangioleiomyomatosis, collagen disease, interstitial lung disease, human kidney disease, nephritic syndrome, liver fibrosis or liver cirrhosis, Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease.

The identification of a therapeutic compound effective for the prophylaxis and/or treatment of a disease can be based on the activity of the compound in a biological assay. A biological assay that mimics a disease causative mechanism can be used to test the therapeutic activity of a candidate compound.
The causative mechanism of many diseases is the overactivity of a biological pathway. A compound that can reduce the activity of the biological pathway can be effective in the prophylaxis and/or treatment of the disease caused by the overactivity of the biological pathway. Similarly the causative mechanism of many diseases is the overproduction of a biological molecule. A compound that can reduce the production of the biological molecule or block the activity of the overproduced biological molecule can be effective in the prophylaxis and/or treatment of the disease caused by the overproduction of the biological molecule.
Conversely, the causative mechanism of many diseases is the underactivity of a biological pathway. A compound that can increase the activity of the biological pathway can be effective in the prophylaxis and/or treatment of the disease caused by the underactivity of the biological pathway. Also similarly the causative mechanism of many diseases is the under production of a biological molecule. A compound that can increase the production of the biological molecule or mimic the biological activity of the under produced biological molecule can be effective in the prophylaxis and/or treatment of the disease caused by the under production of the biological molecule.
It is the object of the present invention to provide compounds for the prophylaxis and/or treatment of a respiratory and vascular disease, a fibrotic disease, or a neurodegenerative disease.
The object of the present invention is solved by the subject-matter of the independent claims. Further advantageous features, aspects and details of the invention are evident from the dependent claims, the description, and the examples of the present application.

[2-[(5-nitro-1,3-thiazol-2-yl)carbamoyl]phenyl]ethanoate for use in lymphangioleiomyomatosis and other diseases


An arc electric welding head comprising a first contact device housing a first duct for feeding a first electrode and providing electrical contact between a first power source and said first electrode, a second contact device housing a second duct for feeding a second electrode and providing electrical contact between a second power source and said second electrode, said first and second contact devices being electrically insulated from each other, said first and second ducts being parallel.

Tandem welding is a welding technology where two independent electrodes are arranged to perform welding in a common weld puddle.
Each of the two electrodes are connected to a separate power source such that the welding conditions including current and voltage can be controlled independently for the electrodes. The electrodes can be mounted in various settings, such as for instance with the electrodes positioned shifted out in a transverse direction with respect to a welding direction or being positioned at a distance from each other in the welding direction. In the event the electrodes are shifted out in the transverse direction, they may be positioned side by side. This is used for surface welding or specific joints where a wide joint is needed. Side by side welding leads to lower penetration and more width.
Alternatively the electrodes are positioned at a distance from each other in the welding direction. In this event, the first electrode in the direction of welding is normally referred to as a leading electrode, while the second electrode is normally referred to as a trailing electrode. Normally the leading electrode and the trailing electrodes serve different roles in the welding process. It is for instance known to control the leading electrode such that a desired degree of penetration is obtained, while the trailing electrode controls weld bead appearance, contour and fill.
Tandem welding enables increased deposition rates and therefore improves economy of welding. Tandem welding also enables improved weld quality due to the possibility of assigning the leading and trailing electrode with different tasks. In order to allow the different electrodes to be assigned with different tasks the electrodes should preferably be sufficiently close to enable both electrodes to operate in a common single weld puddle. In the event the electrodes are separated to far from each other, the weld puddle generated by the early electrode may solidify before the second electrode has reached the puddle. In this event, the two electrodes more or less perform the task of two consecutive welding passes.
It is an object of the invention to provide a welding head that enables increased deposition rates, while maintaining a high welding quality.

Tandem arc welding head and a welding arrangement for overlapping arcs to a cold wire electrode


An earth leakage breaker includes a main body housing having, in a single structure, a casing and a case cover, and an auxiliary cover for covering the case cover. The case cover has a recess for mounting an internal accessory device. Components including a main circuit contact, a contact switching mechanism, an operation handle, an overcurrent tripping device, an earth leakage detection circuit combined with a zero-phase current transformer, and an earth leakage tripping device, are retained in the main body housing. An earth leakage operation output switch is detachably mounted in the recess formed in the case cover of the main body housing. The earth leakage operation output switch is an internal accessory device that indicates earth leakage trip operation electrically and linking mechanically with the earth leakage trip device to operate the earth leakage operation output switch in the earth leakage trip operation.

The present invention relates to an earth leakage breaker with overcurrent protection and ground fault protection functions in a low voltage distribution system. In particular, the invention relates to a structure for posterior mounting type earth leakage operation output switch, as an internal accessory device of an earth leakage breaker that electrically indicates an earth leakage trip operation of the earth leakage breaker.
Known protection devices in a low voltage distribution system include a molded case circuit breaker and an earth leakage breaker. An earth leakage breaker produced in these days in Japan generally has an integrated structure assembling the parts for overcurrent protection function and the parts for ground fault protection function together in a single main body housing that has the same external dimensions as those of the molded case circuit breaker.
Circuit breakers such as molded case circuit breakers and earth leakage breakers have various internal accessory devices including an auxiliary switch for electrical indication of ON, OFF states of a breaker, an alarm switch for indicating trip state, a voltage trip device and the like as optional devices in order to flexibly deal with a system change in the user side. The internal accessory devices can be installed to be taken out afterwards in a recess formed in a cover of a main body housing (for example, Patent Document 1).
Conventional earth leakage breakers are normally equipped with an earth leakage indicating button of a pop-up type as a means for indicating the earth leakage trip operation (the indicator button projects from the cover of the main body housing in the earth leakage trip operation). Different from this means, an earth leakage operation output switch (a micro switch) for electrically indicating the earth leakage trip operation is installed in a known earth leakage trip device (for example, Patent Document 2). FIGS. 16(a) and 16(b) show an assembly structure of the prior art.
Referring to FIGS. 16(a) and 16(b), the reference numeral 1 designates an earth leakage trip device mounted on a main body housing of the breaker. The earth leakage trip device has a structure wherein the essential components including a trip coil 3 (a plunger type electromagnet in combination of a retaining magnet and a driving spring), an earth leakage indicating button 4, and an earth leakage operation output switch 5 responding to earth leakage trip operation are permanently installed in a unit case 2 (a molded resin casing).
The earth leakage operation output switch 5 employs a micro switch with its actuator lever 5a arranged opposing a movable iron core 3a of the trip coil 3 in the unit case 2. The movable iron core 3a of the trip coil 3 is driven in the direction of the arrow on receiving an earth leakage detection signal from an earth leakage detection circuit. Corresponding to the movement of the movable iron core 3a, an actuating slider (not shown in the figures) strikes a trip crossbar of the breaker to trip a contact switching mechanism, and at the same time, the movable iron core 3a pushes an actuator lever 5a of the micro switch towards inside of the micro switch. As a result, a contact (a "make" contact) of the earth leakage operation output switch 5 turns ON to output an earth leakage operation signal. In FIGS. 16(a) and 16(b), the reference numeral 5b designates a plunger that transmits the movement of the actuator lever 5a to a movable contact of the micro switch.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H6-236726 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,219)(FIG. 1-3)
Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H9-63453 (FIGS. 1-3)
Earth leakage breakers mounting the earth leakage trip device having the conventional structure as described above have following problems from a viewpoint of a user side. In the conventional structure shown in FIGS. 16(a) and 16(b), the earth leakage operation output switch 5 is fixedly installed in the casing of the earth leakage trip device 1 and engaged with the movable ion core 3a of the trip coil 3, and the earth leakage breaker equipped with the earth leakage trip device 1 is shipped as a product incorporating the earth leakage operation output switch 5 at the time of shipment.
For the users without using electrical indication of the earth leakage operation in the system employing an earth leakage breaker, the earth leakage operation output switch permanently incorporated in the earth leakage breaker deserves an excess specification. On the contrary, the users that purchased an earth leakage breaker with standard specification that is not equipped with an earth leakage operation output switch, cannot add an earth leakage operation output switch to the earth leakage breaker as it is. Consequently, these users can make a system including electrical indication of the earth leakage operation only by asking the manufacturer to exchange the earth leakage trip device for the one equipped with an earth leakage operation output switch, or by newly purchasing another earth leakage breaker with an earth leakage operation output switch. This is hardly dealt with by the users.
In light of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an earth leakage breaker capable of indicating earth leakage operation by an electric signal, wherein a user can install later an earth leakage operation output switch as an optional internal accessory device similar to an auxiliary switch and an alarm switch, onto an earth leakage breaker of standard specification. The invention also provides a structure for mounting an earth leakage operation output switch afterwards.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.

