This specification discloses a zoom lens which has, in succession from the object side, a first lens unit of positive refractive power, a second lens unit having negative refractive power and movable during a focal length change, a third lens unit for correcting the changing of an image plane resulting from the movement of the second lens unit, and a fixed fourth lens unit having positive refractive power, and in which an aspherical surface of a predetermined shape for correcting well spherical aberration and distortion resulting from a focal length change is provided on a predetermined lens surface in the first lens unit.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a zoom lens, and particularly to a zoom lens suitable for a television camera, a phototaking camera, or a video camera, in which an aspherical surface is appropriately used in a portion of a lens system, whereby the zoom lens has good optical performance over an entire variable power range and has as large an aperture as the F-number of the order of 1.7 at the wide angle end and moreover a wide angle (a wide angle end angle of view 2.omega.=58.degree.-70.degree.) and as high a variable power ratio as a variable power ratio of the order of 12-35.
2. Related Background Art
Zoom lenses having a large aperture and high variable power and moreover having high optical performance have heretofore been required of television cameras, phototaking cameras and video cameras.
In addition, particularly in color television cameras for broadcasting, importance has been attached to operability and mobility and in compliance with these requirements, a compact CCD (solid state image pickup element) of 2/3 inch or 1/2 inch has become the mainstream as an image pickup device.
This CCD has its entire image pickup range having substantially uniform resolving power and therefore, for a zoom lens using it, it is required that the resolving power be substantially uniform from the center of the image field to the periphery of the image field.
For example, it is required that various aberrations such as astigmatism, distortion and chromatic difference of magnification be corrected well and the entire image field have high optical performance. Further, it is desired that the zoom lens have a large aperture, a wide angle and a high variable power ratio and moreover be compact and light in weight, and have a long back focus because a color resolving optical system and various kinds of filters are disposed forwardly of image pickup means.
Among zoom lenses, a so-called four-unit zoom lens comprising, in succession from the object side, four lens units, i.e., a first lens unit of positive refractive power for focusing, a second lens unit of negative refractive power for focal length change, a third lens unit of positive or negative refractive power for correcting the image place changing with a focal length change, and a fourth lens unit of positive refractive power for imaging can be relatively easily made to have a high variable power ratio and a large aperture and therefore is often used as a zoom lens for a color television camera for broadcasting.
Of four-unit zoom lenses, a four-unit zoom lens having a great aperture ratio and high variable power in which F-number is of the order of 1.6-1.9 and the variable power ratio is of the order of 13 is proposed, for example, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 54-127322.
In a zoom lens, to obtain a great aperture ratio (F-number 1.7-1.8) and a high variable power ratio (variable power ratio 12-35) and a wide angle (a wide angle end angle of view 2.omega.=58.degree.-70.degree.) and moreover, high optical performance over the entire variable power range, it is necessary to set the refractive power and lens construction of each lens unit appropriately.
Generally, to have a small aberration fluctuation over the entire variable power range and obtain high optical performance, it becomes necessary to increase, for example, the number of lenses in each lens unit to thereby increase the degree of freedom of design in aberration correction.
Therefore, if an attempt is made to achieve a zoom lens having a great aperture ratio, a wide angle and a high variable power ratio, there unavoidably arises the problem that the number of lenses is increased and the entire lens system becomes bulky, and the desire for compactness and lighter weigh cannot be met.
Also, regarding the imaging performance, firstly, the changing of the point at the center of the image field whereat the image contrast is best, i.e., the so-called best image plane, resulting from a focal length change poses a problem. This is attributable chiefly to the changing of spherical aberration resulting from a focal length change. This spherical aberration influences by the cube of the aperture in the area of third-order aberration coefficient and therefore, is the greatest problem against a larger aperture.
Generally, the changing of spherical aberration resulting from a focal length change, when the zoom ratio is Z and the focal length of the wide angle end is fw, tends to become under (minus) relative to the Gaussian image plane from the wide angle end at which spherical aberration is 0 to the vicinity of a zoom position fm=fw.times.Z.sup.1/4, as shown in FIG. 33 of the accompanying drawings. When the vicinity of the zoom position fm=fw.times.Z.sup.1/4 is passed, the under amount becomes small and at a certain zoom position, it becomes 0 and now tends to become over (plus).
In the foregoing, fw is the focal length of the wide angle end, and Z is a zoom ratio.
The changing of spherical aberration becomes most over (plus) near a zoom position fd=(Fno. w/Fno. t).times.ft at which F drop in which F-number becomes great (the lens system becomes dark) begins, and when this zoom position is passed, the over amount becomes small to the telephoto end, and becomes nearly 0 at the telephoto end.
In the foregoing, Fno. w and Fno. t are F-numbers at the wide angle end and the telephoto end, respectively, and ft is the focal length of the telephoto end.
As described above, particularly in a zoom lens having a position at which F drop begins, the control of spherical aberration on the telephoto side becomes very difficult.
Next, regarding the wider angle of a zoom lens, of the imaging performance, distortion becomes the greatest problem. This is because in the area of third-order aberration coefficient, distortion influences by the cube of the angle of view.
As shown in FIG. 34 of the accompanying drawings, distortion is considerably greatly under (minus) at the wide angle end (focal length fw). From the wide angle end fw toward the telephoto end (focal length ft), distortion sequentially becomes greater in the over (plus) direction, and passes a zoom position at which distortion is 0, and the over value becomes greatest near the zoom position fm=fw.times.Z.sup.1/4. From the focal length fm to the telephoto end ft, the over amount sequentially becomes smaller. This tendency becomes greater as the angle of view at the wide angle end becomes greater and therefore, when the wider angle of a zoom lens is contrived, the control of distortion on the wide angle end becomes very difficult.
In order to correct such changing of various aberrations well over the entire variable power range, the number of lenses in the lens unit for focusing or the focal length changing system has been increased to thereby correct it. This has led to the problem that the entire lens system becomes bulky and complicated.
Also, the introduction of an aspherical surface for the solution of such a problem is proposed, for example, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 7-35978.
However, the specification of zoom lenses has been improved, and in a zoom lens having a great aperture ratio and moreover having a high variable power ratio beginning from a super-wide angle, the revision of the method of introducing an aspherical surface has become necessary.
In a zoom lens having a great aperture ratio and moreover having a high variable power ratio beginning from a super-wide angle, spherical aberration changes greatly on the telephoto side and distortion changes greatly on the wide angle side. To correct both of these aberrations well, it is necessary to apply an aspherical surface on to an appropriate lens surface in a focal length changing portion.


A CPU that has transferred to a stop mode in order to reduce power consumption can be restarted from a control section of a printer, but cannot be restarted by an instruction from a host computer. The printer according to the present invention includes an interface control section for communicating with the host computer; a CPU having a mode in which the CPU is on standby in a low power consumption state; and a clock control section supplying a clock signal. The clock control section supplies a clock signal only to the interface control section when the CPU transfers to the stop mode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording device having an interface, and particularly, to a low power consumption type controlling method for an ink jet recording device utilizing a clock control circuit that supplies a clock signal to logic circuitry including a CPU having a plurality of operation modes. More particularly, the present invention relates to a controlling method applicable to an ink jet recording device using a USB interface.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, with the development of personal computers, the techniques of ink jet recording devices (printers) have also made a breakthrough. The printer is arranged to record an image on recording paper (paper, OHP film, cloth, or the like) based on image information. In the ink jet recording method, recording is performed by causing a recording head to discharge ink on a recording medium. The advantages thereof over other recording methods are a capability of recording highly accurate images at a high speed, a low running cost, quietness, and so on.
As a computer interface to be connected to a printer, a new serial bus USB (universal serial bus) has been utilized in addition to a conventional parallel interface (based on Centronics). The USB interface (vers. 1.0) has a transfer speed of 12 Mbps at full speed, and 1.5 Mbps at a low speed. The transfer methods thereof comprise four types, i.e., "isochronous", "interrupt", "control", and "bulk" types. For a printer, the "bulk" transfer type, which has an error correcting function during communication, is generally used.
Also, this type is fully adaptable to plug-and-play, and even though the device is connected when a personal computer has booted up, recognition is performed without the need for restart. A signal is transferred by the serial transfer method using an operation signal, and is constituted of signals D+ and D−.
Much effort has been spent on the reduction in power consumption. For example, when a printer is not operating, the microcomputer controlling the printer is placed in a low power consumption state. For this purpose, there is a method wherein the microcomputer is placed on standby in a low power consumption mode. For example, with a CPU placed in a halt mode, power consumption can be suppressed by halting access from the CPU to external memories (ROM or RAM).
There is also another method wherein, with the CPU placed in the stop mode, clock supply to peripheral circuits, including the CPU, is stopped. This method can reduce power consumption more than the halt mode. By these methods, an ink jet recording device and a controlling method therefor wherein, for example, a non-maskable interrupt (NMI) signal is assigned to the control key of a printer, and wherein the printer can be started by pushing the control key, can be provided.
However, when attempting to perform a restart, such methods of halting or stopping the CPU using the halt mode or the stop mode in printer logic circuitry including the CPU can respond only to an instruction from the control panel of the printer, or the like. Therefore, a user cannot restart the printer by issuing an instruction from a host computer.

