A method for forming interphase layers in ceramic matrix composites. The method forms interphase layers in ceramic matrix composites thereby enabling higher matrix densities to be achieved without sacrificing crack deflection and/or toughness. The methods of the present invention involve the use fugitive material-coated fibers. These fibers are then infiltrated with a ceramic matrix slurry. Then, the fugitive material is removed and the resulting material is reinfiltrated with an interphase layer material. The ceramic matrix composite is then fired. Additional steps may be included to densify the ceramic matrix or to increase the strength of the interphase layer. The method is useful for the formation of three dimensional fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites envisioned for use in gas turbine components.

The brittleness and unreliability of ceramics in certain applications continue to present difficult and unsolved problems. The aerospace, automotive and aviation industries are but a few examples of industries that are searching for enabling technology to introduce new types of ceramics that are tough, flaw tolerant and exhibit graceful failure and creep resistance for both ambient and high temperature applications. Typical applications include components in turbine engines, cylinder sleeves for gasoline engines and structural components.
Recent trends in the ceramics research have been to reinforce brittle ceramic matrices with higher elastic modulus fibers, platelets, particulates, or whisker-shaped reinforcing elements embedded in the matrix. The reinforcing elements impart additional strength to the ceramic matrix. The additional strength is necessary to maintain the structural integrity of the ceramic matrices, particularly upon stress or shear-induced defects. These embedded reinforcing elements constitute large amounts of interfacial surface inside the ceramic composite. The deflection of a crack along such an interface causes separation of the interface due to the action of an impinging crack and is an important mechanism for enhancing the fracture toughness of the ceramic matrices. In a fiber-reinforced matrix, for example, the advancing crack can directly advance through the fiber potentially destroying the ceramic or it can debond along the interface and inhibit fiber failure. If debonding occurs, then the intact fibers will allow crack bridging and eventual fiber pull-out, thus giving rise to increased toughness of the composite.
It has been demonstrated that extensive fiber pullout can be induced by formation of a weak interphase layer between the fiber and the ceramic matrix. This has led to investigations of a variety of composites with coated fibers. This type of interfacial debonding mechanism of toughening has clearly been demonstrated in SiC materials reinforced with SiC fibers that were previously coated with a thin layer of compliant graphite (C) or boron nitride (BN). Toughness values of up to 30 MPa m1/2 have been reported for the graphite system when it operates under vacuum and ambient temperature. Alternating laminates of silicon carbide (SiC) and graphite have also functioned well in controlled oxygen deficient atmospheres. However, for high temperature applications (greater than 1000° C.), for extended use (greater than ten hours), or in air or oxidizing environments, both silicon carbide and graphite are chemically unstable and decompose to silica (SiO2) and gaseous species, e.g., carbon monoxide (CO). The resulting ceramic body is left porous, friable and weak.
Interphase layers are generally used to achieve the highest performance potential of ceramic matrix composites (CMC). Commercially available oxide CMCs (such as A/N720 from COI Ceramics, Inc.) do not rely on such interphases, but instead achieve crack deflection mechanisms using a porous, weak matrix. This weak matrix results in poor interlaminar properties, which tends to be a design-limiting feature. Higher matrix and interlaminar strengths may be achieved by increased densification, but at the sacrifice of crack deflection mechanisms and in-plane strain capability.
Interphase layers (such as monazite and porous zirconia) have been developed specifically for oxide matrix CMCs, but current application methods preclude their use in 3D reinforced fiber architectures.
Current methods for depositing coatings follow three paths. A first method involves the coating of fiber tows or fabrics. This method results in good quality, uniform coatings, but the coatings are not robust enough to withstand weaving or processing.
A second method involves the coating of fiber preforms. This method results in less uniform coatings; subsequent infiltration of matrix (especially within fiber bundles), and/or is inhibited by the presence of the coating.
A third method involves the introduction of an interphase material with the matrix. This method, also known as the Rockwell approach, mixes monazite and alumina, which compromises matrix strength since monazite is weak and prevents alumina particles from bonding.
Accordingly, what is needed is method for forming in-situ interphase layers in ceramic matrix composites that achieves uniform fiber coatings. Also what is needed is method for forming in-situ interphase layers in ceramic matrix composites that achieves high matrix strength in a three dimensional fiber preform.

Method for forming interphase layers in ceramic matrix composites


In the present invention, a bioabsorbable implant is described, which implant is manufactured of bioabsorbable polymer, copolymer, polymer alloy or fiber reinforced and/or particle filled composite, which implant is pushed into a hole or drill canal made in a bone, for fixing a bone graft into the drillhole, wherein the implant comprises: (1) at least one elongated body, (2) at least one gripping element to lock the implant into the drillhole, and (3) a platform surface for location of a bone block between the implant and the wall of the drillhole. The implant also may be equipped with (4) an additional arresting means, which effectively prevents the slipping of the bone block out of the drillhole.

In surgery it is generally known to use a bone-patellar tendon-bone graft, taken from the knee of the patient, to replace the severely damaged anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). In a surgical procedure one bone graft is fixed into a drillhole made from the knee joint into the distal femur and another bone graft is fixed into a drillhole made into the proximal tibia. The bone plugs are fixed into drill holes with bone fixation screws and in most cases with so-called interference screws. A screw is installed into the space between the drillhole and the bone graft to lock the bone graft into the drillhole. The patellar tendon part between the bone blocks acts as a new ACL. The surgical technique of bone-tendon-bone procedure is described, e.g., in Bach, B. R., Potential Pitfalls of Kurosaka Screw Interference Fixation for ACL Surgery, American Journal of Knee Surgery, Vol. 2, No. 2 (1989) at 76-82 (Ref. 1), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by way of this reference.
The fixation screws, like interference screws, are normally made of metal, like stainless steel or titanium, or of a bioabsorbable polymer, like polylactide. Metallic and/or bioabsorbable polymeric materials and composites, suitable for manufacturing of bone-tendon-bone graft fixation screws, are described in the literature. See, e.g., Barber, A. F., Burton, E. F., McGuire, D. A. and Paulos, L. E., Preliminary Results of an Absorbable Interference Screw, The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery, Vol. 11, No. 5 (1995) at 537-548 (Ref. 2); and Bach, B. R., Arthroscopy-Assisted Patellar Tendon Substitution for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Insufficiency, American Journal of Knee Surgery, Vol. 2, No. 1 (1989) at 3-20 (Ref. 3), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by way of this reference.
The use of screws as fixation implants for bone grafts in bone-tendon-bone procedures is complicated by various facts:
the threads of the screw can cut the bone block to pieces during screw installation if the screw is too big in relation to the bone block and/or if the space between the drillhole and bone block is too small; PA1 the threads of the screw can damage the tendon during screw installation; PA1 the bone block (and the tendon) can rotate with the screw during screw installation so that the optimal position of the bone graft is lost and/or the bone graft is damaged; PA1 divergence of the graft and/or screw can occur; and PA1 the bioabsorbable screw can break during its insertion.
Such complications like those recited above are discussed in the above three references cited herein.


The present invention provides a consumable goods management tag, comprising: a rewritable memory for storing remaining quantity data representing a remaining quantity of consumable goods, and a rewrite controlling unit for controlling a rewrite of the remaining quantity data stored in the memory on the basis of a remaining quantity data writing request inputted from outside, carrying out the rewrite of the remaining quantity data responding to increase of the remaining quantity only when a predetermined rewrite condition is fulfilled, and carrying out the rewrite of the remaining quantity data responding to decrease of the remaining quantity even when the rewrite condition is not fulfilled.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a consumable goods management system and more specifically to a consumable goods management system for preventing a consumable goods management tag from being diverted and enabling fair recycling of the consumable goods management tag.
2. Related Art
Consumable goods, such as a paper stock, ink and toner that supplied to a device using consumable goods, such as a printer and copying machine, are put on the market as they are held in consumable goods holding component such as a dedicated paper tube (a core) and cartridge. In order to make good use of the devices using consumable goods, it is preferable to supply the devices with genuine consumable goods. Counterfeit consumable goods supplied by someone cause a failure in the device. A method for enabling the genuine consumable goods and counterfeit consumable goods to be distinguished by attaching a RFID (radio frequency identification) tag or the like to the holding component and rejecting any consumable goods other than genuine ones in the device has been developed. In this method, diverting of the tag needs to be prevented. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-69139 discloses a technique for destroying a tag when a used holding component is removed from the device. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-108147 discloses a technique for preventing a tag to be diverted by having a tag incorporate memory, in which data can be written but cannot to be cleared, and storing a usage history.


A tobacco-containing paper is provided using a reconstituted tobacco material as a component thereof. A reconstituted tobacco material, provided using papermaking techniques from a refined tobacco pulp, is refined into a pulp form and provided as a slurry in water. The slurry is combined with inorganic filler (e.g., calcium carbonate particles) and cellulosic pulp (e.g., wood pulp). The resulting slurry is then employed to provide a paper using papermaking techniques. The tobacco-containing paper has many desirable physical characteristics.

