A neutron source detector is provided for detecting and determining an energy spectrum of a neutron source and a direction to the neutron source. The neutron source detector includes a detection system configured to detect and record the location and energy of interaction between a detector and a recoil proton produced by a scattering of a neutron emitted by the neutron source. A processor is configured to determine the energy of each of a plurality of recoil protons produced by respective scatterings of a neutron based on the recorded locations and energies of interactions of the recoil protons and determine and order scatter locations of the scattered neutron based on the determined energies of the recoil protons. A direction of the scattered neutron is determined based on the order of the scatter locations. The direction to the neutron source is determined based on the determined directions of a plurality of scattered neutrons, and the energy spectrum of the neutron source is determined based on the determined direction to the neutron source, the determined directions of the plurality of scattered neutrons, and the determined energies of the plurality of recoil protons produced by the respective plurality of scattered neutrons.

Radiation detection technology plays a significant role in health and safety applications. These applications include diagnostic systems used for medical imaging or non-destructive testing. Safety applications include systems used for mapping hot spots after nuclear accidents and for monitoring leakage of radioactive waste during storage or transportation. As the amount and availability of nuclear material increases throughout the world, the need to detect and identify dirty bombs and nuclear weapons places greater demands on the development of radiation detection technology.
The materials used in radiological weapons, such as dirty bombs, emit a significant number of gamma rays. Special nuclear materials, such as those defined by Title I of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, emit very few gamma rays but could emit significantly more neutrons. Both gamma rays and neutrons have typical mean free distances in air on the order of 100 meters and therefore the sources of gamma rays and neutrons are detectable from a distance. However, conventional detection systems incorporate designs that focus on the detection of either gamma rays or neutrons but are not capable of detecting both types of radiation efficiently.


A storage system architecture comprises one or more volumes distributed across the plurality of nodes interconnected as a cluster. The volumes are organized as a striped volume set (SVS) and configured to store content of data containers served by the cluster in response to data access requests issued by clients. The content of each data container is apportioned among the volumes of the SVS to thereby improve efficiency and storage service provided by the cluster. Each data container is implemented on each of the volumes of the SVS as a sparse data container which stores data amongst sections of sparseness within the data container.

A storage system typically comprises one or more storage devices into which information may be entered, and from which information may be obtained, as desired. The storage system includes a storage operating system that functionally organizes the system by, inter alia, invoking storage operations in support of a storage service implemented by the system. The storage system may be implemented in accordance with a variety of storage architectures including, but not limited to, a network-attached storage environment, a storage area network and a disk assembly directly attached to a client or host computer. The storage devices are typically disk drives organized as a disk array, wherein the term "disk" commonly describes a self-contained rotating magnetic media storage device. The term disk in this context is synonymous with hard disk drive (HDD) or direct access storage device (DASD).
The storage operating system of the storage system may implement a high-level module, such as a file system, to logically organize the information stored on volumes as a hierarchical structure of data containers, such as files and logical units. For example, each "on-disk" file may be implemented as set of data structures, i.e., disk blocks, configured to store information, such as the actual data for the file. These data blocks are organized within a volume block number (vbn) space that is maintained by the file system. The file system may also assign each data block in the file a corresponding "file offset" or file block number (fbn). The file system typically assigns sequences of fbns on a per-file basis, whereas vbns are assigned over a larger volume address space. The file system organizes the data blocks within the vbn space as a "logical volume"; each logical volume may be, although is not necessarily, associated with its own file system.
A known type of file system is a write-anywhere file system that does not overwrite data on disks. If a data block is retrieved (read) from disk into a memory of the storage system and "dirtied" (i.e., updated or modified) with new data, the data block is thereafter stored (written) to a new location on disk to optimize write performance. A write-anywhere file system may initially assume an optimal layout such that the data is substantially contiguously arranged on disks. The optimal disk layout results in efficient access operations, particularly for sequential read operations, directed to the disks. An example of a write-anywhere file system that is configured to operate on a storage system is the Write Anywhere File Layout (WAFL®) file system available from Network Appliance, Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif.
The storage system may be further configured to operate according to a client/server model of information delivery to thereby allow many clients to access data containers stored on the system. In this model, the client may comprise an application, such as a database application, executing on a computer that "connects" to the storage system over a computer network, such as a point-to-point link, shared local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), or virtual private network (VPN) implemented over a public network such as the Internet. Each client may request the services of the storage system by issuing file-based and block-based protocol messages (in the form of packets) to the system over the network.
A plurality of storage systems may be interconnected to provide a storage system environment configured to service many clients. Each storage system may be configured to service one or more volumes, wherein each volume stores one or more data containers. Yet often a large number of data access requests issued by the clients may be directed to a small number of data containers serviced by a particular storage system of the environment. A solution to such a problem is to distribute the volumes serviced by the particular storage system among all of the storage systems of the environment. This, in turn, distributes the data access requests, along with the processing resources needed to service such requests, among all of the storage systems, thereby reducing the individual processing load on each storage system. However, a noted disadvantage arises when only a single data container, such as a file, is heavily accessed by clients of the storage system environment. As a result, the storage system attempting to service the requests directed to that data container may exceed its processing resources and become overburdened, with a concomitant degradation of speed and performance.
One technique for overcoming the disadvantages of having a single data container that is heavily utilized is to stripe the data container across a plurality of volumes configured as a striped volume set (SVS), where each volume is serviced by a different storage system, thereby distributing the load for the single data container among a plurality of storage systems. In a striped file system utilizing a SVS, a conventional technique for striping data across the constituent volumes is to utilize dense data containers, i.e., data is stored from offset zero through the end of the data container with no regions of the data container that lack storage. In such a dense data container, the first stripe of data in a first volume of the SVS is stored at offset zero within the data container. Assuming that the data container is sufficiently large so as to "wrap around" all of the volumes in the SVS, the next stripe of data that is stored on the same first volume is stored at an offset equal to the size of each stripe.
For example, assume a SVS contains data striped across three volumes with the stripe size equal to 1 MB. A 5 MB dense data container, such as a file, is stored on the SVS with a first stripe at offset zero of a first volume, a second stripe at offset zero of a second volume and a third stripe at offset zero of a third volume. Similarly, a fourth stripe is stored at offset 1 MB on the first volume and a final stripe is stored at offset 1 MB of the second volume. In order to efficiently access a particular stripe of data, the file system must be able to quickly calculate the appropriate offset based upon striping rules and stripe size. While this offset calculation typically may be made in constant time, the constant time may be significant if a complex striping algorithm is utilized, thereby increasing the latency in serving data. Furthermore, in such a dense file, there exists a possibility that the metadata identifying the striping algorithm and/or stripe size may be damaged and/or corrupted. In such a situation, determining the order of stripes of data within the SVS may be impossible, thereby resulting in data loss.
Additionally, should the data within the SVS need to be re-striped due to, for example, the addition of a volume to the SVS, the calculations required to safely re-stripe a densely stored file may be substantial. Such a re-striping operation may require relocation of significant portions of the data, which may consume a considerable amount of time. Re-striping may also require multiple copy operations to relocate each stripe to the proper location, which increases the time required to perform the re-striping operation.

System and method for utilizing sparse data containers in a striped volume set


There is disclosed a semiconductor memory test apparatus capable of easily generating an address to be input into a failure analysis memory for testing a memory device having a burst function which automatically generates addresses for banks therein. Each of registers corresponding to the banks of the memory device holds a line address of the corresponding bank. When a start address of one of the banks is input to the memory device, a line address of the same bank as the start address is read out from the register corresponding to the bank and output to a failure analysis memory together with the start address. Furthermore, during burst operation of the bank, the registers output the line address to the failure analysis memory together the same line address as the memory device generated by calculating the start address for each clock cycle.

