The present invention includes an apparatus, method and centrifuge permeameter system that includes a hydraulic permeameter adapted for use in a centrifuge; and an automated data acquisition system, wherein the centrifuge permeameter non-destructively determines one or more soil characteristics from a sample of granular material such as soil, rock, and concrete when centrifuged.

Without limiting the scope of the invention, its background is described in connection with soil permeameters.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,422, issues to Rubin, et al., discloses a method and apparatus for steady-state measurement of liquid conductivity in porous media. U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,876, issued to Schofield, discloses centrifuges and associated apparatus and methods.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,810,755, issued to Pask, et al., for a permeameter system and method to determine soil hydraulic capacity for onsite wastewater systems. The permeameter has a hollow tube with a second tube slidably disposed within an internal chamber of the hollow tube and is used in combination with one or more tables to correlate a specific rate of reading fall rate of water to the soil hydraulic capacity of the soil being tested. A conventional measuring tape is affixed to the outside surface of the hollow tube such that the numbers extend vertically along the length, or longitudinal central axis, of the hollow tube. The permeameter is used in combination with one or more charts that correspond with soil hydraulic capacity. The charts are created by formulas defined using known soil absorption principals, the dimensions of the permeameter, the dimensions of an auger hole in the soil, and the level of a water line in the auger hole.
Another permeameter is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,571,605, issued to Johnson. Johnson teaches a constant-head soil permeameter for determining the hydraulic conductivity of earthen materials. The constant-head soil permeameter is used to determine hydraulic conductivity of earthen materials in a borehole. The permeameter uses includes a calibrated reservoir attached to a suitable length of hose. Water is added to the calibrated reservoir and allowed to flow freely into until an equilibrium level is reached in the borehole and inside the soil permeameter. The water flowing to the permeameter is throttled by buoyant float pressure, thereby allowing better constant head control and much greater depths of testing than previously attained by known permeameters. The permeameter may also include a filtered vent system, backflow check valve, and seals. The filter system restricts entry of soil particles and debris, thereby minimizing cleaning and maintenance of the invention. The soil permeability is determined based on the equilibrium height of water, rate of water flow, and dimensions of the borehole.
Yet another permeameter is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,192, issued to Chavdar for a combined permeameter-porosimeter that measures normal and lateral permeability measurements on porous materials. The permeability measurements may be taken from compressed or uncompressed samples at room or elevated temperatures. A wide variety of fluids or gas may be used to penetrate the test fluid depending on the application and the porosity of the sample. Briefly, the penetrating test fluid is forced through the sample under pressure and the load, the fluid displacement, and the time are used to calculate the permeability, porosity, pore size distribution, average pore size and the number of pores per unit area.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,850, issued to Turner, et al., teaches a multi-directional permeameter that is used to determine the coefficients of permeability using a constant (or falling) head method for the laminar flow of a fluid (e.g., water), through a specific material or test sample. The apparatus is a mold secured to a base, a lid is secured to the mold, inlet and outlet ports allow fluid flow to occur in both the horizontal plane and the vertical plane to determine the coefficients of permeability of a particular sample either horizontally, vertically, or simultaneously horizontally and vertically.

Centrifuge permeameter for unsaturated soils system

Board of Regents, The University of Texas System


The present invention is a new and distinct primocane fruiting blackberry variety designated ‘EXPB3181’. This new variety was discovered after planting a seed produced by a hand pollinated cross of ‘Kiowa’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,861) and selection ‘SP709’ (non-patented) in Los Reyes, Michoacan, Mexico. The new variety exhibits excellent fruit quality, erect plant habit and minimal thorns. The new variety is also recognized for ripening early and having a long shelf life.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of blackberry having the denomination 'EXPB3181'. This new cultivar was created in 2013 in Los Reyes, Michoacan, Mexico and originated from a hand pollination cross of the female parent blackberry plant 'Kiowa' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,861) and the male parent blackberry plant selection 'SP709' (non-patented). The botanical designation of the new variety of blackberry is Rubus subgenus Eubatus sect. Moriferi & Ursini.
Seeds originating from this controlled hand pollination cross were germinated in a greenhouse in 2013 and planted in a field in Los Reyes, Michoacan, Mexico. The seedlings fruited in the autumn of 2014 and one seedling, designated 'EXPB3181', was selected for propagation for its excellent fruit quality, erect habit and minimal thorns.
The selected plant was propagated asexually from root cuttings in 2014 in Los Reyes, Michoacan, Mexico. There, a test row of 50 plants was established. Larger test fields were later established and the cultivar was further asexually reproduced in Zacoalco de Torres, Jalisco, Mexico at nursery Teocuitatlán De Corona using root cuttings from the Los Reyes test site.
The new variety has been asexually multiplied annually since 2014 by use of root cuttings and by tissue culture. During all asexual multiplication, the characteristics of the original plant have been found to be stable and no aberrant phenotypes have appeared. Testing has confirmed that the characteristics of the new variety are fixed and retained true to type through successive generations.


A solar apparatus such as a solar water heater or cooler comprising a cell which is partially transparent to the sun's rays and has an internal section formed by an assembly of two casing which surround one another and define the variable capacity of the absorber as well as various means for supplying, storing and discharging water.

In recent years scientists have become aware of the fact that solar energy has the advantage of being cheap and above all particularly "clean"; increasing awareness of problems connected with the protection of the environment has resulted in the considerable development of research in order to make optimum use of this energy and a whole series of solar-powered apparatus destined especially for heating or cooling purposes and more particularly intended for the inhabitants of sunny or tropical areas has appeared on the market.
In most cases, however, these apparatus are based on the use of large solar panels which are thus particularly bulky and their use is consequently restricted to relatively large installations.
Hitherto a solar apparatus of sufficiently restricted dimensions to be portable, which is able to supply hot water to consumers such as campers or amateur sailors in satisfactory conditions has never been proposed.


A shutter and gate valve assembly includes a valve housing that defines a passage therethrough, a valve member having a valve aperture, the valve member movable between a non-operating position that seals the passage and an operating position that aligns the valve aperture with the passage, and a shutter movable between a closed position that blocks the valve aperture and an open position that unblocks the valve aperture. The shutter member may be affixed to and movable with the valve member between the non-operating position and the operating position. The shutter may be provided with a shutter aperture that is aligned with the valve aperture in the open position.

Many processing systems and instruments include one or more vacuum chambers. One example is a Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometer (FTMS) system which includes two vacuum chambers connected through an orifice. One vacuum chamber operates at relatively high vacuum, e.g. 10−10 Torr, and the other vacuum chamber operates at relatively low vacuum, e.g. 10−4 Torr. The orifice is provided with a shutter that separates the low vacuum region from the high vacuum region. The shutter is opened for brief periods, typically a fraction of a second, to allow transport of ions from the low vacuum chamber to the high vacuum chamber for analysis. The shutter may operate at frequent intervals, e.g. once every half second.
One requirement of systems which include a high vacuum chamber is to maintain the ultrahigh vacuum (ultralow pressure) continuously without venting or significant pressure increases. When the high vacuum chamber is vented or gas leaks into the high vacuum chamber and causes a rise in pressure, the time to vacuum pump to the desired ultrahigh vacuum may be lengthy, resulting in expensive downtime of the entire system. For example, vacuum pumping a chamber from atmosphere to a pressure of 10−10 Torr may require on the order of two days. Accordingly, it is desirable to maintain the ultrahigh vacuum during maintenance and other operations which require venting of the low vacuum chamber.
A shutter may be used to provide brief access to the high vacuum chamber. Typical shutters are designed to open and close quickly and to operate reliably over extended periods. However, shutters which meet these requirements are not equipped with high vacuum seals. Therefore, such shutters permit leakage of gas into the high vacuum chamber, particularly when the low vacuum chamber is vented to atmosphere.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved methods and apparatus for isolating a high vacuum chamber from a low vacuum chamber or from atmosphere during operation and maintenance.

Shutter and gate valve assemblies for vacuum systems


A tape cassette includes a cassette case, a tape containment area, a first wall portion, a guide portion, a second wall portion, a third wall portion, and a fourth wall portion. The cassette case includes a top face, a bottom face, a front face, and a pair of side faces. The tape containment area is an area in which a tape roll is accommodated. The first wall portion is provided along a portion of an outer perimeter of the tape containment area. The guide portion is provided downstream from the first wall portion on a feed path. The second wall portion is provided between the first wall portion and the guide portion. The third wall portion is provided on an opposite side of a tape from the second wall portion. The fourth wall portion is provided between the second wall portion and the guide portion.

