A method is disclosed for normalizing blood glucose and insulin levels as measured by an oral glucose tolerance test in an individual exhibiting normal fasting blood glucose and insulin levels and exhibiting in an oral glucose tolerance test elevated glucose levels and at least one insulin level abnormality selected from the group consisting of a delayed insulin peak, an exaggerated insulin peak and a secondary elevated insulin peak. The method comprises administering diazoxide to the individual before ingestion of a food source in an amount effective to normalize the blood glucose and insulin levels. Diazoxide is administered in an amount from about 0.4 to about 0.8 mg/kg body weight before each meal.

The central role of insulin in human metabolism is to aid in the transport of glucose into muscle and fat cells. The disease states, such as diabetes mellitus, which result from defects in either the ability of the body to produce insulin or in defective insulin binding are well documented.
Type I or insulin dependent diabetes is characterized by decreased insulin production leading to hyperglycemia, ketoacidosis, thirst and weight loss. In general, defects in insulin production or activity are associated with hyperglycemia, i.e. the failure of cells to take up glucose and subsequent high circulating blood levels.
Epidemiological studies indicate that Type I diabetes, or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) can be characterized by high, normal or low insulin concentrations and insulin response to glucose. The Lancet, Jun. 17, 1989; p. 1356-1359. In general, NIDDM is associated with either insulin resistance or defective insulin secretion.
Recent studies have indicated a high correlation between defective glucose metabolism and relatives with NIDDM. Estimates are that 43 percent of first degree relatives of patients with NIDDM develop the disease. Raised fasting and glucose-stimulated insulin concentrations are early abnormalities in subjects destined to develop NIDDM. Even individuals with a family history of NIDDM who have normal blood glucose concentrations have higher insulin concentrations than individuals without a family history of NIDDM, indicating an increased insulin resistance despite the apparent lack of a disease state. Nagulesparan M. et. al. Diabetes (1979) 28: 980-83; Hollenbeck et. al. Diabetes (1984) 33:460-463; Lilloja et. al. Diabetes (1987) 36:1329-1335.
Many patients that show early signs of defective glucose metabolism experience disorders such a lack of concentration, depression and abnormal weight gain. Eriksson et. al. NEJM (1989) 321(6): 337-343. Apparently, the glucose receptor in the beta cell does not respond promptly, giving either a poor or delayed insulin response; and the insulin receptor in the muscle cell is slow to act and therefore the glucose does not get into the cell promptly. The result is hyperglycemia of varying intensity. Continued stimulation of the beta cell occurs, with gradually rising blood insulin levels until finally the insulin receptors respond, the blood glucose rushes into the cells and hypoglycemia results. Such hypoglycemia is generally referred to as reactive hypoglycemia.
Because this sequence of events occurs within 3 to 4 hours of a meal, the ensuing hypoglycemia remains undetected when a standard two hour test such as a glucose tolerance test, a two-hour euglycemic, hyperinsulinemic clamp and a hyperglycemicglucose clamp are utilized to measure glucose tolerance. Accordingly, the hyperglycemic state may be observed, while the following hypoglycemic reaction is not. Such studies indicate that relatives of patients with NIDDM had the same degree of disturbed glucose metabolism as patients diagnosed with the disease, creating a hyperglycemic state regardless of the relatively normal or high levels of circulating insulin. In each case, the level of glucose after two hours is higher than normal.
Oral diazoxide (7-chloro-3-methyl-2H-1,2,4-benzothiadiazine 1,1-diazoxide) is a drug originally developed for the treatment of hypertension. It is now used primarily for the treatment of hypoglycemia due to hyperinsulinism, associated with conditions such as inoperable islet cell adenoma or carcinoma. It is also used to suppress insulin in cases of nesidioblastosis in infants or, at times, in adenomas pre-operatively. It is currently marketed by prescription in the U.S. under the tradename Proglycem.RTM..
Diazoxide is known to cause hyperglycemia which is usually transitory (maximum 8 hours) and is due to decreased insulin secretion and decreased peripheral utilization of glucose. Henquin et. al. Diabetes 31:776-783 (1982). Despite the extensive amount of research dedicated to understanding glucose metabolism and the defects that result from defects in such metabolism, many persons suffer from hyperglycemic and hypoglycemic symptoms that remain undiagnosed. Of such undiagnosed illnesses, reactive hypoglycemia is a debilitating disease that often causes severe psychological problems.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a method of diagnosing and treating reactive hypoglycemia.
It is a further object of the invention to enhance the release of insulin and/or uptake of sugar in persons with disorders in glucose metabolism through the use of oral diazoxide.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a means of diagnosing Type II or pre-Type II diabetic conditions. It is a further object of the invention to prevent or delay the onset of insulin dependency in patients having pre-or early Type II diabetes.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of treating obesity caused by defective glucose metabolism through the use of oral diazoxide.
These as well as other objects of this invention are realized in light of the following disclosure.

Use of oral diazoxide for the treatment of disorders in glucose metabolism


Semiconductor device and the manufacturing method thereof are disclosed herein. An exemplary method comprises forming first and second semiconductor fins in first and second regions of a substrate, respectively; forming first and second dummy gate stacks over the first and second semiconductor fins, respectively, and forming a spacer layer over the first and the second dummy gate stacks; forming a first pattern layer with a thickness along the spacer layer in the first region; form a first source/drain (S/D) trench along the first pattern layer and epitaxially growing a first epitaxial feature therein; removing the first pattern layer to expose the spacer layer; forming a second pattern layer with a different thickness along the spacer layer in the second region; form a second S/D trench along the second pattern layer and epitaxially growing a second epitaxial feature therein; and removing the second pattern layer to expose the spacer layer.

Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) are commonly used in integrated circuits (IC). SRAM have the advantages of holding data without a need for refreshing. An SRAM cell typically includes two p-type pull-up (PU) transistors, two n-type pull-down (PD) transistors, and two n-type pass-gate (PG) transistors. The PD transistors form cross-coupled inverters with the PU transistors. Performance of a SRAM cell can be evaluated by a read/write margin of the SRAM cell. Specifically, reading performance is related to the PD and PG transistors, and the writing performance is related to the PU and PG transistors.
Due to the aggressive scaling down of the IC industry, three-dimensional transistors, such as fin-like field-effect transistor (FinFET) and/or gate-all-around (GAA) transistor, have been introduced into the SRAM fabrication. Although existing FinFET or GAA devices and the fabricating method thereof have been generally adequate for their intended purposes, they have not been entirely satisfactory in all respects. For example, it has been observed that FinFET or GAA SRAM cell suffers from small read/wright margin due to stronger PU performance compared with PD performance. Accordingly, improvements are needed.

Semiconductor device with tunable epitaxy structures and method of forming the same

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.