A semiconductor memory test apparatus inputs a test pattern signal to a memory device, and compares a response output signal from the memory device with an expected value pattern signal. Further, it detects a mismatch of a comparison result as a failure of the memory cell, and stores failure information (fail data) in a failure analysis memory. In the failure analysis memory, the same address space as that of the memory device is set, and failure information is stored at the same address as an address of a failure cell.
Meanwhile, in recent years, in a memory device such as an SDRAM (synchronous DRAM), an increase in data read/write speed is achieved by an operation in a burst mode. In the burst mode, when only a start address (first address) is given, subsequent addresses are sequentially automatically generated.
Therefore, in a test of the memory device which operates in the burst mode, only the start address is inputted to the memory device. On the contrary, not only the start address but also addresses which are automatically generated in the memory device must be inputted to the failure analysis memory. Thus, in a conventional semiconductor memory test apparatus, there are inputted the start address as well as addresses sequentially obtained by operating the start address in the burst period. As a result, the same address space as that of the memory device as a device under test can be set in the failure analysis memory.
An address generation operation in the conventional semiconductor memory test apparatus will now be described with reference to a timing chart of FIG. 4.
FIG. 4 shows an example of a timing of address generation when testing an SDRAM which has a plurality of banks, operates with respect to row addresses in a burst mode and has burst length of "2".
(A) in FIG. 4 shows input timings of a command, an address and a bank address to a memory device under test (DUT). Furthermore, (B) in FIG. 4 shows generation timings of a row address (Row), a start column address (Col), an increment and a bank address in an address generator of a test pattern generator (ALPG). Moreover, (C) in FIG. 4 shows input timings of a row address (Row) and a column address (Col) as failure analysis addresses to a failure analysis memory (FM).
A description will now be given as to generation timings of addresses and the like in the test pattern generator indicated by (B) in FIG. 4, input timings of addresses and the like to the memory device indicated by (A) in FIG. 4, and input timings of addresses and the like to the failure analysis memory indicated by (C) in FIG. 4 in the mentioned order.
(1) Generation Timing in Test Pattern Generator
{circle around (1)} Row Address (X) and Bank Address (N)
As indicated by (B) in FIG. 4, the address generator continuously generates a bank address (RBK) and a row address (Row) after a clock cycle <1>. Here, as the bank address, "RBK (0)" specifying a 0th bank of the SDRAM is generated. Additionally, as the row address, "Row (0) 0" indicative of the 0th row of the 0th bank is generated.
{circle around (2)} Bank Address (B) and Start Column Address (Y)
Further, the address generator continuously generates a bank address (CBK) specifying a bank which stores a column address after a clock cycle <2>. Here, as the bank address, "CBK (0)" specifying the 0th bank is generated.
It is to be noted that the bank address (CBK) generated together with the start column address specifies the same bank (e.g., the 0th bank) as the bank specified by the bank address (RBK) generated together with the row address.
Furthermore, the address generator sequentially generates a start column address (Col) for each burst length in a period that the bank address "CBK (0)" is generated. Here, since the burst length is "2", every other address value is generated in accordance with each two clock cycles.
That is, as the start column address, "Col (0) 0" indicative of the 0th column (first address) of the 0th bank is generated in the cycles <2> and <3>. Subsequently, "Col (0) 2" indicative of the second column as a next first address is generated in the cycles <4> and <5>. Then, "Col (0) 4" indicative of the fourth column is generated in the cycles <6> and <7>. In this manner, the start column addresses are thereafter sequentially generated.
{circle around (3)} Increment Value (Z)
Moreover, the generated start column address is incremented in accordance with a clock cycle. Therefore, a value (Z) to be incremented is repeatedly generated in accordance with each cycle period corresponding to the burst length.
That is, "0" is generated as the increment of the first cycle <2> in the cycles <2> and <3> in which the 0th column is generated as the start column address, and "1" is generated as the increment in the next cycle <3>. Then "0" and "1" are thereafter alternately generated as the increment for each cycle since the burst length is "2" in this example.
(2) Input Timing to Memory Device
The row address, the row bank address, the column address and the column bank address together with commands are multiplexed and inputted to the SDRAM. That is, in addresses generated in the address generator, only an address generated at the time of inputting a command is effective in the SDRAM.
In the example indicated by (A) in FIG. 4, the row address and the bank address are inputted to the SDRAM together with a command "ACT" in the cycle <1>. Here, as the bank address, a bank address "RBK (0)" specifying the 0th bank is inputted. Additionally, as the row address, "Row (0) 0" indicative of the 0th row of the 0th bank is inputted.
It is to be noted that the command "ACT" instructs activation of a target bank of the SDRAM, and also instructs input of the row address to that bank.
Subsequently, in the cycle <2>, the start column address and the bank address are inputted to the SDRAM together with a command "READ". Here, as the bank address, a bank address "CBK (0)" specifying the 0th bank is inputted. Further, as the start column address, "Col (0)" indicative of the 0th column of the 0th bank is inputted.
This command "READ" instructs reading from a corresponding memory cell of the SDRAM. Therefore, in the cycle <2>, information in the memory cell at the 0th row (Row (0) 0) and the 0th column (Col (0) 0) of the 0th bank (BK (0)) is read.
It is to be noted that information is written in a corresponding memory cell when a command "WRITE" is inputted in place of the command "READ".
The SDRAM has a burst function with respect to the column-addresses. That is, in the memory device, the start column address is automatically incremented for each clock cycle, and the column address is then sequentially generated.
Therefore, in the cycle <3>, the start column address is incremented in the memory address, and a column address "Col (0) 1" indicative of the first column is generated. Accordingly, in the cycle <3>in the burst operation, information of a next cell is outputted as a response output from the memory address even if the command "READ" or the column address is not inputted.
In this conventional example, since the burst length is "2", the command "READ", the next start column address and the bank address "CBK (0)" are thereafter inputted every other cycle. That is, the even-numbered start column addresses "Col (0) 2", "Col (0) 4", "Col (0) 6", . . . are sequentially inputted in even-numbered cycles <4>, <6>, <8>, . . .
Therefore, in the odd-numbered cycles <3>, <5>, <7>, . . . , commands and the like are not inputted from the test pattern generator to the SDRAM at all.
(3) Input Timing to Failure Analysis Memory
{circle around (1)} Row Address (X) and Bank Address (N)
Therefore, in the example indicated by (C) in FIG. 4, after the cycle <1>, the bank address "RBK (0)" specifying the 0th bank and the row address "Row (0) 0" indicative of the 0th row of the 0th bank are continuously inputted. These bank address and row address are the same as those generated in the command generator.
(2) Column Address (Y+Z) and bank address (B) Furthermore, after the cycle. <2>, the bank address "CBK (0)" specifying the 0th bank is continuously inputted.
Then, in each cycle after the cycle <2>, a column address obtained by adding an increment value (Z) to the start column address (Y) generated in the address generator is inputted to the failure analysis memory. That is, in the cycles <2>, <3>, <4>, . . . , the column addresses "Col (0) 0", "Col (0) 1", "Col (0) 2", . . . are sequentially inputted. As a result, the same address space as that in the SDRAM can be set in the failure analysis memory.
After the test with respect to each memory cell in the 0th bank is completed in this manner, each memory cell in the next first bank is tested. In case of testing the first bank, the test of the same timing as that of addresses and the like in the 0th bank is carried out except that an address specifying the first bank is determined as the bank address. Thereafter, the remaining banks are likewise sequentially tested in the same manner.
Meanwhile, in the memory device, a memory area is divided into a plurality of banks, and an inter-bank interleave operation to alternately perform reading/writing with respect to these banks may be performed. Carrying out the inter-bank interleave operation can increase an access speed to the memory.
When the memory device is operated in the inter-bank interleave mode, in the memory device, a row address is given in accordance with each bank in advance by the command "ACT", and reading/writing of a cell is conducted corresponding to a column address of a specified bank together with the command "READ" or "WRITE".
However, in the failure analysis memory, fail information is stored at an address corresponding to a row address and its bank of the memory device under test when a column address and its bank are specified. Therefore, in the failure analysis memory, when the column address and the bank of that column address are specified for the memory device under test, the same bank as that bank and a row address of that bank must be simultaneously specified. In the failure analysis memory, the same address space as that in the memory device under test must be set.
Therefore, in the conventional semiconductor memory test apparatus, the memory device having the burst function is hard to generate an address which is inputted to the failure analysis memory used to test the inter-bank interleave operation.
Accordingly, in view of the above-described problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor memory test apparatus and a failure analysis address generator by which a memory device having a burst function can readily generate an address which is inputted to a failure analysis memory used to test an inter-bank interleave operation.

Semiconductor memory test apparatus and method for address generation for defect analysis


The invention relates to novel compounds of the formula (I)

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to novel 3′-alkoxyspirocyclopentyl-substituted cyclic ketoenols, to a plurality of processes for their preparation and to their use as pesticides, microbicides and/or herbicides. The invention also provides selective herbicidal compositions comprising, firstly, the 3′-alkoxyspirocyclopentyl-substituted cyclic ketoenols and, secondly, a crop plant compatibility-improving compound.
2. Description of Related Art
The present invention further relates to the boosting of the action of crop protection compositions comprising, in particular, 3′-alkoxyspirocyclopentyl-substituted tetramic and tetronic acids, through the addition of ammonium salts or phosphonium salts and optionally penetrants, to the corresponding compositions, to processes for producing them and to their application in crop protection as insecticides and/or acaricides and/or for preventing unwanted plant growth.
1-H-Arylpyrrolidinedione derivatives having herbicidal, insecticidal or acaricidal action are known: EP-A-456 063, EP-A-521 334, EP-A-613 884, EP-A-613 885, WO 95/01358, WO 98/06721, WO 98/25928, WO 99/16748, WO 99/24437, WO 01/17972, WO 05/044791 or WO 05/048710.
Also known are alkoxy-substituted spirocyclic 1H-arylpyrrolidinedione derivatives: EP-A-596 298, WO 95/26954, WO 95/20572, EP-A-0 668 267, WO 96/25395, WO 96/35664, WO 97/01535, WO 97/02243, WO 97/36868, WO 98/05638, WO 99/43649, WO 99/48869, WO 99/55673, WO 01/23354, WO 01/74770, WO 01/17972, WO 03/013249, WO 04/024688, WO 04/065366, WO 04/080962, WO 04/007448, WO 04/111042, WO 05/044796, WO 05/049569, WO 05/066125, WO 05/092897, WO 06/000355, WO 06/029799, WO 06/056281, WO 06/056282, WO 06/089633.
It is known that certain Δ3-dihydrofuran-2-one derivatives have herbicidal, insecticidal or acaricidal properties: EP-A-528 156, EP-A-647 637, WO 95/26954, WO 96/20196, WO 96/25395, WO 96/35664, WO 97/01535, WO 97/02243, WO 97/36868, WO 98/05638, WO 98/06721, WO 99/16748, WO 98/25928, WO 99/43649, WO 99/48869, WO 99/55673, WO 01/23354, WO 01/74770, WO 01/17972, WO 2004/024688, WO 2004/080962, WO 04/111042, WO 05/092897, WO 06/000355, WO 06/029799, WO 06/089633.
However, the herbicidal and/or acaricidal and/or insecticidal activity and/or the activity spectrum and/or the compatibility of the known compounds with plants, in particular with crop plants, is not always sufficient.

