The present invention relates to pharmaceutical products comprising fluticasone furoate for use in the treatment of COPD patients, particularly a subgroup of COPD patients that through analysis have been identified as possessing an eosinophil blood count of ≥150 cells/μl. The present invention is further directed to methods for treating a patient with COPD which methods include identifying a patient that will respond to treatment and administering a pharmaceutical product of the present invention comprising fluticasone furoate to said patient.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, is characterised by persistent airflow limitation that is typically progressive and associated with an enhanced chronic inflammatory response in the airways to noxious particles or gases. Symptoms of COPD include dyspnea, chronic cough or the production of sputum and spirometry analysis is typically required to confirm diagnosis. A post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC<0.70 confirms the presence of airflow limitation and thus COPD. A number of factors have been identified that influence the development and progression of COPD, the most studied of which is smoking tobacco cigarettes. Other factors include for example infection, genetics and exposure to particles, such as occupational dusts, chemical agents and pollution from heating fuels.
COPD can be mild to very severe and assessment of the disease is necessary for administration of the appropriate medication to control and/or relieve symptoms. An assessment of a patient's symptoms may include, for example, the COPD Assessment Test (CAT), the COPD Control Questionnaire (CCQ), the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) test, Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV1) analysis, and an assessment of their exacerbation risk.
A number of medications are available for the treatment of COPD and these are used mainly to reduce symptoms and reduce the frequency and severity of exacerbations and can include bronchodilators, such as beta2-agonists and anticholinergics, corticosteroids (oral and inhaled), PDE-4 inhibitors, methylxanthines and combinations of some of the above. Bronchodilator medications are vital to symptom management in COPD and the choice between monotherapy with a beta2-agonist, anticholinergic or theophylline, or combination therapy is dependent upon how effective the medication controls a patient's symptoms.
According to the 2014 Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) strategy, for a patient with few to more significant symptoms but a low risk of exacerbations, bronchodilators are the recommended initial therapy (short-acting if the patient has few symptoms and long-acting if the patient has more pronounced symptoms). For COPD patients with a high risk of exacerbations, inhaled corticosteroids are recommended in combination with a beta2-agonist or anticholinergic.
WO2011/067212/US 2012-309725 describes the combination of the muscarinic antagonist umeclidinium bromide with the beta2-agonist vilanterol trifenatate, which has recently been approved in the US for the treatment of COPD. WO2011/067212 further describes the triple combination therapy of umeclidinium bromide, vilanterol trifenatate and fluticasone furoate for use in the treatment of COPD.
There is also interest in personalised medicine in COPD through the identification of biomarkers that can be used to select a particular population of COPD patients that will derive most benefit from a pharmacologic treatment. For example, studies have shown that COPD patients with different levels of eosinophils in induced sputum and blood can respond differently to certain corticosteroids (Brightling et al, Lancet 2000; 356: 1480-85; Pizzichini et al, Am J Respir Crit Care Med, Vol 158. Pp-1511-1517, 1998; Kitaguchi et al, International Journal of COPD 2012: 7, 283-289). Greater improvements were observed in patients who had higher eosinophil counts compared to patients with lower counts.
Studies have further investigated whether sputum and blood eosinophil counts can be used to direct corticosteroid treatment of exacerbations in COPD (Bafadhel et al, Am J Respir Crit care Med, Vol 186, Iss. 1, pp 48-55, Jul. 1, 2012; Siva et al, Eur Respir J 2007; 29: 906-913).
Despite the research that has been performed in this area to date, there exists a need for further, improved therapies for use in the treatment of COPD patients with a certain level of eosinophils in the lungs.
Furthermore, studies to date that have investigated the benefit of corticosteroid treatment in COPD patients with high and low eosinophil counts have assessed short-term effects such as improvement in FEV1 or reduction in the frequency of exacerbations. No studies appear to investigate or discuss whether corticosteroid therapy can have an impact on lung function decline, the hallmark of the disease, in a subpopulation of COPD patients with a certain eosinophil count. In fact, the GOLD strategy states that, for COPD patients generally, prescription medicines are used to reduce symptoms, reduce frequency and severity of exacerbations, and improve health status and exercise tolerance, but that none of the existing treatments have been shown conclusively in clinical studies to modify the long-term decline in lung function that is characteristic of the disease.
Thus, there is a further need for therapies for use in the treatment of COPD in individual members of the subpopulation of COPD patients, wherein those therapies are able to reduce the rate of decline in lung function.

Fluticasone furoate in the treatment of COPD

GLAXOSMITHKLINE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT LIMITED


A cargo container storage and retrieval system and method. One embodiment of a system according to the present invention includes a vessel having cargo hold with a plurality of bulkheads disposed along a width of the cargo hold to define a plurality of adjacent cells along a length of the cargo hold. The cargo hold is also equipped with a plurality of tiers along a depth of the cargo hold. The vessel also includes a deck having a plurality of hatch openings that are used to gain access to the cargo hold. In addition, the vessel includes a storage and retrieval system having a plurality of sets of parallel spaced tracks and a plurality of chassis seats disposed within each set of parallel space tracks. Each track of each set of parallel spaced tracks is mounted to a surface of a bulkhead of opposing bulkheads so that one set of parallel space tracks is disposed within each cell along the length of the cargo hold and so that a plurality of sets of parallel spaced tracks are disposed within each tier of the cargo. Each chassis seat has corresponding wheels that move along a corresponding set of parallel spaced tracks to provide a plurality of chassis seat along the width of the cargo hold for each set of parallel spaced tracks within each tier. Each chassis seat is equipped to hold a standardized cargo container.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a storage and retrieval system and method for cargo containers and, more particularly, to the use and adaptation of this system in the conversion of existing vessels or storage facilities as well as in the construction of new vessels or storage facilities.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is to be understood that according to this disclosure a "container" is a standardized packing case for cargo in which goods can be safely stored and/or transported, by road, rail or sea. In the cargo container industry a size of the container has been standardized by the International Organization for Standardization. The container size that is used as a unit of measure is the 20-foot length container and, thus, the 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) is the basic unit of measure used when making calculations of, for example, storage capacity. There are also standardized containers with lengths of 10, 30, 40 and 45 feet. The containers have also been standardized to a width of 8 feet and a height of 8 or 8.5 feet.
Economies of scale have led to the design and construction of containerships large enough to carry at least 6,000 TEU's. Thus, containerships and corresponding containers have evolved along with a wide array of handling equipment and apparatus. For example, container bridges, straddle carriers, stacking cranes, gantry cranes, toplift trucks, sidelift trucks, forklift trucks, vehicles utilized for moving the containers, and computer and tracking systems are just some of the adjuncts that have developed to service loading and unloading of containers and containerships. A containership can be loaded or discharged, for example, in a few days in spite of the fact that a containership carries more than twice as much cargo as a conventional vessel of the same size. Containerships are thus able to make more voyages and generate much higher profits in the course of a year than conventional vessels can. The manageability of these uniformly structured containers has encouraged production and commerce, promoted consumerism, and produced modern and diverse means of transportation.
A loaded containership typically has on its deck and deep into its cargo hold a thousand or more standardized containers stacked on top of each other. Containerships typically have extremely wide hatchways which are essential so that the containers can be lowered into the cargo hold across the width of the ship, maneuvered vertically into cells and stacked on top of one another. The cells guide the containers into the hold and prevent the containers from shifting or tipping over at sea. However, the size of the hatchways also affects the ship's strength across the ship's deck area. Thus, in order to compensate for weaknesses in the ship's hull, girders are typically placed into the containership over bulkheads on the sides of the ship, in a girder construction, to add rigidity.
A beam of a containership or, in other words, a greatest width of a containership, its height from the water line to the uppermost deck in a loaded ship, as well as a ship's center of gravity are typically managed so that when the ship is correctly loaded, the ship has stability in heavy seas. In addition, a containership typically has a ballast system with a large double bottom, ballast side tanks and extensive high-performance pumps to ensure that the ship's balance or trim is maintained according to the cargo being carried. For example, the ship's inclination to heel to one side can be countered by flooding or draining the side ballast tanks or "counter trimming" as known to those of skill in the art. A heel compensating system typically pumps ballast water from one side tank to another side tank of the containership during loading and unloading of the containership so as to maintain trim of the containership. One of the reasons for this is because it is only possible to load or unload the containers from the cells of the ship when the containership is in an upright position. In addition, when a ship has an even keel, the ship has the least draft possible, which is an advantage when the ship is sailing in shallow waters.
These containerships typically also have a spreader that is used to lift up, carry and lower the containers into and out of the cargo hold of the containership. The spreader is equipped with four small twist lock receptacles that mate with four corresponding twist locks on the container and can be used to grip the top corners of the container, and, for example, by remote control, be interlocked with the container to accomplish the loading and unloading of the containers. Just as the container size is standardized, the twist locks and receptacles are typically standardized so that the containers can be handled by every port in the world equipped to do so.
The capital investment required for the construction of vessels of this size, however, has led to consolidation among shipping companies, and competition has led to the loss of lower profit feeder links and shuttles between smaller shipping ports. In addition to market pressures, shallow water ports cannot be serviced by these larger vessels, nor is it economically or logistically feasible to reestablish feeder links by replacing obsolete vessels with small, but much more expensive containerships. Because current containerships or smaller vessels do not permit convenient, instantaneous and systematic retrieval of shipboard containers, most of the world's smaller or shallow water ports are unable to reach their full potential.

