A seal assembly which is screw threaded onto the stem of a wrist watch with the seal and stem being related to a tube connected with the watch case in a conventional manner. The screw-on seal of this invention includes an internally threaded member engaged with an externally threaded portion of the watch stem with the exterior surface of the internally threaded member being provided with a groove or notches receiving an O-ring seal to enable relatively quick and easy repair of a watch when an existing stem is broken due to weakened areas in the stem formed when a conventional seal is positioned in a groove on the stem. This seal assembly can also be used in new watch construction especially when installed in combination with a conventional water seal crown thereby providing double protection against entry of water, moisture, dust and similar material that may adversely affect the operation of the watch.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to seal for a watch stem and more specifically a seal assembly which is screw threaded onto the stem of a wrist watch with the seal and stem being related to a tube connected with the watch case in a conventional manner with the screw-on seal of this invention including an internally threaded member engaged with an externally threaded portion of the watch stem with the exterior surface of the internally threaded member being provided with a groove or notches receiving an O-ring seal to enable relatively quick and easy repair of a watch when an existing stem is broken due to weakened areas in the stem formed when a conventional seal is positioned in a groove on the stem.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Many watches and watch stem assemblies are provided with O-ring seals interconnecting the stem post and watch case or case tube in which the stem is grooved to receive an O-ring seal which causes a weakened area and subsequent breakage of the stem. The following U.S. patents disclose watch case structures including a stem and seal assembly.
3,699,767 PA1 4,152,889 PA1 4,292,682 PA1 4,346,464 PA1 4,403,870
While the above-listed patents disclose stem seals such as those presently used in watch structures, none of the above patents relate to a screw-on type seal engaged with an externally threaded portion of a watch stem with the screw-on seal being in the form of a nut or tube having an external groove formed therein to receive an O-ring seal which cooperates with the interior of a case tube that is rigidly press fitted into a watch case.


Printing is performed by depositing dots of ink having the same color but different colorant loads. A higher drop weight is used for the lower colorant load ink, and a lower drop weight is used for the higher colorant load ink.

The present invention relates to printing systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to inkjet printing systems and other printing systems that deposit dots of ink on printing media.
Inkjet printing technology is used in a wide variety of products. Commercial products include printers, graphics plotters, copiers, facsimile machines, and all-in-one machines.
A typical color inkjet product prints with four basic colors: cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K). Low end printers, for example, usually include four pens, one for each color (a typical pen, also referred to as a printhead, includes one or two columns of vertically-oriented nozzles, and each nozzle ejects a color ink dot when thermally actuated).
High end printers, in contrast, usually include more than one pen for cyan and magenta. For example, a six-pen printer might have a dark cyan pen, a light cyan pen, a dark magenta pen, a light magenta pen, a yellow pen, and a black pen. Thus this six pen printer uses different shades of cyan and magenta. Higher quality pictures can be produced by using inks having different colorant loads for cyan and magenta.
The different shades can be achieved by using inks having different colorant loads. For instance, different shades can be achieved by using inks having different dye loads or pigment loads. Dark cyan has a higher colorant load than light cyan, and dark magenta has a higher colorant load than light magenta.
During a printing operation, a sheet is moved along a paper flow axis. Each pen may be scanned across the sheet in a scan direction. As each pen is scanned across the sheet, it lays down a swath of ink dots.
If dots are misplaced, they tend to clump together. The clumping can cause edges of the swaths to become visible and horizontal streaks to appear. These visible artifacts are commonly referred to as xe2x80x9cbanding.xe2x80x9d The banding tends to degrade image quality.
As nozzles are fired repeatedly, they become hotter and hotter. As the temperature rises, drop volume variation increases and color shifts result. The color shifts also tend to degrade image quality.
It would be desirable to reduce the banding and the color shifts.
One aspect of the present invention is a method of printing with first and second inks of the same color but different colorant loads. The method includes using a higher ink drop weight for the lower colorant load ink and a lower ink drop weight for the higher colorant load ink.
Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the present invention.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


Provided herein are methods, devices, kits, and systems for modulating aerosol particle size generated by an aerosol generating device (e.g., electronic nicotine delivery device). Also described herein are methods, devices, kits, and systems for modulating the delivery of aerosol particles generated by an aerosol generating device (e.g., an electronic nicotine delivery device) to the deep lung of a subject.

In 2011, an estimated 19% of U.S. adults were current smokers (43.8 million people), and an estimated 950 children become addicted to smoking daily. Smokers vary widely in terms of their daily nicotine intake, ranging from "social smokers" who may only consume 1 or 2 cigarettes in the presence of friends and/or with alcohol, to heavy smokers who consume 60 or more cigarettes per day.
A number of costs are associated with smoking. For example, during 2000-2004, cigarette smoking was estimated to be responsible for $193 billion in annual health-related economic losses in the United States (nearly $96 billion in direct medical costs and an additional $97 billion in lost productivity). See Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Smoking-Attributable Mortality, Years of Potential Life Lost, and Productivity Losses-United States, 2000-2004. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2008; 57(45):1226-8. Half of smokers will die from their habit.
Nicotine from smoked cigarettes is delivered to the smoker's lung. Nicotine laden smoke particles from combustible tobacco products can be carried proximally on tar droplets (0.1-1.0 μm in diameter). These particles can be inhaled and travel to the small airways and alveoli in the deep lung. Nicotine can off-gas from the particles and defuse to, and deposit on, the alveoli wall where it can be rapidly absorbed into the blood stream.
An electronic cigarette can be used to simulate and substitute for tobacco smoking. However, electronic cigarettes can create aerosol particles in a size range too small to gravitationally settle in the alveoli of the deep lung. As a result, little or no nicotine delivered by an electronic cigarette can enter the circulatory system. Some nicotine delivered by an electronic cigarette can be slowly absorbed through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and the buccal tissues of mouth and throat. The pharmacokinetics of nicotine delivered via electronic cigarettes can be much slower than the pharmacokinetics of nicotine delivered by smoked cigarettes; as such, electronic cigarettes can be ineffective in treating acute nicotine cravings.
A need exists to control nicotine particle size generated from an electronic nicotine delivery device (e.g., electronic cigarette) to ensure deep lung absorption of nicotine. Aerosol particles with a mass median aerodynamic diameter of about 1 μm to about 5 μm can be small enough to reach the deep lung but large enough to gravitationally settle in alveoli, which can result in a rapid pharmacokinetics (PK). With an increase in the particle size, the amount and speed of nicotine absorption can more closely mimic that of smoked cigarettes and can help to reduce nicotine cravings and more generally provide a reinforcing experience for users.


Methods for making magazines that incorporate pop-up structures formed from two facing pages of the magazine and a strategically placed pop-up piece that is adhesively affixed to both facing pages so as to open into an attention-attracting three-dimensional configuration when the magazine is opened to those two pages. The methods are efficient, economical and well adapted to high speed production using a novel integral continuous strip of pop-up pieces arranged end-to-end, and accordingly, the distribution of magazines incorporating three-dimensional pop-up structures becomes a reality.

Flat sheets of paper have been used for a long time in many ways. As a desire for unique uses emerged, sheets of paper were glued together to create 3 dimensional effects. Originally this was done by hand, some of the initial uses were for displays, books and greeting cards. As the popularity developed, these items became known as pop-ups. This was believed to be because the item consisted of two or more sheets glued together and then further glued into front and back sheets, often the front and back sheets were one sheet that was folded and called a cover. By opening the cover, the sheets glued inside would surprisingly erect, popping up into three-dimension. Thus the cover, and the geometrically positioned sheets glued inside, became known as "a pop-up."
Initially, the construction of pop-ups was done by hand. This gradually changed, becoming a combination of hand and machine assembly, with the pop-up pieces being glued together and then to each panel of the cover containing them. Further development enabled complete assembly by machine. Although this was more cost effective, it limited the intricacy of the designs of the die-cut pop-up elements that might be glued to the cover sheets. Certain-die cut designs have a tendency to break when conveyed at high speed. Also the exposed adhesive, inherent on such pop-up elements, had to be quickly covered by the front and back covers so as not to come into contact with press parts on inline web presses. Generally cover sheets were necessary to prevent the adhesive from erroneously offsetting or bonding to the wrong substrate. Even with the limitations, this advancement makes it currently feasible to place such covered pop-up constructions into magazines as a separate add-on insert. Because of the number of components of the pop-up, i.e., a front and back cover plus one or more pop-up sheets glued to the covers, it has not been feasible to print the present style pop-up jointly with magazines at the high speed at which magazines are produced. As a resulted, pre-printed and pre-assembled pop-ups were required that might then be added during the final binding of the magazines, as binding speeds were more compatible to such additions.
Because of the foregoing, although the pop-up in magazines has been significant, sales have been mostly limited to users with large advertising budgets. One reason for this is because, instead of paying "Run of Publication" single page advertising rates, the advertising rates charged for a separate insert include charges for the 4-page cover as well as the pop-up therewithin because they interrelate. This is significantly more than the charge for a one-page or a two-page spread of "Run of Publication." In addition, further costs are added to prepare the correct binding means to enable the interrelated 4-page cover pop-up insert to be bound into the magazine or added to a mailer, e.g. a bindery "hanger" for saddle-stitch binding, or a binding "strip" for perfect binding. FIGS. 23 and 24 illustrate ways that an interrelated 4-page cover and pop-up element have been previously inserted into magazines prior to the present invention. FIG. 23 illustrates a 4-page cover having a binding strip S attached to the outer surface of one page of the signature for insertion into a perfect-bound magazine. FIG. 24 illustrates an interrelated 4-page cover and pop-up insert (element) with a binding hangar H attached to the outer surface of one page of the cover to facilitate insertion into a saddle-stitched magazine. Also, insertion into a magazine using such a concept was limited to specific positions.
Present-day magazine circulation in the U.S. reaches extremely large audiences and, as a result, has become a popular way to advertise. However, as magazine advertising has proliferated, so many ads are carried in a single magazine volume that, after a while, the reader sees all of them as blending into one another. Accordingly, advertisers have striven to incorporate some distinctiveness into their magazine advertising and have occasionally attached coupons or return mail cards to a page of their advertising. However, such efforts have met with varying success as such cards and coupons lie flat against the sheet itself and frequently go unnoticed by the reader. As the demand for cost effectiveness has become greater, it is necessary to have a design concept constructed so that it is capable of being conveyed at high speeds in a continuous configuration. It should have proper paper tensile strength and die-cutting with adhesive positioning that will only bond with the acceptable areas of the substrate. It should not sever due to weakness caused by improperly designed die-cutting. Accordingly, new ideas in magazine advertising continue to be sought.