Abstract: in whichW, X, Y, Z, A, B, D, Q1, Q2 and G are as defined above, to a plurality of processes for their preparation and to their use as pesticides and/or herbicides and/or fungicides and also to selective herbicidal compositions comprising, firstly, the 3′-alkoxyspirocyclopentyl-substituted tetramic and tetronic acids of the formula (I) and, secondly, at least one crop plant compatibility-improving compound, and also to boosting the activity of crop protection compositions comprising active compounds from the class of the 3′-alkoxyspirocyclopentyl-substituted tetramic and tetronic acids of the formula (I) by adding ammonium salts and/or phosphonium salts or by adding ammonium salts and/or phosphonium salts and penetrants, to the corresponding compositions, to processes for their preparation and to their use in crop protection.


Disclosed is a system and method for providing low-frame rate continuous presence for all video participants to a video conference.

In today's market, the use of video services, such as video conferencing, is experiencing a dramatic increase. Since video services require a significantly larger amount of bandwidth compared to audio services, this has caused increased pressure on existing communication systems to provide the necessary bandwidth for video communications. Because of the higher bandwidth requirements of video, users are constantly looking for products and services that can provide the required video services while still providing lower costs. One way to do this is to provide solutions that reduce and/or optimize the bandwidth used by video services.

Method and system for video conference snapshot presence


A garment structure for making a base layer or midlayer jersey for sporting activities that includes a first tubular element that corresponds to both the front and the rear zone of the torso and a second tubular element that affects arms, shoulders and part of the torso in which both the first element and the second are obtained with circular machines making a knitted fabric that provides different processing that enable functional and structural features to be given to the knitted fabric and to the garment. In particular, the first tubular element has a cylindrical conformation with a lower edge that bounds the length of the jersey and an upper end divided into a pair of profiles: a first profile defined, laterally, by the line of the sides and a second profile that leads away from the line of the sides continuing the first profile with a trapezium configuration.

Today, the need to have garments with increasingly specialist performance has led research to develop manufacturing processes and methods that are increasingly high-performance and focused in order to be able to respond to the highly specific needs for versatility, comfort and freedom of movement. As is known, for sports activities and not only for sports activities, users require clothing that is able to meet well defined requirements; in fact, the garment must be easy to wear and must offer increasingly greater freedom and naturalness of movement and must not make the user feel restricted or constrained. Further, a garment must provide an excellent sensation of wellbeing when it is worn, in addition to having a pleasing, attractive and particular appearance.
Both base layer and midlayer underwear should be largely devoid of stitching, must be soft and smooth, adapt perfectly to the body like a second skin, but above all make itself invisible under the outer clothing and stitching is noticed because it is raised and is uncomfortable because it is stiffer and thicker than the rest of the fabric.
Currently, garments are made that have elastic or elasticized yarns in the weave that make the garment very flexible and extendible and the presence of stitching that joins the different parts of the garment creates zones that are less elastic, less soft and unpleasant in contact with the skin and are hardly extendible so that they constrain and limit the movements of the user.
As is known, stitching is no longer aesthetically acceptable in underwear and in sportswear, precisely because these garments are very close-fitting and are in contact with the skin and stitching causes discomfort, irritations and aesthetic blemishes, so that the emphasis is on making garments that have the smallest amount of stitching, both to improve wearability for the user and to reduce tension zones that are uncomfortable.
In addition, another aspect to consider arises from the fact that reducing stitching implies smaller garment finishing costs because reducing the processing steps considerably affects production costs apart from the smaller amount of machines with consequent lower energy costs. Another aspect of the reduction of the stitching in garments enables production to be ready immediately, with faster sampling.
As mentioned previously, users of both base layer and midlayer underwear strongly feel the need for garments that have optimum adhesion to the body and lightness, features that ensure great comfort, that are functional and ensure both professional and amateur users the greatest margins of movement and wellbeing.
In addition to what has been illustrated so far, one need that the market has made felt is that of being able to have available underwear for different sporting disciplines that are increasingly ergonomic, allowing the user to perform a series of even extreme movements in the most total comfort without any sense of constriction or limitation or weight, promoting—at the same time—perfect transpiration and heat regulation, good protection of the parts of the body with which the garment comes into contact, but also garments with a pleasing and attractive aesthetic appearance and which are above all light, soft and are certainly not bulky and voluminous.


Disclosed herein is a medical elongated body including: a first channel through which a first liquid flows; a second channel through which a second liquid different from the first liquid in liquid composition flows; a mixing section at which the first channel and the second channel join and in which the first liquid and the second liquid are mixed; a gas channel through which a gas flows; a gas mixing-in section adapted to mix the gas into at least one of the first liquid flowing through the first channel and the second liquid flowing through the second channel or into a liquid mixture formed by mixing in the mixing section; a foaming member adapted to convert the liquid containing the gas mixed therein to a foamed material to be discharged; and a discharge port through which the foamed material to be discharged is discharged.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a medical elongated body (an elongated body for medical use) which is used for discharging a foamed material to be discharged.
2. Description of Related Arts
Hitherto, there has been known a technique of mixing two kinds of in vivo injections and a gas with one another to produce a foamed material to be discharged, and administering the foamed material to be discharged into a living body (see, for example, JP-T-2003-507130 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1)). The in vivo injections used in the technique described in Patent Document 1 have a problem in that, immediately upon mixing of the injections, a polymerization reaction takes place and gelation proceeds, so that the foamed material to be discharged cannot be distributed sufficiently to a peripheral part of the living body organ which is the target of administration.
On the other hand, JP-T-2010-526914 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 2) discloses a pulmonary emphysema treating method in which a foamed therapeutic agent or sealing agent is produced from in vivo injections requiring a certain period of time until the occurrence of a polymerization reaction and is administered. This therapeutic method makes it possible to enhance the delivery properties of the foamed material to be discharged in the living body, as compared with the method disclosed in Patent Document 1. However, the operations of producing the foamed material to be discharged and administering the foamed material are troublesome, for the following reason. In the method disclosed in Patent Document 2, the foamed material to be discharged is produced by use of a plurality of in vivo injection syringes for respectively holding in vivo injections which differ in liquid composition. Utilizing the plurality of syringes, mixing of the in vivo injections and mixing of the gas are repeated, whereby the foamed material to be discharged is produced from the therapeutic agent or sealing agent and the like. Then, a predetermined quantity of the thus produced foamed material to be discharged is administered by an exclusive-use catheter device which is provided separately from the syringes.


An electric conductive fiber structure includes an electric conductive resin containing electric conductive polymer(s), the electric conductive resin being filled in gaps between single fibers included in a fiber structure, the electric conductive fiber structure having 15% or more area ratio of the electric conductive resin present in an area of 15 to 30 μm from a surface when a cross section in a thickness direction of the fiber structure is observed.

Electric conductive fibers have conventionally been known such as fiber of which surfaces coated with metals such as copper, fibers which carbon or metallic thin wires is woven in, and electric conductive fibers obtained by shaping an electric conductive polymer in string form. These electric conductive fibers are used as various types of bioelectrodes used to measure bioelectric signals such as brain waves, electrocardiograms, and electromyograms of humans and animals.
Electric conductive materials such as metals and carbon used in conventional technologies are hydrophobic and hard and thus have a problem in that they are low in adaptability to a use in contact with body surfaces of living bodies which are rich in water and flexible. When bioelectrodes are installed on a body surface, some bioelectrodes formed of a hard, hydrophobic material have difficulty in being brought into intimate contact with the body surface to obtain direct continuity, and therefore electric conductive paste (jelly) that electrically connecting the bioelectrodes and the body surface is required to be used, for example.
Textile-shaped electrodes having electric conductivity are effective as electrodes to be directly attached to body surfaces of living bodies without using any electric conductive paste or the like, and there have been various developments concerned with textile-shaped electrodes. A development is improving electric conductivity by combining a fabric electrode and a water impermeable electric conductive material to reduce the evaporation of water from the fabric electrode, for example (refer to Japanese Patent No. 4860155).
Other developments produce electric conductive polymer fibers by impregnating and/or attaching an aqueous solution of (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PEDOT-PSS) as an electric conductive polymer particularly excellent in electric conductivity and hydrophilicity as a material having good adaptability to living bodies into/to fibers and using these electric conductive polymer fibers as bioelectrodes and intracorporeal embedded type electrodes (refer to WO 2013/073673).
To create practical electrodes using a textile base, further developments are related to electrode member and a device that can maintain high electric conductivity even after repeated washing and can even be used for bioelectrodes (refer to WO 2015/115440).
However, the electrode part of the fabric electrode disclosed in JP '155 is silicone rubber blended with carbon black or silver powder as an electric conductive material and has a problem in that when it is brought into intimate contact with a body surface for a long time, swelling, rashes or the like occur in living bodies, and it cannot be worn comfortably.
The technique of WO '673 has a problem in that it is poor in practical durability such as washing durability as textile electrodes.
The technique of WO '440 does not take particle diameter of the used electric conductive polymer such as PEDOT-PSS into consideration, and PEDOT-PSS having a large particle diameter is filled in gaps between single fibers of nanofibers in a small amount and supported on the surface of single fibers in a large amount. Consequently, the technique cannot sufficiently use the characteristics of the gaps between single fibers of the nanofibers and is insufficient in practical durability such as washing durability as textile electrodes.
It could therefore be helpful to provide an electric conductive fiber structure having electric conductivity with high practical characteristics, maintains high washing durability and high electric conductivity, and can thus even be used for bioelectrodes by a combination of a fiber structure and an electric conductive resin, an electrode member, and a method of producing an electric conductive fiber structure.