Fuji Electric FA Components and Systems Co., Ltd.


It is an object of the present invention to provide a specific apparatus and process for using a single distillation column on a low boiling point reaction mixture containing a large amount of a dialkyl carbonate and an aliphatic monohydric alcohol produced through a reactive distillation process of taking a cyclic carbonate and the aliphatic monohydric alcohol as starting materials, continuously feeding the starting materials into a continuous multi-stage distillation column in which a homogeneous catalyst is present, and carrying out reaction and distillation simultaneously in the column, so as to separate the low boiling point reaction mixture by distillation into a column top component BT having the aliphatic monohydric alcohol as a main component thereof and a column bottom component BB having the dialkyl carbonate as a main component thereof stably for a prolonged period of time industrially.

A reactive distillation process for producing a dialkyl carbonate and a diol through reaction between a cyclic carbonate and an aliphatic monohydric alcohol was first disclosed by the present inventors (see Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H4-198141. Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H4-230243. Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H9-176061. Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H9-183744 Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H9-194435. Patent Document 6: International Publication No. WO97/23445 (corresponding to European Patent No. 0889025, U.S. Pat. No. 5,847,189). Patent Document 7: International Publication No. WO99/64382 (corresponding to European Patent No. 1086940, U.S. Pat. No. 6,346,638). Patent Document 8: International Publication No. WO00/51954 (corresponding to European Patent No. 1174406, U.S. Pat. No. 6,479,689). Patent Document 9: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-308804 and Patent Document 10: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-131394), patent applications in which such a reactive distillation system is used have subsequently also been filed by other companies (see Patent Document 11: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-213830 (corresponding to European Patent No. 0530615, U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,212). Patent Document 12: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H6-9507 (corresponding to European Patent No. 0569812, U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,118). Patent Document 13: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-119168 (International Publication No. WO03/006418). Patent Document 14: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-300936 and Patent Document 15: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-342209). In the case of using a reactive distillation system for this reaction, the reaction can be made to proceed with a high conversion. However, reactive distillation processes proposed hitherto have related to producing the dialkyl carbonate and the diol either in small amounts or for a short period of time, and have not related to carrying out the production on an industrial scale stably for a prolonged period of time. That is, these processes have not attained the object of producing a dialkyl carbonate continuously in a large amount (e.g. not less than 2 ton/hr) stably for a prolonged period of time (e.g. not less than 1000 hours, preferably not less than 3000 hours, more preferably not less than 5000 hours).
For example, the maximum values of the height (H: cm), diameter (D: cm), and number of stages (n) of the reactive distillation column, the produced amount P (kg/hr) of dimethyl carbonate, and the continuous production time T (hr) in examples disclosed for the production of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and ethylene glycol (EG) from ethylene carbonate and methanol are as in Table 1.
TABLE 1PATENTDOCUMENTH:cmD:cmNO. STAGES:nP:kg/hrT:hr11002300.10640041605400.427NOTE 551605400.473NOTE 572004PACKING COLUMN (Dixon)0.932NOTE 58NOTE 15600.275NOTE 59NOTE 15600.258NOTE 510NOTE 15600.258NOTE 5112503PACKING COLUMN (Raschig)0.392NOTE 512NOTE 2NOTE 2NOTE 20.532NOTE 513NOTE 3NOTE 342NOTE 4NOTE 514NOTE 3NOTE 3303750NOTE 51520015PACKING COLUMN (BX)0.313NOTE 5NOTE 1: OLDERSHAW DISTILLATION COLUMN.NOTE 2: NO DESCRIPTION WHATSOEVER DEFINING DISTILLATION COLUMN.NOTE 3: ONLY DESCRIPTION DEFINING DISTILLATION COLUMN IS NUMBER OF STAGES.NOTE 4: NO DESCRIPTION WHATSOEVER OF PRODUCED AMOUNT.NOTE 5: NO DESCRIPTION WHATSOEVER REGARDING STABLE PRODUCTION FOR PROLONGED PERIOD OF TIME.
In Patent Document 14 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-300936), it is stated at paragraph 0060 "The present example uses the same process flow as for the preferred mode shown in FIG. 1 described above, and was carried out with the object of operating a commercial scale apparatus for producing dimethyl carbonate and ethylene glycol through transesterification by a catalytic conversion reaction between ethylene carbonate and methanol. Note that the following numerical values in the present example can be adequately used in the operation of an actual apparatus", and as that example it is stated that 3750 kg/hr of dimethyl carbonate was specifically produced. The scale described in that example corresponds to an annual production of 30,000 tons or more, and hence this implies that at the time of the filing of the patent application for Patent Document 14 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-300936) (Apr. 9, 2002), operation of the world's first large scale commercial plant using this process had been carried out. However, even at the time of filing the present application, there is not the above fact at all. Moreover, in the example of Patent Document 14 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-300936), exactly the same value as the theoretically calculated value is stated for the amount of dimethyl carbonate produced, but the yield for ethylene glycol is approximately 85.6%, and the selectivity is approximately 88.4%, and hence it cannot really be said that a high yield and high selectivity have been attained. In particular, the low selectivity indicates that this process has a fatal drawback as an industrial production process. (Note also that Patent Document 14 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-300936) was deemed to have been withdrawn on Jul. 26, 2005 due to examination not having been requested).
With the reactive distillation method, there are very many causes of fluctuation such as composition variation due to reaction and composition variation due to distillation in the distillation column, and temperature variation and pressure variation in the column, and hence continuing stable operation for a prolonged period of time is accompanied by many difficulties, and in particular these difficulties are further increased in the case of handling large amounts. To continue mass production of a dialkyl carbonate and a diol using the reactive distillation method stably for a prolonged period of time while maintaining high yields and high selectivities for the dialkyl carbonate and the diol, the reactive distillation apparatus must be cleverly devised. However, the only description of continuous stable production for a prolonged period of time with the reactive distillation method proposed hitherto has been the 200 to 400 hours in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H4-198141) and Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H4-230243).
The present inventors have now established an industrial reactive distillation process that enables a dialkyl carbonate and a diol to be mass-produced continuously and stably for a prolonged period of time with high yield and high selectivity, but to achieve this it has also been necessary to establish an industrial process for separating out the desired dialkyl carbonate from a low boiling point reaction mixture continuously withdrawn in a large amount from an upper portion of the reactive distillation column. The present invention has been devised to attain this object.
As shown in Table 1, with the exception of Patent Document 14 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-300936), the produced amount of the dialkyl carbonate per hour using reactive distillation processes proposed hitherto has been a small amount of not more than 1 kg/hr. Moreover, with the process of Patent Document 14 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-300936), a column top component (a mixture of methanol and dimethyl carbonate) from a first step reactive distillation column is fed into a second step distillation column, and extractive distillation is carried out using ethylene carbonate. After a mixture of ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate has been obtained as a column bottom component from the second step distillation column, this mixture is then further fed into a third step distillation column, and separation by distillation is carried out so as to obtain dimethyl carbonate as a column top component and ethylene carbonate as a column bottom component from the third step distillation column. That is, with the process of Patent Document 14 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-300936), two columns must be used to separate the dimethyl carbonate out from the mixture of methanol and dimethyl carbonate, and hence the equipment is expensive. Furthermore, with this process, four distillation columns must be operated together with one another, and hence it is expected that prolonged stable operation would be difficult.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Industrial process for separating out dialkyl carbonate