The present invention relates to smoking articles such as cigarettes, and in particular, to processed tobacco-containing materials useful as components for such smoking articles.
Popular smoking articles, such as cigarettes, have a substantially cylindrical rod shaped structure and include a charge of smokable material such as shredded tobacco (e.g., in cut filler form) surrounded by a paper wrapper thereby forming a so-called "tobacco rod." Normally, a cigarette has a cylindrical filter element aligned in an end-to-end relationship with the tobacco rod. Typically, a filter element includes cellulose acetate tow circumscribed by plug wrap, and is attached to the tobacco rod using a circumscribing tipping material. It also has become desirable to perforate the tipping material and plug wrap, in order to provide dilution of drawn mainstream smoke with ambient air.
Certain cigarettes include tobacco-containing papers as components thereof. Such tobacco-containing papers are employed as substrates for flavors, as smokable filler, as wrappers for tobacco rods and as components for filter elements. Exemplary tobacco-containing papers and smoking articles incorporating such papers are described in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 661,747, filed Feb. 27, 1991, 759,266, filed Sep. 13, 1991, 642,233, filed Jan. 23, 1991 and 723,350, filed Jun. 28, 1991; in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,991,596 to Lawrence, et al., 5,025,814 to Raker, 5,065,776 to Lawson, et al., 5,027,837 to Clearman, et al. and 4,924,883 to Perfetti, et al.; in Canadian Patent No. 1,271,389; in European Patent Application No. 432,927 and in Chemical and Biological Studies on New Cigarette Prototypes That Heat Instead of Burn Tobacco, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (1988).
It would be desirable to provide a process for manufacturing a tobacco-containing paper useful as a component for smoking articles.

Process for providing tobacco-containing papers for cigarettes


A die setting apparatus for a ceramic core is provided. The die setting apparatus includes a first setter abuttable with a first side of the ceramic core and a second setter abuttable with a second side of the ceramic core opposite the first side. At least one of the first and second setters includes two or more pieces respectively arranged to form one or more gaps. Each of the one or more gaps is oriented to thermally adjust in correspondence with thermal changes of the ceramic core during a firing process thereof.

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to ceramic cores and, in one embodiment, to turbine airfoil ceramic cores.
Current turbine airfoil ceramic cores often have complex shapes. In some cases, they taper axially at the trailing edge, sometimes quite severely. A result of this is that their thicknesses vary greatly from leading edge to trailing edge. An additional concern relates to aerodynamic or structural requirements driving these same airfoils to be bowed in the tangential direction, which leads to a trailing edge form that is curved radially from a root of the airfoil to the tip. The large variation in thickness combined with a substantial bow can make the core difficult to produce.
In detail, ceramic cores are first produced in a mold. In a subsequent step in the process, the cores are placed between an upper and lower setter and fired. It is during this step that cores with large amounts of bow and drastic changes in thickness, as described above, become prone to breakage. Both the upper and lower setters are currently produced as one-piece items, respectively. The upper and lower setters typically have a different coefficient of thermal expansion than the ceramic cores that they are used to fire.
During processing, a ceramic core is sandwiched between an upper and lower setter to preserve dimensional accuracy. The setters are also disposed with enough of a gap to allow for movement of the ceramic core as some parts shift due to the thermal gradient of the part. These two requirements often contradict. That is, if the setter is too restrictive, the ceramic core will break but, if the setter is too loose, dimensional accuracy will be degraded.


A three-panel projection display apparatus displays a color image by separating light emitted from a light source into lights of three primaries, i.e., red, green, and blue, with dichroic mirrors, by irradiating liquid crystal light valves with the respective separated lights, by combining the lights modulated by the respective liquid crystal light valves with a cross dichroic prism, and by projecting the combined light through a single projection lens onto a screen. The lengths of the light paths for the separated blue and green lights are equal to each other. The distance between a condenser lens and the liquid crystal light valve in the blue light path is shorter than the distance between a condenser lens and the liquid crystal light valve in the green light path.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a three-panel projection display apparatus, and more particularly to a projection display apparatus for displaying a color image by separating light emitted from a light source into lights of three primaries, i.e., red, green, and blue, with color separating optical systems, by irradiating three modulating means with the separated lights, by combining the lights modulated by the respective modulating means with a color combining optical system, and by projecting the combined light through a single projection lens onto a screen.
2. Description of the Related Art
The optical systems of three-panel projection display apparatus, as they are applied to liquid crystal projectors, will be described below.
FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a conventional liquid crystal projector for projecting a color image onto a screen. As shown in FIG. 1, light emitted from light source 1 is reflected by reflecting mirror 2 and directed, as illuminating light having a uniform luminance distribution through two integra-tor lenses 4, 5 and first collective lens 7, toward a liquid crystal light valve that serves as a modulating means. Before the light is applied to first collective lens 7, it is converted into S-polarized light by polarization converter 6 according to polarization separation and polarization conversion.
White light that has passed through first collective lens 7 is separated into blue light B and green red light G-R by dichroic mirror 8 that serves as a first color separating optical system for reflecting blue light and passing red and green lights. The green red light G·R that has passed through dichroic mirror 8 is separated into green light G and red light R by second dichroic mirror 9 that serves as a second color separating optical system for reflecting green and blue lights and transmitting red light.
The blue right B separated by dichroic mirror 8 is reflected by reflecting mirror 10 and passes through condenser lens 13A to liquid crystal light valve 15A. The green light G separated by dichroic mirror 9 passes through condenser lens 13B to liquid crystal light valve 15B. The red light R separated by dichroic mirror 9 is applied to liquid crystal light valve 15C by a relay optical system comprising two relay lenses 17, 18 and two reflecting lenses 11, 12, and condenser lens 13.
Liquid crystal valves 15A, 15B, 15C, which correspond to the blue, green, and red lights, respectively, are combined with polarizing panels 14A, 14B, 14C that are positioned on the entrance sides of liquid crystal valves 15A, 15B, 15C, respectively, and polarizing panels 16A, 16B, 16C that are positioned on the exit sides of liquid crystal valves 15A, 15B, 15C, respectively. These polarizing plates serve to align the planes of polarization of the polarized lights that are modulated by the liquid crystal valves. The polarizing panels on the entrance sides and the polarizing panels on the exit sides are angularly arranged such that their transmission axes extend perpendicularly to each other. Only lights that are polarized in a direction parallel to the transmission axis of the polarizing panels on the exit sides pass through the polarizing panels on the exit sides, and lights that are polarized in other directions are absorbed by the polarizing panels on the exit sides. The lights that are applied to liquid crystal valves 15A, 15B, 15C are modulated thereby, and the modulated lights are combined with each other by cross dichroic prism 19 that serves as a color combining optical system. The combined light is then projected at an enlarged scale onto projection screen 21 by projection lens 20.
Condenser lenses 13A, 13B that are disposed respectively in blue and green light paths, which are of the same length, are identical to each other. Distance b between condenser lens 13A in the blue light path and liquid crystal light valve 15A is the same as distance a between condenser lens 13B in the green light path and liquid crystal light valve 15B.
FIG. 2 of the accompanying drawings shows another conventional liquid crystal projector having an optical system wherein second collective lens 31A is disposed in the blue light path between dichroic mirror 8 and reflecting mirror 10 and second collective lens 31B is disposed in the green light path between two dichroic mirrors 8, 9. Second collective lenses 31A, 31B that are disposed respectively in the blue and green light paths, which are of the same length, are identical to each other. Second collective lenses 31A, 31B are positioned at the same distance respectively from liquid crystal light valves 15A, 15B in the respective light paths. Specifically, the light path length (e+f) from liquid crystal light valve 15A via reflecting mirror 10 to second collective lens 31A in the blue light path is the same as the light path length (c+d) from liquid crystal light valve 15B via dichroic mirror 9 to second collective lens 31B in the green light path.
In the liquid crystal projectors described above, the effective pixel regions of the liquid crystal light valves are uniformly illuminated by an integrator illuminating system that comprises two integrator lenses (fly-eye lenses) 4, 5 and collective lens 7. There is also known a projection display apparatus incorporating a rod lens illuminating system, rather than an integrator illuminating system, which comprises a rod lens and two collective lenses for illuminating liquid crystal light valves with lights having a uniform luminance distribution.
With the cross dichroic prism being used as described above, only one of the distances (light path lengths) from the collective lenses to the liquid crystal light valves in the respective light paths is longer than the other distances. In the liquid crystal projectors shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the distances from the collective lenses to the liquid crystal light valves in the blue and green light paths are the same as each other, but the distance from the collective lens to the liquid crystal light valve in the red light path is longer than the corresponding distances in the blue and green light paths. Therefore, the amount of light applied to the liquid crystal light valve in the red light path is smaller than the amounts of light applied to the liquid crystal light valves in the blue and green light paths. The relay optical system that include relay lenses 17, 18 is disposed in the red light path for the purpose of uniformizing the amounts of light applied to the respective liquid crystal light valves in the red, blue, and green light paths. The type of the projection display apparatus which employs the relay optical system in the red light path is referred to as a red relay type, and the three-panel liquid crystal projectors shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are of the red relay type.
If dichroic mirror 8 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is replaced with a component for reflecting red light and passing green and blue lights and dichroic mirror 9 is replaced with a component for reflecting green and red lights and transmitting blue light, then the distance from the collective lens to the liquid crystal light valve in the blue light path is longer than the distances from the collective lenses to the liquid crystal light valves in the red and green light paths. In this arrangement, the relay optical system is employed in the blue light path, and this type is referred to as a blue relay type.
In the projection display apparatus such as the liquid crystal projectors described above, the liquid crystal light valves have respective image forming areas smaller than the areas thereof that are illuminated by the light emitted from the light source. The image forming areas that are smaller than the illuminated areas are prevented from protruding out of the illuminated areas even if the illuminated areas are vertically or horizontally shifted due to errors with respect to the positioning accuracy and focal lengths of the integrator lenses. Such an area setting allows the image forming areas of the liquid crystal light valves to be accurately illuminated by the light emitted from the light source.
However, if the illuminated areas are too large compared with the image forming areas, then the image projected onto the projection screen will not have sufficient brightness. If the illuminated areas are of the same size as the image forming areas, then when the components of the integrator illuminating system suffer an error, the illuminated area tends to be shifted out of alignment with the image forming areas, possibly producing a shaded region on an edge of the projected image.
One solution to the above problems is provided by a process disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 115799/1998.
According to the process disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 115799/1998, the positions of integrator lenses, the position of the first collective lens, and the angles of the reflecting mirrors can be fine-adjusted for adjusting the illuminated areas in the respective light paths out of misalignment. The disclosed process makes it unnecessary to set wide margins around the image forming areas of the light crystal light valves in view of possible displacements of the illuminated areas. As any margins to be set around the image forming areas may be very small, the illuminating light can be utilized efficiently and the brightness of projected images is increased. Even though the margins around the image forming areas are small, since the positions of integrator lenses, the position of the first collective lens, and the angles of the reflecting mirrors can be fine-adjusted, the image forming areas will not protrude partly out of the illuminated areas and no shaded region will be formed on an edge of the projected image.
According to the process disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 115799/1998, however, the illuminated areas in the respective light paths are adjusted out of misalignment simply by fine-adjusting the positions of integrator lenses, the position of the first collective lens, and the angles of the reflecting mirrors. Even if the process disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 115799/1998 is applied to the red relay type shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 where the distance from the collective lens to the liquid crystal light valve in the red light path is longer than the corresponding distances in the blue and green light paths, the illuminated area in the blue light path is not clearly defined and is smaller than the illuminated area in the green light path. If the liquid crystal projector is designed in accordance with the illuminated area in the blue light path, then the illuminated area in the green light path will become larger than necessary, resulting in a reduction in the brightness of the projected image.
The reasons for the above problem are as follows: As regards the red relay type shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, since the refractive indexes of glass materials of the polarizing plates with respect to the wavelengths of lights used differ widely from each other in the green and blue light paths whose light path lengths up to the light valves are equal to each other, even if the illuminated area in the green light path have sharply defined edges, the illuminated area in the blue light path is blurred due to a different axial chromatic aberration, resulting in a reduced effective illuminated area.
Regarding the blue relay type, since the refractive indexes of glass materials of the polarizing plates with respect to the wavelengths of lights used are close to each other in the red and green light paths whose light path lengths up to the light valves are equal to each other, there is no large difference between the distributions of the amounts of light on the illuminated areas in the red and green light paths. A relay optical system having different light path lengths is free from the problems of the red relay type because it is possible to increase or to reduce design values of the illuminated areas based on the layout of lenses, and also to reduce aberrations.

