A system and method for determining an uncertainty of a distance to bed boundary (DTBB) inversion of a geologic formation. The system or method includes receiving logging data from a borehole tool, performing a first DTBB inversion using the logging data to calculate first DTBB solutions, adding quantified noise to the logging data to produce an adjusted signal, performing a second DTBB inversion using the adjusted signal to calculate second DTBB solutions, comparing the first DTBB solutions to the second DTBB solutions to determine an uncertainty of the first DTBB solutions based on a relationship of the quantified noise and the difference between the first DTBB solutions and the second DTBB solutions.

This section is intended to provide relevant background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the described embodiments. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light and not as admissions of prior art.
Petroleum drilling and production operations demand information relating to the parameters and conditions downhole to create the most productive drilling operations. Such information may include the location and orientation of the borehole and drilling assembly, properties of the various formations along the borehole, and parameters of the downhole drilling environment. The collection of information relating to formation properties and downhole conditions is typically done using logging tools, and is referred to as "logging." Logging can be performed during the drilling process itself (i.e., logging while drilling "LWD," or measurement while drilling "MWD").
Physical properties in the formation change signals received by the logging tools. The change can vary depending on the characteristics of the transmitted signal, but a comparison of the transmitted signal and the received signals can be used to measure formation properties. In some cases, the amplitude and/or phase of multiple received signals are compared to each other to measure the formation resistivity. When plotted as a function of depth or tool position in the borehole, the resistivity tool measurements are termed "logs." The logs are used to generate a layered image that can identify major boundaries between different formations. The process of determining a physical property of the formation from the logs is known as inversion. That is, the inversion takes the log and uses an algorithm to calculate distance-to-bed-boundaries (DTBB) based on models of previously logged formations with known formation properties. This is known as a DTBB inversion.

Determining distance to bed boundary uncertainty for borehole drilling


A method of determining the status of a plurality of input ports in a television receiver having a plurality of signal input ports, and including a main-screen signal processor and a sub-screen signal processor, automatically verifies the presence or absence of an input signal at each signal input port. The port status determining method includes detecting signal presence at each of the plurality of signal input ports via the sub-screen signal processor to determine whether the corresponding input signal exists, by sequentially setting an input mode in correspondence to each of the plurality of signal input ports; and recognizing as a valid input port each signal input port at which signal presence is detected.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to television receivers, and more particularly, to a method of determining the status of a plurality of signal input ports in a television receiver and a television receiver using the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A television receiver typically includes a plurality of signal input ports, each of which enables an electrical connection to one of several peripheral devices supplying to the television receiver a variety of signal inputs, including, for example, the output of a digital video disc (DVD) player, a cable television (CATV) broadcast signal, and/or other auxiliary video inputs in an environment of a digital television receiver connected as part of a home entertainment system. These signal input ports—along with signal output ports, audio only ports, and other connection points—are typically arranged on a rear panel of a digital television receiver, and though each port may be labeled according to its signal source, users generally have difficulty in understanding their proper usages and their functional relationship with respect to the television receiver. Moreover, as conventional home entertainment systems become more sophisticated to provide for greater numbers of potential inputs and flexibility and as state-of-the-art digital television receivers become more complex as a result, the rear panel connections will become increasingly varied and thus more difficult to manage.
Meanwhile, a contemporary television receiver provides means, usually via an on-screen display (OSD) menu, to confirm input of a signal corresponding to any one of the signal input ports. To do so, an OSD menu may be selected, enabling a manipulation to set the television receiver's current input mode in correspondence to each selected input signal in turn. Thus, a manual selection of each signal input port is required to enable a user to be informed of the current status of any one of the signal input ports, namely, to determine whether the input signal is present at a corresponding signal input port. This method is inconvenient, necessitating an interruption of broadcast signal viewing and a separate OSD menu manipulation for each of many signal input ports.

Method of determining input port status in television receiver and television receiver using the same


Aircraft-mounted Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) antennas employ a linear array of radiator elements positioned transverse to the boresight axis. With an azimuth determination capability, but lacking elevation resolution, such antennas are subject to coning errors in determining the azimuth bearing of a target at an altitude differential. With use of a linear array (10) of multi-radiator elements (11, 12, 13), an output signal (23) having the characteristic of an amplitude which increases for off-boresight targets is provided. That signal is compared to a typical form of antenna system output signal (22), which has an amplitude which decreases for off-boresight targets. By such amplitude comparison, the angle (.beta.) to a target is determined and used to provide an azimuth correction factor (53). An apparent azimuth bearing (54) subject to coning error can then be corrected (55) to provide the true azimuth angle to a target (56).

This invention relates to linear array antennas aligned transverse to a forward beam direction and, more particularly, to such antennas utilizing a linear array of multi-radiator elements each of which includes two or more radiators in an end-fire configuration.
Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) systems are used to enable aircraft to transmit and receive signals for identification of other aircraft. Airborne radar systems are also used for target location without identification capabilities. The higher frequencies typically used for airborne radar permit use of antennas providing reasonable beam resolution both vertically and horizontally. Airborne linear array antennas used for IFF may, by contrast, lack the capability of providing vertical resolution. Without vertical, or elevation, resolving capability, no elevation information is provided by the system. Consider the example of a linear array antenna arranged to provide a vertical fan beam scannable side-to-side in azimuth. The straight vertical fan beam that the antenna provides in the on-boresight direction perpendicular to the linear array becomes curved or conical in shape when the beam is scanned off boresight. As a result, as illustrated in FIG. 1, if a target exists at a location (a) (15.degree. right and at the same altitude as the reference aircraft) the IFF display would accurately indicate a target at 15.degree. right. If however, a target were at location (b) (again 15.degree. right, but at a higher altitude) the IFF display would indicate a target at azimuth (c), displaced from the actual 15.degree. position of the target. The error is introduced by a "coning" of the antenna beam as it is scanned to the right and effectively assumes a profile of a form shown by curved beam profile (d). The resulting errors introduced by off-boresight coning of the IFF beam, in addition to affecting the accuracy of the IFF target display, can introduce a displacement between the IFF and radar returns displayed for the same target.
Although a linear array antenna arranged to use monopulse techniques does not produce a scannable fan beam, it can provide target azimuth information. However, when the target has an elevation bearing other than zero degrees, the azimuth information will be subject to the same azimuth errors as discussed with reference to FIG. 1.
The present inventor's prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,436, titled "Aircraft Antenna with Coning and Banking Correction", covers antennas providing coning correction by steerable beam configurations using multi-radiator elements having an effective center of radiation which can be shifted forward and backward. The full disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,436 is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Objects of the present invention are to provide new and improved linear array antenna systems employing coning error correction and such systems having one or more of the following advantages and characteristics:
provision of an azimuth correction factor representative of coning error in signal reception from an off-boresight target; PA1 correction of target azimuth by use of an azimuth correction factor; PA1 absence of requirement for modification of a linear array configuration; PA1 absence of requirement for separate additional antenna; PA1 use of an available antenna output signal which is normally resistively dissipated; and PA1 use of signals typically available in monopulse signal processing configurations. PA1 (a) providing a linear array of multi-radiator elements transverse to a boresight axis, each of such elements including at least a front radiator and a rear radiator; PA1 (b) providing, via an excitation circuit coupled to the elements, output signals representative of signals received from a distant signal source positioned off the boresight axis, including (i) a first output signal having an amplitude which is higher during reception from an on-boresight source than from an off-boresight source, and (ii) a second output signal having an amplitude which is lower during reception from an on-boresight source than from an off-boresight source over a range of angles; PA1 (c) comparing the amplitude of the first and second output signals to develop an azimuth correction factor for the distant signal source; PA1 (d) utilizing output signals provided in step (b) to determine an apparent azimuth bearing of the distant signal source by monopulse techniques; and PA1 (e) applying the azimuth correction factor to correct the apparent azimuth bearing determined for the distant signal source.

Linear array aircraft antenna with coning correction

Marconi Aerospace Systems Inc. Advanced Systems Division


The invention comprises a method of forming a semiconductor device is provided where a first gate insulator layer 26 is formed on an outer surface of semiconductor substrate 24. A mask body 28 is formed to cover portions of the insulator layer 26. The exposed portions of the layer 26 are subjected to a nitridation process to form a nitride layer 30. A second oxidation process forms a thick gate oxide layer 32. The nitride layer 30 inhibits the growth of oxide resulting in a single integrated device having gate insulator layers having two different thicknesses such that high voltage and low voltage transistors can be formed on the same integrated circuit.

As semiconductor processing technologies improve, device geometries of integrated circuits are continually made smaller so that the device density of the entire system can be maximized. This results in MOS transistors within integrated devices having shorter and shorter gate lengths which results in the necessity of a reduction in gate oxide thickness and operating supply voltage in order to support the minimum gate length without excessively high threshold voltages. The minimum allowable gate oxide thickness for a given device is limited by the time dependent dielectric breakdown of the thin oxide at the desired operating voltage. As a result, the operating voltages applied to the gates of MOS transistors within a particular device must be reduced as the gate oxides within these devices are reduced in thickness.
It is often the case that devices of one generation need to communicate with devices of prior generations of integrated systems. For example, a device having a given device geometry and gate oxide thickness may need to have input/output devices constructed on the same semiconductor substrate that have thicker gate oxides to enable the high performance device to communicate at the same voltage levels as surrounding integrated circuits that are operating using prior generations of device geometries and gate voltages. In this manner, a chip having a channel length of 0.25 microns and a corresponding gate voltage of 1.8 volts may also need to have constructed on the same chip transistors having 0.6 micron channels able to operate at 3.3 volts. In this particular example, the high performance devices may have a gate oxide on the order of 40 Angstroms in thickness where the higher voltage input/output devices will have a gate oxide on the order of 80 Angstroms in thickness.
The formation of gate oxide layers having two different thicknesses on the same substrate is very problematic. In order to form these transistors, the gate oxides must be patterned using photolithographic techniques. Using conventional techniques, it is often the case that if two gate oxide thicknesses are needed there will be an occasion for a photoresist mask to be in place proximate to bare semiconductor substrate. This situation can result in the degradation of the surface of the substrate especially in the area intended to be used for high performance transistors.
Accordingly, a need has arisen for a method of forming a semiconductor device having two different gate oxide thicknesses that will not degrade the performance of the high performance transistors within the integrated device.

Semiconductor device having dual gate and method of formation


A fuel delivery system is provided having a fuel rail with an outlet. A fuel injector is provided having a body with an outlet and a generally tubular inlet. The tubular inlet of the fuel injector is generally axially slideable into the fuel rail outlet. The fuel injector outlet has a generally noncircular cross-sectional shape and is torsionally restrained by the fuel rail outlet.

Spark-ignited, fuel-injected internal combustion engines are often used in automotive vehicles. Fuel is injected into an intake system of such an engine by electric-operated fuel injectors of a fuel rail (sometimes referred to as a fuel manifold) assembled to the engine.
Targeted types of fuel injectors inject fuel into the vehicle engine in a direction, or directions, that are other than along the fuel injector axial centerline. A split stream fuel injector is an example of a targeted fuel injector. When a targeted fuel injector is used in an engine, the fuel injector has to have a particular angular or circumferential orientation about its centerline so that the direction(s) of fuel injection will be properly targeted. Improperly targeted fuel injectors may derogate engine performance and/or compliance with applicable vehicle emission requirements.
Proper targeting of a fuel injector typically requires a proper axial positioning of the fuel injector. This is typically achieved by positioning the fuel injector nozzle, which contains one or more metering orifices from which fuel is injected into an engine, in a fixed geometric relation to a socket receptacle of the engine intake system into which the nozzle is inserted in a sealed manner. When a fuel rail containing fuel injectors that have been properly circumferentially located in respective outlet cups of the fuel rail is assembled to an engine that has injector-receiving socket receptacles, the act of inserting the nozzles into properly sealed relationship with the socket receptacles can complete proper targeting of the fuel injectors. The achievement of the correct circumferential location of the fuel injector to the fuel rail outlet cup is referred to as "clocking" the fuel injector.
A fuel rail may comprise attachment features, apertured brackets for example, with which threaded fasteners are associated to fasten the fuel rail to an engine. Once the fuel injector nozzles have seated in properly targeted positions in the socket receptacles, a need for further tightening of such fasteners in order to secure the fuel rail on the engine may induce undesired stress, distortion and/or movement. For example, if fuel injector nozzles have been seated in properly targeted positions in respective socket receptacles in engine air intake manifold runners before the fuel rail attachment fasteners have been fully torqued, the fuel rail may distort in some way, and/or there may be some relative movement between some component parts, as the fasteners are finally tightened to full installation torque. With prevailing manufacturing methods and dimensional tolerances of manufactured parts, it seems that the possibility of such distortion, or movement of component parts, at time of fuel rail assembly to an engine, cannot be totally foreclosed in all circumstances.
It has been known to mechanically retain a fuel injector in a fuel rail outlet cup by a retention clip that constrains the two against any substantial movement, both circumferentially and axially. A fuel rail that incorporates such a capability may improve serviceability should it become necessary to remove the fuel rail from an engine and thereafter re-attach it.
Due to the enhanced stringency of vehicle emission requirements and the use of four-valve cylinder heads with two intake ports, it is now more important than ever to ensure that fuel injectors are properly clocked. Therefore the requirement that fuel injectors be properly clocked when inadvertently twisted during assembly or maintenance operations is greater than that previously required. Many prior fuel delivery system arrangements retain the fuel injector to the cup with a C-type clamp which when improperly torqued is subject to inadvertent opening.
It is desirable to provide a fuel delivery system arrangement for connecting the fuel injector between a fuel rail and air intake manifold of the vehicle engine wherein the clocking feature and the axial retention of the fuel injector to the fuel rail outlet cup can be separated.


A device for obtaining a sample of fiber from an aqueous slurry of fiber flowing through a stock line, comprising a first isolation inlet valve element together with a water supply orifice, located inside a fiber stock line; a second isolation valve means, and a third isolation valve, mounted in flow series from the sample inlet point on the stock line. This device allows a complete water purging down through the inlet valve element, as well as fiber samples to flow out of the stock line in the presence of diluent water. Samples flow from the first isolation valve means to a final collection point, without contamination or plugging.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved device for obtaining a sample of fiber from a fiber processing plant, such as a pulp or paper mill, a corn plant, or a starch plant. The improved fiber sampling device has several advantages over current sampling devices, including the ability to fully flush, in order to remove residual fiber, and the ability to be installed and removed while the plant is running. The improved fiber sampling device, therefore, allows fiber processing plants to obtain useful samples more easily and with less contamination than with current sampling units.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
A large number of industries are based on the processing of natural fiber. The pulp and paper industry, for example, converts wood fiber to pulp and paper products. The corn processing industry converts corn to starch, sugar, corn oil, and other products. Other crops, such as wheat and soybeans, are processed in an analogous manner. Cotton fiber is processed to make clothing and other textile goods.
One need that this wide range of industries has in common is the need for fiber sampling. All of the fiber processes are run at specified conditions (temperature, pH, salt concentration, etc.) and are run to a given degree of processing (chemical reaction, purity, removal of inhibitors, etc.). Although a good deal of automated instrumentation is available to monitor and control these process variables, in almost all plants there are some process variables that are not controlled automatically, and samples of the fiber are required for process control. In addition, most automated controls require occasional (or frequent) calibration with actual samples.
Much sampling of fiber is carried out manually. Manual fiber sampling consists of grabbing a sample of fiber with one's hands or with a scoop, where the fiber is openly exposed. If the fiber is flowing within a stock line, a manual sample can be taken by opening a valve attached to the line and using the pressure in the line to force the sample out. The sample is collected until the desired quantity is obtained, and the valve is then closed.
A more sophisticated form of manual sampling consists of two valves in series, connected by an intermediate pipe that is 6 to 12 inches long. The valve closer to the stock line, hereinafter referred to as the first isolation valve, is opened and closed to take a sample; the valve farther from the stock line, hereinafter referred to as the second isolation valve, is closed except when removing a sample from the pipe. To take a sample, the first valve is opened to fill the intermediate pipe with fiber. The first valve is then closed, and the second valve is opened to allow removal of the fiber sample.
An advantageous variant of the two-valves in series is to add a third valve to the system, which is attached to a T coming off the intermediate pipe. This third valve can be opened to allow water into the intermediate pipe, and force the fiber sample out when the second isolation valve is open.
Such a known three-valve sampler can be installed on-line, that is, while the plant is running, and fiber is flowing through the stock line under pressure. This is advantageous, as it avoids the need to shut down the mill to install the sampler. On-line installation is carried out using a so-called hot-tap procedure. A first valve is connected to one end of a pipe nipple, the other end of the nipple then is welded to a stock line. A hot tap apparatus is attached to the other part of the first valve. The valve is opened; a drill bit is pushed through the opening within the valve body; until it bores through the wall of the stock line. The drill bit then is removed through the valve body and the first valve is closed. A first valve so attached to the stock line then is ready to be attached to an intermediate pipe and a second valve.
There are several disadvantages associated with known three valve systems. First, there is no water flush between the first valve and the stock line, and fiber can build up at this point, and contaminate subsequent samples. Second, there is no technique to remove the entire system on-line, for cleaning or maintenance.
While operation of known three valve samples can be automated, so as to allow the samples to be taken automatically, such automation does not overcome the inherent disadvantages of the unit during automatic sampling.
For frequent or multiple samples, and for situations where a sample must be moved a large distance for analysis, certain automated sampling units are known. Several known commercial sampling devices are listed in Table 1. These devices are used for specific solids consistencies, pipe diameters, process temperatures, and materials of construction. In each device a sample is conveyed to a desired location or instrument by either:
1. Internal pressure in the stock line, which feeds the sample directly to the instrument a short distance away.
2. A piston-type pressure, where a moving piston conveys a sample of fiber a distance of 50-200 feet.
3. A flowing-type, where water conveys the sample to the instrument.
A typical example of such devices, is the Kajaani SD-503, which contains a sampling valve element that is inserted into the stock line, and is electrically actuated from outside the stock line. The tip of the sampling valve is a plunger that opens and closes to admit a sample. This sampling valve is short (with a length less than two inches), and has an inlet port coupled to the stock line by a process coupling. The outlet part of the sampling valve is attached to a sample chamber. The pulp samples pass through a sample chamber and out of a hose, to a remote location. Water is admitted to the sampling chamber, at a point just downstream from the process coupling. This water is used to convey the samples out of the sample chamber, and into the hose.
One shortcoming of the SD-503 sampling device is the inability to do a complete water flushing of the sample chamber. The system is not designed for flush water to penetrate all the way to the sampling valve element. In addition, crevices within the sample chamber catch and hold fiber. This makes fiber buildup at or near the isolation valve likely, which causes cross contamination of samples. Another shortcoming of the SD-503 sampling device is that it cannot be installed or removed on-line. The requirement to shut down the plant or fiber line before installing or removing the sampling valve element is a serious inconvenience, and cost factor.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ AUTOMATIC SAMPLING DEVICES MANU- SOLIDS PIPE SPECIAL FACTURER UNIT CONSISTENCY DIAMETER FEATURES ______________________________________ ABB 1000 <6% not specified EPDM seal 1001 <6% not specified Viton seal 1002 <6% not specified Screens sample 1003 6-14% not specified EPDM seal 1004 6-14% not specified Screens pulp MCB- 6-14% not specified Screens pulp 1003 BTG HDS- >12% not specified temp >150 C. 1010 HDS- >12% not specified temp >150 C. 1100 MDS- 5-12% not specified 1100 LDS- <5% not specified 1100 KAJAANI SD-501 6-15% not specified piston type SD-502 0.5-6% <8 inches flow type SD-503 0.5-6% <4 inches titanium ______________________________________
Therefore, in spite of the availability of a wide variety of fiber samplers, there are significant shortcomings with such known devices. Those shortcomings are addressed by the present invention.


This brake, suitable for being connected to a brake cable (6), comprises a toothed sector (1) fitted with a dentation (2) which sector is intended to be fixed to the floor of the vehicle, a pawl (9) provided with locking teeth (13) interacting with the dentation (2) of the sector and a hollow manual gripping lever (5) equipped with an internal push-button rod (7), one end (7a) of which interacts with the pawl in order to keep it in the locking position of the brake due to the thrust of a return spring (14); the pawl (9), articulated about a pin (11), interacts with a member (17), which may be an additional tooth (17) forming part of an over-moulded covering (16) on the metal body (12) of the pawl, positioned between the teeth (13) of the locking mechanism and the pin (11), or an intermediate member which is not integrally connected to the pawl; this member is dimensioned in order to slide over the dentation (2) while the lever (5) is being operated, thereby keeping the teeth (13) of the locking mechanism away from the dentation (2). This arrangement eliminates the noise from operating the pawl in previous brakes.

The subject of the present invention is a handbrake for parking a motor vehicle, suitable for being connected to a brake cable.
This brake is of the type comprising a toothed sector intended to be fixed to the floor of the vehicle, a pawl suitable for interacting with the toothed sector and a manual hollow gripping lever equipped with an internal push-button rod, one end of which interacts with the pawl in order to keep locking teeth of the latter in engagement with the toothed sector due to the thrust of elastic means, the pawl being articulated about a pin internal to the lever.
The elastic means may be constituted by a helical spring positioned around the push-button rod and exerting on the latter a thrust in the direction which keeps the teeth of the pawl engaged in the dentation of the sector.
In order to operate this brake, the user tilts the lever to its new position. During this operation of applying the brake, the friction of the teeth of the pawl on the dentation of the sector and their successive ratcheting constitute a source of undesirable noise.
The object of the invention is therefore to produce a parking brake which does not have this drawback.


A process for the acid-catalyzed synthesis of polysiloxane emulsions is discussed. The process utilizes pre-existing polysiloxane emulsion seeds to yield polysiloxane emulsions comprising optionally multi-layered mono-modal particles.

The manufacture of aqueous polysiloxane emulsions is a widely practiced art typically resulting in aqueous dispersions of broad particle size distributions. These dispersions have a broad utility, including the personal care, adhesives, and coating industries.
Current manufacturing practices encompass emulsification, into water, of pre-existing polysiloxane fluids and/or gums via standard high shear homogenization techniques to directly yield the dispersions. Alternatively, it is known to batch stir polysiloxane precursors in water in the presence of surfactants, under low shear non- homogenizing conditions, subsequent to thermal emulsion polymerization to yield the polysiloxane dispersion. These processes yield a dispersion having a broad particle size distribution. As in many areas of technology such as coatings, adhesives, inks, personal care and the like, which utilize polymer particles, particle size control can be critical to attain optimum performance of the material in its end use application. This is also true for polysiloxane emulsions where particle size has become increasingly important, for example in designing dispersions for the personal care industry.
Examples of polysiloxane emulsion polymerization processes have been known. Base catalyzed emulsion polymerization is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,891,920, which describes the process as base catalyzed with a cationic surfactant. European patent application EP 459500 A2 911204 also discloses a base catalyzed emulsion polymerization process. A base catalyzed emulsion polymerization process is thus described to comprise a process proceeding via an ionic mechanism involving pre-emulsifying cyclosiloxanes into water in the presence of a cationic surfactant and a source of hydroxide ion. These base catalyzed emulsion polymerization processes can yield high molecular weights, however reaction times are very long.
Acid catalyzed emulsion polymerization of siloxanes is also known. Journal of Polymer Science, Part C (27), 27, 1969 discusses the use of dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid as a catalyst and surfactant for the synthesis of polydimethyl-siloxane emulsions from permethylcyclosiloxanes.
Semi-continuous processes for polysiloxane emulsions are described in Japanese patent application JP62141029 A2 870624. This process utilizes a continuous addition of a pre-emulsion of cyclosiloxanes precursor to a reactor containing large amounts of acid catalyst emulsifier. Particle sizes of polysiloxane emulsions thus formed are normally restricted to sizes below 150 nm.
Given a variety of processes disclosed for the production of polysiloxane emulsions, it is surprising that emulsion processes are still being sought which will allow simultaneous control of polysiloxane molecular weight as well as the dispersion particle size within a narrow range. It is also surprising that a process for acid catalyzed synthesis of high molecular weight pure polysiloxane emulsions having a particle size in the range of 50 nm to a few microns is not available. Polysiloxane emulsions having such a particle size in a desired narrow range i.e., mono-modal particles, can provide improved polysiloxane deposition and film formation in skin care products, and would also allow the manufacture of very high emulsion solids, for example, up to 75% by weight of high molecular weight polysiloxanes, at workable emulsion viscosities. Strict control of particle size and distribution would allow specific tailoring of the dispersion to the application, with a resulting increase in performance efficiency.
Publications that relate to polysiloxane emulsion technology surprisingly do not provide a process to make essentially mono-modal, or mono-modal and multi-layered particles. Mono-modal multi-layered particles can provide dispersions with multiple properties. Thus for example, different properties can be imparted to each layer of the particles in a polysiloxane emulsion.
There is thus a need to provide polysiloxane emulsions with improved particle size control in the particle size range of about 50 nm to a few microns. There is also a need to provide a process to make mono-modal polysiloxane emulsions having a predetermined particle size in a narrow range within the aforementioned particle size range. There is also a need to provide polysiloxane dispersions containing particles possessing multi-layered structures, and a process for making such multi-layered particles.

Process for the synthesis of structured aqueous dispersions of polysiloxanes


A synthetic aperture radar to provide high resolution in the azimuth direction under the predetermined conditions of wide observation swathwidth in the range direction, stripmap observation and free PRF (Pulse Repetition Frequency) comprises a transmission antenna 102 for a single system and receiving antennae 104a, 104b for two systems. The beam width in the azimuth direction of a transmission beam 103 from the transmission antenna 102 is set equal to twice as wide as the beam width of each of the receiving antennae 104a, 104b. Moreover, a receiving antenna beam 105a is directed to the moving direction, while the other receiving antenna beam 105b is directed to opposite to the moving direction. The transmission antenna 102 and the receiving antennae 104a, 104b for two systems are used in common by dividing a single array antenna in the elevation direction to configure the receiving antennae 104a, 104b. The antenna size of the transmission antenna 102 in the azimuth direction is set to one half of the antenna size of the receiving antennae 104a, 104b by phase setting of each element of the array antenna or by electrical means when transmitting.

Normally, the resolution of a synthetic aperture radar (referred to as SAR below) in the azimuth (abbreviated to Az below) direction, i.e., the moving or traveling direction of a movable platform on which the synthetic aperture radar is installed is about a half of the antenna size in the Az direction. Accordingly, it is necessary to reduce the antenna size in the Az direction in order to improve the resolution in the Az direction. This accompanies with increase in the Doppler bandwidth as shown in FIG. 8, thereby requiring for setting the pulse repetition frequency (referred to as PRF below) high in order to satisfy the sampling theory. On the other hand, if the PRF becomes higher, observation swathwidth in the range (abbreviated to Rg below) direction is restricted. This means that higher resolution in the Az direction and wider observation swathwidth in the Rg direction are trade off. Now, reference is made to FIG. 8 for describing problems encountering when reproducing SAR images in a normal SAR. When the antenna size is reduced in order to provide a wider transmission beam, the Doppler bandwidth (i.e., synthetic aperture bandwidth) becomes wider, thereby requiring for setting the PRF high.
A spotlight SAR illustrated in FIG. 9 has been proposed as conventional means to overcome the aforementioned problem. The spotlight SAR is designed to expand the synthetic aperture bandwidth and improve the resolution in the Az direction by scanning in time in the moving direction and the opposite direction thereto. FIG. 9 describes how to reproduce SAR images by the spotlight SAR. By scanning the transmission beam of a normal bandwidth in time in the moving direction, the synthetic aperture bandwidth of a receiving beam is expanded without expanding the Doppler bandwidth, thereby enabling to produce high Az resolution images. However, the spotlight SAR has the following problems: Firstly, the beam must be scanned in time in the Az direction. Moreover, it is unable to make a band observation (or stripmap observation) that is possible in the normal synthetic aperture radar.
An alternative method is to employ a dual receive antenna (abbreviated to DRA below) mode in a TerraSAR-X as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. The receiving antenna is electrically divided into two in the Az direction and the PRF is set so that receiving positions (phase centers) of the two antennae are alternatively arranged. By synthesizing or combining the data that are received by the both receiving antennae, the PRF is virtually doubled (this is a technique similar to the one disclosed in J. Mittermayer and H. Runge, "Conceptual studies for exploiting the TerraSAR-X dual receiver antenna" (non-patent document 1). In this approach, it is made possible to have a wide Doppler bandwidth, i.e., a high resolution in the Az direction while maintaining the actual PRF low. FIG. 10 shows how to reproduce SAR images in the DRA mode of the TerraSAR-X. It uses a wide bandwidth transmission beam and synthesizes both receiving data of the two receiving antennae with adjusted phase center of the beams. As a result, the PRF is virtually doubled while maintaining the actual PRF low, thereby expanding the synthetic aperture bandwidth of the receiving beam and producing images of high resolution in the Az direction. FIG. 11 shows the phase relationship between the transmission and receiving beams in the DRA mode of the TerraSAR-X, wherein phase centers of the data received by the two receiving antennae are alternately located in time along the moving direction.
However, in this method of using the DRA mode, it is necessary to set the PRF so that the phase positions (phase centers of transmission and receiving antennae) of the data received by the receiver 1 and the receiver 2 are alternately disposed, thereby making it impossible to freely set the PRF.
Similarly, in Japanese patent publication entitled "Side Monitoring SAR System" (Japanese Patent Publication no. 2004-523760, patent document 1) discloses a technique of achieving both high resolution and wide band observation by integrating a transmission by one small transmission antenna and receiving by a large number of small receiving antennae. In case of the patent document 1, receiving data of a plurality of receiving antennae are synthesized to achieve high resolution similarly to the case of the DRA mode of the TerraSAR-X as described hereinabove, thereby expanding the virtual PRF and achieving a wide Doppler bandwidth, while maintaining the actual PRF low.
However, it is also necessary in the method as disclosed in the patent document 1 to alternately arrange the phase position (phase centers of the transmission and receiving antennae) of the data received by the respective receivers similar to the aforementioned case in the DRA mode of the TerraSAR-X, thereby making it impossible to freely set the PRF.
As apparent from the foregoing descriptions, it was difficult in the conventional SAR to achieve high resolution in the Az direction under the condition of wide observation swathwidth in the Rg direction, the stripmap observation and free PRF setting.

Synthetic aperture radar and processing method of reproducing synthetic aperture radar image


We examined IQGAP1 copy gain and its relationship with clinicopathologic outcomes of thyroid cancer and investigated its role in cell invasion and molecules involved in the process. We found IQGAP1 copy number (CN) gain ?3 in 1 of 30 (3%) of benign thyroid tumor, 24 of 74 (32%) follicular variant papillary thyroid cancer (FVPTC), 44 of 107 (41%) follicular thyroid cancer (FTC), 8 of 16 (50%) tall cell papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), and 27 of 41 (66%) anaplastic thyroid cancer, in increasing order of invasiveness of these tumors. A similar tumor distribution trend of CN ?4 was also seen. IQGAP1 copy gain was positively correlated with IQGAP1 protein expression. It was significantly associated with extrathyroidal and vascular invasion of FVPTC and FTC and, remarkably, a 50%-60% rate of multifocality and recurrence of BRAF mutation-positive PTC (P=0.01 and 0.02, respectively). The siRNA knock-down of IQGAP1 dramatically inhibited thyroid cancer cell invasion and colony formation. Co-immunoprecipitation assay showed direct interaction of IQGAP1 with E-cadherin, a known invasion-suppressing molecule, which was upregulated when IQGAP1 was knocked down. IQGAP1, through genetic copy gain, plays an important role in the invasiveness of thyroid cancer and represents a useful prognostic marker and therapeutic target for this and other cancers.

The human IQGAP protein family comprises three members, which, as scaffold proteins, play important roles in the regulation/modulation of cytoskeletal architecture and cell adhesion through binding to various effectors/regulators (1-4). Among these, IQGAP1 has been best characterized (3-6). This protein was initially identified in human osteosarcoma cells and consists of a 1,657-amino acid polypeptide with significant similarity to the Ras-related GTPase-activating (RasGAP) proteins (7). A unique structural feature of IQGAP proteins is their IQ domain, which contains about 25 amino acids and is found in diverse families of calmodulin-binding proteins. This motif is capable of effecting on intracellular Ca2+ signaling and a wide range of cellular activities. Some previous studies showed that IQGAP1 might be able to modulate the Ras→Raf→MEK→MAP kinase/ERK pathway (MAP kinase pathway) in certain cells, but it can also function independently of this mechanism (8-10). Overexpression of IQGAP1 was seen in certain cancers, suggesting a role of this molecule in human tumorigenesis (3, 4, 11-13). IQGAP3 may potentially also have such a role as it was shown to be involved in cell proliferation (2). IQGAP2 has been less well studied and may function as a tumor suppressor (4).
Follicular epithelial cell-derived thyroid cancer is a common endocrine malignancy (14). This cancer can be histologically classified into papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), follicular thyroid cancer (FTC), and anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC). PTC can be further classified into several variants or subtypes, including mainly conventional PTC (CPTC), follicular variant PTC (FVPTC), and tall cell PTC (TCPTC). A striking genetic alteration in PTC is the BRAF mutation, which plays an important oncogenic role through activation of the MAP kinase pathway (15-17). ATC is a rare but rapidly lethal cancer with aggressive invasion and metastasis. PTC and FTC are both differentiated thyroid cancers with a relatively indolent clinical course, but FTC is generally more invasive and aggressive than PTC except for certain types, such as TCPTC, which is also relatively aggressive (18, 19). FTC and FVPTC tend to display invasive behaviors, such as vascular invasion (20). It is not known whether IQGAP proteins play any role in thyroid tumorigenesis or whether it determines aggressiveness our outcome in other cancers. There is a continuing need in the art to obtain better tools for diagnosing, prognosing, and treating human cancers.

Genetic amplification of IQGAP1 in cancer


A system for detecting a screening-test error includes a measurement device that measures at least one performance parameter related to at least one screening-test task and a computational device, in communication with the measurement device. The computational device receives the at least one measured performance parameter, calculates at least one performance statistical quantity characterizing the measured performance parameter, and compares the at least one performance statistical quantity to at least one reference statistical quantity associated with an error-free screening test. In accordance with a related embodiment, the system may further include a display device that displays the extent to which the at least one performance statistical quantity differs from the at least one reference statistical quantity.

Screening-tests are commonly used to detect early stage chronic medical conditions before they become disabling. Devices used to perform screening-tests include blood pressure meters, which detect signs of early stage cardiovascular disease, and eye pressure tests, which detect signs of early stage glaucoma. To be cost-effective, screening-tests must be sensitive to physiological changes. Screening-tests must also be accurate, accessible, easily administered to a large number of individuals, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture. When these criteria are met, the cost of screening a large number of individuals may be offset by the savings achieved through reduction in the incidence and/or severity of disabling chronic diseases.
Newly recognized chronic medical problems occurring primarily (but not exclusively) in the elderly population involve falling and fall-related injuries. Such fall-related injuries often lead to the restriction of activities involved in daily living and loss of independent mobility. Recent epidemiological studies have found that restriction of activities, and injuries related to falling, are major causes of impairment to functional independence in the over sixty-five year old population. Because people are living longer today, the prevalence of these chronic problems is projected to increase substantially in years to come.
Recent research studies have demonstrated that the risk of fall related restriction of activities and fall related injuries can be identified before disability occurs. If the risk is identified early and treated, the incidence of injury and loss of functional independence can be reduced. According to other recent studies, balance is one of the most important factors influencing fall risk. An American Medical Association review of an article titled "Preventable Medical Injuries in Older Patients" published in the Archives of Physical Medicine provides a succinct summary of this problem.
In the current state of the art, both subjective observational and objective technology-based means are available for quantifying an individual's balance function. One well-known example of an observational test with documented ability to detect fall risk is the Berg Balance test. The Berg test requires a clinically trained individual to observe and numerically rate an individual's ability to perform a series of standardized balance and movement tasks. This test has the advantage of requiring no specialized equipment. However, the test requires considerable time to administer, and the results are dependent on the observational skills and experience of a clinically trained administrator.
Effective screening-tests for hearing, vision, and blood pressure abnormalities are currently offered to the general public in uncontrolled, non-medical environments such as drug stores and shopping malls. These types of screening-tests are administered by individuals without specialized medical training. Compared to medical tests administered by highly trained individuals in controlled medical environments, the potential for errors in administration and interpretation of the tests is substantially higher. These screening errors can result in needless worry on the part of the subject if one or more of the errors places a normal subject in an at-risk category. Additionally, if an error in the administration of a test occurs, and the administer fails to detect that the subject is at risk, an opportunity may be lost to help the at-risk individual.
In screening-tests administered in non-medical environments, data transmission applications are often employed. Many of these data transmission applications require that high volumes of information be transferred from one site to another as rapidly as possible with a minimum of errors. Two devices used to transfer high volumes of information rapidly include the high-speed modem, for transmission of digital data over a phone line; and relatively low-powered transmitters on space vehicles (such as satellites), for radio frequency transmission of data over great distances of space. To maximize the efficiency of data transmission, these and many other applications use data compression means. Transmission of high volumes of compressed data, however, increases the risk of errors.

Method and apparatus for reducing errors in screening-test administration


Compounds of formula (I): ##STR1## [wherein: R.sup.1 represents halogen, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkoxy, haloalkoxy, cycloalkyl, or cycloalkyloxy; R.sup.2 represents hydrogen or halogen; R.sup.3 represents hydrogen, alkyl, or cycloalkyl; and the dotted line represents a single or double carbon--carbon bond]; and salts thereof have valuable fungicidal activities which make them of considerable value in agriculture and horticulture.

The present invention relates to a series of new pyrroloquinoline derivatives which have valuable fungicidal activities which make them of considerable value in agriculture and horticulture. It also provides methods and compositions using the compounds of the present invention as well as processes for their preparation.
The compounds of the present invention have the following basic molecular structure: ##STR2## Certain compounds having a similar structure are known and are described in Japanese Patent Publication (Kokoku) No. Sho 52-48176 (equivalent to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,917,838 and 4,008,325), J. Agric. Food Chem., Vol. 29, No. 3,576-579 (1981) and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. Sho 54-163813.
The compounds of the present invention are characterised by a substituent at the 7-position of the above-mentioned basic structure.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. Sho 54-163813 discloses the compound of formula: ##STR3## that is, with a methyl group at the 6-position and no substituent at the 7-position.
Although the disclosures of certain of the other prior art embraces the compounds of the present invention, as well as a class of superficially similar but unrelated compounds having a carbonyl group at the 2-position instead of the 4-position, there is no disclosure of the limited class of compounds claimed herein.
When compounds having fungicidal activities are used in practice as agricultural chemicals, it is generally considered highly desirable that they should be capable of exhibiting their activities when used in relatively small amounts. It is also necessary that they should be free from phytotoxicity. Further, in recent years, labor-saving has become of greater importance in the treatment of crops and greater emphasis has been put on the safety of workers. For these purposes, compounds having systemic (osmosis migration) characteristics are particularly advantageous.
We have now surprisingly discovered that a limited series of compounds having the above-mentioned basic structure and having a substituent at the 7-position have excellent fungicidal activity for use in agriculture and horticulture, and have good systemic (osmosis migration) characteristics without any phytotoxicity, unlike the prior art compounds referred to above.

Tricyclic compounds having fungicidal activity, their preparation and their use


Method and apparatus for authenticating a data storage medium (such as an optical disc including a compact disc, CD or a digital versatile disc, DVD) in which data are nominally stored in a plurality of sectors have a defined sector size containing a first total number of bits. A number of altered sectors are formed on the medium each having a second total number of bits different from the first total number of bits. The altered sectors will provide readback data at a different rate than a nominal rate determined by the defined sector size. The altered sectors are used to verify the medium as being an authorized copy and prevent unauthorized copying efforts.

Optical discs are one type of data storage medium used to store a wide variety of digitally encoded data. Popular optical disc formats include compact discs (such as audio CD, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-R/W) and digital versatile discs (such as DVD-audio, DVD-video, DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-ROM). Optical discs are usually portable in nature and can be played in a variety of settings including personal computers, car audio players, home theater systems, handheld personal data/entertainment devices, etc.
A typical optical disc comprises a circular disc having one or more recording layers of light reflective material embedded in a refractive substrate. Each recording layer is disposed along a plane substantially normal to an axis about which the disc is rotated and stores data in the form of localized pits and lands along a continuously extending spiral track. A data transducing head uses a laser or similar light source to output a readback signal based on the different reflectivities of the pit and land areas. Decoding circuitry decodes the user data for output by the appropriate playback device.
During readback, an optical disc typically provides main channel (user) data, subcode (control) channel data, and error detection/correction (EDC) channel data. Main channel data comprise the desired user data stored on the disc (audio, video, computer software, etc.) in fixed-size user data blocks (sectors). Control channel data comprise sector header, timing and other types of control information to facilitate playback of the main channel data. EDC channel data indicate the extent to which EDC techniques (parity bits, Reed-Solomon error correction codes, etc.) have been employed to correct detected errors in the main channel and control channel data.
The user data portion of an optical disc can be readily retrieved using various reading devices and stored onto other storage devices such as computer hard discs, floppy discs and recordable and re-recordable optical discs. Optical disc recording devices will accept this user data portion and add the additional address codes, synchronization data, error detection and correction codes, modulation data etc. using built-in per-programmed encoder circuits. This process is sometimes referred to as digital extraction or ripping.
It is thus relatively easy to make perfect digital copies of the user data portion of CD, DVD and other optical discs. However, due to the fact that these recorders use their own built-in and pre-programmed encoder circuits for the non-user data portion, it is much more difficult to create a perfect digital copy which includes all of the additional information contained on the original disc.
Due to the continued world-wide interest in the types of data available on optical discs and other types of media, and the relative ease with which unauthorized duplicate copies can be made, there remains a continued need for improvements in the art for medium authentication and copy protection schemes that are easily implemented and difficult to detect and defeat. It is to such improvements that the present invention is directed.

Media authentication using altered sector sizes


The invention related to a method for determining a silicon wafer in which the interstitial oxygen concentration of a pulled silicon wafer is calculated on the basis of a light transmission characteristic measured by utilizing parallel polarized light incident at the brewster angle into the pulled silicon wafer and a further light transmission characteristic measured by utilizing parallel polarized light incident at the brewster angle into the floating zone silicon wafer function as a reference silicon wafer. The interstitial oxygen concentration value of the pulled silicon wafer is compared with a reference value to determine a defect in pulled silicon wafer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for making a silicon wafer. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for making a silicon wafer in which the interstitial oxygen concentration of a pulled silicon wafer is calculated on the basis of a light transmission characteristic measured by utilizing parallel polarized light indicated at the Brewster angle into the pulled silicon wafer and a further light transmission characteristic measured by utilizing parallel polarized light incident at the Brewster angle into a floating zone silicon wafer functioning as a reference silicon wafer. The calculated value is then compared with a reference value so as to exclude any pulled silicon wafer having defective interstitial oxygen concentration.
2. Description of Related Art
In the conventional method for making silicon wafers, a pulled silicon wafer is picked up from a production line in order to inspect it. A floating zone type silicon wafer is utilized as a reference wafer since the oxygen concentration of such wafers is known to be negligibly small. The reference silicon wafer is prepared so as to have substantially the same optical behavior as that of the pulled silicon wafer, for example, by mirror polishing and chemically polishing of the front and rear faces thereof, depending on the condition of the pulled silicon wafer when it is picked up. After that, an infrared ray impinges on both the pulled silicon wafer and the reference silicon wafer at the same time to thereby measure a light transmission characteristic of the pulled silicon wafer and the floating zone silicon wafer so that the interstitial oxygen concentration of the pulled silicon wafer is calculated. According to such calculated interstitial oxygen concentration values, it is determined whether or not the pulled silicon wafer is defective.
Such a conventional silicon wafer production method has the following disadvantages because in the conventional method the pulled silicon wafer and the floating zone silicon wafer must have substantially the same optical behavior, e.g., they must both be mirror polished.
(i) A lot of time and complicated measuring operations are required. In particular, the reference silicon wafer must be treated so as to correspond to the picked-up silicon wafer or visa versa.
(ii) It is not possible in practice to inspect all of pulled silicon wafers on a production line.
(iii) Since machining takes place prior to the measurement, detective wafers are unnecessarily machined, thereby reducing efficiency.
(iv) As a result, it is difficult to improve the production efficiency of the production line.

Method for measuring interstitial oxygen concentration


An infant positioner and positioning system, and methods of use and manufacture, are disclosed for preventing SIDS, plagiocephaly, torticolli, or suffocation from regurgitation. The device and system includes an infant positioner with a concave back support and abdominal support for positioning an infant on its side. A position marker can also indicate how to position the infant within the infant positioner.

1. Field of the Invention
The application relates to infant positioners for positioning an infant while sleeping, and relates more particularly to positioners and accessories for reducing the risk of sudden infant death, positional plagiocephaly, and other conditions.
2. General Background and State of the Art
Medical studies have shown that infants who sleep on their backs have a reduced risk of dying suddenly from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), compared to infants who sleep on their stomachs. Efforts by the American Academy of Pediatrics to disseminate this information to pediatricians and parents have resulted in an increase in the practice of placing infants in a supine position for sleeping.
An unanticipated effect of the increasingly widespread practice of placing infants in a supine position for sleeping has been an increase in the number of infants developing positional plagiocephaly, i.e., a flat or misshapen area on the back of the skull. A newborn infant's skull is relatively deformable due to flexibility of the bone plates and non-fusion of the sutures between adjacent bone plates. This property of deformability permits the infant's head to pass between the bones of the mother's pelvis during birth. As the infant matures, however, the bone plates of the skull become increasingly rigid and the sutures eventually fuse.
When an infant spends many hours daily sleeping exclusively on his back, the bones at the back of the skull tend to flatten from pressure against the sleeping surface due to the weight of the infant's head. If the practice of sleeping exclusively on the back is continued through the critical period during which the bones of the skull become rigid, the flat or misshapen area on the back of the skull can become permanent.
Furthermore, if an infant spends prolonged periods sleeping on the same side of its body, plagiocephaly may occur on the side of the infant's head. The occurrence of plagiocephaly on a side of the infant's head may cause the infant's ear to gradually move toward the nose. Infants may spend prolonged periods sleeping on one side of their head if the infants are repeatedly laid on the same side when placed onto a mattress or pillow. Infants may regularly be placed on their same side since the guardian's may not know that they can reduce the risk of plagiocephaly by alternating the position of the infant when placing the infant on a mattress or pillow. Furthermore, knowledgeable guardians may repeatedly place the infant on its same side since guardians may forget which side the infant was last placed upon.

Alfred E. Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering at the University of Southern California


A display apparatus can include a substantially self-supporting panel adapted to be erected and used without the use of a support frame. In one embodiment, a frameless display fixture includes first and second panels fastened to one another proximal their upper edges, recesses adapted to receive retail merchandise integrally formed along a front side of the panel, and mating portions proximal their lower edge which interlock with a substantially rigid base unit such that the lower edges of the panels are held a fixed distance from one another. The first and second panels may be substantially mutually self-supporting so as to form a frameless display fixture.

Conventional display fixtures for greeting cards or other similar products are often shipped to retail stores and assembled on-site. The individuals who actually assemble the display fixtures may not be mechanically skilled, and the chore of assembling the fixtures can be time consuming. While simplicity of assembly and weight reduction are significant factors in the design of display fixtures, those features can often be improved only at the cost of achieve structural integrity. After the display fixture is assembled, the strength and balance of the fixture are usually tested by inadvertent abuse from customers, shopping carts, floor-cleaning machines, and other various loads placed upon the fixture. Because display fixtures must be able to withstand such treatment, conventional display fixtures are comparatively heavy, cumbersome, and typically include many component parts and fasteners.
Conventional display fixtures generally include panels that are attached to an internal support frame. The panels, by themselves, are usually not designed to withstand the necessary loads or be self-supporting. The underlying support frame is often made from wood or metal and is positioned between the backsides of two opposing panels (while the front side of each panel is used to display products). On-wall display fixtures often include internal support frames positioned between the backside of the panel and the wall. In either case, the support frame is secured to the floor or nearby wall, and each panel relies on that frame for structural stability.
The support frames themselves add weight and complexity to the assembly. They are generally heavy and attaching panels to the support frame typically requires drilling, screwing, bolting, or other mechanical fixation. Consequently, on-site construction of these prior art display fixtures may require several hours.
Manufacturing and packaging the support frame and the parts necessary to assemble the fixture add to the total cost of the display fixture. Furthermore, because the display fixtures are often shipped to the retail store in an unassembled state (for later on site assembly), the excess weight and a space occupied by the support frame increases the transportation and assembly cost.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The power source in a portable defibrillator includes a replaceable first power pack and a rechargeable second power pack. The first power pack charges the second power pack. The second power pack supplies most of the energy needed to administer a defibrillation shock. The first power pack may include one or more lithium thionyl chloride batteries. The second power pack may include one or more lithium ion batteries and/or ultracapacitors.

Cardiac arrest and ventricular fibrillation are life-threatening medical conditions that may be treated with external defibrillation. External defibrillation includes applying electrodes to the patient's chest and delivering an electric shock to the patient to depolarize the patient's heart and restore normal sinus rhythm. The chances that a patient's heart can be successfully defibrillated increase significantly if a defibrillation shock is applied quickly. In many cases, it is more expedient to bring a defibrillator to the patient than to bring the patient to a defibrillator.
Many external defibrillators are portable. Portable external defibrillators may be used in hospitals and outside hospital settings as well. Paramedics, emergency medical technicians and police officers, for example, may carry portable external defibrillators in their vehicles. In addition, automated external defibrillators (AED's) may be available in public venues such as airports, health clubs and auditoriums. Portable external defibrillators are compact and lightweight.
Before an external defibrillator is used to administer a shock, the energy to be delivered to the patient must be stored in an energy storage device, such as a capacitor. Many defibrillators use a charging circuit to transfer energy from a power source, such as an electrical outlet or a battery, to the energy storage device. When a switch is closed, the energy storage device delivers at least a part of the stored energy from electrode to electrode through the patient's chest. Delivery of energy from the energy storage device is completed in a few milliseconds.
Following administration of one shock, it may be necessary to administer another. The charging circuit draws energy from the power source and transfers the energy to the energy storage device. When the energy storage device is sufficiently charged, another shock may be administered. In order to charge the energy storage device quickly, the power source may be called upon to supply approximately fifty to one hundred fifty watts of power. The power supplied is a function of the voltage of the power source and the current supplied by the power source. To supply fifty to one hundred fifty watts, a ten-volt power source, for example, may be called upon to supply between five to fifteen amperes of current.
Some conventional external defibrillators are powered by a connection to an electrical outlet. These "line-powered" defibrillators carry risks of injury to the patient, to bystanders and to persons operating the defibrillator. In particular, a line-powered defibrillator carries a risk of sending line power to the patient and a risk of sending high voltage to the power cord during delivery of the defibrillation shock. Accordingly, a line-powered defibrillator usually includes electrical isolation circuitry to prevent the line power from reaching the patient and to prevent the defibrillation energy from passing through the power cord. Some isolation circuitry, such as a transformer, is large and heavy, adversely affecting the portability of the external defibrillator. In addition, a line-powered defibrillator cannot draw energy from an electrical outlet when the patient is far from an electrical outlet.
Other external defibrillators use one or more batteries as a power source. A battery-powered defibrillator does not require a power cord and therefore does not require the bulky isolation circuitry needed for a power cord. In conventional external defibrillators, batteries may be permanently mounted or replaceable.
When a defibrillator includes batteries that are permanently mounted in the device, the batteries usually are rechargeable. Many rechargeable batteries, such as nickel-cadmium batteries, sealed lead acid batteries or nickel-metal-hydride batteries, require a special recharging apparatus. The addition of recharging apparatus to the defibrillator adds to the bulk, weight and cost of the device. In addition, the recharging apparatus may be line-powered, which in turn necessitates electrical isolation circuitry for safety.
A further drawback to rechargeable batteries is short shelf life. Nickel-metal-hydride batteries, for example, discharge within a few months, even when no load is applied. Some rechargeable batteries, such as nickel-cadmium batteries, need to undergo conditioning cycles periodically to deliver optimum performance.
External defibrillators may include capacitors to smooth the power supplied by the rechargeable batteries. Although capacitors can be used as a rechargeable source of dc power, banks of conventional capacitors are incapable of supplanting the rechargeable batteries as a power source. Banks of conventional capacitors store too little energy, or are too bulky for a portable external defibrillator, or both.
As an alternative to permanent rechargeable batteries, a defibrillator may use replaceable batteries as a power source. Many replaceable batteries are not capable of delivering the energy demanded by the charging circuit. Replaceable batteries that can deliver the energy typically require heavy duty, low impedance connectors to carry the high currents safely, and the bulky connectors add to the weight and cost of the device. Heavy duty, low impedance conductors also increase the risk of inadvertent shock to an operator, because of the comparatively large size of the conductors.
In addition, some replaceable high capacity batteries pose additional hazards. When lithium sulfur dioxide batteries fail, for example, the batteries vent noxious gases, and when is lithium manganese batteries fail, the batteries vent flammable electrolytes.

Defibrillator power source with replaceable and rechargeable power packs

Medtronic Emergency Response Systems, Inc.


The invention relates to a device for protecting a battery from electrostatic charging. In particular, the invention is directed to an electrically conductive covering for a vehicle battery having a plastic casing. The type of plastics typically used in casings for vehicle batteries have a tendency to develop electrostatic charges. The accumulation of such charges can result in flash overs that can damage the battery and, in certain circumstances, can result in explosions. The covering may be a film having a surface resistance of <1·109 ohms that is connected to one of the terminals of the battery, thus draining the electrostatic charges that might otherwise build up. The covering may be provided with various features, including ribbing that preserves the structural integrity of the covering as well as different structures to hold down the covering on the battery. The covering is designed so that it can be customized to fit various battery types and sizes and is also reusable.

This application claims the priority of Application No. 100 49 455.2, filed Oct. 6, 2000, in Germany, and PCT/EP01/11278, filed Sep. 29, 2001, the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a device for protecting a battery from electrostatic charging, in particular a vehicle battery, the battery having a plastic casing and a surface which is provided with a film having a surface resistance of <1·109 ohms.
Vehicles with internal combustion engines usually have multi-cell lead-acid batteries, in which the individual galvanic cells are arranged in a common casing or battery container. For technical production-related reasons and due to cost considerations, this casing (referred to hereafter as plastic casing) is produced from injection moldable plastics, in particular polypropylene, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene or acrylate copolymers. However, plastics have a notorious tendency to easily develop static charges, since charge separations produced on the surface by friction are equalized only very slowly and often are equalized spontaneously by flashover or brush discharges.
In combination with the generation of detonating gas typical of lead-acid storage batteries when the battery is overloaded, the static discharge caused by flashover can lead to the detonating gas mixture being ignited and the battery being destroyed as a result. Employees of service stations working on battery recharging or battery maintenance are affected in particular in such cases. Battery explosions spontaneously occurring in the vehicle also lead not only to failure of the electrical supply of the vehicle but often also to damage on account of released sulfuric acid.
To avoid or reduce such damage, German Patent Documents DE-A 21 57 290 or DE-A 37 25 575, for example, disclose plastic casings with antistatic properties, which reduce or entirely avoid electrostatic charging of the plastic or battery casing.
To avoid electrostatic charging of the battery, German Patent Document DE 198 32 929 C1, for example, discloses an adhesive film which is connected in a galvanically conducting manner to the negative pole of the battery and binds water molecules. A disadvantage of this is that the adhesive film is fixedly applied to the surface of the battery and consequently cannot be exchanged. Rather, an adhesive film of this type can only be used once. In addition, to achieve the surface resistance of <1·109 ohms (guideline of the Hauptverband der gewerblichen Berufsgenossenschaften "Statische Elektrizit ät" German confederation of industrial employers' liability insurance associations on "static electricity", 4th edition, 1980, page 10), it must be ensured that the material of the film is suitable for bonding a sufficient number of water molecules. For dissipating the electrostatic charge, a metallic connection contact is also provided.
The invention is therefore based on the object of specifying a device for protecting a battery from electrostatic charging that is of a particularly simple configuration and is suitable for repeated use and for known plastic casings without modification of these casings.
The object is achieved according to the invention by a device for protecting a battery from electrostatic charging, the battery having a plastic casing and a surface that is provided with a film which has having a surface resistance of <1·109 ohms, the film being electrically conductive and arranged detachably and flush with the edges on the surface of the battery. An electrically conductive film of this type flexibly applied to the surface and having a surface resistance of <1·109 ohms provides particularly reliable avoidance of electrostatic charging of the battery. In particular, a charge separation caused by friction, which may leads to a spark discharge of the battery, which in turn may lead to the latter exploding, is reliably avoided.
The film may be formed from a polymeric material that is provided with an electrically conductive substance. The conductive substance is preferably graphite, a metal or an organic semiconductor. By use of internal antistatic agents for the film, the film is suitable for dissipating the electrostatic charge, for example, the charge separation caused by friction. It is consequently possible to dispense with metallic contact elements known from the prior art for dissipation, on account of the electrically conducting nature of the film. In addition, the film is made to be permanently antistatic by incorporation of additives with electronic conductivity such as graphite or metals, for example aluminium aluminum. In contrast, the water-binding film known from the prior art it always has to be must have a sufficiently large number of water molecules bonded to achieve the predetermined surface resistance in the film substance, such a film of solid material is not of a particularly flexible configuration.
A preferred arrangement of the film is flush with the edges on the battery surfaces the film may be cut to size in the manner of a fabric to ensure this arrangement. The film may be advantageously adapted to the dimensions of the surface of the battery. This makes it possible for the device to be used for protecting any type of battery from electrostatic charging by cutting the film to size according to the dimensions of the respective battery surface. For largely covering the entire battery surface, the film may have reinforcing ribs for shaping it, which reliably avoid rolling together or folding over of the particularly flexible film. In addition or alternatively, the film may be arranged in a frame opening of a profile frame.
For the electrically conducting of the film with the negative pole, a hold-down device may be provided for pressing the film onto the surface. For fastening the hold-down device, the film may have at least one clearance. In a particularly simple configuration, the clearance may be a hole punched into the film. Depending on the configuration of the hold-down device, one or more clearances may be provided. The hold-down device preferably has at least one cylindrical pin, which is expediently arranged in the clearance of the film and at least one fastening hole of for the battery, in particular in what is known as a blind hole for customary coverage of the negative pole. Depending on the specification, the hold-down device may be designed as a T-profile or in a spiral form. It is possible to dispense with the usual coverage of the negative or positive pole of the battery (known as pole caps) on account of the largely complete coverage of the battery surface by means of the film. To identify the negative and positive poles, the film advantageously has appropriate coloring in the region of the negative and/or positive pole, for example red or blue coloring.
For particularly secure holding-down of the film and contacting of the film with the negative pole, the hold-down device may be formed from a solid material, for examples solid plastic. In addition, the hold-down device may have an angle of inclination. This ensures that the film arranged between the hold-down device and the negative pole is pressed onto the negative pole as a result of the arrangement of the hold-down device in the direct vicinity of the negative pole and on account of its curvature. Such a film resting with pressure on the negative pole provides particularly good electrical contact for dissipating the electrostatic charges.

Device for protecting a battery from electrostatic charging


An appliance for removing hairs growing from skin is provided with a clamping device and a cutting device cooperating therewith. The clamping device clamps the hairs to be removed and subsequently extracts them at least partly from the skin, whereupon the hairs extracted partly from the skin are cut through adjacent the skin by the cutting device. The hairs thus cut through return to below the surface of the skin, so that a smooth shaving result is achieved which remains intact during a considerable period. According to the invention, the appliance is provided with structure for adjusting an extraction distance over which the clamping device extracts the hairs from the skin before they are cut through by the cutting device. In a special embodiment, the structure is adjustable to a first mode in which the appliance purely has a shaving function and to a second mode in which the appliance purely has a depilation function.

The invention relates to an appliance for the removal of hairs growing from skin, which appliance is provided with a clamping device for clamping a hair and subsequently extracting the hair at least partly from the skin, and with a cutting device for cutting through, adjacent the skin, of a hair which has been partly extracted from the skin.
An appliance of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,088,205. The known appliance comprises a comb-shaped cutting member capable of oscillation and provided with a row of cutter elements. The cutter elements of the cutting member bear on a foil which is provided with hair trap openings. The cutting member further comprises a clamping element arranged on either side of each cutter element in a fixed position relative to the cutting member, for example a flexible metal strip or a rubber strip. A hair penetrating one of the hair trap openings during operation is first clamped between the foil and one of the clamping elements, the hair being extracted partly from the skin as a result of the movement of the clamping element relative to the foil. The hair is subsequently cut through owing to a cooperation between a cutter element adjoining the relevant clamping element and an edge of the relevant hair trap opening, a portion of the hair clamped in between the foil and the clamping element being cut off. Since the hair shortened in this manner is no longer clamped in, the shortened hair returns into the skin, the end of the shortened hair sinking to below the surface of the skin. A smooth shaving result is thus achieved through the use of the clamping elements, the skin also remaining smooth for a reasonably long period after shaving.
A disadvantage of the known appliance is that the process of partly extracting the hairs from the skin before they are cut through is somewhat painful. The removal of hairs by means of the known appliance is more painful as a result of this than is the removal of hairs by means of a shaver which is usual and known per se and which performs exclusively a cutting action. The user of the known appliance has no degree of choice. The user will normally achieve a smoother shaving result with the known appliance than with a shaver having a cutting action only, but the removal of hairs by means of the known appliance is always painful to a certain extent.

Hair removal appliance with adjustable hair extraction distance


A purified preparation of a peptide consisting essentially of an amino acid sequence identical to that of a segment of a naturally-occurring human protein, said segment being of 10 to 30 residues in length, inclusive, wherein said peptide binds to a human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II allotype.

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II antigens are cell surface receptors that orchestrate all specific immune responses in vertebrates. Humans possess three distinct MHC class II isotypes: DR, for which approximately 70 different allotypes are known; DQ, for which 33 different allotypes are known; and DP, for which 47 different allotypes are known. Each individual bears two to four DR alleles, two DQ alleles, and two DP alleles.
MHC receptors (both class I and class II) participate in the obligate first step of immune recognition by binding small protein fragments (peptides) derived from pathogens or other non-host sources, and presenting these peptides to the regulatory cells (T cells) of the immune system. In the absence of MHC presentation, T cells are incapable of recognizing pathogenic material. Cells that express MHC class II receptors are termed antigen presenting cells (APC). APCs ingest pathogenic organisms and other foreign materials by enveloping them in endosomic vesicles, then subjecting them to enzymatic and chemical degradation. Foreign proteins which are ingested by APCs are partially degraded or "processed" to yield a mixture of peptides, some of which are bound by MHC class II molecules that are en route to the surface. Once on the cell surface, MHC-bound peptides are available for T cell recognition.
MHC class II antigens are expressed on the surface of APCs as a trimolecular complex composed of an .alpha. chain, a .beta. chain, and a processed peptide. Like most polypeptides that are expressed on the cell surface, both .alpha. and .beta. chains contain short signal sequences at their NH.sub.2 termini which target them to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Within the ER the class II .alpha./.beta. chain complex associates with an additional protein termed the invariant chain (Ii). Association with Ii is proposed to block the premature acquisition of peptides (by blocking the peptide binding cleft of the MHC heterodimer), promote stable .alpha./.beta. interaction, and direct subsequent intracellular trafficking of the complex to endosomal vesicles. In the endosomes, Ii is removed by a process involving proteolysis; this exposes the peptide binding cleft, thus allowing peptides present in the endosome to bind to the MHC molecule. The class II/peptide complex is transported from the endosomes to the cell surface where it becomes accessible to T-cell recognition and subsequent activation of immune responses. Class II MHC molecules bind not only to peptides derived from exogenous (ingested) proteins, but also to those produced by degradation of endogenous (self) proteins. The amount of each species of peptide which binds class II is determined by its local concentration and its relative binding affinity for the given class II binding groove, with the various allotypes displaying different peptide-binding specificities.
Early during fetal development, the mammalian immune system is "tolerized", or taught not to react, to self-peptides. The stability and maintenance of this system is critical for ensuring that an animal does not generate an immune response against self. A breakdown of this system gives rise to autoimmune conditions such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Current technologies intended to manipulate the immune system into reestablishing proper nonresponsiveness include protocols involving the intravenous delivery of synthetic, high affinity binding peptides as blocking peptides.
Vaccination can generate protective immunity against a pathogenic organism by stimulating an antibody-mediated and/or a T cell-mediated response. Most of the current vaccination strategies still use relatively crude preparations, such as attenuated or inactivated viruses. These vaccines often generate both antibody- and cell-mediated immunity, and do not allow one to modulate the type of immune response generated. Moreover, in many diseases the generation of the wrong type of response can result in an exacerbated disease state.

President and Fellows of Harvard College


A contact lens container includes a body defining a cavity that is sized to hold a contact lens. A stopper is in fluid communication with the cavity and the stopper includes a resealable portion that is received into a channel. The resealable portion has a predetermined wall thickness in an axial direction thereof, the resealable portion defines a needle penetration region that is pierceable with a needle to form a needle aperture therethrough, and is heat resealable to hermetically seal the needle aperture.

Referring to FIG. 1, a prior art blister package 10 includes a cavity 12 that receives a contact lens solution or "packing" solution and a contact lens within the solution. The cavity 12 is covered with a sealing flat covering layer (not shown) that is detachably sealed to a flange 14 that surrounds the cavity 12. The flange 14 of the blister package 10 defines gripping areas 16 that allow a user to grip the package and unseal the covering layer to access the contact lens stored within the cavity 12. The packing solution may have any of a variety of components, additives or other substances added thereto, such as physiologically compatible surfactants, cleaning agents, wetting agents, etc., as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,687. When manufacturing some such blister packages, the contact lens is placed within the cavity 12 together with the packing solution and any components, additives or other substances added thereto, and then the covering layer is sealed to the flange 14 to seal the contact lens, solution and any additives, etc. therein. The sealed package is then terminally sterilized, such as by the application of heat or gamma radiation thereto.
One of the drawbacks associated with such prior art blister packages and apparatus and methods for filling such packages is that the additives or other substances are introduced into the package prior to terminal sterilization. As a result, additives or other substances that can be damaged by terminal sterilization cannot be used. In other situations, terminal sterilization can negatively affect the additives or other substances and/or the solution or contact lens packaged with such additives or other substances.
Another drawback associated with prior art contact lens storage containers, and apparatus and methods for introducing additives, such as medicaments, to the containers, and/or to an eye after application of a contact lens to the eye, is that a substantial portion of the medicament or other additive is located on the external or convex surface of the contact lens. When the user blinks, the fluid within the eye, such as the tear film, can relatively rapidly flush away any such medicament or other additive located on the external or convex surface of the contact lens. The flushed medicament or other additive can flow into the lacryomo nasal duct (also referred to as the lachrymal nasal duct, i.e., a duct running between the base of the eye and the nasal passageway) which can, in turn, lead to systemic absorption of the flushed additive or other substance and, in some cases, give rise to systemic side effects.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome one or more of the above-described drawbacks and disadvantages of the prior art.

Contact lens storage container with needle penetrable and laser resealable stopper, and related method


An ICE message system and method having a medical system for use with a patient, the medical system including a personal medical device attached to the patient and a display operably connected to the personal medical device. The personal medical device includes a monitor operable to detect an emergency condition at the personal medical device, and a processor operably connected to the monitor and operable to select an ICE message in response to the emergency condition. The display is operable to display the ICE message, which includes emergency contact information.

Advances in electronics have resulted in the miniaturization of medical devices such that medical devices which previously required large stationary equipment can now be worn about the person, who can be monitored or receive treatment while pursuing normal daily tasks.
One area of such advances has been in the treatment of diabetes. An estimated twenty-six million people in the United States, or about 8% of the population, have diabetes. This percentage is expected to increase in the near-term as the population ages. Wearable glucose monitors and insulin pumps have been developed which allow persons under treatment for diabetes to be monitored and receive insulin while carrying on their day-to-day tasks.
Even with improved treatment, emergencies can arise. Patients can have unusual reactions to medication or equipment can malfunction. Unfortunately, the patient may not notice a malfunction, or may be incapacitated and unable to respond to the emergency. Bystanders or emergency personnel on site may lack information about the patient, making emergency treatment risky and ineffective. In addition, the patient may not have personal identification or contact information for doctors or relatives from whom vital medical information could be obtained.
It would be desirable to have an ICE message and system that would overcome the above disadvantages.


An ink dosing device in the inking unit of rotary or offset printing press is disclosed with an inking roller which corresponds to an ink fountain. The ink dosing device also has dosing elements which are divided into zones. The dosing elements can be adjusted individually with respect to the cylindrical surface of the inking roller. The dosing elements are realized as tongue-shaped and are fastened to a base body. Each dosing element is adjustably fastened to the base body by elastic intermediate shims.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an ink dosing device in the inking unit of rotary or offset printing presses. The ink dosing device can have an inking roller. The inking roller corresponds to or is part of an ink fountain. The ink dosing device also has dosing elements divided into zones. The dosing elements can be adjusted individually with respect to the cylindrical surface of the inking roller. The dosing elements have a tongue-shaped configuration and are fastened to a base body.
2. Background Information
An ink dosing device as described above is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,161,943. The individual dosing elements can be adjusted so that they can be set at a specified distance, e.g. by means of set screws, with respect to the cylindrical surface of the inking roller. If no ink is required in one zone, the tongue-shaped dosing element is moved until it comes in contact with the cylindrical surface of the inking roller, so that no ink can pass through. Depending on how much ink is required in the respective zone, the gap between the dosing element and the cylindrical surface of the inking roller can be increased, so that the corresponding amount of ink can be supplied to the printing plate by means of the inking unit and be used to ink the printing plate. Because the accuracy or precision of the adjustment means has been improved significantly on modern printing presses and changes can be made in the range of micrometers, to set the ink gap accurately, it is necessary to adjust the individual tongues very precisely, a function which was not necessary in similar known devices. In the other known devices, the tongues are bolted to the base body, and there is no other way to orient them.


The present disclosure relates to a connecting sleeve arrangement for connecting a first tubular cross member to a second tubular cross member of an instrument panel support in a vehicle, including: a first receptacle opening configured to receive the first tubular cross member extending in a first cross member direction, and a second receptacle opening facing away from the first receptacle opening configured to receive the second tubular cross member extending in a second cross member direction, wherein the connecting sleeve arrangement is curved, wherein the second receptacle opening is transversely offset, relative to the first receptacle opening, from the first cross member direction, and wherein the connecting sleeve arrangement is formed from a first half shell and a second half shell that are integrally bonded to one another.

The present disclosure relates to a connecting sleeve arrangement for connecting tubular cross members in a vehicle, in particular, a connecting sleeve arrangement for connecting a first tubular cross member to a second tubular cross member of an instrument panel support in a vehicle.
Cross member arrangements are installed in vehicles and are configured as instrument panel supports arranged in the cockpit of the vehicle. Corresponding cross member arrangements or instrument panel supports are attached between body components, such as A-posts, in the vehicle. Due to the restricted installation space available in the cockpit of the vehicle, corresponding cross member arrangements often have bends, which are compensated for by connecting elements.
In DE 10 2008 045 914 A1, a connecting element is disclosed for connecting a first tube to a second tube in a tube arrangement.
EP 2 064 108 B1 discloses a support tube of an instrument panel of a motor vehicle.

Connecting sleeve arrangement for connecting tubular cross members in a vehicle