A method of manufacturing a charged particle, comprising:    a) providing a mother particle; and b) forming a coating layer that covers at least a part of a surface of the mother particle, wherein the step b) includes: coupling a first chemical compound having at least a part where is going to be a starting point of living polymerization to the surface of the mother particle; and polymerizing a second chemical compound having an ionic group or a functional group convertible to an ionic group so as to form a polymer through the living polymerization that starts from the starting point of the first chemical compound.

1. Technical Field
Several aspects of the present invention relate to a method of manufacturing an electrically charged particle, an electrically charged particle, electrophoretic dispersion liquid, an electrophoretic sheet, an electrophoretic device and electronic equipment.
2. Related Art
It has been generally known that particles move (migrate) in fluid by coulomb force when an electric filed is applied to a dispersion system in which the particles are dispersed in the fluid, and this phenomenon is called electrophoresis. An electrophoretic display device which utilizes the electrophoresis to display desired information (image) has recently attracted attention as a new display device.
The electrophoretic display device has features of a display memory property where a voltage is not applied, a wide viewing angle, a high-contrast display at low power consumption, and so on.
In addition, the electrophoretic display device has another feature that it has a lower impact on viewer's eyes compared to light emitting display devices including a cathode-ray tube display because the electrophoretic display is a non-light emitting device.
As one type of the electrophoretic display device, a micro-capsule type electrophoretic display device has been known. JP-A-2003-66494 is an example of related art. The example discloses an example of the micro-capsule type electrophoretic display device that has a pair of substrates having electrodes, a plurality of microcapsules in which electrophoretic particles and a liquid dispersion medium are enclosed, and binder members that fix the microcapsules onto each substrate.
In the electrophoretic display device disclosed in the example, organic or inorganic particles and particles to which a charge control agent (CCA) is added are used as the electrophoretic particles. However, it is difficult to obtain electrophoretic particles with sufficiently large electric charge and they are not sensitive enough to an electric field. Accordingly, a relatively large electric field is required to move the electrophoretic particles effectively and this results in a large power consumption of the electrophoretic display device.

Method of manufacturing charged particle, charged particle, electrophoretic dispersion liquid, electrophoretic sheet, electrophoretic device and electronic equipment


An apparatus (2) comprises an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint (4) for, when inflated, helping to protect a vehicle occupant. An inflator (10) is provided having a housing (12) defining a chamber (30). A mixture of gases (32) is stored in the chamber for inflating the vehicle occupant restraint (4). A diode (60) is supported by the housing (12) and is exposed to the stored mixture of gases (32) in the chamber (30). An electrical property of the diode (60) is dependent upon the concentration of at least one of the gases in the mixture of gases (32) in the chamber (30). In a preferred embodiment, sensor means (70) is provided for sensing the electrical property of the diode (60). The sensor means (70) provides an output signal when the electrical property of the diode reaches a predetermined threshold indicating a reduction in the concentration of the one gas in the mixture of gases (32). Means responsive to the output signal (74) is provided for affecting vehicle occupant safety.

A known inflator stores gas for inflating an inflatable vehicle occupant restraint, such as an air bag. The gas typically comprises a mixture of at least two different gases. The gas is directed into the air bag to inflate the air bag to help protect the vehicle occupant from a forceful impact with parts of the vehicle on sudden vehicle deceleration. It is desirable to be able to detect gas leakage from the inflator over the life of the inflator, since a reduction in the amount of gas stored in the inflator could affect inflation of the air bag.

Device for detecting a decrease in hydrogen pressure in an air-bag inflation system