Cargo container storage and retrieval system and method including an on deck carriage assembly


A peripheral apparatus is provided. The peripheral apparatus includes a display, the peripheral apparatus being configured to process input images based on one of a plurality of operation conditions displayed on the display, each of the operation conditions comprising a plurality of set items, each of the set items comprising a plurality of possible set values; a setting unit that sets a set value for each of the plurality of set items; an operation condition storing unit that stores the plurality of operation conditions and associated set items and set values; and a display controlling unit that controls the display to array and display the plurality of operation conditions, including setting items and set values corresponding to the respective operating conditions, on the display.

There has been proposed a related art peripheral apparatus that integrally includes copier, facsimile, printer and scanner functions and that includes setting items (e.g., paper size, brightness, contrast, magnification and reduction ratios, etc.) that regulate operation conditions for processing an input image. A user is capable of processing an input image under different operation conditions by appropriately varying the set values of such various types of setting items.
For example, JP-A-2004-266408 describes a related art image processing apparatus. The related art image processing apparatus stores operation conditions including set values set by a user in the past and is capable of processing an image under the stored operation conditions. In such a related art image processing apparatus, when operation conditions are stored, the title of operation conditions stored in accordance with the set values set by a user is called, for example, "Taro Yamada A4 Basic". In other words, the title may include a name of the user and a short descriptor. Therefore, in a case in which a plurality of operation conditions are compared with each other, a user compares the titles of respective operation conditions and selects optimal operation conditions. According to such a related art image processing apparatus, since the set values of the operation conditions are obtained by the title set in the past, it is not necessary for a user to set the set values again, and the user is capable of processing images under the same operation conditions any number of times.


Provided are systems and methods for treating a biological fluid, e.g., to inactivate pathogens.

The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for treating biological fluids, including mixtures of biological fluids and photochemical agents, with light.
Systems and methods for treating biological fluids with light are well known. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,459,695, 6,986,867, and 5,593,823 describe a system for treating a biological fluid with light to inactivate pathogens in the biological fluid. In particular, the system includes a treatment chamber with drawers for introducing the biological fluid into the treatment chamber and light sources in the treatment chamber for illuminating the biological fluid. The light sources emit light within a selected range of wavelengths that are effective to inactivate pathogens in the biological fluid, particularly by photochemical inactivation of pathogens. Other systems and methods for treating biological fluids with light may include, for example, systems and methods described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,843,961, 7,829,867, 9,320,817 and 8,778,263, and Schlenke, 2014, Transfus. Med. Hemother. 41:309-325.
For systems and methods for treating biological fluids with light, such as blood products including for example, platelets and plasma, it is important to ensure that the blood products are free of pathogens to minimize the risk of infecting an individual receiving a blood product. Testing for the presence of a pathogen in blood is limited by the pathogens tested for and assay sensitivity. As an alternative or supplement to testing for pathogens, methods are known in the art for inactivating pathogens using various compound (e.g., chemical, photochemical)-based inactivation methods (e.g., as disclosed in Schlenke et al., Transfus Med Hemother, 2014, 41, 309-325 and Prowse, Vox Sanguinis, 2013, 104, 183-199). Photochemical pathogen inactivation systems based on psoralens and ultraviolet light for treating blood products include the commercially available INTERCEPT® Blood System (Cerus Corporation), which utilizes amotosalen and illumination with ultraviolet A light, followed by processing with a compound adsorption device (CAD), to remove residual amotosalen and photoproducts thereof.
While previous systems and methods for treating biological fluids have generally performed satisfactorily, it is desirable to develop improved systems and methods for treating biological fluids that more efficiently treat biological fluids, such as, for example, reducing levels (e.g., photoconversion) of a pathogen inactivation compound after photochemical treatment, while maintaining or improving inactivation of a pathogen, and/or provide for improved characteristics (e.g., quality) of the treated biological fluids, such as, for example, by minimizing damage to biological fluids that may be caused by various parameters of the treatment process. In addition, improved monitoring and greater control of various parameters of the treatment process may be desired.


A device for helping maintain a mouth of a patient in an open position during a dental procedure may include a tooth engaging portion including at least one groove for accepting at least one lower tooth of the patient's lower jaw, an extension portion that extends away from the tooth engaging portion, and a handle that extends down from the extension portion and ends in a caudal end. The caudal end of the handle and the groove of the tooth engaging portion lie along a longitudinal axis drawn through a center of the groove.

Dental procedures are very common and are necessary for proper dental health, whether it be dental fillings, dental crown applications, root canals, orthodontic work, periodontal surgery, dental cleaning, and many other procedures. One common problem with these dental procedures is that the patient must maintain an open mouth for extended periods of time. The dentist, dental assistant, or dental hygienist must have adequate exposure to access the site to be treated. While opening of the mouth for short periods of time is not problematic for most patients, many, if not most, patients do have difficulty maintaining an open mouth for the extended periods of time required for many dental procedures. All dental patients have at least some difficulty opening their mouths for prolonged periods, as this prolonged opening fatigues the muscles and becomes uncomfortable. Most patients just accept that going to the dentist is uncomfortable and just tolerate the discomfort. Fifty percent of patients have significant difficulty keeping the mouth open for any procedure. This percentage increases with the length of time of the procedure. Elderly, young, and patients on psychotropic drugs have more difficulty that others, but virtually all patients have discomfort opening the mouth for any period of time.
This rather high figure may reflect the prevalence of temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) in the general population. Epidemiological studies have revealed an average of 30%-44% prevalence of TMD in the general population. All of these patients will experience difficulty at the dentist, with either limited mouth opening or with pain and discomfort in the jaw muscles from straining to keep the mouth open or both. There is also a subset of the population that does not have TMD but that does have difficulty and/or pain with limited mouth opening, due to other causes of muscle tightness. Examples of such causes of difficulty with mouth opening include bruxism, clenching, stress, psychological issues, and others. This segment accounts for as much as 20% of the population. Hence, well over 50% of the population may have difficulty with prolonged mouth opening for dental procedures.
The typical reason for difficulty with prolonged mouth opening is muscle fatigue and spasm that initially becomes uncomfortable but progresses to become quite painful. The human mouth is a simple hinge, with the mandible articulated with the skull at the temporomandibular joint. The muscle systems that cause the mandible to close are mainly the large masseter muscles and the temporalis muscles. These are robust and responsible for forceful chewing, mastication, clenching, bruxing, etc. The corresponding muscles responsible for opening the mouth are mainly the small and delicate pterygoid muscles. This causes a disparity in the opposing muscle groups, which is not of importance in the normal function of the mouth during usual activities such as eating, drinking, speaking, and the like. However, prolonged opening of the mouth is affected by, and very difficult because of, the size, disparity, and arrangement of the opposing muscle sets. The smaller pterygoid muscles tire after several minutes of prolonged opening, causing discomfort and actual pain.
This creates a dilemma, as the dental practitioner must have access to the oral cavity to perform the necessary task, but frequently the simple act of holding the mouth open is uncomfortable to the patient. Devices that assist in holding the mouth open have been in use for many years for this reason. These consist of bite blocks, which are simple wedge devices placed between the teeth to prop open the mouth by creating a consistent space between the upper teeth and lower teeth by depressing the mandible. Bite blocks are used on one side of the jaw or the other to allow access for procedures, and this asymmetrical use can strain the temporomandibular joints, often triggering joint pain. Use of a bite block also creates a persistent and continuous stretching of all the muscles that affect the depression of the mandible, i.e., the pterygoids, or elevation of the mandible, i.e., the masseters and the temporalis groups. These devices offer no period of relaxation for the muscles to recover from the stress of the continuous stretching. This lack of a relaxation period can result in pain and discomfort to the patient. The bite blocks also occupy space within the oral cavity and impede access or exposure to the specific area that needs attention or treatment.
Other known devices have been developed that prop the mouth open but are almost universally awkward to employ, as they also frequently inhibit access to all parts of the oral cavity and the dental practitioner must navigate around these devices to perform the necessary and intended maneuvers. They also provide a continuous and persistent stretching of the musculature, which results in discomfort while attempting to assist in keeping the mouth open. The bite blocks commonly used actually stimulate contraction of the muscles responsible for closing the mouth and accentuate the problems and difficulties.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,030,217, Fletcher describes a device comprised of a flexible mouth piece that fits over the lower front teeth and an elongated flexible member attached at one end to the mouth piece and the other end to a handhold object. Fletcher's device may suffer from limitations that preclude optimal functioning to assist with opening the mouth and maintaining it open in a comfortable position in a safe manner. For instance, the mouth piece has sufficient flexibility to permit the mouth piece to bend and release from the lower teeth when the flexible member is subjected to a selected threshold tension. This, in essence, means that the mouth piece will typically flex and become disengaged from the lower teeth if the patient exerts more downward force than the mouth piece will tolerate. With significant downward force being exerted and an abrupt release by the mouth piece, the mouth piece may be forcefully be propelled or pulled downward toward the hand. As soon as the trailing edge clears the teeth, it may engage the lower lip with significant abrupt downward force, and at the very least, bruise the lower lip if not lacerate it. As well, the mouthpiece may be propelled as a missile toward the hand, where it may impact the hand, fingers, or other body part or even the dentist or dental assistant. Just the thought of a piece of plastic flying about the dental operatory, contaminating equipment and personnel with saliva, enough to discourage the use of such a device.
Additionally, since any incremental tension may be at least partially, if not mostly, absorbed by the flexible mouth piece of Fletcher, rather than transferred to the mandible, the mouth piece will bend or deform, instead of providing additional consistent, graded and gradual downward pressure on the mandible. Slow and gradual increases in tension downward are often needed for maximum relaxation and stretching. Hence, the flexible mouthpiece of Fletcher may be limited for this reason as well.
Moreover, the elongated flexible member of Fletcher can create an unlimited number of angles and directions in which the downward force may be directed. The elongated flexible member of Fletcher may introduce variability in the use of the device, which also can be a safety issue. The teeth may be accustomed to downward pressure and are very stable when pressure is in the same plane as the long axis of the tooth. If the force is downward and forward, or downward and to one side or the other, the tooth or teeth may be loosened or tilted. Marginally loose teeth from periodontal disease or other causes could be loosened even more than at their resting state. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) may also be damaged by inappropriately directed forces. Tension forward or outward may even dislocate the TMJ, and tension to the side may cause TMJ dysfunction or worsen TMJ preexisting conditions. With so many variations in the direction of the force, it may be exceedingly difficult to align the flexible member, the mouth piece and the handhold object so that the proper direction of the force is maintained during the entire dental procedure, which may last for an hour or longer. Hence, the flexible member of Fletcher may be convenient to connect the mouth piece with the handhold object, but it may be dangerous to the patient and the staff for a number of reasons, and it may create unintended problems and difficulties.
Additionally, there may be a need for devices or methods that increase the degree of opening of the mouth beyond passive opening using the muscles of the jaw or opening with a simple assist device. Not only do patients experience discomfort from having the jaw open for protracted periods, but the limited exposure to the dental operative field constantly constrains the dental practitioner. The ability to open the mouth maximally diminishes with the time the mouth is open, as the muscles fatigue and less than a fully open position is sought for comfort reasons. The practitioner is forced to operate and perform procedures within the mouth, which is basically a small hole, and that hole becomes smaller with time. The wider the patient is able open the teeth, the better the exposure for the dental practitioner and the less tedious the work becomes.
No known prior art devices are targeted improving the degree of opening the mouth or providing more exposure as the procedure progresses. Bite blocks act as props, and the Fletcher device may either prop or distract the mouth open, but this is where these devices stop. The bite blocks are forced between the upper and lower molars and may actually trigger a reflex to bite down. They certainly do not continue to improve the degree of opening. The Fletcher device may assist in opening the mouth and may reduce the discomfort despite the significant limitations and safety issues it presents, but it does not continue to improve the opening of the mouth and continue to improve the exposure available to the dentist. While the prior art includes devices that attempt to address the mouth-opening problem, all of these devices have shortcomings, as discussed above.
Another major limitation of known prior art devices is that they are all placed into the mouth, in addition to other devices used in a procedure. In other words, they are additive devices and occupy valuable space in the mouth, which limits the access by the dentist or hygienist in addition to the other tools that may be used. For example, while many different tools and devices may be used during a dental procedure, suction is used almost universally in dental procedures. Hence, the known prior art devices must be inserted in addition to the suction apparatus. This may become awkward and confusing, for example, if the patient is responsible for the suction with one hand and the Fletcher prior art device with the other hand. More importantly, the space occupied by a combination of suction tube and the prior art devices may well impede access to the mouth by the dentist. There is the probability of simply having too many items in the mouth at one time to allow easy access.
Therefore, it would be very desirable to have improved devices and methods for maintaining a mouth in an open position for prolonged periods of time for dental procedures. Ideally, these devices and methods would provide improvements over the prior art devices and methods and would reduce or eliminate at least some of the discomfort and pain of maintaining an open jaw. Also ideally, such devices and methods should work well for patients while not overly obstructing the dentist's access to the mouth for performing procedures. The embodiments described herein will meet at least some of these objectives.