The present disclosure relates to a tape cassette that contains a tape that is a printing medium.
A tape cassette is known that contains a tape that is a printing medium. A tape cassette includes a tape area in a cassette case. A tape roll that is a wound tape that is the printing medium is contained in the tape area. The tape may be pulled off of the tape roll and may be fed along a feed path. A guide portion is provided on the feed path regardless of the amount of tape of the tape roll. The guide portion is in contact with the tape. A plurality of walls are provided between the tape roll and the guide portion. The plurality of walls shape the feed path for the tape.


Various systems and methods are implemented for controlling stimulus of a cell. One such method is implemented for optical stimulation of a cell expressing a NpHR ion pump. The method includes the step of providing a sequence of stimuli to the cell. Each stimulus increases the probability of depolarization events occurring in the cell. Light is provided to the cell to activate the expressed NpHR ion pump, thereby decreasing the probability of depolarization events occurring in the cell.

Various efforts in neuroscience are directed towards determining whether neural activity in a specific brain region, or in a set of genetically-identified neurons, contributes to a particular neural computation, behavior, or neurological or psychiatric disorder. For centuries, insights have come from studies of human patients with specific lesions, as exemplified by Paul Broca's delineation in the 1860s of the eponymous brain area that, when dysfunctional, results in deficits of speech production. Many studies have used ablation or pharmacological shutdown of neurons or brain regions in animals, or careful analysis of patients, to parse out the physical substrates of normal and abnormal behavior. However, growing awareness that activity in multiple brain regions may be coordinated during performance of a behavior, or in a particular neural dysfunction, has raised the question of precisely when specific brain regions or neurons contribute. For example, a large number of in vivo recording studies have demonstrated, for many brain regions, that specific neurons can fire action potentials during precise intervals within a behavioral task. The intervals can last as little as a fraction of a second; it is possible that specific brain regions or neurons are required only at specific times in a task, not continuously. In humans, use of transcranial magnetic stimulation to disrupt the visual cortex has demonstrated that conscious perception requires intact cortical performance during temporal windows that last tens of milliseconds, occurring at precise times after visual stimulus presentation. Accordingly, a method for disrupting activity in targeted cell types for very precisely delimited periods of time (e.g., several milliseconds) could help answer a number of outstanding questions, and enable novel ones to be asked. For example, one question involves the identification of the precise brain regions, cell types, and activity patterns required at each phase (sensory, decision-making and motor) of a behavioral task. Another question involves, for a particular perception (e.g., feeling, decision, memory, or action) identifying the precise number of neurons that must be active within a certain region and how long the neurons are active. Another question involves the identification of the causal role of neural synchrony and precise spike timing in neural computation, plasticity, and pathological brain function. As memories are encoded, consolidated, and forgotten, it can be important to identifying how the critical neural loci of memory changes.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System for optical stimulation of target cells

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University


A plate/screw system for immobilizing adjacent vertebral bodies or an interbody device includes a plate having at least one spaced opening with an upper section of a width or diameter of d1 and a lower section having or diameter less than w1. The lower section defines a partial or completed helical track for receiving a screw. A bone screw for insertion into the threaded opening has a head section of d1, an adjacent neck section of d2 and a thread section of d3 where d2<d3<d1 whereby the relationship between d1 and w1 determines whether the screw can or cannot pivot relative to the plate.

Current practice in the art of cervical spinal fusion is to use a cervical plate which secures adjacent vertebrae. These systems typically use multiple screws which attach the vertebrae body and occasionally bone graft to the plate. The surgeon decides upon the spatial orientation through manipulations, and then affixes the securing plate. Plates are generally designed to place 2 screws into each vertebra body. Some plates allow the screw(s) to be placed in only one or in up to a maximum of four unique locations per body. The screws are prevented from "backing out" or becoming removed from the plate by various locking or blocking means. Plate and screw combinations allow for screws to be placed at a fixed or variable angle relative to the plate. A few plates allow for a dynamic settling of the vertebrae bodies by allowing screws positioned in adjacent vertebra bodies to approach. This is accomplished by either allowing the screws to slide within the plate or by allowing the plate to compress in a telescopic manner.

Cervical plate/screw system for immobilizing vertebral bodies


An optical recording medium has a multi-layer structure recording layer portion including plural recording layers provided with tracks for guiding a recording light and being adapted to record data, where recording condition information and recording layer identification information for the recording layers are recorded on the tracks as information signals. Test writing is conducted on a recording layer that is subject to recording to derive a suitable recording condition based on recording condition information that is recorded on the recording layer, and direct recording is conducted according to a direct recording condition.

Recordable type DVDs (Digital Versatile Disk) include the DVD+R (DVD Recordable) and the DVD+RW (DVD Rewritable), for example. Such recordable type DVDs have high reproducing compatibility with a one-sided single layer read-only type DVD. Thus, much research and development are being conducted to increase the recording speed and recording capacity of such recordable type disk media.
In an optical recording medium that has plural recording layers arranged into a multi-layer structure, a recording/reproducing light directed to a recording layer that is positioned far off with respect the incidence surface of the recording/reproducing light passes through the recording layers positioned closer towards the incidence surface. Thus, in an optical recording medium in which recording is realized by changing the optical characteristics of a recording layer through changing the recording light intensity, the waveform condition and intensity condition for the recording light differs depending on each recording layer. Also, in the case of successively realizing recording on plural recording layers, the waveform condition and the intensity condition for the recording light changes from the initial conditions set at the start of the recording owing to heat generated during the recording of the recording information, for example. Thus, a waveform condition and intensity condition that differ from those for an optical recording medium with a single recording layer have to be set for a multi-layer optical recording medium.
In response to the above considerations, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-50053 discloses providing unique information of a data layer such as identification information of the data layer and recording conditions for the data layer in a low reflectance region and a high reflectance region that are alternatingly arranged with respect to an extending direction of the recording tracks to realize a bar code like arrangement.
However, the method disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2002-50053 is implemented under the premise that the unique information of a data layer may be read without conducting tracking servo, and thereby, an optical pickup may not be able to read the data layer unique information through normal operations. Furthermore, the information region for the data layer unique information, namely, the portion corresponding to the bar code information region cannot be used for information recording, and thereby, recording information density is significantly reduced.

Method and apparatus for recording information with a multi-layer structure


An image processing apparatus for reducing fluctuations due to a heat haze in an image including a stationary region and a moving object obtains histogram of gradation distribution for each of a target image to be corrected and a frame for correction, and corrects the target image by using the frame for correction while changing a mixing ratio between the target image and the frame for correction depending on similarity between histograms. To adaptively control a size of image blocks for the histograms, the apparatus calculates two indices having different robustness to deformation of an object from image blocks of each of the target image and the frame for correction, and determines suitability of the image block size based on a relationship of the indices. The difference between the histograms and the sum of absolute differences (SAD) between the pixel values can be used as the two indices.

Recently, demand for a surveillance camera is increasing with the purpose of crime prevention, field supervision and the like. Further, the function of the surveillance camera is diversifying with the development of semiconductor technology and network technology.
The surveillance camera is easily affected by the change of atmosphere and lighting, and thus improving visibility of an image from the influence is one of the important tasks in the surveillance camera. Among such tasks, an image correction technique represented by stabilizer correction, gradation correction, external disturbance (fog, rain, snowstorm, yellow dust, smog and the like) correction and the like is important and has been applied to various products until now.
A heat haze is one of the natural phenomena that degrade the image visibility of the surveillance camera. When atmospheres having different densities are locally mixed with each other due to the temperature difference of an air and the like, light is refracted to generate a heat haze. If the heat haze is generated, a deformed object is observed. Therefore, in reproduction of a taken image, particular regions in the image appear to fluctuate greatly. As such, the distortion caused by an air fluctuation phenomenon due to a heat haze and the like occurs in the image. For this reason, the visibility of an object is degraded.
In Patent Document 1, it is determined whether or not distortion in an image caused by air fluctuations (in this specification, hereinafter, simply referred to as "distortion") occurs. If it is determined that the distortion occurs, a plurality of images is generated by a continuous shooting and the images are added (averaged) to create one image in which the distortion has been corrected.
In Patent Document 2, an image correction of a heat haze and the like is performed based on an image before one frame.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-182625
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-229030
As in the Patent Documents 1 and 2 above-described, if a plurality of past images taken by continuous shooting are added (averaged), in a case where a moving object (a moving subject) is included in the images, the moving object is projected doubly or trebly. Therefore, there is a possibility that the images are greatly degraded.