The present invention is based on the finding that the evaluation of the sensor signals of a position sensor with a mechanical period or, in general terms, the cooperation between position sensors and evaluation units, can be improved by eliminating divergence between the electrically optimal period and the mechanically optimal period. According to the present invention this is achieved in that the position sensor signal, which has a period which depends on the mechanical period of the scale of the position sensor, is translated into a translated signal with a period which corresponds to a second mechanical period, which e.g. has been set to the electrically optimal period, prior to—or for the purpose of—transmitting it to an evaluation unit, whereby not only can transmission errors be minimized and the evaluability improved but a complicated mechanical adjustment of the scale of the position sensor relative to the evaluation unit is avoided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to position sensors which have a scale with a mechanical period and which emit sensor signals with a period which depends on the mechanical period such as e.g. a linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) or a rotational variable differential transformer (RVDT) and in particular to the preparation of such a sensor signal of a position sensor for output to an appropriate evaluation unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Examples of position sensors which employ a mechanical scale to perform a path measurement or an angular measurement are linear variable differential transformers and rotational variable differential transformers, described hereafter as resolvers, and special arrangements of magnetoresistive resistors or Hall sensors which are used to measure a path or an angle of rotation α for mechanical arrangements or machines. These sensors supply two output signals which vary depending on the mechanical position, so that the position referred to a period section of the mechanical scale can be unambiguously determined from the signals.
FIG. 1a and FIG. 1c show examples of two different arrangements for measuring the linear position, while FIG. 1b shows an arrangement for measuring an angle of rotation. FIG. 1a exhibits an excitation coil 10 and two measurement coils 20 and 30 and a measurement object 40 with suitable material properties, such as e.g. a suitable magnetic susceptibility, which is arranged between the excitation coil 10 on one side and the measurement coils 20 and 30 on the other and which is moveable linearly along an axis 50. The arrangement is so conceived that a linear displacement of the measurement object 40 or the excitation coil 10 causes a change in the coupling relationship between the excitation coil 10 and the measurement coil 20 and between the excitation coil 10 and the measurement coil 30. An excitation voltage on the excitation coil 10 therefore produces signals in the measurement coils 20 and 30 which are in quadrature to each other. The position of the measurement object 40 can be defined as an angle α which determines the relationship between the two measurement signals, as will be explained below.
The arrangement shown in FIG. 1b corresponds to the arrangement shown in FIG. 1a with the exception of the measurement object 40. In this case the measurement object is represented by a rotatable body 50. When the body 50 is rotated the relationship between the measurement signals registered in the measurement coils 20 and 30 varies as in the arrangement in FIG. 1a according to the angle of rotation α, whereby the angle of rotation α can be determined.
FIG. 1c shows an alternative arrangement to that in FIG. 1a. It has magnetoresistive sensors 60 and 70 and a magnetic scale 80 constitutes the linearly displaceable measurement object. The magnetic scale 80 has two suitably oriented magnetic regions which generate opposing magnetic fields at the location of the magnetoresistive sensors 60 and 70, these regions being represented in FIG. 1c by four bar magnets 80a, 80b, 80c and 80d, the orientation of which alternates from one to the next. When the scale 80 is displaced along an axis 90 the magnetic field at the location of the magnetoresistive sensors 60 and 70 changes and so also therefore does the electrical resistance in such a way that the signals measured at the sensors 60 and 70 are in quadrature to each other.
In consequence, the variation of the signals is characterized in the first instance by the fact that they are substantially in quadrature to each other. FIG. 2 shows the connection between the value α on the one hand and the measurement signals at the coil 20 and the coil 30 on the other in relation to an excitation voltage U0 for the measurement arrangement shown in FIG. 1b. The connection is also essentially true for the arrangement shown in FIG. 1c and FIG. 1a.
As can be seen from FIG. 2, the periodic signals Usin and Ucos defined in terms of the mechanical period lPER of the mechanical scale can be described by the following equations:
                              U                                                              sin                =                              U            0                                                                                sin                                      (                                                2                                    πα                                                  1                  PER                                            )                                                          Eq        .                                          1                                          U                                                              cos                =                              U            0                                                                                cos                                      (                                                2                                    πα                                                  1                  PER                                            )                                                          Eq        .                                          2            where U0 may be a direct or alternating voltage or a direct or alternating current, such as U0=Upp cos(ωt), Upp being the amplitude of the alternating voltage U0.
FIG. 3 shows the signal profiles of the measurement signals Usin and Ucos of the sensors of FIGS. 1b and 1c as a function of the angle α or the linear displacement α. As can be seen, the variation of these signals is characterized by the fact that they are in quadrature to each other, i.e. they relate to one another like cosine and sine, and that the signals Ucos and Usin are periodic and that their period is equal to the mechanical period lPER of the mechanical scale. In the case of FIG. 1b the mechanical period lPER is e.g. equal to a full rotation, i.e. 360°, and in the case of FIG. 1c it is equal to the distance between two magnets with the same orientation. In other words, the signals Usin and Ucos only have a unique relationship to the measurement value α within a period lPER and they repeat themselves periodically when a number of period sections of length lPER succeed one another, e.g. in the case of two rotations.
In FIG. 4 the variation with time of the sensor signals Ucos and Usin is shown for the case of a constant rotational or translational movement. As can be seen, the signals Usin and Ucos are periodic signals which cover the value range of the signal profiles shown in FIG. 3 in successive periods. The time period length of the signals Ucos and Usin is equal to the quotient of the mechanical period lPER and the linear velocity or angular velocity v. After a time duration of lPER/v the relative rotation or displacement of the scale to the position sensor has covered a mechanical period lPER. A non-constant rotation or speed of motion also produces periodic signals which do not, however, have a constant period but a fluctuating period.
Since nearly all the controls and regulators of mechanical systems are to an increasing extent realized digitally, the output signals Usin and Ucos of the sensors must normally be digitalized. To find a digital equivalent αDIG of the position α, the ratio of Usin to Ucos must be evaluated. The required relationship is generally as follows:
                              α          DIG                =                  arctan                                (                                          U                                                                                sin                                            U                                                                                cos                                      )                                              Eq        .                                          3
Some evaluation methods digitalize both voltages Usin and Ucos and then calculate the arctangent digitally, others digitalize the two voltages Usin and Ucos simultaneously and hereby form the digital value αDIG directly.
To transmit the sensor signals as generated by one of the sensors in FIG. 1a–1c and as shown as examples in FIG. 4 to an evaluation unit, where they are evaluated, e.g. digitalized, the solutions shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are traditionally used to connect the position sensor to an evaluation unit. In the following description of FIG. 5 to 7 it should be noted that identical elements in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals and that a repetition of the description of these identical elements is dispensed with.