Ink jet recording apparatus and controlling method with selective clock signal supply


A self-locking mechanism (10) for selectively dynamically adjusting expansion bands (12) of a running cylinder (11) of a rotary printing press during rotation includes a cylindrical adjustment member (30, 72) with a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the running cylinder which engages a band box (22, 80) rotating with the running cylinder (11) to make the selected adjustments in response to rotation of cylindrical adjusting member (30, 72) at a speed different from the speed of the running cylinder (11). The speed difference is produced by a differential (52, 75) stationary with respect to the running cylinder (11) which engages the cylindrical member (30, 72) and the running cylinder (11). The cylindrical adjusting member (30, 72) is mounted to the running cylinder (11) on an interrupted journal (35). The cylindrical adjusting member (30) has an inner engagement surface (38) for engagement with the band box (22) and another engagement surface (39) for engagement with the differential. In another embodiment, the cylindrical adjusting member (72) has a side engagement surface (78) for engaging the band box (80) and another engagement surface (83) for engaging the differential.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to running cylinders of a rotary printing press and, specifically, to an apparatus for adjusting expansion bands on the running cylinder to change its effective diameter while the running cylinder is rotating.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97-1.99
Rotary printing presses employ numerous running cylinders. It is well known to provide these running cylinders with adjustable expansion bands in order to slightly increase or decrease the effective diameter of the cylinder. A folder of a rotary press folds the assembled webs of paper, cuts the webs into a product and then folds the product. The correct draw through the folder for a full range of thickness of product and minimization of "dog ears" and paper tears are achieved in the running cylinder of the folder, or folding cylinder, through provision of several sets expansion bands.
In some known presses, it is necessary to stop the press and adjust the expansion bands only after the running cylinder has stopped rotating which disadvantageously interrupts the production of printed product. The folding cylinder is provided with a band box for adjusting the expansion bands mounted to an end of the folding cylinder at a working area location within a peripheral annular band encompassing the outer third of the radius of the folding cylinder. The band box, being carried by the folding cylinder in the working area, revolves around the axis of rotation of the running cylinder and is therefore not accessible for making the manual adjustments while the running cylinder is rotating during operation of the press. In addition, the presence of large mechanisms in the working area, including a plurality of band adjustment studs and pin lever shafts and their associated cam followers and actuators and other obstacles, makes it impossible to access the band box from the end of the cylinder during rotation. Accordingly, in these known units, an operator uses a wrench to manually turn an adjustment shaft on the band box to move the expansion bands only after the folding cylinder is brought to a complete stop.
A complicated dynamic mechanism, shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,516 of Mukai issued Jun. 26, 1990 is disadvantageously located in the working area. This mechanism utilizes two sun gears mounted on a plain bearing of the folding cylinder journal and a pin cam and its bearings mounted to a hub of the sun gear. However, the additive accumulation, or stack up, of tolerances and operational forces of this mechanism is deleterious to long life of the operating components and can make adjustment of the sun gear difficult. In addition, in this known Japanese mechanism, it appears that maintenance or replacement of parts disadvantageously requires major disassembly of the cylinder and its complex arrangement of numerous components and reboring of the journal of the running cylinder. Moreover, it appears that the known Japanese mechanism is not suitable for retrofitting to an existing folding cylinder.
Another problem with the dynamic expansion band adjustment mechanism is that once the adjustment is made, affirmative action must be taken to lock the adjustment in place. If such affirmative locking action is inadvertently not taken by the operator, then the selected adjustment will be altered during operation of the press by forces executed by the work product on the expansion bands.

Printing press with a dynamic expansion band adjusting mechanism


An interlocking checker brick used to form a checkerwork for use in recovering heat in thermal regenerators and recuperators. The checker brick is made of a refractory material and comprises a rectangular top, a rectangular base, two side walls and two end walls. The end walls have a trapezoidal shape and therefore each side wall forms an acute angle with respect to the base. This provides a brick that tapers in thickness from the base to the top and is trapezoidal in cross section. Checkerworks utilizing these bricks are arranged to improve the amount of exposed brick surface that acts as a thermal surface and to increase turbulence while reducing laminar flow during alternating cycles of flowing gases and air.

Checker bricks are stacked atop one another to create checkerworks that are typically 18 feet high or higher and are contained in a regenerative or checker chamber. The checkerworks define flues for the alternating downward passage of burning gases within the chamber and upward passage of air within the chamber. The burning gases heat the bricks and the air absorbs heat from the bricks. During such passage, the bricks may tend to move. If the bricks do move relative to each other, the flues within the checkerwork can be partially blocked or even destroyed. It is therefore desirable to have the bricks remain in their original positions.
Prior bricks such as those presently used must be approximately 3 inches thick to stabilize the position of the bricks against displacement. With the prior bricks, approximately 3/4-7/8 of an inch of the thickness from each exposed brick surface is involved in heat transfer during the alternating passages of the gases and air. The rest of the brick provides mass to provide stability. It is therefore desirable to reduce the mass of the brick as much as possible while maintaining stability thereby providing more exposed brick surface and flues per chamber.


The present invention is an insulated pitched roofing system for a sloped deck in which an insulating sheet is adhered to the sloped deck or to a roofing substrate and the roof tiles are adhered to the insulating sheet with a polymer adhesive. The polymer adhesive is preferably a froth liquid polyurethane foam.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pitched tile roofing system, and particularly to a system for insulating the pitched tile roof and attaching roofing components, and a method for installing the system.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are two basic types of roofs: flat and pitched. Pitched roofs come in a few basic styles, all of which are relevant to the present invention. A duo-pitched roof has two sloping sides joined along the top with end vertical walls called a gable end. This is probably the most common form of pitched roof. If the end of the roof is also sloping it is termed hipped. If two sections of roof meet at an angle, such as a right angle, the junction between the two roof sections is termed a valley.
Various roof components are used as roof coverings on pitched roof decks. One example of roof component is a roof tile. Roof tiles are extremely durable and provide significant aesthetic and decorative effects to the structures to which they are applied. Roof components or coverings as described herein may be made of cementitious materials and also brick, stone, clay, plastic, wood, metal, rubber or bituminous materials.
A typical pitched roofing system includes sheets of wood, typically plywood or decking material, nailed to the truss rafters to form a pitched roof deck. Other pitched roof decks may be made with materials such as steel or concrete. Typically, the pitched roof deck is overlaid with a roof substrate made of a waterproofing material. Typically, the waterproofing material forming the roof substrate is a roll goods membrane or underlayment comprising one or more plies of asphaltic or modified bitumen impregnated felt attached to the pitched roof deck. The felt is typically attached to the pitched roof deck by nails and/or adhesive. Felt is generally made of wood pulp and rag or of asbestos, polyester or glass fibers. Self-adhering membranes, commonly referred to as "peel and stick," may also be used. These membranes are generally modified bitumen impregnated fiberglass or polyester fibers. Some pitched roof systems having steel or concrete decks do not require the use of a waterproof membrane or coating.
Roof components are primarily secured to the pitched roof deck with mechanical fasteners. Nails are the primary mechanical fasteners for securing roof components to a wood deck. Typically, tile roof components are secured with nails, inserted through holes in the tile roof component, driven into and through the roof substrate and wood deck. Mortar is sometimes used in conjunction with nails to provide holding force of the tile roof component to the roof deck. In either case, it is undesirable to drive numerous holes through the roof substrate and wood deck since these nail holes provide a potential leak path in the pitched roofing system. High wind loading conditions also affect the roof components secured with nails. In areas near salt water the effectiveness of nails is diminished over time due to corrosion of the nails. Additionally, nails get loose over a period of time. Some decks, such as concrete or steel decks, cannot be nailed into. Non-nailable decks (concrete, steel, etc.) use a wire tie or other cumbersome and expensive system to fasten the roof components to the pitched roof deck.
As stated above, mortar or similar binders are often used as a secondary fastener between tile roof components and the roof substrate. Using mortar is a slow procedure and labor intensive as the mortar must first be prepared, typically at ground level, in buckets which must then be raised to the pitched roof deck, and then the mortar is applied to the roof substrate. The mortar adds unnecessary weight to the roofing system. The set-up time of the mortar increases the time required to form the bond between the tile roof component and the roof substrate. The installed tile roof components should not be disturbed until the mortar has set-up as movement of the tile roof component affects the bond. Furthermore, the strength of the completed bond between the tile roof component and the roof substrate can be unsatisfactory. Typically, an approximate 60-pound tensile load applied transversely to the tile roof component will break the mortar bond between the tile roof component and the roof substrate. During high wind loading conditions, such as that experienced during a hurricane or a tornado, the tile roof components frequently release from the roof structure and become life threatening, flying projectiles. During such events, the tile roof components are widely strewn about and scattered throughout the area. The flying tile roof components result in additional danger during these devastating events and further increase the tremendous burden of clean up after these catastrophic events.
Assignee's U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,342 discloses a method of bonding tile roof components to a roof substrate utilizing polyurethane foam as the bonding medium. The method includes the step of applying under low pressure a stream of two component foamable liquid polyurethane on a prepared roof substrate. The foamable liquid polyurethane has a density preferably in the range of one and one-half to two pounds per cubic foot and a reactivity period in the range of one and one-half to four minutes. The foamable liquid polyurethane is preferably applied at a rate in the range of two to three pounds per minute. The tile roof component is placed into contact with the foamable liquid polyurethane during the reactivity period of the foamable liquid polyurethane. The bond between the tile roof components and the roof substrate with the polyurethane foam is several times increased over the mortar and mechanical bonds.
It is desirable to provide an energy efficient pitched tile roofing system at a reasonable cost. Thus, it is desirable to have a pitched tile roofing system that provides insulation to reduce energy consumption. It is also desirable in a pitched tile roofing system to minimize the difficulty of precisely aligning and installing the rows of roof tiles to assure the most aesthetically pleasing appearance of the installed roofing system. Furthermore, it is desirable that the method of installation be a simple operation, non-labor intensive, economical and not require excessive installation time. Additionally, the pitched tile roofing system should withstand the long-term effects of temperature and climatic variations experienced by the pitched tile roofing system under normal circumstances.