Three-panel projection display apparatus for displaying color images


A display panel is discloses. A gate line and a gate connection line of an array substrate are disposed perpendicular to each other. A passivation layer is formed on a side of a source electrode or a drain electrode of the array substrate which is close to the color filter substrate. A first via hole is disposed in the passivation layer. A color filter substrate includes a first substrate, and a data line parallel to the gate connection line is formed on a side of the first substrate which is close to the array substrate. A protection layer, a black matrix and a common electrode are sequentially formed on a side of the data line which is close to the array substrate. A second via hole is disposed in a region of the protection layer, the black matrix and the common electrode which corresponds to the data line. A first end of a conductive spacer is connected to the source electrode or the drain electrode by way of the first via hole, a second end of the conductive spacer is connected to the data line by way of the second via hole. A method for fabricating a display panel and a display device are further disclosed.

In a traditional display, connection terminals that connect the gate line and the gate driving circuit are disposed on the peripheral of the active display region, which leads to a wide frame of the display, thereby reducing the visual effect of the whole display. The wider the frame is, the worse the visual effect is. To solve the above problem, a known array substrate in which the gate connection line is L-shaped is proposed. A part of the gate connection line and the data line are disposed as overlapping with and parallel to each other, and the gate connection line and the data line are separated by the gate insulating layer. Similar to connection terminals of the data line and the data line driving circuit, the connection terminals of the gate connection line and the gate driving circuit are positioned in a region of the active display region which corresponds to the black matrix, thereby avoiding reserving a wider frame for the gate connection line and reducing the width of the display frame.
However, the technical solution brings another problem, that is, parts of the gate connection line and the data line disposed on the array substrate are disposed parallel each other, though there is the insulating layer therebetween, the close distance makes the cross-talk between the gate connection line and the data line serious, thereby degrading the image display quality of the display.

Display panel, method for fabricating the same and display device

CHENGDU BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


Angiotensin II (AngII) has been strongly implicated in hypertension and its complications. Evidence suggests the mechanisms by which angiotensin II (AngII) elevates blood pressure and enhances cardiovascular remodeling and damage may be distinct. In vascular smooth muscle cells, a metaloproteinase ADAM17 mediates epidermal growth factor receptor (EGER) transactivation, which may be responsible for cardiovascular remodeling but not hypertension induced by AngII. Treatment with a human cross-reactive ADAM17 inhibitory antibody (A9B8) also prevented cardiovascular, remodeling and ER stress but not hypertension in C57Bl/6 mice infused with AngII. In vitro data further supported these findings. In conclusion, vascular ADAM17 mediates AngII-induced cardiovascular remodeling via EGFR activation independent of blood pressure regulation. ADAM17 presents a unique therapeutic target for antibodies such as A9B8 for the prevention of hypertensive complications.

The prevalence and morbidity of hypertension is growing steadily1. End-organ damage is the most important clinical consequence of hypertension causing cardiac failure, renal failure and stroke. Despite great achievements in blood pressure therapy, optimally treated hypertensive patients still have a 50% greater risk than untreated normotensive subjects2 suggesting the urgent need of add-on therapy to specifically target hypertensive end-organ damage. Vascular remodeling has been strongly implicated in hypertensive end-organ damage and associated with poor cardiovascular outcomes.
The remodeling predisposes to end-organ damage and pharmacological intervention in vascular remodeling should have special clinical efficacy for prevention of hypertensive organ damage3. The renin angiotensin system has been strongly implicated in hypertension and its complications. Importantly, it has been suggested that the mechanisms by which angiotensin II (AngII) elevates blood pressure and enhances cardiovascular remodeling and end-organ damage may be distinct4 Although many downstream signaling cascades and target genes/proteins of AngII have been identified, the proximal key event primarily responsible for vascular remodeling such as vascular hypertrophy and fibrosis, independent of blood pressure, remains largely unclear5,6
AngII mediates vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) contraction via Gq-mediated intracellular Ca2+ elevation and Gi2/i3-mediated Rho kinase activation7. ADAM (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase) proteins belong to a family of membrane spanning metalloprotainases that cleave ectodomains of several substrates including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligands8. We have shown that ADAM17-mediated EGFR transactivation via heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) shedding is required for extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation but not for intracellular Ca2+ elevation or Rho kinase activation9-11. Also, ADAM17 expression is enhanced in neointima after angioplasty, and dominant-negative ADAM17 gene-transfer prevents neointimal hyperplasia12, Others have shown that ADAM17 expression is enhanced in atherosclerosis13 and in the left ventricle upon Angli infusion14 and that an ADAM17 polymorphism is associated with cardiovascular mortality15, Odenbach et al in Hypertesion January 2011 pages 123-130 note that RNA interference targeting ADAM 17 (also known as TACE) attenuated angiotensin II up regulation of MMP-2 and prevented development of hypertension as well as development of cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis but suggested that whereas hypertension might be dependent on both MMP-2 and either ADAM 17 or MMP 7, hypertrophy and fibrosis might involve only ADAM 17 or MMP-7 and not involve MMP-2. US Patent Publication 2008/0317763 indicates that antibodies may inhibit activity of ADAMs. However, it has not been suggested previously that vascular ADAM17 manipulation by use of antibodies may have therapeutic potential against hypertensive complications such as cardiac hypertrophy of fibrosis. Therefore, utilizing mice lacking VSMC ADAM17 or treated with a human cross-reactive ADAM17 antibody as well as with in vitro fibrosis assessment, we have tested our hypothesis that vascular ADAM17 is indispensable for cardiovascular remodeling but not for hypertension induced by AngII, thus highlighting a unique therapeutic target in hypertension that can be used to supplement conventional treatments of hypertension to minimize cardiovascular hypertrophy.

Method of mitigating cardiovascular hypertrophy and perivascular fibrosis induced by angiotensin II


In a method and system for regulating an output voltage, a linear voltage regulator (LVR) includes an adjustable shunt regulator (ASR) having a limited gain, a feedback circuit (FC), and a compensation resistor (CR). The limited gain causes the output voltage of the ASR to change in response to a change in an input current of the ASR. The FC generates a feedback voltage reference in proportion to the output voltage, the feedback voltage reference being provided to the ASR to control the output voltage. The CR is coupled to the ASR and the FC. The input current flows through the CR to provide a compensating voltage across the CR. The compensating voltage is provided to the feedback circuit to compensate the limited gain, thereby providing the output voltage that is substantially independent of the input current.