Electric conductive fiber structure, electrode member, and method of producing electric conductive fiber structure


A client server system and devices thereof, which perform a distributed processing while performing access control. when a client device demands a job of the server device, the server device outputs an authentication demand message to an authentication server via a network. The authentication device performs authentication of a user taking account of an effective range of authentication information and effective dates and returns results of authentication to the server device via the network. The server device implements the demanded job in accordance with the results of authentication.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a client server system, which performs a distributed processing while performing access control, and devices thereof.
2. Background Art
Client server systems are generally utilized, in which client devices demand predetermined processings of server devices via networks to cause the server devices to implement the processings.
In the case where a client device has access to a server device to cause the same to implement a printing processing, or the like, access control by means of a password is required because cost for sheets/maintenance, or the like is generated.
For example, JP-A-2001-101054 (document 1) discloses a method of using a capability describing access authority with respect to objects such as files, or the like, in a distributed computing environment for the above access control.
When the method disclosed in the document 1 is used to deliver a capability to a third person to permit the third person to select objects, however, a client must deliver all capabilities to the third person, so that secrecy is difficult to observe.

Client server system and devices thereof


Disclosed is a baffle for a mixing region of a furnace burner box, the mixing region being a volume in the burner box defined in a transverse direction between a burner at a front portion of the burner box and an opposing a rear portion of the burner box, a longitudinal direction between opposing side surfaces of the burner box, and a height-wise direction between opposing top and bottom surfaces of the burner box, the baffle having: a first side which is a rear side, a second side which is a front side, the first side and the second side being spaced in the transverse direction, and wherein the baffle defines an indirect fluid passageway between the first side and the second side.

Exemplary embodiments pertain to the art of burner boxes within heating appliances (e.g. furnaces) and more specifically to a baffle design for a burner box.
Pre-mix burner systems in heating appliances may produce a tone at the time of ignition specifically during hot relight conditions. This may be from thermo-acoustical responses in the system due to rapid heat release in a short period of time. The noise may be generated due to a lack of up-stream (on the mixing side) impedance in the system.


An apparatus for synchronous rectifying of a soft switching power converter is provided. An integrated synchronous rectifier includes a power transistor coupled between a transformer and the output of the soft switching power converter, and a controller receiving a pulse signal to switch on/off the power transistor. A switching control circuit generates the pulse signal in response to a current signal, and generates drive signals to switch the transformer in response to a switching signal. An isolation device is coupled to transfer the pulse signal between the switching control circuit and the integrated synchronous rectifier. The switching signal is used for regulating the power converter and the current signal is correlated to the switching current of the transformer.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a power converter, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for synchronous rectifying of soft switching power converters.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 shows a circuit schematic of a soft switching power converter. It includes a transformer 10 to provide isolation from AC line input to the output of the power converter for safety. The soft switching of the power converter achieves high efficiency and low EMI (electric-magnetic interference) performance. Transistors 20 and 30 develop a half bridge circuit to switch a resonant tank and the transformer 10. The resonant tank is formed by an inductor 15 and a capacitor 40. The inductor 15 acts as a primary-side leakage inductance of the transformer 10 and/or an inductance device. The inductance L of the inductor 15 and the capacitance C of the capacitor 40 determine the resonance frequency f0.
                              f          0                =                  1                      2                        π                                                      L                ×                C                                                                        (        1        )
The transformer 10 transfers the energy from the primary side to the secondary side of the transformer 10. Rectifiers 41 and 42 rectify the switching voltage of the transformer 10 into a capacitor 65. A DC voltage VO is thus generated at the output terminal of the power converter.
The synchronous rectifier on the secondary side of the transformer is a further approach to achieve a higher efficiency power conversion, such as "Control circuit associated with saturable inductor operated as synchronous rectifier forward power converter" by Yang, U.S. Pat. No. 7,173,835. However, the disadvantage of this prior art is an additional power consumptions caused by saturable inductors, etc. The object of present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for the synchronous rectifying of soft switching power converter to achieve higher efficiency.

Method and apparatus for synchronous rectifying of soft switching power converters


A running stability control device for a vehicle having a steering device capable of steering steered vehicle wheels independently of a steering operation by a driver, estimating longitudinal forces of respective vehicle wheels, computing a yaw moment generated by a difference in the longitudinal forces of the vehicle wheels at left and right sides of the vehicle, computing a first compensation amount for a steering angle for decreasing the yaw moment, computing lateral forces generated in the steered vehicle wheels when they are steered for the first steering angle compensation amount, computing a second compensation amount for the steering angle for decreasing a sum of the lateral forces generated in the front and rear vehicle wheels when the steered vehicle wheels are steered for the first steering angle compensation amount, and computing a final steering angle for the steered vehicle wheels based upon the first and second steering angle compensation amounts.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a running stability control device for a vehicle, and more particularly to a running stability control device for a vehicle for controlling the running stability of the vehicle by controlling the steering angle of the steered vehicle wheels of the vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As a running stability control device for a vehicle such as an automobile, there is known a device to steer the steered vehicle wheels by a steering device so as to cancel the yaw moment acting at the vehicle by a difference in the braking forces applied to the left and right vehicle wheels during an anti-skid control of the vehicle equipped with the steering device by which the steering angle of the steered vehicle wheels can be changed independently of the steering operation by the driver as described, for example, in the publication of Japanese Patent No. 2540742.
By such a running stability control device, when a yaw moment is applied to the vehicle due to a difference in the braking forces of the left and right vehicle wheels during an anti-skid control, the yaw moment is cancelled by the steering of the steered vehicle wheels, so that thereby the running of the vehicle in a wrong direction is prevented, and the running stability of the vehicle is improved without sacrificing the deceleration performance or the distance traversed by the vehicle which would occur when the braking force at a vehicle wheel serving at a side of the road of a higher friction coefficient is decreased.

Running stability control device for vehicle based upon longitudinal forces of wheels


A method for the production of a filled metering pump arrangement fills a product capable of flow into a film bag, which is accommodated in a container. The film bag and the container are closed by means of a pump that can be activated manually, which blocks a fluid connection between an outlet opening and the interior of the film bag, in the unstressed state, by means of at least one kick-back valve. Furthermore, the gas situated in the film bag is removed, at least approximately completely, by having at least one feed channel remain open in the container after it has been closed by the pump. By means of the at least one feed channel, a fluid that is under pressure is introduced into the container so that the film bag is compressed in the container and as a result, the gases situated in the film bag are ejected from it through the pump and/or through a bypass channel that circumvents it.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for the production of a filled metering pump arrangement. More particularly, the method includes the steps of filling a product capable of flow into a film bag that is accommodated in a container, subsequently closing the film bag and the container by means of a pump that can be activated manually, which blocks a fluid connection between an outlet opening connected with the surroundings and the interior of the film bag, in the unstressed state, by means of at least one kick-back valve, and removing the gases situated in the film bag, at least approximately completely. Furthermore, the present invention relates to the use of such a metering pump arrangement.
2. The Prior Art
A dispensing device for fluids is known from DE 101 08 486 A1, with which liquid pharmaceuticals or cosmetics, for example, can be dispensed from a container in metered manner. The metering pump used for this purpose works without air equalization, whereby the fluid is accommodated within the container within an inner bag that is sealed relative to the surroundings, which bag collapses as it empties.
After such inner bags have been filled with fluids such as pharmaceuticals or cosmetics, residual air usually remains in the inner bag at first. However, this arrangement is undesirable for various reasons. For example, the oxygen is constantly in contact with the fluid during storage, which results in a reduction of the possible storage period or of the absence of germs in the fluid. It is true that this problem could be solved by filling the fluid container in a germ-free atmosphere or under inert gas, but because filling under such circumstances is very complicated and expensive, this method is not suitable for economically efficient production of metering pumps.
Furthermore, complete emptying of the bag is possible only if no residual air remains in the inner bag after it has been filled. The residual air in the inner container also has a disruptive effect if the dispensing device is not held straight, i.e. with the pump vertically on top, during activation. Thus, if the metering pump arrangement is not oriented completely vertically, residual air can be drawn in by the pump, and dispensed from the inner bag in place of the fluid. This requirement is particularly undesirable when administering medications, such as nose, eye or ear sprays. Holding the dispensing device precisely vertically for such applications is possible only with difficulties.
It is therefore proposed in DE 101 08 486 A1 to form a passage for the residual air to be drawn off, between the outer wall of the piston and the inner wall of the pressure cylinder of the metering pump. This passage connects with the inner bag, on the one hand, via an opening provided on the pump housing, and with the surroundings, on the other hand, via a valve-like flap within the pump. Any residual air remaining in the inner bag after it has been filled can be drawn off through this channel within the pump, in order to avoid the disadvantages mentioned above. However, forming this channel for the residual air in the inner bag presumes great precision in the production of the pump. Furthermore, the production of this known dispensing device is made more expensive by the complicated structure of the pump. With this known dispensing device, the metering pump projects into the inner bag with its pressure cylinder and its intake opening that is assigned to the kick-back valve on the inner bag side.
The valve in the dispensing head of this known dispensing device is formed so that it opens when the product to be dispensed flows out of the pump into the dispensing head under pressure, but is held closed via a spring as long as the product does not displace a sealing body counter to the spring pressure. As a results no residual air can be drawn towards the outside via this dispensing head. Drawing off the residual air is consequently possible only when the dispensing head has not yet been set onto the pump. However, this feature has the disadvantage that residual air always remains in the dispensing head, and this air must be removed from the dispensing head by a user, before first-time use, by means of activating the pump, before the product can be dispensed. Because air is compressible, and only small amounts of the product, for example approximately 28 mg, are dispensed with one pump stroke for the application of medications, for example, many pump strokes are often required for this application, which users consider unsatisfactory.