Patient controlled dental device and method


The disclosure relates to an illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus. The illumination system can include a depolarizer which in conjunction with a light mixing system disposed downstream in the light propagation direction at least partially causes effective depolarization of polarized light impinging on the depolarizer. The illumination system can also include a microlens array which is arranged upstream of the light mixing system in the light propagation direction. The microlens array can include a plurality of microlenses arranged with a periodicity. The depolarizer can be configured so that a contribution afforded by interaction of the depolarizer with the periodicity of the microlens array to a residual polarization distribution occurring in a pupil plane arranged downstream of the microlens array in the light propagation direction has a maximum degree of polarization of not more than 5%.

Microlithography is commonly used for the production of microstructured components, such as, for example, integrated circuits or LCDs. The microlithography process is often carried out in what is referred to as a projection exposure apparatus having an illumination system and a projection objective. The image of a mask illuminated by the illumination system (reticle) is in case projected by the projection objective onto a substrate (e.g., a silicon wafer) which is coated with a light-sensitive layer (photoresist) and arranged in the image plane of the projection objective to transfer the mask structure onto the light-sensitive coating on the substrate.
It is known for linearly polarised light from a laser source to be depolarised by a Hanle depolariser and a light mixing system arranged downstream of the Hanle depolariser. Such a Hanle depolariser can include at least a first wedge plate of birefringent material transparent to light of the working wavelength and typically also a second wedge plate which compensates for the beam deflection of the first wedge plate and which is made from birefringent or non-birefringent material which is transparent to light of the working wavelength. The first wedge plate of the Hanle depolariser is usually arranged in such a way that the angle between the optical crystal axis of the birefringent material and the vibration direction of the electrical field strength vector of the linearly polarised light from the laser source is substantially 45°.

Illumination system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus comprising a depolarizing element


When engine rotation speed is increasing in a compression stroke injection mode, a control device determines that a crank angle at injection end timing of an injector deviates toward a delayed crank angle side and performs additional ignition at timing when (or immediately before or after) a crank angle at actual injection end timing of the injector of a present injection cylinder is reached. Thus, even when the crank angle at the injection end timing deviates toward the delayed crank angle side with respect to preset original ignition timing, a combustion state can be stabilized by performing the additional ignition at timing, at which a suitable stratified mixture gas is formed in a cylinder, through the execution of the additional ignition at the timing substantially the same as the actual injection end timing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control device of a direct injection internal combustion engine that sets injection start timing of an injector, which injects fuel into a cylinder of the internal combustion engine, and ignition timing of a spark plug such that injection end timing of the injector and the ignition timing of the spark plug have a predetermined relationship.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, as one of internal combustion engines mounted in vehicles, there has been a direct injection internal combustion engine having features of low fuel consumption, low exhaust emission, and high output at the same time. In the case of a certain direct injection internal combustion engine (for example, refer to Patent document 1: PCT application Japanese translation publication No. 2003-54186), an injection period of an injector is calculated from a required fuel injection quantity and injection start timing is set with a crank angle based on the injection period such that the injection ends at timing advanced from ignition timing of a spark plug by a predetermined crank angle when fuel pressure is higher than a predetermined value during starting.
The inventor of the present invention is studying a system that ends injection of an injector immediately before a compression top dead center and sets injection start timing and ignition timing such that ignition of a spark plug is performed at timing substantially the same as or immediately after injection end timing (that is, such that the ignition of the spark plug is performed at timing when a suitable stratified mixture gas is formed in the cylinder), thereby stabilizing a combustion state when operating a direct injection internal combustion engine in a compression stroke injection mode (i.e., a mode of injecting fuel into a cylinder in a compression stroke to perform stratified combustion of the fuel). During the study, a following new problem has been found.
Generally, the injection start timing of the injector and the ignition timing of the spark plug are set with the crank angle, but the injection quantity of the injector is set with the injection period (a valve opening period). Therefore, even if the injection start timing and the ignition timing are set with the crank angle beforehand to perform the ignition near the injection end timing as mentioned above, there is a possibility that the injection end timing (a crank angle at timing t1 when the injection period elapses after the injection start timing) deviates toward a delayed crank angle side from the preset ignition timing and the ignition is performed in the middle of the fuel injection (that is, in the middle of formation of a suitable stratified mixture gas in the cylinder) when rotation speed (crank angle speed) of the internal combustion engine rises abruptly during the starting or acceleration of the internal combustion engine as shown in FIG. 12. As a result, the combustion state worsens, causing a misfire and decrease in torque or increase in a HC emission quantity due to incomplete combustion. Such the problems can arise similarly in the technology described in Patent document 1 (that sets the injection start timing such that the injection ends at timing advanced from the ignition timing by a predetermined crank angle).

Control device of direct injection internal combustion engine


A silver halide photographic material which comprises a support having thereon at least one silver halide emulsion layer, wherein silver halide grains to be contained in the silver halide emulsion layer have a silver iodide content lower than 1 mol %, and the silver halide emulsion contains 3.0.times.10.sup.-3 to 2.times.10.sup.-2 mol of a thiocyanate per mol of silver halide. In addition, a photographic silver halide emulsion comprising silver halide grains wherein said silver halide grains have an average silver iodide content lower than 1 mol %, and deposited on the surface of the silver halide grains is at least 2.times.10.sup.-3 mol, but less than 2.times.10.sup.2 mol of a thiocyanate per mol of silver halide.