The present invention provides a pharmaceutical preparation for hearing impairment, which is suitable for gene therapy of hearing impairment, that is, a pharmaceutical preparation for hearing impairment which comprises a virus envelope vector encapsulating a hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) gene or its plasmid as an active ingredient. Particularly, it is suitable as a pharmaceutical preparation for gene therapy for the purpose of prevention and treatment of deafness.

Hearing impairment is the most prevalent sensory deficit of human beings, and are said to occur in at least one of ten persons. Hearing impairment can be caused by a variety of factors including ototoxic substances such as aminoglicoside antibiotics or cisplatin (CDDP), noise and ageing.
These factors affect the inner ear hair cells in the organ of Corti which function as sensory cells that collect and transfer auditory signals to the brain via the auditory neurons. Moreover, degeneration of the auditory nerve occurs secondary to the loss of the sensory hair cells, thus exacerbating the functional impairment of hearing.
In general, hair cells and auditory neurons in mammalian vertebrates have no capacity for postembryonic cellular mitosis to generate new hair cells and neurons. In the mammalian stato-acoustic epithelia, a low level of regeneration is possible for the vestibular receptors in vivo. However, no regeneration of auditory sensory epithelium was observed in vivo, except a very restricted regeneration observed in neonatal mouse cochlear in vitro.
For the treatment of severely deaf ears, the cochlear implant has provided great benefits to patients and has been shown to provide an effective intervention. However, the benefit of cochlear prosthesis depends on the quality and quantity of the auditory nerve population, and their loss severely compromises the hearing benefits it provides.
The past studies show a clear relationship between the total number of viable auditory neurons available for stimulation and the performance of subjects receiving cochlear implants. This shows that the implant cannot always produce satisfactory results.
It is therefore necessary to develop the therapeutic strategy of preserving or regenerating the auditory neurons to increase the effectiveness of the implant. Recent studies revealed that multiple neurotrophic factors such as nerve growth factor (NGF), glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophic factor-3 or NT-4/5 have been shown to have effects on the survival of inner ear auditory neurons, including spiral ganglion cells (SGCs).
A prior art relevant to the present invention, that is, U.S. Pat. No. 6,136,785 discloses a method of protecting sensory hair cells in the inner ear against damage caused by ototoxic substances such as aminoglicoside, which comprises administering a growth factor or a mixture thereof into a vertebrate. As its relevant prior arts, WO-A 98/00014, U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,886, JP-A 2002-503687 etc. are also known.


An apparatus, including a determining unit for determining one or more applicable radio selections including one or more radio interfaces for use by one or more communication applications, a ranking unit for ranking the applicable radio selections to an order of superiority according to a predefined ranking criterion, and a selecting unit for selecting a radio selection, of the one or more applicable radio selections, for use by the one or more communication applications on the basis of the order of superiority of the radio selections.

The future of mobile communication lies in no single radio technology. At the moment, a typical low-end mobile station carries GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) based 2G (2nd Generation) radio and possibly its derivatives, such as EDGE (enhanced data rates for GSM evolution) and GPRS (general packet radio service). Mid-priced mobiles have WCDMA (wide-band code-division multiple access) based 3G (3rd Generation) radio that have very different characteristics from the mobile point of view when compared to GSM in terms of technology, bit rates, power consumption, etc., even if in the network side the backbone is said to be similar. A plurality of other radio technologies, such as 3.5G, 3.9G (or LTE (Long Term Evolution)), 4G are being introduced to the mobiles, and apart from the cellular radios, some mobile stations are already provided with WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) and Bluetooth.
Using a mobile station will be very different from the user's perspective when multiple radios are available. Till now, when one starts for example a browser, one has to pre-configure or manually choose the connection that is the radio interface to be used by the browser. This is not acceptable from the user's point of view when plenty of radios are available. That is, a user may not be an expert on different radios, and configuring all of them is a difficult task. Some radios may be under the control of an operator and the operator might want to configure such connections. Furthermore, even if the user might be able to select and configure the radio connection he or she chose, the chosen radio may not be the optimum one not even by the user's standards. Different radios have different characteristics, and even if, for example, cost is probably quite straight forward for the user to make the decision with, measures like power consumption exist that are impossible for user the to optimize.
Thus a need exists to improve mechanisms in selecting a radio interface in a mobile station.


A photographic recording material is disclosed which contains tabular silver halide emulsion grains of specified dimensions to enable improved sharpness.