The present disclosure relates generally to integrated circuits, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for improving accuracy of a linear voltage regulator (LVR).
An adjustable shunt regulator (ASR) is a well known integrated circuit (IC) chip that provides a regulated output voltage that is used as a highly accurate, programmable reference source. The ASR is often included in the design of a power supply system. A linearly acting semiconductor device such as a linear voltage regulator (LVR), operating in shunt with a source or load, is also used as a basic building block of a power supply that provides power to electronic devices. The output voltage of the LVR is linearly adjustable between a minimum voltage level, e.g., 2.5 volts, and a maximum voltage level, e.g., 36 volts, by selecting appropriate values of external resistors used in conjunction with the ASR. The ASR typically provides specified accuracy over a specified operating temperature range. Examples of commercially available ASR products include low-voltage adjustable precision shunt regulators TLV1431 and TLV431A manufactured by Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, Tex.
Accuracy of the output voltage provided by the ASR is typically valid at a fixed value of a cathode current, as stated in the ASR product specification data sheet. However, the accuracy often deteriorates rapidly as the cathode current deviates from the fixed value. Therefore, a need exists to provide a method and apparatus for providing a regulated, linear voltage output having an improved accuracy.

Output impedance compensation for linear voltage regulators


A lithium secondary battery having improved output characteristics is provided. A high voltage mixed positive electrode active material has an even profile without causing a rapid voltage drop over the entire SOC area by improving a rapid voltage drop phenomenon occurring due to the difference between the operation voltages of mixed lithium transition metal oxides, and improves output characteristics at a low voltage. The lithium secondary battery includes the mixed positive electrode active material. In particular, the lithium secondary battery can sufficiently satisfy the required conditions such as output characteristics, capacity, stability, and the like, when it is used as a power source of a midsize or large device such as an electric vehicle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mixture positive-electrode active material having an enlarged available state of charge (SOC) area and improved output characteristics at a low voltage level, a lithium secondary battery including the same, and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Related Art
As the development of techniques and demand for mobile devices are increasing, the demand of secondary batteries as an energy source has been rapidly growing. Among secondary batteries, a lithium secondary battery having a high energy density and voltage, a long cycle life span, and a low self-discharge rate, has been commercialized and widely used. Also, as people are increasingly interest in the environment issues, research for an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, or the like, which may replace the vehicles, such as a gasoline vehicle, a diesel vehicle, or the like, using fossil fuel, one of major causes of air pollution, has been greatly conducted. Recently, research into the use of a lithium secondary battery having a high energy density and discharge voltage as a power source of an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, or the like, is actively ongoing and a lithium secondary battery is partially in a commercialization stage.
In particular, researches for developing a positive electrode material of a large capacity lithium secondary battery to be used for an electric vehicle are comprehensively carried out to replace currently used LICoO2.
In case of LiCoO2, the existing typical positive material, has reached its limit in an increase in an energy density and a practical use of output characteristics, and in particular, when LiCoO2 is used in a high energy density application field, its structure is denatured at a high charge state due to a structural instability and oxygen in the structure is discharged to cause an exothermic reaction with electrolyte in a battery to mainly cause a battery explosion. Thus, in order to improve the instability of LiCoO2, the use of a lithium-containing manganese oxide such as LiMnO2 having a layered crystal structure, LiMn2O4 having a spinel crystal structure, or the like, has been considered, and recently, a great deal of researches into the use of three-component system layered oxides of LiNixMnyCo1-x-yO2 have been done.
Li[Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3]O2, the most typical layered oxide among the three-component layered oxides, is changed from Ni2+ to Ni3+ or Ni4+ according to the depth of charge when charging is performed. However, unlike stable Ni2+, Ni3+ or Ni4+ (in particular Ni4+) loses lattice oxygen so as to be reduced to Ni2+ due to instability, and the lattice oxygen reacts with electrolyte to change the surface qualities of an electrode or increase a charge transfer impedance of the surface of the electrode to reduce the capacity or degrade high rate capability.
In order to improve the problem of the three-component layered oxide, research for mixing a metal oxide having an olivine structure to the 3-component positive electrode active material has been conducted, but the metal oxide having the olivine structure has a low reversible capacity and low output characteristics due to low electric conductivity, having a problem in that a volume energy density is low in spite of the advantages of a low cost and high security. In particular, when the three-component layered oxide and the metal oxide having the olivine structure are mixed, a rapid voltage drop is caused in the vicinity of 3.6 V to 3.4 V during discharging due to the difference in the operation voltage, so the output is sharply dropped in a state of charge (SOC) area of the corresponding portion.
Japanese Laid Open Publication No. 2001-307730 discloses a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery using a mixture, which is obtained by a second lithium compound such as a lithium-containing cobalt oxide, a lithium-containing nickel cobalt oxide, or the like, to a first lithium compound including a lithium-containing olivine type phosphate, as a positive electrode active material. However, the lithium secondary battery according to this document still has the problem of degradation of the instantaneous output because there is a portion in which voltage is rapidly dropped at an end portion of an operation voltage of the second lithium compound due to the difference between the operation voltages of the two mixed materials.
These problems may possibly become serious when the lithium secondary battery is used as a power source of midsize and large devices such as an electric vehicle in which maintaining of the output in the available SOC area is essential, so research into a secondary battery which does not have a rapid output drop in the available SOC area while maintaining a high level of security and exhibits a high output even at a low SOC area is urgently required.

Positive-electrode active material for elevation of output and lithium secondary battery including the same


In general, the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products for providing access to secured resources. A token providing system stores a primary authentication token that is used to obtain temporary authentication tokens. The token providing system provides, to application programs that are unable to access the primary authentication token, the temporary authentication tokens. The token providing system receives, from a first application program of the application programs, a first request to obtain a first temporary authentication token. The first request does not include the primary authentication token. The token providing system transmits a second request to obtain the first temporary authentication token. The second request includes the primary authentication token. The token providing system receives the first temporary authentication token. The token providing system provides the first temporary authentication token for use by the first application program.

In large-scale computing environments, multiple applications may be executing simultaneously for different users on various server computers, and multiple applications may share a single computer by each using a virtual machine that is distinct from other virtual machines on the computer. Such applications can also access resources or services from other server computers in the large-scale computer system. For example, a user may be running an application for managing various forms of content, and the application may need to access copies of the user's content that are stored and managed by a separate sub-system in the overall system.
In such situation, the services may require that the application program provide authentication credentials (e.g., a username and a password) in order to use the services. The authentication credentials may be accessible to the application program or the virtual machine in order to allow the application program or virtual machine to use the authentication credentials to access the services. In another example, a derivative of the authentication credentials that provides access to a limited scope of the services for an unlimited amount of time may be accessible to the application program or virtual machine. However, if the virtual machine is compromised by a malicious user, the malicious user may obtain the user credentials or the derivative of the user credentials, and thus may be able to access the services for an unlimited amount of time.

Providing application programs with access to secured resources


Systems and methods for performing quantitative histopathology analysis for determining tissue potency are disclosed. According to some embodiments, a method training a tissue classifier is provided. According to the method, training the tissue classifier includes generating feature fingerprints of detected nuclei within slide images in a control library and clustering the slide images based on their corresponding feature fingerprints. According to some embodiments, a method for utilizing the trained tissue classifier is provided. According to the method, the trained tissue classifier determines whether tissue in an unknown slide image corresponds to slide images clustered during the training of the tissue classifier.