Developing a silver halide emulsion having higher sensitivity with the same size is being pursued in the field of silver halide photographic materials. High-temperature rapid processing has rapidly spread in the processing stage of photographic materials in recent years, and processing time has been greatly shortened in processing various silver halide materials by using automatic processors. Accordingly, a silver halide emulsion and a silver halide photographic material having an excellent development rate are desired.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,439,520 and 4,425,425 disclose methods using tabular grains to meet the above demands. Further, JP-A-63-305343 (the term "JP-A", as used herein, means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application") and JP-A-1-77047 disclose methods wherein the rate of development and the ratio of sensitivity/fog are improved by controlling the development initiating point of silver halide grains having the (111) face to the apex of the grain and/or the edge thereof and areas in the vicinity thereof. These known methods are excellent techniques and have a high utility value. However, it is desired to further shorten the processing speed.
The present invention relates to a method wherein thiocyanates are positively deposited on the silver halide grains and incorporated in the silver halide photographic materials to further increase the sensitivity and to further improve the rate of development. As a method for using the thiocyanates, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,222,264 and 3,320,069, JP-A-62-18538 and JP-A-64-37545 disclose methods wherein grains having high sensitivity can be obtained by allowing thiocyanates to exist during the formation of the grains. However, the grain disclosed in these patent specifications are silver chlorobromide grains having a silver iodide content of at least 1 mol% or a silver chloride content of at least 20%. The present inventors have made studies and found that when the silver iodide content is high, the improvement in development rate is poor and when silver chlorobromide has a silver chloride content of not lower than 20%, a problem is raised in regard to the sensitivity and color sensitization by sensitizing dyes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,887 discloses a method wherein thiocyanates are used as solvents for silver halide to obtain grains having a preferred form. However, the intent of the method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,887 is to remove the solvents after the formation of the grains, that is, after the solvents become useless. Thus, the effect of the present invention cannot be exhibited. JP-A-59-162540 discloses a method wherein silver thiocyanate is formed on the edges of host grains of silver halide such as silver bromide or silver iodobromide grains to increase sensitivity. However, this method is disclosed with the intention of forming silver thiocyanate by limiting the site of the epitaxial growth on the host grains of the silver halide. Accordingly, the deposited amount of the formed silver thiocyanate in the Examples, by which sensitivity can be increased, is 5.times.10.sup.-2 mol per mol of silver halide.
The present invention is different from JP-A-59-162540 in that epitaxial formation by thiocyanate can not be confirmed through an electron microscope. When the thiocyanate was deposited in an amount of as large as 5.times.10.sup.-2 mol per mol of silver halide on the silver halide grains as in the background art, the resulting photographic material greatly suffered from an increase in photographic fog and desensitization with the passage of time and did not exhibit practical performance.


An improved method for predicting the remaining useful life of transmission oil and an apparatus for practicing the same are provided. The method includes: detecting if the transmission has completed a new shift; if yes, determining a total shift count; determining accumulated distance and accumulated time parameters; determining a transmission temperature degradation factor; detecting if the lockup clutch is open and if the transmission is in range; if yes, determining a converter degradation factor; determining a total degradation factor based at least in part upon the transmission temperature degradation factor and converter degradation factor; determining an oil life time limit and oil life distance limit; determining if either the accumulated time parameter is greater than the oil life time limit or the accumulated distance parameter is greater than the oil life distance limit; if yes, activating a service indicator to notify vehicle occupants that transmission oil service is required.

Almost all modern day automobiles include a powertrain that is comprised of an engine and/or motor in power flow communication with a final drive system via a multi-speed power transmission. To operate properly, the traditional power transmission requires a continuous supply of pressurized fluid, such as conventional transmission oil. The pressurized fluid may be used for such functions as cooling, lubrication, and torque converter operation. It is well known that the lubricating and cooling capabilities of transmission oil systems greatly impact the reliability and durability of the transmission. Additionally, multi-speed power transmissions require pressurized fluid for controlled engagement and disengagement, on a desired schedule, of the various torque transmitting mechanisms that operate to establish the speed ratios within the internal gear arrangement.
The transmission's lubricating and cooling capabilities tend to degrade with transmission operation and over time. Contamination of the oil by water, particulate matter, such as dust or carbon, and oil degradation by-products affect the ability of the transmission oil to lubricate, cool, and protect critical transmission parts. Accordingly, most original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) provide guidelines for determining when the transmission oil should be changed. Such guidelines are typically stated with respect to a measurable period of operation or a period of time.
Though most transmissions have associated guidelines for the frequency of oil changes or service, more frequent changes may be required if the transmission is subjected to extreme operating conditions which may effect high levels of contamination or overheating. For instance, it has been found that excessive degradation of the transmission oil occurs at high temperatures. At elevated transmission oil temperatures, antioxidants in the oil become depleted and the oil becomes more viscous and acidic due to increased oxidation. Depending upon the transmission operating conditions, the oil change interval may be less than 50 percent of traditional guidelines, or may exceed the guidelines by 200 percent or more.

Apparatus and method for determining remaining transmission oil life


A cartridge assembly for deploying a fillable bulk liquid bag in an intermediate bulk container is provided. The cartridge has a flexible reinforcing board adhered to the fillable bag which may facilitate securing the bag to the discharge port of an IBC while also directing the bag to the IBC bottom center for more efficient filling. Sacrificial paper tape may be used to maintain the cartridge for storage, transportation and deployment in an IBC.

IBC is an acronym for intermediate bulk containers (IBC). IBCs are used for both liquid and dry containers which contain less than a full truck load but more than 1000 lbs. of product. IBCs include totes of various types but a particularly useful design is the bag-in-box version utilizing a pillow bag or pillow liner.
A pillow bag or pillow liner is a bag or liner designed to hold liquid in an IBC and conforms to the shape of the interior of the container. Typically, such liners are formed by welding (heat sealing) 2-6 layers of plastic film sheeting (usually polyethylene or multi-layer barrier films) along all four sides of the film. Fittings, usually 2 ports, are attached to half the layers of the film to facilitate filling and emptying of the product contents of the IBC.
When using a conventional pillow liner, a discharge fitting is attached near the bottom of the IBC where a discharge hole is located in the IBC to accept the discharge fitting. As the liner is being filled it must manually be adjusted to ensure that the liner will conform to the walls of the IBC. Failure to properly adjust the pillow will result in not being able to fill the IBC to capacity.
Examples of conventional IBCs are seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,798,711 and 9,346,612 both of which are incorporated herein in their entirety. Another option to fill a liquid IBC is to provide a form and fit bag. Conventional IBCs, bags, parts and fitments are widely available. See, for example, bulk liquid shipping products from CDF Corporation, Plymouth, Mass.
Note that pillow type bags can be made with 4-6 seals whereas form and fit type bags typically will have 16 heat seals, thereby increasing costs while decreasing reliability.


The present invention is drawn to dye sets for formulating ink-jet inks, including ink sets having six ink-jet inks. In one embodiment, the dye set can comprise a yellow dye for formulating a yellow ink, a pair of magenta dyes for formulating a magenta ink and a pale magenta ink, a pair of cyan dyes for formulating a cyan ink and a pale cyan ink, and a black dye for formulating a black ink-jet ink. The pair of magenta dyes can be a transition metal-containing azo dye and a non-metallized dye. The pair of cyan dyes can be a first copper phthalocyanine dye and a second copper phthalocyanine dye that is different than the first copper phthalocyanine dye.

In general, ink-jet inks are either dye- or pigment-based inks. Both are typically prepared in an ink vehicle that contains the dye and/or the pigment. Dye-based ink-jet inks generally use a soluble colorant that is usually water-based to turn the media a specific color. Conversely, pigmented inks typically use an insoluble or dispersed colorant to achieve color.
Color characteristics of dye-containing inks play an important role in the quality of the printed ink-jet image. Perceived color quality can be characterized using any one of several color space systems, such as CIELAB, as is well known in the art. With respect to CIELAB color space, a color is defined using three terms L*, a*, and b*. With this system, L* defines the lightness of a color, and it ranges from 0 to 100 (with 100 being white). Additionally, the terms a* and b*, together, define the hue, where a* ranges from a negative number (green) to a positive number (red), and b* ranges from a negative number (blue) to a positive number (yellow). Additional terms such as h° (hue angle) and C* (chroma) are used to further describe a given color, as is known to those skilled in the art. A single ink-jet ink of a first color that has good chroma, gamut, hue angle, and light fastness is not always optimal for use with other colors. In other words, not only does an individual color, i.e., cyan, magenta, or yellow, have to have acceptable color qualities, but the ink-set in which it is used also plays a role in whether the ink-jet ink performs in an acceptable manner. Thus, the appropriate combining of certain dyes together for use in an ink-set can improve image quality.
Accordingly, investigations continue into developing dye sets that have improved properties and that do not improve one property at the significant expense of the others.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A shower curtain (or conventional drapes) and series of clips integral with an upper edge of the shower curtain. The clips are a single pre-fabricated member including a lower/shower curtain portion and upper/hanger portion. The shower curtain portion is configured to retain a shower curtain while the hanger portion is configured to attach to a shower curtain rod. A retention member may be square-shaped, rectangular or the like and may be received by an internal space defined by layers of shower curtain material. The shower curtain portion defines a space and opening for allowing the clip to fit onto a shower curtain rod. Advantageously, when attached to the shower curtain rod using the series of clips described herein, the shower curtain is substantially flat or flush relative to the shower curtain rod and/or the clips are concealed in part or completely from a position outside of the shower/bathtub.