Method of making magazines incorporating pop-ups and strip for use therewith


A method and apparatus for executing any one of a plurality of computer programs for operation of a single output device in a computer system through the control of parameters loaded in registers in the system, the computer system having program compatibility requirements for programs to be executed, includes commencing execution of each of the programs as if it were compatible with said system program compatibility requirements, and modifying the results of any attempts by the program being executed to directly load the register parameters controlling the output device if the loading attempts are non-compatible with the system program compatibility requirements, the modification making the results of the loading attempts system compatible.

1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates in general to the execution of different computer programs, and relates more particularly to the execution of a number of different incompatible programs on a single particular type of output device without the need for any special utility program.
2. Prior Art
There are a very large number of computer programs available for controlling the display of different types of information, either graphics or text, on a CRT monitor through its associated controller. There are a large number of programs compatible with, and designed to run on, display controllers offered by Hercules Computer Technology Co. ("Hercules"). These controllers include the Hercules Graphics Card (current model GB102, previous model GB100 and GB101), as well as Hercules Graphics Card Plus (GB112), and clones known as "Hercules Cards". Because of this large number of Hercules-controller-compatible software, the specifications of the Hercules Cards are known as "Hercules Standard". Other graphics programs operate on computers in the IBM PC* and PS/2 lines and clones thereof. FNT * (IBM, IBM PC, and PC-DOS are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation.)
These Hercules cards are designed to drive, using digital transistor/transistor logic (TTL) compatible signals, monitors compatible with IBM's Monochrome Display Adapter (MDA). These monitors use a 16 MHz pixel clock frequency. Because these Hercules graphics programs are not supported by the IBM PC Disk Operating System (DOS)*, nor by the IBM Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), the Hercules programs operate directly upon the CRT controller registers of the Hercules cards. These registers are compatible with a CRT controller based on a 6845 integrated circuit originally manufactured by Motorola. There are 18 6845 CRT controller parameters to be programmed by each application. Each parameter can have multiple valid working values during the execution of a single program as well as across programs. FNT * (IBM, IBM PC, and PC-DOS are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation.)
With the introduction by IBM of the Video Graphics Array (VGA) graphics systems, a new type of monitor was also introduced into the IBM PC field; the PS/2 Monitor, which is a fixed-frequency analog monitor. Non-IBM versions of these monitors have been brought out by other companies, resulting in a new class of monitors known as "PS/2 Compatible Monitors".
The large body of existing Hercules programs described above can not run on these PS/2 Compatible Monitors without some sort of special intervention. The reason the Hercules programs do not naturally run on PS/2-compatible monitors is because these monitors require a 31.5 KHz horizontal sync signal and a 60 to 70 Hz vertical sync signal, which are generated from a 28 MHz pixel clock frequency in text mode and a 25 MHz pixel clock frequency in graphics mode.
In contrast, the Hercules programs were written for digital monochrome monitors with an 18.4 KHz horizontal sync signal and a 50 Hz vertical sync frequency, generated from a 16.256 MHz pixel clock frequency. Thus, the horizontal, vertical and the pixel clock frequencies required by the PS/2 compatible monitors are much higher than the corresponding frequencies used by the Hercules programs for controlling the 6845 CRT controller.
Accordingly, many 6845 CRT controller parameters must be modified to enable the Hercules programs to run on the new type of monitors. However, the Hercules programs directly control the 6845-compatible registers with values for MDA-compatible monitors, which are improper on the PS/2-compatible monitors. As a result, prior to the present invention, neither the IBM VGA, nor any IBM VGA compatible clone, were able to run graphics mode Hercules programs without a special utility.
Thus, there is a requirement for a system which can run Hercules programs written for MDA monitors, but which runs them on PS/2-compatible monitors, even if these programs write directly to the 6845 CRT controller timing registers, without requiring any special utility program to notify the controller whether the program running is a Hercules program or not. This need is complicated by the additional requirement for a 6845-compatible controller that is also compatible with software written for VGA and Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA)* compatible PC video systems. FNT * EGA is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
One reason that this is a difficult requirement to meet is that while the VGA and EGA CRT controller registers are very similar in their addressing and function, they are quite different from the 6845-compatible CRT controller registers used in the MDA, CGA, Hercules and Multi-Color Graphics Array (MCGA) PC video graphics systems. Another reason that this is a difficult requirement to meet is because the VGA/EGA CRT controller registers and the 6845 CRT controller registers are mapped at the same I/O addresses, so the controller can not distinguish between program types based on what I/O port they use.
One approach to running a Hercules program on a PS/2-compatible monitor is to employ a special utility program to establish a special mode by loading or writing all 6845 CRT controller registers with the appropriate values. If the controller has the capability of write protecting the 6845 CRT controller registers in a Hercules compatible manner (i.e. without I/O addressing conflicts), then the Hercules-compatible program could be run.
In this situation, the user employing the special utility program must know not only that his program is a Hercules program, but also whether it is graphics or text and, perhaps, what is the correct set of monitor parameters for the PS/2 Monitor. At a minimum, the user must determine, based on trial and error, which parameter set works for that particular program. Further, since a graphics program can run text in emulation mode, it is not easy for a PC user with no PC graphics technical knowledge to actually determine whether a program displaying text is running in a text mode or in a graphics mode.
Additionally, this special utility approach has still another disadvantage that the Hercules programs that use both text and graphics modes in the same program will not run effectively, because the PC user would have to run this utility to change the 6845 parameters while running the program, which would be annoying or intolerable.
To summarize, this relatively easy-to-implement special utility approach is both difficult to use and not totally satisfactory, in the sense that many Hercules programs, especially the more complex ones, would not really be usable.

System for running incompatible graphics programs


The present invention relates to a process for the production of alkali cellulose for the production of alkali cellulose and, optionally, cellulose ethers from cellulose in the presence of alkali and, if applicable, with alkylating and/or hydroxyalkylating agent(s) comprising the reaction of a cellulose with an alkali metal hydroxide, wherein the alkali metal hydroxide is mixed with cellulose in a mixing apparatus, the mixing apparatus (1) having an upper region (20, 102a, 202a) with a first cross-section and a lower region (21, 102b, 202b) with a second cross-section, the second cross-section being the same as or smaller than the first cross-section and comprising at least one non-horizontally oriented mixing device (23, 27, 121, 221, 224).

Cellulose derivatives, such as cellulose ethers are conventionally prepared in two stages, i.e. (1) an alkalization stage wherein an alkali metal hydroxide is reacted with cellulose to prepare an alkali cellulose, and (2) a derivatization stage, preferably an etherification stage, wherein a derivatizing agent, such as an etherifying agent is reacted with the alkali cellulose to form the cellulose derivative. Dispersing agents or solvents are sometimes added to one or both stages to obtain better mixing. Typically cellulose in finely divided state is reacted in a first stage with an alkaline solution, e.g. an alkali metal hydroxide, the alkaline solution generally being sprayed upon the cellulose fiber and reacted therewith in an alkalization reaction to form the alkali cellulose. Preferably the alkali cellulose is reacted in a second stage with an etherifying agent in an etherification reaction to form the cellulose ether.
In the alkalization reaction the reactor is vigorously stirred, e.g. in a heterogeneous reaction medium, to mix the alkali metal hydroxide and cellulose as uniformly as possible, and generally the reaction is carried out at low, often ambient, temperature.
Cellulose reactions take place under heterogeneous conditions. The accessibility of the anhydroglucose units (AGU's) therefore influences the reactivity of the cellulose in the various reactions to a large degree. It has been known for a long time that the reactivity of the cellulose is substantially improved or even made possible by an activation process with a sodium hydroxide solution. Here, the aim of the activation is to increase the reaction rate or the maximum achievable degree of substitution in the subsequent reaction of the cellulose and to achieve a more uniform substituent distribution and complete accessibility of the anhydroglucose units.
As mentioned, the most frequently used activating agent is a sodium hydroxide solution which, being an intrafibrillar swelling agent, causes structural change of the fibrillar units of the cellulose. In addition, apart from the structural loosening of the cellulose, the presence of hydroxyl ions is required in numerous cellulose reactions, such as, for example, the formation of carboxymethylcelluloses, methylcelluloses, hydroxyalkylcelluloses, hydroxyalkylmethylcelluloses or cellulose xanthogenates. Uniform alkalization is highly desired for the product quality strived for.
Methylcellulose and its mixed ethers comprising methoxyl groups are typically prepared in a multistage process. In the first stage, the cellulose used is ground to a desired particle size spectrum. In the second stage, the ground cellulose is intimately mixed with an aqueous solution, preferably a concentrated aqueous solution, of an alkali metal hydroxide, in particular sodium hydroxide, in a mixer and activated to produce alkali metal cellulose. The known processes are spray alkalization in a suitable mixing unit in which the ground cellulose is sprayed with an alkali metal hydroxide solution. In a slurry process, the ground cellulose is suspended in a suspension medium and the alkali metal hydroxide is then added. In a slurry alkalization process, the cellulose is suspended in a sodium hydroxide solution and then passed through screw presses or sieve drum presses to remove excessive caustic soda. In the third stage, a heterogeneous reaction is effected with an alkyl halide to be added, such as, for example, methyl chloride or ethyl chloride, and with a hydroxyalkylating agent, such as ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide and/or butylene oxide. Further process stages may comprise the purification of the cellulose ether, grinding and/or drying.
In the industrial production of MC (methyl cellulose) and MHAC (methyl hydroxyalkyl cellulose) the alkalization, and in particular the etherification with etherifying agents, such as, for example, methyl chloride, ethyl chloride, ethylene oxide, propylene oxide and/or butylene oxide, comprises exothermic reaction stages with considerable generation of heat. Since suspension media, such as, for example, dimethyl ether and/or methyl chloride are usually used in a slurry process, the increase in temperature is associated with a simultaneous pressure increase. Because the alkalization usually takes place at atmospheric pressure or slightly superatmospheric pressure, the reaction can therefore be divided into a low pressure (alkalization) and high pressure (etherification) process sequence.
For a very wide range of fields of use, cellulose ethers having different degrees of substitution are prepared. The alkyl substitution is generally described by the DS in cellulose ether chemistry. The DS is the average number of substituted OH groups per anhydroglucose unit. The methyl substitution is stated, for example, as DS (M). Usually, the hydroxyalkyl substitution is described by the MS. The MS is the average number of moles of the etherifying reagent which form ether-like bonds per mole of anhydroglucose unit. The etherification with the etherifying reagent ethylene oxide is stated, for example, as MS (HE), and the etherification with the etherifying reagent propylene oxide is stated as MS (HP). The determination of the side groups is effected by the Zeisel method (literature: G. Bartelmus and R. Ketterer, Z. Anal. Chem. 286 (1977) 161-190).
Various properties of the products are established via the degree of etherification and the type of substituents, such as, for example, the thermal flocculation point, the solubility, the viscosity, the film formation capacity, the water retention capacity and the adhesive strength. MC and MHAC are used in different fields of use, for example as consistency regulators and processing aids in mineral and dispersion-based construction material systems or in the production of cosmetic and pharmaceutical compositions. Cellulose ethers having high degrees of substitution are also suitable as thickeners for organic solvents.
An overview of the chemical fundamentals and principles of production (production processes and process steps) and a list of substances and description of the properties and potential uses of the various derivatives is disclosed, for example, in Houben-Weyl, Methoden der Organischen Chemie, Makromolekulare Stoffe [Methods of Organic Chemistry, Macromolecular Substances], 4th edition, volume E 20, page 2042 (1987).
Although cellulose ethers as an end product with an appropriate degree of substitution are usually soluble in water at a temperature below the dissolution temperature, a small insoluble fraction is usually retained, which causes turbidity of the solution. This turbidity is primarily caused by insoluble cellulose fibres which were not sufficiently activated by the alkali metal hydroxide and have acquired a lower degree of substitution. The magnitude of the turbidity and of the proportion of undissolved fibres has an adverse effect on the usability of the cellulose ethers for certain fields of use. For example, the use of cellulose ethers for the production of transparent hard capsules in the pharmaceutical sector may be mentioned here. A low fibre content is also required for the use of cellulose ethers in ceramic extrusion for automotive catalytic converters, in order to avoid possible material defects. Very efficient and uniform alkalization is highly desirable for the production of a homogeneously substituted cellulose ether having a small insoluble fibre fraction.
In addition, the coupling of low pressure and high pressure process steps results in increased equipment requirements. Usually, pressure-resistant horizontal, cylindrical drums equipped with a horizontal central shaft with specific mixing elements, such as ploughshares, Becker blades, T-blades, paddles, mixing spirals or mixing ribbons, are used in the production of cellulose ethers for the alkalization and/or the heterogeneous etherification. Examples for such mixing reactors which follow the principle of throw or intensive mixers (rotor speeds are above the critical speed which means that particles are hurled out of the material bed) are DRUVATHERM® Reaktor DVT or All In One Reactor® TR from Gebr. Lödige Maschinenbau GmbH, Germany. In addition, some of the reaction mixers are equipped with shredders, commonly designated as choppers or cutting rotors in order to achieve an additional mixing effect or a good distribution of an additive. For effective cooling or heating, these mixers are typically provided with a double jacket or cooling/heating coils. Embodiments having attached condensers and external condensers are also known.
Regarding the optimization of alkalization, various approaches were adopted in the past. In this context, an improved distribution of the sodium hydroxide solution by premixing with an etherifying agent in a nozzle prior to mixing with the cellulose is reported (U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,206 A). Furthermore, improved alkalization upon addition of surface-active substances is described (U.S. Pat. No. 7,361,753). Low pressure spray alkalization takes place in these processes in pressure resistant reaction vessels. The use of an expensive and complex pressure resistant reactor for low pressure alkalization is undesirable when optimum use of apparatus and plant utilization is desired.
A number of patent applications have been published which are concerned with the subject of optimized alkalization for reducing the undissolved fibre content. Separate alkalization steps in suitable apparatuses are described. Described are the implementation of a slurry process for alkalization with downstream removal of alkali and the implementation of an upstream continuous spray alkalization in a very wide range of units. For example, bucket chain conveyors (US 2007/0149773 A1), kneaders (US 2002/0099203 A1), rotary pressure filters (US 2007/0144692 A1), high-intensity mixers (US 2006/0287518 A1) or screw conveyors (US 2007/0149773 A1) are used here. The uniform feed of sodium hydroxide solution to a constant and continuous flow of cellulose mass while ensuring thorough mixing is the aim of the continuous alkalization disclosed in these publications. The advantage of the decoupling of low pressure and high pressure process steps is not disclosed in these publications. In addition, the critical restrictions of continuously metering and ensuring a constant cellulose mass flow to achieve a constant and uniform concentration of sodium hydroxide in all parts of the cellulose are emphasized.
Other processes for the production of methyl hydroxyalkyl celluloses are described, inter alia, in US 2005/0240016 A1 and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,388,082 A, U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,751 A, U.S. Pat. No. 4,477,657 A, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,839,319 A.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a process which optimizes the production of alkali cellulose. It is a preferred object of the present invention to provide a process ensuring homogeneous and/or uniform alkalization of the cellulose in order to obtain in the following derivatization process homogeneously substituted cellulose derivatives. Preferred derivatization processes are alkylating and/or hydroxyalkylating step(s) to produce homogeneously and/or uniformly substituted cellulose ethers.

Process for improved production of alkali cellulose and cellulose derivatives


Gate mechanism for a data cartridge library system including an upstanding lever arm having a laterally extending tab formed at its upper end and a generally Z-shaped member extending from its lower end, the distal end segment of the Z-shaped member forming a light-breaking flag disposed between an optical switch. The lever arm is pivotally attached proximate its lower end to a pivot member that allows the lever arm and its appendages to be rotated about orthogonal axes. An actuator is attached to the lower end of the arm so as to rotate it about one of the axes, and a spring is attached to the lower end of the lever arm to return the arm to a neutral position following its rotation about either axis. The gate mechanism is useful in blocking entry to a drive unit, limiting ejection distance of a cartridge ejected from the drive unit, and indicating when a cartridge extends out of the drive unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to magnetic tape storage apparatus, and more particularly to an improved gate mechanism for use in a carousel-type magnetic tape library system to assist in the handling of cartridges at the entries to the drive units.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
As pointed out in my copending applications Ser. Nos. 07/982,939; 07/982,940; 07/983,345; and 07/984,294, all filed on Nov. 30, 1992 and and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, tape cartridge libraries for use in providing relatively rapid and automatic access to a large quantity of information are in demand for backing up data on UNIX and PC networks. Although various types of systems have been made available for handling 8 mm and larger-sized tapes, only recently have auto-changer units become available for handling the smaller 4 mm-sized cartridges. However, the presently available 4 mm systems known to Applicant are all limited to use of in-line magazines capable of handling twelve or fewer cartridges and do not readily accommodate operator exchange of a single cartridge. A need therefore exists for a compact carousel library system having a lightweight apparatus that has a simple and automatic scheme for retaining cartridges securely during transport and handling, and retaining them in place during motion of the apparatus, while at the same time permitting easy removal by library mechanisms as required.


An electronic component installing apparatus includes a transporting unit for transporting an electronic circuit board to the apparatus at a predetermined position thereof and transporting the electronic circuit board therefrom, a head, having a suction nozzle, for drawing thereto an electronic component placed on an electronic component supply unit and installing the electronic component on the electronic circuit board, a device for placing the head at a given position along an X-axis and a Y-axis, and an optical signal transmitting/receiving device. The optical signal transmitting/receiving device includes first and second optical signal transmitting/receiving units for transmitting/receiving optical signals between the first and second units so as to control operation of the apparatus. The first unit is disposed at the head, and the second unit is disposed at a fixed section of the device.

The present invention relates to an electronic component installing apparatus and a method for installing an electronic component on an electronic circuit board.
In recent years, there has been a growing demand for the development of techniques for accurately installing electronic components on an electronic circuit board at a predetermined position thereof. An example of a conventional electronic component installing apparatus is described below with reference to FIG. 4. The apparatus comprises a transporting unit 34 for transporting an electronic circuit board 33 to a predetermined position thereof and transporting it therefrom; Y-robots 36 and 37 and an X-robot 38 for positioning, at a given position, a head 40 including a suction nozzle 39 for drawing thereto an electronic component 41 placed on an electronic component supply unit 35; a cable 42 accommodating power lines for supplying electric power to a driving portion of the head 40; a cable 43 accommodating signal lines for sending signals to a sensor disposed inside the head 40; and a frame 44 for hanging the cable 43.
The operation of the electronic component installing apparatus is described below. The Y-robots 36 and 37 and the X-robot 38 move the head 40 to a location disposed above the electronic component supply unit 35. Then, the suction nozzle 39 moves downward, thus drawing the electronic component 41 thereto. A recognizing camera provided in the head 40 images the position and posture of the electronic component 41 drawn by the suction nozzle 39 being moved to the electronic circuit board 33. Based on the information provided by the camera, the electronic component 41 on the suction nozzle 39 is corrected in its position and posture and then, installed on the electronic circuit board 33.
The construction of the above-described electronic component installing apparatus has, however, the following disadvantages. Signal lines are liable to be affected by noises generated by the cable 42 due to a high voltage and frequency of the power lines accommodated therein. Therefore, in the conventional electronic component installing apparatus, it is necessary to dispose the power lines and the signal lines separately from each other in order to stabilize the operation thereof. To this end, the signal lines are accommodated in the cable 43. Consequently, the frame 44 is required to hang the cable 43, which increases the manufacturing cost. In addition, as countermeasures against noise, normally, the signal line comprises a twisted pair. Accordingly, the diameter of the signal line is great and it is difficult to bend it, and thus the signal line is liable to be broken. Signal lines are increasingly provided in the component installing apparatus because the head is required to detect the number of electronic components in addition to imaging the position and posture thereof.

Electronic component installing apparatus and method

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


The invention provides a rigid endoscope utilizing a high refractive index (HRI) tunnel rod, preferably made of glass, for transfer of image light from a distal end to a proximal end of the device, such HRI tunnel rod being modified so that a minimum of light is scattered and reflected within the rod, thus minimizing veiling glare and contrast reduction of the image which is formed near the HRI tunnel rod's proximal end. The HRI tunnel rod shortens the apparent distance from the proximal to the distal end by virtue of its refractive index being greater than that of air, and also provides a light tunnel which can carry the image over a relatively long distance by virtue of its modified inside walls. A preferred method of modification includes hydrogen firing of the HRI tunnel rod in order to create a thoroughly blackened inner surface which is highly non-reflective, even at grazing incidences. Relatively simple lenses are incorporated at the ends of the rod for image formation so as to cover a wide object field and to relay the image to a video camera. Stereo measuring embodiments of the endoscope provides dual optical paths for yielding two images containing parallax data.

The invention relates to rigid endoscopes for viewing into generally inaccessible areas, such as various body cavities or industrial components. Endoscopes for remotely viewing into body cavities or industrial components are well-known. Such endoscopes can be divided into two categories, rigid and flexible. Most flexible endoscopes utilize fiber optic image transfer bundles to carry the image from the distal tip to the proximal eyepiece. Other flexible endoscopes employ a small CCD chip at the distal tip and use fiber optics only for illumination and not for direct transfer of the image.
Most modern rigid endoscopes are of the "rod-lens" type, which utilize a train of rod-like lenses to relay the image of an object from a distal end to a proximal eyepiece or other viewing means, such as a CCD camera. Such a device is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,882 to Hopkins, whose entire disclosure is incorporated herein by reference. In that device, the image of an object area is formed by a first distal lens. A second lens reimages the first image to a third lens, which reimages the second image to a fourth lens, and so on, until the image is relayed to the viewing means.
Rigid endoscopes employing a train of lenses for image transfer require many lenses in order to transfer the image through a slender tube while retaining good resolving capabilities and a wide field of view. It is necessary that endoscope probe lengths reach as high as 30-40 centimeters, and such lengths require as many as 20-30 lenses in order to transmit a clear, bright image. Each lens requires grinding, polishing, and coating to obtain high optical quality, and must be aligned and mounted in a rigid encasement with great precision. As a result, the cost of producing such rigid endoscopes is very high. Further, such expensive rod-lens construction precludes the feasibility of removal and disposal of the whole shaft after a single use, which would be a preferred option, especially for cleanliness in medical applications. Removable, disposable sheaths which cover the length of the shaft have been proposed. However, such sheaths do not provide adequate protection against bacterial contamination, are cumbersome to work with, and are susceptible to breakage.
Stereo versions of rod-lens type endoscopes are also known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,650 to McKinley, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, teaches such an endoscope. However, substantial modifications to the basic rod-lens design must be made to obtain independent optical paths in the shaft portion in order to yield two images containing parallax data, such images being essential for production of a stereo image. These modifications require much duplication of optical elements, especially in the shaft portion, which results in an endoscope which is costly and is even less suitable for disposability of the shaft.

Rigid endoscope having modified high refractive index tunnel rod for image transmission and method of manufacture thereof


For use in transmitting acoustic waves propagated along a well drilling string, a piezoelectric transducer is provided operating in the relatively low loss acoustic propagation range of the well drilling string. The efficiently coupled transmitting transducer incorporates a mass-spring-piezoelectric transmitter combination permitting resonant operation in the desired low frequency range.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the art of transmitting information in the form of acoustic waves propagating along a well drilling string or other similar pipe. More particularly, the invention concerns novel piezoelectric transducer apparatus modified for operation in the relatively low loss acoustic frequency propagation range of the well drilling string or similar piping.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many illustrations in the prior art of data transmission systems for telemetering data in either direction along well drilling strings, some employing electrical and other acoustic propagation. The acoustic systems generally operate in relatively high frequency ranges spaced apart from the large volume of low frequency energy developed by the operating elements of the drilling process. Most of the drilling noise is concentrated in the relatively low frequency range which is also desirable for acoustic telemetering because of its relatively low loss characteristics. It is the intent of the present invention to supply transducer means for efficiently coupling acoustic energy into the drill string at relatively high levels competitive with the level of the drilling noise.

Resonant acoustic transducer system for a well drilling string


The present invention provides methods and compositions comprising compounds useful for stimulating neurogenesis. The methods and compositions comprising compounds are also useful for inhibiting neuronal degeneration. Thus, the present invention can be used in the treatment of diseases and conditions characterized by neuronal loss and reduced neurogenesis including Alzheimer's disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and depression. This invention could also be used for research products including single agents or mixtures of agents to promote, proliferate, differentiate, or maintain neurons from stem or progenitor cells.

Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder that gradually destroys neurons. Over 4.5 million people in America suffer from Alzheimer's, which mostly occurs in older adults. The risk of developing Alzheimer's disease approximately doubles every five years after age 65 and reaches to 50 percent by age 85. Patients afflicted with Alzheimer's disease lose their ability to learn, remember, reason, make decisions, communicate and carry out daily activities. The direct and indirect cost of caring for Alzheimer's disease patients has increased to at least $100 billion annually.
Stroke and traumatic brain injury can also cause neuronal loss and lead to cognitive decline.
The stimulation of neurogenesis may also be useful in treating depression. Depression is categorized by extreme changes in mood which may also be associated with psychoses. The association between depression, stress, and neurogenesis arose first from MRI imaging studies suggesting a reduction in right and left hippocampal volumes in major depression (Sheline et al., 1996; Bremner et al., 2000; Mervaala et al., 2000). Further research indicated that the volume loss in the brain seen in patients with depression was due to glucocorticoid-induced neuron loss specific to hippocampus (Lee et al., 2002 review; Lucassen et al., 2001; Sapolsky 2000).
Other studies further confirmed the close correlation between neurogenesis and depression. Data showed that chronic stress could cause both volume changes and reduction in neurogenesis (Czeh et al., 2001; Pham et al., 2003). On the other hand, agents that cause a reduction in neurogenesis also appear as causative agents in depression specifically glucocorticoids and depletion of serotonin (Brezun and Daszuta, 1999). Finally, research using X-rays to ablate new cells caused by fluoxetine-induced neurogenesis in mice could reverse the antidepressant behavioral activity in the novelty suppressed feeding paradigm (Santerelli et al., 2003).
One challenge for using neurogenesis to treat Alzheimer's disease or depression is that nascent neurons must still survive long enough to produce functional neurons. There exists a need for a neurogenic agent that promotes the proliferation of a neuronal precursor and that causes the differentiation and survival of the neurons.

Methods and compositions for stimulating neurogenesis and inhibiting neuronal degeneration


An information processing apparatus transmits a print job to a printer after performing print setting processing for variable print data. An operation information setting unit receives print setting information in which the leading page of each of the records is specified as the first page for a page or a page range in each of the records to perform print setting. A job ticket generation unit sets print setting information to a job ticket in accordance with the instruction which a hot folder manager gives that detects and manages print data. A print data transmission unit generates a print job and transmits it to a printer. The printer analyzes the received print job, and repeatedly applies the print setting information set to one record to each of the records to thereby execute print processing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to print setting processing of print data with a record as a unit of processing. In particular, the present invention relates to a variable data print processing technique.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, in Variable Data Printing (hereinafter also referred to as "VDP") for printing data in accordance with the needs for each user, the registered customer data or the like for a single job is printed by using a record as a unit. The term "record" refers to a unit of processing for a series of VDP. For example, when printing is performed on a customer by customer basis, one record is constituted by print data for one customer. One VDP job may include many records ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. In a job for VDP, the job is associated with a variable object which may vary depending on each of the records, is combined with a master object which serves as the common background of the records, and the resultant data is printed. Such a job for VDP is managed by using a job as a unit even if a plurality of records is included, and is hereinafter referred to as a "VDP job". Also, an object, which is employed for multiple times in a job, is referred to as a "reusable object". A bitmap image or intermediate data, which has been subject to image expansion, is held and reused for a subsequent usage, whereby processing time may be reduced. A master object is also an example of reusable object.
As VDP has been widely used, there has been an increasing demand for providing an exception setting for records. Hereinafter, an exception setting for a plurality of records is referred to as a "record exception setting". FIG. 21A shows an example in which print media for three records is specified by a user using a setting (tabbed paper, thick paper) that is different from the basic setting (plain paper). Basic setting information is applied to the entire record for the print data. Also, the record length indicates the number of pages constituting a record. In the present embodiment, each of the records has four pages, and thus, the record length is four. For each of the records, a tabbed paper is set to the first page, a thick paper is set to the fourth page, and a plain paper (basic setting) is set to the second and third pages.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-185489 discloses a method for providing an exception setting to a normal document without record information. For a document having a hierarchical structure, a print setting that does not apply to all pages is provided to the designated page(s) other than the entire pages.
In the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-185489, a specified operation needs to be performed for all of the pages for which a user wishes to provide an exception setting, and processing adapted to a VDP job is not particularly performed. For example, when a direct mail, which has been personalized for each customer, is generated as a VDP job for printout, a user needs to specify a page(s) to be subject to an exception setting using the serial page number based on the leading page of the first record. In the example shown in FIG. 21B, for the serial page numbers 1 to 12 ranging from the first record to the third record, a user needs to provide an exception setting (tabbed paper) for pages 1, 5, and 9, and provide an exception setting (thick paper) for pages 4, 8, and 12. Thus, even when the same exception setting is repeated for each record, a user needs to specify the pages for all records, for which a user wishes to provide an exception setting, using the serial page number starting from the leading page of the first record, resulting in a complicated operation.

Information processing apparatus, information processing method, program, and information processing system


A rotary driven drum-shaped dispenser for fluid materials is disclosed. The drum is comprised of a plurality of nested rings each of which has a plurality of arcuate channels through which the fluid material is passed during rotation of the drum. An adjustable valve is positioned at the inlet end of each flow channel. The end bells of the drum have covered access openings for filling the drum with fluid material to be dispensed. A divider within the drum separates the drum chamber into two chambers so that separate materials may be dispensed simultaneously without pre-mixing.

In and about modern farms there is a need for a dispenser which may be quickly and easily adapted to many applications. Thus, a dispenser may be used for dispensing seeds, feed supplements, fertilizer, salt for deicing walks and driveways, larvicides, fungicides, and so forth. However, such a dispenser would have to be adjustable in capacity and rate of flow. Moreover, it would have to handle fluid materials ranging from very small granules to larger pellets or capsules. In some instances, such a dispenser should be capable of dispensing more than one material simultaneously, but separately. Furthermore, such a dispenser should be simple in construction and capable of being driven by a variety of power sources. No general purpose dispenser appears to be available which meets these requirements.


The present invention discloses a data transmission method, user equipment, and a network device. A D2D communications system configures a logical channel used by different types of D2D data and configures a resource selection parameter for user equipment. In this way, the user equipment is capable of selecting a communication resource by itself according to the resource selection parameter and D2D data to be transmitted by the user equipment, and allocating the resource to the to-be-transmitted D2D data, improving system reliability.

In conventional cellular wireless communications technologies, user equipment communicates with a base station by using an air interface and forwards user data to a destination node on a network by using the base station.
With development of mobile communications technologies, to better meet user requirements and improve efficiency of information exchange between user equipments, a mechanism of direct communication between user equipments, that is, device-to-device (D2D) communication, also referred to as sidelink communication, is introduced in a long term evolution (LTE) system. Different from the conventional cellular wireless communications technologies, data of user equipment does not need to be transmitted by using a base station, and is transmitted directly by using an air interface between user equipments, thereby reducing a network forwarding delay. In a D2D communication mode, a direct communication link between user equipments may be established under control or with assistance of a network device such as a base station. A typical application scenario of D2D communication is a public safety scenario, such as communication between fire fighters. A typical service type is a voice service.
As shown in FIG. 1, a D2D communications system includes a base station 101, user equipment (UE) 1, and UE 2. The base station 101 and the UE 1 may perform cellular wireless communication. In addition, the UE 1 and the UE 2 may perform D2D communication.
Currently, D2D communication supports group communication, that is, one-to-many communication, in which D2D user equipment may send D2D data to several user equipments in a communication group. As shown in FIG. 2, a base station 201 controls or assists UE 1, UE 2, UE 3, and UE 4 in establishment of D2D group communication. For example, a group 202 is a public safety group. The UE 1 may directly transmit data to the UE 2, the UE 3, and the UE 4 without using the base station.
Currently, D2D communication further supports unicast communication, that is, one-to-one communication, in which D2D user equipment directly sends D2D data to another user equipment.
However, because transmission resources are obtained by means of contention between user equipments, there may be a problem in an existing D2D communications system, for example, some data is not transmitted in a sufficiently timely and reliable manner because some user equipments fail to obtain resources by means of contention.
Because of the inherent disadvantage of the D2D communication manner in the existing wireless communications system, a new D2D data transmission method and device are urgently needed in the art, to resolve the problem that may exist in the existing D2D communications system, for example, some data is not transmitted in a sufficiently timely and reliable manner.

User equipment, network device, and data transmission method


An improved apparatus and method for sampling of solids with flexibility to sampling weight and granular size comprises, in one implementation, a sample holder, a grinding unit, a linking channel, a structural support unit and a control unit. The linking channel is arranged to connect the sample holder to the grinding unit. The grinding unit includes a grinding container and a grinding rod with a blade at a bottom end, and is configured to automatically grind a solid specimen. The structural support unit is configured to provide system stability and to protect the control unit from outside. The control unit includes a switch, a regulating module, an actuator motor, a rotational plate, a lever beam and an electronic board, and is configured to regulate automatic weighing and grinding of the solid specimen. The switch is configured to START/END grinding and to send signals to the electronic board to stay ON/OFF during sampling, and the regulating module is configured to adjust voltage of the actuator motor consistent with weight of the solid specimen. The control unit is also arranged to be distant from the grinding unit to prevent direct contact between a user and the solid specimen during sampling when dealing with a hazardous specimen.

One of the most fundamental routines in a chemical laboratory is to prepare samples from dry powdered materials. Often times, conventional powder dispensing systems are designed around the assumption that a relatively large amount of powder is available for automatic sampling. These conventional systems include screw, rotary, vibratory, roll, shaker and revolving plate feeders where the designs of such systems are mainly focused on a large quantity of bulk powder materials to be continually dispensed into feed lines or vials. As such, these automatic devices are not generally designed to be used in dispensing of a small quantity of powder materials or in situations where powder materials are maintained within a small vial. Moreover, the absence of an automatic grinder in these conventional setups makes it even more difficult to perform sampling of granular bulk materials with different granular sizes since there is no automatic system available to grind such granular bulk materials into powders prior to sampling.
Furthermore, almost all errors in sampling process are associated with human or pre-analytical processing errors where preparation and adjusting sampling by hand permit upfront human error in wasting and contaminating materials to occur at various sample collection sites and laboratories. As such, the entire process can lead to increase in sampling time and labor intensity, and thus cost inefficiency.
With all these shortcomings, there remains a need to develop an improved automatic gravimetric sampling device that provides an easier and more efficient means for weighing and grinding solid specimen of all kinds and all measures without being limited to a specific and predetermined weight and granular size, while maintaining satisfactory accuracy and safety as well as being timely and cost effective. Such device can also prevent a working environment from being contaminated and avoid individuals from being subjected to prolong exposure to hazardous chemicals.
Accordingly, the present disclosure addresses providing an improved apparatus and method for automatic gravimetric sampling solids with flexibility to sampling weight and granular size, while offering a safe and reliable sampling process in a timely and cost-effective fashion.

Apparatus and method for automatic gravimetric sampling of chemical solids


A washing machine (100) has a drawer (1) having at least one compartment (10a, 10b, 10c, 10d) for receiving an agent for treating laundry, a supporting structure (2) on which the drawer can slide and a removable retaining device (4) connectable to the supporting structure for delimiting a movement of the drawer with respect to the supporting structure. The removable retaining device is connected to the supporting structure by moving the removable retaining device along a fixing direction. The supporting structure has an engagement element (220) and the removable retaining device has a releasable locking element (420) engaging with the engagement element such that, when the removable retaining device is moved along the fixing direction in order to be connected to the supporting structure, the releasable locking element locks the retaining device in a connected condition.

Conventionally, laundry washing machines include a drawer for receiving a detergent agent or other agents for treating the laundry, such as softener or bleach, to be used during the washing cycles.
During the use of the laundry washing machines, residual of such agents for treating the laundry may remain in the drawer and, for this reason, it is advisable to periodically rinse out with water the drawer.
For this purpose, the drawer of conventional laundry washing machines can be fully extracted and removed from its respective seat.
In order to avoid accidental removal of the drawer, GB 758,944 discloses a drawer assembly comprising a spring-biased safety catch arm, pivotally mounted on the front of a supporting structure of the drawer assembly and adapted, when the drawer is pulled out from its housing nearly to the full extent, to engage the slot in the flange under the action of the biasing spring so as to obstruct complete withdrawal of the drawer.
The safety catch is provided with a forwardly extending operating arm which is accessible when the drawer is partially withdrawn so that the safety catch may be held manually in the disengaged position to permit complete withdrawal of the drawer.
This solution is quite complex since it is formed by several components, that requires to be assembled during manufacturing of the washing machine. In particular, the catch is fixed to the support structure by a bolt and nut connection, which is requires a relatively complex assembly in particular since it is positioned in a position not easily reachable.
An alternative solution in which a disengageable retaining device of the drawer is provided at an upper wall element or a cover and/or a side wall of the housing of the drawer is described in EP 2 372 011.


A computer-implemented method for characterizing circulatory blood volume and autoregulatory compensatory mechanisms to maintain circulatory blood volume is disclosed. A biological signal that emulates the arterial pulse wave is collected from a sensor. Three derived parameters are extrapolated from the biological signal. The first parameter, circulatory stress, reflects of the changes of the heart rate frequency. The second, circulatory blood volume, reflects the changes in the frequency strength of the heart rate frequency. The third, Pulse Volume Alteration (PVA) Index is a ratio of the sum of the strengths of the heart rate frequency harmonics to the strength of the heart rate frequency of the unprocessed biological signal. Each parameter is compared to a threshold value and assessed to determine an adequacy of circulatory blood volume and an appropriateness of the autoregulatory mechanisms used to maintain circulatory blood volume adequacy.

Circulatory blood flow delivers oxygen and nutrients to tissues and organs and removes toxins and wastes therefrom. Such delivery and removal is essential to maintaining cellular function and tissue and organ health. Broadly defined, stress is the aggregate impact of physical, cognitive, pathological, and environmental factors to which an organism must adapt in order to remain in a physiologically homeostatic state. Adequate circulatory blood volume must be maintained under varying forms and degrees of stress, or else homeostasis and adequacy of oxygenated blood flow delivery is compromised. Accordingly, in the healthy state, the autonomic nervous system continuously adjusts circulatory blood volume in order to meet these constantly changing demands. In situations where the ability to adjust circulatory blood volume is inadequate, the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to tissues and organs and the removal of toxins and wastes therefrom is inadequate to meet the cellular demands and, as a result, overall physiological function is compromised.
Systems and methods for evaluating the condition of the autoregulatory components of the cardiovascular system are known in the art. Unfortunately, while these systems and methods are good predictors of the overall cardiovascular condition resulting from long-term pathological and age-related structural changes, they cannot characterize the functional adequacy of circulatory blood volume in the short-term. As such, in the face of stress, any resultant deficiencies in supplying the demands of the tissue and organs is often not detected until physiological function is so compromised that tissue and organ dysfunction become symptomatic and sustainability is at risk. Furthermore, while levels of certain metabolites are indicative of inadequate circulatory blood volume, such metabolites are only present after prolonged inadequate circulatory blood volume has occurred and therefore cannot characterize the functional adequacy of circulatory blood volume in the pre-symptomatic stages to avoid a compromised physiological state that may be irreversible. Thus, there is a need for real-time systems and methods that characterize the adequacy of circulatory blood volume over contiguous, finite time intervals in order that circulatory blood volume may be assessed and any deficiencies in supply may be detected and treated before the patient's sustainability is at risk.

System and method for characterizing circulatory blood flow


There are provided coated articles that include two or more infrared (IR) reflecting layers (e.g., of or including NbZr, Nb, NiCr, NiCrMo, and/or a nitride thereof) sandwiched between at least dielectric layers, and/or a method of making the same. The coating may be designed so that the coated articles realize blue glass side reflective coloration in combination with a low glass side visible reflectance, acceptable film side coloration, and low solar factor (SF) and/or a low solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC). Such coated articles may be used in the context of monolithic windows, insulating glass (IG) window units, laminated windows, and/or other suitable applications, and may optionally be heat treated (e.g., thermally tempered) in certain instances.

Solar control coatings having a layer stack of glass/Si3N4/NiCr/Si3N4 are known in the art, where the metallic NiCr layer is the sole infrared (IR) reflecting layer in the coating. In certain instances, the NiCr layer may be nitrided. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,967, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. See also U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,585.
Unfortunately, while such layer stacks with NiCr IR reflecting layers provide efficient solar control and are overall good coatings, they are lacking in terms of being able to achieve a wider palette of available colors when desired. For example, with such a coating stack, if bluish green is desired the approach is to significantly increase the bottom dielectric thickness which unfortunately results in undesirable interference effects in that particular coating.
Blue coloration is often desired in the context of monolithic windows, insulating glass (IG) window units, and/or other suitable applications. Desirable blue coloration (e.g., glass side/exterior/outside reflective), measured monolithically and/or in an IG window unit, may be characterized by: b* values of from −8.0 to −30.0, more preferably from −11.0 to −19.0, and most preferably −12.0 to −18.0; optionally in combination with a* values of from −7.0 to +7.0, more preferably from −5.0 to +5.0, and most preferably from −3.0 to +2.0.
Low solar factor (SF) and solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) values are also desired in some applications, particularly in warm weather climates. Solar factor (SF), calculated in accordance with EN standard 410, relates to a ratio between the total energy entering a room or the like through a glazing and the incident solar energy. Thus, it will be appreciated that lower SF values are indicative of good solar protection against undesirable heating of rooms or the like protected by windows/glazings. A low SF value is indicative of a coated article (e.g., IG window unit) that is capable of keeping a room fairly cool in summertime months during hot ambient conditions. Thus, low SF values are sometimes desirable in hot environments. While low SF values are sometimes desirable for coated articles such as IG window units, the achievement of lower SF values may come at the expense of sacrificing coloration. It is often desirable, but difficult, to achieve a combination of acceptable visible transmission, desirable glass side reflective coloration, and a low SF value for a coated article such as an IG window unit or the like. SF (G-Factor; EN410-673 2011) and SHGC (NFRC-2001) values are calculated from the full spectrum (T, Rg and Rf) and are typically measured with a spectrophotometer such as a Perkin Elmer 1050. The SF measurements are done on monolithic coated glass, and the calculated values can be applied to monolithic, IG and laminated applications.
U.S. Patent Document 2012/0177899 discloses several different coatings. Examples 1-5 on page four of US '899 are glass/SiN/NiCrNx/SiN/NiCrNx/SiN. However, none of these examples achieve blue glass side reflective coloration, as evidenced by their respective glass side reflective (b*G) values outside of the range from −8 to −30. Moreover, these examples suffer from undesirably high SF and SHGC values.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,286,395 discloses numerous coatings, but none can accomplish the features of coatings according to embodiments of this invention. The coatings in Comparative Example 1 of US '395 cannot achieve blue glass side reflective color, as evidenced by their respective glass side reflective (a*G/external) values outside of the range of from −8 to −30. The coating of Comparative Example 2 in US '395 has an undesirably green film side color as evidenced by the a*F/internal value of −4.8. And the counter-examples under Comparative Example 2 in US '395 are undesirable in that they have high glass side visible reflectivity values of 22.6% and 21.2%, respectively. Coating Nos. 1-2 in Comparative Example 3 of US '395 are undesirable in that neither can achieve blue glass side reflective coloration as evidenced by their respective glass side reflective (a*G/external) values outside of the range of from −8 to −30, and Coating No. 1 also has an undesirably high glass side visible reflectance (RYG/out) of 28%. Under Example 3 of US '395, coating No. 3 is undesirable in that it requires additional titanium (Ti) metal layers, and coating No. 4 has an undesirably high glass side visible reflectance (RYG/out) of 22.3% as well as an undesirably green film side reflective color as evidenced by the a*F/internal value of −11.3. Thus, it will be appreciated that coatings of US '395 cannot achieve desirable blue glass side reflective coloration in combination with low glass side visible reflectivity, acceptable film side coloration, and a low solar factor (SF) and/or low solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC). US '395 is silent as to SF and SHGC values. It is noted that glass side reflective color is a significant color when an IG window unit is provided with the coating on surface two, as the glass side reflective color is the color seen by those outside viewing the building on which the window is mounted.
It would be desirable if blue glass side reflective coloration could be achieved in an efficient manner in combination with low glass side visible reflectivity, acceptable film side coloration, and a low solar factor (SF) and/or low solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC). Note that a typical conventional IG window unit with two panes has an SHGC value around 0.70.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, it has surprisingly been found that by providing two or more IR reflecting layers (e.g., of or including NbZr and/or NbZrNx) between respective dielectric layers, along with particular thickness parameters, desirable blue glass side reflective coloration can be achieved in combination with low glass side visible reflectivity, acceptable film side coloration, and a low solar factor (SF) and/or low solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC). Such coatings provide for improved color control and/or ranges when desired, low SF values and thus the ability to keep rooms cool in warm climates, and also for good thermal stability (low ΔE* value(s)) if desired.
Generally speaking, certain example embodiments of this invention fulfill one or more of the above listed needs by providing a coated article having blue glass side reflective coloration and including a layer system supported by a glass substrate, the layer system comprising: a first dielectric layer comprising nitrogen; a first infrared (IR) reflecting layer on the glass substrate over at least the first dielectric layer; a second dielectric layer comprising nitrogen on the glass substrate over at least the first dielectric layer and the first IR reflecting layer; a second layer IR reflecting layer on the glass substrate over at least the second dielectric layer; a third dielectric layer comprising nitrogen on the glass substrate over at least the second IR reflecting layer; wherein each of the first and second IR reflecting layers comprises one or more of: NbZr, NbZrNx, NiCr, NiCrNx, NiCrMo, NiCrMoNx, NbCr, NbCrNx, Nb and NbNx; wherein the coated article contains no metallic infrared (IR) reflecting layer based on Ag and/or Au, and wherein the IR reflecting layers do not physically contact any other metallic or substantially metallic layer; and wherein the coated article: has glass side visible reflectance of no greater than 18%, a film side/interior reflective a* color value of −2 to +12, glass side/exterior reflective blue coloration comprising a glass side/exterior b* color value of from −8.0 to −30.0; and (i) if measured monolithically has an SF value of no greater than 0.35 and an SHGC value of no greater than 0.40, and/or (ii) if an insulating glass (IG) window unit having two glass substrates has an SF value of no greater than 0.25 and an SHGC value of no greater than 0.27.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, there is provided a coated article having blue glass side reflective coloration and including a layer system supported by a glass substrate, the layer system comprising: a first dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride; a first infrared (IR) reflecting layer comprising NbZr on the glass substrate over at least the first dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride; a second dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride on the glass substrate over at least the first dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride and the first IR reflecting layer comprising NbZr; a second layer IR reflecting layer comprising NbZr on the glass substrate over at least the second dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride; a third dielectric layer comprising silicon nitride on the glass substrate over at least the second IR reflecting layer comprising NbZr; wherein the coated article contains no metallic infrared (IR) reflecting layer based on Ag and/or Au, and wherein the IR reflecting layers do not physically contact any other metallic or substantially metallic layer; and wherein the coated article: has glass side visible reflectance of no greater than 18%, a film side/interior reflective a* color value of −2 to +12, glass side/exterior reflective blue coloration comprising a glass side/exterior b* color value of from −8.0 to −30.0; and (i) if measured monolithically has an SF value of no greater than 0.35 and an SHGC value of no greater than 0.40, and/or (ii) if an insulating glass (IG) window unit having two glass substrates has an SF value of no greater than 0.25 and an SHGC value of no greater than 0.27.
Thus, this invention covers monolithic window units, IG window units, laminated window units, and any other article including a glass substrate having a coating thereon as claimed. Note that monolithic measurements may be taken by removing a coated substrate from an IG window unit and/or laminated window unit, and then performing monolithic measurements. It is also noted that for a given coating the SF and SHGC values will be significantly higher for a monolithic window unit than for an IG window unit.
In certain example embodiments of this invention, heat treated (HT) coated articles have a glass side reflective ΔE* value due to heat treatment (e.g., thermal tempering) of no greater than 4.5, more preferably no greater than 4.0, even more preferably no greater than 3.5, and most preferably no greater than 3.0. For purposes of example, the heat treatment (HT) may be for at least about 5 minutes at a temperature(s) of at least about 580 degrees C., and is sufficient for thermal tempering. The term ΔE* is known in the art and is indicative of thermal stability upon heat treatment, and is defined and explained for example in U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,967 which is incorporated herein by reference.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Blue colored heat treatable coated article having low solar factor value


A hair extension kit enables user's hair to be coupled with extended hairs, and includes a fastening ring formed in a hollow shape, each respective upper end of the extended hairs being attached to an inner peripheral surface of the fastening ring; a guiding loop having a portion thereof received in the fastening ring and a guiding and holding part formed at the lower end thereof, the guiding loop being removable from the fastening ring; and a drawing loop having a portion thereof received between an inner wall of the fastening ring and the corresponding part of the guiding loop and a drawing and holding part formed at the lower end thereof, the drawing loop being removable from the fastening ring. The hair extension kit can increase the coupling force between the user's hair and the extension-hair via the fastening ring.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hair extension kit and an extension-hair fixing method which can replenish a thin haired human with hairs or rendering a more natural hair style by making short hair long. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hair extension kit and an extension-hair fixing method which can increase a coupling force between an extension-hair and user's hair by inserting a guiding loop and a drawing loop into a fastening ring with extended hairs attached to the inner peripheral surface thereof (herein, an assembly of the extended hair and the fastening ring is referred to as extension-hair), winding the user's hair around the fastening ring using the two loops, and then compressing or bending the fastening ring, and further preventing the extension-hair from slipping down or falling out from the user's hair.
(2) Prior Art
Recently, as women have been interested in their appearance and beauty, various accessories or stuffs are being developed. Especially, in hairdressing and other beauty treatment, hair styling showing individual characters by changing a hair style and hair color, such as hair dyeing, is widely used.
Particularly, in recent years, partial wigs using original hair or synthetic hair are acquiring a greater vogue than hairstyling or coloring, for instance, short hair is made long utilizing various kinds of partial wigs, or a bridge type partial wig is made utilizing a pre-colored state of partial wigs.
As mentioned above, in case of making short hair long, an extension-hair made of human hair or synthetic hair is used. If it is desired to connect an extended hair to a user's hair, a predetermined number of an extended hair are taken out from extended hairs stacked on a work table, an adhesive is applied to the end of the extended hair, and then the extended hair is attached to the end of hair desired to be connected, thereby the user's hair and the extended hair is connected by the medium of the adhesive.
In that case, the adhesive melted by an intense heat is applied in overlapped part of the extended hair end and the user's hair end, and then as the adhesive starts to be hardened, a hairdresser makes a roll of the adhesive directly with fingers to form it round and solidify it.
However, a technique of the typical extension-hair as above stated is a manner that a certain amount of the extended hair is taken out of extended hairs stacked on the work table. Thus there are a lot of hairs dropping on the floor or falling around, so it is not economical. Moreover, also the number of the hairs is not in constant, this makes it difficult to expect a high quality of a beauty state.
Especially, in a case that the user's hair and the extended hair are connected using a liquid adhesive injecting device, the applied amount of the liquid adhesive is not constant, thus the size of the resulting adhered part is not constant as well as the operation is so messy. Further, a technique of coating the liquid adhesive on the ends of the certain amount of the extended hair needs an intense heat directly applied to the user's hair in order to melt the hardened adhesive when an adhered state of the user's hair and the extended hair is sometime to be released, so this may lead to the damage to the hair as well as the risk of burning. In addition, the melted adhesive flows down or makes the operation messy.
To overcome the above-described problem, the present applicant had registered an extension-hair in Korean Utility Model Registration No. 316019 and Korean Utility Model Registration. No. 333865, which disclose an extension-hair which fastens user's hair and the extended hair to each other by pressurizing a contraction tube or a connection ring after passing user's hair through the contraction tube or the connection ring, with a certain amount of extended hair being adhered in advance to the contraction tube or the connection tube or the like.
The extension-hair includes a drawing loop and a guiding loop, and each of the loops is used so that the user's hair can pass easily through the contraction tube or the connection ring.
However, the aforementioned extension-hair has such a structure that the user's hair is inserted through the contraction tube or the connection ring. Thus, there is a problem that if the compression force is weak due to the contraction of the contraction tube or a bending and fastening force of the connection ring is weak, the extension-hair slips down or falls out from the user's hair.
Particularly, user's hair has a certain degree of oil content, thus the coupling force becomes weaker because the frictional force to all kinds of hair is reduced due to the oil content. Further, if a practitioner applies the extension-hair with a weak fastening force in the process of application of the extension-hair, the fastening force of the extension-hair become's more weakened.
Moreover, if a considerable pull force is applied to the extension-hair due to combing or an unexpected problem, there is a risk that the extension-hair with the weak fastening force may slip down or fall out from the user's hair in most cases. Further, a customer who has paid a high price for the application of an extension-hair may feel quite unpleasant if even one extension-hair falls out from the user's hair.

Hair extension kit and extension-hair fixing method


A foot structure of a biped waling mobile robot having a body and two articulated legs each having a foot at its distal end. In the foot structure, a movable foot piece is housed in each foot which is driven by an actuator to be swung out to enlarge the ground contact surface. A controller provided for the actuator and based on a condition of walking such as stair descending, it controls the operation of the actuator such that the foot's ground contact surface is enlarged. The structure has another aspect in which a ratio between distances from a point at which the foot is connected to the leg to the foot ends can also be adjusted in response to the walking condition. Moreover, the foot can be arranged such that the foot is configured to have portions to be contact with the ground at its four corners and the movable foot pieces have additional contact portion enlarging or reducing the ground contact portions.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a legged mobile robot having a foot structure, more particularly to a legged mobile robot having a foot structure which increases the stability of the robot during walking.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many improvements relating to legged walking mobile robots have been proposed. Improvements applicable to the autonomous biped type mobile walking robot can be found, for example, in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication Nos. 62(1987)-97,005 and 62(1987)-97,006. Improvements relating specifically to the foot structure of the biped type mobile walking robot are disclosed in the assignee's Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 3(1991)-184,781.
Among the different types of mobile walking robots, the biped walking type robot is by nature the most unstable. Depending on the conditions of the ground or other surface the robot walks over, the walking environment, the walking speed and the like, it is often difficult to maintain the robot stable during walking. Although it is relatively easy for the robot to maintain its stability during low-speed walking on a flat horizontal surface, the biped walking robot tends to become unstable under various unusual circumstances, as during stair climbing and descent, walking on an inclined surface, walking over a surface with obstacles, and walking at high speed. Biped walking may also be made difficult by external environmental factors such as earthquake-induced vibration and the wind.
One conceivable way of increasing the stability of a biped walking type legged robot during walking is to design the robot's feet to have a large ground contact surface, i.e. a large surface for making contact with the terrain. Depending on the walking conditions, however, simply making the feet larger may have the opposite effect of destabilizing the robot. For example, when a robot with big feet climbs stairs, the toes of its feet are apt to catch on the step overhangs that are usually provided on stairs. When this happens, there is a high likelihood of the robot falling over. Moreover, when a robot steps over a projection or other such obstacle on the terrain, the likelihood of its falling over because the toe or heel portion of the foot comes in contact with the obstacle is greater if its feet are large. On the other hand, during fast walking there is a greater possibility of interference between the feet and resulting tip over if the feet are large. While there are also many other circumstances in which large feet tend to detract from the walking stability, those mentioned in the foregoing are sufficient to show that simply making a robot's feet larger does not provide a basic solution to the problem of how to increase stability during walking.


The present disclosure involves a medical system. The medical system includes a medical device configured to deliver a medical therapy to a patient and store an electronic patient record that includes visual identification information of the patient. The medical system includes a clinician programmer configured to program the medical device. The clinician programmer includes a display screen. The clinician programmer includes a transceiver configured to conduct electronic communication with external devices. The clinician programmer includes a memory storage configured to store machine-readable code. The clinician programmer includes a computer processor configured to execute the machine-readable code to: establish an electronic communication with the medical device via the transceiver; and display the electronic patient record, including the visual identification information of the patient, on the display screen after the electronic communication has been established.

As medical device technologies continue to evolve, active implantable medical devices have gained increasing popularity in the medical field. For example, one type of implantable medical device includes neurostimulator devices, which are battery-powered or battery-less devices that are designed to deliver electrical stimulation to a patient. Through proper electrical stimulation, the neurostimulator devices can provide pain relief for patients.
An implantable medical device (for example a neurostimulator) can be controlled using an electronic programming device such as a clinician programmer or a patient programmer. These programmers can be used by medical personnel or the patient to define the particular electrical stimulation therapy to be delivered to a target area of the patient's body, or alter one or more stimulation parameters of the electrical stimulation therapy. Advances in the medical device field have improved these electronic programmers. However, the capabilities of these electronic programmers have not been fully utilized. For example, the electronic programmers have not been fully utilized to ensure that the electrical stimulation therapy programming is done to a correct patient with the correct medical device.
Therefore, although electronic programming devices for controlling medical devices have been generally adequate for their intended purposes, they have not been entirely satisfactory in every aspect.

Method and system for associating patient records with pulse generators


A multiple byte wide parallel write circuit having a number of cell array blocks for storing data, and a plurality of data input buffers includes a plurality of data bus selectors for selecting data buses, a plurality of clock pulse generators for generating clock signals for an individual data input driver on the basis of a test mode enable signal and a column/row address signal, and a plurality of individual data input drivers for driving respective outputs of the data bus selectors and for applying the output driven to the entire input/output (I/O) lines at the same time. Thereby, the improvement may write into the memory cell arrays the data having a greater number of bit lines than that of the data buses, without increasing the layout area nor increasing the load on the bus lines.

The present invention generally relates to a write chain circuit for a parallel test in a high density semiconductor memory device and, more particularly, to multiple byte wide parallel write circuits in which the number of data bits, written during one cycle, is not limited to the number of data buses, and which is capable of simultaneously writing a number of data bits equal to the number of data input/output (I/O) lines.
In general, a semiconductor memory device such as, in particular, a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), reads/writes in parallel a number of data bits equal to the number of data buses. Accordingly, the data having a number of bits equal to the number of data buses are written in parallel during one cycle when the parallel write test is made in the semiconductor memory device. However, when there is a need to expand the semiconductor memory device capacity, the number of data bits must be increased accordingly so as to perform the above parallel write test properly, in the same manner as presented above. Therefore, when its capacity is expanded, the semiconductor memory device widens its dimension (chip area) greatly because of a necessity for increasing the number of data buses. In addition, as the number of the data bits increases, the load of the semiconductor memory device increases correspondingly. In conclusion, it is a drawback of the prior art device that the data processing speed is lowered when performing the write test, especially in a expanded semiconductor memory device.

Circuit for performing a parallel write test of a wide multiple byte for use in a semiconductor memory device


A recording and reproducing apparatus can translate a detecting device for detecting information, such as the kind and content of tape cassette and a reel lock mechanism releasing device to proper positions corresponding to tape cassettes of different sizes. A tape cassette information detecting device (71) and reel lock releasing device (72a, 72b) can be translated to positions at which large and small tape cassettes are in use through a swing drive member (54), a translating lever (73), a driving link (74), a detection mechanism holding member (75) and a reel lock releasing plate (77) in unison with a movement of reel mounts (44, 45).

The present invention relates to recording and reproducing apparatus and, more particularly, to a recording and reproducing apparatus in which two tape cassettes of different sizes in which spacings between a supply reel and a take-up reel around which a recording medium tape is wrapped are different can be loaded and two reel mounts that are respectively in engagement with the supply reel and the take-up reel are translated at different positions.
Heretofore, there is a recording and reproducing apparatus in which two reel mounts can be translated to different positions. This recording and reproducing apparatus includes detecting means for detecting information, such as the kind of a tape cassette and a tape cassette content disposed at a common position of a mechanical deck portion so that the detecting means can be served for both tape cassettes of different sizes. Alternatively, this recording and reproducing apparatus includes detecting means disposed at corresponding positions of respective tape cassettes and the detecting means which is not in use is disposed at the position in which it may not disturb the other one when each of the tape cassette is loaded onto the recording and reproducing apparatus in use.
Further, similarly, the recording and reproducing apparatus includes a reel lock mechanism releasing means for releasing a reel lock mechanism which prevents tape reels from being rotated within the tape cassette. This releasing means is disposed at the common position of the mechanical deck portion so that the releasing means can be served for both tape cassettes of different sizes. Alternatively, the recording and reproducing apparatus includes the releasing means at the positions corresponding to the respective tape cassettes so that the releasing means that is not in use is disposed at the position so as not to disturb the other releasing means when the two tape cassettes are loaded onto the recording and reproducing apparatus in use.
When however the recording and reproducing apparatus is used under the condition that the detecting means for detecting information, such as the kind of the tape cassette and the tape cassette content and the reel lock mechanism releasing means are not translated, there is then the disadvantage that the size and the weight of members on the mechanical deck portion are increased.
Furthermore, depending on tape formats, the detecting means and the releasing means interfere with other members, such as the tape cassette or the mechanical deck so that the detecting means and the releasing means cannot function or the recording and reproducing apparatus is considerably restricted from a design standpoint. In addition, there is the disadvantage that the mechanism itself becomes complex in arrangement.

Tape cassette information detecting mechanism and reel lock releasing mechanism for recording and reproducing apparatus