The invention may be understood by reference to the preparation of allogeneic cultured postnatal thymus tissue-derived product, although this disclosure of and claims to the invention are not limited to such an embodiment of the invention.
Allogeneic cultured postnatal thymus tissue-derived product has been shown to be useful for the treatment of T cell immunodeficiency (primary immune deficiency) resulting from congenital athymia, for example in the treatment of complete DiGeorge Anomaly (cDGA) associated with 22q11.2 deletion and CHARGE (coloboma, heart defect, choanal atresia, growth or mental retardation, genital hypoplasia and ear anomalies or deafness) syndrome associated with mutations in the chd7 (chromodomain-helicase-DNA-binding protein 7) gene and in athymic patients with forkhead box protein N1 (FOXN1) deficiency. Congenital athymia is a rare fatal condition and currently has no drug treatment options utilizing regulatory approved drug products.
Experimental transplantation of an allogeneic cultured postnatal thymus tissue-derived product that retains thymus epithelial cells (TECs) has been successfully applied to treat pediatric patients with congenital athymia (Markert M L, Devlin B H, McCarthy E A, 2010, "Thymus transplantation," Clin Immunol., 135(2): 236-46; Markert M L, et al., 2004, "Postnatal thymus transplantation with immunosuppression as treatment for DiGeorge syndrome," Blood 104(8):2574-2581; Markert M L, et al., 1999, "Transplantation of thymus tissue in complete DiGeorge syndrome," N Engl J Med 341(16): 1180-1189 27).
Allogeneic cultured postnatal thymus tissue-derived product is a tissue-engineered product that is prepared, cultured and stored for up to 21 days to produce partially T cell-depleted thymus tissue slices and which is differentiated from native thymus by a conditioning process. The conditioning regimen partially depletes the donor thymocytes from the cultured thymus tissue slices. Based on in vitro data (immunohistochemistry) a culture period between 12 and 21 days preserves the epithelial network as assessed using cytokeratin antibodies. The culturing is preferably done at 37° C. in a 5% CO2 incubator.
The culturing process significantly modifies the biological characteristics of the donor thymus tissue and constituent cells contained therein in the following manner to optimize the effective therapeutic properties of the Allogeneic cultured postnatal thymus tissue-derived product slices. The culturing process assures that a defined composition of the cultured cells/tissue having the pre-requisite biological characteristics is obtained in a manner suitable for surgical implantation into a subject to enable reconstitution of the subject's immune system. The culturing process results in a loss of thymocytes and relative enrichment of thymic epithelial cells and other stromal cells in the donor thymus tissue slices. The culturing process further results in depletion of thymocytes and maintenance of TECs to enable reconstitution of the recipient's immune system and allows tolerance to develop in the recipient to HLA antigens in the donor thymus. Overall, the manufacturing process is designed to deplete thymocytes from the donor thymus tissue and to preserve the functional architecture of the thymic stroma (thymic epithelial cells and fibroblasts).
The surgical administration of allogeneic, cultured postnatal thymus tissue-derived product (e.g., "RVT-802") in athymic patients leads to a cascade of events resulting in the development of a functional immune system. Following surgical placement of allogeneic, cultured postnatal thymus tissue-derived product in a recipient, T cells are educated by donor TECs and recipient dendritic cells (DCs). Donor TECs in conjunction with recipient DCs enable tolerance to the implanted donor thymus tissue, which is implanted as cultured thymus tissue slices. This is the same tolerance induction as in a normal thymus. The recipient TECs in conjunction with recipient DCs lead to tolerance to self.
Thymopoiesis has been documented by allograft biopsies and the presence of recipient naive T cells in the periphery (Markert M L, 2010; Markert M L, et al., 2008, "Use of allograft biopsies to assess thymopoiesis after thymus transplantation," J Immunol 180(9):6354-6364; Markert M L, et al., 2007, "Review of 54 patients with complete DiGeorge anomaly enrolled in protocols for thymus transplantation: outcome of 44 consecutive transplants," Blood 109(10):4539-454728), which are incorporated herein by reference.
Studies of children treated with investigational allogeneic, cultured postnatal thymus tissue-derived product show tolerance to donor major histocompatibility complex (MHC) by mixed lymphocyte reactions (Chinn I K, Devlin B H, Li Y J, & Markert M L, 2008, "Long-term tolerance to allogeneic thymus transplants in complete DiGeorge anomaly," Clin Immunol 126(3):277-281). In addition, the infants with congenital athymia, after allogeneic, cultured postnatal thymus tissue-derived transplantation, are able to control infections such as Epstein Barr virus (Markert M L, 2014, Thymus Transplantation. Stiehm's Immune Deficiencies, eds Sullivan K E & Stiehm E R (Academic Press), 1st Ed, pp 1059-1067.
Historically, allogeneic cultured postnatal thymus tissue-derived product release criteria has included histopathological evaluation of H&E and immunostained sections of tissue at the mid-point of the manufacturing process, which was later refined to days 5-9 of the culture period. This histopathological evaluation has served as the potency assay, and has been performed as a qualitative analysis by a board-certified pathologist. Samples were prepared for evaluation either by freezing or formalin fixation prior to the tissue slice being sectioned and then fixed onto a slide. Samples prepared in this manner are stable over long periods of time, allowing for reanalysis to be performed.
The historical samples available from the 20+ years of development history can be linked to positive clinical outcomes, and thus provide a strong data set for development of a quantitative histology assay for evaluation of product quality.
A new digital histology assay was developed using scanned images of H&E slides from previous clinical lots and from experimental lots of allogeneic, cultured postnatal thymus-tissue derived product. These images were analyzed for development into a quantitative release assay, as described below.

Tissue potency determination through quantitative histomorphology analysis


The present invention relates to a peach tree, Prunus persica, and more particularly to a new and distinct variety characterized by a large size, vigorous, hardy, self-fertile, productive and regular bearing tree. The fruit matures under the ecological conditions described in the first half of July, with first picking on Jul. 8, 2005. The fruit is uniformly medium in size, sub-acid and sweet in flavor, very oblate in shape, freestone in type, firm in texture, white in flesh color, and mostly red in skin color. The variety was developed as a first generation cross using ‘Red Glen’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,193) yellow flesh nectarine as the selected seed parent and an unnamed flat peach as the selected pollen parent.

In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, I, the inventor, typically hybridize a large number of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of peach tree, which has been denominated varietally as 'Neptune I'. The present variety was hybridized by me in 1999, grown as a seedling on its own root in my greenhouse, and transplanted to a cultivated area of my experimental orchard at Bradford Farms near Le Grand, Calif. in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley).
The variety was developed as a first generation cross using 'Red Glen' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,193) yellow flesh nectarine as the selected seed parent and an unnamed peach (unpatented) as the selected pollen parent. A single tree from the stated cross was selected as the claimed variety. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of peach tree, I asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of 'Nemaguard' (unpatented) rootstock upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The present variety is very distinguished from its selected seed parent, 'Red Glen' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,193) nectarine, by producing fruit that is peach instead of nectarine, oblate instead of globose in shape, white instead of yellow in flesh color, sub-acidic instead of acidic in flavor, and freestone instead of clingstone.
The present variety is most similar to 'Saturn' (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,123) peach by producing fruit that is white in flesh color, very oblate in shape, and freestone in type, but is distinguished therefrom and an improvement thereon by having a much lower chilling requirement and by producing fruit that has a higher percentage of red color, firmer in texture, and ripens about 10 days later in the Central Valley of California.


An inter-record alteration detection code verification unit 36 calculates an inter-record alteration detection code by merging a record alteration detection code stored in a record to read from a database 34 and a record alteration detection code in the immediately previous record so as to generate a code and applying a predetermined hash operation to the generated code. The verification unit verifies whether the calculated inter-record alteration code coincides with the inter-record alteration detection code stored in the record to read. If they coincide with each other, data is determined to be not altered.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an alteration detection method of data stored in a data storage unit, a data alteration detection device and a data alteration detection program.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the spread of networks, a possibility that an illegal access is made to a database and data is altered has been increased. In order to detect such an illegal data alteration, for example, a data alteration detection method shown in FIG. 16 is considered.
In the data alteration detection method shown in FIG. 16, when a data storing unit 11 writes log data in a database 12, a record alteration detection code calculation unit 12 applies a prescribed operation to data to calculate a record alteration detection code and attaches the record alteration detection code to the data.
When reading data, a data extraction unit 14 reads the relevant record from the database 13. Then, a record alteration detection code verification unit 15 applies a prescribed operation to the read data to calculate a record alteration detection code and verifies whether the calculated record alteration detection code coincides with the recode alteration detection code attached to the data to determine whether the data is altered.
However, by the alteration detection method, the addition/deletion of a record cannot be detected.
In order to detect the alteration, such as addition/deletion, of a record, an alteration detection code must be provided for a specific record unit. For example, as shown in FIG. 17, alteration detection codes must be calculated and stored for all the data records 1-100 in advance. In order to verify addition/deletion to/from records 1-5, alteration detection codes must be calculated for all the data records 1-100, and it must be verified whether the respective calculated alteration detection codes coincide with the respective stored alteration detection codes of all the records 1-100. Therefore, in order to verify the alteration of several records, its data alteration detection process takes much time, which is a problem.
Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-259216 (Patent Reference 1) discloses that when transmitting an electronic file, a describer H for verifying the integrity of each unit file and a describer C for verifying the continuity of each unit file (whether a previous or subsequent unit file is lost) are provided.
However, in the method disclosed by Patent Reference 1, when the structure of a unit file is known, the describer C for verifying the continuity of each unit file can be easily generated. Therefore, it is difficult to prevent the alteration of data.

Data alteration detecting method, data alteration detecting device and data alteration detecting program


This joint system is provided primarily for connecting elongated structural members which are made of materials which deter the use of conventional fastening techniques, and specifically for joining pultruded composite structural members composed of, for example, glass fibers and resins. The joint system in the first embodiment includes an elongated pultruded member which defines one or two re-entrant slots along its entire length, with the interior structure defining the walls of the slot or slots being configured to cooperate with the inserted seating end of another composite length such that when the length is inserted into one of the slots, the slot is first expanded slightly and then the walls of the slot snap back to lock with cooperating structure of the other structural member. In a second embodiment a sleeve-like equivalent of the slot configuration is set forth and lastly, a high-voltage power line tower constructed with the joint coupling as its central feature is described.