Image processing apparatus and image processing method


The present invention is directed to a calcium rich preparation which is prepared by soaking fish scales in an acidic solution for a defined period of time. This fish scale extract can be used as food supplement to prevent or reduce the risk of bone loss or other calcium deficiencies. The calcium form in this fish scale extract can be readily absorbed by the skin.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a novel material and composition useful as a calcium supplement for humans and other animals. In particular, this invention relates to a fish scale extract containing a special form of calcium which can be applied topically to the skin and absorbed easily by the skin for strengthening bones or preventing other calcium deficiencies.
2. Description of the Related Art
Calcium is the fifth most abundant element in the human body. It plays an important role in many physiological processes, including nerve and muscle functions. Not surprisingly, nutritional and metabolic deficiencies of calcium can have broad-ranging adverse effects. Since about 90% of the body's calcium is found in bone tissues, many of these adverse effects are manifested through deficiencies in the structure, function and integrity of the skeletal system.
The most common metabolic bone disorder is osteoporosis. Osteoporosis can be generally defined as the reduction in the quantity of bone, or the atrophy of skeletal tissue. In general, there are two types of osteoporosis: primary and secondary. "Secondary osteoporosis" is the result of an identifiable disease process or agent. However, approximately 90% of all osteoporosis cases is idiopathic "primary osteoporosis". Such primary osteoporosis includes postmenopausal osteoporosis, age-associated osteoporosis (affecting a majority of individuals over the age of 70 to 80), and idiopathic osteoporosis affecting middle-aged and younger men and women.
For some osteoporotic individuals the loss of bone tissue is sufficiently great so as to cause mechanical failure of the bone structure. Bone fractures occur often, for example, in the wrist, hips and spine of women suffering from postmenopausal osteoporosis. Kyphosis (abnormally increased curvature of the thoracic spine) may also result.
The mechanism of bone loss in osteoporotics is believed to involve an imbalance in the process of "bone remodeling". Bone remodeling occurs throughout life, renewing the skeleton and maintaining the strength of bone. This remodeling occurs in a series of discrete pockets of activity in the bone, called "osteoclasts" and "osteoblasts". Osteoclasts (bone dissolving or resorting cells) are responsible for the resorption of a portion of bone within the bone matrix, during the resorption process. After resorption, the osteoclasts are followed by the appearance of osteoblasts (bone forming cells), which then refill the resorbed portion with new bone.
In a healthy adult, the rate at which the osteoclasts and osteoblasts are formed maintains a balance of bone resorption and bone formation. However, in osteoporotics an imbalance in this remodeling process develops, resulting in loss of bone at a rate faster than the accretion of bone. This imbalance is much more severe, and occurs at a younger age, in osteoporotics as compared to healthy adults.
Many compositions and methods are described in the medical literature for the prevention or "treatment" of osteoporosis. Many of these compositions and methods attempt to either slow the loss of bone or to produce a net gain in bone mass. See, for example, R. C. Haynes, Jr. et al., "Agents affecting Calcification", The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 7th Edition (A. G. Gilman, L. S. Goodman et al., Editors, 1985); and G. D. Whedon et al., "An Analysis of Current Concepts and Research Interest in Osteoporosis", Current Advances in Skeletogenesis (A. Ornoy et al., Editors, 1985). Estrogen is often used to affect the metabolism of calcium. Treatments using fluoride have also been described. However, the utility of such agents may be limited, due to possible adverse side effects. See W. A. Peck, et al., Physician's Resource Manual on Osteoporosis (1987), published by the National Osteoporosis Foundation (incorporated by reference herein).
Nutritional therapies for osteoporosis or prevention for other calcium deficiencies have also been proposed. Many calcium-containing compounds and compositions have been described for use as nutritional supplements. Many commercial preparations are also available, typically containing calcium carbonate. Calcium chloride, calcium gluceptate, calcium gluconate, calcium lactate, calcium phosphate, calcium citrate, and other calcium salts have also been described for use in calcium supplements. The use of calcium citrate, for example, is described in French Patent 2,219,778, Monteau, published Sep. 27, 1974; and World Patent Publications 86/04814 and 86/04815, Pak et al., both published Aug. 28, 1986. Food supplements containing calcium citrate malate are described in Japanese Patent Document 56/97, 248, Kawai, published Aug. 5, 1981.
The utility of these known supplements varies. Unlike agents (such as estrogen) which affect the metabolism of bone, calcium nutritional supplements have been thought to provide a source for calcium. Not every calcium compound can be absorbed and metabolized by the body. Applicant believes that the degree of calcium adsorption depends on the forms of the calcium compounds. Insofar as applicant knows, no prior art teaches or suggests calcium in a form of an acid extract from a natural product to be used as a absorbable calcium supplement.
It is now discovered that an extract from fish scales contains a special form of calcium complex that is useful as food supplement or a portion of a food supplement to provide the users with more calcium than they otherwise have available from their normal diets. This fish scale extract can be easily absorbed by the human body through the skin.
Many commercial calcium supplement preparations also contain vitamin D to facilitate calcium absorption, as in the instance of milk. It is well known that vitamin D plays an active role in calcium homeostasis and is a major regulator of the concentration of Ca.sup.2+ in plasma.
The concept of topical application of calcium supplements has never been suggested or reported. However, topical application of calcium supplement can be unique and useful as an alternative route to provide the body with calcium supplementation, particularly if the calcium is in a form that can be readily absorbed by the skin. The fish scale extract in the present invention is one of those forms. It should be noted that vitamin D is also synthesized in the skin, suggesting that vitamin D may directly or indirectly interact with calcium to facilitate the absorption of calcium from the skin or otherwise participate calcium metabolism after the absorption.

Fish scale extract as a calcium supplement


A method of detecting whether a user is in close proximity to an end point. A base video frame of the end point is captured when the user is not in close proximity to the end point. A current video frame of the end point is captured and compared to the base video frame of the end point to determine whether the user is in close proximity to the end point.

The present invention relates to presence detection systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for presence detection using a video input.
In the modern business world, multiple individuals typically work together as a team to obtain a particular goal. The physical location of each team member can vary greatly. For example, different team members may be located in different rooms in the same building, in different buildings at the same location, or in different cities. Having different team members distributed throughout different locations, however, can inhibit the overall communication and effectiveness of the team.
Presently, it can be difficult to communicate with team members that are frequently out of their offices for meetings, travel, etc. Team members are forced to leave voice mail messages asking the team member to return their phone call. Alternatively, if the team members are located in the same building and the team member has not returned phone calls, the person may frequently call the team member or walk down to the team member's office to check whether the team member is present in his office. However, this results in a significant waste of time.
Therefore, there exists a need for a method and apparatus for automatically and accurately detecting the presence or absence of an individual.

Method of presence detection using video input


The present invention provides polynucleotides and related reagents which are associated with pancreatic and other cancers. These polynucleotides are designated PANC1A.

The pancreas is an elongated organ which lies behind and below the stomach and above the first loop of the duodenum. It weighs approximately 100 grams and consists of both exocrine and endocrine tissues. The exocrine portion is divided into lobes by connective tissue septa, and each lobe is divided into several lobules. These lobules are composed of grape-like clusters of secretory cells which form sacs known as acini. An acinus is a functional unit, and all acini drain into interlobular ducts which merge to form the main pancreatic duct. It, in turn, joins together with the bile duct from the liver to form the common bile duct that empties into the duodenum. Pancreatic acinar cells make up more than 80% of the total volume of the pancreas and function in the secretion of the various enzymes which assist digestion in the gastrointestinal tract.
The endocrine portion of the pancreas consists of islands of tissues known as islets of Langerhans. These dispersed islets comprise approximately 2% of the total volume of the pancreas. The basic function of the pancreatic endocrine cells is to secrete certain hormones which participate in the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. The hormones secreted by the islets are insulin, glucagon, somatostatin and pancreatic polypeptide.
Carcinoma of the pancreas is the fourth commonest cancer causing death in the United States with an incidence in 1993 of 27,700 and a mortality of 24,500 (Caldas et al, (1994) Nature Gene 8:27-32). The disease is more common in males than females and the peak incidence is between the ages of 60 to 70. Incidence of carcinoma of the pancreas is 2 times greater in patients with diabetes mellitus and 2.0 to 2.5 times greater in smokers than non-smokers.
The median survival for individuals subject to pancreatic cancer is six months from the time of diagnosis. Approximately 10% of patients survive one year and the five year survival rate is 1 to 2 percent. (Harrison Principles of Internal Medicine 11th edition, Braunwald et al editors McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, pg. 1381-1384.)
Recently, Schutte et al ((1995) Proc Natl Acad Sci 92:5950-5954) used the method of representational difference analysis (RDA) as described by (Lisitsyn et al (1995) Proc Natl Acad Sci 92:151-155) to demonstrate a homozygous deletion in pancreatic carcinoma mapping to a 1-cM region at 13ql.3. The deletion was flanked by the markers D135171 and D135260 and lay within the 6-cM region identified as containing the BRCA.sub.2 (600185) locus of heritable breast cancer susceptibility. Schufte supra suggest that the same gene maybe involved in multiple tumor types and that its function is that of a tumor suppressor rather than that of a dominant oncogene. Additionally, Muller-Pillasch et al. submitted to EMBL/Genbank/and the gene database of Japan (DDBJ DDBI) in 1994 a nucleotide sequence designated NCBI GI 533948 which was found to be differentially expressed in the pancreatic cancer cell line PATU.
The Sanger Genome Centre (Cambridge, UK) has been involved in a large-scale genomic DNA sequencing project in the region of human chromosome 13 (13q12) thought to contain the gene responsible for Breast Cancer Type 2 (BRCA2). They recently deposited several large fragments of this DNA sequence on their Web Server, in unfinished and unannotated form.
Current methods for the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer include measurement of serum anylase and lipase values, however these values are found to be abnormal in only 10% of all cases. Blood, urine and feces of individuals subject to carcinoma of the body and tail of the pancreas are often normal. Also, standard gastrointestinal x-rays may suggest the presence of carcinoma of the head of the pancreas, but only 50% of all patients with this type of carcinoma have an abnormal examination (Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine supra).
In view of the difficulty in diagnosing pancreatic cancer, and the low survival rates of individuals subject to pancreatic cancer, it would be advantageous to have an early and accurate method for the detection of pancreatic cancer. It would also be advantageous to provide therapeutic compositions and methods for prevention and treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Polynucleotides encoding a protein associated with pancreatic cancer


