A clamp that may be attached to a vehicle door to hold the door closed without damaging the vehicle is described. The device may be used by a police officer to secure the door of the vehicle, thereby preventing the occupants from opening the door suddenly and injuring the officer or fleeing. The mechanism for closing the clamp may be powered by a number of means, including an electrical motor, a hand pull, a spring, compressed air, and the like. The device includes a means for releasing the clamp when the officer no longer has reason to suspect that the occupants will injure him or flee.

This invention relates to a vehicle door clamping mechanism and more particularly to a clamping mechanism for use by law enforcement officers to secure a front vehicle door in the closed position while interviewing a suspect seated in the vehicle.
In most situations, law enforcement officers do not know if a person pulled over for a traffic violation has a criminal record. The officer must approach the stopped vehicle with caution. While an officer can assume that every driver he stops is potentially dangerous, he cannot treat every citizen as though he were a wanted criminal. Thus, an officer must be alert to circumstances calling for quick action when approaching a vehicle, but he should not restrain a citizen without cause.
When an officer approaches a vehicle after requiring it to stop, preferred procedures call for the driver to remain in the vehicle and communicate with the officer through the driver's window. As the officer approaches the car to speak with the driver, he reaches a position where, if the driver's door were suddenly thrust open, the officer would be hit by the door. In order to prevent this from happening, an officer needs a device capable of securing the vehicle door in the closed position. Furthermore, the device must be such that the officer can use it with one hand (the hand not used to draw his or her weapon) and before he enters the dangerous area where the door would hit the officer. In addition, the device should be such that it can be applied to the vehicle quickly, and without damage to the vehicle. Once attached, the device must be in place securely, in a manner that makes it difficult for the driver to remove it. However, the device must also be such that the officer can remove it easily as soon as the officer is convinced that there is no danger.
I contacted 150 Mississippi law enforcement officers and asked each whether he would use a device with the characteristics described above. 149 said that they would, even if they had to purchase it themselves. Every officer stated that they considered an unsecured vehicle door to be a substantial threat to their safety when they approached a stopped vehicle. Some cited specific instances where they believed that fellow officers had been seriously injured or lost their lives after being suddenly hit with a vehicle door. They also pointed out that a suspect secured inside his vehicle cannot run away on foot. The most common comment from these officers was that they needed a way to gain 3 to 5 seconds during the period when a suspect began taking aggressive action, and that this device would provide them with that time. The officers also concluded that eliminating the suspect's ability to escape or take aggressive action with the car door, without diminishing the officer's ability to draw her or his weapon, would save officers' lives, perhaps their own.


A small modular portable flooded bed scrubber suitable for installation in confined areas is disclosed. The scrubber may be formed in a plurality of modular units, such as two or three units, and requires of minimum of accessory devices. The scrubber effluent can be removed by gravity. The pressure drop across the scrubber is low and the air velocity is sufficiently low that fan stalling and ambient noise are greatly reduced. A collector structure collects water droplets and prevents bypass of air and droplets around the entrainment module and prevents leakage at the joinery of the modules.

The elimination or the minimization of contaminants, such as dust, in the air at a mining site, as in underground coal-mining, has a considerable health significance for the workers in that environment. Large stationary devices typically, such as the device disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,920, are required to eliminate or reduce dust concentrations in mines. These devices are typically incorporated as part of larger equipment, such as continuous mining devices. These devices for removing dust are, usually, of the type known as flooded bed scrubbers.
The conventional flooded bed scrubber has complicated and heavy duct work and shrouding, and has large, heavy inlet spray arrangements, fans, motors and other mechanical components. These devices are operable in mines at many areas generating high dust concentrations, for example at the mining face. However, there is a need for much smaller, more compact, portable and semi-portable devices which can be used at a variety of other locations which generate high dust concentrations, but which are not susceptible to the use or installation of large stationary scrubbing devices, due to the limitations on space.
I am aware of the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,700,126, 2,027,906, 3,538,657, 3,957,464, 4,175,933, 4,229,386, and 4,787,920 the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein.
Consequently, I have developed a unique, portable flooded bed scrubber and filter system which is adaptable for small scale machinery. The scrubber system may be used at locations in which space is at a premium. The scrubber is effective to remove air contamination, such as high dust concentrates, and to minimize the effect of dust generation in the working environment. The device is a small scale flooded bed scrubber which can be assembled and disassembled readily and which can be installed in the working environment in a variety of locations and configurations. The scrubber can use a filter screen of the type disclosed in my previous U.S. Pat. No. 4,787,920 and can use other filtration media, such as metallic screening. The scrubber utilizes a downstream fan configuration and can be sized to utilize an air flow of approximately two thousand cubic feet per minute across the filter at about 0.6 inches water pressure drop, in a small plenum, for example. The device is of a modular configuration typically having a fan module, a demister module and a flooded bed module with included entrainment baffles, as described further herein. These modules can be dismantled, moved about and assembled or reassembled at a variety of locations and mounting configurations. In addition, I have devised a method for preventing blow by and leakage of air and water around the modules, particularly in the entrainment area, so that it is not necessary to provide an airtight or pressure tight seal at the joints of the modules of the device.
It is thus an object of the invention to prepare a small, compact and lightweight flooded bed scrubber which can be used in confined areas where high dust concentrations are generated.
It is an object of the invention to produce a small modular flooded bed scrubber which can be readily assembed and disassembled and transported.
It is an object of this invention to provide a small modular flooded bed scrubber which does not require complex sealing means between the modules of the scrubber.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a modular scrubber having droplet collection means to prevent blowby of moisture around the entrainment area of the scrubber and to prevent leakage at the joints of the modules of the scrubber.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a small flooded bed scrubber which requires a minimum of auxiliary devices.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a flooded bed scrubber for installation in confined areas which does not require pumpage or auxiliary devices to evacuate the sump.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a compact flooded bed scrubber which can be installed in areas having minimal available space and which does not produce high ambient sound levels.
Further objects and understanding of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


A communications system and method is provided for enabling remote user configuration of a communications device. The system includes at least one communications device configurable for a plurality of users and at least one remote computer for storing configuration information associated with the plurality of users. A configuration request message is generated by the communications device to initiate a configuration of the communications device and a configuration response message is generated by the remote computer to enable configuration of the communications device, wherein the configuration response message includes configuration information associated with at least one of the plurality of users.

In recent years, society has witnessed a rapid expansion in the acceptance of handheld communications devices. This has been made possible by continual advancements in microelectronics and power technologies, which have aided in decreasing the size, weight and cost of these devices while increasing functionality. Such devices are employed in organizing day to day schedules, keeping track of appointments, inventory control, digital storage of personal notes, communication such as e-mail, telephony communications (e.g., cell phones) and in many other applications. These systems are generally configured with specific applications and information required by a single user, and generally are not currently optimized for one or more additional users. Similarly, a single user cannot easily re-configure these devices in a different mode or environment. Attributes relating to the types of applications used, preferred display formats, and personalized information such as an e-mail address, phone number, address book and phone book are not easily changed in order to accommodate different users or different requirements, for example. Hence, these systems are highly personalized and specific in nature. Thus, device operation by an individual other than the original intended user or in a manner other than that which was originally conceived is cumbersome and sometimes difficult.
There are, however, many instances wherein device operation in multiple environments or modes and by multiple individuals is desirable. The user of a single communications device often desires to utilize the device for both a personal and professional environment. This may require different applications or different levels of access, different personal addresses and phone numbers, and different address books and phone books, for example. Also, it may be desirable to have multiple users operating a single device. For example, multiple users may utilize the same device in the performance of duties during separate shifts in a business. Multiple user environments may require different applications or different levels of access for various users, for example. The accomplishment of the above generally requires a great deal of time in manual reconfiguration of a given device for the current user and/or current environment.
In view of the above, there is a need for a system and/or methodology to facilitate rapid and flexible reconfiguration of devices without sacrificing system cost or functionality associated therewith.

System and method providing configuration services for communications devices


An air conditioning apparatus is provided with an adsorption element having a humidity adjusting side passageway configured to adsorb and desorb moisture by passage of adsorption air or regeneration air and a cooling side passageway through which cooling air passes so that the adsorption air is cooled by absorption of heat of adsorption generated during the adsorption in the humidity adjusting side passageway. In the air conditioning apparatus, air is humidified or dehumidified in the humidity adjusting side passageway of the adsorption element and is supplied to an indoor space. In order to achieve improvements in the cooling efficiency when cooling adsorption air by the use of cooling air in the cooling side passageway, room air, conditioned air, or mixed air which is a combination of room air and outdoor air is used as cooling air which is forced to flow through the adsorption element.