Among the desirable properties of a photographic silver halide recording material is high sharpness. That is, the recording material should enable faithful reproduction and display of both coarse and fine details of the original scene. This combination of properties has proven difficult to achieve in practice.
A general description of the nature of this problem may be found in T. H. James, ed., "The Theory of the Photographic Process," Macmillan, New York, 1977 and in particular at Chapter 20 of this text, pages 578-591, entitled "Optical Properties of the Photographic Emulsion" by J. Gasper and J. J. DePalma.
One method of improving sharpness, disclosed at U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,941 and at U.S. Pat. No. 4,391,884, involves the incorporation of a spatially fixed absorber dye in a film layer between the exposing light source and a layer comprising a conventional grain light sensitive silver halide emulsion. In these disclosures, the absorber dye is held spatially fixed either by means of a ballast group or by means of a mordanting material incorporated at a specified position in the film structure. Use of this spatial arrangement of absorber dye and emulsion reduces front-surface halation effects.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,520, inter alia, discloses the utility of sensitized high aspect ratio silver halide emulsions for use in light sensitive materials and processes. These high aspect ratio silver halide emulsions, herein known as tabular grain emulsions, differ from convention grain emulsions in many characteristics. One differential characteristic is the relationship between the emulsion grain thickness and the emulsion grain equivalent circular diameter. Conventional grain emulsions tend to be isotropic in shape and, when incorporated in a film structure, tend to be randomly oriented within a particular layer. Tabular grain emulsions however, tend to be anisotropic in shape and, when incorporated in a film structure, tend to align such that their major axis parallels the plane of the film base. This degree of anisotropicity is know as the emulsion aspect ratio (AR), typically defined as the ratio of the emulsion grain equivalent circular diameter divided by the emulsion grain thickness. The ability to control emulsion grain thickness and alignment within a film structure can enable the realization of otherwise unattainable degrees of recording material performance.
The optical properties of photographic recording materials incorporating tabular grain emulsions are described in great detail at "Research Disclosure", #25330, May, 1985, as are methodologies of specifying particular arrangements of tabular grain emulsions within a film structure and of specifying particular tabular grain emulsion thicknesses so as to enable the attainment of specifically desired properties, such as speed or sharpness in underlying or overlying emulsion layers. No mention is made of the relationship between tabular grain emulsion thickness and the speed or sharpness of the emulsion layer comprising such a grain.
These methods may not prove to be wholly satisfactory. U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,454, for example, discloses that although high frequency sharpness may be attained by the appropriate choice of tabular grain emulsion thickness and placement, this can be at the cost of low frequency sharpness. The term high frequency sharpness generally relates to the appearance of fine detail in a scene reproduction while the term low frequency sharpness generally relates to the appearance of clarity or "snap" in a scene reproduction. It is now understood that the terms "high frequency sharpness" and "low frequency sharpness" are qualitative in nature and that both image frequency, expressed as cycles/mm in the film plane, and the image magnification employed in producing a reproduction must be taken into account when specifying such terms. This publication discloses that both high frequency and low frequency sharpness may be simultaneously improved by the incorporation of specific mercaptothiadiazole compounds in combination with tabular grain silver halide emulsions. This practice may not be wholly satisfactory since the incorporation of such silver ion ligands can lead to deleterious effects on film speed and film keeping properties.
In a related area, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,746,600 and 4,855,220 disclose that unexpectedly large degrees of sharpness can be attained by combining spatially fixed absorber dyes and Development Inhibitor Releasing Compounds (DIR Compounds) in a photographic silver halide recording material. The spatially fixed absorber dyes are positioned between an emulsion containing layer and the exposing light source. The materials described in these disclosures incorporate either conventional grain silver halide emulsions or low aspect ratio tabular grain silver halide emulsions. There is no indication of any dependence in film imaging performance on the thickness or spatial positioning of the light sensitive silver halide emulsion grains in these publications.
Again, in a related area, U.S. Pat. No. 4,833,069 discloses that large degrees of sharpness can be attained by simultaneously controlling imaging layer thickness to between 5 and 18 microns and incorporating large quantities, between 15 and 80 mol % of colored cyan dye-forming couplers, known also in the art as cyan dye-forming color masking couplers. This method may not be wholly satisfactory since the use of excessive quantities of color masking couplers can lead to inferior color rendition by over-correcting the color reproduction through excessive use of the masking function. Again, there is no indication of any dependence in film imaging performance on the thickness or spatial positioning of the light sensitive silver halide emulsion grains in this publication.
In yet another related area, U.S. Pat. No. 4,956,269 discloses that color reversal silver halide photographic materials incorporating tabular grain silver halide emulsions can show improved sharpness when the photographic layer incorporating the tabular grain silver halide emulsion also incorporates a quantity of absorber dye sufficient to reduce the speed of that layer by at least 20%, when the total imaging layer thickness is less than 16 microns and when the swell ratio of the film is greater than 1.25. The materials described in this disclosure incorporate intermediate aspect ratio (AR<9.0) tabular grain silver halide emulsions. These conditions and constraints are non-predictive of the performance of color negative silver halide photographic materials.
A color negative silver halide photographic recording material incorporating conventional (non-tabular) grain silver halide emulsions and a quantity of distributed dye sufficient to reduce the speed of a color record by about 50% has been commercially available for many years. Additionally, it has been common practice in the photographic art to commercially provide silver halide photographic recording materials incorporating conventional grain and/or tabular grain silver halide emulsions in combination with soluble dyes sufficient to reduce the speed of a color record by about 10% for purposes related to ease of manufacture. Likewise, color negative silver halide photographic materials incorporating high aspect ratio tabular grain silver halide emulsions with an average grain thickness of circa 0.11 and 0.14 microns in an intermediately positioned layer have been commercially available for many years.
The thicknesses of the silver halide emulsions employed in this invention are adjusted for the purposes of improving film performance according to principles described in Research Disclosure, May, 1985, Item 25330. This disclosure teaches, by extrapolation from the optical properties of silver bromide sheet crystals, that the thicknesses of silver halide emulsions incorporated in specific photographic layers and sensitized to one spectral region may be chosen to enable either improved speed or improved sharpness behavior in other photographic layers incorporating silver halide emulsions sensitized to different regions of the spectrum. These improvements are said to occur because the light transmission and reflection properties of the silver halide emulsions are controlled in large part by their grain thicknesses. Further discussion on the relationship between the thickness of silver halide crystals and their reflectance properties can be found in Optics, by J. M. Klein, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1960, pages 582 to 585. These disclosures make no teaching about the relationship between the thickness of a silver halide emulsion sensitized to a particular region of the spectrum and the sharpness behavior of a photographic layer or element using such an emulsion.
Despite all of this effort, fully adequate degrees of sharpness have not been attained in silver halide photographic materials comprising high aspect ratio tabular grain emulsions.

Photographic silver halide material comprising tabular grains of specified dimensions


A personal care composition is provided with a silicone compound and being aesthetically modified for improved skinfeel with a quaternary ammonium salt, the salt having a structure AB, wherein A is a cationic charged component, B is an anionic charged component, and A has one quaternized nitrogen atom, at least two hydroxyl groups and a molecular weight no higher than about 250.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns personal care compositions formulated to impart moisturization and having excellent skinfeel properties.
2. The Related Art
Dry skin is a problem in varying degree to most humans. This condition is particularly evident in winter. Personal care products such as skin creams/lotions, shampoos/conditioners, toilet bars/shower gels and antiperspirants/deodorants are normally formulated with at least one material to address dry skin. Symptoms such as itching, flaking and a visually displeasing dermal appearance can all to some extent be modulated.
There are three traditional classes of materials employed against the problem. Occlusives such as petrolatum or silicone oils serve to inhibit loss of natural moisture. They form a barrier between the epidermis and the environment. Another approach is the use of keratolytic agents to enhance rate of dermal exfoliation. Alpha-hydroxy acids are the most common agents for achieving exfoliation.
A third approach to dry skin is topical application of humectants. Hydroxylated monomeric and polymeric organic substances are generally used for this purpose. Glycerin known also as glycerol is one of the most effective humectants.
Quaternary ammonium compounds have recently been commercialized as moisturizers. One of these known under the trademark Honeyquat 50 with INCI name of Hydroxypropyltrimonium Honey has been reported to be a better humectant than glycerin at levels of 2%. See the Arch/Brooks brochure titled "Cosmetic Ingredients & Ideas®", Issue No. 2, August 2001. Honeyquat 50 is described as being derived from the reaction of pendent hydroxyl groups (on the disaccharide) of a "light" deodorized grade of honey with a chlorohydroxytrimethylammonium derivative. Another commercial quaternary ammonium moisturizer is Cola™ Moist 200 with INCI name of Hydroxypropyl Bis-Hydroxyethyldimonium Chloride. See the Colonial Chemical Inc. brochure titled "Cola™ Moist 200", copyright 2004. U.S. Pat. No. 6,869,977 B1 (O'Lenick, Jr. et al.) to Colonial Chemical Inc. discloses a related monocationic material described as a moisturizing agent.
Many moisturizing actives impart to their formulas an aesthetically displeasing tack and/or sticky skinfeel. The present invention sought to provide a silicone containing moisturizing personal care composition having consumer pleasing skinfeel properties.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Personal care compositions with silicones and dihydroxypropyl trialkyl ammonium salts


A sensing module positioned about an optical fiber cable having a long axis. The optical fiber includes a core that transmits light through the optical fiber cable. The sensing module includes a first short-period fiber grating positioned about the core. A second short-period fiber grating is positioned about the core and at a distance along the long axis with respect to the first short-period fiber grating. At least one of a long-aperiod fiber grating and a long-period fiber grating is positioned between the first short-period fiber grating and the second short-period fiber grating. A fiber cladding is positioned around the long-period grating and/or the long-aperiod grating of the sensing module. A sensing skin is positioned about the fiber cladding and includes a chemical gas active material.