Insulated pitched tile roofing system and method of installing same


A method for dehydrating a monolithic bone intended for implantation is provided. The method serves to conserve at least one of the biomechanical properties of the bone during the dehydration of the bone and its subsequent packaging. Also provided is a monolithic bone for implantation and a method of using the bone for the repair of damaged bone.

Bone grafting is widely used to treat fractures, non-unions and to induce arthrodeses. Autogenous cancellous bone, which is taken from one site in the graftee and implanted in another site of the graftee, is considered by many to be the most effective bone graft. Autogeneous cancellous bone provides the scaffolding to support distribution of the bone healing response. Autogeneous cancellous bone also provides the connective tissue progenitor cells which form new cartilage or bone. However, the harvest of autogenous bone results in significant cost and morbidity, including scars, blood loss, pain, prolonged operative and rehabilitation time and risk of infection. Furthermore, in some clinical settings, the volume of the graft required by the graft site can exceed the volume of the available autograft. Accordingly, alternatives to autografts have been developed in an attempt to reduce the morbidity and cost of bone grafting procedures.
The use of allograft bone or xenograft bone is well known in both human and veterinary medicine. See Stevenson et al., Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research, 323, pp. 66-75 (1996). In particular, transplanted bone is known to provide support, promote healing, fill bony cavities, separate bony elements such as vertebral bodies, promote fusion and stabilize the sites of fractures. More recently, processed bone has been developed into shapes for use in new surgical applications, or as new materials for implants that were historically made of non-biologically derived materials.
Because the use of preserved bone intended for implantation to replace diseased or missing parts is common, the successful application of such bone is predicated on sound knowledge of its biologic properties and its capacity to withstand the stresses to which it will be subjected. When mineralized bone is used in grafts, it is primarily because of its inherent strength, i.e., its load bearing ability at the recipient site. The biomechanical properties of bone grafts upon implantation are determined by many factors, including the specific site from which the bone is taken; the age, sex, and physical characteristics of the donor; and the method chosen to prepare, preserve, and store the bone prior to implantation. A more detailed explanation of the alteration of the biomechanical properties of bone by the methods chosen for its preservation and storage may be found in Pelker et al., Clin. Orthop. Rel. Res., 174:54-57 (1983). However, the needs for processing (e.g., to preserve the graft for later use and to remove immunogenic cellular materials) can conflict with the need to conserve the toughness of the bone.
During the preparation of bone intended for implantation the porous matrix is typically contacted with one or more treatment fluids to variously clean, defat, sterilize, virally inactivate, disinfect, and/or demineralize the bone or to impregnate the bone with one or more pharmacological agents (antibiotics, bone growth factors, etc.) so the bone can act as a drug delivery system. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,846,484 for a detailed explanation of the treatment of bone intended for implantation. Some treatment processes, such as irradiation and lyophilization, can work against conservation of the mechanical properties of bone and can lessen the bone's weight bearing properties. Processing requirements can also create dimensional changes in the allograft bone. Such changes of dimension can create damage within the tissue, and may also make it difficult for a machined piece to mechanically engage with surgical instruments, other allografts, or the prepared surgical site. Treatment processes also can have a deleterious effect on such important mechanical properties as toughness. Implants demonstrating improved toughness are important as the insertion of some allografts can be quite energetic, e.g., the hammering in of cortical rings used in spinal fusion surgery.
Bone intended for implantation is currently distributed either frozen or lyophilized. It is generally accepted that freezing monolithic bone to temperatures as cold as −70° C. prior to its packaging and storage results in little if any alteration in its physical properties. However, freezing bone as a preservation technique is costly and can be logistically difficult, e.g., shipping and storage. Lyophilization (freeze-drying, i.e., freezing, then sublimation of moisture) is commonly performed on bone to permit its shelf storage for up to several years without spoilage.
Lyophilization removes excess moisture from the bone and reduces its antigenicity. According to the American Association of Tissue Banks ("A.A.T.B."), lyophilized whole bone containing no more than 6% moisture can be stored at ambient temperatures for up to five years after processing. However, adverse changes in the biomechanical properties of the bone have been found to result from the lyophilization procedure. Lyophilization can result in damage to the bone due to dimensional changes that occur during the freezing and dehydrating operations. The adverse mechanical changes appear to be associated with damage occurring in the bone matrix, specifically, ultrastructural cracks along the collagen fibers. These effects appear to be magnified when lyophilization and gamma irradiation are used together. Studies using rat bones to model the effects of lyophilization upon the compressive properties of cancellous bone (compression strength of tail vertebrae) and the bending and torsional properties of the long bones indicate that compressive strength can be reduced by up to 30% with little or no change in stiffness, bending strength can be reduced by as much as 40%, and torsional strength can be reduced by up to 60%. These changes, resulting in bone that is brittle, have been found to occur even after the bone has been rehydrated. A more detailed explanation of the effects of lyophilization on mineralized bone can be found in Kang et al., Yonsei Med J 36:332-335 (1995), and Pelker et al., J. Orthop. Res. 1:405-411 (1984).
Thus, a problem exists in providing a bone intended for implantation that is both tough and convenient to store and maintain. Because freezing and thawing bone is minimally damaging to the bone, whereas lyophilization results in reduction in the toughness of the bone, it is the inventors' belief that toughness is maintained and/or enhanced in the bone by dehydrating the bone using methods that remove the water associated with the bone while diminishing the dimensional changes associated with lyophilization. The dehydration of tissue, for example, by treatment with an anhydrous polar organic solvent such as ethanol, is known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,806 to Cheung. However, it has not been previously appreciated that applying this technique to bone results in an implant having improved biomechanical properties, e.g., toughness. Thus, it is desirable to provide a method for dehydrating monolithic bone intended for implantation prior to its packaging and storage that will better conserve the biomechanical properties of the bone, i.e., its toughness and/or dimensions as compared to lyophilized bone, from the time the bone is harvested through the packaging and storage operations and to time of implantation.

Method for removal of water associated with bone while diminishing the dimensional changes associated with lyophilization


Methods, systems, and devices are described for assisting discovery of a wireless local area network (WLAN). A timing reference originating from a first radio technology is identified by a user equipment (UE). A WLAN receiver of the UE is woken up according to a beacon transmission schedule to listen for a beacon on the WLAN. The first radio technology is a non-WLAN radio technology, and the beacon transmission schedule is based at least in part on the timing reference. The timing reference originating from the first radio technology is identified by a Wireless Access Point (WAP). The WAP broadcasts a beacon on the WLAN according to the beacon transmission schedule.

Many mobile devices are capable of connecting to Wireless Access Points (WAPs) to transmit and receive data. Before connecting to a WAP, a mobile device may conduct a search to discover WAPs within range of the mobile device. Conventional methods for discovering WAPs include passive scanning and active scanning.
In passive scanning (also known as beacon scanning), a mobile device may dwell on each channel of a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and wait to receive a beacon from a WAP on each channel. The mobile device may dwell on each channel for a time between a minimum and maximum limit. In active scanning (also known as probe scanning), the mobile device may broadcast a single probe request (e.g., on a given channel) and wait for a response from WAPs within range of the mobile device.
In a typical WAP discovery process using passive or active scanning, the mobile device may spend a good portion of its power transmitting probe requests to, or listening for beacons or responses from, WAPs that either are nonexistent or do not ultimately establish a connection with the mobile device. Because the radio resources used to transmit and receive wireless communications may consume a significant amount of power, searching for WLAN access points using these conventional methods may be power inefficient and may shorten the usable battery life of the mobile device.

Wireless local area network discovery using non-WLAN timing reference


A system and method are disclosed for providing a two channel signal to the ears of a listener through an audio system. The audio system includes a plurality of audio signals which are played through a plurality of loudspeakers. A plurality of propagation paths exist from the loudspeakers to the ears of the listener. Crosstalk is canceled in the audio system by providing the two channel signal which is to be received at the ears of the listener as an input to a crosstalk compensating network. The crosstalk compensating network is operative to provide an inverse crosstalk signal which cancels the crosstalk caused by the propagation of the audio signals from the plurality of loudspeakers along the plurality of propagation paths to the ears of the listener. The two channel signal is equalized via an equalization transfer function whose magnitude is substantially proportional to a first function applied to the frequency crossfade between a second function of a monophonic compatible equalization transfer function and the second function of a binaurally transparent equalization function. A plurality of audio signals are generated which are suitable for playback through the plurality of audio speakers and propagation to the ears of the listener.