A mobile phone with wireless camera detection. A mobile phone converts the frequency band of a received signal to mobile signal frequency band (for example GSM, DSC or PCS) with added mixer, oscillator, and filter. The converted signal is treated as a mobile signal prior to processing in the base band processor. Detected signal strength is checked to determine whether a wireless camera is currently present.

The present invention relates to a mobile phone, and more specifically, to a mobile phone with wireless camera detection.
Wireless cameras have become popular for monitoring and recording, possibly threatening personal privacy. Signal detectors detect whether a radio transmitter of a wireless/pinhole camera or listening device is currently operating nearby.
Most handheld signal detectors determine the existence of wireless cameras or listening device within 10 meters using radio frequency (RF) bandwidth detection, and then alert the user by Light Emitting Diode (LED) or vibration. The valid detection bandwidth of the signal detectors is normally 100-900/1100/1200/1300/1400 MHz, very close to the harmonics of signals generated from mobile phones. Thus signal detectors cannot be used when a mobile phone or other radio transmitter is in operation.

Mobile phone with wireless camera detection


A joint part between a main body part of an automobile subframe and a suspension support member comprises a first joint part in which an upper plate is directly superimposed on and joined to the suspension support member, and a second joint part in which a lower plate is directly superimposed on and joined to the suspension support member, and since the first and second joint parts extend in the vehicle body fore-and-aft direction without overlapping each other, it becomes possible to directly transmit, to both the upper plate and the lower plate, a load that has been inputted from the suspension arm to the suspension support member, thus enhancing the joining strength of the main body part and the suspension support member. The upper plate and the lower plate are joined to the suspension support member from the same side.

An automobile subframe in which an upper member made of a plate material and a lower member made of a plate material are joined so as to form a closed cross-section, and opposite end parts in the vehicle width direction thereof have an arm bracket for supporting a suspension arm joined thereto via a reinforcement is known from Patent Document 1 below.


A cooler having at least one bar configured along one side of the cooler lid and/or cooler body is described. A lid and/or body bar is supported by a lid or body support respectively, and has an extended length between the supports wherein a strap or latch may be configured around the bar. For example, a cooler lid may have a lid on the front side of the cooler lid and a cooler body may have a body bar that extends along the front wall of the cooler body. A latch or strap may be configured to pull the lid bar to the body bar, thereby providing for secure sealing of the cooler lid to the cooler body. A strap may be configured around a body bar to positively secure the cooler to an object, such as a vehicle while still allowing for access to the interior of the cooler.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to coolers and in particular a cooler having at least one bar configured along one side of the cooler lid and/or cooler body.
2. Background
Coolers are typically used to transport food items from one location to another. There have been any number of devices configured to retain a cooler on a vehicle including brackets, cages and the like. However, little has been done to construct a cooler that provides convenient and effective retention means to the vehicle. In some cases, a cooler may be strapped to a bracket and the straps are configured around the cooler. The cooler is susceptible to moving within the straps and sliding out from the straps as it is only retained by the tension and friction of the strap around the cooler. In addition, if an article is desired within the cooler, the straps have to be released to provide access to the cooler interior.
In some instances, coolers need to remain closed and effectively sealed when being transported over rough terrain or water. For example, rafters that are on extended trips need to keep coolers sealed for days before opening them, even while rafting through rapids and being jostled aggressively. The coolers are typically strapped or otherwise retained to beams that run across the raft and the latches provided with the cooler have to be trusted to keep the lid closed and sealed.
There exists a need for a cooler that is constructed with retention means that can allow the cooler to be directly attached to an object, such as a vehicle or raft. In addition, there exists a need for a way to retain a cooler to an object, such as a vehicle, while providing easy access to the interior without detaching the cooler from the object. Finally, there exists a need for a cooler that provides for more secure and effective sealing of the lid to the body and that is easy to manipulate.


A SBW-ECU prohibits driving of an electric motor by turning off power supply to the motor by a drive prohibition device, when a diagnosis part of a by-wire control circuit determines that a shift-by-wire system is abnormal or a monitor circuit determines that the by-wire control circuit is abnormal. In this case, the motor is stopped from rotating by execution of power supply phase fixation processing, by which a power supply phase of the motor is fixed without switchover, when the motor is driven to rotate at the time of determination of abnormality of the shift-by-wire system. Then the prohibition device prohibits driving of the motor by stopping the power supply to the motor.

In recent years, for meeting demands for saving space, simplifying assembling work, improving control performance and the like, more and more mechanical drive systems are replaced with by-wire systems, which are driven by electric motors.
In a by-wire system disclosed in JP-A-2006-336691 (US 2006/0271260 A1), a monitor control circuit such as an engine control circuit is provided separately from a by-wire control circuit, which controls a motor provided as a drive power source. This monitor control circuit monitors the by-wire control system based on predetermined monitor information. When the monitor control circuit detects abnormality of the by-wire system, it prohibits the by-wire control circuit from controlling the motor by, for example, prohibiting power supply to the motor by turning off a switch device.
According to this technology, the power supply to the motor is prohibited by turning off the switch device when the abnormality of the by-wire system is detected. In this case, even when the power supply to the motor is shut down under a state that the motor is in rotation, the motor is likely to continue to rotate by inertia of the motor or the like. As a result, it is not possible to stop quickly the mechanical operation of the by-wire system at the time of the abnormality of the by-wire system. It is thus likely that safety of the by-wire system cannot be ensured at the time of occurrence of abnormality.


Methods and systems for measuring the usage of a runtime engine that supports the software platform of a software or integration application. The method comprises identifying a software or integration application that is componentized into a plurality of units of work, wherein the units of work are based on an abstract runtime unit of work processed by the runtime engine, receiving a request from the software or integration application for the runtime engine to perform a particular unit of work for the supported software or integration application, performing the particular unit of work in response to the request, incrementing a count for the particular unit of work performed in response to the request from the software or integration application to define a usage for the particular unit of work, and displaying the usage for the particular unit of work.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of computer programming, software development, deployment, control and management. More particularly, the present invention relates to the usage-based accounting, usage-based pricing, and licensing of any runtime engine that supports the design-time and/or runtime of any software solution such as, but not limited to, business application software, integration software, software modules and software services.
2. The Relevant Technology
Other than open-source licensing models, the most typical licensing model and pricing for software middleware platforms such as application server platforms, integration server platforms, enterprise service bus platforms and in general any "software platform" that supports the runtime and/or design-time of other application software, is the perpetual CPU-based model (including its core-based variation). In this typical CPU (or core) based model, a perpetual license for a software platform is acquired by a licensee from a vendor based on the number of CPU's (or cores) of the computer server that the software platform is installed and operating on. Another licensing and pricing model less often used by vendors, commonly known as the utility computing model, is based on the CPU time spent running an application as a measure of usage. One disadvantage of this model is that the processing speed and other characteristics of the underlying software and hardware may impact the CPU time spent running the application, and consequently, the price of the software. In either pricing model, the mere existence of a software platform on a device or the time spent running a particular software solution is not a direct or accurate measure of the amount of work supported by the software platform.
Other licensing and pricing models known in the art for pricing and licensing application software by software application vendors include user-based models which are based on the number of end-users using the applications, business transaction-based models which are based on specific business transactions supported by the software, and monthly subscription-based models. These methods are rarely used for pricing and licensing software platforms, such as middleware software.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced

Accounting for usage and usage-based pricing of runtime engine


According to the present invention, gas which contains no impurities and has a high temperature of approximately 700 to 1400.degree. C. can be supplied for a long period with a short preparation time, and fluctuation in the temperature during supply can be reduced. The apparatus according to the present invention includes regenerators 4 and 5 (15 and 16) capable of transmitting sensible heat of the combustion gas to combustion air with high effectiveness by the changing-over operation at short periods and burner apparatuses 2 and 3 for mainly supplying gas fuel for combustion, constitutes a combustion apparatus for accumulating heat in the regenerators 4 and 5 by supplying the combustion air or arbitrary gas to be heated through the regenerators 4 and 5 and exhausting the combustion gas, and is designed so that the arbitrary gas that has reached a predetermined temperature is supplied outside for a predetermined time by interrupting combustion and passing only air or the arbitrary gas through the regenerators 4 and 5 after the regenerators 4 and 5 have reached a predetermined temperature.

In order to obtain high-temperature gas containing no impurities, it has been general to use an electrothermal type heating apparatus using an electric heater or an indirect regenerative type heating apparatus using a regenerative tube.
However, in the electrothermal type heating apparatus, a start-up time is long because heating elements must be prevented from being disconnected, and this type of heating apparatus is therefore practically inconvenient.
Further, the heating apparatus using a tube type regenerator is inferior in the effectiveness of regenerator, and it is difficult to product this type of heating apparatus having practical material and structure in order to obtain gas having a high temperature of approximately 1000 to 1600.degree. K.
In these prior art heating apparatuses, a time for which the high-temperature gas can be supplied is short, and there is a problem such as that a preparation time for making it possible to supply the high-temperature gas is long. Furthermore, fluctuation in temperature is disadvantageously large because the temperature suddenly drops.


A method of making a three-dimensional integrated circuit by transferring fully processed devices from a device layer of first substrate to an auxiliary substrate, separating the auxiliary substrate and the devices thereon into individual chips, testing the chips for their functionality and mounting functioning chips on a carrier substrate in a side-by-side arrangement to form a device layer therein and thereafter mounting a further device layer on said device layer of said carrier substrate. Electrical inter-connection are formed between the devices of said to layers through passage ways in their respective substrates.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention, in general, relates to a method of making a three-dimensional integrated circuit and, more particularly, to a method providing high system yields in the fabrication of three-dimensional integrated circuits.
As used herein, the term three-dimensional integration is intended to connote the vertical interconnection of devices fabricated by planar technology. The advantages of a three-dimensionally integrated microelectronic system are, among others, that with substantially identical design rules, higher package densities and switching rates may be obtained as compared to two-dimensional systems. This is the result of shorter wiring paths or interconnections between individual devices or circuits and of the possibility of parallel data processing. The increased efficiency of the system is optimized by utilizing interconnection technology offering vertical interconnections which are freely selectable as to their positioning and which are suitable for very large-scale integration (VLSI).
2. The Prior Art
The following methods of fabricating three-dimensional circuit arrangements with freely selectable vertical contacts are known:
Y. Akasaka, Proc. IEEE 74 (1986), p. 1703, suggests depositing and recrystallizing polycrystalline silicon on a fully processed device layer so that further devices may be formed in the recrystallized layer. The disadvantages of such a method reside in the yield-reducing degradation of the devices in the lower level because of the high thermic stress induced by the recrystallization process and because of the necessarily serial processing of the overall system. They lead to correspondingly long cycle times during fabrication as well as to reduced yields because of accumulating process-inherent rejects. Both increase manufacturing costs significantly as compared to processing individual layers in separate substrates.
Y. Hayashi et al., Proc. 8th Int. Workshop on Future Electron Devices, 1990, page 85, proposes initial fabrication of separate device in separate substrates. Thereafter the substrates are reduced in their thickness to a few micrometers, provided with front and back leads and connected to each other by a bonding process. Special processes such as MOS-incompatible materials, for instance, gold, and patterning or structuring the back surface of the substrate, not provided for in standard fabrication techniques of semiconductors such as, for instance, complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS) are, however, required to provide the front and back leads.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,568 describes a method of fabricating a three-dimensional integrated circuit structure by stacking individual ICs on a substrate to form a chip stack. To this end, a substrate provided with fully processed ICs is first divided into unit chips, whereby processing at the wafer level is completed. The chips are tested (wafer sorted), and a first unit chip is mounted on a substrate by thermocompression. Following this step, another chip is mounted (piggy-backed) in the same manner to the first chip. Hence, a first chip stack will be finished before fabrication of a further chip stack on another substrate can be begun. Further processing of the chip stack is, therefore, not possible at the wafer level.
A serious disadvantage of the aforementioned methods derives from the fact that equipment available in silicon technology lends itself only to processing of the discshaped or sliced substrates, known as wafers. Processing of substrates differing therefrom, especially of individual chips, can be performed with experimental test equipment only; but it is not possible on an industrial fabrication scale with its required high yields.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,875 describes a method of three-dimensional integration by stacking individual wafers, in which the interconnection between individual device planes is provided by specially formed vias. By combining substrates containing a plurality of identical devices, viz.: chips, the resulting yield of a multi-layer system is derived from the product of the individual yields. This leads to a drastically reduced yield in a system including several device planes, such as a system made in accordance with the method of U.S. Pat. No. 4,954,875. Thus, at a yield of 80% of an individual plane, the resulting total yield of a system combined of ten layers is but 10%, making such a system uneconomical. Accordingly, such technology is restricted to a few specialized applications. The yield of a device substrate is also dependant upon its circuit species and its fabrication process. Very high yields are obtained, for example, in the field of memory components, whereas markedly lower yields are obtained in logic devices, such as microprocessors. Particularly where different species of such circuits are stacked together, the total yield is disproportionately determined by that species of circuit providing the lowest yield.

Method of making a three-dimensional integrated circuit

Fraunhofer Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angwandten Forschung e.V.


The invention relates to furniture, in particular to sitting devices and can be used as a work chair or therapeutic furniture.