Method for the production of a filled metering pump arrangement


There is provided a solid electrolytic capacitor which can increase an electrostatic capacitance and reduce ESR characteristics, and a method of manufacturing the solid electrolytic capacitor. The solid electrolytic capacitor has: a dielectric oxide film formed on a surface of an anode body having fine pores; a cathode body opposing to the anode body; and conductive polymer layers formed inside the fine pores and including amines and water-soluble self-doped conductive polymers having sulfonic acid groups. The self-doped conductive polymers are held in a good state inside fine pores such as etching pits, so that the electrostatic capacitance increases and ESR characteristics are reduced.

Conventionally, a solid electrolytic capacitor in which conductive polymers are used as solid electrolytes is known. A solid electrolytic capacitor of this type is generally formed by using as an anode body a porous sintered body obtained by molding and sintering fine particles of a valve action metal such as aluminum and tantalum, forming a dielectric oxide film inside and on outer surfaces of pores of the sintered body by way of electrochemical anodization etc., and interposing a conductive polymer compound layer in close contact with the oxide film to lead out a cathode body which is to be an counter electrode (Patent Document 1). Ina solid electrolytic capacitor in which a conductive polymer compound layer is formed in this way, a capacitance appearance rate is improved by forming etching pits on an anode body surface portion with etching processing, and forming the conductive polymers inside the etching pits.

Solid electrolytic capacitor and method of manufacturing the same


The present invention relates to a high manganese steel for low temperature applications and a method for manufacturing the same. The high manganese steel contains 0.3 wt % to 0.8 wt % of C, 18 wt % to 26 wt % of Mn, 0.01 wt % to 1 wt % of Si, 0.01 wt % to 0.5 wt % of Al, 0.1 wt % or less of Ti (excluding 0%), 1 wt % to 4.5 wt % of Cr, 0.1 wt % to 0.9 wt % of Cu, 0.03 wt % or less of S (excluding 0%), 0.3 wt % or less of P (excluding 0%), 0.001 wt % to 0.03 wt % of N, 0.004 wt % or less of B (excluding 0%), and a remainder of Fe and other inevitable impurities, wherein a microstructure comprises an austenite single phase structure, and an average grain size of the austenite is 50 μm or less.

There has been an increased interest in energy sources, such as LNG and LPG, as alternative energy sources, due to tightening regulations on environmental pollution and safety as well as the exhaustion of fossil fuels. As demand for non-polluting fuels, such as natural gas and propane gas, which are carried in a low temperature liquid state, increases, production and material development of storage and transportation devices is increasing for non-polluting fuels.
Materials having excellent mechanical properties such as strength and toughness at low temperatures are used in low temperature storage tanks, and representative materials may be aluminum alloy, austenitic stainless steel, 35% Inva steel, and 9% Ni steel.
Among such materials, 9% nickel steel is the most widely used, in terms of economic feasibility and weldability. As most of these materials are high in terms of the amount of nickel added thereto, they may be expensive; thus, it is urgent to develop alternative materials having excellent yield strength and low temperature toughness.
Meanwhile, one method for manufacturing a material having high low temperature toughness to allow the material to have a stable austenite structure at low temperatures.
An example thereof is a technique of stabilizing austenite by adding large amounts of carbon and manganese. When large amounts of carbon and manganese are added to stabilize austenite, however, slabs to products have an austenite single phase, that is, phase transformation may not occur.
Since phase transformation may not occur, the slab may have a coarse casting structure. For this reason, surface grain boundary cracking occurs when the slab is hot-rolled. Further, the slab, which does not involve phase transformation, has a coarse casting structure, and thus has poor high temperature ductility.
When surface grain boundary cracking occurs during hot-rolling of the slab, the surface quality of the steel is deteriorated, resulting in thickness irregularities of a final structure.
In particular, such thickness irregularities may cause a significant problem in the structural design and use of a structure requiring pressure resistance through securing a uniform thickness of steel, such as a low temperature pressure vessel.

High manganese steel for low temperature applications having excellent surface quality and a manufacturing method thereof


A method for providing third party feedback associated with a real estate property including receiving buyer feedback regarding a real estate property from a handheld device operating the real estate feedback application; and providing third party feedback based on the buyer feedback from a third party feedback application.

The present disclosure relates generally to a real estate buyer feedback system, and more particularly, to a system and method for obtaining feedback from third parties.
During the property buying process, prospective buyers often consult with third parties (e.g., family and friends) to assist in their decision making. Currently, prospective buyers may often share a link to an online property listing for their family and friends to view, but there is presently no effective solution to tracking their response.

Method and system for real estate buyer third party feedback application


An elevator group supervisory control apparatus is obtained which can achieve efficient group supervisory control while preventing or reducing the possibility of collision and the safe stopping of an upper car and a lower car in one and the same shaft as much as possible. The apparatus includes a hall destination floor registration device 4 that is installed in each hall and has a destination floor registration function and a function of providing a predictive indication of a response car for each destination floor, a zone setting section 12 that sets priority zones and a common zone for each of upper and lower cars, an entry determination section 13 that determines whether the upper and lower cars can come into the common zone, a safe waiting section 14 that makes the cars 20 wait safely in accordance with the determination result of the entry determination section 13, a shunting section 15 that makes each car 20 move to a shunting floor as required at the instant when each car finished its service, a confinement time prediction section 16 that predicts a confinement time due to safe waiting when each car is assigned to a destination call generated in a hall, an evaluation value calculation section 17 that evaluates a waiting time, the confinement time, etc., upon assignment of each car, and an assignment section 18 that determines a final assigned car on the basis of the calculation result of the evaluation value calculation section 17.

In general, in case where a plurality of elevators are provided, group supervisory control is performed so as to operate these elevators in an efficient manner.
In addition, in case where group supervisory control is applied to an elevator system with a plurality of cars operating in one shaft, what is the most different from an ordinary elevator system in which only one car operates in one shaft is that it is necessary to control the elevator system so as to improve its transportation efficiency while avoiding collision of the cars that are operating in the same shaft.
As a known elevator group supervisory control apparatus, there has been proposed one in which a car entry prohibition area is set for a system that performs a horizontally movable circulation operation so that a car is controlled so as not to come into the entry prohibition area (see, for instance, a first patent document).
However, in the known apparatus described in the above-mentioned first patent document, there is disclosed no means for improving the transportation efficiency.
Moreover, as another known apparatus, there has also been proposed one in which dedicated zones in which cars provide dedicated or exclusive services, respectively, and a common zone are set, and provision is made for a shunting section for shunting or moving a car from the common zone to a dedicated zone and an entry permission or non-permission determination section that determines whether the entry of a car from its dedicated zone to the common zone is to be permitted or not (see, for instance, a second patent document).
However, although in either of the above-mentioned first and second patent documents, means for avoiding collision of cars are described, no reference is made at all to how to deal with the condition of passenger confinement.
Here, note that the condition of passenger confinement is that when a car with passengers therein is stopped for safety, the passengers are made to wait at least temporarily while being confined in the car. This situation does not have to be completely excluded unlike a situation of collision, but might result in providing psychological uneasiness to the passengers, so it is desirable that such a situation be reduced as much as possible.
[First Patent Document] Japanese Patent No. 3029168
[Second Patent Document] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-160283


The present invention provides laser beam micro-smoothing for laser annealing systems. Laser beam micro-smoothing comprises shifting a laser beam in the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction (y) of a laser annealing system, while holding the laser beam fixed in the direction of scanning (x). The shifting may be accomplished, for example, with a pair of micro-smoothing mirrors. The shifting smoothes out small-scale inhomogeneities in the profile of the laser beam and prevents microscopic stripes associated with prior art laser annealing systems. Because the shifting occurs only in the direction perpendicular to the scanning direction (y), the laser annealing process in not adversely affected.