The present invention relates generally to the field of audio signal processing, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for crosstalk cancellation in an audio system.
There are a number of applications in which the left and right channels of a stereo audio signal are developed independently for the left ear and the right ear of a listener. For example, systems have been developed to simulate a virtual sound source in an arbitrary perceptual location relative to a listener. These so-called virtual acoustic displays apply separate left-ear and right-ear filters to a source signal in order to mimic the acoustic effects of the human head, torso, and pinnae on source signals arriving from a particular point in space. These filters are referred to as head related transfer functions (HRTF's). HRTF's are functions of position and frequency which are different for different individuals. When a sound signal which is passed through a filter that implements the HRTF for a given position, the sound appears to the listener to have originated from that position.
HRTF's used in virtual audio displays are often tabulated based on measurements made by recording the response at a listener's ears to test signals generated by speakers placed at various locations around the listener. In systems where the measurement of each individual user is impractical, a generic HRTF known to work well for a wide population of listeners is used. Methods have been developed to efficiently implement virtual audio displays using HRTF's. U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,406 issued to Fuchigami et. al. which is herein incorporated by reference describes one implementation of a virtual audio display using HRTF's. U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/303,705 and 08/241,867 of Abel, which are each herein incorporated by reference, also teach efficient implementations of virtual audio displays.
Since sound signals can be created which appear to emanate from arbitrarily positioned virtual sound sources, it is possible to create left and right ear signals which appear to a listener to have originated from a set of virtual speakers. FIG. 1 illustrates a system which creates five virtual speakers for a listener 101 which include a left virtual speaker 110, a right virtual speaker 112, a center virtual speaker 114, a right rear virtual speaker 116, and a left rear virtual speaker 118 when listener 101 is wearing headphones which include right speaker 120 and left speaker 122. Such a system is useful, for example, for listening to Dolby ProLogic encoded source material over headphones. Once the HRTF is determined from each of the five speakers to each of the listener's ears, a sound signal from each of the virtual speaker is generated for the listener's left and right ears by passing the signal associated with each virtual speaker through a filter which implements the HRTF corresponding to that speaker's position with respect to the left or right ear of listener 101. The resulting signal is then played through headphone speaker 120 and headphone speaker 122 at the listener's right and left ears, respectively.
Stereo audio streams in which the left and right channels are developed independently for the left and right ears of a listener are referred to as binaural signals. Headphones are typically used to send binaural signals directly to a listener's left and right ears. The main reason for using headphones is that the sound signal from the speaker on one side of the listener's head generally does not travel around the listener's head to reach the ear on the opposite side. Therefore, the application of the signal by one headphone speaker to one of the listener's ears does not interfere with the signal being applied to the listener's other ear by the other headphone speaker through an external path. Headphones are thus an effective way of transmitting a binaural signal to a listener, however, it is not always convenient to wear headphones or earphones (for example, in the case of an arcade game where maintenance and hygiene concerns arise), and a solution using a pair of speakers which are not worn as headphones is desired.
Complications arise in systems which do not deliver the audio signal directly to the listener's ear. If a binaural signal is used to drive free standing speakers directly, then the listener will hear contributions from each speaker at each ear. The receipt of the signal intended for the right ear at the left ear and vice versa is referred to as "crosstalk." It is necessary in such systems to compensate for or to cancel somehow the crosstalk so that the desired binaural signal is effectively applied to each of the listener's ears.
Various systems for canceling crosstalk have been developed. B. S Atal and M. R. Schroeder developed a system which implements crosstalk cancellation over the entire audio spectrum (i.e., 20 Hz to 20 Khz). The system is described in "Computer Models for Concert Hall Acoustics" The American Journal of Physics, vol. 41, pp. 461-471 (April 1973) which is herein incorporated by reference; "Models of Hearing" IEEE Proceedings vol. 63, p. 1332-1350 (Sept. 1975) which is herein incorporated by reference; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,236,949 issued to Atal et. al which is herein incorporated by reference. The Atal and Schroeder system reproduces arbitrarily located sound images with two loudspeakers using a crosstalk cancellation system which includes an equalization filter. When using the Atal Schroeder crosstalk canceler and equalization filter, the crosstalk signals are exactly canceled and the input binaural signal appears intact at the listener's ears if the system is designed using the listener's HRTF and the listener is in the exact designed position relative to the speakers. The Atal and Schroeder system works reasonably well for a listener whose HRTF reasonably approximates the HRTF for which the system is designed, and whose head is positioned and oriented correctly in a so-called "sweet spot." However, if the listener's head is turned or positioned away from the sweet spot, or if the listener's HRTF is not a close approximation of the HRTF for which the system is designed, then the crosstalk cancellation is not effective and accurate localization of sounds by the listener is no longer realized.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,910,779, 4,975,954, 4,893,342, 5,034,983, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,651 issued to Cooper et. al, each of which are herein incorporated by reference, describe a system which limits the response of the crosstalk canceling filter used to a frequency substantially below 10 Khz and also implements a different equalization filter than the equalization filter which is described by Atal and Schroeder.
What is needed is an apparatus and method for canceling the crosstalk between signals from speakers which effectively cancels the crosstalk when the HRTF of the listener is close to a standard HRTF and the listener's head is in a standard location, and which is also robust so that the system performs reasonably well and undesirable sound effects are not heard by a listener whose HRTF varies from the designed for HRTF or whose head is not positioned and oriented correctly in the standard location. Such a system could be used to effectively simulate an array of five virtual speakers using only two loudspeakers or to present sounds to a listener which appear to come from arbitrarily placed sources.

Method and apparatus for crosstalk cancellation


Systems and methods deploy an electrode structure in contact with the tissue region. The electrode structure carries a sensor at a known location on the electrode structure to monitor an operating condition. The systems and methods provide an interface, which generate an idealized image of the electrode structure and an indicator image to represent the monitored operating condition in a spatial position on the idealized image corresponding to the location of the sensor on the electrode structure. The interface displays a view image comprising the idealized image and indicator image. The systems and methods cause the electrode structure to apply energy to heat the tissue region while the view image is displayed on the display screen.

The gastrointestinal tract, also called the alimentary canal, is a long tube through which food is taken into the body and digested. The alimentary canal begins at the mouth, and includes the pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, and rectum. In human beings, this passage is about 30 feet (9 meters) long.
Small, ring-like muscles, called sphincters, surround portions of the alimentary canal. In a healthy person, these muscles contract or tighten in a coordinated fashion during eating and the ensuing digestive process, to temporarily close off one region of the alimentary canal from an other.
For example, a muscular ring called the lower esophageal sphincter surrounds the opening between the esophagus and the stomach. The lower esophageal sphincter (or LES) is a ring of increased thickness in the circular, smooth-muscle layer of the esophagus. Normally, the lower esophageal sphincter maintains a high-pressure zone between fifteen and thirty mm Hg above intragastric pressures inside the stomach.
When a person swallows food, muscles of the pharynx push the food into the esophagus. The muscles in the esophagus walls respond with a wavelike contraction called peristalsis. The lower esophageal sphincter relaxes before the esophagus contracts, and allows food to pass through to the stomach. After food passes into the stomach, the lower esophageal sphincter constricts to prevent the contents from regurgitating into the esophagus.
The stomach muscles churn the food and digestive juices into a mass called chyme. Then the muscles squeeze the chyme toward the pyloric (intestinal) end of the stomach by peristaltic waves, which start at the top of the stomach and move downward. The pyloric sphincter, another ringlike muscle, surrounds the duodenal opening. The pyloric sphincter keeps food in the stomach until it is a liquid. The pyloric sphincter then relaxes and lets some chyme pass into the duodenum.
Dysfunction of a sphincter in the body can lead to internal damage or disease, discomfort, or otherwise adversely affect the quality of life. For example, if the lower esophageal sphincter fails to function properly, stomach acid may rise back into the esophagus. Unlike the stomach, the esophagus has no natural protection against stomach acids. When the stomach contents make contact with the esophagus, heartburn or other disease symptoms, including damage to the esophagus, can occur.
Gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD) is a common disorder, characterized by spontaneous relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter. It has been estimated that approximately two percent of the adult population suffers from GERD. The incidence of GERD increases markedly after the age of 40, and it is not uncommon for patients experiencing symptoms to wait years before seeking medical treatment.
GERD is both a normal physiologic phenomenon that occurs in the general population and a pathophysiologic phenomenon that can result in mild to severe symptoms.
GERD is believed to be caused by a combination of conditions that increase the presence of acid reflux in the esophagus. These conditions include transient LES relaxation, decreased LES resting tone, impaired esophageal clearance, delayed gastric emptying, decreased salivation, and impaired tissue resistance. Since the resting tone of the lower esophageal sphincter is maintained by both myogenic (muscular) and neurogenic (nerve) mechanisms, some believe that aberrant electrical signals in the lower esophageal sphincter or surrounding region of the stomach (called the cardia) can cause the sphincter to spontaneously relax.
Lifestyle factors can also cause increased risk of reflux. Smoking, large meals, fatty foods, caffeine, pregnancy, obesity, body position, drugs, hormones, and paraplegia may all exacerbate GERD. Also, hiatal hernia frequently accompanies severe GERD. The hernia may increase transient LES relaxation and delay acid clearance due to impaired esophageal emptying. Thus, hiatal hernias may contribute to prolonged acid exposure time following reflux, resulting in GERD symptoms and esophageal damage.
The excessive reflux experienced by patients with GERD overwhelms their intrinsic mucosal defense mechanisms, resulting in many symptoms. The most common symptom of GERD is heartburn. Besides the discomfort of heartburn, reflux results in symptoms of esophageal inflammation, such as odynophagia (pain on swallowing) and dysphagia (difficult swallowing). The acid reflux may also cause pulmonary symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, asthma, aspiration pneumonia, and interstitial fibrosis; oral symptoms such as tooth enamel decay, gingivitis, halitosis, and waterbrash; throat symptoms such as a soreness, laryngitis, hoarseness, and a globus sensation; and earache.
Complications of GERD include esophageal erosion, esophageal ulcer, and esophageal stricture; replacement of normal esophageal epithelium with abnormal (Barrett's) epithelium; and pulmonary aspiration.
Treatment of GERD includes drug therapy to reduce or block stomach acid secretions. Still, daily drug therapy does not eliminate the root cause of the dysfunction.
Invasive abdominal surgical intervention has also been tried with success. One procedure, called Nissen fundoplication, entails invasive, open abdominal surgery. The surgeon wraps the gastric fundis about the lower esophagus, to, in effect, create a new "valve." Less invasive laparoscopic tehniques have also been tried to emulate Nissen fundoplication, also with success. Still, all surgical intervention entails making an incision into the abdomen and carry with it the usual risks of abdominal surgery.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Graphical user interface for association with an electrode structure deployed in contact with a tissue region


