A photoelectric conversion element evaluation apparatus includes: a probe light source that irradiates a photoelectric conversion element as the object of measurement with probe light; a pump light source that irradiates the photoelectric conversion element being irradiated with the probe light with pulsed pump light; and a light receiving element that detects time dependency of a change in an amount of the probe light obtained from the photoelectric conversion element.

1. Technical Field
An embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a photoelectric conversion element evaluation apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
For characteristics evaluation of a photoelectric conversion element (such as a solar cell), the current-voltage characteristic of the solar cell is measured to calculate its maximum output power (Pmax), for example. In addition, conversion efficiency (PCE) is calculated to provide a determination parameter. The conversion efficiency is computed by dividing the maximum output power by the irradiation output power of simulated sunlight and the area of the solar cell.
FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an example of a known solar cell evaluation apparatus. A solar cell 101 as the object of measurement is irradiated with simulated sunlight from a simulated sunlight source 102. Between the electrodes of the solar cell 101, a load 103 is connected in series with an ammeter 104. Between the electrodes of the solar cell 101, a voltmeter 105 is connected in parallel with the load 103.
The maximum output power Pmax and the conversion efficiency PCE of the solar cell 101 are calculated by determining a current-voltage characteristic curve as shown in FIG. 12. The current-voltage characteristic curve is determined as follows, for example. The solar cell 101 is irradiated with simulated sunlight from the simulated sunlight source 102. In this state, current is measured by the ammeter 104 and voltage is measured by the voltmeter 105 while the load 103 connected between the electrodes of the solar cell 101 is varied.
In FIG. 12, ΔIoc is the amount of current decrease from the current in an open-circuit state. ΔVoc is the amount of voltage decrease from the voltage in the open-circuit state. A parallel resistance component Rsh in the solar cell 101 is determined according to the following expression:Rsh=−ΔVoc/ΔIoc
ΔIsc is the amount of current decrease from the current in a nearly short-circuited state. ΔVsc is the amount of voltage decrease from the voltage in the nearly short-circuited state. A series resistance component Rs in the solar cell 101 is determined according to the following expression:Rs=−ΔVsc/ΔIsc
The conversion efficiency PCE can be determined according to the following expression:PCE=Pmax/(E·A)where Pmax is the maximum output power, E is the irradiation power of the simulated sunlight with which the solar cell 101 is irradiated from the simulated sunlight source 102, and A is the area of the solar cell 101.
The current at the time of the maximum output power Pmax is a maximum output current Imax, and the voltage at the time of the maximum output power Pmax is a maximum output voltage Vmax.
JP-A-8-64652 describes an inspection method for evaluating the light emission output and response rate of a product while in the state of an epitaxial wafer.

Photoelectric conversion element evaluation apparatus


Methods, devices and computer readable media for implementing novel dominant color alleviation techniques for color balancing are described. The techniques take advantage of unique properties of 2D image data histograms accumulated in a chromaticity space, along with other factors such as estimated scene lux and knowledge of plausible scene illuminant white point values within the chromaticity space. The accumulated 2D image data histograms may be refined and “trimmed,” such that the resultant image data passed to an auto white balance solution has much less influence from the dominant colors in the image, even those that overlap the plausible scene illuminant color region. The described techniques provide for white point estimates that are much less prone to dominant color failures.

This disclosure relates generally to the field of color balancing. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, it relates to techniques for alleviating problems associated with dominant color failures in auto white balance (AWB) algorithms.
Color balancing may be thought of as the global adjustment of the intensities of the colors in an image. One goal of color balancing is to render specific colors, e.g., neutral white, as accurately as possible to the way the color appeared in the actual physical scene from which the image was captured. In the case of rendering neutral white colors correctly, the process is often referred to as "white balancing," Most digital cameras base their color balancing and color correction decisions at least in part on the type of scene illuminant. For example, the color of a white sheet of paper will appear differently under fluorescent lighting than it will in direct sunlight. The type of color correction to be performed may be specified manually by a user of the digital camera who knows the scene illuminant for the captured image, or may be set programmatically using one or more of a variety of AWB algorithms.
Dominant color failure is a common problem in AWB algorithms that use image pixel information to estimate the white point of the scene. The light signal received by each image sensor pixel is a product of the scene illuminant and the reflectance spectra of the object surfaces in the scene, so it is difficult to isolate the illuminant color from surface color based on the pixel values. Most white balance algorithms make assumptions about the statistical distributions of object surface reflectance in the real world, as well as assuming a reasonably diverse number of different surfaces in the scene, to help resolve the ambiguity of surface and illuminant colors.
As an example, the so-called "gray world" AWB algorithm assumes that the all of the surfaces in a scene average out to gray (e.g., an 18% gray value), and therefore, by averaging all pixel colors of an image, a reasonable estimate of the white point of the scene may be calculated. In some other white balance algorithms, referred to as "selective gray world" algorithms, pixel colors that are not possible responses of a white surface under any practical illuminant are excluded first, and then the rest of the pixels values in the scene are averaged to form a scene white point estimate, again assuming that the surfaces should average out to gray. Other more sophisticated assumptions/models about surface reflectance distribution can be made (and have been done), to improve white balance accuracy above simple gray world or selective gray world algorithms.
However, almost all AWB algorithms have difficulty when the image is dominated by a single-colored surface. In such a case, the so-called dominant color can seriously bias the white point estimate. White balance is especially difficult in cases where the dominant color, when placed under the scene illuminant, gives off a light signal that is similar to what an actual white surface would give off under a different type of scene illuminant. For example, the color of light wood or hay in cool daylight gives a range of pixel responses (due to texture and lighting angle variation), some of which are the same as a white surface under warm tungsten light (e.g., an incandescent light bulb). Similarly, the pixel responses of grass under dusk daylight may have large overlap with pixel values of gray surfaces under some compact fluorescent lights. In these cases, a large portion of the colored surfaces' pixel response cannot safely be excluded when calculating white balance statistics since such values may fall within a range corresponding to proper white points for true illuminants.
Such ambiguity might be better resolved if there are other surfaces in the scene, but when other surfaces are scarce or absent, white balance error can become quite large. For example, an image that is dominated by a light-greenish color, such as a close up on a bunch of green grapes, many of the light-greenish pixel values dominating the image may overlap in chromaticity with the color of a white surface under some fluorescent illuminants. In other words, the AWB process may not be able to distinguish from a bowl of light-greenish grapes in daylight and a piece of white paper illuminated by a greenish fluorescent light, and thus would attempt to color balance the two images in the same way, even though such an approach would not make the grapes render accurately. That is, the white point estimate produced from a weighted sum of all pixel values in the "plausible white" zone for the bowl of grapes image would likely be biased toward a greenish-yellow color, resulting in an over-corrected white balanced image that is too purplish.
Accordingly, there is a need for techniques to provide more accurate white balancing in images dominated by one or more non-white colors. By strategically trimming a two-dimensional (2D) histogram representative of the image data based on factors such as estimated scene lux and typical scene illuminant white point values, white points can be calculated more accurately, while the influence of dominant image colors on scene white point determination can be minimized.

Alleviating dominant color failure in automatic white balance using histogram trimming


An information handling system (IHS) has a circuit board assembly with a dual-sided interposer substrate that is inserted between a baseboard and a processor integrated circuit having a second pattern of electrical contacts. The dual interposer substrate formed of a stack of printed circuit boards (PCBs) provides communication channels between a first coupling pad on the baseboard that has a first pattern of electrical contacts and a second coupling pad on top of the dual interposer substrate that provides the second pattern of electrical contacts. The second pattern receives another type of processor integrated circuit than a type supported by the first pattern. Stacked vias formed through the stack of PCBs electrically connect respective electrical contacts of the first and second coupling pads to form a corresponding communication channel. One or more grounded vias mitigate signal integrity (SI) anomalies on the communication channels.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates in general to a processor integrated circuit in an information handling system (IHS), and more particularly to mounting a specialty processor integrated circuit in an IHS.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continue to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems (IHSs). An IHS generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes, thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, IHSs may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in IHSs allow for IHSs to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, IHSs may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Computing performance of the IHS depends primarily on the device's processor integrated circuit (IC). Many computing components and infrastructure subsystems in the IHS support the processor IC. The baseboard of the IHS provide power and communication signals to a standard socket that has a pattern of contacts that correspond to a standard processor IC. Considerable design and fabrication expense is devoted to developing each baseboard to integrate all of these communication and power signals and other supporting components. New processor ICs become available that provide features that a subset of customers would value. If the demand of the new processor IC is not sufficient, an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the baseboards and IHS may not have sufficient incentive to create a new baseboard with a corresponding new socket for the processor IC with the nonstandard pattern. At the clock speeds of processor ICs, a matching socket integrated on the baseboard is generally believed to be necessary. Close coupling between the baseboard socket and new processor IC can be required in order to avoid signal integrity (SI) anomalies at the communication rates of a typical processor IC.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Information handling system interposer enabling specialty processor integrated circuit in standard sockets


Provided is a method for generating configuration information of a dynamic reconfigurable processor. The dynamic reconfigurable processor includes a processing unit array, and the processing unit array includes a plurality of processing units. The method includes steps of: reading information of a task to be executed and generating an array configuration information top of the processing unit array according to the information; generating a plurality of processing unit configuration information corresponding to the plurality of processing units respectively according to the information; and assembling the array configuration information top and the plurality of processing unit configuration information.

Dynamic reconfigurable processor is a new processor which is advantageous over conventional single-core processors, dedicated chips and field programmable logic arrays, and is a future direction for developing circuit structures.
Firstly, the dynamic reconfigurable processor often contains a plurality of arithmetic logic units in large quantities which are also called many-core array. The many-core array has a routing unit with high flexibility in the interior thereof, so as to realize diversified interconnections between the arithmetic logic units. Therefore, the many-core array connected by the routing unit can process data with a high speed, which is advantageous over the traditional single core and less-core processors in performance. Meanwhile, the multi-core array is also advantageous over the cured dedicated circuits in flexibility.
The previous static reconfigurable circuit only programs circuit function before the operation of the circuit and initializes the circuit, without changing the circuit function. Compared to the traditional static reconfigurable circuit (such as field programmable logic array), the dynamic reconfigurable processor has dynamic characteristics, i.e. being capable of dynamically switching circuit functions during the operation of the circuit. In this way, the circuit scale is reduced, because the circuit structure has changed from full mapping to block mapping, and dynamic switching may be performed between the blocks.
However, dynamic switching design of the current dynamic reconfigurable processor has at least the following problems:
1) a large quantity of configuration information resulting in increases of the configuration time and capacity of the configuration memory;
2) an increase of the configuration power due to the frequent switching configuration information in the dynamic reconfigurable processor;
3) being not capable of switching configuration of one processing unit without keeping other processing units in original configurations. In other words, during the configuration of the reconfigurable processor array, as long as the function of one processing unit is changed, the entire array is required to be reconfigured. That is to say, a large quantity of blind configurations need to be performed.

Method and device for generating configuration information of dynamic reconfigurable processor


A self opening bag includes front and real walls joined at their respective first and second side and bottom edges. The bag is folded at least once parallel to its side edges. At least one attaching feature is located on the outer surface of the bag adjacent the upper end and between the folded walls. The bag is releasably attached to a subsequent bag. The at least one attaching feature causes the bag to open as the bag is pulled from the subsequent bag. The once folded bag may be sealed at the bottom edges after folding to form a star-sealed bag bottom. The bags may be removably attached to each other at a perforation line and wound onto a compact roll for use with a bag dispenser. The bags may have an upper seam, a U-shaped cut and a pair of bag handles. The bags may be corona treated.

In supermarkets and grocery stores film bags are used for fresh produce and other grocery items. Such bags provide a low cost, convenient and sanitary method for the collection and transport of otherwise unwrapped food items. Because these bags are usually made of lightweight, very flexible material and because the film used in construction of these bags is often corona treated to enhance ink adhesion, the bag surfaces tend to stick together. This makes the bags difficult to open, often requiring the use of both hands. In order to make the bags easier to use, various systems have been developed to make the bags either self opening or at least easier to open. Some of the inventions that have been developed to provide these features include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,849,090, issued to Case et al., discloses a bag roll of flexible plastic material that is formed in a continuous strip of bags with transverse severance lines between the individual bags. The Patent proposes to solve a familiar problem in the dispensing of plastic film bags from rolls that normally require the use of two hands. In the first place, it is desirable to sever one bag from the roll while stabilizing the remaining portion of the roll so that additional bags are not released as the first bag is severed from the roll. Further, the actual opening of the individual bag is less than convenient since the extremely thin nature of the bag material has a static cling which tends to keep the bag closed. Of specific interest, is the solving of the second problem wherein a releasable adhesive or bonding material is placed between the outer surface of the inner panel of each bag adjacent to the mouth-defining edge and the outer surface of the outer panel of the same or a following bag aligned beneath in the roll. As the first bag is released from the roll, a greater force is provided by the adhesive so that the following bag provides sufficient resistance to allow the leading bag to be severed from the roll while simultaneously holding the remaining portion of the roll in position. As the roll is stabilized by the adhesive only a single hand is necessary to retrieve the bag and at the same time the first bag is simultaneously opened since the adhesive bonding of the inner panel of each bag adjacent to the bag mouth allows for the bag being dispensed to open more easily and thus a single one-hand operation is achieved.
The applied adhesive provides for a releasable adhering or bonding of the inner panel of each bag to the outer panel or panel portions inward thereof in the formed roll. The releasable adhesive bonding allows for the withdrawal of a leading bag from the roll with a resistance to release between the bags which is greater than the resistance required to sever one bag from the roll along the severance line or perforations. Thus, the adhesive provides a resistance to a continued unrolling of the bags while allowing the severance to take place. The opening of the bag is achieved since the adhesive lies solely between the outer surface of the inner panel of each bag and the outer surface of the underlying outer panel. The outer panel of each bag remains free of its associated inner panel at the inward edges and when the user positions the hand over the leading edge portion of the outer panel of the leading bag and the bag is forwardly drawn the mouth automatically is opened in light of the adhesive retained inner panel adjacent the mouth edge thereof. This allows the mouth of the leading bag to be substantially fully opened prior to the release of the associated inner panel adjacent to the leading or mouth defining edge thereof. All of this achieves a single-handed manipulation of the bags so that as it is removed from the roll, the roll is stabilized preventing further unrolling of the following bags and also allowing the dispensed bag to be substantially fully opened.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,092, issued to Campbell et al. is directed to a roll of thermoplastic bags with provision of improved openability. The bags include an area of tacky, pressure-sensitive adhesive applied to an outer surface of the bags such that when the bag is pulled from the roll or stack the adhesive temporarily adheres one side of the bag to the roll or stack and thus causes the front and back of the bag to separate slightly thus providing for an easy opening operation. When the bag is dispensed from the roll, the adhesive on the outside back surface of the bag serves to temporarily adhere that surface to the underlying roll. This causes the front and back top ends of the bag to separate slightly when a bag is dispensed. Thus, the openability of the bag is achieved more easily. More specifically, the bag is being dispensed from the stack while adhesive on the outside back surface of bag serves to temporarily adhere that surface to the underlying stack causing the front and back top ends of the bags to separate slightly as the bag is dispensed.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2004/0040974, published for Chen illustrates a plastic bag dispenser and manufacturing method thereof. An adhesive is used on top near the opening of each bag for sticking to the next below bag wherein the closed ends are bent downward toward the openings of the bags so as to form a bent section at the underside of the stack. Thus, when the user exerts a small force to pull one bag from the container through the opening assembly a second bag is prevented from being removed from the stack while as the bag is removed from the box dispenser, the opening is exposed in an open state until the bag is completely removed from the widthwise opening and disengaged from the next bag below which is adhered to the immediately above bag by adhesive until the opening is in an open state. At this point, the top halves of both folded sections and the opening of the next bag below are exposed at the top of the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,223,016, issued to Bell disclose a method of opening for bags of supple polymeric material subject to interlayer cling. Bags having openings in or truncated portions of gusset panels create graspable regions which can be tensioned in a direction against a region which is tensioned in another direction thus developing a tension in a first sidewall and a second sidewall allowing for a small amount of tension to cause the first sidewall and second sidewall to sheer in opposite directions and inner layer cling to be disrupted between the graspable regions.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,979,050, issued to Cilla is directed to multi-ply film articles with provision for readily separating the confronting faces of first and second plies of film. A flexible plastic film bag comprises a ply of flat flexible film superimposed over a second ply of flexible plastic film with edges joined to form a bag with an open end. A portion of the film defines the open end of the bag that is "puckered" such that distortion extends across the full width of open end of the bag. The confronting face of the portion of the film is separated from the confronting face of the opposed portion by the "puckered" distortion in the film. Thus, a means for grasping the bag is provided and the confronting faces of the two films of the bag are easily opened.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,017, issued to Hodges is directed to plastic bags having through bores for easy opening. This Patent is another example of a plastic bag that is dispensed from a roll or carton. The bag may have an expandable gusset near one end thereof but the open end has a plurality of through bores that are aligned and extend across the opening for facilitating the opening thereof. The through bores may extend across only one ply of the bag opening or may be offset from one another in both plies such that the bores touch one another and allow for easy opening of the film bag.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a system for making thin film bags self opening or easier to open. It is a further objective to provide such a system that will allow the user to open the bags with only one hand. It is a still further objective of the invention to provide a system that is not dependant upon the type of dispenser system that the bags are used with. It is yet a further objective to provide a system that can be used with bags that are folded into compact bag rolls or packs. It is another objective to provide an opening system that works with gusseted bags. Finally, it is an objective of the present invention to provide such a system that does not require adhering subsequent bags in a roll or pack together.
While some of the objectives of the present invention are disclosed in the prior art, none of the inventions found include all of the requirements identified.

Self opening bags with attaching features


The present invention provides mutant polypeptides useful as hypoallergens. More specifically the present invention provides mutant Bet v 1 proteins and the use of such polypeptides as hypoallergens for desensitizing against birch pollen allergies. Furthermore, the invention provides vaccine formulations comprising such polypeptides; the use of such formulations; and to methods of vaccination against birch pollen allergy.

Allergies are caused by the immune reaction to commonly harmless proteins, allergens. Allergic diseases are reaching epidemic proportions all over the world. More than 25% of the population in industrialized countries suffer from type I allergy and the number is steadily increasing. Birch pollen allergy is a very common form of type I allergy. Bet v 1 is the major allergen of birch pollen. More information on the Bet v 1 allergen, its isoallergens and variants, is found on the WHO website www.allergen.org.
Type I allergy is based on the formation of immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies. The symptoms occur when an allergen molecule binds to two IgE antibodies bound to receptors on a mast cell or basophile surface and induces cross-linking of the IgE-FcεRI complexes. This triggers the degranulation of biological mediators, such as histamine and lipid mediators, which cause inflammatory reactions and symptoms, such as allergic asthma, rhinitis, food and skin allergy, and even anaphylaxis.
The IgE is a large molecule that consists of two identical light and heavy chains. There are five domains in the heavy chain of IgE: VH, Cε1, Cε2, Cε3 and Cε4. The size of the complete IgE molecule is about 200 kDa. The crystal structures of the Cε2-Cε4 fragment bound to its FcεRI receptor and the Cε2-Cε4 fragment have been determined (Garman et al., Nature 2000(406):259-266, and Wan et al., Nature Immunology, 2002(3):681-686).
In the last few years, the three-dimensional structures for a large number of different allergens have been determined. Structurally, these allergens vary considerably, and no common structural motif that could explain the capability of allergens to cause the production of IgE antibodies has been identified. However, there are studies implicating that allergenicity is restricted to only a few protein families, thus raising evidence that structural features of proteins could also have a role in allergenicity (Jenkins et al., J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 2005(115):163-170; Raudauer et al., J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2008(121):847-852; Rouvinen et al., PloS ONE 2010(5):e9037).
The essential question when studying allergenicity involves the so-called B-cell epitope, the IgE antibody-binding site of an allergen. Unfortunately, however, this B-cell epitope cannot be deduced directly from the three-dimensional structure of an allergen. Additionally, there are differences in the epitopes of a defined allergen recognized by individual patient' IgE. Therefore, B-cell epitopes have been sought using various techniques and various basis, such as by analyzing allergenic fragments or peptides, which react with polyclonal IgE serum pools from allergic patients, site-directed mutagenesis of allergens, use of epitope mimics (mimotopes) and bioinformatics modeling studies. However, as yet, no general maps of dominating epitopes exist for any allergen.
With regard to birch pollen, for instance, Holm et al. (The Journal of Immunology 2004 (173): 5258-5267) produced Bet v 1 mutants containing 4 and 9 point mutants with the aim to manipulate surface topology in "selected areas". The paper does not describe how this "selection" has been made. The mutants with four amino acid substitutions represented three different areas on the molecular surface and the mutants with nine amino acid substitutions represented five different areas on the molecular surface. These Bet v 1 mutants had in some cases reduced capacity to bind human serum IgE and to trigger human basophile histamine release. They were also able to induce IgG antibodies against unmutated Bet v 1.
Further modified recombinant allergens have been reported:
International patent publications WO 02/40676 and WO 03/096869 disclose numerous mutant forms of birch pollen allergen Bet v 1. These mutants were produced by introducing random mutations in the putative IgE binding site, based on sequence analysis of conserved surface structures of the Bet v 1 polypeptide. WO 03/096869 discloses the use of four primary mutations on different "small groups" on the allergen surface.
International patent publication WO 2007/073907 discloses a Bet v 1 polypeptide comprising three amino acid substitutions or deletions at amino acid sites 54, 115 or 123. There is no evidence that these mutants have reduced histamine release capacity.
International patent publication WO 2009/024208 discloses a Bet v 1 mutant having at least four mutations in the area amino acids 100-125. However, due to the mutations the tree-dimensional structure of the polypeptide is lost, and there is no reported histamine release activity.
International patent publication WO 2008/092992 discloses a method of blocking the type I surface interaction of allergenic substances by modifying amino acid residues on non-continuous allergenic epitopes, i.e., on a planar surface with an area of 600-900 Å on the allergenic substance and suggests that hypoallergenic birch pollen proteins could be prepared accordingly.
Niemi et al., Structure 2007(15): 1413-21, disclose one approach in the search of specific allergen epitopes in the line with the disclosure of Laver et al., Cell 1990(61):553-556, who state that the only rational method by which to determine the complete epitope of any allergen involves measuring crystal structure of an allergen in complex with an IgE antibody. Niemi et al. disclose the crystal structure of an IgE Fab fragment in complex with β-lactoglobulin (BLG). They also show how two IgE/Fab molecules bind the dimeric BLG and that the IgE epitope is different when compared to known IgG epitope structures, being a "flat" surface located in the β sheet region.
Rouvinen et al., PloS ONE 2010(5):e9037 investigated the role of dimeric structures of allergens using bioinformatics methods combined with native mass spectrometry. (Electrospray Ionization Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Mass Spectrometry, ESI FT-ICR-MS). The ESI-MS measurements of the 55 known crystal structures of allergens showed that 80% of them exist in symmetric dimers or oligomers in crystals and that the majority is transient dimers that are formed at high protein concentrations. The possible relationship between dimeric structure and allergenicity was studied with a recombinant allergen from cow's milk, β-lactoglobulin (rBos d 5 B), which occurs as a dimer, and its mutant H146P, which occurs mainly as a monomer. A somewhat reduced histamine releasing capacity was observed with the monomeric rBos d 5 B mutant H146P when compared to the native Bos d 5 B and recombinant Bos d 5 B. Although the authors conclude that dimerization could be a very common and essential feature for allergens and generally suggest that the preparation of purely monomeric variants of allergens could open up novel possibilities for specific immunotherapy, the ultimate role of structural features in allergenicity remain unknown. From the in vitro crystal analysis direct conclusions as to how the allergen molecules behave in a human body, i.e. in vivo, cannot be drawn.
Today the trend in the treatment of all allergic symptoms is towards an active induction of tolerance using allergen-specific desensitization instead of avoiding the allergen, which is often not possible, or merely treating the symptoms. Current desensitization therapy is based on allergens purified from natural sources, wherein batch to batch variations may lead to problems related to finding and maintaining the right dosage and efficiency of the treatment. These problems may lead to a potential risk of anaphylactic side effects and sensitization to new allergens.
The use of recombinant allergens for desensitizing would remove the disadvantages related to batch to batch variations, and the first recombinant allergens are in clinical trials (Valenta et al., Annu Rev Immunol 2010(28):211-41). The efficiency of such allergens in the clinic thus remains to be seen.
There is a recognized and large need for safe and efficient vaccines and therapy products to meet the increasing medical problem of allergy. At present the market for safe and efficient therapies of allergy is underdeveloped.