Air conditioning apparatuses capable of providing so-called desiccant air conditioning have been known in the prior art. Such a desiccant air conditioning apparatus is so configured as to perform air conditioning by controlling the humidity level of air for supply to indoor spaces. The desiccant air conditioning apparatus has constructional equipment including an adsorption element, a heater, a cooler et cetera. The adsorption element performs moisture adsorption/desorption by passage of adsorption air or regeneration air. For example, Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. (1997)318127 describes an air conditioning apparatus employing two adsorption elements of the above-described type. In this prior art air conditioning apparatus, either a dehumidified air stream or a humidified air stream is continuously supplied to an indoor space by switching between a first state in which moisture contained in adsorption air is adsorbed by one of the adsorption elements simultaneously with regeneration of the other adsorption element by regeneration air and a second state in which one of the adsorption elements is regenerated by regeneration air simultaneously with adsorption of moisture contained in adsorption air by the other adsorption element.
Apart from that, dehumidification of adsorption air by the adsorption element will give rise to generation of heat of adsorption. And, if the adsorption air temperature is raised, this lowers adsorption performance. To deal with this problem, a technical proposal of cooling the adsorption element by the use of cooling air has been made.
Such a type of adsorption element which is made cool by cooling air is provided with a humidity adjusting side passageway through which adsorption air or regeneration air flows and a cooling side passageway through which cooling air flows. And, the cooling side passageway is configured so that heat of adsorption, generated when adsorption air passes through the humidity adjusting side passageway, is absorbed by cooling air.
In the above-described air conditioning apparatus, adsorption air is forced to flow through the humidity adjusting side passageway of the adsorption element so that the adsorption air is dehumidified. Furthermore, the adsorption air thus dehumidified is cooled by a cooler for supply to an indoor space. In this way, a cooling mode of operation is performed. At this time, cooling air flows through the cooling side passageway of the adsorption element, whereby the adsorption air is cooled. Thereafter, the cooling air is discharged outdoors. In addition, when large amounts of moisture are adsorbed on the adsorption element after the operation is carried out for a predetermined period of time, regenerating air, heated to a high temperature by the heater, is forced to flow through the humidity adjusting side passageway. As a result, the adsorption element is regenerated.
In the conventional air conditioning apparatuses, outdoor air serves as cooling air. Because of this, cooling efficiency is low during hot climate conditions such as summer, thereby producing the problem that heat of adsorption in the humidity adjusting side passageway cannot be collected in satisfactory manner. And, in such a case, the adsorption performance of the apparatus finally falls.
Bearing in mind that the conventional air conditioning apparatuses suffer the above-described drawbacks, the present invention was made. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide improved cooling efficiencies in the case where an adsorption element, the temperature of which is raised by heat of adsorption generated when adsorption air flows through a humidity adjusting side passageway, is cooled by the use of cooling air.


An apparatus for degrading a paved surface includes two or more pavement degradation tools, each rotating about an axis. The pavement degradation tools are adapted to degrade a paved surface substantially normal to their axes of rotation. A linking mechanism links the rotation of the pavement degradation tools such that rotation of one causes the rotation of the other. In selected embodiments, this linking mechanism includes gears operably connected to the pavement degradation tools that rotate with the pavement degradation tool about their axes of rotation. These gears directly engage one another causing the gears, and their corresponding pavement degradation tools, to rotate in opposite directions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus, systems, and methods for excavating a paved surface and, more particularly, to apparatus, systems, and methods for implementing multiple pavement degradation tools in a ganged configuration.
2. Background
Modern road surfaces typically comprise a combination of aggregate materials and binding agents processed and applied to form a smooth paved surface. The type and quality of the pavement components used, and the manner in which the pavement components are implemented or combined, may affect the durability of the paved surface. Even where a paved surface is quite durable, however, temperature fluctuations, weather, and vehicular traffic over a paved surface may result in cracks and other surface or sub-surface irregularities over time. Road salts and other corrosive chemicals applied to the paved surface, as well as accumulation of water in surface cracks, may accelerate pavement deterioration.
Road resurfacing equipment may be used to mill, remove, and/or recondition deteriorated pavement. In come cases, heat generating equipment may be used to soften the pavement, followed by equipment to mill the surface, apply pavement materials, and plane the surface. Often, new pavement materials may be combined with materials milled from an existing surface in order to recondition or recycle an existing paved surface. Once the new materials are added, the materials may be compacted and planed to restore a smooth paved surface.
Many conventional road milling machines are limited by the width of the cutting drum used on such machines. Most cutting drums comprise numerous cutting teeth mounted to a cylindrical drum to contact and mill the pavement surface as the machine travels forward. As a result, the width of the pavement area must be large enough to accommodate the cylindrical drum, and the area must normally be cleared of surface obstacles that may otherwise interfere with the cylindrical drum. Because the width of the cutting drum is fixed and the drum is normally dependent on the machine for its direction of travel, many conventional road cutting machines are ill-equipped to maneuver around obstacles such as underground utility lines and boxes, manholes and manhole covers, culverts, rails, curbs, gutters, and other obstacles found in modern roadways.
Because it may be inconvenient and costly to maneuver around or remove the above-stated obstacles before repaving or reconditioning a roadway, in some cases, a paved surface may be allowed to deteriorate until use of a conventional road cutting machine becomes appropriate. Before that time, the road may be temporarily patched or repaired to defray the costs associated with road resurfacing. Nevertheless, even when the roadway deteriorates to a point where reconditioning or repaving is necessary, many conventional road cutting machines may be unable to effectively perform certain tasks such as reconditioning or resurfacing peripheral pavement areas such as the road shoulder or the area around a manhole. In some instances, other devices such as jack hammers may be required. This may increase the costs and resources needed to recondition or repave a roadway.
Accordingly, what are needed are apparatus, systems, and methods to effectively degrade a paved surface while reducing the costs normally associated therewith. Beneficially, such an apparatus would be capable of avoiding surface obstacles, such as manholes, underground utilities, culverts, curbs, or the like, while also having the capability of degrading a wide swath of a road surface. Such apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed and claimed herein.

Pavement degradation tools in a ganged configuration


Variants of homodimer-forming chemokines, such as human CCL2, having a single amino acid substitution in the dimerization interface that alters the pattern of hydrogen bonds and acting as an obligate monomer, can antagonize natural chemokines and have anti-inflammatory activity in vivo. These variants can be used as active ingredient in pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment of inflammatory, autoimmune, or infectious diseases.

Chemokines are small, secreted pro-inflammatory proteins, which mediate directional migration of leukocytes from the blood to the site of injury. Depending on the position of the conserved cysteines characterizing this family of proteins, the chemokine family can be divided structurally in C, C—C, C—X—C and C—X3—C chemokines which bind to a series of membrane receptors (Baggiolini M et al., 1997; Fernandez E J and Lolis E, 2002).
These membrane receptors, all heptahelical G-protein coupled receptors, allow chemokines to exert their biological activity on the target cells, which may present specific combinations of receptors according to their state and/or type. The physiological effects of chemokines result from a complex and integrated system of concurrent interactions: the receptors often have overlapping ligand specificity, so that a single receptor can bind different chemokines, as well a single chemokine can bind to different receptors.
Usually chemokines are produced at the site of injury and cause leukocyte migration and activation, playing a fundamental role in inflammatory, immune, homeostatic, hematopoietic, and angiogenic processes. Even though there are potential drawbacks in using chemokines as therapeutic agents (tendency to aggregate and promiscuous binding, in particular), these molecules are considered good target candidates for therapeutic intervention in diseases associated to such processes, by inhibiting specific chemokines and their receptors at the scope to preventing the excessive recruitment and activation of leukocytes (Baggiolini M, 2001; Loetscher P and Clark-Lewis I, 2001; Godessart N and Kunkel S L, 2001).
Studies on structure-activity relationships indicate that chemokines have two main sites of interaction with their receptors, the flexible amino-terminal region and the conformationally rigid loop that follows the second cysteine. Chemokines are thought to dock onto receptors by means of the loop region, and this contact is believed to facilitate the binding of the amino-terminal region that results in receptor activation. This importance of the amino-terminal region has been also demonstrated by testing natural and synthetic chemokines in which this domain is modified or shortened. This processing, following proteolytic digestion, mutagenesis, or chemical modification of amino acids, can either activate or render these molecules inactive, generating compounds with agonistic and/or antagonistic activity. Thus, chemokines with specific modifications in the amino-terminal region have therapeutic potential for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases (Schwarz and Wells, 1999).
CCL2, also known as Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein 1 (MCP-1) or Monocyte Chemotactic And Activating Factor (MCAF), has been identified as having a central role in inflammation, being capable of promoting the recruitment of monocytes and lymphocytes in response to injury and infection signals in various inflammatory diseases, different types of tumors, cardiac allograft, AIDS, and tuberculosis (Yoshimura T et al., 1989; Gu L et al., 1999). The physiological activities associated with CCL2 have been extensively studied by means of transgenic animals, which allowed the demonstration that this chemokine controls not only monocyte recruitment in inflammatory models, but also the expression of cytokines relate d to T helper responses and the initiation of atherosclerosis (Gu L et al., 2000; Gosling J et al, 1999; Lu B et al, 1998).
Structurally, CCL2 consists of a N-terminal loop and a beta sheet overlaid by an alpha helix at the C-terminal end, and forms homodimers, even though has been detected as a monomer in specific experimental conditions (Handel T et al., 1996; Kim K S et al., 1996; Lubkowski J, et al., 1997). As for many other chemokines, the literature provides many examples of structure-activity studies in which CCL2 mutants have been generated by expressing N-terminal truncated or single site substituted variants to assess the role of the deleted or substituted amino acids in CCL2-associated binding activities and other properties (Gong J and Clark-Lewis I, 1995; Zhang Y et al., 1996; Steitz S A et al., 1998; Gu L et al., 1999; Hemmerich S et al., 1999; Seet B T et al., 2001).
In particular, the role of dimerization in CCL2 receptor binding and activation was studied showing that different mutations in the terminal region hindering dimerization may alter some CCL2 activities such as receptor binding affinity, stimulation of chemotaxis, inhibition of adenylate cyclase, and stimulation of calcium influx (Paavola C et al, 1998). While one mutant described by Paavola, herein called P8A*, does not dimerize, but maintains original potency and efficacy, another obligate monomeric mutant described by Paavola, herein called Y13A*, was shown to have a 100-fold weaker binding affinity in vitro, to be a much less potent inhibitor of adenylate cyclase and stimulator of calcium influx in vitro, and unable to stimulate chemotaxis in cell culture. Similarly to Y13A*, a mutant, [1+9-76]MCP-1 (a CCL2 variant lacking residues 2-8), antagonizes CCL2 activities in vitro.
The binding properties of the CCL2 mutant containing the P8A substitution were also studied in an experimental model based upon the recognition of the viral chemokine binding protein M3, demonstrating the efficient binding of this viral protein to this CCL2 mutant (Alexander J M et al., 2002). Moreover it has been shown that monomeric variants of chemokines, such as CCL2-P8A, are devoid of activity in vivo, although fully active and indistinguishable from the dimeric form in vitro (Proudfoot A et al., 2003).
Examples of CCL2 mutants involving residues not affecting the dimerization profile of the resulting protein have been already described in the literature as leading to molecules having antagonistic properties towards CCL2 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,739,103, WO 03/84993). However, there is not indication in the prior art that a specific chemokine mutant, and in particular a CCL2 mutant, being an obligate monomer due to a single site substitution (for example, involving a Proline), may act as a chemokine antagonist.


Universal network interfaces for a home network connect disparate components to the network, such as relatively complex components (TVs, computers) and relatively simple components (audio boom boxes).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to home entertainment systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Home entertainment networks have been provided that can include a set-top box media server that communicates with various components in the home, e.g., TVs, laptop computers, custom display devices, phones, and other electronic devices. Home network communication technologies (e.g., 802.11 wireless, UWB (Ultra Wide Band), PLC (Power Line Communication), etc.) are widely used as their costs decrease. As critically recognized herein, not all devices that may be desired to be placed on the network have the same internal hardware architecture and, hence, one network interface does not fit all. For example, an Ethernet card for a personal computer (PC) usually has a PCI interface and PCI ready, and the Ethernet card can be mounted to an expansion PCI slot in the PC to establish a network interface, while an inexpensive audio product, for example, a boom box, might use an inexpensive 8-bit micro-controller and a conventional 8-bit wide internal bus, thus requiring another kind of network interface than the PC. Simply installing a PCI bus in such a relatively inexpensive device is too expensive and meaninglessly too fast for such a cost-sensitive audio product. Accordingly, to connect various disparate products to the home network, an inexpensive and flexible network interface is required.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Plural interfaces in home network with first component having a first host bus width and second component having second bus width


A method of “reading” the result of an assay effected by concentrating a detectable material in a comparatively small zone of a carrier in the form of a strip, sheet or layer through the thickness of which electromagnetic radiation such as visible light is transmissible, wherein at least a portion of one face or the carrier is exposed to incident electromagnetic radiation which is substantially uniform across the entire portion, the portion including the small zone, and electromagnetic radiation emerging from the opposite face of the carrier is measured to determine the assay result. Preferably the radiation is diffuse light.

An objective of the invention is to provide assay result reading devices and associated sample testing devices which can provide accurate quantitative assay information in a simple, quick and cost effective manner. Such devices can be used in a wide range of situations such as hospitals, clinics, doctors' offices, and the home. Depending on the circumstances, the analyte under investigation can also vary widely. Examples are infectious disease organisms or markers, metabolites in body fluids indicative of a change in the health or condition of a patient, and administrable or ingestable substances such as medicaments or drugs of abuse.
The invention is particularly, although not exclusively, concerned with assays which can be performed by comparatively untrained people and especially in the home.
Home-use assay devices such as pregnancy tests are now well established. In the case of a pregnancy test, which merely needs to provide the user with a "yes/no" result, the technology now available enables the assay result to be read easily by eye without the need for any ancillary equipment.
Home-use assays are intended primarily to detect physiological changes in the human body, with the objective of promoting the health, general well-being or lifestyle of the individual. The consumer is becoming increasingly health conscious, and the ability of the consumer to monitor his or her bodily functions is being encouraged. In some instances this can facilitate the interaction between the individual consumer and the medical profession (GP).
There are many assays indicative of physiological changes in the human body which currently can only be performed using sophisticated laboratory techniques. In order to provide useful information concerning the individual under test, such assays generally need to yield a result in precise numerical terms, eg. the concentration of a specific analyte in a body fluid.
Accordingly there is a need for an assay system, especially applicable to the testing of body fluid samples in the home, which combines convenience of sample testing together with simple and cost-effective numerical determination of the assay result.
Many assay devices are described in the technical literature with suggestions that the assay result can be read using optical equipment. The use of fluorescence emission, or light reflectance, is often suggested. Such techniques are mostly appropriate for use in sophisticated laboratories. In EP-A2-212599, which describes multizone analytical elements having a detectable signal concentrating zone, the suggestion is made that a detectable signal indicative of an assay result in the zone can be measured by electromagnetic radiation, such as light, transmitted through the zone. EP-A2-212599 indicates that the element can be made from porous fibrous materials, such as paper and nitrocellulose. However, no practical details are provided to indicate how an accurate measurement might be made using transmitted light.

Reading devices and assay devices for use therewith


Active carbon having a pore size distribution obtained from a nitrogen adsorption isothermal line such that the volume of pores having a pore diameter of less than 15 .ANG. is at least 0.25 ml/g and constitutes at least 40% of the total volume of pores having a pore diameter of at most 300 .ANG., and the volume of pores having a pore diameter of from 100 to 300 .ANG. constitutes at least 10% of the total volume of pores having a pore diameter of at most 300 .ANG..