All inner organs, central, peripheral and vegetative nervous system, vascular and lymphatic systems and muscular ligamentous apparatus are somehow or other concerned with human bony skeleton. From the position of biomechanics, the head, neck, trunk and extremities of a human are joined in statokinematic regions by the bone and muscular ligamentous structures. The most important skeleton formation is considered to be spinal column or backbone. The backbone performs protective, support and motor functions and is the main structure-forming organ. From the position of biomechanics, the backbone, pelvis and low extremities represent a whole statokinematic block.
Disorders in some part of this system lead to the disorders of functioning of other structures.
The spine column, functioning as a whole organ, represents a chain of connected vertebra-motor segments (VMS). VMS are joined by the two adjacent vertebras with the intervertebral disk, muscular ligamentous apparatus, lying between them. Movements in the area of VMS can be performed in normal, decreased and increased ranges, as well as in the zone of micro movements ("model" of joint). The backbone has the so-called physiological curvatures in sagittal plane—cervical and lumbar lordosis, thoracic and sacrococcygeal kyphosis. Curvatures in frontal plane are usually regarded as scoliosis or scoliosion, i.e. pathology, although many investigation works have proved that the minimal degree of curvature of the frontal plane is typical of all people and is normal. The combination of these disorders in the horizontal plane is regarded as asymmetric position of structures of the shoulder-girdle with respect to pelvis or as "torsion".
The pelvis joins sacrum, adherent pair iliacs, ischial and pubic bones in a single block, having three joints: symphysis pubis, sacroiliac, right and left joints. Movements in these joints can be performed either within normal range or within limited or enlarged range (micro movements, "model" of joint).
The position of sacrum, which is located between the pelvis and spine column, determines the position of pelvis (inclination, lateral inclination, tortuosity) and spine column (the intensity of its curvature in all planes). It was determined that morphometric characteristics of backbone, pelvis bones and lower extremities had "spiral" in their basis and that human muscles were united into special muscular loops interacting according to the laws of spiral.
There are constitutionally determined types of constructive approaches to human support-motor apparatus. They are realized through morphological and functional asymmetries ("?" and "S"-shape spinal curvatures, types of "torsion" of spine column, relatively and absolutely short leg, "leading" leg, "jumping" leg, "support" leg, etc.).
While keeping the position of the body (statics) and moving the body (dynamics), the intensity of physiological curvatures and frontal deviations changes, as well as the position of inner organs, nervous, vascular and lymphatic system structures.
As a rule, functional asymmetries of support-motor apparatus and biomechanical characteristics of mobility of VMS are not considered in the sphere of human activity support (furniture, work tools, clothes, etc.). In a sitting posture supporting by gluteal regions, the determining factors involve the asymmetry of position of pelvis structures in all planes, the "switch-off" of the functions of iliopsoas and gluteus muscle, as well as other muscular groups, prelum abdominale and diaphragm muscles, specifically. The sitting device with additional support (chair back, etc.) consists in switching off the antigravity function of some muscles of the spinal column. Thus, in a sitting posture (statics), the protective and support structure-forming characteristics of the spinal column and all the biokinematic chain backbone-pelvis-lower extremities change and the load upon osteochondrous structures of the backbone, especially upon the lumbar VMS, increases.
The resulting influence of geophysical factors upon the human body, taking into consideration structural and functional asymmetries typical of the body, can be represented in the form of a long-pitch screw. Body constitution correspondingly counteracts the screwing effect, pressing the human body to the earth, in order to maintain the balance state. The form of spring and spiral mostly satisfies this condition.
Patent FR, A, 2589701 protects a device which provides optimal position of the body and neck in a sitting posture, comprising a supporting element of approximately rectangular form in frontal plane with front, supporting and back base layers, possessing different physical properties, provided with a case and fastening means.
Patent RU, 01, 2170539 protects an analogous device comprising a supporting element, consisting of two layers of symmetrical form or having the form of an airplane wing profile, with the depth of flexure from 0 to 50 cm in horizontal cross section, ratio of rigidity of layers—from 1:1.2 to 1:3. The back base layer has a vertical trough 2-8 cm wide and 0.5-3 cm deep.
These devices enable to ease down the lumbar muscle tension in a sitting posture, however are far from providing "optimal biomechanics of the body and neck", which is declared by the applicants.
Patent RU, 01, 2063646 protects a sitting device, comprising a support, provided with a base in a top part thereof, on which a seat is mounted; the sitting device comprises also a backrest, headrest, armrest, foot loaders, underarm rests and seat belt. The operator can be working in a sitting position, can be resting in reclining and lying posture and performing physical exercises.
This engineering solution is taken as prototype of the present invention.
This engineering solution enables to ease down the fatigability in the sitting posture, however, as all other known engineering solutions, it does not consider the peculiarities of biomechanics of support-motor apparatus and other systems of human organism—mobility of osteochondrous ligamentous junctions in the region of micromotions ("model" of joint), constitutionally determined morphological and functional asymmetries of support-motor apparatus of a human; in a sitting posture resting upon buttocks, the main muscle forming a lumbar lordosis (iliopsoas muscle) is in a relaxed state, gluteus and prelum abdominale muscles are "switched off"; depending on the inclination angle of pelvis forward or aside, pelvis "tortuosity", unequal distribution of support in the points of contact takes place, the load upon the spinal column, especially upon the lumbar part of the spine, sharply increases due to "switching off" of the lower extremities and pelvis from the biokinematic chain. It is worth mentioning thereby that the sitting posture is considered to have the biggest load for the spinal column, especially harmful is the kyphotic position of backbone, i.e. implying a slight forward inclination when the load upon the intervertebral disks, especially in the lumbar part of backbone, and upon postural muscles of spinal column increases, intra-abdominal pressure decreases because of enervation of prelum abdominale, people with low-grade fixing function of conjunctive tissue (hypermobile) experience descending of inner organs of abdominal cavity, disturbance of biomechanics of breathing, difficulty of bile outflow, etc.
"Congestive" effects in small pelvis take place, causing diseases or functional disorders of organs of small pelvis (haemorrhoid, prostatitis, impotence, frigidity, endometritis, etc., as well as dysfunction of lower parts of gastrointestinal tract, etc.); mechanical crossclamping of neurovascular trunks, coming to the lower extremities, occurs; due to the necessity to keep head in vertical position, overloads and spastic reactions occur in suboccipital group of muscles, causing impairment of blood circulation in vertebrobasilar system of vessels of the brain, feeding the brain stem and basal parts, i.e. parts comprising control centers of vital functions of the organism, although sitting with the two zones of support provided (seat and backrest), the overloads are not so pronounced, but a part of postural muscles "switches off", which leads to a non-even increase of loads upon the activated postural muscles and corresponding VMS, particularly in lumbar part; bone structures of the backbone undergo long pressure (from the backrest), which causes the formation of reversible restrictions in VMS or VMS functional blocks.

Abstract: The aim of said invention is to develop a sitting device which would make it possible to efficiently relieve the backbone in a sitting posture taking into consideration individual morphological and functional asymmetries, thereby normalizing the work of other organs and systems of an organism, first and foremost the organs of the small pelvis, optimizing the “turtuosity” of the backbone associated with constitutional and geophysical factors.

Abstract: The sitting device comprises a support provided with a base in a top part thereof, on which a seat is mounted; said seat consists of two parts pivotally arranged on a horizontal axis which lies on a frontal plane and is fixed to the base, each part of the seat being provided with adjusters of the rotational motion thereof with respect to the horizontal axis; the device can be provided with a back and a bracket bearing a backrest, comprising two supporting elements pivotally arranged on the horizontal axis which lies on the frontal plane and fixed to the bracket, each supporting element of the backrest being provided with adjusters of the rotational motion thereof with respect to the horizontal axis.


A vehicle height adjusting device includes: a changing unit that changes relative positions of a vehicle main body and wheels of a vehicle; and a control unit that adjusts a vehicle height that is a height of the vehicle main body by controlling the changing unit to change the relative positions, in which the changing unit includes an electromagnetic valve that is provided on a circulation path of a fluid and that is adjusted to have an opening amount in accordance with supplied power and changes the relative positions as pressure of the fluid varies in accordance with the opening amount of the electromagnetic valve, and the control unit performs Pulse-Width-Modulation control on voltage applied to the electromagnetic valve so that the opening amount of the electromagnetic valve equals a desired opening amount.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a vehicle height adjusting device and a vehicle height adjusting method for adjusting a vehicle height of a motorcycle.
2. Related Art
In recent years, devices are being proposed for increasing a vehicle height of a motorcycle when it travels and reducing a vehicle height of the same when it is stopped in order to allow a rider to mount and dismount the motorcycle more easily.
There is, for example, as described in Patent Literature 1, a vehicle height adjusting device which automatically changes a vehicle height in response to a vehicle speed of a motorcycle, wherein the vehicle height is automatically increased when the vehicle speed reaches a set speed and automatically reduced when the vehicle speed equals or falls below the set speed. In addition, an electromagnetic actuator is actuated in order to adjust vehicle height.

Vehicle height adjusting device and vehicle height adjusting method


An automotive lamp according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: a first lamp unit that has a first projection lens; a second lamp unit that has a second projection lens; and an inter-lens region illumination lens that is arranged such that the inter-lens region illumination lens covers a region between the first projection lens and the second projection lens when viewed from the front of the lamp and such that the inter-lens region illumination lens radiates, toward the front of the lamp, light that is emitted from at least one of the first projection lens and the second projection lens and that enters the inter-lens region illumination lens.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automotive lamp and, more particularly, to an automotive lamp used in a vehicle such as an automobile.
2. Description of the Related Art
Patent document No. 1 discloses an automotive lamp that forms a low beam light distribution pattern, using a plurality of lamp units. More specifically, a first unit for forming a low beam light distribution pattern (the light distribution pattern of a low beam) has three subunits. Each of the subunits forms any one of a pattern for forming a hot zone, a pattern for forming a cutoff line that is larger than the pattern for forming a hot zone, a pattern for forming a diffusion area that extends more in a transverse direction than the pattern for forming a cutoff line, and the three patterns are superimposed on one another to form a low beam light distribution pattern. Each of the subunits is provided with a projection lens having a substantially perfect circle shape when viewed from the front.
[Patent document No. 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-243477
In the case of forming one light distribution pattern by using a plurality of lamp units, light-emitting regions of the respective lamp units are desirably connected so as to be viewed as one light-emitting unit as a whole in an automotive lamp. This is for the purpose of improving a function of the automotive lamp that allows a pedestrian or the like to recognize the presence of the own vehicle by increasing the area of one light-emitting unit (this function is hereinafter referred to as an own-vehicle-marking function).