Curtains, including shower curtains, have traditionally relied on hooks or loops for attachment to curtain rods. However, hooks and loops are ineffective and/or cumbersome and in some cases require the curtain rod to be removed before the hooks or loops may be placed thereon or alternatively the loops may each need to be opened and placed over the curtain rod.
It would therefore be advantageous to develop a more effective and easy-to-use curtain attachment system.


A method for estimating signal/noise ratio is provided. The method comprises calculating a first signal/noise ratio (SNR) estimate using a technique with a first response time, calculating a second SNR estimate using a technique with a second, slower response time, and blending the first SNR estimate with the second SNR estimate.

In the area of integrated navigation, it is common for a system to combine data from inertial navigation sensors with data received from Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, or more generally, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). A common method used for combining these two sources of data is the use of the Kalman filter algorithm. The Kalman filter algorithm has been in use in integrated navigation systems for over 20 years. The filter blends GPS signal data with inertial navigation data by primarily depending on GPS signals for long term accuracy and inertial navigation data for short time frames. Hence, the navigation system has the low noise and short-term accuracy of the inertial sensors, while not suffering from integration drift common to inertial navigation data because the navigation system depends on GPS signals for long time frame calculations.
In combining the two sources of data, it is desirable to know the quality of the GPS measurements. If the GPS signals are suffering from high levels of interference, such as from jamming, the GPS measurements should in most circumstances be weighted less in the combination with the low noise inertial sensor data. If, however, the GPS signal is suffering from little noise and thus very accurate, the GPS measurements should in most circumstances be weighted more in the combination of the two data sources. It is common, therefore, for a GPS receiver to include a low pass time constant filtered estimator which calculates a signal power to noise power ratio (SNR), or alternatively a carrier power to noise power spectral density (C/No) ratio, for each GPS satellite being tracked. However, typical time constant filtered estimators respond slowly to changes in the SNR, especially during high interference when the SNR is low. Under low SNR conditions, the SNR estimates must be heavily filtered to provide acceptable accuracy. The required long filtering time constants make it difficult to get fast-responding accurate estimates of SNR during high interference using a typical time constant filtered estimator.
For the reasons stated above, and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for a signal to noise estimator which responds quickly to changes in noise level and provides accurate estimates of signal to noise ratio during periods of high interference.

Method for improved signal to noise ratio estimation


The present invention relates to an attachment device for a cryogenic satellite tank. In order to achieve adequate rigidity in such an attachment device while reducing the thermal conductivity and at the same time ensuring simple construction which is easy to realize from a technical point of view, so-called shape memory alloy elements are used. Due to suitable arrangement or interaction between a support element (1) and a connecting component (2) or a thermally controlled connection arranged in the support element (1) it is achieved that after the launch of the rocket, the SMA element automatically expands significantly in the cold space environment as a result of phase transformation, thus reducing surface pressure at respective connection points of the attachment device, and partly disengaging the contact. Consequently, the thermal flow via these connection points is reduced or completely eliminated.

The invention relates to an attachment device for a cryogenic satellite tank.
The service life of a satellite equipped with a cryogenic tank is to a large extent determined by heat transfer or thermal flow to the cryogenic tank, said flow emanating from the warmer satellite by the attachment device of the tank to the tank. This thermal flow results in an increase in pressure in the tank, which is compensated by partial discharge of the tank""s contents.
As a result of the thermal flow via the attachment device, the achievable cooling temperatures are limited both for active and passive cooling, and the coolant consumption is increased as a result of the thermal flow.
The substantial mechanical loads occurring during launch of the satellite mitigate against adequate reduction in material cross sections of the attachment device, so that optimized design of the attachment device from the point of view of material cross sections cannot adequately reduce the thermal flow via the attachment device, even if materials having low thermal conductivity are used.
EP 0 584 697 B1 discloses a deice for holding a storage container by means of tensile stress within an object, particularly in space technology. This device ensures a stable connection between the storage container and the object during the launch phase, and at comparatively low mechanical loads, ensures that the holding device between the storage container and the object is of low thermal conductivity. This is achieved by use of a shape memory alloy (SMA).
It is an object of the invention to provide an attachment device for a cryogenic satellite tank which has reduced thermal conductivity and provides adequate rigidity and strength, while being simple in design and easy to produce from a technical point of view, is not prone to malfunction and thus has low maintenance requirements.
The thermal conductivity between two objects engaged against each other is substantially determined by their surface pressure and contact area. This experience is taken into account in many solutions proposed by the invention. The attachment devices according to the invention advantageously use shape memory alloy elements, which, following the rocket launch, in the cold space environment, automatically expand significantly and reduce the surface pressure at the respective connection points and partially break the contact therebetween. Consequently, the thermal flow via these contact points is reduced or completely eliminated. The resulting reduction in rigidity of the attachment device can be adequate for use in the space environment if the connection points have been suitably designed. Alternatively, apart from the connection points, controlled by SMA elements, the attachment device can comprise additional continuously rigid attachment means which ensures adequate rigidity and maintenance of the tank alignment.
The decisive characteristic of SMA elements is the thermoplastic transformation from the high-temperature austenite state to the low-temperature martensite state. When such an element cools down, below a limit temperature TMS, the formation of martensitic phases commences which is completed with further cooing at a temperature TMR, at which attainment of the complete martensitic state is obtained. When heated from the martensitic state, above a temperature TAR, the austenitic phase is formed. This transformation to the austenitic phase is fully complete when the temperature TAR is reached.
Thermomechanical training of the SMA elements results in a cyclic change in length both during heating and during cooling without any associated load: the so-called two-way effect. This training is necessary to achieve an additional change in length beyond the mechanical balance which is necessary for extension according to the invention, of the connection points of the attachment device. The entire achievable change in length of the SMA elements after carrying out thermomechanical training ranges from approximately 1.5% to 4%.
Preferably, the SMA elements are made from a NiTi-based alloy, but SMA alloys with a different composition can be used as long as they satisfy the transformation temperatures and changes in length according to the invention. In the case of NiTi-based alloys, for example, quaternary alloys such as NiTiCuFe or NiTiCuCr are used.
The composition of these alloys is selected such that the transformation temperature for completion of the austenite formation is TAR less than 0 degree C., so that the SMA elements of the attachment device for the ambient temperatures during the launch phase, when the largest acceleration forces act upon the attachment device, are safely fully within the austenitic state. The final temperature for martensite formation TMR is set to a value above the temperature in space experienced by the attachment device, such temperature depending on the respective satellite emission; typically between 2xc2x0 K and 220xc2x0 K.
In the austenitic state, the SMA material according to the invention has a tensile strength of 700 MPa to 980 MPa and a modulous of elasticity of 80 GPa to 100 GPa and provides good mechanical properties so that if it is suitably dimensioned, it can easily resist and transmit the forces acting on the attachment device during rocket launch. In the martensitic state the material is relatively soft.

Attachment device for a cryogenic satellite tank


In an automatic analyzer, when a sample is newly added, all sample barcodes on a sample disk are read. Immediately before dispensing it, second time reading is performed, and the result thereof is checked against that of the first time reading. A sample hand-contact preventing plate is provided above the reading position and dispensing position in order to prevent the sample from being exchanged after the second time reading. This hand-contact preventing plate has a damage-preventing configuration to protect a hand and fingers of an operator against a sampling probe.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic analyzer that automatically performs a qualitative/quantitative analysis of biological samples such as blood, urine, or the like, and more particularly, to an automatic analyzer capable of preventing the occurrence of a mismatch between a sample and its analysis result due to an interchange of samples by an operator, or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an automatic analyzer that performs a qualitative/quantitative analysis of ingredients of each of samples collected from a plurality of persons, a sample is generally entered into a sample container, and the sample container is set in the automatic analyzer, thereby performing an analysis. Herein, in order to identify whose sample (or what kind of sample [e.g., blood serum, urine, or the like]) is present in a particular sample container, it has been popularized to give an ID using an information recording medium, such as a barcode, to each sample container. This method reduces the occurrence of a mistake such that a person whose particular ingredient has an abnormality is misjudged as having no abnormality due to mixing-up of samples. This-method can also save for an operator much time and effort to register sample information at an automatic analyzer on a container-by-container basis. Such a conventional art is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Examined Patent Application Publication No. 6-64070.


A surface acoustic wave (SAW) device package and method for packaging a SAW device provide a surface excited device having a small footprint, low cost and fabricated according to a unique manufacturing process. A substrate including a SAW active area on a first side is bonded to another similar sized substrate with a space sufficient to allow the propagation of the SAW on a top surface of the substrate. The two substrates have similar thermal expansion coefficients such that stress from the sealing process is minimized. The two substrates are sealed using either a low melting point glass or an organic compound such that conductive pathways exist through the seal allowing the internal device to access an external electrical connection.