FIG. 5 to 7 show in each case a position sensor 100, which, by means of a scale 110 with a mechanical period lPER, registers a relative linear displacement 120 of the scale 110 in relation to the position sensor 100 or a displacement of the position sensor 100 in relation to the scale 110. In the case of FIG. 5 the position sensor is connected directly to an evaluation unit 130, the position sensor 100 being connected to the evaluation unit 130 via four transmission lines 140a, 140b, 140c and 140d in order to transmit the sensor signal Usin and the sensor signal Ucos differentially to the evaluation unit 130.
To reduce the transmission errors arising during the transmission from the position sensor 100 to the evaluation unit 130 due to the length of the transmission lines 140a–140d, in the solution for transmitting the sensor signals which is shown in FIG. 6 analog line drivers 150a and 150b, which are connected to the sensor 100 over lines 155a, 155b, 155c and 155d and which guarantee a better transmission through amplification or preparation of the sensor signals Usin and Ucos, are inserted in front of the transmission lines 140a–140d.
The solution for transmitting the sensor signals of the position sensor 100 to the evaluation unit 130 shown in FIG. 7 increases the reliability of the transmission of these signals by preparing or digitalizing them before transmitting them to the evaluation unit 130. Digitalization is achieved by means of an analog/digital converter 160 connected to the position sensor 100 and which receives the analog sensor signals Usin and Ucos, which are fed in differentially, digitalizes them, amplifies them in digitalized form by means of line drivers 160a and 160b at an output stage of the converter and sends them, in their digitalized and amplified form, to the evaluation unit 130 on transmission lines 170a and 170b. In contrast to the transmissions according to FIGS. 5 and 6, the sensor signals Usin and Ucos are already digitalized in the immediate vicinity of the position sensor 100 by the analog/digital converter 160 rather than later in the evaluation unit 130. The digital evaluation unit 130 can perform the previously mentioned calculation of the arc tangent on the basis of the digital sensor signals.
The evaluation of the sensor signals Usin and Ucos is substantially independent of the variation of the excitation voltage U0, which means that the interference which occurs equally on both signals or on both line pairs 140a, 140b or 140c and 140d or on both lines 170a and 170b, has almost no effect on the evaluation result. Interference which is superimposed on only one of the two sensor signals Usin and Ucos, on the other hand, directly affects the measurement result. To achieve the best possible result it is therefore desirable to use the smallest possible mechanical period lPER so that the quotient of the sensor signals Usin and Ucos has to be determined only very imprecisely and only a few points of a period have to be evaluated at a certain resolution, thus minimizing the effect of unsymmetrical interference on the evaluation. An extreme case is that where the zero transitions and the maxima of both signals are sampled. In the digital representation of the sensor signals with one bit each the result is the increment signal which is common in industrial control engineering.
However, some problems stand in the way of achieving the smallest possible mechanical period in order to counteract asymmetrical interference with the in-quadrature signals. In the first place, mechanical and manufacturing problems mean that it is not always possible to make the scales sufficiently small, to attach them or to read them. Secondly, the frequency of the sensor signals of the position sensor 100 becomes very high at high rotational or translational velocities. In FIG. 4, in which exemplary sensor signals Ucos and Usin are shown as a function of time t for the case of a constant rotational or translational motion, the sampling time Δt between two samplings in the evaluation unit is also shown. As far as the maximum translational or rotational velocity is concerned, the evaluability of the sensor signals Ucos and Usin is therefore restricted by the bandwidth and the sampling speed Δt of the evaluation electronics or the evaluation unit, so that e.g. Δt ≦½lPER/v must hold true. A lower bound for the mechanical period also arises from the fact that higher frequency signals in the region of several megaherz can no longer be transmitted with little loss in the transmission lines. In addition to the interference from outside there is now also distortion of the signals due to line losses.
Taking into account the bandwidth and the sampling speed of the evaluation electronics as well as the transmission losses of the sensor signals, for any particular application characterized by a certain desired resolution of αDIG, the maximum actual translational or rotational velocity, the length of the transmission path over which the sensor signals must be transmitted to the evaluation unit, and the amount of interference incident along the transmission path, there is for the position sensor a mechanical period which generates sensor signals which can be transmitted and evaluated optimally. This mechanical period will be described as the electrically optimal period in what follows.
On the other hand, however, there exists a mechanical period which would be optimal as regards manufacture, attachment and readability from the mechanical point of view, and which is usually greater than the electrically optimal period and which will be called the mechanically optimal period in what follows. At high translational velocities it is, however, equally possible that the sensor is moved very quickly and that the optimal mechanical period from the mechanical viewpoint is smaller than the electrically optimal period.
Deviations of the mechanically optimal period from the electrically optimal period occur primarily when a position sensor of an existing machine control system is replaced. If, for example, a sensor of greater accuracy or of higher resolution and which operates according to a different principle is installed in an existing machine control system, the period of the output signal changes as well and is no longer optimally adjusted.
DE 19815438A1 relates to a position measurement device and a method for operating a position measurement device. In particular the use of a signal period variation unit is described which is connected between a position measurement device and an evaluation unit in order to increase the signal frequencies of periodically modulated analog increment signals from the position device or to virtually decrease the geometric period. One embodiment of the signal period variation unit consists of two interpolation devices, which receive the analog increment signals output by the position device and which are out of phase by 90° and which produce digital words which indicate a position value, a conversion table which, via the digital words or the position value, accesses a number of conversion tables in which each position value among the digital words is assigned a particular modified position value so that the result is always a sine- or cosine-shaped signal profile with increased signal period, and two D/A converters, which generate quasi-analog sine- and cosine-shaped increment signals from the table entries which are read out and passes them on to the evaluation unit. In another embodiment, instead of there being two digital words indicating the instantaneous position value, an interpolation unit and a direction recognition unit generate a pulsed digital signal and a direction-indicating direction signal from the analog signals. These signals are fed into an address counter unit 24 which, depending on the desired signal period variation factor, advances by a predetermined number of entries in a conversion table 21A and a conversion table 21B using an address pointer 34A or 34B, the conversion tables storing in digital form signal amplitude values of a sine or cosine function. By increasing the step size when advancing within the tables 21A and 21B the simulated signal period can be adjusted step by step.
EP 0463561B1 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,355 describe a signal processing method and a signal processing device and also a system, such as e.g. a displacement detection device in which they are used. From the sine and cosine signals S1 and C1 of a displacement detection device and with the aid of adders, multipliers etc., i.e. using analog circuitry, sine and cosine signals are generated whose signal frequency is a whole number of times greater. The circuit for frequency doubling is incorporated in a processing circuit which, on its input side, doubles the frequency of the sine and cosine signals, which are 90° out of phase, and then converts them by zero transition analysis into division pulses whose number corresponds to the distance between an optical system 101, 102, 104–107 and a diffraction grating 103.
JP 02099826A describes a device for processing a signal of an encoder wherein detection signals with phases from 0 to 90 degrees emitted by detectors are first converted into pulse signals and are then converted into binary code signals in an incremental/decremental counter. By extracting binary code signals of optional weighting in data selection units, pulse signals a and b are obtained which correspond to different frequency divisions of the detection signals. In particular the pulse frequency of the signal a obtained by extracting the slower changing binary code signals is a factor 2 smaller than that of signal b obtained from the binary code signals changing with higher frequency, the lowest valued of these changing with the same frequency as the signal b. A pulse signal c which is phase-shifted by 90° relative to the pulse signal b and which has the same, i.e. halved, frequency as the signal a, is obtained by XORing of the signals a and b. The signals a and c thus generated ensure high precision even when a control circuit with low signal processing speed is employed.