A digital audio tape recorder signal processor whose signal processing period is Td performs signal processing for recording 2-channel PCM signals having a sampling frequency of Fs. A circuit is provided for compressing the time-base of 4-channel PCM signals by one-half to form 2-channel time-base-compressed PCM signals in which the first and second channels are time-divided and multiplexed and the third and fourth channels are time-divided and multiplexed, so that when the time-base-compressed PCM signal is supplied to the signal processor, the signal processor is operated with a sampling frequency of 2Fs and the signal processing period is changed to 1/2 Td.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to a signal processing apparatus used in a rotary-head, digital tape recorder and, more particularly, to signal processing apparatus used in recording and playing back 4-channel PCM audio signals.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Six different recording modes are employed in the field of rotary-head, digital tape recorders (R-DAT), and the standard mode is the 48k mode adapted to record and play back a 2-channel signal. In the 48k mode, the sampling frequency is 48 kHz, the quantizing bit number is 16 bits for linear quantization, the tape speed is 8.15 mm/s, and the drum speed is 2000 rpm. There is also an optional 32k-LP mode adapted to record and play back 2-channel signals. In the 32k-LP mode, the sampling frequency is 32 kHz, the quantizing bit number is 12 bits for nonlinear quantization, and the drum speed is 1000 rpm. In the 32k-LP mode, only one half of the amount of information can be accommodated compared with the 48k mode, and the data transmission rate is also reduced by one half. Therefore, the tape speed is one half the speed in the 48k mode, and a long recording time is possible.
In the field of R-DAT, a mode for recording and playback of a 4-channel PCM audio signal is established. In the 32k-4CH mode, the sampling frequency is 32 kHz and the quantizing bit number is 12 bits for nonlinear quantization, as in the 32k-LP mode. The information amount, however, because of using four channels, is the same as that of the standard or 48k mode, with the same tape speed and the same drum revolution rate as those described above.
In the field of R-DAT, error correction is carried out in each unit of 8-bit data, typically called a symbol, and this requires conversion of the original 16-bit data or 12-bit data into symbols. In the case of 16-bit data, the upper significant 8 bits and the lower significant 8 bits are formed into two different symbols. In the case of 12-bit data, however, which is not an integral multiple of 8 bits, a plurality of 12-bit data are converted into a plurality of symbols. FIG. 1 represents a conversion rule for converting 12-bit words to symbols in the 32k-LP mode. Eight 12-bit words, L0, R0, L1, R1, L2, R2, L3, R3, for example, of the PCM audio signal are converted into twelve words of 8 bits each, representing twelve symbols. The remaining PCM audio signal consisting of words L4, R4, . . . , L959, R959 are also converted into symbol units in the same manner.
FIG. 2 represents a conversion rule for word-to-symbol conversion in the 32k-4CH mode. Reference symbols A0, B0, C0 and D0 denote PCM audio signals of twelve bits each for four channels, A to D, respectively. It will be appreciated from the apparent differences between FIGS. 1 and 2 that the word-to-symbol conversion rule is different in the 32k-LP mode and the 32k-4CH mode. Furthermore, the 32k-LP mode employs a signal processing period Td of 60 ms, which is equal to the rotation cycle of the drum. In the 32k-4CH mode, a signal processing period of Td/2 of 30 ms is employed.
In addition to the standard 48k mode, two systems are known for establishing the R-DAT 4-channel mode. One is a system wherein the signal processor is designed to be operative with a sampling frequency of 32 Khz and an address generating circuit operative under the aforementioned 4-channel mode conversion rule. The other system advantageously utilizes the fact that the data transmission is identical between the 32k-4CH mode and the standard 48k mode and activates its processor in the 48k mode. Also, the other system scrambles data, at the input side of the processor during recording or at the output side of the processor during playback, to perform the 12-to-16 data conversion and, at the same time, the conversion of the sampling frequency.
The first system uses an address generating circuit or other equivalent circuit peculiar to the 4-channel mode, so that it has the drawback that the scale of the hardware of the processor is increased. The second system, which requires some additional circuits for the 4-channel mode in the processor, makes it necessary to modify the existing processor that is typically in the form of an LSI, thereby requiring redesign of the LSI.
In addition, if multi-channel digital audio signals other than a stereo system can be recorded or reproduced with the digital audio tape recorder of this kind, as is done using a conventional audio tape recorder configured to record and reproduce an analog signal, the usefulness of the digital audio tape recorder will be improved significantly.
Moreover, if the digital audio tape recorder is capable of recording and reproducing a digital audio signal between channels, then mixing processing, edit processing, and the like of the digital audio signal may be carried out as desired, and the usefulness of the recorder will be further improved.

Digital signal processor for converting between 4-channel PCM signals and 2-channel PCM signals


A method of producing a pentafluorosulfanyl aromatic compound is provided. A method of producing a pentafluorosulfanyl aromatic compound represented by general formula (3):Ar—(SF5)k  (3)                where Ar is a substituted or an unsubstituted aryl group or heteroaryl group, and k is an integer of 1 to 3;        the method includes reacting IF5 with a halotetrafluorosulfanyl aromatic compound represented by general formula (2):Ar—(SF4Hal)k  (2)        where Ar and k are defined as above; and Hal is a Cl group, a Br group, or an I group.

A pentafluorosulfanyl group (hereinafter, referred to as SF5 group) has been drawing attention as a very promising material. For the unique physicochemical characteristics, the SF5 group is attracting attention especially in the pharmaceutical field. The SF5 group is often compared with a well-known CF3 group. The electronegativity of the SF5 group is 3.65, which is close to the electronegativity of a nitro group, whereas the electronegativity of the CF3 group is 3.36. The size of the SF5 group is approximately intermediate between those of a CF3 group and a tert-butyl group. Although both the SF5 group and the CF3 group have high electronegativity and hydrophobicity (Hansh hydrophobic constant π (CF3) of 1.09 and π (SF5) of 1.51), their properties are generally different. The SF5 group exhibits lipophilicity, membrane permeability, and metabolic stability. Due to these characteristics, the SF5 group may be potentially useful for new drug candidate compounds, herbicides, insecticides, antidepressants, and antimalarial drugs, for example. Non-Patent Literature (NPL) 1 discloses a two-step reactions (scheme 1a) for obtaining Ar—SF5 by oxidatively chlorinating and fluorinating an aryl disulfide, followed by Cl—F exchange reactions (SN reactions) of the resulting Ar—SF4Cl with a fluorinating agent, such as ZnF2, HF, or Sb(III/V) fluoride. This process is currently put into practical use.
Moreover, regarding pyridines (Py) having a SF5 group, NPL 2 discloses a method of obtaining o-Py-SF5 by oxidative chlorination and fluorination of dipyridyl disulfide, followed by Cl—F exchange reactions in which the resulting o-Py-SF4Cl is reacted with AgF (scheme 1b). In NPL 2, fluorination of o-Py-SF4Cl having a 5-NO2 or 5-CF3 group by using AgF was attempted, but little or no Py-SF5 was synthesized.
NPL 3 discloses a synthetic method for m-Py-SF5 and p-Py-SF5 (scheme 1c). The reason that Cl—F exchange reactions do not proceed in o-Py-SF4Cl is presumably because C—S bond cleavage (pathway a in scheme 1c) due to competitive nucleophilic aromatic substitution (SNAr) reactions preferentially occurs relative to Cl—F exchange reactions (pathway b in scheme 1c) via SN reactions. It is known that Cl—F exchange reactions are difficult to proceed in electron-deficient SF4Cl group-containing aromatic compounds. NPL 1 discloses that Cl—F exchange reactions did not proceed well even by reacting p-NO2-phenyl-SF4Cl with ZnF2 at a high temperature and the yield of p-NO2-phenyl-SF5 was 36%.

NPL 4 discloses that thiopyridines having Cl substituents are reacted with IF5.

Method of producing pentafluorosulfanyl aromatic compound


The present invention discloses a method for producing an olefin through decarbonylation of a carboxylic acid having a β-hydrogen atom or a derivative thereof in the presence of a catalyst containing at least one metal element selected from Groups 9, 10, and 11 metals under conditions with a concentration of carbon monoxide of not less than 41 mmol/L.