Recent wireless communication appliances, including portable telephones and wireless LAN devices, are designed and manufactured in progressively smaller and thinner packages. Such wireless communication appliances are assembled from numerous components including various SAW devices suitable for performing filtering and resonating functions. It is preferable, perhaps even necessary, for these devices to present a form factor having a smaller footprint and/or occupies a smaller volume. Therefore these devices must be packaged with minimal dimensions. In certain applications hermetic packages may also be required.
Conventional SAW filters may be manufactured according to the following process: a circuit for a SAW filter, typically formed on a piezoelectric substrate, is mounted on an LTCC (low temperature co-fired ceramic) substrate via a flip-chip or a wire bonding connection process. The exterior of the piezoelectric substrate, with the exception of the bottom surface in contact with the LTCC substrate, is then covered with a layer of polymer material. The outer surface of the polymer is coated with a metal layer to provide shielding (both electromagnetic and physical shielding) and to protect the active region of the SAW filter, the input/output bonding pads, and terminals (typically solder bumps that are positioned on the bottom surface of the SAW filter substrate) from external environmental factors. The LTCC substrate with the SAW filter attached is then mounted and electrically connected to a printed circuit board (e.g., a motherboard). The LTCC substrate and other associated components, are encapsulated with an encapsulate material.
The above-described manufacturing process is lengthy and expensive, as the piezoelectric substrate is essentially mounted twice, first on the LTCC substrate and then the LTCC substrate is mounted on the printed circuit board. Also, this two step mounting process increases the size of the mounted SAW filter because the size of the LTCC substrate on which the SAW filter is mounted is larger than that of the SAW filter piezoelectric substrate.

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) device package and method for fabricating same


A device for providing support for a user seated on a commode and comprising a substantially U-shaped framework attached to a wall behind the commode includes a pair of elongated horizontal members joined by a crossbar and having legs at its forward corners. The framework is rotated through substantially 90.degree. to rest with its legs on the floor in front of the commode. A padded tray is slidably mounted on and rotatable with the horizontal members of the framework and is moved closely adjacent to the user when the user is seated on the commode. When not in use, the device is rotated upward, folded against the wall, and secured to the wall by a clip. The device is preferably made of polyvinyl chloride pipe and the tray is covered with a sheet of plastic material.

Support devices for elderly or handicapped persons while using a commode generally do not allow the patient as much independence and privacy as is desirable. The patent to Chasin, U.S. Pat. No. 2,773,542, describes a support device for physically handicapped persons which is fastened to the back of a commode. The device provides arm rests and/or hand grips for a user, but no support in front of the user is provided. Guenther et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,480, also describes a device which provides arm rests and/or hand grips for an invalid using a commode. A support in front of the patient is not provided. The device is fastened to the commode and is folded upward for storage. Oakland, U.S. Pat. No. 3,090,051, provides a support in front of the patient. The device may be floor mounted, commode mounted or wall mounted, and may be folded when not in use. A table or board in front of the patient must be removed for ingress and egress of the patient.
Schmerler, U.S. Pat. No. 4,894,871, describes a framework for enabling a patient to move from a seated to a standing position. U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,531 to Square describes another device which provides hand grips for an invalid commode user. The device is spring loaded to provide resilient assistance to the patient.


Compositions/methods for employing fresh-frozen or FFPE colon cancer tissue in left side colon cancer (LCC) and right-side colon cancer (RCC) disease patients for risk of relapse assessment/stratification is provided (3 strata and a 4 strata methodology). An RCC gene panel of 4 genes (FAM69A, CDX2, FAM84A, ITGA3), and 9 genes (FAM69A, CDX2, ITGA3, FAM84A, ITPRIP, RAB3B, SMAD3, PCSK5, MMP28), is provided. An LCC gene panel of 4 genes (NOX4, WNT5A, MMP3, IBSP), and a 9 genes (MMP3, WINT5A, NOX4, IBSP, SLC16A6, CYPIBI, TFAP2C, MATN3, ANKRD6), is provided. A microchip-based clinical tool, and a kit including a microchip, is presented. The invention also describes a computer-implemented method for assessing relative risk of relapse in LCC and/or RCC disease. An individual patient scoring method that presents a continuous stratification score useful in the post-surgical colon cancer management of LCC and/or RCC patient is also presented.

Adjuvant chemotherapy significantly reduces mortality in stage III colon cancer, however it is only marginally effective in the full population of stage II colon cancer patients [1]. While oncologists may recommend chemotherapy for some patients with additional poor prognosis factors, such as involvement of the visceral peritoneum or poorly differentiated histology, a guideline from the American Society of Clinical Oncology states that "direct evidence from randomized controlled trials does not support routine use of adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with stage II colon cancer" [2].
Although the ultimate goal is a test that predicts the level of effectiveness of chemotherapy, until that goal is reached, a test that stratifies patients by prognosis may guide the choice of treatment. A prognostic test may identify patients at a very low risk of recurrence, for whom chemotherapy is unwarranted; or it may identify other patients at such a high risk of dying from cancer that chemotherapy is prudent.
Several research groups have published prognostic tests for stage II colon cancer disease based on the expression levels of specific genes [3-6]. The most thoroughly validated test is Oncotype DX Colon™ (Genomic Health, Redwood City, Calif.). Using mRNA measurements of 7 target genes, and 5 reference genes, a recurrence score (RS) is derived that, in one study [6], partitions patients into three groups with three-year expected survival percentages of 88%, 82% and 78%, for the low risk, intermediate risk and high risk groups. In the same study, the treatment benefit score (TS), which is based on the expression levels of 6 other genes, was hypothesized to identify patients who will benefit from chemotherapy; however, TS failed to be statistically significant as a predictor of treatment benefit.
The advent of microarrays and molecular genomics has the potential for a significant impact on the diagnostic capability and prognostic classification of disease, which may aid in the prediction of the response of an individual patient to a defined therapeutic regimen. Microarrays provide for the analysis of large amounts of genetic information, thereby providing a genetic fingerprint of an individual. There is much enthusiasm that this technology will ultimately provide the necessary tools for custom-made drug treatment regimens. Currently, healthcare professionals have few mechanisms to help them identify cancer patients who will benefit from chemotherapeutic agents. Identification of the optimal first-line drug has been difficult because methods are not available for accurately predicting which drug treatment would be the most effective for a particular cancer's physiology. This deficiency results in relatively poor single agent response rates and increased cancer morbidity and death. Furthermore, patients often needlessly undergo ineffective, toxic drug therapy.
A need continues to exist in the medical arts, particularly in the area of oncology, for a tool useful in identifying and stratifying colon cancer patients into a group that would most benefit from an aggressive treatment regimen apart from the patients that would not likely benefit from an aggressive post-surgical chemotherapy treatment. Such would greatly enhance the quality of life of the colon cancer patient as well as provide a greater likelihood of patient therapeutic benefit from a selected course of treatment. In particular, methods are needed to identify those stage II colon cancer patients who are at a sufficiently high risk for relapse that they may benefit from chemotherapy. The treatment of colon cancer would be significantly advanced by a diagnostic test that identifies those stage II colon cancer patients whose risk of relapse is significantly decreased by adjuvant chemotherapy.

Stratification of left-side and right-side colon cancer


Apparatus and method for repairing breaks in glass bodies such as car windshields. A position indicator is used in conjunction with a repair bridge for precisely locating the break to be repaired. A conventional resin injector can be used in the slot taken by the position indicator once the position indicator has been used and removed from the bridge. Realignment or further adjustment of the bridge can thereby be avoided making the repair process more efficient.