Method and device for preparing a sensor signal of a position sensor for transmission to an evaluation unit

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.v.


A messaging device for receiving a plurality of messages that have a relevancy status includes a selective call receiver (22) for receiving the plurality of messages, the relevancy status, and updates to the relevancy status, a memory (30) for storing at least a portion of the plurality of messages and the updates to the relevancy status and a processor (24, 40 and 28) for processing the portion of the plurality of messages that have received updates to the relevancy status. The relevancy status is ideally a location identifier and could additionally include a valid time indication.

Information services can be temporal as well as spatial in nature. Sending information about highway traffic for example is relevant to a pager user only if the user is in or near the market where the traffic problem exists and if the message is read within several hours of the report of the traffic problem. For instance, if the pager receives the message "635 backed up to stadium" while in Dallas and then the user arrives in Denver, the user reading this information would not obtain any value from this message. Likewise, if the user receives the same message, but reads the message 5 hours later, the message would be of little value and occupy memory space that could be used for other more pertinent messages. A pager that accounts for the temporal nature of messages is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,225,826, assigned to Motorola, Inc. and entitled "Variable Status Receiver", this patent hereby incorporated by reference. Thus, a need exists for an intelligent messaging device that is able to distinguish messages that are solely spatially sensitive or both time and space sensitive and that further logically processes such messages in accordance with the actions of the user.


A multi-axis prestressed double-tee beam and method for construction the same is provided, the prestressed double-tee beam includes a cantilever type and a simple-support type, the cantilever type is composed of a pair of laterally combined steel skeletons and each includes a flat elongate erect web having straight upper edge and a bowed lower edge, a pair of upward sloped upper flanges extended along the length of the web, an elongate groove of U-shaped section centrally extended between the upper flanges, a single lower flange extended along the length of the lower edge of the web, a bottom engageable with the lower end of the combined steel skeletons, a plurality of wedges inserted into the groove and a plurality of triangular reinforcement of different size spacedly secured to the lateral sides of the webs abutting the upper flanges, the simple-support type is mostly similar to the cantilever type except a slightly upward arcuate rectangular cross-section and equal sized triangular reinforcements, besides it forms no elongate groove. Nevertheless, both of them provide multi-axis prestresses.

The present invention relates to prestressed beams and more particularly to a novel structure of a multi-axis prestressed double-tee beam and method for construction which includes a cantilever type and a simple-support type and exerts multi-directional prestresses from along a longitudinal, horizontal and vertical orientations.
To construct a bridge is to build up piers of predetermined span at first and then is to prepare the beams which build over the piers therebetween. Finally, the concrete slab is paved on the beams to carry the traffic load. FIG. 1 shows a cantilever beam, at two ends of which the deflection is normally greater than that at middle portion of the beam. FIG. 2 shows a simple-support beam which is contrary to the cantilever beam because the deflection at middle portion of which is greater than that at two ends and the deflection will become more greater upon the increasing of the traffic load. However, if a multi-axis prestressed beam is provided on the bridge, the above deflections will be obviated or offset. Furthermore, the multi-axis prestressed beam is possible to elongate span of the bridge to obtain economical construction of a bridge.

Multi-axis prestressed double-tee beam and method of construction

Chinese Military Academy 830 R.O.C. Feng - Shan


Camera field of view visualizers differentially illuminate objects visible within and without a camera lens focal area, and also supporting surfaces located outside of but relative to the focal area wherein objects located thereon are visible within the focal area, relative to different supporting surfaces that are also located outside of the focal area but relative to the focal area wherein objects located thereon are not visible within the focal area. At an end of an illumination time period an amount or type of illumination that is visible within image information acquired from objects illuminated thereby within the focal area is reduced or revised for an image data acquisition time period so that it is not visible within image information acquired by an image data receiving means, and image information is captured via the image data receiving means from objects that are located within the focal area.

A camera recording video or still images commonly focuses upon only a portion of a given area of an entire, 360 degree span of visual scene information present in the physical world encompassing the camera. Field of view and "angle of view" (AOV) are terms commonly used to describe an angular extent of a given subset scene of an entirety of a surrounding scene from which image data is captured by a given camera as a function of its lensing system and its image data acquisition system.
Angles of view may vary widely between different cameras due to differences in deployed lens systems and imaging system attributes. For example, arrays of digital sensors are usually smaller than 35 mm film, and this causes a lens to have a narrower angle of view than with 35 mm film, by a constant factor for each sensor. Accordingly, gauging or estimating the angle of view for a given camera is generally impractical without engaging and using a viewfinder of the camera, for example by directly looking into a viewfinder or by viewing streaming data provided by the camera on a video monitor or other graphic display device.

International Business Machines Corporation


A modular laser-based surveying system is disclosed which comprises a laser-based distance measuring module and a separable compass module removably coupled to the laser based distance measuring module. Each of these modules may be operated as stand alone units as each has its own power supply and display. The system further may comprise a separate angle encoder module adapted to be coupled to either the laser distance measuring module or the compass module and a data logger or computer for processing data transmitted from any or all of the modules.

1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates generally to the field of surveying equipment and more particularly to a laser based distance measuring system.
2. Description of the Related Art:
A conventional laser based surveying apparatus developed and currently marketed by Laser Technologies, Inc. of Englewood, Colo. is the Criterion.TM. series of surveying instruments. The Criterion.TM. instrument includes, in one housing, a laser transmitter and receiver, a microprocessor, a numeric keypad for data entry and instrument control commands, an internal flux gate compass for bearing/azimuth measurement, a tilt angle sensor for inclination measurements, an aiming or spotting telescope mounted on the housing, a data collector, and serial port for data transfer. This instrument measures and computes heights, horizontal distances, vertical distances, slope distances, inclinations, coordinates, bearings or azimuths, and multiple point traverse survey data. The instrument may also be coupled to a global positioning system (GPS) receiver to pinpoint the location from which measurements are being taken.
The Criterion.TM. instrument utilizes an external battery pack which typically may be worn on the user's belt or back. The battery pack preferably should be kept at least 12 inches away from the instrument itself to prevent magnetic interference from the battery pack from distorting the internal flux gate compass sensor readings. In addition, the internal location of the compass in the Criterion had to be chosen to be as remote as possible from the unit's circuit boards to minimize the effect of internal circulating electrical currents during system operation on the readings from the flux gate compass.
Conventional laser based survey instruments such as the Criterion, which has an internally mounted flux gate compass, are limited in the inclinations for which azimuth readings may accurately be made. This is because the flux gate compass must be held within .+-.15 degrees of level in order to generate an accurate azimuth signal. This .+-.15 degree requirement is imposed because the core of the compass is a floating ring which must remain fairly level, i.e., within the 15 degree range. In addition, accuracy decreases as one approaches this 15 degree limit. Thus, for most accurate readings, the Criterion instrument must be held as horizontal as possible.
However, many measurement situations arise where the inclination is greater than 15 degrees. In these cases, two separate measurements must be taken, one horizontally for azimuth, and then the instrument repositioned, for inclination or slope distance measurement. Repositioning often leads to variation in the resultant readings because of the separate measurements required and the opportunity to introduce errors.
Another conventional surveying system is marketed by MDL Technologies L.L.C. This system consists of a laser rangefinder with a built in inclinometer and flux gate compass mounted on a conventional hard hat worn by construction workers. The laser rangefinder, flux gate compass, and inclinometer are all referenced to a common axis of alignment. The hard hat wearer looks toward the target and actuates a hand held trigger to take a measurement which is then fed to a hand held data recorder. This arrangement suffers from a similar limitation to that of the Criterion instrument in that accurate compass readings can only be taken when the apparatus is substantially level because of the floating core of the flux gate compass.
Therefore there is a need for a survey apparatus which permits the compass or angle sensor to be positioned independently of the laser based distance measuring instrument, yet retain the real time interconnection between the instrument and the compass and permit simultaneous inclination and azimuth readings at any inclination angle. There is also a need for a system configuration which allows the compass to be physically coupled to or decoupled from the laser based distance measuring apparatus to permit compass operation free from the effects of internally generated circulating electrical currents in the laser-based distance measuring device.
There is also a need for a surveying system that can be uniquely configured for the particular survey tasks at hand. For example, a very precise and expensive laser distance measuring device that has one centimeter resolution at 100 meters is clearly not needed for measurements involving distances more than 1000 meters. Similarly, measurements that do not need relative azimuth angle accuracies do not require the use of a measuring instrument which includes an angle encoder. Similarly, where exact GPS location determinations are not needed in addition to range and inclination, it should not be necessary to provide a GPS receiver. However, when the measuring requirements change, it is therefore desirable to provide the capability to rapidly and conveniently to change the configuration of compass, data logger, and/or laser-based distance measuring apparatus, without having to buy an entirely new system. In addition, there are many situations that may occur which do not require all of these features. Accordingly there is a need for a relatively low cost precision modular surveying measurement system that can be configured in a variety of ways depending on the current surveying requirements and one in which the configuration may be readily changed by combining, adding or removing modules.