Laser annealing systems are utilized in the production of advanced display technologies such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). One of the challenges associated with laser annealing is that the illumination field of a laser beam generally has a profile that includes inhomogeneities. Such inhomogeneities can have various causes including, for example, local defects like absorption or scattering centers in optical components, modulations in the raw laser beam and interference or diffraction from beam homogenizer arrays.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art laser annealing system 10. The system 10 includes a cylindrical lens (not shown) for focusing a laser beam 16, such as an excimer laser beam, onto the surface of an a-silicon-coated substrate 12. The illumination field 14 of the laser beam 16 typically has dimensions up to 470 mm (y-direction) by 0.4 mm (x-direction). This elongated beam spot is often referred to as a line focus.
The system 10 processes a substrate by scanning a single track in the x-direction and then, if the substrate's dimension in y-direction is longer than the corresponding dimension of the illumination field of the laser beam 16, shifting in the y-direction to scan a subsequent track.
In a typical system, the substrate is carried past the beam spot in the x-direction by a highly accurate translation stage. The scan velocity of the stage is on the order of six millimeters per second. Assuming a laser pulse repetition rate of 300 Hertz, the substrate will move about 20 microns in the x-direction between shots. This means that about 15 to 20 pulses (with an overlap of about 95%) will hit the substrate at each position.
FIG. 2 illustrates a magnified view of part of a substrate 20 that has been treated with the prior art laser annealing system of FIG. 1. As can be seen in FIG. 2, inhomogeneities in a laser beam across the long axis can manifest themselves as parallel lines or stripes running in the x-direction, which is the scanning direction of the laser beam. Width w represents a typical size of inhomogeneities in the illumination field of a laser beam, and the width of the illumination field is much larger than w.
Conventional beam homogenization techniques have focused on improving the homogeneity of the laser beam. Some prior art systems use diffusers in the laser beam path to improve the homogeneity of the laser beam. Other prior art systems have used light tunnels, lenses, lens arrays diffractive optical elements (DOE) or holographs to improve homogeneity. Prior art homogenization techniques cannot, however, remove all small-scale inhomogeneities. As a result, stripes such as those illustrated in FIG. 2 still occur. To address small-scale inhomogeneities, some prior art systems have used rotating wedges to move the laser beam in a circular motion on the object being scanned. Such systems tend to average out small-scale inhomogeneities, but these systems are not suitable for use with laser annealing systems.


Various cycloolefinic/maleic anhydride polymers containing maleimide pendant groups and compositions thereof useful for forming self-imageable films encompassing such copolymers are disclosed. Such polymers encompass norbornene-type repeating units containing maleimide groups and maleic anhydride-type repeating units where at least some of such maleic anhydride-type repeating units have been ring-opened. The films formed from such copolymer compositions provide self imageable, low-k, thermally stable layers for use in microelectronic and optoelectronic devices.

As the microelectronic devices are fabricated in smaller geometries there is an increasing demand for advanced materials that meet the stringent requirements of confined smaller geometries. In particular, sub-micron device geometries have become common place in the fabrication of a variety of liquid crystal displays (LCDs), organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) and other radio frequency (RD and microwave devices. For example, devices such as radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), micro-machine integrated circuits (MMICs), switches, couplers, phase shifters, surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters and SAW duplexers, have recently been fabricated in the sub-micron levels.
With such smaller geometries comes a requirement for dielectric materials with low dielectric constants to reduce or eliminate any cross-talk between adjacent signal lines or between a signal line and a device feature (e.g. a pixel electrode) due to capacitive coupling. Although many low dielectric (low-K) materials are available for microelectronic devices, for optoelectronic devices such materials must also be broadly transparent in the visible light spectrum, not require high temperature processing (greater than 300° C.) that would be incompatible with other elements of such an optoelectronic device, and be both low-cost and feasible for large scale optoelectronic device fabrication.
Thus, it would be desirable to have a material capable of forming a self-imageable layer to avoid the need for depositing a separate imaging layer. Such material should also be easy to apply to a substrate, have a low dielectric constant (3.9 or less) and thermal stability to temperatures in excess of 250° C. Of course, it is also desirable to have such materials available at a lower cost and feature such properties as positive tone or negative photoimaging capability, aqueous base developing capability, high transparency after heat stress and low weight loss at curing temperatures. It has been reported that acrylic polymers, which are inexpensive, offer good photoimaging properties and are aqueous base developable, see for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. Hei 5-165214 and the radiation-sensitive resin composition comprising an alicyclic olefin resin disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2003-162054. Similarly, polyimides have been reported to provide good thermal stability. However, these materials have certain deficiencies and thus making them not so suitable for the applications contemplated herein. For instance, acrylics are not suitable for applications requiring high thermal stability (i.e., temperatures higher than 200° C.), and many of the polyimides in general are not suitable for either positive tone or negative tone formulations requiring aqueous base developability and generally do not exhibit desirable transparency, thus making them unsuitable in certain optoelectronic applications. Although some polyimides have low dielectric constants but still may not have low enough permittivity to be effective in highly integrated and/or miniaturized devices having increased wiring density and high signal speed. One such known polyimide material is the positive tone type photosensitive resin comprising a polyimide precursor and a diazoquinone-type compound disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3,262,108.
Recently, it has been reported that certain copolymers containing both norbornene-type repeat units and maleic anhydride-type repeat units are useful in certain microelectronic applications featuring self-image forming layer capability, when image-wise-exposed to actinic radiation, see co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/550,586, filed Jul. 16, 2012. These compositions are however suitable only for positive tone photoimaging and thermal curing with added additives to the polymeric composition. Thus there is still a need for polymeric compositions which can not only self-crosslink but also can be employed both as positive and negative tone compositions.

Maleimide containing cycloolefinic polymers and applications thereof


An ophthalmic formulation is described containing at least one pharmaceutically active substance, purified water, and an amount of gelling agent effective to form an aqueous gel. The gel has a viscosity of from 75,000 to 3,000,000 centipoise and does not contain an oil phase. The pharmaceutically active substance is solubilized in the formulation. The gelling agent consists essentially of cellulose or a water soluble cellulose derivative.

In a conventional ophthalmic ointment, pharmaceutically active substances are suspended in petrolatum and mineral oil. Because the eye rejects oily fluids, however, a portion of the ointment is expelled upon application. Also, release of the active ingredient is delayed for the time required for water from the eye fluid to be exchanged with the ointment. As a result, only an inexact dose of active ingredient reaches the eye.
Furthermore, conventional ointments interfere with vision once they are applied, causing blurring. It is, for example, often required that activities of an individual be restricted until vision becomes clear after administration of an ophthalmic ointment.
While ointments exhibit some time release properties, these properties are unpredictable. The ointment is rejected in large part from the eye before a significant amount of the active ingredient is transferred to the aqueous phase.
Ophthalmic solutions suffer from similar deficiencies, as they run out of the eye upon administration. Thus, with such solutions only a low, imprecise amount of active reaches the eye. Also, solutions are generally applied to the center of the eye, where they cause blurring. For example, solutions are available for treating dry eye which contain small amounts of cellulose based additives as the active ingredient for lubricating the eye. Such products are available commercially containing 0.5% or 1% carboxymethyl cellulose and are known as "artificial tear preparations" or "lubricating eye drops". They form an occlusive film over the outer surface of the eye to protect it from drying and are used in particular to relieve dry eye associated with contact lens use. Such solutions have a low viscosity, i.e., substantially less than 10,000 cps (Brookfield LV at about 25.degree. C.). They are applied directly to the center of the eye, i.e., to the contact lens, causing blurring. They also deliver an imprecise amount of active.
Formulations for "longer lasting" relief of dry eye are available as ointments. One such preparation is formulated from 80% white petrolatum and 20% mineral oil. Such products, however, are easily expelled from the eye and offer only relatively short term relief, i.e., not more than about 30 minutes.
Inserts are available for ophthalmic use that are formed from solid cellulose. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,229,128 describes rods formed of methylcellulose for insertion into the eye to treat dry eye. They are formed from powdered cellulose derivative, dried, and then preferably placed in a gelatin capsule. To administer the solid rod, the ends of the gelatin capsule are separated, the rod being kept in one segment of the capsule, the inferior cul-de-sac of the eye is withdrawn, and the rod is dropped into the lower part of the eyelid. This is a difficult procedure, and for some patients requires the assistance of a physician. If no gelatin capsule is employed, forceps must be used to administer the insert. Furthermore, the solid cellulose of the insert needs to be wetted in the eye by eye fluid. The cellulose then swells, causing a possibility of irritation from undissolved crystals in the wetted cellulose. Also, wetting of the solid cellulose to form a gel in the eye occurs in an inconsistent manner from one individual to the next. It is also difficult to incorporate additional lubricating agents in such inserts, as any additional active product may crystalize in the eye, causing possible injury.
Solid inserts which suffer from the same deficiencies are also described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,787.
There is therefore a need for a safe ophthalmic formulation that is not easily expelled from the eye after administration, that delivers a precise dosage, that is easy to administer, and that is capable of controlled release of a pharmaceutically active substance.