This invention relates generally to power generating systems and, more particularly, to a method and system for emission control and combustion optimization in fossil fuel fired boilers with an array of fiber grating-based sensing modules.
In numerous industrial environments, a hydrocarbon fuel is burned in stationary combustors (e.g., boilers or furnaces) to produce heat to raise the temperature of a fluid, e.g., water. For example, the water is heated to generate steam, and this steam is then used to drive turbine generators that output electrical power. Such industrial combustors typically employ an array of many individual burner elements to combust the fuel. In addition, various means of combustion control, such as overfire air, staging air, reburning systems and selective non-catalytic reduction systems, can be employed to enhance combustion conditions and reduce emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and carbon monoxide.
Emissions and efficiency are key performance metrics for industrial boilers that are often used for generation of process steam required for industries. Emissions and efficiency are important performance metrics for utility boilers, which are mainly used for power generation along with generation of process steam. Poor or non-uniform combustion leads to low availability, low peak steam/power generation, low efficiency and high emissions. Conventional industrial boiler and utility boiler controls are often based on data driven or empirical models with limited feedback from the boiler environment due to limited real-time, multi-point monitoring and sensing capabilities. Most sensing systems that are used to monitor NOx, CO and temperature use single-point sensors that are typically placed in the boilers exhaust area. Often, gas sensing is ex-situ and extractive in nature.
For a combustion system, such as a multiple burner boiler furnace or a gas turbine combustor, to operate efficiently and to produce an acceptably complete combustion that generates byproducts falling within the limits imposed by environmental regulations and design constraints, all individual burners in the combustion system must operate cleanly and efficiently and all combustion modification systems must be properly balanced and adjusted. Emissions of NOx, carbon monoxide (CO), mercury (Hg) and/or other byproducts generally are monitored to ensure compliance with environmental regulations and acceptable system operation. Such operating conditions and/or gas emissions can be monitored using sensors.
Due to non-uniform combustion, power generation oriented utility boilers or process steam generating industrial boilers tend to operate at lower efficiencies than the design limits, thus resulting in high operating and maintenance costs. In addition, limited sensing and actuation capabilities and limited real-time information regarding boiler condition leads to solutions that are not very effective for reducing emissions or improving efficiency. Many conventional industrial or utility boilers suffer in this context and provide only limited improvements in emission reduction and/or efficiency.
Conventional electric-based gas sensors operate at temperatures less than about 500° C. due to sensing material and/or device limitations. The reliability of conventional electric-based gas sensors has suffered from several problems. These gas sensors fail to operate when the environmental temperature is higher than the sensor's operating temperature. It is also difficult to predict the gas concentration due to the temperature-dependent nonlinear sensitivity characteristics. Additionally, electric-based gas sensors suffer from long-term stability or sensitivity degradation due to thermal effects on the electrical interfaces to supply power or transmitting signal. Further, they are not suitable for high-voltage and explosive environments. Finally, electric-based sensors are not suitable for multiple point gas sensing applications.
Solid-state semiconductor gas sensing technology generally performs better than the electrochemical gas sensing technology due to the use of a wide band-gap material that allows high temperature operation up to 500° C. Despite the drift due to the temperature-dependent resistivity at higher temperature, solid-state semiconductor gas sensors provide an acceptable performance as a point sensor. However, these devices also tend to fail at higher temperatures due to thermal effects on the electrical interfaces to supply power or a transmitting signal as well. Further, because the sensing performance varies significantly with environmental temperature, pressure variations and/or toxic gas variations, solid-state semiconductor gas sensors require a constant calibration to maintain accuracy.
There is no systematic method to adjust the air and fuel flows for reducing spatial variance of emissions at a boiler's exit to reduce stack emissions. Rather, conventional boiler combustion optimization procedures are primarily established using the boiler expert's domain knowledge. Data-driven models such as Neural Networks and Expert Systems lack the rigor and fidelity and thereby have limited impact on efficiency because these models are dependent on data quality and are prone to data noise and inaccuracies. Model-based optimization systems that incorporate the physics of the combustion system along with accurate and spatially dense data provided by a fiberoptic sensor array overcome the limitations of currently available boiler optimization products that rely on data limited in terms of availability, accuracy and spatial density due to the harsh environment of boiler systems and sensor capability limitations.

Method, system and module for monitoring a power generating system


A side-by-side refrigerator includes fresh food and freezer compartments each having upper and lower sections which vary in width and volume. The fresh food and freezer compartments are separated by a dividing wall or mullion having first and second upright portions interconnected by a laterally offset section. Fresh food and freezer doors are pivotally mounted about respective vertical axes for sealing the fresh food and freezer compartments. Each of the fresh food and freezer doors has a substantially uniform width. With this construction, the varying width compartments are sealed by substantially uniform width fresh food and freezer doors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of refrigerators and, more particularly, to a side-by-side refrigerator including laterally spaced fresh food and freezer compartments, each having upper and lower storage sections of differing widths and a substantially uniform width door.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In a conventional side-by-side refrigerator, freezer and fresh food compartment doors align along a vertically extending divider wall or mullion, with the mullion extending in a single plane essentially from the top to the bottom of the refrigerator. Although this style of refrigerator has certain advantages over top-mount refrigerators wherein the freezer compartment is arranged vertically above the fresh food compartment, certain disadvantages are also presented. For instance, since the opening provided in a household kitchen for both side-by-side and top-mount style refrigerators is essentially standard, top-mount refrigerators typically have wider shelves in each of the fresh food and freezer compartments as compared to corresponding shelves in a side-by-side refrigerator.
For this reason it is often difficult, if not impossible, to accommodate rather wide food items, such as trays, cake pans, platters, turkeys and the like, on a given shelf in the fresh food compartment of a side-by-side refrigerator, while the same item(s) could be readily placed on corresponding shelves in a top-mount refrigerator. The same is true with respect to the width of freezer shelves. For example, it is often difficult to store frozen pizza and other large food items widthwise in a side-by-side refrigerator freezer compartment, while such items can be easily arranged in a freezer compartment of a top-mount refrigerator. To compensate for this disadvantage, it is not uncommon for owners of side-by-side refrigerators to purchase a second refrigerator for additional food storage space. Similar comparisons could be made between side-by-side and bottom mount refrigerators.
Alternatively, a side-by-side refrigerator can be constructed, as demonstrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,447, having fresh food and freezer compartments of varying widths. In this manner, a consumer can arrange larger width items in a larger width area of the refrigerator, while small width items can be placed on shelves located in a narrower or standard width section. In order to maintain a temperature within each of the varying width compartments, the refrigerator illustrated in the '447 patent includes fresh food and freezer doors having varying widths that correspond to the widths of the fresh food and freezer compartments. As such, each of the fresh food and freezer doors includes first and second inner longitudinal portions interconnected by a laterally offset section.
The refrigerator constructed in accordance with the '447 patent evinces advantages of top and bottom mount refrigerators, e.g. wider available storage spaces, into a side-by side model. However, this novel design may not be pleasing to every type of consumer. Many consumers have grown accustomed to seeing a vertical split or division between the doors on a side-by-side refrigerator. The laterally offset split of the '447 refrigerator is quite distinct and, perhaps too modern for the tastes of some consumers. Thus, if the consumer is unwilling to accept the modern appearance, that consumer will be unable to take advantage of many features of a side-by-side refrigerator having varying width compartments.