The invention is in the field of pultruded composites, a field in which the inventors have been working for years, and each of the inventors has a number of patents to his credit. Pultruded composites, that is, elongated members formed by pulling bunched fibers such as glass fibers through a resin bath and then through a die, have been used most extensively to form simple stick-like products. For example, many ax handles and hammer handles are pultrusions, and the number of pultruded reflective highway delineating posts must be in the millions. A utility pole of composite construction is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,819, issued Feb. 14, 1989.
The structural members which this disclosure details could be made from a wide variety of reinforcement fibers and matrix binders. The fibers could be glass, Kevlar.TM. or carbon, to name just three, and the matrix could be a thermoplastic such as polypropylene or a thermoset resin such as a polyester, a vinylester, or epoxy.
By their nature, pultruded composites have a potential for use in a great many fields and products. The nature of the resin and the fibers that are used in any particular pultrusion may be almost infinitely varied to produce wide variations in such different characteristics as modulus of elasticity, electrical or heat conductivity or resistance, resistance to ultraviolet light, resistance to the aging effects of certain chemicals, and so forth.
By the nature of the manufacturing process, pultrusions can be made in an unlimited variety of shapes, from a simple hollow or solid stick or beam to a configuration with a complex cross-section created by a combination of dies and mandrels. Although all manufacturing processes require some maintenance, with pultrusions, once the initial die is made, the pultrusion can be made continuously twenty-four hours a day with little expense other than the direct materials and production costs. Obviously, this process is ideal for producing elongated members that have complex cross-sections but which are used on an ongoing and virtually unlimited basis.
Pultrusions are also characterized by having a relatively high strength and moderate cost when glass fibers are used, and having a good strength-to-weight ratio when configured in appropriate cross-sections.
Compared to steel, which is the most common structural material in use, pultruded composites offer decided advantages as enumerated above, including virtual immunity to corrosion, non-conductivity, and in many applications about the same strength-to-weight ratio and cost-to-strength ratio. For these reasons, there have been efforts over the last few years on the part of the instant inventors and others to move the use of structural composites more into the mainstream where their advantages may be realized to a fuller extent. For example, one of the instant inventors has built vehicle-carrying railroad cars virtually completely from composites.
There is an area in which composites must be treated quite differently from steel. When steel is bolted, as is usually the case in field assembly, the bolt holes reduce the net area at the joint. Nontheless, bolt holes can be placed close together without concerns of tearout, or bearing strength failure. Thus, angled steel towers may have 10 or more bolts at a joint face, closely spaced to each other. Because of low bearing strength in composites, bolts cannot be spaced nearly as closely as in steel construction and bearing area becomes a critical design issue.
Consequently there is a need for effective coupling means between pultruded composite structural members. Coupling means need be provided to couple members of different cross-sectional shapes and sizes which meet one another at different angles in three dimensions. The luxury of being able to position a flange or produce a bolt hole virtually anywhere on the member, inherent in the use of steel, does not exist for composites. The challenge, therefore, is to create coupling means which are as orientationally versatile as possible and capable of joining two widely different member configurations, while at the same time being as strong, light-weight, compact and inexpensive as possible.

Pultruded joint system and tower structure made therewith


A totem-pole PFC circuit is provided. The totem-pole PFC circuit includes an inductor, a first bridge arm and a second bridge arm. The first bridge arm includes a first switch and a second switch connected in series. A first middle node connected between the first and second switches is coupled to a first terminal of an AC power source through the inductor. The second bridge arm connected to the first bridge arm in parallel includes a third switch and a fourth switch connected in series. A second middle node connected between the third and fourth switches is coupled to a second terminal of the AC power source. When a polarity of the AC power source is changed, a change time of a voltage on the second middle node is longer than a preset time not less than 20 μs.

Generally, high power adapters need a two-stage circuitry structure. The first-stage circuit utilizes a boost PFC circuit (as shown in FIG. 1) to control the harmonic current, and the second-stage circuit utilizes a DC/DC converter to adjust the output voltage. Recently, with the development of the miniaturization of power adapters, the operating frequency has become higher and higher, and the needs to efficiency become higher as well. The loss caused by the rectifier bridge in the conventional boost PFC circuit is about one-fifth of the total loss of the power adapter, which becomes a major obstacle to further improving efficiency.
The dual-boost PFC circuit (as shown in FIG. 2) can be used to replace the conventional boost PFC circuit for further improving efficiency. However, the dual-boost PFC circuit may cause common mode noise problems. Generally, the totem-pole PFC circuit (as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B) can also improve efficiency like the dual-boost PFC circuit does. Moreover, in the applications which are not sensitive to leakage current, a Y capacitor with large capacitance can be used to suppress the common mode noise caused by the totem-pole PFC circuit. However, in the applications of power adapter, due to strict restriction on the leakage current, the capacitance of the Y capacitor is limited to a small value. Accordingly, when the capacitance of Y capacitor is limited, the common mode noise generated by the totem-pole PFC circuit cannot be suppressed effectively.
Therefore, there is a need of providing a totem-pole PFC circuit which overcomes the drawbacks mentioned above.

Totem-pole power factor correction circuit


A method decodes an optical signal transmitted over an optical channel from a transmitter to a receiver. The receiver receives the transmitted optical signal to produce a digital signal including data symbols and pilot symbols, and determines filtering coefficients based on an error between amplitudes of the received pilot symbols and amplitudes of transmitted pilot symbols, while ignoring errors between phases of the received pilot symbols and phases of the transmitted pilot symbols. The amplitudes and the phases of the transmitted pilot symbols are known at the transmitter and the receiver. The receiver filters the digital signal according to the filtering coefficients to produce a filtered signal with equalized amplitude and an unconstrained phase demodulates and decodes the filtered signal to produce an estimate of the transmitted optical signal.

Inaccuracies in carrier-phase estimation and amplitude equalization cause distortions, i.e., the noise enhancements, which reduce the performance of optical communications systems. In the optical communications, different algorithms are used to reduce the distortion. Those algorithms are based on a hard decision for determining the phase and amplitude of the received signal. For example, a decision-directed least-mean-square (LMS) method uses the hard decision for determining the error for the updating.
However, the hard decisions can be incorrect causing suboptimal phase and amplitude equalization. The problem of inaccuracy of the hard decisions is especially apparent in the applications with low signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). However, for each fixed SNR, there is a need to further improve the data throughput and other performance metrics of optical communications, such as spectral efficiency of the transmitted signal.
In order to provide higher optical interface rates, recent research has focused on the expansion of both bandwidth and spectral efficiency. While some researches have focused on the slicing of the received signals in the time or frequency domains, these solutions require several parallel coherent receivers. Current results using a single coherent receiver have exceeded 640 Gb/s net bit rate. However, there is a demand to provide a system and a method for detection of a net bit rate in excess of 1 Tb/s with a single coherent receiver.
Detection of the bit rates in excess of 1 Tb/s with a single receiver requires accurate demodulation of the signals. To demodulate signals in an optical communications system, it is necessary to equalize distortions to both phase and amplitude of the received signals, caused by the optical and electrical components. This is particularly difficult for densely modulated signals with high-order quadrature-amplitude modulation (QAM), such as 64-QAM and 256-QAM.
Some conventional systems, such as a system described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,320,778, perform amplitude equalization using a radius-directed constant-modulus algorithm (CMA) equalizer, with an updating algorithm, such as an LMS method. That method yields acceptable results with high SNR and reasonably low density modulation, e.g., 8QAM, 16QAM. However, densely modulated signals that can result in bit rates in excess of 1 Tb/s can cause significant tap noise at the equalizer output, due to the inaccuracy of the blind decisions based on the radius of the received signals.
For equalization of phase distortions, conventional systems can use a blind phase search approach, see, e.g., U.S. 2011/0217043. However, that approach has a high complexity for densely modulated signals and suffers from poor performance in a low SNR regime.

Pilot-aided coherent receiver for optical communications

Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.


A lighting device for use on roller skates and the like that attaches to the lower portion of a skate and provides a bright colorful light source to make a skater more visible in low light level conditions. The device is a light bar or strip that is battery powered. The light bar is a clear acrylic bar of various preselected colors having a light source at one end. The light is transmitted through the bar producing a light stick of nearly any color. An alternate embodiment uses an electro-luminescent light strip. The light bar or strip and battery power source is quickly and easily attached to any skate by a small strap and screw or by a strap having hook and loop type fasteners.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to roller skate novelty and safety lighting systems, and more particularly to a roller skate lighting device that attaches to roller skates and especially in-line roller skates to announce the presence of roller skaters in low light conditions.
2. Description of Related Art
The use of roller skates, especially in-line roller skates, is extremely popular and results in use of roller skates at dusk and into the night. Skaters presently can use reflective material and flashlights to provide better visibility of themselves to passing motorists during conditions of low light levels. However, reflective material provides only limited protection especially during the dusk hours when some motorists may not have their lights on. Carrying flashlights is inconvenient and typically are only carried when the skater plans on skating after dark. A skater staying out a little later than planned will generally be without a light.
Attempts have been made to address the problem of skater visibility in such devices as that of U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,478 to Hsu et al. (Hsu), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Hsu's device consists of magnets and coils used to activate light emitters fixed on both sides of each skate roller. The magnets are mounted on two elongate locating plates fixed on both sides of each roller and attached to the inner sides of an elongate inverted U-shaped plate fixed under a skating shoe. Light emitters are electrically connected with related coils mounted on the rollers. As each roller rotates, the coil crosses the magnetic field of the magnets inducing an electric current in each coil which causes the light emitters to light. (Hsu at col. 1, lines 17-24).
The Hsu device requires disassembly of the skate and installation of special rollers having coils and light emitters attached, installation of magnets, installation of elongate members to hold the magnets, installation of a U-shaped elongate member to hold the elongate magnet mounting members, and installation of various fasteners etc. to hold things together. If the device of Hsu is not built into the skate during manufacturing, it will require the user to replace the rollers and many other parts of the skate. This is not only inconvenient, but expensive.
In addition, the wheels of the Hsu device rotate within the U-shaped mounting member, which must necessarily cover the lighted portion of the roller for at least some portion of the roller's rotation. The only time the light emitting device of the roller is completely free of the U-shaped member is during the time the light emitting device is below the U-shaped member. (Hsu at FIG. 3). Hence, the position of the U-shaped member effectively restricts the amount and location of light that can seem from the light emitters in the rollers.
Another attempt to make skaters more visible in low light conditions is U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,164 to McInerney et al. ('164), the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The device of '164 comprises a skate having a headlight, brake light, several lights mounted in various configurations around the skate boot, and a battery power source. ('164 at col. 2, lines 10-60). Attachment of the lights to the skate boot is accomplished by provisions made in the boot during the manufacturing process. While mention is made in the '164 disclosure of other methods of attaching the lights, such as gluing or sewing, there is no disclosure of how that might be accomplished. Even if the lights were attached in some manner other than during manufacturing, the only guidance given for running the wires is by molding into the boot. ('164 at col. 2, lines 56-60). Furthermore, the method of attachment of the brake light circuit is given as embedding in the skate boot during the manufacturing process. ('164 at col. 3, lines 10-12). Finally, the pocket provided for the battery pack must be provided for during manufacturing process. ('164 at FIG. 4).
Assuming the lights of the '164 device were able to be installed on a skate boot after manufacturing, the difficulty of attaching the lights and running the wires would take the installation process outside the abilities of most skate owners, as well as being time consuming and expensive for anyone.
Therefore, there exists a need for an after market roller skate lighting system that is easy to install on most roller skates with little or no modifications, is effective, and inexpensive.