Ophthalmic aqueous gel formulation and related methods


Disclosed is a channel changing method in a digital broadcasting service. According to the channel changing method, a subscriber device provided with a channel change protocol that operates on a TCP/IP layer transmits an input channel change message through the channel change protocol, and a channel change server that received the channel change message receives a confirmation message that includes channel information according to channel change information included in the channel change message, and transmits data of a requested channel to the subscriber device.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a digital broadcasting service, and more particularly to a channel changing method when using a digital broadcasting service.
2. Related Art
Broadcasting on demand (BOD) is an example of a digital broadcasting service. The broadcasting on demand (BOD) currently represented by video on demand (VOD) is a service that provides in real time video information requested by a user. The broadcasting on demand (BOD) is not a unidirectional service that one-sidedly receives programs of the existing public network broadcasts or through a cable television (TV), but is a bi-directional service that can use desired contents at a desired time according to a subscriber's request. An infrastructure for providing the broadcasting on demand (BOD) requires a state in which a video database has been constructed, and the database has been connected to a home (or personal portable terminal) through a wideband transmission path (that is, cable or wireless path).
A set top box can be referred to as an interface unit, a set top box unit, a home user terminal, a home terminal, and other terms. The set top box can correspond to a device able to perform various functions. For example, a set top box can support Internet access through a television, and can provide users with high-speed access to the Internet via a cable modem or broadband network rather than the traditional telephone network plain old telephone services (POTS). In addition, a set top box can provide video-conferencing capabilities, can support community networking, and can provide media-on-demand (MOD) capabilities including video-on-demand, music-on-demand, news-on-demand, impulse-pay-per-view, and television-programs-on-demand. A set top box is often located at a remote user location enabling the user to transmit information signals such as requests, instructions, or other data. A set top box can include a central processing unit.
In order for a set top box unit (STU) to be provided with a broadcasting on demand (BOD) service and to select a channel from multiple video channels, a standard for defining a control message between a network and a subscriber's device is required. Such a standard is digital storage media-command and control (DSM-CC) defined in 13818-6 originated from International Standards Organization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC). The digital storage media-command and control (DSM-CC) has been designed to support services of video on demand (VOD) and other services in an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network. The digital storage media-command and control (DSM-CC) transmits broadcasting programs only to a replication unit and broadcast control unit (RU/BCU) in a transfer network such as a hybrid fiber coax (HFC) or fiber to the curb (FTTC), and the replication unit and broadcast control unit (RU/BCU) multicasts the broadcasting programs to the set top box unit.
The replication unit and broadcast control unit (RU/BCU) is different from a zapper server. A zapper server can be referred to as a channel change protocol (CCP) server. All broadcasting programs are transferred up to the channel change protocol (CCP) server, but are not transferred up to the set top box unit.
The digital storage media-command and control (DSM-CC) is classified into a session control protocol and a channel change protocol for controlling channel change after service connection. The session control protocol and the channel change protocol operate on different protocol stacks.
In the digital storage media-command and control (DSM-CC), the session control protocol is defined based on a transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP) protocol, and the channel change protocol is defined based on an AAL5/ATM protocol. ATM is asynchronous transfer mode. AAL5 is asynchronous transfer mode adaption layer 5.
According to the digital storage media-command and control (DSM-CC) standard, in a case where the service environment can support the asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), the technical implementation of digital storage media-command and control (DSM-CC) is possible. But in a case where the service environment cannot support the asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), and can only support the transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP), the technical implementation of the digital storage media-command and control (DSM-CC) is difficult.
Since the session control protocol and the channel change protocol should be implemented on the different protocol stacks, an additional manipulation or conversion is required in order to have compatibility between those two protocols. A message that is transmitted through the channel change protocol must be received at a first destination and then manipulated or converted, so that the contents of that message can then be transmitted to a second destination through the session control protocol.
The repeated changing of TCP/IP packets to ATM packets, and the repeated changing of ATM packets to TCP/IP packets would be necessary in that arrangement. The set top box unit that is the subject of requesting of the channel change, for the most part, has no asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) adaptation layer (AAL) mounted thereon, and it is necessary to develop a modified technique.
The digital storage media-command and control (DSM-CC) standard defines a session resource manager (SRM) that is a terminating set between the server and the set top box unit. The session resource manager (SRM) converts messages that are transmitted through the session control protocol to become messages to be transmitted through the channel change protocol. The session resource manager (SRM) converts messages that are transmitted through the channel change protocol to become messages to be transmitted through the session control protocol. The channel change protocol and the session control protocol operate on different protocol stacks.
If the digital storage media-command and control (DSM-CC) standard is applied without modification, it causes inconvenience and inefficiency such as putting the session onto the Internet protocol (IP), the sending of the channel on the asynchronous transfer mode adaption layer 5 and then on the Internet protocol network in a network interface unit (NIU), and the sending of a confirmation message in reverse order.
It is my observation that there is currently a lack of convenient and efficient methods supporting channel changing in digital broadcasting services. Efforts have been made to improve features related to networking and broadcasting services.
Exemplars of recent efforts related to networking and broadcasting services are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,550,578 to Hoarty et al., entitled INTERACTIVE AND CONVENTIONAL TELEVISION INFORMATION SYSTEM, issued on Aug. 27, 1996, U.S. Pat. No. 5,805,591 to Naboulsi et al., entitled SUBSCRIBER NETWORK INTERFACE, issued on Sep. 8, 1998, U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,355 to Brodigan, entitled VIDEO AND DATA COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, issued on Apr. 17, 2001, U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,589 to Kostreski et al., entitled DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT TERMINAL WITH CHANNEL MAPPING, issued on Mar. 31, 1998, U.S. Pat. No. 6,317,884 to Eames et al., entitled VIDEO, DATA AND TELEPHONY GATEWAY, issued on Nov. 13, 2001, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,473,427 to Brodigan, entitled ATM BASED VDSL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM HAVING META SIGNALING FOR SWITCHING A SUBSCRIBER BETWEEN DIFFERENT DATA SERVICE PROVIDERS, issued on Oct. 29, 2002.
While these contemporary efforts contain merit, it is my observation that further improvements can be contemplated.

Channel changing method in digital broadcasting service


A telephone conference system and method are disclosed. The system includes: a terminal state scanning module (2) configured to acquire one or more terminal numbers corresponding to a user who is supposed to participate in a conference, and acquire a terminal state corresponding to each of the one or more terminal numbers; and a service processing module (5) configured to select at beginning of conference establishment, according to a preset routing principle and the terminal state corresponding to the each of the one or more terminal numbers, a terminal number which meets a requirement from the one or more terminal numbers, and make a call to the selected terminal number. With the disclosure, a terminal number which meets a requirement from the one or more terminal numbers is selected according to a preset routing principle and a terminal state obtained by scanning and corresponding to one or more terminal numbers of a user who is supposed to participate in a conference, and a call is made to the selected terminal number. Since one or more terminal numbers corresponding to the user participating in the conference exist, the success rate of connecting a terminal number corresponding to the user is increased to a certain degree, thereby ensuring that the user can successfully participate in a telephone conference to a certain degree.

At present, telephone conferences, as a common means of communication, are playing an important role in an original telephone network application in many domestic industries due to respective characteristics of the industries. As a popular international office working way, a telephone conference system, which is cost-saving and time-saving with strong real-time performance and is not restricted by regions, is an important means for modern business, office work and management. Use of telephone conference systems greatly improves the working efficiency, management and competitiveness of enterprises.
However, existing telephone conference systems fail to satisfy changing market requirements as cross-regional activities of enterprises are carried out more and more broadly and the types of telephones used by users participating in conferences become increasingly rich.
Generally, a terminal number corresponding to a user participating in a conference is set in the application of a telephone conference system. When a telephone conference is initiated, a conference host calls the terminal number corresponding to the user participating in the conference to notify the user to participate in a telephone conference. The terminal number corresponding to the user may not be connected in such a design, thus the user who should participate in the conference fails to participate in the telephone conference. In addition, the conference host, who does not know the locations of all users participating in the conference when initiating the telephone conference, sets mobile terminal numbers as terminal numbers corresponding to all the users participating in the conference to facilitate contact, and calls the mobile terminal numbers to call all the users to participate in the telephone conference. However, there are still some problems in the method which the mobile terminal numbers of the users are called, for example, problems including an absence of a user in a conference due to a connection failure of a mobile terminal number, radiation caused to a user by a mobile terminal when the mobile terminal is used in a telephone conference for a long time after the number of the mobile terminal is called through, heating and overheating of the mobile terminal itself, and the like. Therefore, users tend to use fixed telephone terminals to participate in telephone conferences if permitted. However, a user participating in a conference may not be found in time by calling a fixed telephone terminal instead of calling a mobile terminal. Therefore, there are some disadvantages in related technologies, and practical demands of users participating in conferences cannot be satisfied.


A file server having a redundant data elimination store responds to requests from clients for copies of space-reduced files. For reduced storage requirements and reduced processing time, a baseline version of unshared data blocks is created in the file server, and then the baseline version is space reduced by conversion to a stub version of shared data blocks, and then the file server responds to a request from a client for creation of one or more space-reduced copies by cloning the stub version. The file server may also respond to a request for creation of a modified space-reduced copy having specified data written at a specified offset. For example, the file server creates a respective modified copy of a virtual server image file for use by each client of the file server.