A injection molding machine includes a power device including a movable plate, a primary motorized cylinder having a primary threaded rod screwed through the movable plate, a secondary motorized cylinder having a secondary threaded rod screwed through the movable plate, a first starter mounted on the primary motorized cylinder and connected with a controller, and a second starter mounted on the secondary motorized cylinder and connected with the controller. The second starter contains a bias factor command and a preset output command. Thus, the normal torque output of the secondary motorized cylinder is close to that of the primary motorized cylinder by control of the bias factor command, and the preset output command limits and prevents the normal torque output of the secondary motorized cylinder from being greater than that of the primary motorized cylinder.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an injection molding machine and, more particularly, to a plastic injection molding machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional injection molding machine in accordance with the prior art shown in FIG. 1 comprises a power device and a die assembly connected with the power device. The power device includes a movable plate having a first screw hole and a second screw hole, a primary motorized cylinder 71 having a primary threaded shaft screwed through the first screw hole of the movable plate, and a secondary motorized cylinder 72 having a secondary threaded shaft screwed through the second screw hole of the movable plate. In operation, the primary motorized cylinder 71 and the secondary motorized cylinder 72 are driven by a driver to rotate the primary threaded shaft and the secondary threaded shaft. In such a manner, the movable plate is moved by rotation of the primary threaded shaft of the primary motorized cylinder 71 and the secondary threaded shaft of the secondary motorized cylinder 72 to drive the die assembly so as to close or open the die assembly. The conventional injection molding machine further comprises a processor to calculate some factors. The factors include a ratio of the position, torque and speed of the primary threaded shaft of the primary motorized cylinder 71 and the secondary threaded shaft of the secondary motorized cylinder 72. Thus, the processor calculates the factors to control the torque output of the primary threaded shaft of the primary motorized cylinder 71 and the secondary threaded shaft of the secondary motorized cylinder 72. However, each of the factors of the primary motorized cylinder 71 and the secondary motorized cylinder 72 exists a tolerance so that the total tolerance of all of the factors will produce a greater differential between the torque output values of the primary motorized cylinder 71 and the secondary motorized cylinder 72. Thus, the primary threaded shaft of the primary motorized cylinder and the secondary threaded shaft of the secondary motorized cylinder are easily deflected due to the differential between the torque output values of the primary motorized cylinder and the secondary motorized cylinder, thereby affecting operation of the injection molding machine. As shown in FIG. 1, a graph of the torque of the primary motorized cylinder 71 and the secondary motorized cylinder 72 is drafted, wherein the horizontal coordinate indicates the time, and the vertical coordinate indicates the distance of displacement. The unit of the time is millisecond (ms), and the unit of the distance of displacement is nanometer (Nm). It is clear that the normal torque output values of the primary motorized cylinder 71 and the secondary motorized cylinder 72 have a greater differential.

Injection molding machine with a synchronous power auxiliary mechanism


A system, computer-implemented method and non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions for generating a two-dimensional (2D) map of an area of interest are provided. The system comprises a processor and memory storing instructions which when executed by the processor configure the processor to perform the method. The method comprises determining a perimeter of an area of interest, obtaining nadir images of the area of interest, obtaining at least one oblique image of the area of interest from at least one corner of the perimeter, and processing the nadir and oblique images together to form the 2D map of the area of interest.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) does not have a human operator located at the UAV. A UAV may include various components such as sensors and measurement and navigation instruments. A UAV may carry a payload (e.g., a camera) which may be configured to perform specific duties such as taking aerial photographs and videos.
Two-dimensional (2D) mapping has many useful applications, from accident scene reconstruction to site surveys and area maps. Often, 2D maps are generated by stitching together nadir imagery. However, there are inaccuracies in distance measurements in models generated by stitching nadir imagery together collected by an unmanned vehicle whilst completing a two-dimensional (2D) mapping mission.

Systems and methods for generating a two-dimensional map


A precast concrete component is provided with anchor having a cylindrical rod bent to form a centrally-positioned handle and two downwardly extending legs. The handle can be relatively smooth and die legs are provided with a series of projections along their lengths, such as are formed by threads. The legs of the anchor may converge inwardly from the handle and are compatible with precast concrete double tees having webs or stems that taper from the flange of the double tee downward. Alternatively, the legs of the anchor may diverge outwardly from the handle.

Many buildings, parking garages, highway overpasses and other structures are assembled from precast concrete components. The components are typically manufactured at a first location and then transported to the construction site. To facilitate transportation and assembly, the precast concrete components are provided with anchors embedded in the concrete, which can be engaged by heavy equipment, such as cranes, to lift the components.
The precast concrete component may be a three-dimensional structure, such as a double tee used for roofs, parking decks and bridge overpasses. Various reinforcement materials may be incorporated in the precast concrete, such as rebar, welded wire, and multi-ply cables, which may be pre-stressed or post-tensioned. Any anchor system must be compatible with the reinforcement material incorporated into the concrete.
Lifting anchors having various features embedded in the concrete for resisting pull-out are shown in the following United States patents and published patent applications: Kelly—U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,846; Hansort—U.S. Pat. No. 7,111,432 B2; Hanson—US Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0044811 A1; Machay Sim—US Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0196324 A1; and Francies, III—U.S. Pat. No. 8,695,287 B1.
Despite the prior art developments, there remains a need for a lift anchor that is economical to manufacture, compatible with a range of reinforcement materials used in precast concrete, and adaptable for use with precast concrete components having relatively thin sections.

Lift anchor for precast concrete component


A technique for network authentication interoperability involves initiating an authentication procedure on a first network, authenticating on a second network, and allowing access at the first network. The technique can include filtering access to a network, thereby restricting access to users with acceptable credentials. Offering a service that incorporates these techniques can enable incorporation of the techniques into an existing system with minimal impact to network configuration.

An area of ongoing research and development is in improving access to networks, and in particular wireless networks. Wireless networks are frequently governed by 802.11 standards. While not all networks need to use all of the standards associated with 802.11, a discussion of the standards by name, such as 802.11n provides, at least partly because the standards are well-known and documented, a useful context in which to describe issues as they relate to wireless systems.
Companies often maintain private networks. Authentication typically ensures that employees and guests have the appropriate credentials for access to services on the network. Guest accounts are typically limited in service offerings and can be a burden to implement (typically borne by a receptionist), particularly when providing guest access on an individualized basis. Efforts to eliminate some of the burden of providing individual guest accounts have not solved trust issues, which are typically of non-trivial concern to private companies. From a technical perspective, joining an authentication federation requires some network infrastructure work. Specifically, setting up RADIUS servers, configuring firewalls for security, and creating a connection between the RADIUS servers at two companies.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. For Example, wireless clients may use different protocols other than 802.11, potentially including protocols that have not yet been developed. However, problems associated with performance may persist. Other limitations of the relevant art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.


A method of degassing a coal seam by directionally drilling a borehole in a rock formation that is adjacent the coal seam, or between two different coal seams. The borehole is then pressurized to fracture the adjacent coal seam(s) to enhance the permeability thereof and allow fluids to flow from the coal seam to the borehole and be extracted from the coal seam.