A signal waveform analyzing device includes an extracting unit that extracts, from waveform information indicating temporal variation in signal level of a component of an electronic circuit, a signal level that satisfies a condition for a phenomenon to be observed, and outputs extracted signal level as an extraction result.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for analyzing signal levels of components of an electronic circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 9 is a schematic for explaining an example of a conventional method of verifying a design of an electronic circuit. The verification method is one of simple methods in which a simulation model 103 is created of a circuit that is to be verified. The simulation model 103 alone is incapable of verification, and therefore, a test bench 104 is created to input a test pattern 102 thereto. Then, the simulation model 103 is incorporated into the test bench 104. The test pattern 102 is added to the simulation model 103, and simulation is performed. A plurality of simulators that performs the simulation has a function of recording the signal level of wiring in the simulation model during the simulation, which enables to acquire waveform information 101 at the time of the simulation. The waveform information 101 records signal-level values at respective time points of the simulation. Although the waveform information 101 is acquired through the simulation in the above description, it is possible to acquire the waveform information 101 from actual equipment by using an analyzer such as a logic analyzer. A designer debugs by displaying as signal waveform the waveform information 101 acquired during the simulation or through the analyzer on a display device.
FIG. 10 is a schematic for explaining another example of a conventional method of verifying a design of an electronic circuit. The verification method is more efficient than the verification method illustrated in FIG. 9. As shown in FIG. 10, a result-dump unit 203 is incorporated in a test bench 204. When simulation is performed after a test pattern 202 is added to the test bench 204, the result-dump unit 203 extracts necessary information from information acquired during the simulation and outputs a dump result 205. A result-dump step 201 is incorporated in the test pattern 202 as required so that the result-dump unit 203 can function. The dump result 205 and a predetermined expected value 206 are compared in a comparing unit 207 to check whether the simulation model 103 operates as expected. This eliminates the need to display a signal to be observed as waveform and check the waveform visually, and enables more efficient verification. The simulation model 103, which is the object of verification, is the same as that shown in FIG. 9.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H6-58968 discloses a method in which an expected value is prepared for waveform information, so that acquired waveform information is compared with the expected value according to comparison rules. The display method is changed depending on whether the waveform information and the expected value match. Thus, a difference in waveforms can be easily recognized.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-266121 discloses a method in which waveform information and the expected value of the waveform information are compared and only dissimilar parts are displayed. Accordingly, it can be checked whether the waveform information and the expected value match in a short period of time.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H9-16652 discloses a method in which an expected value of a simulation result is generated by a computer program for use in comparison.
However, according to the conventional method shown in FIG. 9, the acquired waveform information is checked visually, which affects work efficiency, and may cause human error of overlooking a mistake.
According to the conventional method shown in FIG. 10, the result-dump unit needs to be incorporated in the test bench, and sometime, the result-dump step needs to be incorporated in the test pattern. If the information to be checked is found at a later stage, simulation is performed again after addition of the result-dump unit and the result-dump step. Generally, simulation requires considerable amount of time, and if the simulation is performed again, development schedule is extended.
According to the conventional methods disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. H6-58968 and H5-266121, the expected value is necessary for the entire simulation time of a signal that is to be verified. Consequently, considerable time is required to prepare the expected value. Further, there is a time period in which the waveform information has no effect on demand function, and naturally, there is no need to verify operation during the time period. It is difficult to identify the time period to create the expected value. According to the conventional method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H9-16652, the expected value is created by a computer program. However, as in the above conventional methods, it is problematic to create the expected value during the time period.


A support arrangement for supporting a workpiece at a processing device during processing of the workpiece. The support arrangement comprises:                a fixating means adapted to arrange an abutment surface of the support arrangement in contact with one side of the workpiece when another opposite side of the workpiece abuts one or more fences of the processing device, a locking means adapted to lock the fixating means in a contact position where abutment surface of the support arrangement abuts the one side of the workpiece when another opposite side of the workpiece abuts the one or more fences of the processing device, and        a connecting means adapted to connect the support arrangement with the processing device.

When processing workpieces of various material it is important that the workpieces are reliably fixated and positioned in a processing device. For instance, to achieve a satisfactory result for a sawing process, e.g. planks with a high dimensional accuracy it is important that the workpiece is reliably fixated during the sawing process.
In addition, workpieces like timber logs are heavy and could otherwise give rise to as well injuries of operating persons and damages on the processing devices, e.g. different types of saws. In addition, if the workpiece is not reliably fixated, it may also achieve that the processing device hurts the operator. With known fixating arrangements, there is a problem to reliably fixate both larger and smaller workpieces.
A further problem is to find a convenient solution which minimises risk for damaging processing devices, workpieces and injuring persons.

Support arrangement for supporting a workpiece

Abstract: The support arrangement may be applied e.g. at saw devices for fixating a log to be sawn, in order to achieve a satisfactory result for a sawing process, e.g. planks with a high dimensional accuracy it is important that the workpiece is reliably fixated during the sawing process.


A machine (20) for rolling power transmission formations in a workpiece includes a base (20) having a lower end (24) for providing support thereof in an upwardly standing orientation. The base (22) includes a pair of spaced base portions (30) and a rear connecting base portion (32). The spaced base portions (30) project forwardly from the rear connecting base portion (32) to define a vertically extending workspace (34) and are secured to each other and to the rear connecting base portion by tie rod assemblies (38, 40, 42). Headstock and tailstock spindle supports (48,52) cooperate to rotatably mount the workpiece about a rotational axis (A) of the machine. A pair of vertically movable slides (66) respectively mount a pair of forming racks (68) and are respectively mounted by the spaced base portions (30) on opposite sides of the rotational axis (A) about which the workpiece is rotatably supported such that the forming racks oppose each other and roll power transmission formations in the workpiece during vertical movement in opposite directions.