In recent years there has been a problem of an increasing number of stored electronic documents that have identical or virtually identical content. For example, the Microsoft Outlook™ electronic mail system ordinarily results in multiple copies of an attachment being kept in data storage of a business enterprise when a document is sent by electronic mail to multiple recipients in the business enterprise.
In an attempt to solve the problem of multiple copies of a file being kept in a storage volume, Microsoft Corporation introduced a Single Instance Storage (SIS) feature in its Microsoft Windows® 2000 server. See William J. Bolosky, "Single Instance Storage in Windows® 2000," USENIX Technical Program, WinsSys, Aug. 3-4, 2000, Seattle, Wash., USENIX, Berkeley, Calif. SIS uses links to the duplicate file content and copy-on-close semantics upon these links. SIS is structured as a file system filter driver that implements the links and a user level service that detects duplicate files and reports them to the filter for conversion into links.
SIS, however, will not reduce the data storage requirements or performance degradation due to virtually identical files. For example, an E-mail application such as the Microsoft Outlook™ electronic mail system may produce virtually identical files in a business enterprise when an E-mail is sent to multiple recipients in the business enterprise.
Data de-duplication techniques similar to SIS have been developed for reducing the data storage requirements of virtually identical files. These data de-duplication techniques determine file segments that are identical among virtually identical files, so that the data content of each shared file segment need be stored only once for the virtually identical files. The shared data content is placed in a common storage area, and each identical segment is removed from each of the virtually identical files and replaced with a corresponding link to the shared data content.
In a file server having a redundant data elimination (RDE) store, data de-duplication is applied to a file when the file is migrated into the file server or when new data is written to the file. For example, the migration process creates a new baseline version of the file in the file server, and copies data to the baseline version from a source external to the file server. The baseline version does not share file segments with other files in the file server. Then the baseline version is space reduced by applying data de-duplication.
For example, the migration process copies the data from the source external to the file server to newly allocated extents of logical data blocks in the data storage of the file server. Then the data de-duplication process converts the baseline version into a stub version that may reference shared extents of logical data blocks in the data storage of the file server. For example, the data de-duplication process copies the inode and indirect blocks of the baseline version to create the stub version. Initially an attribute of the file is set to indicate that the de-duplication process is in progress. Then the data de-duplication process searches the RDE store for a copy of the data in each extent of the baseline version, and if a copy of the data is found in the RDE store, then the pointer in the stub version is changed to point to the extent containing the copy of the data, and a reference counter in the RDE store for the extent containing the copy is incremented. Once the data de-duplication process has been applied to all of the extents of the baseline version, the attribute of the file is set to indicate that the de-duplication process is finished, and then the stub version is substituted for the baseline version, and the original inode and indirect blocks of the baseline version are deleted, and any extents of the baseline version not shared with the stub version are deallocated.

Creating copies of space-reduced files in a file server having a redundant data elimination store


A method for treating an open wound, such as a surgical wound, may include preparing a first composition including a platelet poor plasma (PPP), and preparing a second composition including a platelet rich plasma (PRP). A layer of the first composition may be applied within the open wound, and a layer of the second composition may be applied within the open wound over the layer of the first composition.

In recent years it has been discovered that the use of platelet rich plasma (PRP) in a wound, such as a surgical wound, can provide enhanced bone and soft tissue regeneration, and thus faster healing times. PRP is an autologous source for growth factors obtained from a sample of a patient's blood. The sample is processed in a centrifuge, which separates the platelets from the blood to provide both a PRP and a platelet poor plasma (PPP). One example of a centrifuge used for platelet separation is the GPS platelet concentration system from Cell Factor Technologies, Inc (CFT). Not only can the PRP have medicinal use, but CFT notes in a publication entitled "Shoulder Recovery with the CPS Platelet Concentrate System" that PPP may be sprayed on the exterior of an incision to act as a fibrin sealant at closure.
Given the advantageous healing properties of PRP, various approaches have accordingly been developed for its processing and use. For example. U.S. Pat. No. 6,649,072 to Brandt et al. discloses a method for producing an autologous PRP blood composition. The method includes combining PRP and PPP components which have been centrifugally separated from whole blood drawn from a patient. These two components are combined in a desired ratio to create a composition useful in surgical bone growth enhancement, soft tissue repair procedures, and as an aid in controlling surgical and traumatic hemostasis. In particular, the PPP is concentrated to provide a coagulum that is useful in bonding together various bone fragments or bone fusion products, as well as providing a tighter matrix or scaffold for enticing the migration of osteoblasts and for the enhancement of hemostasis.
U.S. pat. Pub. No. 2002/0009500 to Wolkers et al. is directed to a dehydrated composition that includes freeze-dried platelets and one or more other agents, such as antibiotics, antifungals, and growth factors. The composition may also be placed on a biocompatible surface to provide a hemostasis aid. The Wolkers et al. publication notes that the drug-loaded platelets are particularly intended for use with blood-borne drug delivery, such as where the selected drug is targeted to a site of platelet-mediated forming thrombi or vascular injury.
Despite such advancements in wound treatment, further advancements may be desirable in certain applications.

Method for treating wounds exposing the dura using PPP and PRP


An apparatus for the cleansing, abrading, or massaging of a foot includes a container that is placed on the floor under a shower. Openings are provided in the bottom of the container for water to drain. A first screen is disposed over the bottom of the container as a filter. A section of foam is surrounded by a second screen and is placed on the bottom of the container. A lining of artificial grass is disposed over the foam and it extends up and over the sides of the container where it is secured to the container. Any of a variety of abrasive materials is placed on the lining. In use, the person stands in the container and takes a shower while normal movement of the feet massage, clean, and abrade each foot including the sides and between the toes. Water flows through the lining and out through the bottom of the container while maintaining the abrasive materials in the container.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general relates to pediatrics and, more particularly, to a device for use in a shower that is adapted for cleaning and abrading the skin on a foot.
The foot is a neglected portion for most people. It is generally difficult to clean when a person is in the shower. The person has to stand on one leg, which is dangerous, while cleaning the opposite foot or the person is required to bend down while standing under the shower. Many people lack flexibility to bend down and reach their feet. Consequently, people often omit washing their feet or if they do, they perform only a cursory cleansing.
These problems are especially difficult for people who suffer from disorders such as obesity, back problems, or other handicaps.
The foot is also prone to many dermatologic problems as well. People develop athlete's foot (one of many possible fungal infections), corns, calluses, and the like. Many people neglect treating these disorders for similar reasons as mentioned above.
People who suffer from athlete's foot know how severely their feet can itch. Minor abrasion of the affected area can alleviate itching while helping to remove layers of dead skin and promote the efficacy of certain athlete's foot medications that are topically applied. People with calluses on their feet know how difficult it is to bend down and use a hand held tool to abrade away their calluses.
Psoriasis and eczema sufferers also similarly benefit from abrading some of the dead skin off of the affected areas before applying any medication to the area.
It is also desirable to be able to massage a foot. This is well known to relax and calm a person.
Accordingly, there exists today a need for an apparatus and method for cleaning the feet of a user during the normal course of taking a shower that helps ameliorate the aforementioned difficulties while abrading dead skin and massaging the foot.
Clearly, such an apparatus and method would be useful and desirable.
2. Description of Prior Art
Devices for cleaning and massaging a foot are, in general, known. For example, the following patents describe various types of these devices:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,618 to Massiet, May 28, 1996; and
U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,156 to Brunderman, Nov. 7, 2000.
While the structural arrangements of the above described devices, at first appearance, have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.


The present disclosure provides acaricidal compounds, i.e. compounds 3c {3,6}, 3c {4,6}, 3c {3, 3}, 3c {4,3} and 3c {6,6}, that are effective in killing Varroa destructor mites while being harmless to honey bees.

The ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor is at the top of the list of risk factors for honey bee colony losses. This mite of honey bees originally developed in association with the Eastern honey bee Apis cerana, but since the beginning of the last century, mites are spreading worldwide among the colonies of the European honey bee A. mellifera, vectoring highly pathogenic viruses.
Failure of conventional chemical acaricides in Varroa control is due to widespread resistance. Also, negative effects of widely used acaricides on bees are driving the search for more sustainable and environmentally compatible methods of Varroa control.
The life cycle of Varroa is totally dependent on that of its host, the honeybee, and is divided into two stages: phoretic and reproductive. Briefly, in the phoretic stage, mites tend to attach to adult bees and feed on their haemolymph, whereas in the reproductive stage, mites reproduce within the capped brood cells feeding on pupal haemolymph. Between these phases Varroa move freely on the surface of the comb.
Laboratory bioassay by several researchers proved that Varroa mites are using chemical cues for discriminating between bees from different task groups and to prefer a nurse over a forager bee. These cues are detected by a chemosensory organ localized on mites' forelegs. At the same time, colonial activities of honeybees are also coordinated mainly by chemical cues detected by their antennae.
New acaricidal compounds are needed to control Varroa destructor infestations. The present disclosure seeks to fulfill this need and provides further related advantages.

Use of dialkoxybenzenes for control of honey bee mite varroa destructor

The State of Israel Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development Agricultural Research Organization