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to active carbon and a method for its production. More particularly, it relates to coal-based active carbon which exhibits excellent performance in adsorption of a trihalomethane formed by the reaction of an organic substance contained in a city water, with residual chlorine added for disinfection in a water purification process and which is useful for removal of an odor (musty odor) material in city water, for a solvent recovery, or for adsorption in a gas phase field such as purification and separation of a gas.
2. Discussion of Background
Recently, it has been ascertained that the water quality in a water source has deteriorated due to e.g. eutrophication, and an organic substance represented by humin, is contained in the source water. Such an organic substance has caused "musty odor" in various areas, and such "musty odor" can not be removed by conventional water purifying equipments (such as rapid filtration/chlorine treatment) and thus has created a serious problem. Further, such an organic substance not only causes an off-flavor taste but also reacts with residual chlorine added for disinfection to form a carcinogenic trihalomethane, and thus it is regarded as problematic. Accordingly, active carbon is desired which is capable of effectively removing such an organic substance in a water purification process.
Active carbon is a carbon material having a developed porous structure and shows various properties depending upon its starting material (coconut shell, sawdust, coal, etc.) or the activation method, and its adsorption performance varies substantially. The adsorption performance of active carbon is not simply determined by the pore volume, but is substantially influenced by the size of the molecule of the substance to be adsorbed and the size of pore diameters of the active carbon. For removal of a polymer compound such as the above-mentioned humin, it is common to employ active carbon having a large pore diameter, and for removal of a trihalomethane as a low molecular weight compound, or an odor material or a substance to be adsorbed in a gas phase, it is common to employ active carbon having a small pore diameter.
The pore size distribution of active carbon varies to some extent by the conditions for its production. However, mostly it depends on the type of the carbonaceous material, and by the conventional technique, if the same material is used, the resulting active carbon will always have a similar pore size distribution pattern. Accordingly, to change the pore size distribution, the starting material has to be changed. Specifically, to remove a trihalomethane as a low molecular weight compound, or an odor material or a substance to be adsorbed in a gas phase, active carbon is required to be of wood-based (made of e.g. coconut shell or sawdust), and it has been believed that with coal-based active carbon, it is difficult to sufficiently develop micropores having a pore diameter of less than 15 .ANG., which are suitable for adsorption of such a low molecular weight compound. An attempt has been made to blend two or more carbonaceous starting materials, but such an attempt has failed in controlling the pore size distribution.
It is an object of the present invention to obtain active carbon which is an active carbon made of coal as starting material, which has micropores having a pore diameter of less than 15 .ANG. developed, and which has an improved performance for removing a trihalomethane formed in a water purification process, or an odor material or a substance to be adsorbed in a gas phase.
The present inventors have conducted various studies to accomplish the above object. As a result, it has been found that active carbon obtained by incorporating a coal having a certain specific physical property in a certain specific proportion, has an increased quantity of pores having a pore diameter of less than 15 .ANG., and consequently, has an improved performance for removing a trihalomethane formed in a water purification process, or an odor material or a substance to be adsorbed in a gas phase, and further that the active carbon thus obtained is novel with the quantity of pores within a range of from 100 to 300 .ANG. being also larger than the quantity in a wood-based active carbon, whereby diffusion of the trihalomethane or the odor material in the pores of active carbon is accelerated, and the adsorption rate becomes faster. As a result of a further research, it has also been found that the amount of adsorption and the adsorption rate of the trihalomethane or the odor material or the like, can be remarkably improved by using active carbon wherein the volume of pores having a pore diameter of less than 15 .ANG. is in a specific range and such a volume constitutes a specific proportion to the total volume of pores having a pore diameter of at most 300 .ANG., and the volume of pores having a pore diameter of from 100 to 300 .ANG. also constitutes a specific proportion to the total volume of pores having a pore diameter of at most 300 .ANG.. The present invention has been accomplished on the basis of this discovery.
Namely, the present invention provides active carbon having a pore size distribution obtained from a nitrogen adsorption isothermal line such that the volume of pores having a pore diameter of less than 15 .ANG. is at least 0.25 ml/g and constitutes at least 40% of the total volume of pores having a pore diameter of at most 300 .ANG., and the volume of pores having a pore diameter of from 100 to 300 .ANG. constitutes at least 10% of the total volume of pores having a pore diameter of at most 300 .ANG..
The present invention also provides a method for producing a coal-based granulated active carbon, which comprises carbonizing and activating a blend comprising from 30 to 95 wt % of hard coking bituminous coal containing at most 35 wt % of a volatile component and having a CSN (crucible swelling number) of at least 5 and from 5 to 70 wt % of bituminous coal or semibituminous coal containing at least 35 wt % of a volatile component and having a CSN of at most 4.5.
Now, the present invention will be described in detail.
In the method of the present invention, a blend comprising from 30 to 95 wt % of bituminous coal showing a strong caking property (hereinafter referred to as "hard coking bituminous coal") and from 5 to 70 wt % of weakly caking or non-caking bituminous coal or semibituminous coal (hereinafter referred to as "blending coal"), is used as a blend coal (hereinafter referred to as "blend coal").
Here, hard coking bituminous coal is bituminous coal which contains at most 35 wt % of a volatile component (including no water or ash, the same applies hereinafter) and a CSN of at least 5 and which shows a hard coking property. The volatile component is more preferably from 25 to 35 wt %, and the CSN is more preferably from 7 to 9, whereby active carbon having particularly excellent properties can be obtained.
Here, the weight % of the volatile component is the value measured by JIS M8812-1972, and the CSN is a value measured by JIS M8801-1979.
The blending coal is bituminous coal or semibituminous coal which contains at least 35 wt % of a volatile component and has a CSN of at most 4.5. The volatile component is more preferably from 40 to 60 wt %, and the CSN is more preferably at most 4.0, whereby active carbon having particularly excellent properties can be obtained.
The blending coal is incorporated in an amount of from 5 to 70 wt %, preferably from 30 to 50 wt %. If the blending coal is incorporated in an amount exceeding 70 wt %, the strength of the resulting active carbon will be remarkably low, and if the amount of the blending coal is less than 5 wt %, development of pores having a pore diameter of less than 15 .ANG. tends to be insufficient.
The above-mentioned blend coal obtained by blending the hard coking bituminous coal and the blending coal, is finely pulverized to a usual particle size to obtain fine powder coal, which will be used as the starting material. The usual particle size is specifically at a level of d.sub.50 =75 to 250 .mu.m. This fine powder coal is molded to obtain granulated coal. The molding may be carried out by a conventional method by means of an extrusion molding machine or a spherical granulator. The granulated coal will be in the form of pellets by the extrusion molding machine and spherical granules by the spherical granulator, and the molded product obtained by the press molding machine will be pulverized into a pulverized form. In the present invention, granulated coal may have any one these shapes.
The granulated coal thus obtained is dried and carbonized by a conventional method using an external heat or internal heat in a rotary furnace, a fluidized bed furnace or a moving bed furnace, or a combination of such an external heat and an internal heat, and then activation is carried out with steam or an activating agent such as carbon dioxide or oxygen, to obtain active carbon.
By the above described method of the present invention, it is possible to obtain active carbon of the present invention having a pore size distribution obtained from a nitrogen adsorption isothermal line such that the volume of pores having a pore diameter of less than 15 .ANG. is at least 0.25 ml/g and constitutes at least 40% of the total volume of pores having a pore diameter of at most 300 .ANG., and the volume of pores having a pore diameter of from 100 to 300 .ANG. constitutes at least 10% of the total volume of pores having a pore diameter of at most 300 .ANG.. Here, the volume of pores having a pore diameter of less than 15 .ANG., the volume of pores having a pore diameter of from 100 to 300 .ANG. and the proportions thereof to the total volume of pores having a pore diameter of at most 300 .ANG., can be obtained by a Cranston Inkley method using liquid nitrogen. The active carbon of the present invention which thus has the specific volume of pores having a specific pore diameter and the specific proportion to the total volume, is excellent in the performance for removing a trihalomethane, or an odor material or a substance to be adsorbed in a gas phase.
Active carbon of the present invention has the excellent properties as described above in every case. Among them, the one wherein the volume of pores having a pore diameter of less than 15 .ANG. is at least 0.3 ml/g and constitutes from 50 to 90% of the total volume of pores having a pore diameter of at most 300 .ANG., exhibits particularly excellent adsorption performance. Such active carbon of the present invention can readily be obtained by the method of the present invention.
Now, the present invention will be described in further detail with reference to Examples. However, it should be understood that the present invention is by no means restricted to such specific Examples. In the present invention, the pore volume is the one measured by a Cranston Inkley method using liquid nitrogen. Further, the weight % of a volatile component (containing no water or ash, the same applies hereinafter) in Table 1 is the value measured in accordance with JIS M8812-1972, and the CSN is the value measured in accordance with JIS M8801-1979.

Active carbon and method for its production


A device for connecting monolithic tinted lenses on a bridge of a pair of corrective eyeglasses, consisting of a first body which has first and second elements for temporary engagement at at least one seat formed on the lens and to the bridge. A second body is also provided which allows to temporarily lock the position of the first body on the lens.

The present invention relates to a connecting device which can be used in the field of eyeglasses.
Wearers of corrective eyeglasses strongly feel the need to be able to wear the eyeglasses even in particularly sunny conditions which require the use of tinted protective lenses.
In this regard, it is known for example to produce skiing goggles which are constituted by a frame with which a tinted single lens is associable; such frame has, at the region between the eyes, a vertical bridge which constitutes an engagement means for a front piece which has no temples; corrective lenses are applied to the front piece and two flexible tabs are associated at its horizontal bridge and are suitable to engage by snap action at the vertical bridge provided in the frame.
This solution is not ideal, since on the one hand it can be used only for a particular sport and on the other hand it requires the user to separately purchase additional eyeglasses with the appropriate corrective lenses.
As a partial solution to this drawback, a tinted lens is conventionally used which is formed monolithically and with which an element for connection to the bridge of corrective eyeglasses is associated at the region between the eyes; the connection element is substantially constituted by a plate which is associated with the lens and is in turn transversely pivoted at a pair of tabs which can be spaced elastically and are arranged at right angles to the transverse bridge of the eyeglasses; mutual connection occurs by inserting from above the transverse bridge of the corrective eyeglasses between the tabs.
However, this solution entails drawbacks, since if the user no longer wishes to use the tinted lens he must overturn it with respect to the front surface of the corrective eyeglasses, since any removal of the bridge necessarily entails removing the eyeglasses, gripping them with one hand and extracting the tabs from the bridge, taking care to avoid scraping said bridge.
Keeping the tinted lens raised with respect to the frame of the corrective eyeglasses has drawbacks, since the lens can accidentally make contact with other elements near the user and therefore suffer possible breakage or transmit impacts to the frame and accordingly to the head of the user.

Connecting device for tinted lenses on corrective eyeglasses


A packet processing system having a barrel compactor that extracts a desired data subset from an input dataset (e.g. an incoming packet). The barrel compactor is able to selectively shift one or more of the input data units of the input dataset based on individual shift values for those data units. Additionally, in some embodiments one or more of the data units are able to be logically combined to produce a desired logical output unit.

Data processing devices, such as data packet-processing devices like a switch microchip, generally operate by inputting data, parsing the input data, processing of the data, extracting desired portions of the data and ultimately outputting of desired portions of the data. In particular, the data extraction process is traditionally performed utilizing large multiplexers that each receive all of the input data and output the desired portions of the data. However, these large multiplexors that are capable of receiving and multiplexing between such large quantities of input data are very expensive. As a result, the data processing devices utilizing such large multiplexors as extraction elements are correspondingly expensive.

Barrel compactor system, method and device having cell combination logic


A magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) configuration is described in which a plurality of memory cell blocks are supplied with operating voltages that differ from one another in each case. This results in that the chip voltage supply of about 2 to 3 V can be better utilized. The memory cell blocks are formed of memory cells disposed at cross-over points of word lines and bit lines.

The present invention relates to a MRAM configuration having a memory chip which, between a voltage supply and a memory cell array, has a voltage stabilizer device. The voltage stabilizer device supplies a fixed operating voltage to the memory cell array via word and/or bit lines, in which case a voltage drop occurs between the input of the word and/or bit lines which are connected to the voltage stabilizer device and the output of the lines.
A memory cell is programmed by application of a magnetic field. In order to program a memory cell to a value xe2x80x9c0xe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d, the magnetic field must exceed certain threshold values.
A problem that generally arises in MRAMs resides in the relatively high power or energy consumption. The latter is due to the fact that the voltage drop along a MRAM cell generally does not exceed 0.5 V for technological reasons. This inherently has the advantage that the word lines and bit lines operate at a relatively low voltage of 0.5 V, for example. However, the supply voltage on a memory chip is significantly higher, being 2 to 3 V, in particular. For this reason, in the existing MRAM configurations, a voltage stabilizer device is provided between the voltage supply of 2 to 3 V and the actual memory cell array with the word lines and the bit lines. The voltage stabilizer device transforms the supply voltage of 2 to 3 V into 0.5 V, which is then impressed on the word line via a word line driver. The rest of the word lines are provided with corresponding voltage stabilizer devices.
Since there is a voltage drop of 0.5 V on each word line in the memory cell array, 0 V are then present at the output of the word lines.
The transformation of the supply voltage of 2 to 3 V into 0.5 V results in that the majority of the energy or power is xe2x80x9cwastedxe2x80x9d, since, of the 2 to 3 V of supply voltage that are made available to the voltage stabilizer device, merely 0.5 V, that is to say between 16% and 25%, is actually utilized, while the remaining 84 to 75% is unutilized.
For understandable reasons, such an energy or power balance is extremely unsatisfactory and should be avoided if possible. Nevertheless, hitherto there has not been a solution to this problem, since the MRAM cells indeed require only about 0.5 V, while the general memory chip voltage supply has values of 2 to 3 V.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a MRAM configuration that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art devices of this general type, in which the memory chip voltage supply is better utilized, so that practically no power losses occur.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) configuration containing a memory chip. The memory chip is formed of lines including bit lines and word lines and a memory cell array subdivided into a plurality of memory cell blocks and connected to the lines running through the memory cell array. The bit lines and word lines running through the memory cell blocks have input sides and output sides with regards to each of the memory cell blocks. A voltage stabilizer device is provided and receives a supply voltage. The voltage stabilizer device is connected to at least one of the bit lines and the word lines. The at least one of the bit lines and the word lines connected to the voltage stabilizer device functions as supply lines supplying fixed operating voltages to the memory cell array. A voltage drop occurs between the input sides of the supply lines and the output sides of the supply lines running through each of the memory cell blocks. The voltage stabilizer device has a plurality of voltage stabilizers and each of the memory cell blocks is respectively connected to one of the voltage stabilizers. The voltage stabilizers are connected to the supply lines and supply the memory cell blocks with the fixed operating voltages that differ from one another in each case.
In the case of a MRAM configuration of the type mentioned in the introduction, the object is achieved according to the invention by virtue of the fact that the memory cell array is subdivided into a plurality of memory cell blocks and the voltage stabilizer device supplies the memory cell blocks with fixed operating voltages that differ from one another in each case. In this case, the voltage stabilizer device may contain a plurality of voltage stabilizers and each memory cell block may be respectively assigned a voltage stabilizer. Preferably, the output of the word and/or bit lines of a first memory cell block, as a voltage supply, is connected to the input of the voltage stabilizer of a second memory cell block, and so on.
Thus, according to the invention, the MRAM configuration is subdivided into a plurality of memory cell blocks, in each individual memory cell block the word lines and the bit lines being driven by operating voltages that differ from the other memory cell blocks.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the memory cell blocks include a first memory cell block and a second memory cell block. The voltage stabilizers each have an input and a respective output side of a respective supply line of the first memory cell block is connected to the input of a respective voltage stabilizer connected to the second memory cell block and supplies the supply voltage to the input of the respective voltage stabilizer.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, controlled word line drivers are provided, and one of the controlled word line drivers is disposed between each of the voltage stabilizers and each of the memory cell blocks.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a MRAM configuration, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.


A video to be encoded to a plurality of different target encodings for bandwidth adaptive serving is received. The video is encoded into a plurality of different candidate encodings using different candidate encoding parameters. A quality metric is determined for each of the plurality of different candidate encodings. One or more different target quality metrics are selected for a first portion of the different target encodings based at least in part on one or more specified constraints for one or more target devices. One or more different target quality metrics are selected for a second portion of the different target encodings based at least in part on the determined quality metrics of the different candidate encodings. Based at least in part on the selected different target quality metrics for the first portion and the second portion, the plurality of different target encodings of the video is generated.

Adaptive streaming, which is also referred to as adaptive serving, adaptive bitrate streaming, adaptive bitrate serving, bandwidth adaptive serving, and so forth, is a technology that is designed to encode and deliver video to individual users over computer networks. Many adaptive streaming techniques are based on hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) and are designed to work efficiently across HTTP networks. Adaptive streaming is a technology in which source content, such as a video clip with images and sounds, is encoded at multiple bitrates. The bitrate at which the source content is delivered to a user can vary as a function of time according to bandwidth and other time-varying conditions at the user's end. Quality of the source content received by the user can also vary as bitrate varies. Configuring encodings within a general framework to meet quality and bitrate conditions can be challenging because various scenarios may lead to problems affecting user experience. Thus, it would be beneficial to develop techniques that increase flexibility of a general adaptive streaming framework.

Constraint-modified selection of video encoding configurations


The invention provides a stacker crane, configured to move on a single rail provided along one or more racks, includes: a first wheel that moves on the rail; a second wheel that moves on the rail, and that is disposed spaced apart from the first wheel in a fore-and-aft direction; a vehicle frame supported by the first wheel and the second wheel; first drive supported by the vehicle frame for driving the first wheel. The vehicle frame includes: a first support frame for supporting the first wheel and the first drive means; a second support frame for supporting the second wheel; and a connection frame that connects the first support frame and the second support frame. The stacker crane also includes a first support post that extends vertically and whose lower end portion is connected to the first support frame; a second support post that extends vertically and whose lower end portion is connected to the second support frame; and a vertically movable platform that is guided by the first support post and the second support post, and that can move vertically with respect to the vehicle frame.

The present invention relates to stacker cranes.
Stacker cranes transport articles by moving a travel vehicle along a travel rail and raising and lowering a vertically movable platform on which an article is placed. In conventional configurations, the travel vehicle is constructed by connecting the lower end portions of a pair of front and rear support posts via a connection frame, and connecting a support frame that supports wheels and drive means to each of the front face of the front-side support post and the rear face of the rear-side support post, so that the lower end portions of the support posts are connected by and supported on the connecting frame and the support frames (see JP 2003-212308A, for example).
When the stacker crane is long in the fore-and-aft direction, the range over which it moves becomes wide, and thus although it is preferable for the stacker crane to have a short fore-and-aft length, it was not possible to narrow the gap between the pair of front and rear support posts more than a set spacing that corresponds to the width of the spacing between storage racks to which articles are transferred. Accordingly, in order to shorten the fore-and-aft length of the stacker crane, it is possible for the lower ends of the support posts to be connected by and supported on the forward end portion or the rear end portion of the travel vehicle so as to shorten the fore-and-aft length of the travel vehicle. In the conventional configuration described above, however, the support frames are connected to the front face of the front support frame and to the rear face of the rear support frame, and the support frames and all of the drive means and travel wheels supported on the support frames are positioned either in front of or behind the support posts. This causes the front end portion and the rear end portion of the travel vehicle to project significantly outward from the positions where the support posts are supported and thus increases the fore-and-aft length of the travel vehicle and makes it difficult to shorten the fore-and-aft length of the stacker crane.


A method of generating a signal having a converted sampling rate in a communication system is provided. The method includes selecting effective input samples among S number of input samples included in an input stream corresponding to an input sampling rate, generating a filter coefficient set including filter coefficients having a length of a second tap, the filter coefficients having the length of the second tap being generated by dividing a filter coefficient having a length of a first tap configuring a low-pass filter into the filter coefficients having the length of the second tap corresponding to a number of selected effective input samples, selecting filter coefficients corresponding to each of the effective input samples among the filter coefficients included in the filter coefficient set, and outputting output samples having an output sampling rate which is converted from the input sampling rate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus signaling in a communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for generating a signal having a converted sampling rate in a communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In modern society, there co-exist mobile communication devices variously supporting a plurality of communication schemes according to a rapidly developed communication technique. Accordingly, a situation in which support for different communication schemes may be necessitated for a service region supporting a specific communication scheme, is frequently encountered. In this case, an establishment of a system for supporting a new communication scheme requires a considerable expense and an inefficient allocation of resources.
Therefore, a need exists for a method of supporting different communication schemes using a pre-installed base station.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a base station in a related communication system.
Referring to FIG. 1, a base station 100 includes a Digital Unit (DU) 110 for processing a transmission/reception signal in a baseband, a Radio Frequency (RF) Unit (RU) 130 for processing a transmission/reception signal in an Inter Frequency (IR) band or an RF band, and a DU-RU interface 120 for serving as an interface between the DU 110 and the RU 130. The DU 110 includes a higher layer block 112, a Down Link (DL) transmission modem 114, and an Up Link (UL) reception modem 116. The RU 130 includes a digital-up converter 132, a digital-down converter 134, a Digital Analog Converter (DAC) 136, an Analog Digital Converter (ADC) 138, a transmission RF path 140, and a reception RF path 142. When it is desired to connect the base station 100 having the aforementioned configuration to a base station which uses the same system bandwidth as the base station 100, which uses a sampling rate in a different baseband, and which supports a different communication system, while using the RU 130 of the base station 100 as in its current configuration, a conversion of the sampling rate between the DU 110 and the RU 130 is necessary.
FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a related sampling rate converting apparatus.
Referring to FIG. 2, the sampling rate converting apparatus 200 includes an expander 205, a low-pass filter 210, and a compressor 215.
A related method of converting a sampling rate will be described based on an example of converting a sampling rate of a fractional rate (L/M). Herein, L and M are natural numbers, respectively. Referring to FIG. 2, the expander 205 increases an input sampling rate by L times and transfers the L-times increased input sampling rate to the low-pass filter 210. The low-pass filter 210 is a tap-K Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filter. The low pass filter 210 performs a linear interpolation using a low-pass filtering to the L-times increased input sampling rate. The compressor 215 decreases the sampling rate by M times. Accordingly, in order to convert the sampling rate by the rate of L/M, a high clock corresponding to L times of the input sampling rate is necessary, and a multiplication calculation amount required for the low-pass filtering is increased in proportion to M×K. If L and M in the conversion rate L/M of the sampling rate are increased, a complexity for calculation of the sampling rate is increased. Consequently, it becomes impossible to implement the conversion of a corresponding sampling rate through the aforementioned method of converting the sampling rate.
Accordingly, a need exists for a method and an apparatus for generating a signal having a converted sampling rate in a communication system.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present invention.

Method and apparatus for generating signal having converted sampling rate in communication system


A magnet apparatus for a magnetic resonance imaging system, the magnet apparatus includes a vacuum vessel, a helium vessel disposed within the vacuum vessel and a thermal shield disposed between the vacuum vessel and the helium vessel. A set of passive compensation coils are disposed within the vacuum vessel or the helium vessel and used to compensate for magnetic field distortion caused by mechanical vibrations within the magnet apparatus.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging modality that can create pictures of the inside of a human body without using x-rays or other ionizing radiation. MRI uses a powerful magnet to create a strong, uniform, static magnetic field (i.e., the "main magnetic field"). When a human body, or part of a human body, is placed in the main magnetic field, the nuclear spins that are associated with the hydrogen nuclei in tissue water become polarized. This means that the magnetic moments that are associated with these spins become preferentially aligned along the direction of the main magnetic field, resulting in a small net tissue magnetization along that axis (the "z axis," by convention). An MRI system also comprises components called gradient coils that produce smaller amplitude, spatially varying magnetic fields when a current is applied to them. Typically, gradient coils are designed to produce a magnetic field component that is aligned along the z axis, and that varies linearly in amplitude with position along one of the x, y or z axes. The effect of a gradient coil is to create a small ramp on the magnetic field strength, and concomitantly on the resonant frequency of the nuclear spins, along a single axis. Three gradient coils with orthogonal axes are used to "spatially encode" the MR signal by creating a signature resonance frequency at each location in the body. Radio frequency (RF) coils are used to create pulses of RF energy at or near the resonance frequency of the hydrogen nuclei. The RF coils are used to add energy to the nuclear spin system in a controlled fashion. As the nuclear spins then relax back to their rest energy state, they give up energy in the form of an RF signal. This signal is detected by the MRI system and is transformed into an image using a computer and known reconstruction algorithms.
During an MRI scan, various elements of the MRI system experience mechanical vibrations, such as the coldhead motor or gradient coil (e.g., as a result of pulsing of the gradient coil). Mechanical vibrations of the MRI system may also be caused by external sources such as floor vibrations caused by a nearby elevator or subway. The mechanical vibrations of such sources can cause the mechanical vibration of other elements inside the MRI system, such as a cryostat thermal shield, and induce eddy currents in electrically conductive material in the cryostat (e.g., the vacuum vessel, thermal shield, helium vessel). The induced eddy currents in, for example, the thermal shield, can result in magnetic field distortion, homogeneity degradation and reduce image quality. The higher the main magnetic field is, the higher the induced eddy current will be and hence the higher the magnetic field distortion.
It would be desirable to provide a system and apparatus to passively (e.g., automatically) cancel or reduce the magnetic field distortion caused by eddy currents induced by mechanical vibrations.

System and apparatus for compensating for magnetic field distortion in an MRI system


A lift gate apparatus includes a movable conveyor device and a bracket. The movable conveyor device is configured to transition between a conveying position and a non-conveying position. The bracket configured to bridge a gap between the movable convey or device and a fixed conveyor device, wherein the bracket pivots and slides over the fixed conveyor device when the movable conveyor device is transitioned from the conveying position to the non-conveying position.

Material handling systems are traditionally used to convey, sort, and organize items (e.g., cartons, cases, etc.) at high speeds. Depending on the configuration of the system, the items may travel through the system in an unregulated manner or may be consolidated into a single stream of items. Conveyor systems may rely on a conveyor controller and/or warehouse management system to organize items through all stages of handling and processing.
Conventional conveyor systems may also include a conveyor bed in the form of conveyor rollers or belts supported on a conveyor frame. Examples of such conveyor systems may include a sorter conveyor system, a merge conveyor system, an accumulation conveyor system, an induction conveyor system, or the like. These conveyor systems may be distributed at different locations within a warehouse or a distribution center. Few of these conveyor systems may be located at a confined space within the warehouse due to space constraints. In this regard, accessibility to the conveyor systems becomes difficult during maintenance due to the confined space as one of the conveyor systems may block a pathway to access another conveyor system making it difficult for an operator or a material handling vehicle to access the conveyor systems.


A threat assessment and response facilitation system is provided for facilitating communication relating to threat assessment, responding to a traumatic event, and provision of training materials for professionals engaged in threat assessment and trauma response activities. The threat assessment and trauma response facilitation system may include modules such as a threat assessment assistance module, learning portal module, client portal module, response coordination module, training broker module, and messaging module. A method for facilitating communication relating to threat assessment and trauma response using the threat assessment and response facilitation system is also provided.

Traumatic events are extremely unfortunate and can cost society in many ways, most notably the loss of some of its members lives. Examples of traumatic events include school shootings, violent rallies, terrorist attacks, extremist events, pandemics, outbreaks, illness, or other actions that threaten or harm the lives or safety of others.
While society as a whole may never be able to completely eliminate traumatic events, as divergent personalities and individuals may not act consistently with the goals of the society at large, goals must be set to improve the detection of a risk indicative of a violent behavior or possible traumatic event. Research is constantly being performed on what may cause a person to engage in violent or traumatic behavior, including what may trigger such a behavior and how such a reaction may be avoided. However, coordination of academics, response, and actions of other individuals involved in mitigating the risk of a traumatic event in management of a situation should such an event occur requires great improvement to help combat this threat to our society.
Very few resources appear to be available for assisting schools, businesses, health care facilities, and related professionals with understanding the impact of trauma on systems and how to respond in ways that allow schools and communities to deal with the tragedies in a way that fosters growth rather than divisiveness and encourages healing rather than long-term symptom development. No known tools treat the growing concern regarding student threats and the aftermath of a traumatic event, considers the effect of experiencing a traumatic event on the mental state of those affected, or coordinates trained professionals and responding parties to be better able to identify risks of future potentially avoidable events.
No known platform, tool, system, or other useful feature exists for professionals involved in mitigating and responding to traumatic events that facilitate learning aspects, training, communication, coordination, selection of the best professionals for a given violent or divergent behavior event or health crisis; collective sharing of information between agencies and responders; and other essential aspects of dealing with such a consequential situation. This disclosure is provided to describe features of a tool designed to combat what appears to be an increasing prevalence of traumatic events, including violent events and threats.
Therefore, a need exists to solve the deficiencies present in the prior art. What is needed is a system to facilitate communication between parties to assist with assessment of risk of a violent threat and related effects to physical and mental health. What is needed is a computerized system to assist with detecting and responding to threats of potential violent behavior and related effects to physical and mental health. What is needed is a computerized system to encourage users to enhance their knowledge in detecting and responding to threats. What is needed is a computerized system including a learning platform to serve educational materials for consumption by users to enhance ability to detect threats and respond to same. What is needed is a method of educating users, detecting threats, and facilitating responses to same using a system operable on a computer. What is needed is a system for, and method of, collecting information relating to a traumatic health crisis, increasing knowledge, and understanding relating to the traumatic health crisis, and assisting with organizing responders to mitigate the effects of a traumatic health crisis. What is needed is a system for, and method of, managing physical and mental health of individuals with regard to risks, threats, and responses to same. What is needed is a system and method for responding to a traumatic event and assisting with coordination of responders to same.

Threat assessment and response facilitation system and method


A hydrogen sensor for the detection of hydrogen, e.g., in an environment susceptible to the incursion or generation of hydrogen. The sensor includes a rare earth metal thin film arranged for exposure to the environment and exhibiting a detectable change of physical property, e.g., optical transmissivity, electrical resistivity, magneto-resistance, and/or photoconductivity, when the rare earth metal thin film is contacted with hydrogen gas. The sensor may include an output assembly for converting the physical property change to a perceivable output. The rare earth metal thin film may correspondingly be used for signal processing applications, in which the rare earth metal thin film is contacted with hydrogen gas, and a predetermined voltage signal is selectively imposed across the rare earth metal thin film, to selectively electrically switch the film between mirror and window states, with a response being generated according to which of the mirror and window states is present.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a rare earth metal thin film sensor for detecting hydrogen, and to a differential sensing method for determining the presence of hydrogen in an environment potentially containing same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hydrogen is a flammable and explosive gas with a wide variety of industrial and scientific uses. Illustrative industrial uses include the production of ammonia, ethanol, methanol, aniline and hydrogen chloride; hydroforming, hydrocracking and hydrorefining of petroleum; hydrogenation of vegetable oils; and reduction of metallic ores.
In space flight applications, H.sub.2 /O.sub.2 mixtures are used in large quantities as propellants for vehicular propulsion systems.
Hydrogen is also used in a variety of metal forming and microelectronic processing steps that rely upon the use of hydrogen of hydrogen containing gases (i.e., forming gases). These processes are often critical in device fabrication and metal interconnect processing of multi-level devices.
In these and other applications, hydrogen sensors are employed to monitor the environment of the process system in which hydrogen is utilized, to safeguard the apparatus and associated operating personnel, as well as to ensure the efficiency and operational integrity of the system. For such purpose, a variety of hydrogen sensors and elaborate detection schemes have been employed and are in common use.
Most of the currently used hydrogen sensors employ sensing arrangements developed several decades ago. A variety of these commercially available hydrogen sensors are based on measuring an electrical characteristic (e.g., resistance) across a sensor element.
The most popular hydrogen sensor is the "catalytic combustible" or "hot wire" sensor (CC sensor).
The CC sensor consists of two beads of resistive elements (Pt/Ir wire) arranged in a Wheatstone bridge configuration and heated to 600-800.degree. C. One bead is coated with a reactive catalyst, while the other is not. Gas is sampled over the beads either by diffusion or by a pump.
In the presence of a flammable gas, the heat of oxidation raises the temperature of the bead and the associated heater element and alters the electrical resistance characteristics of the Wheatstone bridge circuit. This resistance change is related to the concentration of all flammable gases (including H.sub.2) in the vicinity of the sensor.
Unfortunately, in O.sub.2 deficient environments or above the upper explosive limit, the oxidation process is quenched. This causes the heating element of the CC sensor to cool and the needle of the device to fluctuate downward (evidencing a zero or negative value).
Further, since the CC sensor is based upon oxidation, virtually any and all hydrocarbons have the same response.
A further difficulty is that the CC sensor element can be contaminated by halogenated hydrocarbons or poisoned by silicones, lead and phosphorous.
A second commonly used H.sub.2 sensor is a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) sensor, in which the sensor element consists of mixed Fe, Zn and Sn oxides and is heated to a temperature of 150-350.degree. C. Oxygen atoms absorb on the MOS surface of the sensor element to create an equilibrium concentration of oxide ions in the surface layers.
The baseline resistance (or conductivity) of the MOS sensor in "clean air" is first established by calibration. When certain toxics (e.g., CO or H.sub.2 S) or hydrocarbons come in contact with the sensor, they absorb on the surface of the MOS element. This absorption shifts the oxygen equilibrium, causing a detectable decrease in resistance of the MOS material.
MOS hydrogen sensors have a number of operational deficiencies. They require frequent calibrations (e.g., approximately every 3 months for current commercially available models), exhibit unacceptable response times (3-5 minutes) for rapid detection, can be the source of ignition and fires/explosions, and are incompatible with halogenated vapors.
An important limitation of the above-described commercially available hydrogen sensors is that they are not H.sub.2 specific. All volatile organic compounds (e.g., pentane, toluene, acetone, etc.) as well as gases containing hydrogen (e.g., H.sub.2 S and ethylene) will react with the sensor materials in the sensing elements of these detectors, thereby providing false readings.
A further difficulty with currently available H.sub.2 sensors is that they are often incapable of effectively monitoring process gas streams containing mixtures that include H.sub.2. Such multicomponent gas streams are commonly analyzed by batch gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC/MS)--a comparatively expensive and time-consuming process.
These commercially available hydrogen sensors, in addition to being non-discriminating (non-selective) for hydrogen, and susceptible to being easily poisoned, are also bulky, consume a considerable amount of electric power and require frequent calibrations.
Against these many disadvantages and limitations of currently available hydrogen sensors, a major advance is needed in hydrogen sensor technology to overcome such limitations. Among the needed improvements in the field is the provision of H.sub.2 sensors capable of detecting hydrogen in cold and oxygen deficient (helium rich) environments such as in outer space. An H.sub.2 sensor is also needed that eliminates the risk of accidental explosions associated with the use of electric current in presently available sensors. Moreover, a low cost, lightweight, miniature, and hydrogen-specific sensor is highly desirable.
It therefore is an object of the present invention to provide an improved hydrogen sensor and hydrogen sensing methodology overcoming the aforementioned deficiencies of the prior art H.sub.2 detectors.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more fully apparent from the ensuing disclosure and appended claims.

Hydrogen sensor utilizing rare earth metal thin film detection element


A device for transmitting and/or modulating in-phase and quadrature optical signals generated by an optical source. This device includes modulators each arranged for modulating intensity of optical signals depending on commands, and at least three main multi-mode interferometers set in series and arranged for transforming in combination a received optical signal with an initial phase state into a final optical signal with a final phase state differing from this initial phase state by an accumulated phase shift chosen from a group including 0, π/2, π and 3π/2 and depending from the intensity modulations carried out by the modulators.

The present invention relates to devices intended for transmitting and/or modulating in-phase and quadrature (or IQ) optical signals generated by an optical source.
IQ (In-phase and Quadrature) optical multilevel vector modulation formats such as Quadrature Phase-Shift Keying (QPSK) or Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) are notably used in telecommunication equipment and should be generalized in the coming years. As known by those skilled in the art the transmitters of the art implementing a QPSK/QAM function employ almost exclusively LiNbO3 Mach-Zehnder phase modulator arrangements (or nested Mach-Zehnders) with an external laser source, and sometimes GaAs or InP material based phase modulators.
These known technologies lead to large size and large energy consuming devices, and their speed operation appears to be limited by the driving power which notably increases when it becomes greater than 25/32 GBaud.
These drawbacks can be overcome by a new emerging technology based on prefixed optical phase switching with Electro-Absorption Modulators (or EAMs) made, for instance, of material of the InP family and integrated in interferometric waveguide arrangements. A footprint divided by 50 and an energy consumption divided by at least 4 are expected with this emerging technology.
However, with such an emerging technology, the optical phase state is extremely sensitive to the temperature due to thermally induced material index changes. Moreover, a wavelength channel change produces a phase state change because the optical index (i.e. the optical path (length times index)) is also wavelength dependent. For instance, a 10 nm optical path change may induce a prohibitive phase error that reduces the transmission performance. Therefore, complex monitoring and feedback optical/electronic circuits must be used for actuating the phase shifters, which increases the cost and then may render this technology unadapted to technical domains very sensitive to costs.

Device for transmitting and/or modulating optical signals with passive phase shifters


A mobile station (104) processes a paging message having information data mapped to a cyclical redundancy check (CRC) error detection code and divided into a plurality of CAC data portions mapped to a plurality of Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem (BCH) error correction codes. A BCH forward error corrector (FEC) (150) generates a plurality of BCH syndromes (538) to correct single errors that may exist in each of the plurality of CAC data portions (402), and thereby generates a plurality of post-correction CAC data portions (504). A cyclical redundancy check (CRC) error detector (152) detects if an error exists in the plurality of post-correction CAC data portions (504). An error detector (174) detects if BCH syndromes (552-562) corresponding to post-correction CAC data portions (518-528) have values of zero. When the CRC error detector (152) detects an error and the error detector (174) detects that BCH syndromes (552-562) have values of zero, the mobile station (104) processes the paging message and performs a page response function in response to detecting a page.

A radio frequency (RF) communication system typically provides wireless communication between a base station and a mobile station. The base station often has the ability to "page" or call the mobile station, whether it be to provide the mobile station with a text or voice message or to establish a two-way voice call between a user of the mobile station and a third-party caller.
One of the most important aspects of such a system is its call completion rate. A call completion rate may be defined as N.sub.D /N.sub.P, where N.sub.P is the number of paging messages sent to and intended for the mobile station, and N.sub.D is the number of successful detections of the paging messages by the mobile station. Unfortunately, some RF communication systems may have poor call completion rates due to, for example, low received signal strengths and environmental interferences.
To improve overall quality and reliability of communication, such a system may conform to a common air interface specification that specifies an error detection code and error correction codes to be sent with information data in an encoded information unit. For example, a personal digital cellular (PDC) system adheres to a communication standard issued by the Research and Development Center for Radio Systems (RCR), now known as the Association of Radio Industries and Businesses of Japan (ARIB), under the name STD-27 (RCR STD-27, 1991). This standard outlines Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem (BCH) forward error correction (FEC) codes for correcting single errors in data portions of the information data, and a cyclical redundancy check (CRC) code for detecting remaining errors in the corrected data portions.
Conventional methods of decoding such an encoded information unit, one of which is outlined generally in the RCR STD-27, include the following steps: (1) receiving an encoded information unit; (2) generating, using the BCH FEC codes, a BCH syndrome for each data portion of the encoded information unit; (3) correcting, using the BCH syndromes, single errors that may exist in each data portion to thereby generate a post-correction information unit; (4) detecting, using the CRC code, if an error exists in the post-correction information unit; (5) processing and performing a function based on the post-correction information unit if no errors are detected therein; and (6) discarding the post-correction information unit if an error is detected therein.
While such methods and standards have generally improved communication, reliability may still be less than satisfactory since post-correction information units may often have errors and therefore are discarded and unused. If a mobile station acts upon or processes such corrupted data, it will likely respond improperly with undesirable consequences.
Furthermore, some messages, such as paging messages, are sent only once to the mobile station without retransmission by the base station. Therefore, if a paging message is corrupted over a communication channel, a page to the mobile station may be missed entirely even though the mobile station is ready and available to receive calls.
Accordingly, there is an existing need for an improved method and apparatus for detecting errors and decoding and processing messages, especially one suitable for increasing call completion rates in RF communication systems.

Method of and apparatus for decoding and processing messages


Methods for the formation of films comprising Si, C, O and N are provided. Certain methods involve sequential exposures of a hydroxide terminated substrate surface to a silicon precursor and an alcohol-amine to form a film with hydroxide terminations. Certain methods involved sequential exposures of hydroxide terminated substrate surface to a silicon precursor and a diamine to form a film with an amine terminated surface, followed by sequential exposures to a silicon precursor and a diol to form a film with a hydroxide terminated surface.

Deposition of thin films on a substrate surface is an important process in a variety of industries including semiconductor processing, diffusion barrier coatings and dielectrics for magnetic read/write heads. In the semiconductor industry, in particular, miniaturization requires atomic level control of thin film deposition to produce conformal coatings on high aspect structures. One method for deposition of thin films with control and conformal deposition is atomic layer deposition (ALD), which employs sequential, surface reactions to form layers of precise thickness. Most ALD processes are based on binary reaction sequences which deposit a binary compound film. Because the surface reactions are sequential, the two gas phase reactants are not in contact, and possible gas phase reactions that may form and deposit particles are limited.
Low-k Si-based dielectric films are very important for the microelectronics manufacturing. One important application for low-k films is as a spacer with low wet etch rate (WER)—as close to 0 Å/min in 1:100 HF as possible—and a dielectric constant (k) value of ˜4. The spacer should also maintain a low etch rate after being exposed to a moderate O2 plasma (˜2K W remote plasma). Historically, Si-based low-k films have been deposited by ALD in a furnace chamber. To achieve the acceptable film properties, the film needs to be deposited at temperatures >500° C. in the furnace chamber. As thermal budgets continually decrease with every chip node, there is need for the deposition of low-k films at temperatures below 500° C.
Additionally, depositing SiCO films by ALD using typical oxidation sources such as H2O or O2 results in the majority of the carbon being oxidized, leading to a film with low C content. A carbon level targets of >10 atomic % should decrease etch rates and also help decrease the dielectric constant of the film.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for ALD chemistries and improved methods for SiCO(N) deposition.

Methods for atomic layer deposition of SiCO(N) using halogenated silylamides


A method and apparatus are provided for producing a print article including at least one printed product having inside and outside folded edges. The printed products are transported on a saddle-shaped conveying section of a conveying track, with the printed product straddling the conveying section. The printed product is wire-stitched along the outside folded edge thereof so that pre-formed wire sections point toward the inside folded edge. The outside folded edge of a protective signature is glued to the inside folded edge of the printed product to form a combined article.

The invention relates to a method for producing a print article, including at least one printed product or signature that is wire-stitched along an outside folded edge with pre-formed wire sections or staples pointing toward an inside folded edge of the printed product. The printed product is transported straddling a saddle-type conveying section along a conveying track and is subsequently stitched.
This type of operation is designed in particular to protect human body parts against injury caused by wire staples.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,813A discloses a method for producing print articles from printed products in which the wire staples are inserted from the inside folded edge pointing toward the outside. The wire staple closures that project along the outside folded edge are covered by a cover sheet with an adhesive.
The patent also discloses an alternative sequence of the method steps in which the printed product that is wire-stapled from the outside toward the inside is combined with a printed product that is stapled from the inside toward the outside by gluing these together along the folds, thus hiding the staple closures.
Even though the cover sheet, glued to the outside folded edge of a printed product that is stitched from the inside toward the outside, provides a protective function against injury, it is stressed during use to such a degree that it will separate from the outside folded edge after a certain amount of time and thus lose its protective effect.

Method for producing a print article comprising a protective signature attached to inside folded edge of a printed product


The present invention includes synthesis of polyethyleneimine800-EpoxyC8-22 (PEI800-C8-22) lipids, e.g., Polyethyleneimine800-EpoxyC16 (PEI800-C16), PEI12C16, PEI8C16, and PEI4C16 lipids, compositions and methods for transfecting primary leukocytes, myeloid cells, lymphoid cells, monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells (DC) comprising a transfection complex comprising: one or more nanoparticles; and Polyethyleneimine800-EpoxyC16 (PEI800-C16), PEI12C16, PEI8C16, and PEI4C16 lipids complexed with one or more nucleic acids, such as, e.g., DNA, RNA, nucleic acid vectors, shRNA, miRNA, and RNAi on or about the nanoparticles.

Without limiting the scope of the invention, its background is described in connection with gene delivery to monocytes.
Gene therapy has received attention as a promising method for treatment of numerous gene-associated human diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative disease, hemophilia, hypercholesterolemia1-6. With this strategy, a gene was introduced into the targeted tissue or cells by modulating the expression of the genes such as up/down regulate expression and exogenous expression to cure or prevent the progression of the related disease7,8. However, generally, naked genetic molecules, and drug itself show low internalization efficacy in target cells because of their fast degradation in plasma and reduced intracellular uptake by target cells. Further, toxic effect arose by immune response stimulation, leading to the severe limitation of the clinical application9. Therefore, carriers that improve the intracellular delivery of gene by supporting the gene is a key factor to establish the delivery technologies. With the great development of materials sciences and the rapid progress of bio/nanotechnology, nanosized materials have attracted worldwide attention, expecting the enormous potential of clinical application for many human diseases9-15.
Polyethyleneimine (PEI)-based nanodelivery systems have attracted increasing attention19-22. However, currently reported PEI formulations show low transfection efficacy and high toxicity20,23-28. An improvement in transfection efficiency with PEI largely relies on the effective condensation of pDNA by the high cationic density from high molecular PEI. But higher cationic density also brings higher cytotoxicity because of lack of backbone biodegradability. For example, 800 Da PEI has much low cytotoxicity, but almost no transfection efficacy, while 25 kDa PEI is effective in gene transfection, but also has high cytotoxicity. In order to enhance the gene delivery efficacy of PEI and to minimize its cytotoxicity, various strategies have been reported to chemically modify its polymeric backbone which bring biodegradability or reduce the positive charge of PEI. In these reports, low molecular weight PEI was cross-linked by series of diacrylate29-31 and higher molecular weight PEI analogs with biodegradable backbones to obtained a complex with pDNA or siRNA. The hydrolysis of the ester bonds will occur under physiological conditions within the cell after transfection and convert the cross-linked high molecular weight PEI into low toxic low molecular weight PEI. By these methods, higher transfection efficacies and lower toxicities than 25 kDa PEI were achieved. Similarly, degradable PEIs with acid-labile imine linkers were synthesized from low molecular weight PEI and glutadialdehyde27. These PEIs rapidly degraded into nontoxic low molecular weight PEI in acidic endosome. Thus, a need remains for better compositions and methods for transfecting cells with nucleic acids.

High efficient delivery of plasmid DNA into human and vertebrate primary cells in vitro and in vivo by nanocomplexes