An index buffer circuit and a translation look-aside buffer (TLB) are provided in an address unit of a vector processor unit. The index buffer circuit incudes a plurality of buffers, an input pointer generating unit for generating an input control signal indicating which selected buffer in a buffer portion, index data shall be stored, and an output pointer generating unit for outputting a control signal indicated from which selected buffer in the buffer portion output data is to be read. The TLB translates a logical address to a physical address upon receipt of the output from the index buffer. The TLB has a least recently used (LRU) flag register which can maintain the priority even if the entries are reset and thus the entries of the TLB can be used as buffers when the vector processor unit operates as a bus slave.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a processor-to-processor interfacing technique for a data processing system which is equipped with a processor, such as a vector processor, as well as a central processor unit (CPU), and more particularly to an address translation system using address information transferred from the CPU to the vector processor.
2. Specification
In FIG. 1, there is shown a data processing system equipped with more than one processor. This data processing system comprises a central processing unit (hereinafter abbreviated to CPU) 1, a processor 2, such as a vector processor unit (VPU) for performing arithmetic operations on vectors, and a memory unit 3, which are interconnected by a data bus (DBUS) 4, an address bus (ABUS) 5, and a control bus (CBUS) 6.
In such a data processing system, an internal interface 7 of the processor 2 accepts address index information sent from the CPU 1 over the address bus 5 and translates it to an internal address of the processor 2 for subsequent processing, for example for use in vector operations.
The problem with the address translation by the interface 7 is the difficulty of control because index data, which are sent from the CPU independently of the timing of address translation, must be translated to addresses in the order in which they are received.
Next, suppose that the processor 2 in FIG. 1 adopts an address translation method using a translation lookaside buffer (TLB). In recent years, a number of vector processor LSIs (large-scale integrated circuits) have been developed, each of which is equipped with a cache or a translation lookaside buffer in order to speed up processing.
Such processors have a problem of data agreement assurance for contents of the cache or the translation lookaside buffer. As for the cache, since an entry consists of a physical address and data and comparison between physical addresses is easy, the problem of data assurance can be solved by monitoring the system bus to detect rewriting of data corresponding to an entry in the cache and making the corresponding entry invalid upon detecting the rewriting.
However, regarding the translation lookaside buffer, since only pairs of logical and physical addresses are entered into the buffer and the address assigned to the buffer itself is not held, the data assurance problem cannot be solved in the same way as with the cache.
Thus, the processors are required to be equipped with a TLB control circuit that can make entries in the TLB invalid as necessary.
Each entry in a conventional TLB is provided with a V flag storage unit such as shown in FIG. 2 to indicate whether it is valid or invalid. The V flag storage unit comprises a V flag register 8 for storing a V flag, an inverter 9 supplied with a signal FF indicating that the physical address for the entry is to be updated when its priority has been decreased to the lowest and the TLB misses, and a NOR gate 10 supplied with the output of the inverter 9 and an address space switching signal, i.e., a signal indicating that the contents of an external RAM managed by the operating system (OS) have been rewritten, which is supplied by the OS. The output of the NOR gate is connected to the V flag register 8.
The V flag register 8 is reset by a system reset signal from the CPU 1 end set by a state signal EE output from a bus unit which controls the transfer of data to or from the data bus 4 within the vector processor unit 2. The state signal EE is a signal indicating TLB updating cycles, which is one of the signals produced by the bus unit and indicates internal states of the vector processor unit.
Of the above signals, the address space switching signal and the signals FF and EE are all "1" when they are active. The address space switching signal is common to all the entries in the TLB, while the signals FF and EE are associated with single entry having a one-to-one correspondence with the V flag register 8. For example, when the signal FF indicating a TLB miss is input and then the contents of the corresponding entry are updated, the V flag is set to one.
A flag value of 1 in the V flag register 8 indicates that the corresponding TLB entry is valid, while a flag value of 0 indicates that it is invalid.
In the above arrangement, when the address space switching signal becomes active to change the address space, a 1 input is applied to one of the inputs of the NOR gate 10, causing a 0 to be written into the V flag register 8. When 0s are written into all the V flag registers 8, all the TLB entries are made invalid.
Heretofore, the TLB is configured such that the flag registers indicating priorities of the TLB entries, for example, the contents of LRU flag registers to be described later, when reset, indicate a fixed order of priority. This is in order to keep a fixed order of priority even if the flag registers indicating priorities of the TLB entries are cleared on reset.
In a general system configuration, a numeric arithmetic processor connected to the CPU works by coprocessor/slave access in response to address/data from the CPU. Further, a processor that is also specialized for graphic processing may occupy a data bus and work as a bus master.
While the processor acts as a bus slave, it is necessary to invalidate all the entries in the TLB when the installed RAM with the TLB (page table base) is subjected to a write.
Further, in order to invalidate the entry, it is necessary to provide dedicated hardware, thereby making a circuit construction complicated. The conventional processor is structured such that a flag bit register designating a priority of respective entries in the TLB represent a predetermined sequence of the priority when the entries are reset. Therefore respective entries including the flag bit register can not be used for the other purpose even if they are reset, thereby failing to utilize the hardware resource efficiently.

Processor system including an index buffer circuit and a translation look-aside buffer control circuit for processor-to-processor interfacing


A top-plate sampling analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuit includes a first ADC stage and a residue amplifier coupled to the first ADC stage. The residue amplifier comprises a first transistor with a control terminal, a first current terminal, and a second current terminal. The residue amplifier also comprises a second transistor with a control terminal, a first current terminal, and a second current terminal. The residue amplifier also comprises a linearity adjustment circuit coupled to a second current terminal of at least one of the first transistor and the second transistor. The linearity adjustment circuit comprises at least one switch that changes its state as a function of an input sampling phase and a gain phase of the residue amplifier.

Many modern electronic systems involve analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and/or digital-to-analog converters (DACs). One example ADC topology is referred to as top plate sampling ADC topology. In a top plate sampling ADC topology, an input signal is sampled using a capacitor having a first node coupled to a sampling switch and a second node coupled to ground. In a top plate sampling ADC topology, the front-end circuitry (e.g., a flash stage) receives a full input and provides a multi-bit output that is fed to a multi-bit DAC. The analog output of the DAC is subtracted from the ADC input, and the "residue" of the subtraction is then gained up and is fed to the next stage. In an ADC, non-linearity in the residue stage and/or other stages reduces the accuracy of an ADC.

Top plate sampling analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with residue amplifier non-linearity reduction


A thermal decomposition cell for producing a molecular beam from a material gas, includes: a crucible maintained at a given temperature necessary for thermal decomposition of the material gas which is effused in the crucible in a given direction; and a thermal decomposition baffle provided in the crucible and heated to a given temperature necessary for thermal decomposition of the material gas for producing the molecular beam by thermal-decomposing of the material gas such that the material gas is baffled in substantially all directions, the thermal decomposition baffle being made of a given metal to cause the thermal decomposition of the material gas. The thermal decomposition baffle may comprise a fiber or a cloth made of the metal loaded in the crucible. The thermal decomposition baffle may comprise a plurality of different sized rooms made of the given metal, each of said rooms having fine holes to allow the material gas to pass therethrough, and successively arranged in such a manner that said material gas moves from one room toward the other adjacent thereto.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a thermal decomposition cell for producing molecular beams of an element from material gas.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A thermal decomposition cell is known. Such cell comprises a cell body, a crucible contained in the cell body, a heater for heating the crucible, a thermal decomposition baffle for producing a molecular beam from a material gas using heat from the crucible, and a gas supply tube for supplying a material gas of an element into the crucible through the bottom of the crucible. The material gas supplied to the crucible is subject to heat decomposition to produce a molecular beam used for epitaxial growth on a substrate placed on the top opening of the crucible. Generally, an epitaxial method using the molecular beam from a gas source is known as a thin-film-forming technique of the semiconductor materials. In this method, a material gas (for example, Arsine, Phosphine, etc.), which contributes crystal growth on the substrate is used. Generally, a thermal decomposition temperature of the material gas may be higher than the substrate growth temperature. In this case, the molecular beam is produced as follows:
The crucible and the thermal decomposition baffle of the thermal decomposition cell is heated to a temperature such that the material gas is subject to thermal decomposition. Then, the material gas is supplied into the crucible from the bottom of the crucible. The material gas is subject to thermal decomposition by contacting the thermal decomposition baffle, so that the molecular beam is produced. The molecular beam is supplied to a substrate on which crystal growth of the epitaxial layer is to be carried out.
In the conventional thermal decomposition cell, a thermal decomposition baffle made of pyrotitic Boron Nitride (PBN), metal tantalum, or the like is formed in a board. One or more boards of the thermal decomposition baffle are used in the crucible to heat the material gas. In such board type thermal decomposition baffle, the thermal decomposition baffle is formed to have a honeycomb structure to increase a contacting area of the material gas with the decomposition baffle to improve thermal decomposition efficiency of the material gas.
However, in the conventional thermal decomposition cell mentioned above, there is a limit on increasing its surface area because the thermal decomposition baffle is formed in a board. Therefore, it is difficult to increase the thermal decomposition efficiency of the material gas to a considerable extent. Accordingly, in the conventional thermal decomposition cell, in order to supply the molecular beam from a gas source to carry out epitaxial growth, it is necessary to introduce a large amount of material gas into the thermal decomposition cell. Therefore, there is a problem that an exhaust pump having a large capacity is required to introduce such a large amount of material gas.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Systems, methods, and software for facilitating wireless conference environments are disclosed. In an implementation, a media system obtains environment information comprising a physical characteristic of a conference environment in which to host a least a portion of a video conference. The media system also obtains schedule information comprising a schedule for a portion of a surrounding environment associated with the conference environment. The media system identifies a configuration in accordance with which to wirelessly exchange video with another media system or system s engaged in the video conference. The configuration is based at least in part on the physical characteristic of the conference environment and the schedule for the portion of the surrounding environment.

Video conferencing is becoming increasingly popular as the various technologies surrounding it develop. While in the past many hurdles existed to conveniently scheduling and hosting video conferences, today they can still be scheduled or even initiated with little notice and involve people from almost anywhere. The reliability and reach of communication networks, easy-to-use conferencing software, and the processing power of modern communication devices are just some examples of how technology now generally supports the routine adoption and deployment of video conferencing.
Within the conference room, many technologies have developed that provide almost life-like interaction between participants in a video conference. If anything, the video conference experience has become closer to an in-person experience than ever before. Many conference rooms are now outfitted with high-definition video systems capable of displaying video captured of remote scenes with such detail and fidelity that local participants and remote participants alike can interact almost as if they are physically present together.
At the same time, inter-device communication has advanced to such a degree that complex and expensive wiring may no longer be needed within a conference room to the same degree as in the past. Some media devices employed in conference environments have wireless capabilities allowing them to transmit or receive video wirelessly so as to avoid the bundle of wires that normally connect such equipment. Such arrangements not only simplify setup of video conferences, but also reduce the cost of building or retrofitting rooms.
For example, many conference environments include display systems having wireless capability. This allows a central media system to wirelessly transmit incoming video directly to a display system for display to local participants in a video conference. In some cases there may be multiple display systems in a room that each receive and display a video feed provided wirelessly by the media system. Many video capture devices are also capable of wirelessly communicating video to other elements within a conference environment which may, in turn, distribute the video for consumption by remote conference participants.
Overview
Provided herein are systems, methods, and software for facilitating wireless conference environments. In an implementation, environment information is obtained that comprises a physical characteristic of a conference environment in which to host a least a portion of a video conference. Schedule information is also obtained that comprises a schedule for a portion of a surrounding environment associated with the conference environment. A wireless configuration is identified in accordance with which to wirelessly exchange video between media systems engaged in the video conference. The configuration is based at least in part on the physical characteristic of the conference environment and the schedule for the portion of the surrounding environment. In some implementations the configuration may reduce, avoid, or mitigate interference associated with the physical characteristic and to reduce other interference implied by the schedule.
This Overview is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Technical Disclosure. It should be understood that this Overview is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Dynamic wireless configuration for video conference environments


A freestanding table having a worksurface supported on height-adjustable legs, each having a height-adjusting mechanism. These mechanisms are simultaneously driven through a driving element such as an endless chain driven by a driving sprocket disposed adjacent the underside of the worksurface. The driving sprocket is nonrotatably connected to a rotatable hub supported in a recess in the worksurface, which recess also accommodates a foldable crank. The crank when in a folded and stored position is disposed in the recess so as to be substantially flush with the upper surface of the worksurface. The crank is pivotally joined about a first axis to an intermediate link which in turn is pivotally joined about a second axis to a rotatable hub so that the crank can be pivoted upwardly through an angle of about 180.degree. so as to be disposed above the worksurface to permit manual gripping and hence rotation thereof when height adjustment is desired.

Numerous freestanding desks or tables as utilized in offices and educational environments are provided with height-adjustment capability, including use of mechanisms which employ a manually-actuated rotatable crank for activating a drive element such as a drive shaft or flexible element which in turn cooperates with height-adjusting units associated with the legs. In many of the known height-adjusting arrangements, the crank is often supported for connection to a driving member at a position under the worksurface, whereby the operator must access the crank to effect rotation thereof, and often times accessing the crank is difficult or inconvenient because of its location under the worksurface.
In other known desks or tables, attempts have been made to overcome the above disadvantage by providing a drive member which projects up and is accessible from above the worksurface. Such arrangements have typically provided a drive hub at or above the worksurface, and in such case a removable crank is provided which must be separately stored, then engaged with the drive hub when height adjustment is desired, and then removed and restored. Such arrangement has also proven undesirable, however, in that provision of a separate and removable crank is inconvenient since often times there is no convenient place to store the crank, so that the crank can be easily misplaced and this thus makes height adjustment inconvenient due to the necessity of having to continually retrieve the crank from storage for use, and then restore the crank.
It is an object of this invention to provide a freestanding height-adjustable table or desk having a height-adjusting mechanism which employs a manually activated crank, which crank can be accessed and operated from a location above the worksurface, but which can be folded and stored in a recess which is substantially flush with the upper surface of the worksurface, whereby the crank remains permanently connected to the drive arrangement at all times.
In the freestanding desk or table of this invention, the worksurface is supported on height-adjustable legs, each having a height-adjusting mechanism which in the preferred embodiment comprises an extendable and contractible screw unit. The screw units associated with the legs are simultaneously driven through a driving element such as an endless chain which is driven by a driving sprocket disposed adjacent the underside of the worksurface. The driving sprocket is nonrotatably connected to a rotatable hub which is supported in a recess in the worksurface, which recess also accommodates a foldable crank. The crank when in a folded and stored position is disposed in the recess so as to be substantially flush with the upper surface of the worksurface. The crank can be pivoted upwardly about a first axis and is pivotally joined about the first axis to an intermediate link which in turn pivots about a second axis to a rotatable hub so that the crank can be pivoted upwardly through an angle of about 180.degree. so as to be disposed above the worksurface to permit manual gripping and hence rotation thereof when height adjustment is desired.
Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons familiar with structures of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.

Table with recessed height-adjusting crank


A fixing structure is provided for an outer ring in an one-way clutch. The fixing structure includes a ring-shaped leaf spring having angular waviness, interposed between an outer side wall of the outer ring and an opposing inner wall of a housing and integrally assembled on a stepped outer peripheral portion of the outer ring. The ring-shaped leaf spring has plural tabs on an inner peripheral edge portion thereof and is fixed by spring forces of the tabs immovably in the direction of an axis of the outer ring. The stepped outer peripheral portion of the outer ring preferably defines a circumferential slot therein and the tabs of the ring-shaped leaf spring are fitted in the circumferential slot, whereby any axial movement of the ring-shaped leaf spring is limited.

a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fixing structure for an outer ring in a one-way clutch which is used as a torque-transmitting or backstop component in a drive system of an automotive vehicle or the like.
b) Description of the Related Art
In FIG. 7, the basic construction of a one-way clutch is shown with a portion thereof having been cut away. Illustrated in this drawing are an outer ring 10, an inner ring 20, a side wall 60 mounted on a side wall of the outer ring 10, rollers 50, springs 70, spring anchors 80, and a cam surface 90 formed on an inner peripheral wall of the outer ring 10. When the inner ring 20 rotates clockwise as indicated by arrow R.sub.1, the inner ring 20 simply idles. The mechanism of such a one-way clutch mechanism is well known in the art, so that its detailed description is omitted herein.
FIG. 8 illustrates the above one-way clutch as assembled on a housing 45. Each spline 15 of the outer ring 10 is fitted in a corresponding keyway 46 in the housing 45. Designated at symbol 45a is an inner wall of the housing 45. Numeral 30 indicates a stopper ring for limiting any axial movement of the one-way clutch.
FIG. 9 shows, on an enlarged scale, a spline-fitted portion of the housing 45. The housing 45 is a casting so that no accurate dimensions can be expected thereon. To cope with this problem, an angular clearance a is left between the spline 15 of the outer ring 10 and a wall of its corresponding keyway 46 of the housing 45.
Whenever the inner ring 20 idles in the direction indicated by arrow R.sub.1 in FIG. 7 or rotates in an opposite direction, the outer ring 10 is also caused to rotate in the same direction as the inner ring 20. As a result, a side wall of each spline 15 is caused to hit a side wall of the associated keyway 46 so that a sharp metallic hitting noise is hence produced.
As is illustrated in FIG. 8, it has therefore been devised to prevent any axial movement of the outer ring 10 for the prevention of production of a sharp metallic noise by interposing a spring 40 between an outer peripheral side wall of the outer ring 10 and the inner wall 45a of the housing so that the outer ring 10 is held immovably in an axial direction.
The spring 40 is however a separate part so that the spring 40 has to be assembled at the user's end prior to assembling the one-way clutch on the housing 45. This has resulted in the drawbacks that more assembling steps are needed and the assembly work is cumbersome and time-consuming.

Fixing structure for outer ring in one-way clutch


A multichip module defining a dc to dc converter employs a monolithic chip containing at least two III-nitride switches (a monolithic CSC chip) mounted on a conductive lead frame. The CSC chip is copacked with an IC driver for the switches and with the necessary passives. The module defines a buck converter; a boost converter, a buck boost converter, a forward converter and a flyback converter. The drain, source and gate pads of the monolithic CSC chip are connected to a lead frame by solder or epoxy or by bumping attach and a conductive connector or wire bonds connect the switch terminal to lead frame.

Converter circuits for conversion of an input dc voltage to a higher or lower dc output voltage are well known. Such circuits may take the form of buck converter circuits, boost converter circuits, buck-boost converter circuits, flyback converter circuits, forward converter circuits and the like. The circuits are mounted in housings or as discretes applied to a printed circuit board or other substrates. It is preferred that they occupy as small as possible area on the support board.
These circuits commonly employ at least two field effect transistors (FETs) and an integrated circuit driver for turning the FETs on and off in a predetermined sequence. These FETs are normally mounted on a common conductive lead frame.
The FETs of the prior art are usually silicon based devices. Switch devices of the III-nitride family have been developed, (hereinafter GaN devices) and have also been employed as discrete devices in dc to dc converter  circuits. Two or more such discrete GaN devices can be integrated in a single monolithic GaN based chip.
It would be desirable to form a dc to dc converter in which a single die can be mounted on a lead frame, with or without the integrated drive circuit. Such an arrangement would be more easily assembled, produces a smaller part count for a full circuit containing the dc to dc converter, and would occupy less area on a printed circuit board receiving the assembly.

Package for monolithic compound semiconductor (CSC) devices for DC to DC converters


A self-contained, closed system, aerobic sewage treatment system designed for use in a house or in mobile situations such as a boat, plane, bus, train, etc. comprising a housing with a toilet and a main digestion tank and a series of secondary digestion tanks below the toilet. An air diffusor, an aeration deflector and a quiescent zone are disposed in the majority of the digestive tanks to promote the rapid digestion of the organic waste deposited therein. The final digestion tank which receives the substantially organically pure water from the system has a pump to recirculate some of the water to rinse the toilet bowl after use.

This invention relates to aerobic sewage treatment systems. More particularly, this invention relates to self-contained, closed system, aerobic sewage treatment systems having an interconnected series of aerated tanks which progressively purify the waste to essentially organic-free water.
The process of biochemical aerobic digestion of organic waste such as raw sewage is well known. Basically the process consists of aerating raw sewage in an aeration tank. The aeration promotes the growth of microorganisms which feed on and hence digest the raw sewage. Digestion converts the raw sewage primarily into carbon dioxide and water along with sludge. The resultant water-sludge mixture is drawn off into a settling tank. After settling, the sludge is decanted. A small portion of the sludge, as a supernatant, is returned to the aeration tank to innoculate the incoming raw sewage with microorganisms and stimulate rapid synthesis of additional microorganisms. The balance of the supernatant sludge-supernatant is discharged from the system, usually after chlorination.
Problems associated with such sewage treatment systems include the buildup of sludge in the settling tank and the discharge of impure effluent into the environment.
As claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,967 (Hargraves), substantially complete digestion of organic waste by biochemical action without the production of excessive sludge can be obtained by a progressive biochemical treatment carried out in a series of aerated sewage treatment tanks. Bascially the treatment involves the retention of the large organic solids, both floating and non-floating, in a first treatment or main digestion tank. After vigorous aeration and substantial digestion, the effluent is passed sequentially through a series of secondary treatment tanks where further settling and biochemical purification takes place. Eventually, substantially waste-free liquid is supposedly obtained in the final tank.
Since biochemical digestion is enhanced by vigorous aeration and turbulent movement of the solids and liquid, the Hargraves patent teaches the use of an air diffusor disposed at the bottom of each tank. Air is forced out of the air diffusor so as to cause a rolling motion of the liquid-solid mixture. The rolling motion is claimed to have the favorable effect of: (1) supplying oxygen directly to the microorganisms; (2) moving the microorganisms to the surface of the liquid-solid mixture within the tank to thereby expose the microorganisms to the air above the mixture; and (3) breaking up the solids into smaller and smaller particles as they roll around in each tank.
Unfortunately, in actual practice the Hargraves effects are not attained to the degree necessary for adequate digestion. This inability is most acute in the main digestion tank where break up and aeration of the solids is essential for the effective operation of the entire system. Inadequate digestion of the solids in the main digestive tank will unduly pollute the secondary tanks. The process of having progressively purer secondary stages is, therefore, defeated.
The Hargraves patent attempts to adequately break up and aerate the solids in the main digestion tank by locating the air diffusor below a screen (see FIG. 2). Air flowing out of the diffusor aerates and agitates the solids as they settle on the screen. In practice, clogging of the screen and inadequate aeration of the settled solids not directly above the diffusor occurs.
The Hargraves patent also incorporates an air lift within the main digestion tank (see FIG. 10). Here, the solids are air lifted up a bent conduit and are then forcibly discharged against a wall member to break up the solids. In practice, the air bubbles are unable to air lift large solids up the conduit. Such large solids then clog the conduit.
Another problem, as noted earlier, is retention of the larger solids in the main digestion tank. Only smaller solids should be passed on to subsequent digestion tanks. To insure such, the Hargraves patent (FIG. 2) shows a conduit disposed within each digestion tank. The submerged opening of the conduit is covered with a filter. The filter prevents suspended large solids from flowing up the conduit and into the subsequent digestion tank. Unfortunately as can be expected with all filters, the clogging which eventually occurs necessitates the removal and cleaning of the filter. This problem is most acute in the main digestion tank where the larger solids are encountered.
The Hargraves patent also uses quiescent chambers in each tank to prevent larger solids from flowing into subsequent stages (see FIGS. 8 and 9). A horizontal conduit connected to a vertical conduit are disposed within each digestion tank. The liquid in the vertical conduit is substantially stagnant, thereby facilitating the settling of larger solids contained therein to the bottom of the digestion tank where they are then drawn away by the rolling motion of the liquid in that tank. Such a quiescent chamber has several drawbacks including: (1) the unstreamlined configuration of the quiescent chamber disrupts the rolling motion of the liquid contained in that digestion tank; (2) the submerged opening of the quiescent chamber is of such large diameter that the rolling motion of the liquid in that digestion tank agitates the liquid contained in the quiescent chamber; and (3) undue tilting of the digestion tank causes flooding of the subsequent stage.
Therefore an object of this invention is to provide a sewage treatment system which uniquely avoids sludge buildup.
Another object is to provide a self-contained sewage treatment system thereby precluding the need to discharge effluent into the environment.
Still another object is to provide a means to progressively biochemically treat raw sewage.
A further object is to provide a novel means to vigorously aerate the solids suspended in the liquid of each digestion tank in a sewage treatment system.
A still further object of this invention is to provide means to insure that only the smaller particles suspended in the liquid in a preceding digestion tank are passed on to the subsequent digestion tank.
Another object is to provide means to insure that the raw sewage is vigorously aerated in the main digestion tank without requiring screens or filters which may become clogged.
Another object is to provide means to break-up the solids contained in the main digestion tank and other secondary digestion tanks.
Another object is to provide streamlined quiescent chambers which do not interfere with the rolling motion of the liquid in each digestion tank.
Another object is to provide means to insure that the rolling motion of the liquid in each digestion tank does not agitate the stagnant liquid contained in the quiescent chamber.
Another object is to provide means to help prevent flooding of a subsequent digestion stage should the sewage treatment system be utilized in a rocking or otherwise unstable environment.
Another object is to provide means for the sewage digestive system to be incorporated into a portable, self-contained toilet facility which may be used in a large variety of situations such as on a boat, plane, mobile home, etc.
Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.


Provided is a process for preparing carbonylated derivatives of amino- and haloamino-1,3,5-triazines by contacting the 1,3,5-triazine, carbon monoxide and a metal catalyst system containing a metal promoter for promoting carbonylation, at a temperature carbon monoxide pressure and length of time sufficient to carbonylate at least a portion of the amino and/or haloamino groups of the 1,3,5-triazine. The product resulting from contacting these components is an isocyanate functional 1,3,5-triazine; however, the carbamate functional derivative can be readily produced by contacting these components in the further presence of a hydroxy compound, or by post-reacting the isocyanate functional product with such hydroxy compound.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the preparation of isocyanate and carbamate functional derivatives of optionally halogenated amino-1,3,5-triazines via carbonylation using carbon monoxide and a metal promoter for promoting carbonylation.
2. Description of Related Art
Various derivatives of (halo)amino-1,3,5-triazines are described in the literature as being utilized in a wide variety of fields. An important use of certain of these derivatives, such as methoxymethyl derivatives of melamine and guanamines, is as crosslinkers and/or reactive modifiers in curable compositions which contain resins having active hydrogen groups. While these methoxymethyl derivatives provide excellent results in a number of aspects, they also have the disadvantage of releasing formaldehyde as a volatile by-product under curing conditions. It has long been a desire of industry to find acceptable alternatives which do not emit formaldehyde upon cure.
One such alternative that has shown great promise is carbamate functional 1,3,5-triazines which are disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,213, U.S. Pat. No. 5,084,541, U.S. application Ser. No. 07/968,871, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,865 (filed Oct. 30, 1992, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 07/793,077, filed Nov. 15, 1991 and now abandoned), U.S. application Ser. No. 07/998,313, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,103 (filed Dec. 29, 1992) and U.S. application Ser. No. 08/061,905, now abandoned (filed May 14, 1993), all of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein as if fully set forth. Specifically, the carbamate functional 1,3,5-triazines disclosed in these references have been found to be particularly useful as crosslinkers in coating compositions based upon hydroxy functional resins, with the cured coatings possessing a wide range of desirable properties.
One hinderance to the commercial use of these carbamate functional 1,3,5-triazines has been that the known preparation methods can be somewhat cumbersome, difficult and expensive. For example, in previously incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,213 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,084,541, the 1,3,5-triazine carbamates are produced in a two-step process by first reacting an amino-1,3,5-triazine with oxalyl chloride to produce an isocyanate functional intermediate, then reacting this intermediate with an alcohol. Further, in previously incorporated U.S. application Ser. No. 07/968,871, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,865, carbamate functional 1,3,5-triazines are produced in a one-step process by reacting a haloamino-1,3,5-triazine with an acid halide. The primary disadvantages to these process include the use of certain costly halogenated starting materials, production of substantial amounts of halogenated by-products, and low ultimate yield of the desired products.
Many of the problems with these processes have been solved by the process disclosed in previously incorporated U.S. application Ser. No. 08/061,905, wherein carbamate functional 1,3,5-triazines are produced by reacting an at least bis-amino 1,3,5-triazine with an acyclic organic carbonate in the presence of a strong base. Disadvantages to this process include, for example, that the strong base must be neutralized to remove it from the end product, and that certain aspects of the reaction must be carefully controlled in order to avoid color in the end product.
It has now been surprisingly discovered after extensive research that isocyanate functional 1,3,5-triazines can be produced without many of the disadvantages of the prior art processes by the carbonylation of (halo)amino-1,3,5-triazines with carbon monoxide in the presence of a metal promoter for promoting carbonylation. These isocyanate functional 1,3,5-triazines may be readily converted to the carbamate counterparts either by carrying out the carbonylation in the presence of a hydroxy compound or by adding the hydroxy compound to the isocyanate functional 1,3,5-triazine without isolating it.
It should be noted that it is generically known to obtain isocyanates via the carbonylation of (halo)amines, and carbamates by the further reaction of those isocyanates with hydroxy compounds. As representative disclosures, reference can be made to the following, which are incorporated by reference herein as if fully set forth:
Saegusa, T. et al., "Carbonate Formation by the Reaction of Cupric Methoxide and Carbon Monoxide," Tetrahedron Letters, 7, pp. 831-833 (1968); PA1 Saegusa, T. et al., "Carbamoyl Chloride Formation from Chloroamine and Carbon Monoxide," J. Org. Chem., 36(6), pp. 858-860 (1971); PA1 Fukuoka, S. et al., "A Novel Catalytic Synthesis of Carbamates by Oxidative Alkoxycarbonylation of Amines in the Presence of Palladium and Iodide," J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun., pp. 399-400 (1984); PA1 Chow, Y. L. et al., "A Novel Catalytic Synthesis of Carbamates by the Oxidative Alkoxycarbonylation of Amines in the Presence of Platinum Group Metal and Alkali Metal Halide or Onium Halide," J. Org. Chem., 49, pp. 1458-1460 (1984); PA1 P. Giannoccarro, "Palladium Catalysed N,N'-Disubstituted Urea Synthesis by Oxidative Carbonylation of Amines under CO and O.sub.2 at Atmospheric Pressure," Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, 336, pp. 271-278 (1987); PA1 Davies, C. and M. Kilner, "A Study of Palladium-Catalysed Carbonylation of N-Chloroamines," Journal of Catalysis, 136, pp. 403-414 (1992); PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,405,156; U.S. Pat. No. 3,641,092; EP-A-0083096; U.S. Pat. No. 5,008,435; U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,424 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,194,660. PA1 (a) a (halo)amino group-containing 1,3,5-triazine represented by the formula: ##STR1## PA1 wherein each Q is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and halogen, PA1 (b) carbon monoxide; and PA1 (c) a metal catalyst system containing a metal promoter for promoting carbonylation; PA1 (1) the present process does not require the use of a strong base; PA1 (2) the present process does not require the use of environmentally undesirable formaldehyde; PA1 (3) the present process does not require the use of costly halogenated reagents such as oxalyl chloride; and PA1 (4) if a carbamate functional derivative is desired, the present process does not require the handling or isolation of an isocyanate intermediate. PA1 Z is selected from the group consisting of a group represented by the formula --N(Q.sup.1).sub.2, and a group represented by the formula: ##STR5## PA1 Z.sup.1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, a group represented by the formula --N(Q.sup.1).sub.2, and a group represented by the formula: ##STR6## PA1 A is an n-functional anchor, PA1 each X is independently selected from the group consisting of NH, PA1 N(hydrocarbyl), N(hydrocarbyloxy hydrocarbyl), CH.sub.2, O, S, CO.sub.2 and PA1 NHCO.sub.2, PA1 each L is independently selected from the group consisting of a hydrocarbylene and a hydrocarbyleneoxy hydrocarbyl, PA1 n is at least 2, and PA1 Q, Q.sup.1 and Z.sup.1 are as defined above.
This chemistry, however, has apparently not been applied to (halo)amino-1,3,5-triazines. Indeed, one of ordinary skill in the art could not reasonably expect success in doing so, since it is well-known to the skilled person that the amine functionality of amino-1,3,5-triazines (such as the amine functionality of melamines and guanamines) is not equivalent to the other types of typical amine functionality. Melamines and guanamines are among the least reactive of the "amines" and the most difficult to functionalize, and their behavior cannot normally be correlated to that of other known amines, even structurally similar amines such as pyrimidines.
For example, most "typical" amines are highly reactive with acid halides. In a publication by E. M. Smolin and L. Rappaport entitled "S-Triazines and Derivatives," Interscience Publishers Inc., New York, page 333 (1959), it is reported that attempts to react an acid halide with the amino group on a 1,3,5-triazine such as melamine were not successful. Further, attempts to functionalize amino-1,3,5-triazines often results in substitution at the nitrogen on the triazine ring. For example, it is known that the reaction of melamine with alkyl halides, such as allyl chloride, results in alkyl substitution at the nitrogen on the triazine ring resulting in isomelamine derivatives.
In light of the known literature, therefore, it is in fact quite surprising that amino- and haloamine-1,3,5-triazines can be carbonylated under the conditions as described below.

Process for preparing derivatives of (halo)amino-1,3,5-triazines by carbonylation


System and methods are disclosed associated with processing information and/or initiating workflow in a CRM, Sales Force Automation, time and expense reporting system or professional services provider management system, including aggregating, analyzing and/or otherwise processing data related to real world events. According to some embodiments, event data is classified and event data requiring user input is determined, notifications to provide user input for the event data may be transmitted, and/or various features of follow-on workflow or launching follow-on workflow may be initiated, facilitated or provided. Various implementations also relate to classification, splitting events, merging events, time extensions/exceptions for processing events, processing of corollary events and the provision of chronologically organized historical records of interactions between groups of users and individuals or companies.

Field
Aspects of the present inventions relate to sales force automation or sales force management systems (hereinafter collectively referred to as "SFA"), Customer Relationship Management (hereinafter referred to as "CRM"), other systems that rely on data entry by users, data quality enforcement and facilitation for those systems, such as those associated with professional services organizations to manage productivity and ensure that billable activities are documented, as well as both big data analytics and business analytics systems. Among other things, innovations herein relate to systems and methods for providing user-centric tools that help companies to facilitate and enforce both user software adoption and data quality in user data entries; automate data collection tasks and distill large volumes of relevant data from telecom networks and devices, data networks and devices, billing systems, mobile and other computing and communications devices; shorten the time needed to make that data useful and available; provide real-time access to data while making that data more user-centric and consumable by business stakeholders; and translate large volumes of transactional data into business insight to drive business decision-making.
Aspects of the present inventions utilize a data-driven approach to solving the core data quality issues for systems that collect information from users via data entry, such as customer relationship management, sales force automation and professional services systems, and enhances those systems with actionable insight derived from objective data sources and the data quality facilitation and enforcement mechanisms described herein together with mechanisms for reducing the need for manual data entry by users of those systems and accelerating how users interact with those systems.
Description of Related Information
The burden of manual data entry for Customer Relationship Management, Sales Force Automation and professional services systems taxes both productivity and relationships between managers and front-line users, as users are continually asked to provide manually-entered situational updates into such systems in response to real-world events. The veracity of user data entries often complicates the challenges associated with accurate data collection and analysis of the data in the context of customer relationship management, sales force automation and professional services systems.
The volume, variety and velocity of newly available data sources in conjunction with the processes detailed herein provide an opportunity to alleviate the above-noted challenges and extract actionable insight from those data sources.
As such, some of the solutions/innovations herein are designed to make alleviate the burden of manual data entry, increase productivity, provide visibility and insight to both front-line users and managers and make sense of big data and other data sources in order to find patterns that help organizations better manage their data quality and employees, and gain new insights that enable them to make better financial projections and better manage processes related to sales and services.
Further, drawbacks of current sales force, customer relationship management and/or professional services systems often include or involve aspects of failing to effectively address one or more of 3 core issues, adoption, data integrity and/or productivity. For example, many such systems suffer with respect to adoption in being unable to address issues of people failing to enter relevant data into the system on a timely basis or at all.
Further, many suffer drawbacks with respect to data integrity, such as issues relating to sales pipeline projections that are often overly optimistic or recordation of time or other information related to services provided. Finally, such systems have drawbacks with respect to accurate productivity measures, such as when level(s) of productive activity may not bode well for future results in future quarters, but management may not have a reliability check on levels of sales or services productivity/processes that may be lacking.
In sum, there is a need for systems and methods that may adequately address these and other drawbacks.

Methods for processing information associated with sales force management, customer relationship management and professional services management systems


For making seams on three-dimensional objects, a manipulator (20) is used at the manipulator arm (19) of which a sewing machine (18) is secured. The cuttings (12,14) to be sewn are fixed to a holding device (10), and the sewing machine (18) sews the protruding edge strips (16) which confront each other. The sewing machine (18) can be guided by the manipulator arm (19) along the intended seam line at constant speed. While the needle penetrates the material, the sewing machine being guided on a guide (21) by means of a carriage (22) is driven in a direction opposite to the feeding direction of the manipulator so that the sewing machine is at a temporary standstill with respect to the holding device (10). After completion of the stitch, the carriage (22) is advanced on the guide (21) in feeding direction so that the sewing machine catches up with the lag. With each stitch, the edge strip (16) is clamped between a needle plate and a presser of the sewing machine.

The invention relates to a device for making seams on three-dimensional objects made of materials such as textile woven materials, leather, synthetics or similar materials. Such devices are used for the production of clothing, upholstery for seating furniture and automobiles, and for the production of shoes.
Usually, three-dimensional objects such as envelopes made of fabric are manufactured in such a way that pre-made two-dimensional cuttings are sewn lying flat on top of each other with a sewing machine. The two cuttings are sewn together at an exactly specified distance from the cutting edges. Beforehand, the cuttings have been provided with markings which have to match during sewing, and it is also necessary to displace the cuttings relative to each other during sewing. Joining of the cuttings by means of a sewing machine is very time-consuming and requires a high degree of routine of the operator who has to guide the cuttings and operate the sewing machine. Because of the relatively slow manual control, the performance possibilities of the sewing machine are not fully utilized. The feeding of the materials is made by the sewing machine intermittently between the penetration movements of the needle. From DE 33 38 405 A1, a device for producing three-dimensional articles provided with seams is known wherein a sewing machine is attached to a manipulator in the form of a robot arm. This sewing machine is moved by the manipulator in such a manner that said sewing machine is guided along the intended seam line of the two cuttings to be sewn. An under-thread bobbin grips underneath the cuttings to be sewn and a presser presses against the top cutting. The lower cutting is supported by a brush bed through which the under-thread bobbin moves.
A similar sewing device is known from EP 0 344 400 A1. Here, too, a sewing machine is secured to the manipulator arm of a robot, the details of which sewing machine, however, are not described.
The known devices on which a sewing machine is moved by a manipulator in a three-dimensional system involve the difficulty of obtaining a neat and distortion-free seam and still carrying out the sewing action at high working speed.

Device for making seams on three-dimensional objects


An engine exhaust system includes an exhaust pipe assembly having an engine exhaust system inlet configured to receive engine exhaust and an engine exhaust system outlet. The system includes a first selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst device positioned downstream in exhaust flow from the engine exhaust system inlet. The first SCR catalyst device includes a substrate with a metallic catalyst coated on the substrate. An electric heater is configured to heat the metallic catalyst. A second SCR catalyst device is positioned downstream in engine exhaust flow from the first SCR catalyst device and upstream of the engine exhaust system outlet. The first SCR catalyst device and the exhaust pipe assembly define an empty chamber between the substrate and the second SCR catalyst device. Engine exhaust flows directly from the substrate to the second SCR catalyst device through the empty chamber.

Vehicle exhaust systems often include exhaust after-treatment devices that filter or otherwise treat the exhaust prior to releasing the exhaust into the environment. For example, a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) is a device that utilizes a chemical process in order to break down gases from a diesel engine in the exhaust flow. DOCs oxidize carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitric oxide (NO), and diesel particulate matter. Additionally, DOCs may reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) to a certain extent, although the majority of NOx reduction is achieved by a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) device that is typically placed downstream of the DOC in the exhaust flow. The SCR device converts NOx into nitrogen and water. The SCR device may be coated in a precious metal catalyst designed to trigger a chemical reaction to reduce gaseous emissions.
Exhaust from a diesel engine exhibits relatively low temperatures for a period of time following engine startup. These temperatures are typically below a minimum temperature required for an SCR device to operate with a desired efficiency in reducing NOx.


A hydraulic valve clearance compensator for an internal combustion engine. The compensator has a housing shaped essentially like an upside-down cup with a flat base. The housing slides up and down inside a central bore. The housing accommodates two concentric hollow cylinders sealed off from each other and separated by an axially resilient compression spring. In the wall of the housing there is at least one inlet that supplies lubricant to one cylinder. Between the inlet and the cylinders is a check valve that allows lubricant to flow through the inlet into the cylinder and prevents it from flowing out. At least the section of the housing between the inlet and the base is narrower than the rest of the housing.

The present invention concerns a hydraulic valve clearance compensator for an internal combustion engine. The compensator has a housing shaped essentially like an upside-down cup with a flat base. The housing slides up and down inside a central bore. The housing accommodates two concentric hollow cylinders sealed off from each other and separated by an axially resilient compression spring. In the wall of the housing there is at least one inlet that supplies lubricant to one cylinder. Between the inlet and the cylinders is a check valve that allows lubricant to flow through the inlet into the cylinder and prevents it from flowing out.
A valve clearance compensation device of this type is known from the German Patent Publication No. OS 3,150,083. A flexible rubber seal constitutes a check valve that seals off a reservoir of hydraulic fluid. The valve tappet is supplied with enough fluid to ensure normal operation even when the engine has been inoperative for some time because the valve prevents fluid from leaking out of the reservoir. The tappet is supplied through a bore with lubricant from the engine's lubricating system. The bores in the cylinder head make a mechanism of this type very expensive to manufacture.


A vehicle heating and cooling system has an air duct arrangement that makes efficient use of the available duct space. The initial duct in the system is forced to run through a body area of limited size, and so has a limited cross sectional area and consequently limited air handling capacity. It also contains side window defroster vents that should not be allowed to vent cold air. Therefore, it would be normally not be considered possible to run both hot and cold air through the duct. The arrangement provides a sealed, expansible and collapsible sleeve running through the rigid duct, which expands full size when cold air is fed into it, and which collapses almost completely when hot air is forced past it and through the rigid duct only. Therefore, both hot and cold air can be run through the same volume, and cold air is kept away from the defroster vents.

Vehicle heating and cooling systems provide pressurized hot and cold air flows that are ducted to varying points within the vehicle interior, for differing purposes. For example, hot and cold air both need to be delivered to vehicle passengers, but cold air does not have to be delivered to windows for defrosting purposes. If the same ducts were used to distribute both hot and cold air, then some cold air would be wasted out the window defrosting outlets. Since it is more expensive to provide cold air in a vehicle, this would be uneconomic. Therefore, it is generally desirable to provide separate ducts for hot and cold air. Typically, rigid wall ducts for hot and cold air are simply run side by side. This, of course, requires that each of the ducts be large enough in cross sectional area to handle the desired volume of air flow without restriction. In some cases, ducting has to be run through vehicle body locations where there is not sufficient space available to run two side by side ducts, each with the desired cross sectional area.

Vehicle air distribution system with improved space utilization


Disclosed herein is a linear d.c. motor comprising a field magnet composed of plural magnetic poles, and an armature formed by arranging armature coils along the moving direction of a moving element at a position facing the field magnet. One of the field magnet and armature is attached to the moving element, and the other is provided on a stator yoke serving as a stator. Projecting edges for linear guide, each of which projects outside and has a triangular form in cross section, are provided on both sides of the stator yoke, and guide rollers, each of which has an engaging groove in the form of a valley in its side part coming into slidable contact with the projecting edge for linear guide, are attached to the moving element. There is no possibility that the moving element is derailed because it is supported by the projecting edges of linear guide and the guide rollers. It is therefore possible to make the thrust of the moving element greater and cause it to travel at high speed.

In polypolar polyphase type linear d.c. brushless motors, the polarity of each magnetic pole in a field magnet is discriminated by a pole-discriminating sensor to suitably change over the direction of an electric current fed to armature coils, thereby causing a moving element to travel linearly. The linear d.c. brushless motors capable of travelling linearly as described above have an advantage that the moving stroke of the moving element can be set up very long. However, such motors require a long linear guide mechanism for supporting the moving element so as to be movable linearly and reciprocally over the whole stroke. One of demerits of the linear d.c. motors when compared with rotating d.c. motors is that they must use a very expensive linear guide mechanism.
In general, a coreless type linear d.c. motor can use a relatively cheap linear guide mechanism because the magnetic attraction force [vertical force] between its moving element and stator is so small that it can be disregarded owing to its coreless structure, compared with a linear pulse motor and a core type linear d.c. motor.
Therefore, it has heretofore been attempted to fabricate a coreless and polypolar polyphase type linear d.c. motor LDM, as illustrated in FIGS. 19 through 21, by using a stator yoke 21, which can be incorporated at an extremely low cost, as a constituent element for linear guide without using any particular linear guide mechanism.
The conventional polypolar polyphase and moving-magnet type linear d.c. brushless motor LDM will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 through 21. The linear d.c. brushless motor LDM has such a structure that a group of air-core type armature coils 8 is disposed on the upper surface of the stator yoke 21 to compose a coreless stator armature 9, and a polypolar field magnet 10 formed by contiguously and alternately arranging magnetic poles, which have each an N or S polarity and a width of T as shown in FIG. 22, through a minute air gap over the coreless stator armature 9 is used as a moving element 24.
Incidentally, numeral 21 indicates a stator yoke-cum-linear guide, and numeral 11 designates a printed-wiring board arranged on the surface of the coreless stator armature 9, which faces the field magnet 10, and composed of a non-magnetic material. On the printed-wiring board 11, is formed a printed-wiring pattern (not shown) for electrically connecting terminals of pole-discriminating sensors 12 and the group of the armature coils 8. Numeral 22 indicates a traveling yoke. On both sides thereof, extended bent parts 22a extending downward are formed. Guide rollers 23 rotatably attached to the extended bent parts 22a are caused to guide along both sides of the stator yoke-cum-linear guide 21 to move them, whereby a moving element 24 composed of the traveling yoke 22 with the field magnet 10 attached thereto is linearly moved relative to a stator 25 composed of the coreless stator armature 9 and the like. Numeral 26 designates a stationary base for the stator 25.
Such a linear d.c. brushless motor LDM can save using an expensive linear guide because the stator yoke 21 itself, which is used to shut the magnetic path of a magnetic circuit, serves as a constituent element for linear guide mechanism, and hence has an advantage that it can be fabricated at a very low cost.
However, the linear d.c. brushless motor LDM involves a potential problem that when it is fabricated as a high-thrust motor or it is run at a high speed, the guide rollers 23 are derailed from the sides of the stator yoke 21 due to vibrations generating at that time. The linear d.c. brushless motor LDM making use of such a stator yoke 21 has also been accompanied by a demerit that since it has a structure that the moving element 24 tends to detach from the stator 25, its installing manner is limited, resulting in a motor having limited applications due to such a structure.


The corrosion resistance, and also often the heat resistance, of a autodeposited coating in which the organic binders are predominantly copolymers of vinylidene chloride containing at least 50% vinylidene chloride can be improved by including another type of organic resin binder in the autodeposition bath in sufficient amount to constitute at least 2 up to as much as about 40% of the total of the PVDC and the other organic resin binder. Results can be further improved by rinsing the uncured autodeposited coating with an aqueous treatment solution that has a pH between 7 and 11 and contains between 0.01 and 5% of anions derived from multifunctional organic acids, preferably anions of 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, and/or oxalic acid before drying the coating.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to autodeposition. Autodeposition involves the use of an aqueous resinous coating composition of relatively low solids concentration (usually less than about 10%) to form a coating of relatively high solids concentration (usually greater than about 10%) on a metallic surface immersed therein, with the coating increasing in thickness and areal density (mass per unit area of coating) the longer the time the metallic surface is immersed in the composition. Autodeposition is somewhat similar to electrodeposition but does not require the aid of external electrical current to cause the resin particles to deposit on the metal surface.
In general, autodepositing compositions are aqueous acid solutions having solid resin particles dispersed therein in very finely divided form. The coating formed while the metal substrate used is immersed in the bath is generally wet and fairly weak, although sufficiently strong to maintain itself against gravity and moderate spraying forces. In this state the coating is described as "uncured". To make an autodeposition coated object suitable for normal practical use, the uncured coated is dried, usually with the aid of heat. The coating is then described as "cured".
The present invention relates more particularly to the use in autodeposition of blends of resins of at least two different chemical types to achieve resistance to corrosion, particularly in environments subject to mechanical shocks, for metallic objects coated with an autodeposited coating. In some of its embodiments, this invention also relates to chemical treatment of an uncured autodeposited coating for the purpose of improving various properties thereof, particularly the adhesion of the coating to the underlying metal substrate and the resistance to corrosion of the underlying metal provided by the cured autodeposited coating when the coated metal surfaced object is subjected to corrosive environments. The chemical treatments used for such a purpose are often called "reactive [or reaction] rinses" in the art. Further details about this aspect of the invention are given in copending U.S. application Ser. Nos. 07/718,676 filed Jun. 21, 1991 and 07/645,435 filed Jan. 24, 1991 by the same applicant. The entire disclosures of these two U.S. Applications, to the extent not inconsistent with any explicit statement herein, are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
2. Statement of Related Art
Basic constituents of an autodepositing composition are water, resin solids dispersed in the aqueous medium of the composition, and activator, that is, an ingredient or ingredients which convert the composition into one which will form on a metallic surface a resinous coating which increases in thickness or areal density as long as the surface is immersed in the composition. Various types of activators or activating systems are known, for example, as reported in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 3,592,699; 3,709,743; 4,103,049; 4,347,172; and 4,373,050, the disclosures of which, to the extent not inconsistent with any explicit statement herein, are hereby incorporated herein by reference. The activating system generally comprises an acidic oxidizing system, for example: hydrogen peroxide and HF; HNO.sub.3 ; a ferric-containing compound and HF; and other soluble metal-containing compounds, for example, silver fluoride, ferrous oxide, cupric sulfate, cobaltous nitrate, silver acetate, ferrous phosphate, chromium fluoride, cadmium fluoride, stannous fluoride, lead dioxide, and silver nitrate in an amount between about 0.025 and about 50 grams per liter ("g/l") and an acid, which can be used alone or in combination with hydrofluoric acid, and including, for example, sulfuric, hydrochloric, nitric, and phosphoric acid, and organic acids, including, for example, acetic, chloroacetic, and trichloroacetic acids.
Previously known autodepositing compositions can be used to form coatings which have good aesthetic properties and which protect the underlying metallic substrate from being degraded (for example, corroded by water). However, there are certain applications which require that the autodeposited coating have particularly good properties for satisfactory use. Various means have been developed to improve the properties of autodeposited coatings, including, for example: chemical pretreatment of the metallic surface prior to formation of the coating; selection of particular resins for use in forming the coating; addition to the autodepositing composition of chemical additives; and chemical treatment of the freshly formed or uncured coating, as described in detail in copending application Ser. No. 202,117 filed Jun. 3, 1988 and assigned to the same assignee as this application.
It is an object of this invention to provide metallic surfaces with autodeposited coatings with better adhesion and/or better corrosion resistance than those obtained by following the teachings of the prior art, particularly in environments where the autodeposited coating is subject to mechanical damage. In such situations, it has been observed that autodeposited coatings often are susceptible to spotwise failures of protection against corrosion.

Polymer blends for autodeposited coating


A preferred embodiment EGR valve permits exhaust gas to be induced into the intake line downstream of the compressor, while minimizing the need to reduce the size of the turbocharger. The preferred embodiment EGR valve exploits variations around the mean pressure in the EGR passage created by the engine cycle by selectively opening when the pressure in the EGR valve exceeds the pressure in the intake line. Thus, exhaust gas is recirculated even when the engine is running near torque peak. The preferred embodiment EGR valve also exploits the higher mean pressure in the exhaust line relative to the intake line at higher engine speeds by remaining open, in order to minimize the energy consumed in opening and closing the EGR valve.

As is well known in the art, the combustion of hydrocarbon-based fuels in an internal combustion engine produces as a byproduct several undesirable oxides of nitrogen (NOx emissions). The release of such NOx emissions is tightly regulated by governmental authorities in many parts of the world. Exhaust gas recirculation ("EGR"), in which exhaust gases are recirculated to the engine's intake manifold in order to undergo further combustion, is a proven method for reducing NOx emissions. Unfortunately, EGR is difficult to implement on turbocharged engines, such as turbocharged diesel engines, for example. This is because turbocharged engines often have a mean exhaust manifold pressure below the mean intake manifold pressure near peak torque output operating point ("torque peak"), such that the exhaust gases will not automatically flow to the intake manifold if a connection is made between the intake and exhaust manifolds.
Until recently, engine designers could compensate for a lack of EGR at torque peak by providing extra EGR at high engine speeds, resulting in an acceptable average level of NOx emissions. But U.S. governmental regulations taking effect in 2002 require substantial NOx reductions at all engine speeds and loads involved in typical operation. In order to satisfy these regulations it will be necessary to utilize EGR at almost all engine operating points. A particular problem is how to obtain sufficient EGR at or near torque peak without compromising performance elsewhere.
Thus, there is a need for an EGR system that is capable of providing EGR at all speeds and loads, including torque peak, without harming engine performance at other conditions. The present invention is directed towards meeting this need.


In an optical information recording apparatus using as a recording light source a semiconductor laser array having a plurality of light emitting parts, the semiconductor laser array is positioned in an inclined disposition so that distance among light spots on the surface of a recording medium may be effectively small.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical recording apparatus, and in particular to an optical recording apparatus in which a semiconductor laser array including a plurality of light emitting parts is employed as a recording light source.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, there has been proposed an optical information recording apparatus in which information such as characters, numbers or figures, graphic patterns or the like can be recorded on a recording medium at a high recording speed by using for the recording light source an array of plural semiconductor lasers. A typical example of such a recording apparatus is shown in FIG. 1. Referring to the figure, the light source is constituted by an array 20 which includes a plurality of semiconductor lasers 21.sup.(1), 21.sup.(2), . . . , 21.sup.(N) adapted to be driven separately be respective current supply circuits 23.sup.(1), 23.sup.(2), . . . , 23.sup.(N) (which will be referred to collectively as a drive circuit 24 for the convenience'sake of description). The operation modes of the semiconductor lasers depend on the lasing control signals applied to the input terminal P.sub.in of a character generating circuit 26. For example, when the lasing control signal for a certain one of the semiconductor lasers is logic "1," the current supplied thereto from the associated current supply circuit will be interrupted to stop the lasing of that laser. On the other hand, when the lasing control signal is logic "0," then a drive current of a magnitude I corresponding to a laser output of a predetermined level is supplied to the associated semiconductor laser. The logic levels "1" and "0" of the lasing control signal input to the terminal P.sub.in of the character generating circuit 26 are determined by the shapes of a character or pattern to be recorded. Usually, such a lasing control logic signal is available from a computer system to which the optical recording system is associated.
Output beams 22.sup.(1), 22.sup.(2), . . . , 22.sup.(N) from the semiconductor lasers modulated by the respective control signals are projected onto a surface of a photo-sensitive recording medium 11 through a lens 40 in a row of magnified beam spots. More specifically, the laser beams passed through the lens 40 impinge on a reflection face 4' of a polygonal mirror 4 which is rotated by a motor 70, whereby each of the reflected laser beams 8.sup.(1), 8.sup.(2), . . . , 8.sup.(N) is projected onto the recording medium 11 in a sector-like scanning manner. A synchronizing signal generator 30 is provided to assure synchronization among the rotation of the polygonal mirror 4, the operation of a drive source 10 of a feeding mechanism 10' for the photo-sensitive recording medium 11 and the operation of the laser beams effected by the drive circuit 24 modulating the semiconductor lasers. The motor 70 for rotating the polygonal mirror 4 is driven by a drive source 71 which is controlled by the synchronizing signal generator 30.
In the optical information recording apparatus of the arrangement outlined above, the individual laser beam emitting parts (or light emitting points) of the semiconductor laser array 20 used as the light source are usually arrayed as close as possible to one another with a view to accomplishing a high recording density as well as a high recording speed. For example, the light emitting points may be disposed in juxtaposition to one another with an extremely small distance on the order of 10 .mu.m. However, such a close arrangement of the individual light emitting points will undesirably involve unstable operation of the semiconductor laser array due to heat generated in the laser beam emitting portions. Thus, in order to assure a stable operation of the semiconductor laser array of the hitherto-known optical information recording apparatus, the distance among the light emitting points has to be correspondingly increased, which in turn means that the distance between the light spots on the recording medium is correspondingly increased, making it difficult to attain the high recording density and hence the high recording speed.


Devices and methods for optically scanning an in-vivo lumen, and for determining contact between an in-vivo device and an in-vivo lumen wall. The device may include an elongated housing having a cylindrical portion. At least one illuminating body may provide illumination at the circumference of the cylindrical portion, and at least one light sensor may sense light that penetrated and was scattered from the tissue of the in vivo lumen. The device may include a barrier for preventing direct illumination from the illuminating body from reaching the light sensor and for decreasing the amount of direct light reflection from the outer surface of the in vivo lumen onto the light sensor.

Known devices may be efficient in providing in-vivo sensing, such as imaging or pH sensing. Autonomous in-vivo sensing devices, such as swallowable or ingestible capsules or other devices, may move through a body lumen, sensing as they move along. An autonomous in-vivo sensing device such as an imaging device may include, for example, an imager for obtaining images from inside a body cavity or lumen, such as the GI tract, while the in-vivo imaging device passes through the GI lumen. The imager may, for example, be associated with an optical system, and optionally a transmitter and an antenna. Some of these devices use a wireless connection to transmit image data. Other devices, systems and methods for in-vivo sensing of passages or cavities within a body, and for sensing and gathering information (e.g., image information, pH information, temperature information, electrical impedance information, pressure information, etc.), are known in the art.
Viewing and detecting pathologies in the GI tract, such as tumors, lesions, ulcers, polyps and the like may be complicated due to different parameters such as the fact that the item or pathology sought to be viewed may have very similar color and texture as the color and texture of its background tissue or by the fact that a pathology may be too small to visualize using standard in-vivo imaging methods.
Different methods exist for enhancing detection of pathologies in-vivo. Such methods may include the use of spectral imaging dynamic light scattaring and different image processing techniques, with or without the use of external markers that distinguish the pathologies from the surrounding tissues.
Scattering is a basic physical phenomenon by which the propagation of light through a turbid biologic tissue can be used as the basis for quantitative non-invasive measurements. The interaction of light with tissue is composed of multiple internal refractions and redirections of the incident light emanating from the collisions of light photons with molecules, particles, boundaries and inhomogeneities of the tissue, as and such this interaction is structure associated. It is well known that lesions and pathologies change the structure and composition of a healthy tissue, and early detection of such pathologies may enable faster recovery of the tissue. The changes in scattering caused by the tissue's inner structure and composition can be quantitatively measured.
Currently, commercial capsule endoscopes typically include one or more imagers made of two-dimensional array of pixels (e.g., 256×256 pixels), such that in every exposure a two-dimensional image is captured and transmitted. Usually, the imager looks in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the capsule endoscope. A dome shaped optical window is used to ensure that the image is acquired when the illumination source of the capsule endoscope is at a distance from the tissue. When the illumination source is at a distance from the tissue, light is reflected predominantly off the outer surface of the tissue, such that the image acquired is mainly of the outer surface of the lumen wall tissue, while the inner layers of the tissue is masked.
A device and method for collecting and measuring oximetry data in a body lumen are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,460,896 entitled IN-VIVO DEVICE AND METHOD FOR COLLECTING OXIMETRY DATA, which is assigned to the common assignee of the present invention. According to embodiments described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,460,896, a red or infra-red illumination source and an oximetry data detector are located in close proximity to one another, while both being in close proximity to the lumen wall tissue, such that most of the light emitted from the tissue is red light that was diffused from inner layers of the tissue, indicating on oxygenation of hemoglobin in the blood.
A device and method for collecting and separating light reflected from a body lumen are described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0119740 entitled DEVICE, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR OPTICAL IN-VIVO ANALYSIS, which is assigned to the common assignee of the present invention. According to embodiments described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0119740, a panoramic mirror reflects light that is reflected from the body lumen, onto a separator (e.g., prism or grating), which separates the reflected light into separate color lights. The separate color lights are then reflected onto an analyzer which analyzes them.
There is a need for a device and method for determining changes in tissue texture and spectral content based on changes in scattered light from more than one area of the tissue. There is further a need for a device of low manufacturing cost.


The use of Akt3 as a biomarker for detecting the occurrence of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in a subject, and the use of Akt3 inhibitors to treat cancer is disclosed herein. Also disclosed are various methods for detecting the occurrence of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in a subject by measuring Akt3 expression and/or activity.

Akt
Akt (Protein kinase B) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that is known to be involved in diverse cellular processes including proliferation, motility, growth, glucose homeostasis, survival and cell death. Akt is one of the three principal components of the PI3K/Akt pathway (phosphatdylinositol 3-kinase, its antagonist PTEN and Akt). Mutation in components of this pathway are among the most frequently observed mutations in cancers and are found in up to 70% of breast cancers. In humans, there are three Akt family members, Akt 1, Akt 2 and Akt3 which are transcribed from different genes. The majority of research publications on Akt refer either to Akt1 or to Akt without specifying which family member, a consequence of the widespread use of pan-Akt antibodies that do not distinguish between the family members. Of the three isoforms, least is known about Akt3. Indeed, in a recent review article "Key signalling nodes in mammary gland development and cancer. Signalling downstream of PI3 kinase in mammary epithelium: a play in 3 Akts" (Wickenden J A and Watson C J, Breast Cancer Research 2010, 12, 202), Akt3 is mentioned just three times: once to establish its existence, once to note that it appears to have a minor role in normal mammary gland development and once to note that it does not affect Stat5a phosphorylation during pregnancy and lactation.
The roles for Akt1, Akt2 and Akt3 in normal development have been studied in knock-out mice, revealing that Akt1 is important for overall growth (knock-out mice are generally healthy but have reduced growth). Akt2 is primarily involved in glucose metabolism (knockout mice grow normally but show insulin resistance) and Akt3 is important in brain development (see e.g. Dummler B, Hemmings B A. Physiological roles of PKB/Akt isoforms in development and disease. Biochem Soc Trans 2007; 35:231-5). A more general role for Akt1 and Akt2 is suggested by their widespread expression throughout the body, while Akt3 has more restricted expression in the brain, kidney and heart.
Akt is considered an attractive target for cancer therapy, and inhibition of Akt alone or in combination with standard cancer chemotherapeutics has been postulated to reduce the apoptotic threshold and preferentially kill cancer cells (Lindley C W, Curr Top Med Chem, 10, 458, 2010). A recent review of attempts to inhibit Akt members pinpoints Akt2 as the most commonly mutated family member in cancers and suggests that inhibition of Akt1 and Akt2 would be optimal (Mattmann M E at al "Inhibition of Akt with small molecules and biologics: historical perspective and current status of the patent landscape", Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents, 21, 1309, 2011). Many of the compounds covered in this review have poor selectivity for Akt compared to other kinases and generally focus on Akt1. Compounds reported in this review with selectivity between the different family members overwhelmingly inhibit Akt1 and/or Akt2 rather than Akt3.
Despite the overwhelming focus on Akt1 in the literature, Akt3 overexpression has been linked to several cancers including melanoma (Cancer Res. 2004 Oct. 1; 64(19):7002-10) and ovarian cancer (Cancer Discov. 2012 Jan. 1; 2(1):56-67).
Several patent publications relate to the use of Akt3.
WO2010/091354 (H Lee Moffat Cancer Institute, Inc.) relates to methods of diagnosing cancer in a subject involving determining levels of expression of Tyrosine 176-phosphorylated AKT1 rather than AKT3.
US20120040842 (Baker, at al.) lists Akt3 amongst a vast array of genes that may be assessed to determine the prognosis of colorectal cancer. However, Akt3 is not selected as a preferred marker.
US20120028264 (Shag, at al.) lists Akt3 {Table 3A} amongst a vast any of genes, expression levels of which may be determined in the assessing the likelihood of prostate cancer recurring in a subject. The significance of Akt3 is not specifically mentioned.
US20120021983 (Tsichlis, et al.) relates to a method of diagnosing or prognosing a potential cancer and progression of an existing cancer by assessing a subject's Akt isoform profile, especially the ratio of Akt1 to Akt2, by comparing that profile with a normal Akt isoform profile.
US20120003209 (The Translational Genomics Research Institute) relates to methods and kits used in the identification of invasive glioblastoma based upon the expression levels of Akt1 and Akt2. Akt3 mRNA expression was found to be high in non-neoplastic brain speciments and decreased in glial tumours. Furthermore Akt3 expression was found to be significantly higher in long term surviving patients.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,133,684 (Aebersold et al.) discloses methods of determining androgen responses in prostate cells, mentioning Akt3 in a long list of possible prostate cancer biomarkers.
The Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT)
Epithelial tissues make up one of the four basic tissue types of the body, along with connective tissue, muscle and nervous tissue. Epithelial cells are characterised by a tendency to form into sheets of polarised cells held together by strong intercellular junctions. As a consequence of this, epithelial cells are not able to move freely and show little migration compared to other cell types. In contrast, mesenchymal-like cells (e.g. fibroblasts) lack strong intercellular junctions and can move as individual cells. They can be highly motile and able to migrate through the extracellular matrix.
The Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) is a natural cellular program in which individual epithelial cells lose the gene expression patterns and behaviours characteristic of epithelial cells and instead begin to look, behave and express genes typical of mesenchymal cells. In so doing they lose adhesion and apical-basal polarity and gain the ability to migrate and invade the extracellular matrix. EMT is not irreversible. A mirror process called Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transition (MET) results in the loss of mesenchymal characteristics and re-establishment of cell-cell adhesion and apical-basal polarity.
EMT is especially important during embryonic development. It plays a fundamental role in gastrulation, where an embryo consisting of a single epithelial cell layer develops into one with the three classical germ layers, ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm. Slightly later in vertebrate development, EMT gives rise to the neural crest cells. These cells migrate throughout the embryo and give rise to many different structures including ganglia of the peripheral nervous system, bone and cartilage of the face and head, pigment cells and glial cells. Further rounds of MET and EMT are essential for the formation of internal organs from both the mesoderm and endoderm.
EMT and Disease
In contrast to its importance during embryonic development, the EMT program is seldom activated in healthy adults. It is, however, induced in response to inflammation following injury or disease: EMT plays a role in wound healing and tissue repair, and occurs during organ degenerative disease (e.g. renal fibrosis).
EMT is also increasingly understood to play a key role in cancer metastasis. Carcinomas are epithelial cancers, and, in order for metastasis to occur, individual cells must escape the primary tumour and undergo a series of migrations. These include migration from the primary tumour into the local circulatory or lymphatic system, and extravasation from the vasculature and establishment at the site of metastasis. There is now good and growing evidence that interactions between tumour cells and their microenvironment can lead to induction of EMT in some of the tumour cells. The resulting increased cell migration and invasion potential of these cells then enhances the likelihood of a metastasis becoming, established. The receptor tyrosin kinase Axl, which is a chronic myelogenous leukemia-associated oncogene, has recently been shown to be an essential EMT-induced effector in the invasion metastasis cascade (WO2010/103388).
As well as this role in increasing metastatic potential, the EMT program has recently been linked with Cancer Stein Cells (CSCs). These cells have been postulated to represent a subset of tumour cells with stem cell characteristics—i.e. the ability to give rise to all the cell types found in a particular cancer, and thus the ability to form a new tumour. Although they may represent only a tiny fraction of the cells in a tumour, CSCs are thought to be particularly resistant to existing anti-cancer drugs. Even though drug treatment may kill the vast majority of cells in the tumour, a single surviving CSC can therefore lead to a relapse of the disease. Recent evidence suggests an overlap between EMT and CSC phenotypes, suggesting that EMT may also play a role in recurrence of cancer after chemotherapy and the development of drug-resistant tumours.
Robust biomarkers for the EMT phenotype would be useful in identifying patients at particular risk of developing metastatic or drug-resistant cancer, while novel drugs that target cells that have undergone EMT will reduce metastasis and relapse following conventional therapy.
EMT activators (e.g. the transcription factor Slug) increase Akt1 activity/expression. It is also known that Akt1 activation (for example of the myristylated variant MyrAkt1) induces EMT activators (e.g. the transcriptional repressor, Snail; Oncogene. 2007 Nov. 22; 26(53):7445-56. Epub 2007 Jun. 1) and also causes biomarker switching from epithelial to mesenchymal.

Methods of detecting Akt3 and administering Ax1 inhibitor