Refrigerator with varying width compartments and uniform width doors


A method of increasing the HDL concentration and the HDL/LDL concentration ratio in human serum by providing a balance between a sufficient and required proportion of cholesterol-free saturated fatty acids in the daily dietary fat of the human and a sufficient and required, but not excessive, proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids comprising linoleic acid in dietary fat, while the remaining proportion of fatty acids and energy from the dietary fat is provided by monounsaturated fatty acids comprising oleic acid. Also described are compositions, including fat compositions and filled dairy products, containing such balanced fatty acid proportions.

This invention relates to particular fats and fat blends, and methods for their manufacture or genetic selection/engineering, and use in foods. Consumption of such fats in appropriate amounts stabilizes or lowers the low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL or LDL-C) concentration and increases the high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL or HDL-C) concentration in human serum. This invention also relates to filled dairy products and to a method for preventing the development of off-flavors in these products.
The description and references herein are provided solely to assist the understanding of the reader. None of the information or references are admitted to be prior art to the present invention.
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the major cause of death in the USA and other affluent nations. Plasma cholesterol, more specifically the LDL/HDL ratio, is highly correlated with risk of CHD as documented by Willett and Sacks, 324 N. Eng. J. Med. 121, 1991. The accumulation of LDL in the arterial intima is thought to lead to its oxidation, which in turn results in cascading events that induce arterial occlusion and thrombosis. High concentrations of HDL appear to block LDL oxidation and reduce the atherogenic potential of LDL. Thus, dietary means which decrease the LDL/HDL ratio (or increase the HDL/LDL ratio), especially means which would increase HDL, are desirable. Perlman and Hayes, U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,442 describe modified fat compositions and methods for decreasing total serum cholesterol while simultaneously decreasing the LDL/HDL serum cholesterol ratio. This ratio decreased as both the LDL and HDL concentrations decreased. The net LDL/HDL ratio in the serum decreased only because the LDL cholesterol concentration decreased by a greater factor than serum HDL with the dietary use of a fat-oil blend which included one to ten parts by weight cholesterol-reduced animal fat containing myristic acid, and one part by weight vegetable oil containing linoleic acid.
Within the past three years several authors have collected and analyzed a large number of independent metabolic studies relating to the effect of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids in the diet on serum LDL and HDL cholesterol levels. These studies have included the techniques of multiple regression analysis to examine LDL and HDL levels versus dietary intake of each group of fatty acids as separate variables expressed as the percentage of dietary energy, i.e., the total daily calorie intake of individuals in the studies.
Mensink and Katan (12 Arteriosclerosis and Thrombosis 911, 1992) made the following conclusions; "Replacement of saturated by unsaturated fatty acids raised the HDL to LDL cholesterol ratio, whereas replacement by carbohydrates had no effect. Thus, under isocaloric metabolic-ward conditions the most favorable lipoprotein risk profile for coronary heart disease was achieved if saturated fatty acids were replaced with unsaturated fatty acids, with no decrease in total fat intake." Hegsted et al. (57 Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 875, 1993), combined data from 155 human trials in which LDL and HDL cholesterol measurements were available. With regard to fatty acids and cholesterol in the diet, the authors state in their published abstract, "1) saturated fatty acids increase and are the primary determinants of serum cholesterol, 2) polyunsaturated fatty acids actively lower serum cholesterol, 3) monounsaturated fatty acids have no independent effect on serum cholesterol and 4) dietary cholesterol increases serum cholesterol and must be considered when the effects of fatty acids are evaluated. More limited data on low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) show that changes in LDL-C roughly parallel the changes in serum cholesterol but that changes in high density lipoprotein cholesterol cannot be satisfactorily predicted from available data." Within this cited article, Hegsted et al. show that LDL levels increase an average of 1.74 mg/dl for each 1% increase in dietary energy represented by saturated fatty acids, while LDL levels decrease an average of 0.77 mg/dl for the corresponding amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Referring to the possibility of predicting changes in HDL levels in the serum, these same authors state, "It does not appear possible to develop an equation that predicts changes in HDL-C satisfactorily" and, "The errors in the regression coefficients are large; hence, little reliance should be placed on the equation." These authors calculate a very modest increase in HDL-C correlating with a dietary increase in either saturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids (0.43 mg/dl for a 1 increase in dietary energy represented by saturated fatty acids and 0.22 mg/dl for the corresponding amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids). This indicates that one would expect that for saturated fatty acids, the much smaller increase in HDL (0.43) versus LDL (1.74) per dietary energy, would typically result in a decrease in the HDL/LDL ratio as the saturated fatty acids are increased. On the other hand, the Hegsted et al. and the Mensink and Katan calculations would predict that an increase in the proportion of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids at the expense of saturated fatty acids would increase the HDL/LDL ratio because this dietary increase caused a large decrease in LDL (approximately 2 mg/dl) and only a small proportional decrease in HDL (approximately 0.2 mg/dl). By comparison, the overall HDL/LDL serum ratios in these studies ranged from approximately 0.25 to 0.50.
Fat blends which include saturated vegetable fats in combination with polyunsaturated vegetable oils have been noted for dietary and/or cooking use. For example, Choi et al., 24(1) Lipids 45, 1989, describe cholesterol synthesis in rats with the feeding of safflower oil or linseed oil blended with palm olein in purified diets containing 10% fat. Suzuki et al.(Jpn. Kokai Tokkyo Koho JP 01, 262, 753>89, 262, 753! 19 Oct. 1989), describe the use of 40–90% natural palm oil and 60–5% natural vegetable oil in deep frying. Lim et al., (39(12) Yukagaku 1045, 1990) describe the increased oxidative stability of soybean oil blended with crude or refined palm oil or refined palm kernel oil. Murakami et al., (41 (3) Yukagahu 196, 1992) describe the feeding of soybean oil blended with an equal weight of palm stearin in diets containing 20% fat in which cholesterol metabolism was monitored in rats. Kajimoto et al., (44(6) Nippon Eiyo, Shokuryo Gakkaishi 499, 1991) describe the blending of soybean oil or rapeseed oil with palm oil, and the blending of soybean oil, rapeseed oil and palm oil to enhance the oxidative stabilities of the polyunsaturated oils. Han et al., (23 (4) Han'guk Sikp'um Kwahakhoechi 465, 1991) describe the stabilization of soybean oil against thermal and oxidative degradation by blending with an equal or greater proportion of palm oil.
The public awareness of an increased risk of cardiovascular disease associated with dietary consumption of substantial amounts of fats rich in saturated fatty acids and cholesterol has led to an overall reduction in fat intake and an increased demand for foods containing unsaturated rather than saturated fatty acids. A multiplicity of clinical studies have shown that when certain dietary levels of saturated fats are replaced by unsaturated fats, one's total serum cholesterol level decreases. Since the milkfat, i.e., butter in dairy products contains approximately 0.22%–0.25% by weight cholesterol, more than 60% saturated fatty acids, and only approximately 4% polyunsaturated fatty acids, health-conscious individuals often prefer to consume dairy products in which the milkfat content has been reduced, eliminated, or replaced with vegetable oil.