To producing an olefin having a desired chain length, commonly known is a method of oligomerizing a short-chain olefin such as ethylene to synthesize an α olefin. The method of oligomerization unfortunately fails to produce only an olefin having a desired chain length at high yield due to distribution in the degree of polymerization.
There are also known methods for producing an olefin from a carboxylic acid, including a method of production from a carboxylic acid in the presence of a Pd complex catalyst (U.S. Pat. No. 3,530,198), a method of production of an α olefin from a carboxylic acid in the presence of an acid anhydride and a catalyst containing an element selected from Group 8, Group 9, and Group 10 metals and copper (U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,447), and a method of production of an α olefin from a carboxylic acid in the presence of a Pd complex catalyst and a pivalic anhydride (Chem. Commun., 724, (2004)). These methods have employed a special additive or a particularly high reaction temperature of not less than 250° C. to enhance olefin production efficiency, but unfortunately resulting in an unsatisfactory yield of a desired olefin.
Recently, the present inventors have found that use of a catalyst containing an iodine element and at least one metal element selected from Groups 6 to 11, or a combination of an iodide and a catalyst containing a metal element selected from Group 8, Group 9, and Group 10 and copper could produce an olefin at high yield under relatively mild conditions, and disclosed in JP-A2010-168340, which corresponds to WO-A2010/024420.


A method for preventing arcing during deep via plasma etching is provided. The method comprises forming a first patterned set of parallel conductive lines over a substrate and forming a plurality of semiconductor pillars on the first patterned set of parallel conductive lines and extending therefrom, wherein a pillar comprises a first barrier layer, an antifuse layer, a diode, and a second barrier layer, wherein an electric current flows through the diode upon a breakdown of the antifuse layer. The method further comprises depositing a dielectric between the plurality of semiconductor pillars, and plasma etching a deep via recess through the dielectric and through the underlying layer after the steps of forming a plurality of semiconductor pillars and depositing a dielectric. An embodiment of the invention comprises a memory array device.

As devices become smaller and integration density increases, reactive ion etching (RIE) has become a key process in anisotropic etching of semiconductor features. RIE or ion-enhanced etching works by a combination of physical and chemical mechanisms for achieving etch selectivity and anisotropy. In some applications, for example, etching high aspect ratio features such as vias, high density plasma (HDP) etching has been increasingly used in etching high aspect ratio features, for example, with aspect ratios greater than about 3:1.
During the formation of semiconductor devices it is often required that the conductive layers be interconnected through high-aspect-ratio holes in inter-metal dielectric (IMD) layers. Such holes are commonly referred to as contact holes, i.e., when the hole extends through an insulating layer to an active device area, or vias, i.e., when the hole extends through an insulating layer between two conductive layers. The profile of a hole is of particular importance since it exhibits specific electrical characteristics when the contact hole or via is filled with a conductive material. Typically, the holes are high aspect ratio holes, meaning that the ratio of length to width is greater than about 3. Such holes are typically formed by a reactive ion etching (RIE) process where complex chemical processes assisted by ion bombardment result in relatively higher etching rates in one direction versus another, known as anisotropic etching. The relative anisotropy or selectivity of the etching process will in turn determine the etching profile of an etched hole and consequently its aspect ratio. As semiconductor structures are inevitably driven to smaller sizes, successful etching of higher aspect ratio holes is becoming more difficult.
A common phenomenon in multi-level semiconductor devices is charge accumulation during plasma processing. For example, charged species may become incorporated within the surface of the layer, with localized charge accumulation aided by defects formed in the dielectric insulating layer. As dielectric insulating layers have decreased in dielectric constant, their increased electrical insulating characteristics also contribute to the localized buildup of electrical charge within the insulating portion of the multi-level device. The electrical charge build-up is frequently long lasting, lasting at least for several hours.
One detrimental effect of the localized accumulation of charge in the dielectric insulating layer is arcing. The problem of arcing or electrical discharge of the plasma to localized charged areas on the semiconductor wafer has increasingly become a critical problem in RIE processes. The arcing damage typically occurs near a metallization line, which is believed to provide a pathway to localized charged areas in the dielectric layer. The problem is critical since the damage caused by the arcing typically is typically severe and the extent of damage to underlying regions and surrounding areas not readily ascertainable making further processing of the wafer impractical. As a result, arcing damage to the wafer is costly in terms of wafer yield and reliability.
One semiconductor area where plasma arcing is a problem is in the fabrication of programmable stackable memory arrays. Shown in FIG. 1 is a conventional intermediate stackable field programmable EPROM comprising a plurality of vertical p-i-n polysilicon antifuse diodes. In a first level of memory cells, are a plurality of conventional memory cell diodes 108, the diodes having a thin SiO2 or nitride antifuse layer (not shown). The memory cell diodes 108 are connected to a plurality of bitlines 111, the bitlines 111 being interposed between a TiN barrier layer 109 and a suitable underlying layer 102. The opposite end of the memory cell diodes are connected to a tungsten wordline 117, with another TiN barrier layer 118 interposed between. Conventional stacked EPROMs further include a dielectric layer 120 on the wordline 117, a first conductor 114, and a second conductor 127. On the dielectric layer 120 is a second plurality of memory cell diodes 121 having another TiN barrier layer 122 and bitlines 123, essentially the same as that of the first memory cell layer.
After forming the EPROM structure described above, a typical fabrication sequence includes depositing a fourth TiN barrier layer 133. It is typically after depositing barrier layer 133 that deep via plasma etching occurs.
Turning now to FIG. 2, there is illustrated a plasma etched via 134 formed down to a suitable conductor 105 within the underlying layer 102. As shown in FIG. 2, plasma etching of via 134 involves simultaneously exposing TiN layer 136 and tungsten wordline layer 117 to the plasma. At this stage of a conventional fabrication process, TiN layer 136 and tungsten wordline layer 117 are floating conductors. Therefore, during plasma forming of via 134, a charge imbalance may occur between TiN layer 136 and wordline layer 117 thereby causing these to layers to become essentially a charged capacitor. As described above, arcing may occur. Referring to FIG. 2, arcing may occur between TiN layer 136 and an exposed corner of wordline layer 139 thereby damaging surrounding structures.
In light of these and other problems, there is a need for a method that avoids plasma arcing during plasma processing of dielectric layers.

Multi-level interconnection memory device

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


A connector assembly for non-permanently interconnecting wires from respective cables comprises a box-like structure including a rear wall, side walls and a front wall formed from a plurality of replaceable front wall modules. Connectors at an end of cables extending into the box are removably mounted within respective ones of a plurality of side-by-side slots in the rear wall with the connector terminals facing towards the box front wall. Each front wall module comprises a front wall plate, a printed circuit board including forwardly projecting terminals extending entirely through the front wall plate for being accessible at the front of the box, and a mating connector mounted on the circuit board and having terminals connected, via conductive paths on the circuit board, to the forwardly extending terminals. The printed circuit board is mounted on a rearwardly facing surface of the front wall plate with the mating conductor thereon facing towards, and thus moveable into engagement with a rear wall mounted cable connector, when the wall module is mounted in the assembly box.

This invention relates to connector assemblies for electrically and mechanically interconnecting a plurality of wires in a first cable to respective wires in a second cable.
There are many instances where it is required to interconnect wires from one cable to corresponding wires from another cable. For example, in an office building it is known in advance that a plurality of telephone lines from within the building must be individually connected to wires in cables from a telephone central office. However, until the building is occupied, and even after (in response to changes in usage), it is not known which particular telephone lines are to be connected to which cable lines. Thus, cable interconnection assemblies are provided at which different cables are terminated and which provide means for selectively, and on a non-permanent basis, interconnecting the various wires of the various cables.
FIG. 1 herein, for example, shows a presently used interconnecting arrangement. An "internal" cable 10 from, say, within an office building, terminates in a known type of connector 12 providing exposed terminals (not visible) electrically connected to respective wires within the cable. The connector 12 is connected, in turn, to a connector 18 of a prefabricated wiring harness 14 including a plurality of insulated wires 16 extending loosely from an end of a cable 17 of the wires. The exposed wires 16 are generally flexible and of suitable length for being first hand trimmed and then individually threaded into wire slots 20 within a known "index strip" 22. The index strip can be mounted, for example, on a flat panel mounted on a wall of the building. Connectors 24 of a known type are then snapped onto the index strip 22 for firmly securing the wires 16 within the slots 20 and for making electrical contacts to the wires. Each wire 16 is thus individually accessible at a front end of the connector 24 and groups of "external" wires 26 connected within known "patching" connectors 25 are then connected to the building "internal" wires by snapping the connectors 25 in place on the connectors 24.
Advantages of the arrangement shown are that the components thereof are easy to handle and mount in place and changes in wiring connections can readily be made.
Disadvantages, however, are that the hand trimming and individual threading of the wire ends into the respective slots is a relatively slow process. Also, the wire harness 14 is relatively unsightly when exposed to view on the building wall and provides relatively poor protection of the wire contacts against dirt.
These disadvantages are addressed in accordance with this invention.