The underground mining of coal is complicated by the gas which is stored within it. If the coal seam to be mined is adequately permeable then gas is freely released from the solid coal into the roadways or into the face of the longwall mining operation. This may cause ventilation problems which if not managed properly would lead to excessive gas concentration within the mine air and the potential for an explosive gas mixture to exist.
Permeable coal may generally be relieved of its gas prior to mining by drilling holes in the virgin coal as part of a gas drainage process. These holes are frequently drilled in-seam using directional drilling techniques.
In the case where the coal lacks permeability, a different set of problems exist in mining coal. The coal does not freely drain gas ahead of the mining face and there is a risk of an outburst occurring during the mining operation. An outburst is a sudden expulsion of gas and coal from the working face of a coal mine. An outburst is characterised by the release of finely fragmented coal together with the release of gas. It is potentially fatal due to the risk of mechanical injury or asphyxiation. It has been demonstrated that outbursts cease to be a risk if the gas can be removed from the coal prior to mining. The occurrence of an outburst is not just related to the gas content but is also dependent on whether the coal has a toughness associated with it. Coats which are tough tend not to break into fine fragments which release gas quickly and are easily transported as in an outburst. Coals which are already broken up, such as with fault gouge material, are particularly prone to outbursting as they are already fragmented. Another factor which contributes to the ferocity of an outburst is the ability of the coal fragments to release or desorb gas. This is related to the diffusive behaviour of the coal material.
In addition to the problems with outbursting, impermeable coals tend to retain their gas until they are cut from the face, whereupon gas is released thus causing excessive local gas levels near the cutting heads. This may lead to frictional ignition problems.
The reason for the difference in coal permeability may be found in the coal structure itself and in the magnitude of stress within the coal. The permeability of a coal tends to reduce rapidly with increasing effective stress. Effective stress is the difference between the total stress and the fluid pressure existing within the formation—in this case coal.
Mining of very impermeable coals has taken place in Europe over many years. The approach to this has been to reduce stress by mining an adjacent seam using longwall techniques so as to cause stress relaxation and an increase in permeability of the seam to be mined, thus permitting gas to be released. The gas so released is generally captured by boreholes formed Through the relaxed seam and in the adjacent strata.
The use of this method to degas coals is limited by the ability to safely mine an initial seam. However, the initial seam needs to be one that is not prone to outbursts. This may be due to the fact that it is permeable and can be drained, but is more generally due to the coal being tough and the mining rate being slow. If a seam which is amenable to safe initial mining does not exist, then the entire coal sequence may not be able to be mined.
Recently, there have been developments in the gas industry to extract gas from highly impermeable tight coal reservoirs, and other types of reservoirs, which would hitherto have been regarded as uneconomically feasible. The key to the economic extraction of gas from such reservoirs has been the use of directional drilling within the reservoir and the stimulation of these holes generally, but not exclusively, by the use of hydrofracture. The concept of the reservoir has therefore changed from one which has both the gas and adequate permeability for it to be economically developed by more conventional means, to one where the reservoir has the gas and much of the permeability is created by stimulation. The recent development of shale gas reserves is in particular the result of this approach.
Highly impermeable coal formations often exhibit stresses which are high compared to the strength of the formations. Thus, holes drilled in such coal seams may suffer collapse rendering them useless for gas drainage purposes. Frequently holes drilled in coal are generally not amenable to stimulation, either because the well bores are either damaged due to breakage of the coal or due to the coal not having the strength to support a packer. Because the coal is to be mined, it is highly undesirable to cement a casing into the hole which can be subsequently perforated and hydrofractured. The reason for this is that the casing cannot be mined out easily.

Mining method for gassy and low permeability coal seams


A substantially straight beam in an unbuckled state is compressed to cause the beam to buckle using an adjustable compressor. The adjustable compressor applies force to one or both ends of the beam and limits compression on the beam to allow the beam to move between a first buckled state and a second buckled state. The first buckled state and the second buckled state comprise substantially equal magnitude and opposite direction buckling movements from the unbuckled state.

Embodiments herein generally relate to switches such as a microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMS), such as MEMS switches (i.e., contacts, relays, shunts, etc.). MEMS are microdevices that integrate mechanical and electrical elements on a common substrate using microfabrication technology. The electrical elements are typically formed using known integrated circuit fabrication techniques. The mechanical elements are typically fabricated using lithographic and other related processes to perform micromachining, wherein portions of a substrate (e.g., silicon wafer) are selectively etched away or new materials and structural layers are added. MEMS devices include actuators, sensors, switches, accelerometers, and modulators.
In many applications, MEMS switches have intrinsic advantages over their conventional solid-state counterparts (e.g., field-effect transistor (FET) switches), including superior power efficiency, low insertion loss, and excellent isolation. However, MEMS switches are generally much slower than solid-state switches. This limitation precludes applying MEMS switches in certain technologies where sub-microsecond switching is required, such as switching an antenna between transmit and receive in high-speed wireless communication devices.
One type of MEMS switch includes a connecting member called a "beam" that is electro-thermally deflected or buckled. The buckled beam engages one or more electrical contacts to establish an electrical connection between the contacts. One benefit of using an electro-thermally deflected beam is that the switch requires a relatively low actuation voltage during operation. However, when the MEMS switch is in the actuated position, power is consumed continuously in order to maintain the resistive heating within the beam. U.S. Patent Application Publication 2003/0210115 to Kubby (hereinafter "Kubby"), which is fully incorporated herein by reference, discloses a buckling beam bi-stable microelectro-mechanical switch. As described therein, Kubby discloses a process for creating a beam that is fabricated in one of the displaced positions. Only certain combinations of beam geometry, such as cross-section shape and shape along the beam's axis, can be chosen if a second displaced state is to exist.
Various exemplary embodiments described herein allow the beam choice to be based on the ideal distance between states and how high a force is needed to switch between states, instead of whether a particular combination will give two stable states. According to these exemplary embodiments, a substantially straight beam is formed in an unbuckled state and then compressed to cause the beam to buckle using an adjustable compressor. These embodiments also include a process of adjusting the position of the beam to adjust the amount that the beam buckles. During the compressing process, an adjustable compressor applies force to one or both ends of the beam and limits compression on the beam to allow the beam to move between a first buckled state and a second buckled state when pushed. The first buckled state and the second buckled state comprise equally opposite buckling movements from the unbuckled state.
Actuators push the beam between the first buckled state and the second buckled state, and the actuators are only activated during beam movement from the first buckled state to the second buckled state. Thus, the beam remains in either the first buckled state or the second buckled state once moved by the actuators. Further, because the beam is formed initially as a substantially straight member, an equal force is required to move the beam into either the first buckled state or the second buckled state, and the beam is considered to be "bi-stable."
In various exemplary embodiments, a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) buckled beam switch comprises a beam, actuators on opposite sides of the beam, and an adjustable compressor positioned at one end or both ends of the beam compressing the beam into the buckled state. The embodiments herein also include a fixed anchor at a first end of the beam and flexible members (e.g., springs, etc.) at the other (second) end of the beam. These and other features are described in, or are apparent from, the following detailed description.


The present invention includes a laminate and formation of a laminate having at least one layer of an ionomer and at least one layer of an acid polymer or blend of acid polymer and a thermoplastic polyolefin that can be thermoformed to form a shaped laminate. The shaped laminate can then be contacted with a plastic substrate such as a thermoplastic polyolefin to form a composite article by such means as, for example, injection molding. The laminate can be pigmented to eliminate the need to paint the surface of the plastic substrate. Impact and scratch resistant articles can be formed from the laminated substrate such as automotive parts, appliance body parts and sporting equipment.

Durable, glossy fascia associated with articles such as automobiles, luggage, appliances, and other durable articles made from plastics increase both the aesthetic appeal and the utility of these articles. However, due to the physical characteristics of many plastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polycarbonate, polystyrene, etc., it is often difficult if not impossible to color these external surfaces with traditional paints and by common painting techniques. Moreover, even when such surfaces are paintable, the paints themselves present an environmental problem. The use of paint on plastic articles increases the presence of volatile organic compounds ("VOC's") in the atmosphere, water and ground. Also, the presence of paint reduces the recyclability of the articles, as the paint must by stripped using harsh solvents prior to recycling. Thus, there is considerable interest in developing new, paint-free protective and decorative fascia for use on such articles.
Ionomer materials are known in the art, and are known to be useful in plastic films and for coating various plastic substrates. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,482,766, 4,148,972, 5,543,233, 4,800,130, 4,656,098, 5,206,294, 4,335,175; DE 36 26 809 A; EP 0 721 856; and JP 08269409, 2000085062, and 04052136. Ionomer coatings are useful for their scratch and abrasion resistance, as well as toughness and aesthetic appeal. A continued problem in the use of ionomers is bonding the ionomer sheet or layer to a substrate layer. This is particularly true where the substrate is pre-formed and the ionomer must then be secured onto the substrate, which is most often the case in current processes. For example, when the substrate is an automobile bumper made from such materials as polypropylene or ethylene-propylene copolymer, the substrate material is typically injection molded to form the solid bumper in a first step. In order to then color this bumper, it must either be painted with traditional automotive paints, or some material must otherwise be secured onto the bumper after it is formed, making it impractical to secure multi-layered materials such as, for example, laminated ionomer or ionomer layers, onto the bumper.
What is needed is an article that is aesthetically desirable yet needs no painting, and a method of attaching a pre-pigmented material such as an ionomer to a substrate, wherein the ionomer comprises one or more layers that is pre-formed to the shape of the desired end use article that allows the substrate to then be secured to the shaped ionomer material.

Ionomer laminates and articles formed from ionomer laminates


A semiconductor device, includes: an organic multilayer wiring substrate having an inner conductive layer; a semiconductor element mounted and connected on one surface of the wiring substrate; and a plurality of solder balls disposed on the other surface in a grid array. A defect portion is formed at an area corresponding to a corner solder ball disposed at an outer peripheral corner, or at an area corresponding to the corner solder ball and peripheral solder balls at the inner conductive layer. Temperature rises of the solder balls disposed in a vicinity of the corner are suppressed, and therefore, the semiconductor device of which fatigue life is prolonged and superior in reliability can be obtained.

Conventionally, a semiconductor device has been proposed in which a semiconductor element is mounted on one surface (for example, at a front surface) of a wiring substrate, electrodes (lands) are arranged in vertical and horizontal directions in a grid state at a rear surface side, and solder balls connecting to a mounting substrate such as a printed wiring board are disposed on these electrodes (lands), so as to make high function and miniaturization of various electronic equipments easy. The semiconductor device as stated above is called as a BGA (Ball Grid Array) type semiconductor device (for example, refer to JP-A 2007-317754 (KOKAI)). The wiring substrate has a multilayer structure in which insulating layers composed of an organic material such as glass epoxy and conductive layers are layered alternately to be integrated, and an inner conductive layer is made of a copper foil to be a power plane layer or a ground plane layer.
In the semiconductor device having the structure as stated above, a major part of heat generated by an operation of the semiconductor element is conducted to the mounting substrate from the wiring substrate via the solder balls, and it is discharged from the mounting substrate. Temperatures of the solder balls positioning along a heat conductive path become high resulting from this heat conduction. The inner conductive layer constituting the wiring substrate is formed in a plane state using the copper foil of which heat conductivity is good. Accordingly, the temperatures of the solder balls disposed in a vicinity of four corners also become high, because the heat is conducted not only to an area just below the semiconductor element but also to a peripheral area at the rear surface of the wiring substrate. Kirkendall void is easy to be generated at electrode junctions of the solder balls when the temperature becomes high.
On the other hand, when the heat is added under a state in which the semiconductor device is mounted on the mounting substrate via the solder balls, a strain (thermal strain) is generated on the solder ball caused by a difference of coefficients of thermal expansion between the wiring substrate of the semiconductor device and the mounting substrate. The farther the solder ball is disposed from a center portion of the semiconductor device, the larger the thermal strain becomes. The thermal strain of the solder ball disposed in the vicinity of the corner portion therefore becomes large, and it becomes easy to break. Accordingly, an operating life becomes short resulting from fatigue.

Semiconductor device including an inner conductive layer which is cut out in the vicinity of a corner


In order to provide a novel azole derivative, an azole derivative of the present invention is an azole derivative represented by a general formula (V′). (where R6 and R7 independently represent a hydrogen atom, a C1-C4 alkyl group, a phenyl group, or a benzyl group; X represents a halogen atom, a C1-C4 alkyl group, a haloalkyl group, an alkoxy group or a haloalkoxy group, a phenyl group, a cyano group, or a nitro group; m represents an integer of 0 to 5; and A represents a nitrogen atom or a methyne group.)

It is known that certain kinds of 2-substituted-5-benzyl-1-azolylmethylcyclopentanol derivative show biocidal activities (e.g., see Patent Literatures 1 and 2).
Further, it is reported that some compounds encompassed in 2-(halogenated alkyl hydrocarbon)-5-benzyl-1-azolylmethylcyclopentanol derivative show an anticonvulsive property and an anti-anxiety fighting activity (see Patent Literature 3). Note that Patent Literature 3 does not disclose agro-horticultural agents or industrial material protecting agents, and does not specifically disclose compounds that are encompassed in the scope of the present invention.

Azole derivative, method for producing azole derivative, and intermediate compound


A combined PET/MRT unit is disclosed that includes a PET detector which is reduced by comparison with the prior art, and that consists, for example, of a PET detector with a polygonal arrangement of the detector elements or with a PET detector ring. The PET detector is reduced in an axial direction by comparison with the detectors of the prior art, as a result of which the costs for producing the expensive PET detectors are lowered. The reduction of the PET detector is possible because the MR measurement usually lasts longer than the PET measurement, and so a reduced PET detector can be used for the temporally sequential recording of a number of PET tomograms by mechanical displacement of the PET detector. Since the MR measurement lasts substantially longer, this mechanical displacement does not lead to a lengthening of the measuring time. The invention also relates to methods for simultaneously recording MR and PET tomograms in which the PET/MRT units according to the invention are used.

Magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) is an imaging method that enables tomograms of living organisms such as humans to be produced with high resolution. The patient is supported in a homogeneous magnetic field B0. Gradient cores are used to modify the external magnetic field in the FOV (field of view) such that, firstly, a body slice is selected and, secondly, a spatial coding of the generated MR signals is performed.
During the subsequent reconstruction of the MR signals, for example by way of Fourier transformation, an image of the selected slice is produced that is used for medical diagnostics. Generation and detection of the MR signals are performed with the aid of a high-frequency system that includes a transmitting antenna, which irradiates HF excitation pulses into the patient, and a receiving antenna that detects the emitted HF resonance signals and relays them for the purpose of image reconstruction. Depending on the diagnostic task, the contrast of the MR images can be diversely varied by selecting a suitable pulse sequence, such as a spine echo sequence or a gradient echo sequence, and the sequence parameters associated therewith. The MRT images body structures and consequently constitutes a structural imaging method.
Another method for producing tomograms of a patient is positron emission tomography (PET). This nuclear medicine method is used to display the distribution of a radioactively marked substance in the organism. The substance is introduced into the organism and becomes concentrated in specific body tissues in accordance with its biochemical function. The subsequent decay of the radionuclide in this substance in conjunction with positron emission is detected and measured data are supplied that can be reconstructed to form a tomogram that images chiefly biochemical, that is to say physiological, processes.
PET is thus a method for functional imaging. Since the abovementioned processes take place chiefly in specific body compartments such as organs, PET also supplies structural information, but with a substantially lesser resolution than MRT.
Radiopharmaca with radionuclides contained therein which emit positrons upon decay (β+ decay) are suitable for PET. After a short distance of approximately 1 mm, a positron interacts with an electron. In this process, the two particles are annihilated with the production of two photons in the region of gamma radiation, and these move away from one another on a line, that is to say at an angle of 180°.
Use is made for the purpose of detecting the two photons of a PET detector that is also denoted as a PET camera or PET scanner and which surrounds the measurement object. The PET detector includes a large number of detector elements that are arranged about the measurement object, which is to be imaged.
There are various configurations for the arrangement of the detector elements. Most frequently, the detector elements are arranged on a ring that surrounds the measurement object and is completely occupied with detector elements. Such a PET scanner is also denoted as a stationary block ring system.
However, it is also possible to use a smaller number of large-area position sensitive detector elements in a polygonal arrangement. Moreover, it is possible to use a ring that is occupied only partially with detector elements, there being a need in this case for the ring, and thus the detector elements, to be rotated about the measurement object in order to acquire the requisite measured data. Such a system is also denoted as a rotating block ring system. According to a further general refinement, the PET scanner comprises curved continuous panels.
The directions in a detector ring are usually specified as follows: the direction from the center of the detector ring to the circular circumference on which the detector elements are fastened is the radial direction. The direction along the circular circumference is denoted as the transaxial direction. The axis on which the patient couch is arranged is the axial direction, which is also denoted as z-axis in the attached figures.
In order to improve the total detection efficiency, in modern PET scanners the PET detector usually has a length of at least 15 cm in an axial direction. This can be achieved by stacking a number of detector rings directly one after another, or by using two-dimensionally continuous detectors of large axial dimension and having the length specified above. In the case of a number of detector rings, the total number of the detector elements is typically of an order of magnitude of approximately 10 000.
In the basic design, the detector elements situated exactly opposite one another are firstly connected in a state of electronic coincidence, that is to say they register an event only when a photon originating from a positron decay is respectively registered during a very short interval (3-10 ns) at these two detector elements. Such a design would, however, enable the registration only of photons that originate from a radionuclide that is localized exactly at the center of the relevant detector ring inside the measurement object. In order to detect the decay of radionuclides with localization outside the center, that is to say for pictorially acquiring an extended measurement object, each detector element must be connected in a state of electronic coincidence to a fan of detector elements that are situated opposite this detector element on the detector ring. This arrangement, which is also denoted as computed tomography, is illustrated schematically in FIG. 1.
The PET camera CTI-951R-31 (Knoxville, Tenn., USA) from Siemens is specified as an example of a PET detector ring system. This PET scanner includes 16 detector rings following one after another in an axial direction and in each case having a diameter of 102 cm. 512 BGO (bismuth germanium oxide) crystals sensitive to γ quanta are arranged on each detector ring in a fashion corresponding to a total number of detector elements of 8192 BGO crystals for all the detector rings. Each detector element (BGO crystal) has a size of 6.25 mm (transaxial)×6.75 mm (axial)×30 mm (radial).
The PET scanner can, for example, also include four or six flat detectors. The X ring/4R PET camera (Nucline™), which includes four separate rectangular detectors made from NaI(Tl) crystals with a size of 260 mm×246 mm in each case is given as an example of such a PET scanner. This camera is normally used for examining small objects.
In order to carry out the PET method, the radiopharmacon is injected in the patient or administered by inhalation. The patient is positioned on a moveable table such that the body section to be examined is situated in the target region of the detectors. A complete PET scan includes the detection of a large number of photon pairs that is typically in the range from 106 to 108. The subsequent image reconstruction converts the signals thus detected into a 2D image, and this reproduces in a quantitative way the distribution of the radiopharmacon in the measurement object.
As a structural imaging method and a functional imaging method, respectively, MRT and PET supply different information. It is therefore sensible to combine the image information of the two methods, something which enables particularly precisely determined anatomical structures to be assigned to regions with a high concentration of the radiopharmacon, such as organs or cancerous ulcers. The relatively low spatial resolution of PET can be overcome in this way. For future systems, an attempt is therefore currently being made to combine the imaging methods of MRT and PET in one unit, and to render them capable of use as simultaneously as possible.
It is pointed out in this context that combinations of a PET scanner and a computer tomography are already commercially available. For the purpose of examination in such a combined PET/CT unit, the patient is moved on the patient couch directly one after another through the detectors of the two components. Subsequently, the images produced are superimposed in the computer, thus combining the high spatial resolution of a CT with the functional information from PET.
Combined PET/MRT units are already currently under development. Here, an APD photodiode array with an upstream array composed of LSO crystals finds favor as PET detector.
It is to be considered when developing combined PET/MRT units that PET is one of the most expensive imaging methods in medicine. A not insubstantial contribution to the high costs is made by the costly PET detector. Consequently, cost effective approaches to the configuration of the PET detector are advantageous for mass production with reference to a commercial PET/MRT unit.
A combined PET/MRT unit is described in US patent application US 2003/0090267 A1.

Combined PET/MRT unit and method for simultaneously recording PET images and MR images


A surface-coated flame-retardant particle comprising a flame-retardant grain and a coated layer provided on a surface of the flame-retardant grain, wherein the coated layer comprises an organic compound or a polysilicone, the flame-retardant grain comprises a metal hydrate and has a volume average particle diameter of 1 to 500 nm, and the metal hydrate comprises Mg and at least one of Ca, Al, Fe, Zn, Ba, Cu, and Ni. Also provided is a flame-retardant resin composition comprising the surface-coated flame-retardant particle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surface-coated flame-retardant particle, a flame-retardant resin composition using the same, and methods of producing the same. In particular, the present invention relates to a surface-coated flame-retardant particle and a flame-retardant resin composition using the same that are used for protection, from the troubles by heat such as fire, of various products including frames for consumer electronics and OA products, electric wires and cables, vehicles such as automobile, ship, airplane, and railroad train, building materials, electronic devices and printed board.
2. Description of the Related Art
Halogen compounds, antimony trioxide, phosphorus compounds, hydrated metal compounds (metal hydrates) and the like have been used as flame retardants to be mixed with matrix resins (hereinafter, referred to simply as "resin") so as to impart flame-retarding property thereto. Among flame retardants, use of halogen compounds and antimony trioxide is declining because of environmental concern, but hydrated metal compounds can reduce the environmental load and are more advantageous also from the viewpoints of resin recycling.
However, the hydrated metal compound has to be used in a large amount in order to provide flame resistance equivalent to that imparted by other organic flame-retardant compounds. Therefore, use of a large amount of the hydrated metal compound results in drastic deterioration of the physical properties of the polymer. In order to impart flame resistance equivalent to that imparted by other organic flame retardants without deterioration of the physical properties of the polymer, it is necessary to disperse hydroxylated metal compound particles with a small diameter in a matrix resin uniformly such that they are separated from each other without aggregation. Thus, when metal hydrate particles are mixed in a resin, it is necessary to form a uniform coating layer on the particle surface, so as to ensure the dispersion state of the particles in the matrix resin.
Surface treatment with a higher fatty acid or the like, formation of a silica layer, and the like are known as methods for forming a coating layer on particle surface (for example in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) Nos. 52-30262 and 2003-253266, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference). However, when such methods are applied to nanometer-sized particles, the particle in the aggregated state undergoes coating reaction under conventional reaction conditions because the particles are difficult to disperse sufficiently and the coating reaction rate is high; as a result, uniformly coated particles are not obtained.
Further, it has been proposed to treat surface of inorganic powder with a polyamino acid or a gas-phase cyclic organosiloxane (for example in JP-A Nos. 57-145006 and 61-268763, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference). These methods also resulted in insufficient dispersion of the particles and generation of aggregates when applied to nanometer-sized particles.
A method of preparing fine particles enclosed with a linear polymer by mixing and reacting an organic metal complex or the like with the linear polymer in a solvent has been also proposed (for example in JP-A No. 2003-92207, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference). The method provides uniform particles owing to stabilization of the organic metal complex by the linear polymer and owing to controlled reactivity of the organic metal complex. However, the method has a problem that when the reaction proceeds in the three-dimensional supermolecular structure, it is difficult to obtain particles having a uniform particle diameter due to unevenness of the reaction field caused by higher spatial freedom inside the linear polymer network.
Further, polymer nanocomposite compositions of a polyamide and a modified silicate salt, graft polymers, polycarbonate blends containing a phosphonate amine and inorganic nanoparticles, and the like have been also proposed recently for imparting flame-retarding property to resins by using fine particles (for example in Japanese Patent Application National Publication Nos. 2003-517488 and 2003-509523 (corresponding to WO99/041299 and WO01/018117), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference). However, none of these compositions can solve the problems above when used as a flame retardant.

Surface-coated flame-retardant particle and method of producing the same, and flame-retardant resin composition and method of producing the same


Embodiments of a resistor are disclosed.

Some research groups are currently seeking to commercialize bi-stable displays in a variety of paper-replacement applications ("e-Print"). Paper-replacement applications may desire to incorporate less expensive materials and processes but such display applications generally use low power designs to be commercially successful. Display circuitry for commercial applications can often be designed and processed within tolerances centered around low current and voltage thresholds used to activate pixel elements. Controlling resistance values in such circuits is one way to achieve the design tolerances and robust electrical designs necessary for commercial mass production in paper replacement applications.
As a result, it is desirable to reduce the cost of the processing steps and materials in order to keep the cost of the overall paper-replacement applications down. Simply reducing the display layers or eliminating processing steps may reduce costs but may also reduce the ability to control the electrical tolerances needed for robust designs. Providing processes and display structures that meet the criteria of both low cost commercial production and robust electrical design for commercial mass production can be a difficult balancing act.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


In order to enhance fuel injection efficiency, and particularly to atomize low fuel flows at high velocity with low fuel pressure, a fuel injection system 24 for a combustor 22 of a turbine engine 20 has an air blast tube 48 and a fuel supply tube 76. The air blast tube 48 is mounted at an acute angle relative to a wall 26 of the combustor 22 and has a first end 50 in communication with the combustor 22 and a second, enlarged end 52 disposed at an acute angle to an axis 54 of the air blast tube 48 in communication with a source of compressed air externally of the wall 26 of the combustor 22. The air blast tube 48 is operable to deliver compressed air from the source into the combustor 22. The fuel supply tube 76 delivers fuel through a fuel supply orifice 58 to a point at or near the first end 50 of the air blast tube 48 and has a first end 60 in communication with the combustor 22 through the fuel supply orifice 58 and a second end 62 in communication with a source of fuel externally of the wall 26 of the combustor 22. With this arrangement, the fuel supply tube 76 extends to a point communicating internally with the air blast tube 48 but adjacent a discharge opening 64 of the air blast tube 48 to produce an enhanced atomized fuel/air mixture thereby.

Generally speaking, there have been a number of significant improvements in the field of fuel injection in recent years. This is particularly true in the case of fuel injection systems for combustors of turbine engines wherein, for certain applications, it has been proposed to utilize tangential or semi-tangential injection by means of impingement surfaces located within tangentially directed air blast tubes. In this connection, this particular fuel injector utilizes what has become known as impingement fuel pressure atomization.
While considerably more efficient than swirl pressure atomization, there are nonetheless certain well recognized problems. These include the wide variety of operating conditions which can be encountered, i.e., low altitude operation which typically requires higher fuel flows and high altitude operation which requires very low fuel flows. Because of this inverse relationship between altitude and fuel flow, there has been a need to develop a fuel injection system that is highly versatile.
As mentioned hereinabove, one successful proposal has included utilizing tangential injection by means of impingement surfaces located within tangentially directed air blast tubes. This impingement fuel pressure atomization has represented a significant improvement for certain applications but, nonetheless, can suffer from certain deficiencies, particularly where it is desirable to mount the fuel injection system in the dome of the combustor. Because of the geometry of a turbine engine, it is essentially impossible to mount the fuel supply passage in an air blast tube in order to provide tangential or semi-tangential injection.
Because of this fact, fuel injection systems have typically been characterized by less efficient atomization in applications that require one or more dome-mounted injectors. This, in turn, is a problem in terms of efficiency as well as operation under the wide variety of operating conditions that can be encountered in practical applications. Furthermore, the absence of efficient atomization in combustors has resulted in undesirable amounts of smoke emissions therefrom.
In the case of smaller turbine engines, the exit diameter of the air blast tube is also proportionately reduced. Thus, on engines for smaller auxiliary power units, which can be, by way of example, on the order of as low as 50 horsepower, any significant blockage of the flow of compressed air through the air blast tube is not acceptable since the diameter of the tube carrying the fuel supply passage must remain relatively constant. While the number of injectors can be minimized to maximize the diameter of the air blast tubes, the problem nevertheless remains.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the foregoing problems and achieving one or more of the resulting objects.