Liquid milks are divided into various product categories based upon their weight percentage fat contents. Regular whole milk contains approximately 3.25% milkfat. Based upon an 8 fluid ounce (244 g) serving size, this corresponds to 7.9–8 grams (abbreviated g) milkfat and 35 milligrams (abbreviated mg) cholesterol per serving A "reduced fat" product must contain no more than 75% of the fat present in the original product, while a "low fat" product must contain no more than 3 g fat per serving. Thus, for milk having a 244 g serving size, a 2% milkfat-containing milk is termed a reduced fat product, while a 1% milkfat-containing milk is termed a low fat milk. On the other hand, to meet the current definition of "skim", "non-fat", or "fat-free" milk (having a 245 g serving size), the milk must contain less than 0.2% by weight milkfat, i.e., less than 0.5 g per serving, and less than 5 mg cholesterol per serving.
Filled milk is defined as skim milk which has been enriched in fat content by addition of vegetable oil. The literature on filled dairy products includes both liquid products and dried products which are reconstituted by addition of water. A number of patents describe the substitution of vegetable oils for milkfat in filled milks, to obtain nutritionally improved products which are lower in saturated fat and cholesterol. However, these modified dairy products often have an altered or unnatural flavor and mouthfeel. Howard, U.S. Pat. No. 2,659,676, describes a dried milk product prepared from skim milk and palm fat. The vegetable fat and lecithin are added to heated skim milk, which is then pasteurized, homogenized and spray-dried. Stein et al., German Offenlegungsschrift 2,444,213, describes a dried milk containing a reduced proportion of saturated fat in which polyunsaturated fat is mixed with evaporated concentrated milk which is then homogenized and dried. Kneeland, U.S. Pat. No. 3,011,893, describes a reconstituted milk prepared from powdered skim milk, vegetable oil, and water, in which a mixture of the skim milk and water is heated, vegetable oil is added, and the mixture is homogenized and pasteurized. Bundus, U.S. Pat. No. 3,488,198, describes a filled milk prepared from skim milk solids, water, fat, and a water-in-oil emulsifier. The fat may be any one of a variety of vegetable fats and oils or hydrogenated vegetable oils including coconut oil, palm oil, cottonseed, corn, soybean, peanut, olive oil, and hydrogenated derivatives of several of these oils. Arndt, U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,828, describes a simulated milk product which includes vegetable protein, whey and hydrogenated vegetable oil. Bookwalter et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,884, describes a milk concentrate prepared from nonfat dry milk and vegetable oil.
Vegetable oils are also used as vehicles for adding vitamins and minerals to fortify dairy products. For example, Karinen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,087, describes vitamin A and D fortification of milk using an aqueous emulsion of vegetable oil and an emulsifier.
In recent years, several patents have described the composition and preparation of improved flavor vegetable oil-containing filled milks which are asserted to possess the flavor and mouthfeel of whole milk. It is suggested that these filled milks are healthier than ordinary milk due to the absence of cholesterol and the significantly lower saturated fat content. For example, Arcadipane, U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,551, describes a filled milk having a butterfat substitute providing the taste and mouthfeel of an unmodified milk with the same amount of butterfat (ranging from 1% to 4%). The butterfat substitute includes 66%–98% of a partially hydrogenated soybean oil whose major fatty acids are present in approximately the following proportions: saturated fatty acids: palmitic 11%, stearic 14%; monounsaturated fatty acid: oleic 68%. A small proportion of the polyunsaturated fatty acids, linoleic 6%, and linolenic 0.1%, are also present. Arcadipane states that a filled milk assembled from skim milk, mono- and diglyceride emulsifiers, and the above partially hydrogenated soybean oil has an extended shelf life compared to ordinary milk, and may be stored under the same conditions as ordinary milk. While the pre-hydrogenated soybean oil contains approximately 63% polyunsaturated fat, this level is reduced to only 2% to 8% after hydrogenation. Strong et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,580,600, describes a filled milk containing principally monounsaturated vegetable oil. A high oleic acid-containing vegetable oil such as rapeseed or sunflower oil containing at least 70% oleic acid, and no more than 12% by weight polyunsaturated linoleic acid and no more than 0.5% linolenic acid is combined with skim milk, an emulsifier, a polysaccharide modifier, and a carbohydrate gel stabilizer for the emulsion. Strong et al. states that a high proportion of oleic acid-rich vegetable oil is used to avoid the problems of rancidity and off-flavors which develop after relatively short periods of storage when a substantial proportion of the added vegetable oil is in the form of polyunsaturated fats and oils. Despite the rancidity problem associated with polyunsaturated vegetable oils, Kahn et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,074, describes a low cholesterol, low fat, filled milk containing polyunsaturated vegetable oil, stated to have the taste and mouthfeel of whole or 2% milkfat-containing milk. The milk contains skim milk and 1%–5% of a premix (milkfat substitute) which includes 50%–70% non-tropical (polyunsaturated) vegetable oil such as soybean oil, 6%–10% of a non-lauric emulsifier, and a substantial proportion of flavoring agent (6%–10%) and food gum (15%–20%). The flavoring agent, which is a requirement of these milks, is most preferably 70%–90% natural milk distillate plus natural vanilla.
Light-induced alterations in the chemistry of conventional milkfat-based dairy products have been recognized and studied for many years. These alterations which, it has been suggested, may involve protein (amino acid) and lipid reactions, lead to the formation of taste changes which are invariably undesirable. When most dairy products, including regular milkfat-based milks, are stored under artificial lighting, e.g., fluorescent lighting, such flavor alterations occur gradually over the life of the product. The level of off-flavor development depends upon many factors including the type of lighting, product proximity to the light source, length of exposure and fat level of the milk. For example, regular milk containing 1% by weight milkfat, when stored in a translucent plastic jug, may show slight to moderate oxidized flavor development after 12 hours of typical retail fluorescent lighting exposure (200 footcandle exposure, see Example 2 below). Light can also destroy a number of important vitamins in milk with varying speed. Several light-susceptible vitamins include vitamin A (retinol), its provitamin, beta-carotene, vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and vitamin C (ascorbic acid). The photosensitivity of vitamins A and B2 in milk has been examined. The level of vitamin A in milk decreases rapidly upon exposure to visible (violet) light below a wavelength of 415 nm and to a lesser degree at wavelengths between 415 nm and 455 nm, while vitamin B2 is degraded by light between the wavelengths of 415 nm and 455 nm (blue-violet). The rapidity of vitamin breakdown depends upon the intensity, duration and wavelength of light, the product storage temperature, and light transmittance through the product and its packaging. Skim milk, for example, is more transparent than regular milk (which contains emulsified fat), and its vitamins are therefore more susceptible to photodegradation.
Over the years, a variety of containers have been developed, which protect milks from the effects of natural and artificial light. These containers include printed paperboard cartons and pigmented and/or multi-layered plastic bottles. One such container is a white pigmented high density polyethylene (HDPE) jug recently brought to market by the H.P. Hood Company (Chelsea, Mass). Tests of the one gallon and half gallon sizes of this so-called "Light-Block Bottle™" have shown that they block at least 85% to 90% of incident light between the wavelengths of 300 nm and 700 nm. At 400 nm and below, these containers block essentially all light.

Increasing the HDL level and the HDL/LDL ratio in human serium by balancing saturated and polyunsaturated dietary fatty acids


A roller structure is disclosed and includes at least one roller unit. The roller unit includes a base, an elastic portion, a supporting portion and a rotating wheel. The base is configured to detachably assemble the roller unit on an accommodation seat. The base includes a first lateral edge. The elastic portion is disposed on the base and connected with the first lateral edge. The elastic portion includes a bent section having an end extending and bent from the first lateral edge. The supporting portion is disposed on the elastic portion and connected to the other end of the bent section. The rotating wheel is pivotally connected to the supporting portion. When the rotating wheel is pressed by a driving wheel, the supporting portion is driven to compress the elastic portion to move the rotating wheel toward the base, and the rotating wheel is driven to rotate relative to the supporting portion.

Nowadays, a multifunction machine or a multifunction printer (MFP) in the market commonly provides the paper transportation function by using a plurality of rubber driving wheels and a plurality of idler wheels to hold the paper. In the conventional paper transportation mechanism, each of the idler wheels includes a rotating shaft abutted against by an elastic piece, so that the elastic piece can push the idler wheel to tightly abut against the corresponding rubber driving wheel. When the rubber driving wheels rotate, the rubber driving wheels are in contact with the paper to drive the paper to move by the friction, and the idler wheels are driven to rotate due to the friction between the paper and the idler wheels so as to prevent the paper from rubbing against the idler wheels.
However, due to the limitation of the traditional manufacturing process, the current paper transportation mechanism in the market employs an external elastic piece to provide the elastic force to the idler wheel. The elastic piece is fixed on a frame body, and a position-limiting feature of the frame body clamps the elastic piece and the idle wheel to limit the position of the idler wheel. Namely, the position limitations of the idler wheels are achieved by the frame body. The integrated frame body drives the idler wheels to abut against the rubber driving wheels, respectively, during assembly, and it is easy to result that the frame is deformed and bent due to the pressing and engaging force. For example a central part of the frame body is deformed in a large amount. Consequently, the rubber driving wheels and the corresponding idler wheels are not firmly abutted against each other, and the paper cannot be effectively transported. It causes a problem of paper jam.
Therefore, there is a need of providing a roller structure having an elastic feature to address the above-mentioned issues.


A foldable creeper for supporting a person, the creeper articulated along a line which extends transversely along the approximate longitudinal centerline for movement between an open position and a folded storage position, and comprising articulating joints, a framework comprising longitudinal and transverse frame members, the transverse frame members rigidly connecting left and right longitudinal frame members, said transverse frame members including a central lower segment for supporting a support panel, the central lower segment positioned from one-half to four inches below said longitudinal frame members when said creeper is in the open position, support panels having top sides and bottom sides and connected to said transverse frame members, and casters connected to the frame members for supporting said frame members above the ground when said creeper is in the open position.. The creeper is light weight, reduced in thickness, easy to manipulate, and in a preferred embodiment can be folded so that the cushioned sides can either be positioned inwards or outwards when the creeper is folded.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a mechanic's creeper as conventionally used in maintenance of vehicles, and more particularly, to a creeper which can be folded for storage in small storage areas such as a mechanic's tool chest or a vehicle storage area.
2. Description of the Related Art
Creeper devices basically consist of a low-slung rectangular body-supporting platform with casters. Such devices have long been popular among automobile mechanics to allow them easy access to the underside of an automobile. Since creepers are conventionally used in garages where strength and wear resistance are required, creepers have conventionally been sturdy, heavy, and expensive devices. A major draw-back to such creepers is that they can not be secured, for example, inside a conventional mechanic's tool box. A creeper which is left unattended for days or weeks may disappear. Such tool boxes are conventionally provided with drawers of 5 inches in depth and 8 inches in depth. There is thus a need for a sturdy mechanic's creeper which can be made to fit inside a conventional mechanic's tool chest.
Due to their large size and expense, creepers have not been widely used outside of garages. There are, however, a number of uses to which creepers could be put if the creepers did not require so much space.
For example, long-distance truckers are required to make pre-trip and daily visual undercarriage inspections of the brakes and electrical systems of their vehicles. However, it is difficult to slide underneath a truck, particularly a truck which is provided with an aerodynamic skirt. Further, the tarmac of truck parking areas is frequently oily and dirty. A creeper would be a great asset to a trucker, but creepers are difficult to carry along in a truck.
There are other potential uses for creepers by noncommercial persons such as homeowners. For example, it would be desirable to provide more comfortable access to confined low spaces when doing plumbing, home repair, and a multitude of other homeowner tasks which require awkward positioning of the body. Further, backyard mechanics and owners of recreational vehicles require access to the undercarriage of automobiles or recreational vehicles when changing oil or transmission fluid, or inspecting brakes or mechanical components. However, homeowners and recreational vehicle operators have limited space to store tools. Thus, homeowners rarely have mechanic's creepers, and such operations are conventionally carried out by the home mechanic simply crawling under a vehicle while lying on his back. This can lead to oil, grease and dirt on the clothes, which dirt and grease can be transmitted to the home or recreational vehicle if the operator does not have time to change clothes.
Another concern of the homeowner is the ease with which the tool can be used. Tools which are not intuitively easy to use are frequently not purchased or, if purchased, are not used. Other concerns include the cost and aesthetic appearance of the tool.
With the above in mind, various attempts have been made over time to provide a foldable creeper which meets the need of the homeowner, the backyard mechanic, and the recreational vehicle operator.
One approach to addressing the problem of limited space which homeowners and recreational vehicle owners have to store tools is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,352 (Chamberlain). Chamberlain teaches a hard foldable creeper comprising two plastic panels hinged to each other. Although the Chamberlain creeper is foldable, the plastic panels are not sufficiently sturdy to bear up to continuous daily use such as by commercial mechanics. Further, the plastic panels are basically hollow, and will not provide sufficient strength for anchoring castors or wheels. Furthermore, due to the design of the hinging mechanism, the creeper can not be folded with the casters left in their bosses. For folding, it is necessary to remove the casters from their respective bosses, and these casters must be stored. This is an inconvenience to the user, increases the wear of the caster sockets, and furthermore allows for the possibility that the casters can become misplaced. One lost caster renders the creeper useless. Finally, as the creeper is not padded, it can not be comfortably used for long periods of time.
Another foldable creeper is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,799 (Quinonez). Quinonez teaches a foldable creeper with a collapsible seat. However, although the length of the creeper is reduced, the creeper is very thick and bulky when folded and, therefore, is difficult to store within the limited storage space available to a homeowner either in the home or in a vehicle. Furthermore, the casters always face outwards when the creeper is folded. Therefore, if the creeper casters come into contact with grease or dirt, which is likely due to the environment of use, there exists the potential of transmitting dirt and/or grease from the ground to the casters and from the casters to the area in which the creeper will be stored. This is severely limiting to a homeowner who often stores items of this sort in their clean home or vehicle. This creeper is also not padded.
Yet another foldable creeper is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,116 (Bowers). The creeper comprises a tri-sectional panel and a telescopic supporting rail section attached to one of the three panels, such that when the panels are unfolded the rail can be extended to provide a backbone for supporting the panels. This creeper is bulky in its folded state which makes it difficult to store in small spaces. The tri-section construction also raises the manufacturing costs of the creeper which will, in turn, raise the price with which the creeper is sold. Furthermore, the casters are constrained to facing outwards in the creeper's folded state and this raises the possibility of transmitting dirt or grease. Finally, the creeper is flat and hard and not comfortable.
Given the public's need to utilize creepers for a variety of tasks requiring awkward positioning of the body, it is an object of the present invention to provide a creeper that is compact, affordable, easy to use, and attenuates the amount of dirt that is transferred from the used creeper to a storage area.


A system, method, and article of manufacture for reducing the rate of fuel vapor formation within a fuel storage tank include a plurality of discrete independent floating particles or elements to reduce exposed evaporative surface area of fuel in the fuel storage tank while conforming to a changing fuel tank cross-section as fuel level changes. The elements or particles may have a self-tessellating geometry to facilitate formation of a single or multi-layer barrier or cover and be made or coated with a material that resists fuel wetting and degradation, such as a highly fluorinated polymer including polytetrafluoroethylene.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for reducing fuel vapor produced by stored fuel.
2. Background Art
Evaporation of fuel in a fuel tank produces fuel vapor that must be managed to reduce or eliminate releasing of the vapor to the atmosphere. Modern automotive fuel systems have a complex system that typically includes a vapor recovery canister to capture and subsequently purge fuel vapors. While this technology has evolved to an efficient and effective system for managing fuel vapor in vehicles powered by a conventional internal combustion (IC) engine, it is not readily amenable for use in hybrid electric vehicles that utilize an IC engine and an electric motor, particularly during periods when the vehicle is operating with the IC engine off. The IC engine in a hybrid electric vehicle may run only 50% or less of a typical driving cycle yet the amount of fuel vapor that needs to be managed is similar to a conventional IC engine vehicle.
A number of solutions have been proposed to reduce fuel vapor generation that include a bladder or other flexible barrier to separate the liquid fuel from the surrounding fuel vapor in the fuel storage tank, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,056,493; 5,596,971; 5,722,374; and 6,260,544, for example. While suitable for many applications, these solutions typically require more sophisticated control and increased complexity with an associated increased cost while reducing the available volume for fuel. In addition, these solutions must be integrated into the vehicle fuel control system and are not amenable to use in existing fuel systems.

Fuel vapor management for stored fuel using floating particles


A road and rail vehicle includes a towing vehicle having a plurality of axles coupled to an elongate frame with road wheels disposed on the axles. The plurality of axles include at least one rear drive axle. Rail guide wheels are movably coupled to the frame. The rail guide wheels are movable between a lowered position engageable with a pair of fixed rails of a railroad track and a raised position away from the rails. A crane is coupled to the frame rearward of a rearmost road wheel. A tag axle is pivotally coupled to the frame rearward of the crane. The tag axle pivots between a lowered position that is engageable with a roadway and a raised position adjacent the crane.

Road and rail vehicles have been developed that can travel on automotive roadways and also on fixed rails of a railroad track, or railways. Such vehicles are often used by railroad maintenance crews who may have to travel a distance on a regular roadway and an additional distance on a railway in order to reach a section of railroad track needing maintenance. These road and rail vehicles can also be useful in moving railcars in a switchyards because they are not stuck on the rails as are locomotive engines, but instead they can move cars on one rail line and then drive off the rail line, across the tracks to a different rail line without having to stay on the rails and use a switch to move to a different rail line.
Road and rail vehicles are often designed with two sets of wheels: a rubber based set of wheels for traveling on a roadway and a set of steel wheels for traveling on the tracks of a railway. On such road and rail vehicles one of the sets of wheels is retractable such that when the vehicle is on the roadway the rubber wheels can engage the ground and propel the vehicle, and when the vehicle is on a railway, the steel wheels can engage the rails to guide the vehicle on the track and to propel the vehicle. Other road and rail vehicles use the rubber wheels to propel the vehicle on both the roadway and the railway.
Road and rail vehicles can also be used to move railcars in place of a larger more expensive locomotive engine, thereby freeing the locomotive engine to move larger payloads. However, it will be appreciated that railcars can be considerably heavier than the road and rail vehicle and the weight of the railcar on the hitch of the road and rail vehicle can pivot the vehicle about the rear axle thereby reducing traction on the drive wheels. Consequently, it is sometimes desirable to place weights on a cargo bed of the road and rail vehicle so as to properly distribute weight along the frame of the vehicle in relation to the railcar being towed. This weighting of the road and rail vehicle helps to maintain contact between the wheels of the road and rail vehicle and the fixed rails of the railway. Without this extra loading the wheels can be lifted off the rails by the weight of the railcar, and the road and rail vehicle can loose tractive force for towing the railcar.
Unfortunately, loading the weights onto the cargo bed is not always possible. Lifting equipment is often needed to place the load onto the cargo bed of the road and rail vehicle. Such lifting equipment is often unavailable or impractical to use in a switch yard or on a remote rail line. Additionally, weights suitably heavy to counterbalance the weight of the railcar are not always readily available especially when the road and rail vehicle is being used on a remote railway.

Road and rail vehicle with pivotable axle and associated methods