When glass, and more particularly a windshield, is struck by an object or projectile such as a rock, the outer glass pane is likely to be damaged. As is well known in the prior art, a shatterproof windshield is composed of an intermediate plastic laminate which bonds an outer glass pane and an inner glass pane together. This combination of glass-plastic laminations absorbs the force of impact, thereby reducing the extent of the damage to the windshield.
Upon impact, glass on the surface of a windshield fractures into a simple crack, or a cone-like formation with damage directed radially therefrom in several directions. When a cone is formed, it normally has a peak on the surface which is often exposed to the atmosphere. The base of the cone typically extends to the bottom of the outer glass pane adjacent the plastic laminate. The sides of this cone, as well as any related fractures that may have formed, are visible to an observer looking through the windshield. Indeed, as light is transmitted through these new interfaces that have formed within the glass, extraneous refraction thereof occurs.
The damage to the windshield, conventionally categorized as a simple crack, a bull's-eye, a star, or a combination thereof, is typically small and confined to the outside glass layer. In the case of bull's-eyes, the fracture planes usually run parallel to the glass surface, sloping downwards. The presence of these fracture planes, which may cover a significant portion of the windshield, can be distracting to the driver and interfere with his line of vision. Furthermore, the presence of fractures, showing as cracks, constitutes points of weakness within the outer glass pane. As is well known to those skilled in the art, such cracks are apt to propagate further, resulting in substantial interference with the driver's vision. Accordingly, to avoid a collision caused by such visual distractions and inhibited line of sight, expensive replacement of the windshield is required.
On the other hand, if this damaged glass could have been repaired prior to the propagation of the cracks by filling the voids within the said damage whereby the fracture planes were properly bonded together, such conventional and costly replacement of the windshield could be avoided.
As is also well known in the prior art, through the use of resins which have refractive indexes substantially the same as that of glass, suitable viscosity, suitable adhesion to glass, and are non-yellowing, it is possible to repair damaged glass and accordingly extend a windshield's life.
Thus, if such resin is injected properly into the damaged glass by one skilled in the art, the interfaces hereinbefore described may be nearly invisible. If such a resin has been applied improperly, however, the damage will still be visible, showing voids, and of course have fracture panes that are not bonded together, thereby resulting in cracked glass which is apt to continue to fail.
It is therefore important to properly inject the resin into the damaged glass. At times this may require halting the injection process to inspect the break and then injecting more resin after inspection. In conventional apparatus, this requires removal of the bridge supporting the injector from the glass and repositioning of the bridge after inspection. When repairing numerous breaks per day, removing the bridge from the glass for inspection results in significant lost time. It is highly desirable to provide a bridge and injection apparatus which can be accurately positioned on the break eliminating the need for further removing and repositioning of the entire bridge.
A search of the prior art produced the following patents, all of which are issued in the United States.
U.S. Pat. Nos. PA1 3,562,366 PA1 4,047,863 PA1 4,597,727 PA1 4,814,185 PA1 4,919,602 PA1 4,995,798
It is submitted that these patents do not show the key features such as the position indicator of the present invention.

Apparatus and method for repairing glass windshield or the like


An advanced solar simulator illuminates the surface a very large solar array, such as one twenty feet by twenty feet in area, from a distance of about twenty-six feet with an essentially uniform intensity field of pulsed light of an intensity of one AMO, enabling the solar array to be efficiently tested with light that emulates the sun. Light modifiers sculpt a portion of the light generated by an electrically powered high power Xenon lamp and together with direct light from the lamp provide uniform intensity illumination throughout the solar array, compensating for the "square law" and "cosine law" reduction in direct light intensity, particularly at the corner locations of the array. At any location within the array the sum of the direct light and reflected light is essentially constant.

Spacecraft employ solar arrays to convert solar energy to the DC current needed to provide the necessary electrical power on-board the spacecraft. Consisting of large numbers of photovoltaic generators arranged in the rows and columns of a matrix on panels joined together into an essentially planar array that covers a wide two-dimensional area, the solar array is oriented toward the sun and converts the incident light into electricity. To ensure that the individual photo-voltaic generators within the array are functional, it is conventional to test the array and measure the performance of the photo-voltaic generators prior to deployment in spacecraft. Any defective photo-voltaic generators found are conveniently replaced. A solar simulator is used for that test.
The solar simulator provides a pulse of light to the array that emulates light from the sun. Ideally, the solar simulator should provide an equal amount of light over the entire surface of the array, that is, uniform illumination. A standard large area pulsed solar simulator ("LAPSS") contains an electronically controlled electrical load that "dumps" a tailored current/voltage pulse, a pulse of defined width, height and waveshape, as may be viewed on an oscilloscope, into an Xenon lamp, which produces a burst of light or, as variously termed, a light pulse. Typically, the Xenon lamp is housed within a metal box and the light generated is emitted through an outlet aperture or light window, as variously termed, formed in the metal box.
The light pulse is essentially uncontrolled in terms of the light wave characteristic, except as governed by basic principles of physics. At a fixed distance from the test plane containing the solar array, the simulator's light pulse is typically designed to be equal to the intensity of the "solar constant" at the average earth distance from the sun, referred to as AMO, a value expressed in units of watts per square meter. Presently available solar simulators are found to deliver light with an acceptable plus or minus two per cent uniformity, regarded as "uniform" in this field, only over a relatively small area, as limited by the power pulse from the LAPSS's lamp bulb and the distance of the light bulb to the test plane.
A typical 2.5 kilowatt Xenon bulb found in the prior designs for the LAPSS's provides a "one sun" AMO equivalent of the requisite uniformity over a maximum area of eight feet by eight feet square, sixty-four square feet, at a distance to the test plane of twenty-five to twenty-eight feet, typically twenty-six feet. LAPSS's are known which achieve uniformity over an area of 10 feet by 10 feet, but require very high energy light pulses. Still another uses a folding parabolic mirror to achieve uniformity in luminance over a six foot by six foot area where the distance of the light source from the test plane is less critical than that required for large solar arrays.
To provide greater amounts of electricity on board the space craft, solar arrays, referred to as very large solar arrays, are being proposed that are greater in size and cover a larger area. In order to test very large solar arrays, a solar simulator must be capable of providing light of the requisite uniform intensity over an area of up to 400 square feet, that is over a square area of twenty feet by twenty feet in dimension. For reasons not relevant to the present invention, it is desired to accomplish that goal without increasing the distance to the test plane and without increasing the power of the Xenon lamp.
Accordingly an object of the present invention is to provide a new source capable of providing uniform illumination over a large area.
Another object is to expand the coverage area of an existing large area pulsed solar simulator and provide a new solar simulator that provides a relatively uniform plane of light over an area of 400 square feet on a test plane twenty-six distant.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a solar simulator capable of producing a uniform 1 AMO intensity field over a greater area than previously attainable, doing so without an increase in the lamp's size or wattage from that used in a prior simulator and at the same distance between the solar array and the simulator as before.
A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved solar simulator of increased coverage that is simple in structure and relatively easy to fabricate, adjust, and test.
And an ancillary object is to provide an illumination source capable of providing a uniform field of light over large planar surfaces and over curved surfaces as well.


A user profile and one or more activity profiles selectively operable when the user profile is active are stored in one or more data structures accessible by an operating system of a data processing system. The one or more activity profiles each specify an application set for a respective user activity supported by the data processing system. In response to receiving a user input selecting an activity profile among the one or more activity profiles while the data processing system is executing under the user profile, the operating system automatically starts each application in the application set specified by the activity profile and customizes a user experience by applying, to one or more applications in the application set, context information recorded during previous execution under the activity profile. During execution under the activity profile, context information for the activity profile in the one or more data structures is recorded.

The present invention relates in general to data processing systems and, in particular, to an operating system implementing user activity profiles.
Various commercially available computer operating systems support multiple user profiles on a single physical computer system. User profiles define state information for the various users of a computer, including, for example, a set of accessible applications, network connections, storage devices and/or other resources, a desktop wallpaper, desktop icons, start menu icons, browser bookmarks, font colors and sizes, etc. In many cases, at least some of the state information for each user is user-customizable, enabling individual users to control the overall look and feel of their personal accounts. Implementation of multiple user profiles in this manner allows multiple users to access the same set of hardware and software resources while preserving the contextual state of each user in the presence of other users logging on to different user profiles.

International Business Machines Corporation


A light receiving element includes a p-type semiconductor layer, an n-type semiconductor layer, and a first and a second superlattice semiconductor layers, and the first and the second superlattice semiconductor layers each have a superlattice structure in which a barrier layer and a quantum dot layer are alternately and repeatedly stacked. A band structure of the superlattice structure of the first superlattice semiconductor layer is a type I structure, and that of the second superlattice semiconductor layer is a type II structure. The superlattice structures of the first and the second superlattice semiconductor layers each form a superlattice miniband, and a conduction band first superlattice miniband of the superlattice structure of the second superlattice semiconductor layer is lower in lower and energy than a conduction band first superlattice miniband of the superlattice structure of the first superlattice semiconductor layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light receiving element and a solar cell including the light receiving element, and suitably to a light receiving element including a quantum dot layer and a solar cell including the light receiving element.
2. Description of the Background Art
Various researches and developments of solar cells representing one example of devices including light receiving elements have been carried out for the purpose of enhancement of photoelectric conversion efficiency by making use of light of a wider wavelength range. For example, a solar cell in which a superlattice miniband is formed between a valence band and a conduction band of a base material by making use of quantum dot technology and electrons are photoexcited in two steps with the superlattice miniband being interposed, so that light of a long wavelength can be made use of has been proposed (for example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-114815, Japanese National Patent Publication No. 2010-509772, PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, Vol. 97, page 247701, 2006, or PHYSICAL REVIEW B, Vol. 82, page 195321, 2010).
Such a solar cell containing quantum dots has a quantum dot layer inserted, which contains quantum dots in a base semiconductor forming an i-type semiconductor layer of a compound solar cell. By inserting a quantum dot layer in a base semiconductor, electronic bond between quantum dot layers is formed and hence a superlattice miniband is formed. With two-step photoexcitation through the superlattice miniband, light in a wavelength region which has not been made use of can be absorbed (absorption of photons lower in energy than a band gap of a base semiconductor material) so that a photocurrent can be increased. Carriers generated in quantum dots migrate through the superlattice miniband and are extracted to the outside by photoexcitation. Carriers absorbing light of a long wavelength and excited to a quantum level of a quantum structure, however, are recombined before they are extracted to an electrode.
Then, extension of a lifetime of carriers by obtaining a band structure of a quantum structure of a type II structure has been studied (Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2006-114815 and APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS, Vol. 93, page 033107, 2008). By obtaining the band structure of the type II structure, generated electrons and holes are spatially separated and thus a lifetime of carriers can be extended. For example, it has been known that the type II structure can be obtained by employing InAs for quantum dots and employing GaAs1-xSbx for a barrier layer, and spatial separation of carriers is enhanced and a lifetime of carriers tends to extend by increasing a ratio of x.

Intermediate band solar cell using type I and type II quantum dot superlattices


This invention relates to a process for co-producing cyclohexanol and alkanol, including a cyclohexene esterification step and a cyclohexyl ester hydrogenation step. This invention further relates to a process for further producing cyclohexanone or caprolactam, starting from the co-producing process, and an apparatus for co-producing cyclohexanol and alkanol. The process for co-producing cyclohexanol and alkanol of this invention is environment-friendly, with low production cost and highly improved atom economy.

Cyclohexanol and alkanols for example ethanol, represent important chemicals and organic solvents in the organic chemical industry.
Cyclohexanol is mainly used in a dehydrogenation for producing cyclohexanone, while cyclohexanone represents a main intermediate for further producing nylon 6 and nylon 66. Since the birth of nylon, big chemical companies all around the world have been dedicated to identifying an industrial source for cyclohexanol or cyclohexanone. In 1980s, the Japan asahi kasei company developed a process for producing cyclohexanol by hydration of cyclohexene (cyclohexene hydration process). However, the process suffers from the following problems: (1) the direct hydration of cyclohexene is thermodynamically restricted, and cyclohexene is only slightly soluble in water, for this reason, the hydration reaction mainly occurs at the interface between the two phases, causing the cyclohexene hydration reaction to proceed at a rather slow speed with a low single-pass conversion; Even if a supersiliceous ZSM-5 catalyst is used, and two slurry reactors in series are used with a residence time of 2 h, the single-pass conversion of cyclohexene reaches merely 12.5%; Such a low single-pass conversion necessitates separation of a massive amount of unreacted cyclohexene from the product stream and recycling of same, which results in huge energy consumption; (2) cyclohexene with a high purity should be used as the feed stock, otherwise the dilution by other components will result in more amount of mass to be recycled and more lowered reaction efficiency; Cyclohexene is produced from a partial hydrogenation of benzene, whose product stream contains a significantly amount of cyclohexane and benzene other than cyclohexene. The boiling point of the three is much close to one another, and therefore purification of cyclohexene is much difficult, which necessarily renders much higher purification cost; (3) the process involves a complicate reaction system consisted of an aqueous phase, an oil phase and a solid catalyst phase, which necessitates strong stirring for the formation of an emulsion system throughout which aqueous droplets and oil droplets are sufficiently dispersed, so as for cyclohexene to be adsorbed onto the surface of the catalyst, and also necessitates well separation of the catalyst from the oil phase at the sedimentation section, all of which complicate the operation, and lead to severe loss of the catalyst.
Ethanol has been produced on an industrial scale mainly by the direct ethylene hydration method, while for some countries with plentiful agricultural by-products, the fermentation method prevails as the process for producing ethanol. The fermentation method suffers from the problem of severe pollution, and further, is criticized for food consumption, and therefore is not suitable for a country with a huge population and less arable land. The direct ethylene hydration method is rather demanding in terms of reaction conditions, which needs elevated temperatures and high pressures. Further, the price of ethylene is much influenced by the international oil price fluctuations, and for a country lacking of oil resources, the direct ethylene hydration method for producing ethanol has to face some cost pressure.
Therefore, there is still a need in the prior art for a process for producing cyclohexanol, especially a process for co-producing cyclohexanol and alkanol (for example ethanol), which is capable of co-producing cyclohexanol and alkanol (for example ethanol) with a more simplified production procedure and at a relatively lowered production cost, and further overcoming the problems associated with the prior art.

Process and apparatus for co-producing cyclohexanol and alkanol

RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF PETROLEUM PROCESSING, SINOPEC


An elastic assembly for absorbent garments having a first carrier layer, a second carrier layer, and an elastic layer attached between the first and second carrier layers to impart elasticity to an elasticized portion of the elastic assembly. The elastic layer is made of elastic strands having a decitex of about 600 or less. The elastic strands are arranged generally in parallel with one another and with a spacing of about 1 to about 10 elastic strands per centimeter. The elasticized portion of the elastic assembly has a thickness of about 2.6 mm or less at a pressure of 0.05 p.s.i. and about 8 or more corrugations per centimeter when in an elastically relaxed state. The first and second carrier layers are attached to one another in the elasticized portion substantially only by a coating of adhesive on the elastic strands. Absorbent garments incorporating the elastic assembly and a method of making the elastic assembly are also provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of absorbent garments in general, and more particularly to an elastic laminate that can be incorporated into absorbent garments to provide cloth-like elastic regions having improved fit and aesthetics.
2. Description of Related Art
Disposable absorbent garments such as infant diapers or training pants, adult incontinence products, and other such products are well-known in the art. Typically, the chassis of such garments comprises a liquid-permeable body-contacting liner sheet (or "topsheet"), a liquid-impermeable backing sheet (or "backsheet") (collectively the "sheets"), and a moisture-absorbent core fiber (or "absorbent core") that usually is made of a mat of randomly arrayed cellulose fiber and is generally disposed between the topsheet and the backsheet. These garments oftentimes incorporate elastic elements in the waist, stomach, and leg areas for improving the fit of the garment. The waist and stomach elastic elements increase the flexibility of the garment, allowing the same garment to accommodate a greater range of body sizes. In addition, they make the garment more form-fitting for the wearer. Leg gather elastic elements and standing leg gathers have also been employed to help reduce leakage of urinary and bowel movement ("BM") from the garment when the absorbent cores cannot absorb body exudates fast enough. Leg gathers are known in the art, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,664 issued to Herrmann, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, discloses an exemplary method of manufacturing leg gathers.
These garments typically are prepared by continuously supplying the various components of the garment, and forming these components into the final garment. The elastic elements are continuously supplied at several different points of the assembly process, and are coated with adhesive prior to bonding to the garment components.
Methods of bonding elastics to garment materials have been previously discussed in the art. An example of disposing elastic elements between layers of sheet material is given in U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,778 issued to Tharpe, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Tharpe discloses coating the garment materials with adhesive to affix the elastic elements therein. A common procedure for affixing elastic elements in the industry today is a spiral spray adhesive application as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,660, issued to Boger, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Spiral spray adhesive application consists of ejecting a bead of hot melt adhesive, directing jets of pressurized air to form an elongated adhesive fiber from the bead, and imparting a rotational motion to the adhesive fiber. The spirals of adhesive are then deposited on the target substrate, here elastic elements, which are then associated with the garment materials. In usage, the adhesive spray coats not only the elastic elements but also "oversprays" to other sites, causing a number of undesirable consequences.
First, the garment materials that are "oversprayed," e.g., portions of the topsheet, the bottom sheet, and the absorbent core, become rigid upon hardening of the "oversprayed" adhesive making the garment less comfortable for its wearer. This has been referred to as the "plywood effect." Second, the "overspray" coats parts of the assembly machinery that must then be periodically cleaned of the adhesive. Third, the elastic elements may not be uniformly coated with the adhesive due to the nature of the spraying operation, and therefore the elastic elements may not bond to the garment materials as well as if they had been more uniformly and completely coated with the adhesive. Finally, the "overspray" is wasted adhesive, increasing the cost of materials for the finished garment.
Previous attempts have been made to reduce the amount of excess adhesive that is applied to the garment, but these efforts have proved inadequate for reducing garment stiffening caused by the "plywood effect" and for reducing the cost of the garment due to excessive adhesive use. U.S. Pat. No. 5,993,433 issued to St. Louis et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses an adhesive pattern for applying adhesives to the gathers, but such adhesive patterns still contribute to excessive garment stiffness and cost. U.S. Pat. No. 6,235,137 issued to Van Eperen et al., which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses a method of coating an elastic strand with a filament of adhesive, but this coating process is still subject to overspraying, and does not provide a complete coating of adhesive on the elastic.
Previous attempts to incorporate elastic materials into absorbent garments have also failed to simulate cloth-like materials, both with regard to aesthetic desirability and comfort and fit. For example, garments having spaced elastic strands, provide a heavily corrugated appearance and fit that allows the elastic strands to press against the wearer in such a way that comfort and fit are sacrificed. Other garments have replaced the elastic strands with an elastic film that simulates cloth materials in appearance and fit better than spaced elastic strands, but still fail to provide the desirable breathability characteristics of cloth, which are better provided by constructions having spaced-apart elastic strands. In still other garments, elastic strands have been sandwiched between nonwoven layers, but the layers have been bonded to one another by heat bonding or adhesives, causing the overall laminate structure to be rigid and uncomfortable to wear. The problems associated with these prior art constructions are particularly manifest in the waist-encircling side panels of absorbent garments, which define, in large part, the overall look and feel of absorbent garments.
Accordingly, there exists a need to provide an elastic laminate that can be incorporated into absorbent garments to provide a cloth-like look and feel, improved comfort and fit, and maintain the high breathability of spaced elastic strand constructions.

Cloth-like laminate and absorbent garment