Power transmission formations such as splines or threads, etc. are rolled in workpieces by machines including a pair of spaced slides that respectively support a pair of forming racks. The forming racks utilized have oppositely facing toothed forming faces located on opposite sides of the workpiece initially in an end-to-end relationship. Hydraulic actuation of the slides moves the forming racks so that toothed forming faces engage the workpiece at diametrically opposite locations to roll the power transmission formations by plastic deformation. Such hydraulic actuation requires that there be continuous operation of a hydraulic pump since it is not practical to cyclically start and fully stop the pump for each workpiece roll forming cycle. Such continuous pump operation thus consumes energy that increases the cost of the resultant product.
Prior art hydraulically actuated machines are disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 3,793,866 Anderson, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,236 Jungesjo; U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,466 Jungesjo; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,519,231 Roth. These prior art machines have the rack slides thereof movable horizontally above and below the workpiece such that the rack movement is in a horizontal direction.

Machine base for supporting vertical movement of forming racks for rolling power transmission formations


An imaging device includes an image sensing circuitry configured to receive image signals from pixels, to convert the received image signals into image data, and to output the image data. The imaging device includes a digital processing circuitry configured to process image data in synchronization with a digital clock. The digital processing circuitry includes a digital clock generator configured to generate the digital clock. The digital clock generator is configured to scatter the digital clock, in response to the image sensing circuitry converting the image signals into the image data.

Example embodiments of the present inventive concepts relate to imaging devices and methods of operating the same.
Generally, an image sensor may capture a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image of an object. An image sensor may generate an image of an object using a photoelectric conversion device responding to intensity of light reflected from the object. Recently, an image sensor using a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) has been widely used. A general image sensor may, however, cause pixel noise caused by influence of power fluctuations.

Imaging device and method of operating the same


A p16 protein variant; a polynucleotide encoding the p16 protein variant; a method for preparing the p16 protein variant; a pharmaceutical composition comprising the p16 protein variant; a method for preventing and/or treating cancer comprising administering the p16 protein variant to a subject; and use of the p16 protein variant in the prophylaxis and/or therapy of cancer.

1. Field
Provided is a p16 protein variant; a polynucleotide encoding the p16 protein variant; a method for preparing the p16 protein variant; a pharmaceutical composition comprising the p16 protein variant; and a method for preventing and/or treating cancer comprising administering the p16 protein variant to a subject.
2. Description of the Related Art
p16INK4a (hereinafter abbreviated as "p16") plays an important role in cell cycle regulation by decelerating the cell-cycle progression from the gap one phase (G1) to the DNA synthesis (S) phase (i.e., G1→S), a major check point (restriction point) responsible for the division of both normal and cancer cells. More specifically, p16 protein binds to cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (Cdk4/6) to arrest cell proliferation (see, FIG. 1).
When p16 protein binds to Cdk4/6, the cell cycle progression from G1 phase to S phase (G1→S) is restricted, which, in turn, prohibits the subsequent events for cancer development including DNA synthesis in S phase and infinite cell division. Therefore, p16 protein can be effectively used as a tumor suppressor.
For cancer therapy using p16, delivery into cancer cells requires modification to provide a recombinant p16 with improved cell membrane permeability. However, human p16 protein is difficult to produce on a mass scale in E. coli because it is expressed as an insoluble form in E. coli. Solubility of p16 may be increased by fusion with GST. However recombinant GST-p16, although expressed and/or isolated, becomes unstable and undergoes precipitation (Byeon, I. J. et al., 1998. Mol. Cell 421-431).
Thus, there is a need for a p16 protein variant with improved solubility that retains affinity for Cdk4/6, to provide for the effective application of p16 in cancer therapy.

p16 protein variant and use thereof for preventing or treating cancer


Disclosed herein are novel proteins that have reduced binding to the interleukin-7 receptor, compositions containing such proteins, and methods of using the same.

Stem cell transplantation (SCT), with adult stem cells, is currently performed to rescue bone marrow cells destroyed by high doses of radiation or chemotherapy used to kill cancer cells. The problem is that many SCTs are unsuccessful, particularly allogeneic SCT in which matched donor stem cells are required. SCT patients can suffer from severe immunodeficiencies due to poor immune reconstitution, leading to infections, relapse of the original cancer or secondary cancers. The development of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), in which donor lymphocytes attack the recipient's organs, also impedes recovery.
Effective agents to promote post-transplant immune reconstitution and prevent the resurgence of cancer are needed. To this end, cytokines are attractive candidates. The cytokine, Interleukin-7 (IL-7), has potent proliferative capacity. Recent phase 1 clinical trials reported that minimal toxicity was incurred with IL-7 treatment. IL-7, originally described in 1988 as a growth factor for immature B cells (Namen et al., 1988), has emerged as an important regulator of T-cell development (von Freeden-Jeffry et al., 1995) as well as for homeostasis of peripheral T-cells and maintenance of long-term memory T-cells (Schluns et al., 2000; Kieper et al., 2002).
IL-7 is a 25 kDa protein that was discovered as the product of a thymic stromal cell line (Sakata et al., 1990). IL-7 is not produced by lymphocytes and, although IL-7 mRNA has been detected in lymph nodes (Link et al., 2007), the protein itself has not been found in any secondary lymphoid organs. Circulating serum levels of IL-7 in normal individuals are very low (0.3-8.4 pg/mL) (Fry et al., 2001). Originally thought to be constitutively produced, IL-7 production by non-lymphoid cells can be induced upon infection. In response to engagement of Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling, liver hepatocytes produced IL-7 (Sawa et al., 2009), while the presence of IFN-γ and commensal microflora promoted the production of IL-7 in the intestines (Shalapour et al., 2010). High circulating amounts of IL-7 are not naturally occurring in healthy individuals.
The receptor for IL-7 (IL-7R), expressed by lymphocytes, consists of the IL-7Rα chain and the common cytokine γ chain (γc) (Kovanen and Leonard, 2004). Upon binding of IL-7, the two receptor chains heterodimerize and initiate a series of signaling events mediated through receptor-associated kinases, JAK1/JAK3, which phosphorylate and activate STAT5 (reviewed in (Kittipatarin and Khaled, 2007)). Hence, unlike other cytokines, such as IL-2 or IL-15, where receptor binding affinity regulates activity, it is the amount of IL-7 available to engage the IL-7R that determines the strength of the IL-7 signal transduced. For this reason, over expression of IL-7, as has been achieved with IL-7 transgenic mice, results in severe immune proliferative disorders that cause lymphoma development (Rich et al., 1993; Yamanaka et al., 2006).
What is needed in the art are compositions and methods for increasing growth, survival, and immune response of cells in subjects in need thereof. What is needed are compositions and methods comprising IL-7 that provide beneficial outcomes without severe side effects from increased levels of IL-7.

Compositions comprising IL-7 receptor ligands

University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc.