The subject invention concerns the novel use of formyl-CoA transferase enzyme together with oxalyl-CoA decarboxylase enzyme for the detection and measurement of oxalate in biological samples. The use of the enzyme system according to the subject invention results in the conversion of oxalate into carbon dioxide and formate. Because the production of formate is directly correlated to the concentration of oxalate present in a sample, the determination of the resulting formate concentration provides an accurate, sensitive and rapid means for detecting even low levels of oxalate.

The present invention relates to novel assay methods for determining the presence or concentration of oxalate in a sample. The present invention further relates to the cloning, sequencing and expression of formyl-CoA transferase, an enzyme used in the novel assay for the detection of oxalate.
Oxalic acid (Oxalate) is a highly toxic natural by-product of catabolism in vertebrate animals and many consumable plants. Unfortunately, a significant portion of humans are unable to properly metabolizing oxalate, a condition which may result in the formation of kidney stones in those persons. It is estimated that 70% of all kidney stones are composed of some amount of oxalate. Approximately 12 percent of the U.S. population will suffer from a kidney stone at some time in their lives, and the incidence is rising not only in the United States, but also in Sweden and Japan (Curhan, 1993). Moreover, although a healthy person breaks down or excretes sufficient quantities of oxalate to avoid excessive accumulation of oxalate in the tissues, a number of disease states are known to be associated with malfunctions of oxalate metabolism, including pyridoxine deficiency, renal failure and primary hyperoxaluria, a metabolic genetic disorder that results in the excessive deposition of oxalate in the kidneys.
Persons suffering from and at risk for developing kidney stones, as well as patients with lipid malabsorption problems (e.g., sprue, pancreatic insufficiency, inflammatory intestinal disease, bowel resection, etc.), tend to have elevated levels of urinary oxalate, a fact that has been exploited as a means for identifying individuals at risk. While elevated levels of oxalate may be present in urine, detecting elevated levels of oxalate in serum has not been routine due to the difficulty in detecting the low levels of oxalate present in serum.
Most previous methods for measuring oxalate in a biological sample first require the isolation of the oxalate by precipitation, solvent extraction, or an ion-exchange absorption (Hodgkinson, 1970). Quantitation of the isolated oxalate may be determined by any one of several methods including colorimetry, fluorometry, gas-liquid chromatography or isotope dilution techniques. Because many of the oxalate isolation techniques used in these analytical methods are not quantitative, it is normally necessary to correct for the low recovery of oxalate by adding a .sup.14 C-labeled oxalic acid internal standard, which further complicates the analytical method. All these methods are laborious, and consequently expensive because of the amount of skilled laboratory technician time which must be employed. In addition, isolation of the oxalate may require relatively large sample volumes for starting material.
Recently, several advances in the detection and quantitation of oxalate have been made through the use of (a) oxalate degrading enzymes and (b) high performance liquid chromatography. One commercially-available enzymatic test (Sigma Chemical Company, St. Louis, Mo.) employs oxalate oxidase to oxidize oxalate to carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide produced can then be measured colorimetrically in a second enzymatic reaction in the presence of peroxidase.
In another enzymatic method for measuring oxalate, oxalate decarboxylase is used to convert oxalate to carbon dioxide and formate. The resultant carbon dioxide can be measured manometrically, by the pH change in a carbon dioxide trapping buffer or by the color change in a pH indicator buffer. Whatever method of carbon dioxide assay is adopted, the time required for diffusion and equilibration of carbon dioxide is much longer than is desirable for a rapid analytical method.
Alternatively, the formate produced by the action of oxalate decarboxylase can be assayed with formate dehydrogenase in an NAD/NADH coupled reaction, as described in Costello, 1976 and Yriberri, 1980. This method is both cumbersome and time-consuming because oxalate decarboxylase and formate dehydrogenase differ in their optimum pH requirements, thus necessitating a pH adjustment during the analysis.
Another commercially available enzymatic test (Boehringer Mannheim) cleaves oxalate to formate and carbon dioxide, then oxidizes the formate to bicarbonate by NAD in the presence of the enzyme formate dehydrogenase. The amount of NADH is determined by means of its absorbance at 334, 340, or 365 nm. Another test ("STONE RISK" by Mission Pharmacal) measures oxalate as a part of a battery of tests for kidney stones.
As illustrated above, the currently existing assays for oxalate suffer from numerous problems, including cost, inaccuracy, reliability, complexity, and lack of sensitivity. Accordingly, it is an object of the subject invention to provide a simple, accurate, and sensitive assay for the detection of low levels of oxalate in a biological sample.

University of Florida Research Foundation


A cooling apparatus is provided for a switchgear. The switchgear has one or more primary contacts constructed and arranged to connect to a terminal of a circuit breaker. The cooling apparatus includes an evaporator constructed and arranged to be associated with each primary contact. A condenser is located at a higher elevation than the evaporator. Fluid conduit structure fluidly connects the evaporator with the condenser. A portion of the fluid conduit structure defines a busbar tube electrically connected with an associated primary contact and defining a busbar of the switchgear. Working fluid is in the evaporator so as to be heated to a vapor state, with the fluid conduit structure being constructed and arranged to transfer the vapor to the condenser and to passively return condensed working fluid back to the evaporator for cooling the at least one primary contact and the associated busbar tube.

Switchgear configurations have current limits based on the heat rise over ambient room temperature. It is generally desired to limit the maximum temperature of the hottest spot on the switchgear main bus to 105° C. (a rise of 65° C. over an assumed ambient temperature of 40° C.), as directed by the standard IEEE 37.20.2. Typical medium and high-voltage metal-clad switchgear arrangements have maximum continuous current ratings of about 3000 A, due to heat generation. It is desirable to increase this current rating to about 4000 A.
A heat pipe can be attached in a retrofitted manner to the primary contact, which is the major hotspot in the actual switchgear assembly and the additional heat can be removed from the primary contacts by means of an evaporative cooling system having a condenser. While the contacts are cooled very efficiently, other parts more remote from the heat pipe (e.g., busbar joints) tended to overheat and need additional cooling enhancement (e.g., finned surface, heat spreader). Furthermore, the space inside of the switchgear compartments is very tight and optimized for the busbar electric clearance distance. The retrofitted heat pipe system needs to match this boundary condition. The tubing reaching from the primary contact to the condenser sitting on top of the switchgear enclosure is disposed beside the electrical supply system. In particular an insulated tubing section is constrained by the narrow space behind the primary contacts.
Thus, there is a need to provide a cooling apparatus for a switchgear that not only cools the primary contacts but also cools the busbars, without interfering with the electrical safety of the switchgear.

Cooling apparatus for switchgear with heat pipe structure having integrated busbar tube


An improved method of preparing 3-(4-pyridinyl)-2-cyclohexen-1-one oxime from ethyl 5-oxo-2-[(4-pyridinyl)-carbonyl]hexanoate is a one pot sequence which comprises first heating ethyl 5-oxo-2-[(4-pyridinyl)carbonyl]hexanoate with excess sulfuric acid, neutralizing the excess acid, extracting the resulting 3-(4-pyridinyl)-2-cyclohexen-1-one with isopropyl alcohol, draining off the heavier aqueous layer, adding hydroxylamine hydrochloride to the isopropyl alcohol solution of said 2-cyclohexen-1-one, stirring the mixture at reflux, basifying the mixture and evaporating it to dryness, and isolating 3-(4-pyridinyl)-2-cyclohexen-1-one oxime from the residue. The oxime is an intermediate for preparing 3-(4-pyridinyl)aniline, in turn, an intermediate for preparing rosoxacin, an antibacterial agent.

(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved process for preparing 3-(4-pyridinyl)-2-cyclohexen-1-oxime, a rosoxacin intermediate, from ethyl 5-oxo-2-[(4-pyridinyl)carbonyl]hexanoate.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Gelotte et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,946, issued Sept. 5, 1978, shows two sequences for converting ethyl 5-oxo-2-[(4-pyridinyl)carbonyl]hexanoate to 3-(4-pyridinyl)-2-cyclohexen-1-one: (1) heating ethyl 5-oxo-2-[(4-pyridinyl)-carbonyl]hexanoate under aqueous acidic conditions thereby hydrolyzing and decarboxylating it to produce 1-(4-pyridinyl)-hexan-1,5-dione and then reacting said hexan-1,5-dione with a basic condensing agent to produce 3-(4-pyridinyl)-2-cyclohexen-1-one; and, (2) reacting ethyl 5-oxo-2-[(4-pyridinyl)-carbonyl]hexanoate with a basic condensing agent to produce ethyl 3-(4-pyridinyl)-2-cyclohexen-1one-4-carboxylate and then heating said 4-carboxylate under aqueous acidic conditions to hydrolyze and decarboxylate it to produce 3-(4-pyridinyl)-2-cyclohexen-1-one. The 3-(4-pyridinyl)-2-cyclohexen-1one was then reacted with hydroxylamine to convert it into its oxime, an intermediate for preparing 3-(4-pyridinyl)aniline, in turn, an intermediate for preparing rosoxacin, an antibacterial agent, namely 1 -ethyl-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-7-(4-pyridinyl)-3-quinolinecarboxylic acid.

Process for preparing 3-(4-pyridinyl)-2-cyclohene-1-oxime


Systems and methods for supporting a diagnostic workflow from a computer system are disclosed herein. In accordance with one implementation, a set of pre-identified anatomical landmarks associated with one or more structures of interest within one or more medical images are presented to a user. In response to a user input selecting at least one or more regions of interest including one or more of the pre-identified anatomical landmarks, the user is automatically navigated to the selected region of interest. In another implementation, a second user input selecting one or more measurement tools is received. An evaluation may be automatically determined based on one or more of the set of anatomical landmarks in response to the second user input.

The field of medical imaging has seen significant advances since the time X-ray images were first used to determine anatomical abnormalities. Medical imaging hardware has progressed in the form of newer machines such as medical resonance imaging (MRI) scanners, computed axial tomography (CAT) scanners, etc. Due to the large amount of image data generated by such modern medical scanners, there has been and remains a need for developing image processing techniques that can automate some or all of the processes to determine the presence of anatomical abnormalities in scanned medical images.
Recognition and processing of specific meaningful structures within a medical image may be referred to as automated advanced post-processing, which is a type of post-processing for medical imaging applications. One particularly useful image processing technique involves the imaging of the spinal column. A precise vertebra segmentation and identification method is in high demand due to its importance to, and impact on, many orthopedic, neurological, and ontological applications. For example, during the interpretation of spinal images, the radiologist often faces the tedious task of having to determine the level of spine and report the location of findings in terms of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebrae or disk. In order to determine which vertebra is affected, the radiologist typically has to scroll and switch between sagittal and axial images many times. Without the aid of automated systems, such process is often very time consuming and error-prone.
Unfortunately, the task of segmenting and labeling vertebrae, even using automated post-processing techniques that are well-developed for other anatomical structures, often proves to be inaccurate and therefore inadequate. The difficulty lies in the inherent complexity of vertebrae. The variation within the same class of vertebra as well as the variation in neighboring structures makes vertebral modeling and imaging extremely difficult. Labeling becomes even more complicated in atypical cases where the vertebrae (or other spinal structures) have unusual characteristics (e.g., number, width, shape, size, etc.). In addition, imperfect image acquisition processes may result in noisy or incomplete scans that compound the difficulties of ascertaining the total number and positions of the vertebrae. Therefore, vertebrae often have to be manually labeled and corrected by the radiologist to ensure accuracy. This verification process, however, is also extremely time-consuming and error-prone, typically involving repeated scrolling of multiple images to check rib connections (e.g., lumbarization, sacralization, 11 or 13 T-spine, etc.) and labels of the vertebrae.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved systems and methods to facilitate efficient evaluation, labeling, and analysis of the spinal column and other anatomical structures.

Systems and methods for viewing and analyzing anatomical structures


A rotary member such as a member of a bearing, a rotating member of a transmission or a gear for a motor vehicle, includes a base region of a ferrous base material such as a steel. The rotary member is formed with a hydrogen blocking layer formed in a contact surface for contacting with a mating body in a relative motion. The hydrogen blocking layer includes a concentrated portion formed in the base region and made of a substance lower in hydrogen diffusion coefficient than the base material.

The present invention relates to a rotary member and its production process. For examples, the rotary member may be: a grease-sealed bearing used in alternator of motor vehicle, electromagnetic clutch, idler pulley and other accessory equipment for an engine; a rolling bearing used in fuel injector pump; a rolling bearing for supporting a torque transmitting member such as a gear in a multi speed transmission, and a rolling member in a continuously variable transmission; a rolling bearing used in a compressor of air conditioner; a rolling member such as discs and power rollers in continuously variable transmission; and a gear of any of various types used in motor vehicle. More specifically, the present invention relates to the structure and production process of a rotary member adapted to restrain short-life flaking like hydrogen embrittlement due to hydrogen penetrating into base material such as steel in the rotary member.
In recent years, there are demands for power trains of smaller size and lighter weight, to improve fuel efficiency and increase power. Accordingly, rotary members such as rolling bearings, gears, and the like used in various portions in a power train are required to bear severe conditons of heavy load and high rotational speed with the construction of smaller size and lighter weight.
In the case of a grease-sealed bearing for alternator or electromagnetic clutch, the bearing is operated in stringent environment of heavy load, high speed and strong vibration due to vibration of engine. As a result, the use for only short time could cause structure change of peculiar mode underneath the rolling surface, and the resulting flaking as reported in (D1) "A new Type of Microstructural Change in Bearings for Electrical Instruments and Auxiliary Devices of Automotive Engines" NTN Technical Review No. 61 (1992), (D1′) "Brittle Flaking on Bearings for Electrical Instruments and Auxiliary Devices and Life Extension of these Bearings" NTN Technical Review No. 61 (1992), and (D2) "Study on Fatigue Mechanism of Bearings for Automotive Alternators", NSK Technical Journal No. 656 (1993).
The cause for this short-life flaking is thought to be that the use in the severe environment of heavy load, high speed rotation, and strong vibration causes mirror surface wearing in rolling contact surface, the formation of fresh metal surface caused by this wear plays a catalytic role to decompose grease, and the hydrogen thus generated intrudes into steel, which results in the hydrogen embrittlement like flaking.
In the case of a rolling bearing in a compressor of an air conditioner, the bearing is lubricated with a mixture of lubricant and refrigerant. For the protection of earth environment, a new refrigerant of a type including hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) is used as alternative to flon. With this replacement of the refrigerant, the lubricant is replaced, too, from the lubricant prepared from petroleum such as naphthene-type and paraffin-type, to lubricant soluble in HFC such as polyalkylene glycol (PAG) or polyolester (POE). As a result, a peculiar structure change could occur in the inside under the rolling contact surface and cause flaking before long, as recited in (D3) Tribologist, Vol. 37, No. 11 (1992), and (D4) Published Japanese Patent Application Kokal No. H08(1996)-177864.
This short-life flaking is probably caused by microsopic metal contact generated between a rolling element and a bearing ring under the new condition of film of the new refrigerant. Fresh metal surface bared by this metal contact acts to decompose hydrocarbon or water in the lubricant, and the resulting hydrogen intrudes into the metal and enbrittles the internal structure.
As measures against the above-described short-life hydrogen embrittlement like flaking, there have been proposed technique in which triiron tetroxide is formed on the rolling surface by blackening treartment or black oxide finishing (as proposed in (D5) Published Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. H02(1990)-190615≈U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,974); technique in which a lubricant containing a deactivator is used to reform the rolling surface so that the reaction of deactivator is accelerated (as proposed in (D6) Published Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. 2001-20958); and technique in which the content of Cr of base material is increased to form an inert oxide film such as FeCrO4 on the surface (as proposed in (D4) Published Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. H08(1996)-177864).


A method and apparatus for providing a network profile used for testing of a device under test, the method comprising the steps of reading at least one field test log file recorded during a field test of said device under test, wherein the field test log file comprises network protocol messages and/or physical layer measurement data and extracting one or more protocol messages and/or payload data from the recorded field test log file including information concerning associated cells of a cellular network to generate automatically the network profile.

Mobile radio devices or user equipment UE are extensively tested in the field, i.e. in public radio networks. The public radio networks can comprise cellular networks comprising a plurality of cells. However, such in-field tests are time-consuming and thus expensive. During the in-field test, the device under test communicates with base stations of the cellular network. The device under test receives downlink messages transmitted by base stations of the public radio network and can transmit itself uplink messages back to the base stations. Accordingly, during the in-field test, protocol messages are exchanged between the mobile radio device under test and other entities of the network system. The device under test can write during the in-field test one or more field test log files. For instance, it is possible to generate in-field log files by a log recorder connected to the device under test during the in-field test. These recorded field test log files are in a conventional system analyzed manually to extract causes of an observed behavior of the device under test during the field test. The test authorizing software can then be used to create a similar test which may be run on a network simulator. This test is then refined until a similar behavior is observed in the test laboratory.

Method and apparatus for providing a network profile


An improved distributed information sharing system (DISS) and methods for an autonomous vehicle, the DISS programmed and configured to receive information from a plurality of distributed sensors; determine the existence of an incident, vehicles, passengers, pedestrians, animals and objects involved in the incident, a nature of the injuries and damages from the incident; determine if the autonomous vehicle can be safely moved autonomously from a location where the incident occurred to a second location; contact an emergency responder when the vehicle cannot be safely moved autonomously; receive a request to transfer control of the vehicle from an emergency responder user device; and in response, transfer control of the automated vehicle to a trusted emergency responder without requiring approval from an owner of the vehicle using encryption and handshake techniques; and notify an owner or interested party of the vehicle of the incident.

Autonomous vehicles use various computer processing systems to control operation of a vehicle. Autonomous vehicles may require an initial input from an operator, such as a pilot, driver, or passenger to engage the autonomous operation system and then operate thereafter in modes with varying degrees of human input ranging from level 4 or 5 autonomous mode (where the vehicle essentially drives itself) to permitting a human operator to fully override the autonomous mode and have full manual control over the vehicle, and the full range of modes between the two extremes, with the potential for intermittent human input and control. Autonomous vehicles may include sensors, cameras, sonar, and radar to detect cars, pedestrians, and their respective proximities and characteristics. They may also rely on Global Positioning Systems (GPS) for navigation. The detection and identification of objects and information related to objects and navigation capabilities are critical to the safe operation of autonomous vehicles.
There have been methods and systems directed to autonomous vehicle operation. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 9,475,496 describes autonomous driving sensors that can be configured to monitor, among other things, road conditions, environmental conditions, occupants in the vehicle, and whether one of the occupants is a driver.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,120,484 describes an autonomous driving computer system that may use visual or audible cues to indicate whether it is obtaining valid data from one or more sensors, whether it is partially or completely controlling the direction or speed of the autonomous vehicle or both, such as whether there are any errors, etc. In addition, autonomous driving computer systems may also have external indicators which indicate whether, at the moment, a human or an automated system is in control of the vehicle, that are readable by humans, other computers, or both.
Methods and systems for autonomous vehicle operation also include collision avoidance systems that seek to avoid collisions, For example, U.S. Pat. No. 9,429,943 describes an artificial intelligence valet system that includes a collision avoidance system. If a collision cannot be avoided, then it is determined which object is best to collide with. After the collision, the collision avoidance system can initiate a call to emergency services and safely park the vehicle. In some implementations, the vehicle may be parked without emergency services being contacted if no injury has occurred.
Notwithstanding the substantial effort that goes into designing autonomous vehicles so that they can be operated safely, there will be instances where incidents, such as collisions, accidents, and other emergency conditions occur. Collisions, accidents, and other emergency conditions can result in additional problems when vehicles are operating autonomously.
Automated vehicle systems also include safe shut down and emergency response and accident reporting modes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,874,301 describes a vehicle with autonomous driving control that has a set up mode, active drive mode, safe shutdown mode, and emergency response mode.
Such collision avoidance and accident reporting systems could be improved by making more precise assessments of the nature of the injuries and damage that has occurred following an incident, including more precise assessments of the number of vehicles, passengers, pedestrians, animals and objects involved and the nature of the injuries and damages to them.
There may be instances where an automated vehicle may not be able to be parked safely autonomously and emergency responders may be needed to be notified. For example, if an autonomously operated vehicle gets in an accident in busy intersection or highway, where other cars will be driving, the autonomously operated vehicle may need to be shut down to prevent additional damage or injury. The autonomous vehicle may also be needed to be moved out of the way autonomously or manually so that traffic can proceed and to ensure the safety of the autonomous vehicle passengers, other drivers, and pedestrians.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,475,496 describes methods and systems to override automated control of a vehicle. An override may automatically occur if, for instance, one of the occupants requires emergency services. During an emergency services override, the vehicle may be permitted to autonomously or non-autonomously travel to a police department, a fire department, a hospital, a refueling station, or the like. It also describes that in some instances, an emergency service provider, such as a 911 operator, may remotely override one or more driving restrictions that would otherwise prevent the vehicle from allowing one or more occupants to seek emergency services. An override may automatically occur if, for instance, one of the occupants requires emergency services. During an emergency services override, the vehicle may be permitted to autonomously or non-autonomously travel to a police department, a fire department, a hospital, a refueling station, or the like, but U.S. Pat. No. 9,475,496 does not specify how that override is implemented. It provides that an override may be transmitted to the owner's cell phone or email address, for instance, and may receive a response from the owner's cell phone or email address that either permits or rejects the override request. If permitted, the processing device may temporarily disable one or more of the driving restrictions. If the override request is rejected, the processing device may output a message to the occupant via, e.g., the user interface device indicating that the override request has been denied. The processing device may control the operation of the vehicle according to the driving restrictions associated with the selected profile. The owner may wish to grant the override request on a case-by-case basis as a reward or other incentive to the occupant.
It also describes override requests being transmitted to the owner's cell phone or email address, for instance and receiving a response from the owner's cell phone or email address that either permits or rejects the override request. But if the owner is not available, not available to respond quickly, or is incapacitated, it will be necessary to be able to transfer or hand off control of the automated vehicle to an emergency responder without receiving approval from the owner. Waiting to receive approval from the owner could result in injured persons not receiving timely attention and care. It also could create risk of further accidents and injuries, where a vehicle cannot be promptly moved out of the way of traffic.
What is need is needed are improved methods and systems for transferring control of an automated vehicle to a passenger or emergency responder, whether sentient or autonomous, in the event of an accident or emergency that can be used in conjunction automated vehicle artificial intelligence systems operating with collision or incident avoidance, and improved accident or emergency reporting.

Methods and systems for emergency handoff of an autonomous vehicle


Spherical particles of vinyl resins having high bulk density can be prepared by the suspension polymerization process by using as a dispersant an alkyl hydroxy cellulose having a viscosity of from about 1000 to about 100,000 cps. A suitable dispersant is a hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose polymer having the formula: ##STR1## where n is from about 300 to about 1500.

Many polymerizable monomeric materials, and particularly vinyl chloride, are being polymerized today on a large scale commercially either in suspension media or in aqueous dispersion or emulsion, i.e., latex form, employing various colloidal suspension agents, emulsifiers or soaps, or synthetic detergent type dispersing agents. In these methods of polymerization, and particularly in suspension polymerization, vigorous agitation is depended upon to suspend and disperse the monomer particles or droplets throughout the reaction media and to maintain such suspension or dispersion during the polymerization reaction and to assist in heat transfer to the reactor cooling surfaces. However, in most instances, polymer particles produced in accordance with these processes are not spherical in shape. Small particles tend to agglomerate into irregular shaped particles. These irregular shaped particles result in a resin with a low bulk density. High bulk density is a desirable polymer property because it gives faster extrusion rates, easier handling and shipping advantages.
Heretofore it has been suggested to use an excess of soap in the reaction medium to overcome agglomeration. This does prevent agglomeration, however, the polymer particles are very small and spherical in shape. Small particles have other processing disadvantages.
It is desirable to produce a polymer having large particle size and the particles be spherical in shape thus giving a high bulk density resin.

Process for preparing high bulk density vinyl resins


The invention provides a method for managing the data in the removable storage device. The method includes: applying or organizing or establishing or re-building the file managing system of the storage medium of said removable storage device according to the uses of said memory chips; and utilizing said file managing system to perform the corresponding processing in said memory chips according to the operation instructions of the host system, which is connected with said file managing system. By applying the method for managing the data in the removable storage device, which the invention provides, the capacity of the removable storage device can be extended, and the storage medium can be updated, thus the data security, the functions and the convenience of the system are increased.

Presently, removable storage devices using storage medium for data storage are widely used. However, because of the technical limitation, most of the current removable storage devices are only provided with the storage medium having limited storage capacity, which is encapsulated in chips and is not removable. If there is a need of large data storage and transfer exceeding the storage capacity, the removable storage device should be replaced or new removable storage device should be purchased. In addition, if any part in the removable storage device is damaged, the whole removable storage device including undamaged controller, memory chips etc. will be discarded, and the data of the user would be lost in case that the memory chips are still in good condition. The two aspects of disadvantages limit the application of the removable storage device, resulting in the inconvenience in use and wastes, and also affect the user in data security.
The Chinese patent application entitled "Attachment Apparatus for Storage Medium and Removable Storage Device Using the Same" (Chinese Patent Application No. 03159669.X) discloses a removable storage device with exchangeable memory chips, and therefore can replace or expand the memory chips in the removable storage device, so as to change the memory capacity of the removable storage device, as well as to facilitate data storage. However, the patent application merely discloses an attachment apparatus for the memory chips and a removable storage device utilizing the attachment apparatus. Such removable storage device may not function properly or may lose the existing data while replacing the chips, and thus may jeopardize the user's data safety. Accordingly, the application of such removable storage device is rather limited.

Data managing method in a removable storage device


A method of measuring a surface leakage current includes applying a voltage between a pair of electrodes, which are apart from each other on a sample surface, during a predetermined period of time. A region of the sample surface between the pair of electrodes is irradiated by energy rays during an irradiation period of time which is within the voltage application time. The energy rays may be lasers, ultraviolet rays, X-rays or an electron beam. A current flowing between the pair of electrodes is measured during the voltage application time. The energy rays irradiation causes a surface leakage current, which is caused by adhered substances, to start to flow, and when the adhered substances have been eliminated perfectly, a relatively large current caused by the adhered substances disappears. Perfect elimination of the adhered substances can be verified by confirming that the relatively large current has disappeared.

This invention relates to a method for measuring a surface leakage current of a sample.
The electric resistance of a sample surface (i.e., surface resistance) can be measured in a manner that a voltage is applied between a pair of electrodes (which may include a combination of a central circular electrode and a ring electrode surrounding it) on the sample surface and then a current, which flows between these electrodes, is measured.
In such measurement of the sample surface resistance, if there are adhered substances on the sample surface, a leakage current caused by the adhered substances is disadvantageously to be measured as included in the total current. The leakage current caused by the adhered substances becomes error in measuring accurately an essential current flowing through the sample per se. Accordingly, cleaning of the sample surface is required in measuring accurately the sample surface resistance. The cleaning method may be performed by using cleaning solution or heating in a vacuum vessel to eliminate the adhered substances.
In cleaning the sample surface prior to the measurement, an operator might be concerned about if the adhered substances have been removed at all. That is, when the surface resistance is measured after the cleaning of a sample, an operator might be concerned about if the measurement result is for the ideal condition in which the adhered substances have been removed at all. If the operator wants, before measurement of the surface resistance, to confirm reliably if the adhered substances have been removed at all, suitable testing facilities and testing operation are required.
The measurement technique for the surface leakage current of a sample is not restricted to the above-mentioned sample surface resistance measurement but can be used in various situations. For example, in a TSC (Thermally Stimulated Current) method in which a current flowing through a sample is measured as the sample temperature varies, the adhered substances have an influence on the TSC measurement which measures a current flowing through the surface of a sample. Therefore, in such a TSC measurement, it is necessary to measure the surface leakage current under the ideal condition that the adhered substances have been removed from the sample surface. Other than the TSC, similarly in measurement means such as DEA (Dielectric Analysis: thermal relaxation measurement), DLTS (Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy), ICTS (Isothermal Capacitance Transient Spectroscopy), TSIC (Thermally Stimulated Ionic Current) IV (Current-Voltage characteristic) and CV (Capacitance-Voltage characteristic), it is preferable that the surface leakage current is measured iunder the ideal condition that the adhered substances have been removed. It is noted that all of these measurement means such as TSC, DEA, DLTS, ICTS, IV and CV belong to xe2x80x9ca thermoelectric analyzer for measuring the thermoelectric property of a sample as the sample temperature variesxe2x80x9d.
It is an object of the invention to provide a method for measuring accurately a surface leakage current of a sample without separate facilities for removing the adhered substances from the sample surface beforehand.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method for measuring a surface leakage current wherein perfect elimination of the adhered substances from the sample surface can be verified.
A method of measuring a surface leakage current according to the invention has the steps of voltage application, energy rays irradiation and current measurement. The step of voltage application applies a voltage between a pair of electrodes, which are apart from each other on a sample surface, during a predetermined voltage application period of time. The step of energy rays irradiation irradiates, by energy rays, a region of the sample surface between the pair of electrodes during a predetermined irradiation period of time which is within the voltage application period of time. The energy rays may be lasers, ultraviolet rays, X-rays or an electron beam. The step of current measurement measures a current flowing between the pair of electrodes during the voltage application period of time.
With this method, the energy rays irradiation makes a surface leakage current, which is caused by adhered substances, start to flow, and when the adhered substances have been eliminated perfectly a relatively large current caused by the adhered substances disappears. Therefore, the adhered substances can be removed at the same time that the surface leakage current is measured. Furthermore, perfect elimination of the adhered substances can be verified by confirming that a relatively large current has disappeared. This method of measuring a surface leakage current can be performed with the use of xe2x80x9ca thermoelectric analyzer for measuring the thermoelectric property of a sample as the sample temperature variesxe2x80x9d. In that case, if the surface leakage current is measured prior to the measurement of the thermoelectricity of a sample, adhered substances can be removed from the sample surface; besides, perfect elimination of the adhered substances can be verified.
With this invention, the adhered substances can be removed without separate facilities for removing the adhered substances from the sample surface beforehand but with the use of the measurement device for the surface leakage current as it is. Besides, perfect elimination of the adhered substances can be verified electrically.

Method for measuring surface leakage current of sample


For use in a web-handling apparatus, a cylinder module accumulates and de-accumulates web in a controlled manner. A frame supports first and second parallel main cylinders. The first cylinder rotates continuously, while the second cylinder operates in a non-uniform manner. A third main cylinder remains parallel with the first and second axes while moving perpendicular to those axes. The web passes around the first cylinder through the first nip, thence to and around the periphery of the third cylinder, thence to and partially around the periphery of the second cylinder and through the second nip. The web spans from the third cylinder are substantially parallel. An endless belt associated with each end of the third cylinder ensures that the third cylinder occupies an axis location and a rotational position which substantially control the web stress as the web passes through the cylinders.

This invention relates to an apparatus and method for handling web in such a way as to minimize web transport inertia and consequent unwanted variations in web elongation.
The nature of the prior art over which the present invention represents an improvement is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 2,758,541, Tison.
In the Tison patent, a reciprocating motion is superimposed upon the otherwise continuous movement of the web from an unwind station to a rewind station (or other downstream operation). The result is to synchronize web movement with printing elements supported on base rollers which have a larger periphery than the minimum necessary to accommodate the circumferential extent of the printing and support elements. When the latter printing and support elements come around again to carry out their operation, the superimposed motion factor ensures that the web movement and position correspond to those of the printing and support elements.
To achieve this matching of speed and position, Tison provides a transport carriage which is directly driven intermittently parallel to the general direction of web movement, the latter""s continuous velocity being determined by the activity of draw cylinders. For example, immediately after the printing and support elements complete their contact with the web, the transport carriage slows down, then is driven through zero speed, then is retracted in the opposite direction in order to reset the position of the web vis a vis the printing and support elements on the next pass.
The type of mechanism just described is in general use. For example, it is utilized to do intermittent flat die cutting by moving the roller transport carriage in such a way as to stop the web for cutting.
Unfortunately, this design is severely limited in its registration accuracy, i.e., the accuracy that can be achieved in the stepping of the web in synchronism with rotation of the base cylinders, especially as running speeds and indexing rates are increased.
Because of the mechanical inertia of the carriage and the rollers it supports (linear inertia) and the rotational inertia of the rollers about which the web is entrained, registration accuracy tends to be poor, even at low indexing speeds (up to 30 or 40 indexes per minute). It is certainly not practical in the present day, since high accuracy is required from zero up to over 200 indexes per minute.
The fact that the carriage-mounted rollers must be accelerated and decelerated as the carriage moves through its cycle causes tension variations to be imparted to the web by virtue of the rollers"" inertial effects on the web.
Attention is further drawn to U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,814, issued Mar. 1, 1977 to Singh and U.S. Pat. No. 4,356,946, issued Nov. 2, 1982 to Gaskell. Both of these patents utilize a very large intermediate carriage which transports a plurality of toothed wheels and is rigged for translational movement toward and away from headers above and below it, upon which are mounted stationary toothed wheels. An endless chain or the like is strung between the various toothed wheels in a boustrophedonic configuration (festooning). The chain, carriage and wheels are all driven from outside (i.e., there is no individual drive to the wheels involved in the xe2x80x9cendlessxe2x80x9d configuration). As a result, the inertia that must be overcome from the outside is enormous. It consists of translational inertia in the carriage and the chain, translational inertial in the wheels, and rotational inertia in the wheels (i.e., resistance to a change in rotational speed).
In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, as set forth above, it is an object of one aspect of this invention to convert substantially continuous web motion, without objectionable tension fluctuations, into an intermittent motion, while ensuring that the web is in an accurate register position with respect to the elements (printing plates or die-cutting cylinders, for example) which are intended to carry out an operation on the web.
More particularly, this invention provides, for use in an apparatus for handling web, a cylinder module providing for the accumulation and de-accumulation of web at a controlled web strain and minimal inertia, the module comprising:
a frame,
a first main cylinder mounted on the frame for rotation about a first axis fixed with respect to the frame,
a first nip cylinder cooperating with the first main cylinder to form
a first nip to grip the web,
a first motor and controller adapted to drive the first main cylinder in a substantially continuous manner,
a second main cylinder mounted on the frame for rotation about a second axis fixed with respect to the frame, the second axis being substantially parallel with the first axis,
a second motor and controller adapted to drive the second main cylinder in a substantially non-uniform manner,
a third main cylinder mounted for constrained rotation about a third axis which is and remains parallel with the first and second axes while undergoing movement in a direction perpendicular to said first and second axes,
whereby the web can pass partially around the periphery of the first cylinder and through the first nip, thence to and partially around the periphery of the third cylinder, thence to and partially around the periphery of the second cylinder and through the second nip, the cylinders being disposed such that there is a straight web span from the third to the first cylinder which is substantially parallel to a straight web span from the third to the second cylinder, and
endless belt means associated with each end of the third cylinder for ensuring that the third cylinder, from moment to moment, automatically takes up an axis location and a rotational position which substantially control the web stress as it passes through the cylinders.
This invention further provides a method of handling web, utilizing a cylinder module providing for the accumulation and de-accumulation of web at controlled web strain and minimal inertia, the module comprising:
a frame,
a first main cylinder mounted on the frame for rotation about a first axis fixed with respect to the frame,
a first nip cylinder cooperating with the first main cylinder to form a first nip to grip the web,
a first motor and controller adapted to drive the first main cylinder in a substantially continuous manner,
a second main cylinder mounted on the frame for rotation about a second axis fixed with respect to the frame, the second axis being substantially parallel with the first axis,
a second nip cylinder cooperating with the second main cylinder to form a second nip to grip the web,
a second motor and controller adapted to drive the second main cylinder in a substantially intermittent manner,
a third main cylinder mounted for rotation about a third axis which is and remains parallel with the first and second axes while undergoing movement in a direction perpendicular to said first and second axes, said method comprising the steps:
passing the web partially around the periphery of the first cylinder and through the first nip, thence to and partially around the periphery of the third cylinder, thence to and partially around the periphery of the second cylinder and through the second nip, the cylinders being disposed such that the web span from the third to the first cylinder is substantially parallel to the web span from the third to the second cylinder,
utilizing endless belt means associated with each end of the third cylinder for ensuring that the third cylinder, from moment to moment, automatically takes up an axis location and a rotational position which substantially relieve the web of stress as it passes through the cylinders.
said endless belt means comprising:
a carriage at either end of the third cylinder to which said third cylinder is mounted for rotation, and for each carriage a guideway means ensuring that the carriage undergoes substantially rectilinear movement along a pathway which generally bisects the span between the first and second cylinders, each carriage supporting a first toothed wheel for rotation adjacent the third cylinder, the two first toothed wheels being locked together for simultaneous rotation,
the frame supporting, at opposed ends of the cylinders, two second toothed wheels for rotation on one side of the pathway and two third toothed wheels for rotation on the other side of the pathway, the two second toothed wheels being locked together for simultaneous rotation, and the two third toothed wheels also being locked together for simultaneous rotation,
the first, second and third cylinders each having, at either end, a coaxial toothed wheel fixed to the respective cylinder, and, at each end of the cylinders, an endless toothed belt;
the method further comprising: entraining said endless toothed belt around the toothed wheel of the first cylinder, thence along a first path to and around the toothed wheel of the third cylinder, thence along a second path to and around the toothed wheel of the second cylinder, the first and second paths being parallel, thence along a third path to and around said second toothed wheel, thence along a fourth path to and around said first toothed wheel, thence along a fifth path to and around the third toothed wheel, the fourth and fifth path being substantially parallel to each other and to the first and second paths, thence along a sixth path which returns it to said toothed wheel of said first cylinder.


There is provided an apparatus for output buffering having a half-swing rail-to-rail structure. The apparatus provides output buffering by using a switch structure in order to attain a high slew rate and low power characteristics, thereby reducing current consumption. The provided apparatus for output buffering having a half-swing rail-to-rail structure includes a first output buffer, driven between a first voltage rail and a second voltage rail and outputting a first output signal in response to a first input signal and a second input signal, and a second output buffer, driven between the first and the second voltage rails and a third voltage rail and outputting a second output signal in response to a third input signal and a fourth input signal.

1. Field
The following description relates to an apparatus for output buffering having a half-swing rail-to-rail structure, and more specifically to an apparatus for output buffering having a half-swing rail-to-rail structure that features a high slew rate and low power consumption.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, for an integrated circuit (IC) to drive a panel of display device, a slew rate is arising as an important factor in its operation, due to an increase of load capacitance and a reduction of horizontal period, according to the increase. In electronics, a slew rate is defined as the maximum rate of change of output voltage per unit of time. Such an integrated circuit may be referred to as a Display Driver IC (DDI) or display driver device.
Also, from the viewpoint of a mounting environment of a panel DDI, conventionally, a Source IC was configured to drive one liquid crystal. More recently, a Source IC may drive three liquid crystals, which requires that an IC drives two more liquid crystals. Due to these increased demands that are placed on the DDI, realization of a fast slewing time becomes necessary.
Also, a display driver device may be designed to feature a reduction of current consumption, a high slew rate, a fast slewing time, or a fast settling time, since realization of fast slewing time and low power consumed therein are also design goals of a display driver device.
FIG. 1 illustrates a plan view indicating a Liquid Crystal Display device.
A Liquid Crystal Display device (LCD) offers advantages such as miniaturization, thinness and low power consumption. Hence, LCD technology is used, for example, for an LCD screen panel of a notebook computer and an LCD TV. Specifically, an LCD device, whose type is active matrix uses a Thin Film Transistor (TFT) as a switch element and is a display technology that is suitable for displaying a moving image.
When referring to FIG. 1, a Liquid Crystal Display device (LCD) 1 comprises a liquid crystal panel 2, source drivers (SD) having many source lines (SL) respectively, and gate drivers (GD) having many gate lines (GL) respectively. A source line (SL) may be referred to a data line or a channel.
Each of the source drivers (SD) drives source lines (SL) arranged on the liquid crystal Panel 2. Each of the gate drivers (GD) drives gate lines (GL) arranged on a liquid crystal panel 2.
The Liquid crystal Panel 2 comprises many pixels 3. Each of the pixels 3 comprises a switch transistor (TR), a storage capacitor (CST) for reducing a current leakage from the liquid crystal, and a liquid crystal capacitor (CLC). A switch transistor (TR) is turned on and turned off in response to a signal driving a gate line (GL). A terminal of the switch transistor (TR) that is turned on and turned off by the signal from the gate line (GL) is connected to a source line (SL).
A storage capacitor (CST) is connected between another terminal of the switch transistor (TR) and a grounding voltage (VSS), and the liquid crystal capacitor (CLC) is connected between another terminal of the switch transistor (TR) and a common voltage (VCOM). In an example, the common voltage (VCOM) is a power voltage, such as VDD/2.
The load of each of the source lines (SL) connected to the pixels 3 arranged on the liquid crystal panel 2 may be modeling by representing it using parasitic resistors and parasitic capacitors.
FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic view indicating an apparatus for output buffering.
When referring to FIG. 2, a source driver 50 includes an output buffer 10, an output switch 11, an output protection resistor 12 and a load 13 connected to a source line. The output buffer 10 delivers an analog moving image signal to a corresponding output switch 11 for amplification. The output switch 11 outputs the amplified analog moving image signal as a signal driving a source line, in response to an activation of a signal controlling an output switch, such as switch (OSW) and/or switch (OSWB). The signal driving source line is provided with the load 13 connected to the source line. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the load 13 is modeled as parasitic resistors (RL1 to RL5) and parasitic capacitors (CL1 to CL5) such that the parasitic resistors (RL1 to RL5) and parasitic capacitors (CL1 to CL5) are connected in a ladder type structure.
However, according to this example approach, the output switch 11 has a plurality of transmission switches. Therefore, a slew rate becomes low, due to a resistance element resulting from the use of the plurality of transmission switches. Thus, the slewing time increases, which potentially interferes with the functionality of the device. Also, another issue that occurs is that elevating the slew rate potentially increases current consumption, which may also be detrimental to the functionality of the device.

Apparatus for output buffering having half-swing rail-to-rail structure


A method is provided for synthesizing acylamides, useful as protectant for cultivated plants. A benzoxazine, such as 3,4-dihydro-3-methyl-2H-1,4-benzoxazine, is made in a stepwise manner by initially forming an o-nitrophenoxyketone by reacting a haloketone and a nitrophenol. The o-nitrophenoxyketone is hydrogenated to form the corresponding benzoxazine, which is thereafter acylated with an acylhalide to produce the acylamide, such as 4-dichloroacetyl-3,4-dichloroacetyl-3,4-dihydro-3-methyl-2H-1,4-benzoxazine.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for making acylamides useful as protectants for cultivated plants against the phytotoxic action of herbicides. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for making acylamides starting with the initial synthesis of an o-nitrophenoxyketone from an o-nitrophenol and a haloketone. The o-nitrophenoxyketone is then hydrogenated to produce a benzoxazine, which is thereafter acylated to form the desired acylamide.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Some of the acylamides which can be made in accordance with the method of the present invention are shown by Moser in U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,361. An acylhalide is reacted with an aromatic amine in the presence of an acid binding agent.
The term "acylamide" as used in the description of the present invention, includes compounds shown within the following formula: where R is a C(1-8) monovalent organo functional radical, R1 is a C(1-8) monovalent radical selected from the group consisting of, alkyl and alkoxyalkyl, and R2–R5 are C(1-8) monovalent radicals which can be the same or different, and are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl and alkoxyalkyl.
Acylamides included within formula (1), can be synthesized by acylating a benzoxazine in an aromatic hydrocarbon solvent as shown by the following equation: where R–R5 are as previously defined and X is a halogen radical.
The formation of benzoxazines, such as 3,4-dihydro-3-methyl-2H-1,4-benzoxazine, can involve the initial synthesis and hydrogenation of a nitrophenoxyketone. For example, Strain et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,381,935, shows the hydrogenation of o-nitrophenoxyacetone in an autoclave using a Raney nickel catalyst and methanol as a solvent to form a 3-methylbenzoxazine. However, a satisfactory synthesis for the o-nitrophenoxyacetone intermediate used in making the 3-methylbenzoxazine is not set forth by Strain et al.
Although a synthesis for the o-nitrophenoxyacetone intermediate used by Strain et al. is not reported, a procedure for making a phenoxyacetone is shown by H. Meerwein, Houben-Weill, Band 8—Saurstoffverindugen on page 57, by effecting reaction between phenol and monochloroacetone in the presence of potassium carbonate and sodium iodide. While a satisfactory yield of the phenoxyacetone is indicated, a strong solvent, such as a ketone, is used to solubilize the sodium iodide catalyst. Experience has shown that if sodium iodide is used as the catalyst to produce the phenoxyketone, further purification such as recrystallization is required. Otherwise catalyst poisoning can result during the hydrogenation step in the synthesis of the benzoxazine. As a consequence an excessive amount of waste can be generated.
In addition, as shown, for example, in Chemical Abstracts 102: 6171c and 103: 178335w (1985), and 106: 34646n and 106: 175898h (1987), phase transfer catalysts (PTC), such as tetrabutylammoniumbromide, have been used to facilitate the synthesis of ether related materials, such as acridine ethers, and aryloxy derivatives. Solvents such as toluene, aprotic solvents, or acetonitrile, have been found to be effective in the presence of K2CO3, or NaOH.
While some methods are shown to make acylamides of formula (1) by acylating a benzoxazine, improved procedures are constantly being evaluated for synthesizing benzoxazines, as well as precursors to benzoxazines, such as the corresponding nitroaryloxyketone, for example a nitrophenoxyacetone.

Method for making acylamides by synthesizing and acylating benzoxazines


A multi-stage method of reducing solids and contaminants from liquid waste and other suitable streams without the use of chemical flocculants or polymers is disclosed.

This invention relates in general to the separation and handling of waste. Embodiments of this invention relate to the solid separation and cleaning of part-liquid animal waste streams.
Concentrated Animal Feedlot Operations ("CAFOs") are often required to prepare Nutrient Management Plans ("NMPs") dealing with how the animal waste may be applied to cropland. A number of NMPs are based on the most limiting nutrient found in the animal waste. Federal regulations dictate NMPs, expanding the coverage of the Clean Water Act from the production facility to the land where animal waste is to be applied. Other regulations may dictate how CAFOs prepare NMPs.
In general, the application of waste on the land may be restricted based on the nutrient content and concentration in the waste. Such restrictions increase the competition for and the value of "spreadable" land (land capable of using animal waste as a plant fertilizer), inflating overall manure management costs. In some phosphorus-based NMPs, the overall management costs are even higher since animal waste can contain more phosphorus than nitrogen relative to plant needs, meaning that less waste may be spread on a given acre under such a NMP.
Typical 180 bushel acre corn may require approximately 240 pounds per acre of nitrogen, 100 pounds per acre P2O5, and 240 pounds per acre of K2O, or in other words, a 10:4:10 ratio of N:P:K. Typical swine waste may have an N:P:K: ratio of 10:9:8. Non-efficient recycling of swine waste in such a setting may require recycling only small amounts of swine waste per acre so as to minimize overloading of the land (i.e. accumulation of excess levels of P2O5 not utilized by the crops).
A pregnant sow may produce about 9 pounds of waste per day, with a solid content approximately ranging from 2 to 4.5% solids by volume. Beef cattle with an 800 pound average weight may produce about 48 pounds of waste per day with approximately 15% solids by volume. Dairy cattle weighing an average of 1300 pounds may produce about 50-95 pounds of waste per day with approximately 15% solids by volume.
By separating animal waste into a solid component and a liquid component, CAFOs may be able to handle the animal waste more efficiently. Separated solid components are rich in contaminants, compared to untreated slurry, and may be allowed to collect for longer periods of time before removal. Meanwhile, the liquid component, with reduced levels of contaminants, may be further used, such as for irrigation purposes. Additionally, reduction in the solids component of an animal waste stream may lead to longer life and less maintenance for equipment carrying the waste. Additionally, reduction in the solids component of an animal waste stream may greatly extend the life of settling lagoons.
Current methods of separating animal waste into solid and liquid components are slow processes that often require a very large footprint. Additionally, current methods of separating animal waste into solid and liquid components hinder growth of many operations due to the amount of space and money required to properly handle the increase in animal waste. As well, current methods of separating animal waste into solid and liquid components may not effectively reduce levels of contaminants in the liquid component.
Additionally, animal waste to be processed from certain CAFOs, such as dairy farms, contain a quantity of sand that can have an adverse effect on the life and efficiency of current waste treatment machinery.


A system (10) includes a vehicle-based controller (30) for automatically controlling a throttle (32) of a vehicle (14) to maintain a desired cruise speed of the vehicle. The system also includes a tire-based unit (20) for monitoring an operating condition of a vehicle tire (12) of the vehicle (14). The tire-based unit (20) provides a signal (22) indicative of a sensed operating condition of the vehicle tire (12) to the controller (30). The controller (30) determines an abnormal condition of the vehicle tire (12) when the sensed operating condition reaches a predetermined level. The controller (30) limits the vehicle cruise speed to a predetermined maximum cruise speed when the vehicle tire (12) is in the abnormal condition.

The present invention relates to a system for controlling a vehicle cruise speed to maintain a desired cruise speed of the vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for controlling a vehicle cruise speed wherein the system limits the desired cruise speed when an abnormal condition of a vehicle tire is sensed.
It is known to provide a vehicle with a cruise control system for controlling a vehicle cruise speed to maintain a desired cruise speed of the vehicle. The known cruise control systems are operatively connected to the vehicle throttle and operate the throttle automatically in order to maintain the desired cruise speed of the vehicle.
It is also known to sense an operating condition of a vehicle tire in order to monitor the operating condition while operating the vehicle. Such operating conditions include the inflation pressure and temperature of the vehicle tire. The operating parameters may be sensed by sensors that are mounted to individual vehicle tires and/or rims of the vehicle and provide a signal that includes data relating to the inflation pressure of the individual vehicle tire.
In accordance with the present invention, a system includes vehicle-based means for automatically controlling a throttle of a vehicle to maintain a desired cruise speed of the vehicle. The system also includes a tire-based unit for monitoring an operating condition of a vehicle tire of the vehicle. The tire-based unit provides a signal indicative of a sensed operating condition of the vehicle tire to the controller. The controller determines an abnormal condition of the vehicle tire when the sensed operating condition reaches a predetermined level. The controller limits the vehicle cruise speed to a predetermined maximum cruise speed when the vehicle tire is in the abnormal condition.

System and method for controlling vehicle cruise speed


Processes for depositing SiO2 films on a wafer surface utilizing an aminosilane compound as a silicon precursor are described.

The semiconductor industry's tolerance for process variability continues to decrease as the size of semiconductor devices shrink. To meet these tighter process requirements, the industry has developed a host of new processes which meet the tighter process window requirements, but these processes often take a longer time to complete. For example, for forming layers conformally onto the surface of a high aspect ratio feature with a dimension of 65 nm or smaller, it may be necessary to use an ALD process. ALD is a variant of CVD that demonstrates superior step coverage compared to CVD. ALD is based upon atomic layer epitaxy (ALE) that was originally employed to fabricate electroluminescent displays. ALD employs chemisorption to deposit a saturated monolayer of reactive precursor molecules onto a substrate surface.
Film layers greater than one monolayer may be achieved by cyclically alternating the pulsing of appropriate reactive precursors into a deposition chamber. Each exposure of the deposition surface to a reactive precursor may be separated spatially and/or temporally by an inert gas purge and/or vacuum. The sequential exposure of a surface to the ALD precursor and reactant may add a new atomic layer to previously deposited layers to form a uniform material layer on the surface of a substrate. Cycles of reactive precursor(s) and inert purge gas(es) are repeated to form a material layer with a predetermined thickness.
Forming high-quality, stable dielectric layers of SiO2 has involved thermal reactions directly utilizing the silicon of the substrate, and CVD depositions utilizing various precursors, such as silane or dichlorosilane, and an oxygen source, for example N2O or O2, or reaction of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). These thermal and CVD depositions tend to require higher temperatures that are not necessarily suitable for depositions on substrates that have undergone previous processing, or have progressed to back-end-of-line (BEOL) processes. Films having smaller thicknesses are also difficult to produce by these methods.
In addition, few silicon related ALD precursors are stable at temperatures used for a high temperature (>650 C) deposition processes. The precursors tend to decompose at high temperature instead of forming a self-limited monolayer, resulting in poor film quality. Therefore, there is a need in the art for processes and precursors to form thin, high-quality, stable dielectric layers of SiO2 at temperatures below those typically utilized for thermal or CVD film growth yet having superior properties would therefore be advantageous.

High temperature silicon oxide atomic layer deposition technology


A liquid drop ejection head unit includes plural lines of plural nozzles formed on a nozzle plate, plural lines of plural drive elements that generate energy for ejecting liquid drop through the plural nozzles, and plural sheets of flexible printed circuit boards that input signals to the plural drive elements. The sheets of flexible printed circuit boards include input and output terminals for taking in and output a signal to one of the plural drive elements. A wiring board is provided to connect to the input terminals of the plural sheets of flexible printed circuit boards. The wiring board is arranged in parallel to the nozzle line within a width of nozzle plate. The plural sheets of the flexible printed boards are arranged opposing to each other via the wiring board. The input terminals are positioned not to face each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid drop ejection head and an image forming apparatus.
2. Discussion of the Background Art
In general, an image forming apparatus, such as a printer, a fax, a copier, a plotter, a multifunction machine combining these functions, etc., sometimes includes a print head having a liquid drop ejection head for ejecting ink drop and executes image formation by adhering the ink drop to a sheet, such as a recordation medium, a transfer member, etc., while conveying the sheet.
Specifically, the image forming apparatus can execute the image formation by ejecting liquid drop onto a medium, such as paper, textile thread, texture, cloth, leaser, metal, plastic, glass, wood, ceramics, etc. The image formation provides the medium with not only an image having meaning, such as character, figure, etc., but also a meaningless image, such as a pattern etc. The ink includes wide range of material as far as it can become a liquid state, such as DNA test piece, registration, pattern material, etc., when ejected.
In such an image forming apparatus, as an image processing device, such as a personal computer etc., progresses, a printing speed increases while improving a quality of an image. To achieve the high-speed printing, the print head is elongated by increasingly employing a number of nozzles or is made in a line state connecting plural heads.
Further, as one of attempts to obtain the high quality image, a multiple nozzle headline is employed to use many ink colors. Thus, in comparison with the conventional one, a printing apparatus mounting such a print head becomes bulky and expensive. Accordingly, a printing head or a carriage mounting the print head are demanded to be more downsized at low cost.
A flexible printed circuit (FPC) board is utilized to provide an electric signal such as printing information from a printing apparatus body side to a printing head.
In the past, as shown in the Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2002-046256, a flexible printed circuit board is arranged at both side surfaces of a nozzle of a printing head, and one ends of the flexible printed circuit boards are connected to an actuator of the printing head with the other ends being connected to a connecter electrically connected to a printing apparatus body side.
The Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2002-090481 describes that two lines of drive elements are provided, while two drive circuit boards of the same shape are arranged thereto respectively on the same side of those.
Further, the Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2002-321371 provides a flexible printed circuit board with its connection sections connecting to a printing head. Specifically, the flexible printed circuit board is perpendicularly bent in a lengthwise direction between the printing head and a drive circuit board to be folded back by the angle of 180 degree so that the connection sections are arranged opposing each other.
However, since the connecting parts are similarly arranged opposing to each other on both sides of the nozzle as the flexible printed circuit boards in the conventional art of the Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2002-046256, the printing head cannot be thinned.
Further, since the drive circuit board needs two sheets of the flexible printed circuit boards, a number of parts and accordingly the cost, increases in the conventional art of the Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2002-090481. When it is attempted to use only one sheet of the drive circuit board, since input terminals to two sheets of the flexible printed circuit boards are arranged opposing each other via the drive circuit board, wiring is overcrowded on the drive circuit board, and a stacking number of layer of the drive circuit boards unavoidably increases. As a result, cost of the board increases.
As described in the Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2002-321371, even though part cost is decreased by folding back the common part of the flexible printed circuit board, the carriage with the printing head is insufficiently downsized, and the part cost is insufficiently reduced.
Further, as illustrated in FIG. 25, when a line type head unit 1000 of a line type image forming apparatus includes plural short heads being staggered and held by a head supporting member 1002, the head unit 1000, and accordingly the apparatus as a whole become extraordinary bulky. The length L of the head unit 1000 depends on a size of a printing medium used in an apparatus. However, the width W of the head unit 1000 does not depend on the size and directly affects the size of the entire apparatus. Since the width per head 1001 is w, the total width W of the head unit 1000 amounts to 2×w. Thus, decreasing the width w per head 1001 means decreasing the head unit 1000.
Thus, it is important and thus is demanded to decrease the width of the head unit for downsizing the line type apparatus body. A serial type printing head has the same demand. Because, when a printing head is wide, a scanning range of a carriage is also wide, so that downsizing and high-speed printing of the apparatus cannot be promoted.

Liquid drop ejection head and image forming apparatus


The present invention provides a microneedle patch which can solve the problem that microneedle production is difficult and requires high accuracy, the problem that time and mental burdens on a health professional and a patient are large, and the problem caused by compounding a plurality of drugs. The microneedle patch comprises a large number of drug-carrying microprojections 4 erected on one support sheet, each microprojection 4 having a drug layer 5 soluble in vivo at its top part and having an intermediate layer 6 under the drug layer 5, the intermediate layer 6 containing a polymeric substance for adhesion of the drug layer 5 to the support sheet, the drug layer 5 at the top part of the microprojection 4 containing a single drug, the microprojections 4 holding difference types of drugs being arranged together on the support sheet 2.

As the prior-art microneedle patch having drug-carrying microprojections, for example, the techniques described in Patent Literature 1 to 8 and Non-patent Literature 1 are known. These pieces of prior art are different from one another in microprojection structures and the methods for loading drugs into microprojections.
The technique of Patent Literature 1 relates to a production method of a microneedle patch and a production apparatus thereof. In this technique, inverted-cone-shaped fine pores are formed in a density of dozens to hundreds per block (1 cm square) on a base of silicone resin or thermoplastic resin, a concentrated solution or a mixture comprising a drug, an additive, a base, or the like is compressed into the pores under pressure and dried during the compression, and the resulting conical projections having a height of 100 to 500 μm and a bottom diameter of 100 to 500 μm are taken off from the pores with an adhesive tape and erected on a patch.
According to the technique of Patent Literature 1, one type of drug is loaded alone or as a mixture with the drug and an additive in each microprojection.
According to the technique of Patent Literature 2, die cavities (recessions for forming microprojections) are loaded with an aqueous solution of water-soluble polymeric substance, the solution is dried and solidified into a microneedle sheet, and the sheet is firmly fixed on a substrate sheet provided with an adhesive layer to produce a microneedle patch. The loading process disclosed therein comprises two steps. In the first step, an aqueous solution of a functional material (drug) is loaded into the die cavities, and in the second step, an aqueous solution of water-soluble polymeric substance is loaded thereonto, resulting in a two-layer microprojections.
However, also in the case of the technique of Patent Literature 2, only one type of drug is loaded in each microprojection.
According to the technique of Patent Literature 3, a microneedle sheet part is molded from a water-soluble resin film based on the technique of Patent Literature 2, and thus time for solidifying and drying is significantly shortened, leading to a reduction in production time and production costs.
One type of drug is loaded in all the microprojections, as is the case with Patent Literature 2.
According to the technique of Patent Literature 4, a plurality of microprojections are formed by etching or punching a thin sheet, and coating with at least one type of useful active substance and at least one type of water-soluble biocompatible carrier is performed on at least a part of each microprojection. When such a microneedle patch is used, the microprojection penetrates through the stratum corneum, the coating comes into contact with body fluid and the useful active substance is absorbed into skin tissue.
The technique of Patent Literature 5 is an apparatus and method for transdermal delivery of an immunologically active substance, comprising a delivery system which has a microprojection array comprising a large number of microprojections designed to perforate the skin through the stratum corneum into the epidermal layer or into the epidermal layer and the dermis layer, which are under the stratum corneum. The microprojection array has a large number of array areas, each array area is provided with a different biocompatible coating, and the coating of at least one array area comprises an immunologically active substance.
That is, each microprojection array area is provided with a different biocompatible coating, allowing the transdermal delivery of a plurality of vaccines and the like.
According to the technique of Patent Literature 6, a microneedle for a preparation 1 for body surface application is composed of the following two parts (a double layered structure): a top part 5 and a bottom part 6. The top part 5 is a part comprising a body surface insertion end 2 and holds a base-soluble objective substance. The bottom part 6 is a part comprising a pressing end 3, mainly consists of a base alone, and holds no objective substance. Since the objective substance is contained in the top part 5, even when the preparation 1 for body surface application is inserted into the body surface such as the skin and a part of the bottom side remains outside the skin without being inserted into the body surface, the actual dose of the objective substance does not become less than the desired amount, and a high absorption ratio and pharmacological effect can be achieved.
In addition, according to the technique disclosed in Patent Literature 6, the microneedle has a multilayer structure comprising two or more layers, and different drugs are loaded in a plurality of intermediate layers.
The technique of Patent Literature 7 is a microneedle having a three-layer structure composed of three parts. Atop part and a bottom part are layers of a water-soluble stringy polymeric substance, which is a base, and the second layer contains a vaccine antigen. When a microneedle is inserted into the skin, the tip part penetrates the dermis of the skin while dissolving. Since the vaccine antigen is contained in the second part, the vaccine antigen can be efficiently delivered to the epidermal layer of the skin. Moreover, since the third layer comprises a water-soluble stringy polymeric substance, which is a base, and has no vaccine antigen, even if the entire third layer does not penetrate into the skin, an antigen such as a vaccine will be fully taken into the body without any loss.
The technique of Patent Literature 8 is a microneedle array for a vaccine in which an antigen is one selected from the group consisting of an influenza hemagglutinin (HA) antigen, tetanus toxoid, diphtheria toxoid, and a recombinant HBs protein. Moreover, in this Patent Literature 8, an example of a microneedle patch for Tetanus and Diphtheria combined vaccine and an example of a microneedle patch for triple vaccine are disclosed.
In the production method of the microneedle patch, an aqueous solution containing a medicinal component is loaded into a microneedle-shaped mold, and dried. Then an aqueous substrate solution is loaded into the mold and the whole molded body is taken off to obtain a patch product. Moreover, a case where a drug is loaded on microneedles by a dipping method is disclosed.
In Non-patent Literature 1, a method is disclosed in which a polymer sheet having projections is produced using a water-soluble polymer and a drug is applied onto the projecting portions with a micropipette. That is, a drug is not contained in a microneedle.


The present improved animal trap and unique catch release mechanism eliminates substantial eating or removal of the bait without the trap activating and provides a dual means to activate the trap. This is accomplished by the present catch release mechanism having a sliding member which slides within a hole through the platform of the trap under the influence of gravity and a prop which holds at least a portion of the trap platform above a support surface. When the prop is destabilized by an external force, the prop's support of the platform is disturbed, permitting the platform to fall toward the support surface. The platform falls relative to the sliding member; and the sliding member is forced toward the catch by contact with the support surface, thus pushing the catch so that the catch releases the holding arm bar to activate the trap.

The field of the present device and method relates to spring-loaded animal traps, and more particularly, to catch release mechanism for a spring-loaded animal trap, such as a mouse trap, animal trap, or the like.
With standard mouse traps, also known as snap traps or spring-loaded arm bar mouse traps, the catch serves two primary purposes, to restrain the holding arm bar when the trap is set and to hold the bait. In order for the trap to activate, the rodent must apply sufficient force on the catch through the eating or manipulation of the attached bait to cause the catch to release the holding arm bar. It is too often the case that the mouse can gently eat the bait without activating the trap. Thus, when later checked, the trap may still be set, yet the catch cleaned of the bait. What is needed is a trap that senses more than just direct pressure on the catch and accounts for other movements or applications of force applied on other portions of the trap.


The invention involves the formation of a stable iron (II) oxide and/or hydroxide. Preferably these oxides and/or hydroxides are present as nanoparticles in the 5-10 nanometer range. It has been discovered that such particles can be formed at lower cost and with fewer impurities by using ferrous carbonate (FeCO3) from siderite as compared to known processes from various iron salts such as sulfates and chlorides. The novel nanoparticles are particularly adapted to removing sulfur compounds such as H2S from liquid and/or gaseous streams, such as hydrocarbon streams.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to an absorbent that is adapted for the removal of hydrogen sulfide and other sulfur species from liquid and/or gaseous streams and more particularly to a stable iron (II) oxide and/or hydroxide that is particularly adapted to absorb hydrogen sulfide and other sulfur species from liquid and/or gaseous streams. Methods for making and using the absorbent are also disclosed.
2. Description of Related Art
Various liquid and/or gaseous streams, including hydrocarbon streams such as natural gas liquids ("NGL"), crude oil, acid-gas mixtures, carbon dioxide gas and liquid streams, anaerobic gas, landfill gas, geothermal gas, and the like, also often contain significant quantities of sulfur compounds. Some sulfur compounds that are often found in such streams include hydrogen sulfide, mercaptans and dimethyldisulfide. Particularly in the case of hydrocarbon streams, these sulfur compounds generally must be removed in order to meet emission standards and pipeline requirements.
Because of the noxious, toxic and corrosive nature of sulfur-containing compounds, many different products and methods have previously been disclosed for use in removing such compounds from hydrocarbon streams. One such commercially available product is SULFATREAT® brand particulate reactant that is said to be useful for removing hydrogen sulfide and other sulfur contaminants from gases and liquids including, for example, hydrocarbon fuels and geothermal steam for sale to producers of natural gas and the like. SULFATREAT® is a federally registered trademark of M-I L.L.C. of Houston, Tex., and, in stylized form, of Gas Sweetener Associates, Inc. of Chesterfield, Mo. The SULFATREAT® material has a proprietary formulation but is believed to comprise primarily ferric oxide particles having a high surface area. Iron sponge is another commercially available material composed of ferric oxide distributed on wood chips that is being used for sulfur removal in industrial processes.
Another known process for removing hydrogen sulfide from hydrocarbon streams is the use of a caustic scrubber or amine unit. Most of these processes involve the use of an alkaline solution such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Compared to these processes, the disclosed stable iron (II) oxide and/or hydroxide system shows greater sulfur capacity when using the same amount and concentration of caustic solutions.
Another commercially available product is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,744,841 and 7,943,105. This absorbent has been found to be particularly effective at absorbing hydrogen sulfide, mercaptans, dimethyldisulfide and other sulfur-containing compounds from various fluids including natural gas, light hydrocarbon streams such as natural gas liquids, crude oil, acid gas mixtures, carbon dioxide gas and liquid streams, anaerobic gas, landfill gas, geothermal and other sulfur-containing streams. This absorbent can be composed of ferrous carbonate, most preferably siderite granules or powdered siderite that is extruded or otherwise aggregated, compacted or formed into pellets, pills or spheres using a minor amount of water and optionally a binder. The ferrous carbonate used to form these particles is generally of a size where 90% pass through a 100 mesh screen, which corresponds to approximately 150 micrometers. The final absorbent preferably has dimensions ranging from about 4 to about 12 mesh or about 1.7-4.7 mm. and is deep red in color. This sorbent is capable of achieving sulfur loading of 10 to 20% by weight of the sorbent (25-50% based on iron content).
Despite the commercial success of the products covered by U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,744,841 and 7,943,105, there is still a need for an improved absorbent that is capable of removing sulfur compounds from liquid and/or gaseous streams, and in particular hydrogen sulfide from hydrocarbon streams.

Highly active nano iron catalyst for the absorption of hydrogen sulfide


A fast connection establishment method for a bluetooth device is used to establish a connection between two bluetooth devices in order to provide a wireless transmission function. A bluetooth module, bluetooth address memory, CPU and connection interface for outside device are installed in each bluetooth device. The method first connects the three signal contacts of a bluetooth device to the three signal contacts of another bluetooth device to interchange the bluetooth addresses with each other. Then, the bluetooth address memory of the bluetooth device is used to store the bluetooth address of the opposite bluetooth device. After this, the bluetooth address is sent out after the power source of the bluetooth device is on. Finally, a bluetooth connection procedure is started if the bluetooth address of the opposite device is received by it in a specific time. Thereby, a wireless transmission can be established between two bluetooth devices.

The connection procedure for bluetooth devices is complex, and it needs to spend time on searching another bluetooth device that wants to be connected. Therefore, it is inconvenient for users. Besides, the users cannot activate the searching and connection procedures if the bluetooth device is used on a device without user interfaces (such as a device without a screen and keyboard). Therefore, the application range of the bluetooth device is limited.

Fast connection establishment method for bluetooth device