A logistical network has nodes and edges, or transport links, which permit mailed articles that are being set from a sender to a receiver to be transferred, processed, and forwarded in a sequence which is predetermined in terms of time and place. The network includes devices for determining differences between nominal data describing the state of the logistical network and actual measured data. A controlled system is provided for minimizing differences in a predetermined period of time by shifting the processing of mailed articles from one node or a plurality of nodes of which the capacity is reduced with respect to the nominal data to one or a plurality of other nodes such that minimal additional expenditure is incurred.

The invention relates to a logistics network and a method for controlling a logistics network. More particularly, the invention is directed to a logistics network of the type having edges and nodes by means of which acceptance, processing, and passing on of mailed articles are carried out in a temporally and locally predetermined sequence, the network including devices in order to detect discrepancies between required data, which describe the logistic network state, and measured actual data.

Logistics network for processing of mailed articles and method for controlling this network


A structure to inspect high/low of memory cell threshold voltage using a current mode sense amplifier. A current mode sense amplifier is used to compare a memory cell current of a selected memory cell and a reference current to determine high/low of the threshold voltage. Since the current input is compared, it is not necessary to provide a reference word line and a reference memory cell circuit. The area is thus decreased, and the waiting time to convert current to voltage is saved to greatly increase the access speed.

This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no. 89124861, filed Nov. 23, 2000.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a structure to inspect high/low of a memory cell threshold voltage. More particularly, the invention relates to a structure to inspect high/low of a memory cell threshold voltage using a current mode sense amplifier.
2. Description of the Related Art
The conventional flash memory is basically designed in a voltage mode. Therefore, to separate a high threshold voltage memory cell from a low threshold voltage memory cell, the current of the selected memory cell has to be converted to voltage. A reference voltage generated by a reference memory cell is compared to the voltage of a selected memory cell. If the output result is xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d, the selected memory cell has a high threshold voltage. On the contrary, if the output result is xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d, the selected memory cell has a low threshold voltage.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional structure to compare a reference memory cell near the bit line voltage with a selected memory cell. The structure comprises a bit line decoder 10, a word line decoder 12, a memory cell 14, a current-to-voltage converter 16, a reference word line 18, a reference memory cell 20, a reference voltage 22 and a voltage sense amplifier 24.
An output of the bit line decoder 10 is coupled to a drain of the memory cell 14. An output of the word line decoder 12 is coupled to a gate of the memory cell 14. A source of the memory cell 14 is coupled to a ground voltage Vss. The output of the bit line decoder 10 is further coupled to the current-to-voltage converter 16. A gate of the reference memory cell 20 at the other side is coupled to the reference word line 18. A drain of the reference memory cell 20 is coupled to another bit line decoder (not shown), and a source thereof is coupled to the ground voltage Vss. A drain of the reference memory cell 20 is coupled to the reference voltage 22. That is, both the drain of the reference memory cell 22 and the current-to-voltage converter 16 are coupled to the voltage sense amplifier 24.
The above structure is used to detect the Vt distribution of memory cells on a chip, so as to trace the problems in fabrication process and to maintain a correct access. However, the structure is restricted with the variation range of VDD. When the variation of VDD exceeds xc2x110%, the word line voltage dependent on the VDD has a significant variation. Thus, the reference voltage bias node applied to the voltage sense amplifier 24 is shifted to cause an error access. Therefore, the conventional structure is not suitable for use in a flash memory with a voltage source having a wide variation range. In addition, using the comparison of voltage, the current of the selected memory cell has to be converted into voltage (the current-to-voltage converter 16 is required), so that the reading speed is slowed down. The addition of reference word line 18 and the reference memory cell 20 increases the occupied area.
The invention provides a structure to inspect high/low of memory cell threshold voltage using a current mode sense amplifier. A current is input for comparison. When the high threshold voltage is selected, there is no current generated. When the low threshold voltage is selected, a current is generated. Therefore, one does not need to consider the situation of exceeding amplitude. In addition, the current-to-voltage conversion is not required, so that the reference word line and the reference memory cell are not required either. The consumed area is reduced.
The invention provides a structure to inspect high/low of memory cell threshold voltage using current mode sense amplifier. The structure comprises a selected memory cell, a reference current generator and a current sense amplifier.
A gate of the selected memory cell receives a stabilized voltage. A source of the selected memory cell is coupled to a ground voltage, and a drain of the selected memory cell is coupled to a reference current. The current sense amplifier receives the memory cell current of the selected memory cell and the reference current to perform the operation, and to output a sense amplified signal.
The structure may further include a word line decoder to generate a word line voltage and a stabilized voltage generator to generate a fixed voltage. The fixed voltage is a voltage with a small variation output from the word line after voltage stabilization. The structure may further comprise a potential shifter to output a potential signal after receiving the word line voltage and the fixed voltage. In addition, the memory cell current is generated by a bit line decoder. The bit line decoder is coupled to a drain of the selected memory cell.
The current sense amplifier comprises a plurality of PMOS transistors, a plurality of NMOS transistors, a plurality of control valves and a plurality of inverters. A first PMOS transistor has a source connected to a high voltage and a gate connected to an activation signal. A second PMOS transistor has a source coupled to a drain of the first PMOS transistor. A drain of a first NMOS transistor is coupled to a gate and a drain of the second PMOS transistor. A gate of the first NMOS transistor is coupled to a frequency band interstitial voltage to generate a reference current. A third PMOS transistor has a source coupled to the drain of the first PMOS transistor, and a gate coupled to the gate of the second PMOS transistor. A first control valve comprises a first input/output terminal, a second input/output terminal and a first control operation terminal. The first input terminal is coupled to the drain of the third PMOS transistor. The first control operation terminal receives an erase inspection signal to control the generation of an erase inspection current. A fourth has a source coupled to the drain of the first PMOS transistor, a gate coupled to the gate of the second PMOS transistor. The first inverter receives the erase inspection signal and outputs an inverse erase inspection signal. A second control valve comprises a third input/output terminal, a fourth input/output terminal and a second control operation terminal. The third input/output terminal is coupled to a drain of the fourth PMOS transistor. The second control operation terminal receives the inverse erase inspection signal to control the generation of a reading and programming confirming current. A drain of a second NMOS transistor is coupled to the second input/output terminal of the first control valve and the fourth input/output terminal of the second control valve. A source of the second NMOS transistor is to receive a memory cell current. A second inverter has an input terminal coupled to the source of the second NMOS transistor, and an output coupled to the gate of the second NMOS transistor.
A fifth PMOS transistor has a source coupled to a high voltage, a gate and a drain coupled to the second input/output terminal of the first control valve and the fourth input/output terminal of the second control valve. A sixth PMOS transistor comprises a source coupled to the high voltage and a gate coupled to the gate of the fifth PMOS transistor. A third NMOS transistor comprises a drain and a gate coupled to the drain of the fifth PMOS transistor. A drain of a fourth NMOS transistor is coupled to a drain of the sixth PMOS transistor, and a gate of the fourth NMOS transistor is coupled to the gate of the third NMOS transistor. A third inverter receives the activation signal and outputs an inverse activation signal. A fifth NMOS transistor comprises a drain coupled to a source of the third NMOS transistor and a source of the fourth NMOS transistor, and a gate to receive the inverse activation signal. A seventh PMOS transistor comprises a source coupled to the high voltage and a gate to receive the activation voltage. An eighth PMOS transistor comprises a source coupled to a drain of the seventh PMOS transistor and a gate coupled to the drain of the sixth NMOS transistor. A sixth NMOS transistor comprises a drain and a gate coupled to a drain of the eighth PMOS transistor, and a source coupled to the ground voltage. A ninth PMOS transistor has a source coupled to the drain of the seventh PMOS transistor, and a gate coupled to the drain of the sixth PMOS transistor. A seventh NMOS transistor comprises a drain coupled to a drain of the ninth transistor, a gate coupled to the gate of the sixth NMOS transistor and a source coupled to the ground voltage. A fourth inverter comprises an input terminal coupled to the drain of the ninth PMOS transistor and an output terminal to output a sense amplified signal.
Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

Structure to inspect high/low of memory cell threshold voltage using current mode sense amplifier


A method providing communication services to a mobile device is presented. In the method, a number of radio access networks are coupled with a packet data network by way of a number of access nodes. Each of a number of packet data flows between the mobile device and the packet data network are facilitated by way of the one of the radio access networks and one of the access nodes. State information regarding the packet data flows is exchanged between those of the access nodes facilitating at least one of the packet data flows so that each of those nodes possesses the state information for each of the packet data flows. One of the access nodes is then selected for facilitating one of the packet data flows based on the state information.

1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the invention relate generally to communication networks, and more particularly to employing state information in providing communication services to a mobile device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Since the advent of mobile communication devices, such as cell phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), the number of different types of communication in which these devices may engage has expanded significantly. Thanks to advancements in the devices themselves, and the communication networks with which they communicate, users may now view web pages on the World Wide Web (WWW), engage in telephonic communications over the Internet by way of Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP), view and hear streaming audio and video, and access e-mail, among others. Typically, these communications occur over a data packet communication protocol, such as Internet Protocol (IP).
Communication networks that contain multiple smaller networks have been devised to allow such access by mobile devices to occur while the mobile device is in motion. In one example, multiple radio access networks (RANs), each of which provide communication service to a mobile device over a specific geographic area, may be coupled with a packet data network, such as an Internet Protocol (IP) network. As a mobile device moves from one area to another, responsibility for providing communication service for the mobile device is transferred, or "handed off," from one RAN to the next to allow the mobile device to continue to access the attached packet data network. In addition, the Mobile IP communications protocol allows the mobile device to maintain a permanent IP address while moving from one RAN to another.
However, this process of handing off typically introduces a significant delay or interruption in the provision of the communication service from the standpoint of the user. "Real-time" communication services, such as audio, video and VoIP, may be particularly disrupted during the handoff.

Communication network and method employing state information in providing communication services to a mobile device


In an ad hoc wireless network, for purposes of neighbor discovery, a transmitting node transmits a beacon within a timeslot and at a frequency that varies from timeslot-to-timeslot according to one or more associated and known pseudo-random or cyclical frequency hopping sequences. When, during a timeslot, the frequency hopping sequence would select a beacon frequency that if transmitted would violate spectrum policy that is in place during that timeslot, then, during that timeslot, a beacon is not transmitted during that timeslot. During each timeslot, a neighbor receiving node attempts to detect and decode a transmitted beacon at a frequency specified by the frequency hopping sequence that it expects a transmitting node to be using. When a receiving node successfully detects and decodes a beacon transmitted by a transmitting node, neighbor discovery between the transmitting and receiving nodes is achieved.

Spectrum allocations are carried out according to prevailing regulatory policies in different regions throughout the world. Except for small blocks of spectrum that have been set aside for unlicensed operation, spectrum is typically treated as property with associated ownership rights. Since spatial and temporal usage of spectrum varies according to the traffic demands from different services, such static allocations create an illusion of spectrum scarcity, i.e., the unavailability of spectral resources at a particular location and time. Recently, there has been considerable interest in designing Media Access Control (MAC) and physical layer techniques that allow open, opportunistic access to spectrum. This capability is desirable not only to address the long-term projected capacity demands of commercial, military and public safety applications, but also to enable unlicensed commercial or tactical military communications without any frequency planning or coordination.
Physical layer techniques, protocols and algorithms employed in evolving cellular and wireless Local Area Network technologies (e.g., IEEE 802.11) are typically designed assuming a static, contiguous spectrum allocation constraint and are often limited to narrowband operation (tens of kHz to a few MHz). In the future, advances in dynamic spectrum access techniques such as spectrum sensing and characterization, frequency agility, and dynamic radio bearer management hold the promise of huge improvements in spectrum utilization relative to current static allocations by providing the ability to exploit temporal and spatial variability in spectrum availability.
One of the outstanding challenges in ad hoc networks based on opportunistic, open spectrum access is on the design of techniques that help achieve initial neighbor discovery and association of new nodes with a neighborhood. In particular, when spectrum is not exclusively allocated to users and/or networks, users must discover the presence of neighboring users by searching across a wide range of frequencies with minimum transmit/receive power requirements and with minimum delay. This needs to be carried out in advance of opportunistic establishment of radio bearers for control and/or data transfer. Another challenge in a dynamic spectrum access framework is to ensure that the neighbor discovery process does not result in excessive interference related to co-existence with non-cooperative nodes (e.g. belonging to legacy networks). Careful consideration must be given to such co-existence scenarios when designing protocols and algorithms that enable open spectrum access.
Neighbor discovery typically involves transmission of beacons (probe messages) subject to certain criteria and also scanning for beacons from candidate neighbor nodes. These probe messages may indicate several parameters of interest including the address (or identifier) of the node, location, spectral quality measurements etc. which may be used for resource allocation, routing or forwarding decisions and energy conservation. Neighbor discovery is said to occur upon successful detection and decoding of a probe message from a cooperative node whose presence was previously unknown.
While it may be possible to improve neighbor discovery performance by limiting beacon transmissions to a fixed, pre-determined region of the spectrum, such an approach is not scalable, e.g. to support open spectrum access networks with large numbers of cooperative nodes or large numbers of co-existing networks. Furthermore, fixed regions of the spectrum are also highly susceptible to jamming or interference from non-cooperative nodes, thus making it difficult for cooperative nodes to discover each other. If cooperative nodes are not able to discover each other, then opportunistic use of spectrum for data transfer between these nodes is not possible.
The state of the art on neighbor discovery focuses on static and/or small allocations of spectrum. For example, Wireless Local Area networks based on 802.11x standards use different beacon frame transmission and reception techniques depending on the mode of operation. In an infrastructure mode, Access Points carry out periodic beacon frame transmissions on a frequency channel and all other nodes scan across different channels to detect the presence of Access Points. In an ad hoc mode, each node that is attempting discovery scans for beacons over a certain time period and transmits a beacon on a particular channel after a random delay if none are detected. The results of a performance analysis of neighbor discovery for ad hoc networks with random beacon transmission and random reception is described by L. Gallulccio, G. Marbit and S. Palazzo, in "Analytical Evaluation of a Tradeoff Between Energy Efficiency and Responsiveness of Neighbor Discovery in Self-Organizing Ad Hoc Networks," IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications, Vol. 22, No. 7, September 2004. That work was based on pre-fixed frequency carrier sets and does not apply to a dynamic spectrum access framework where frequencies deemed acceptable for beacon transmission and/or reception may vary from node to node according to the perceived spectral quality. Furthermore, no consideration was given to policy constraints associated with opportunistic open access wireless networks.

Methods of discovering neighbors in opportunistic open access ad hoc wireless networks


A method is for operating an electromechanical or electrohydraulic work appliance or rescue appliance that can be carried and used by an operator, having a movable tool insert, a spreading tool or a lifting tool, a housing, an electric motor, a pump or a mechanical transmission driven by the electric motor, for actuating the tool insert. The appliance has an exchangeable, rechargeable appliance electrical energy source, having a housing in or on the rescue appliance. During operation of the appliance, operating data of the appliance and/or of the energy source are acquired and transferred into a data carrier or data storage device in the electrical energy source. The electrical energy source is removed from the appliance and connected to a charging device. The operating data stored in the data carrier or storage device of the electrical energy source are read by the charging device and transferred to a network.

Portable, motor-driven work appliances or rescue appliances, of the type under consideration here, that can be carried by an operator are used in a multiplicity of applications. Thus, for example, there are cutting appliances, which are used by emergency services personnel (fire brigade) to rescue injured persons from vehicles involved in accidents or to free, for example, earthquake victims. The work appliances or rescue appliances in these cases vary greatly in type. There are electrohydraulically or electromechanically driven work appliances or rescue appliances having, preferably hardened, tool inserts for cutting, spreading or lifting. When in use, such appliances are subjected to extremely high mechanical demands and, depending on the place of use, are exposed to a very great variety of environmental influences (heat, cold, humidity).
At the same time, it is particularly important that rescue appliances, in particular, afford a particularly high degree of operational reliability when in use, since rescue operations must always be performed very rapidly. If, for example, a rescue appliance was exposed to adverse environmental influences (e.g. extreme heat) because of a prior deployment, this may have the result, for example, that seals in the region of the hydraulic lines have become damaged and, as a consequence, the operational fitness of the rescue appliance is no longer assured. When in use, this may have the result that the required performance of the appliance can no longer be achieved, e.g. owing to a resultant lack of tightness of seal, thereby impeding the rescue operation and consequently being to the detriment of the person to be rescued. Such appliances are thus used worldwide, and thus by a great variety of users.

Method for operating a work appliance or rescue appliance, work appliance or rescue appliance, and energy source