This invention relates to a biologically active formulation containing a conjugate of a fatty acid and a complex phenol. The fatty acid can be selected from a variety of fatty acids including acids have between 12 and 24 carbon atoms. The phenol can be a polynuclear phenol, a polyphenol or a polyfunctional phenol having a variety of substituents. The formulation can include pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, including diluent. The formulation can be provided in an active dosage form suitable to inhibit mammalian cell growth and/or metastasis of malignant cells. The formulation can be used to induce cytotoxicity in mammalian cells particularly tumor cells or to treat and prevent cellular injury or dysfunction.

The present invention is directed to a method of modulating cellular function and to a pharmaceutical composition containing a phenolic ester of a fatty acid selected to modulate cellular function.
Many drugs interact at the cell membrane surface by combining with cell surface receptors, or alternatively are taken into cells by specific transport systems. However, there are many drugs which, while they act within the cells by modifying one of many different functions such as DNA replication, actions of intracellular enzymes, or the activity of systems such as lysosomes or microtubules, are not able to penetrate cells very effectively. For example, there may be inadequate numbers or types of cell receptors and transport systems to which they can link or the systems may transport the drug into the cell, the mitochondria, or other nuclear membranes at less than optimum rates. This reduces or masks the activity of many potential drugs.
In addition, the cell membrane contains many precursors to bioactive substances, receptors, ion channels, and other proteins. Functions of these compounds are dependent upon membrane structure and properties. Substances, which alter membrane structure and function can modify cellular function.
In the light of the above problems, there continues to be a need for new and improved drugs to modulate cell functions, treat specific diseases, and increase the distribution, absorption, and biotransportation of drugs and other biologically active substances. The present invention is such an improvement and provides a wide variety of benefits and advantages.


A method for the production of structural foam from air, water, foaming agent and an aggregate, particularly cement foam, for which cement slurry is blown under high pressure into a mixing chamber and mixed with a foaming agent and the mixture immediately thereafter is conveyed to an expansion nozzle, into which metered amounts of compressed air are blown.

For the sake of simplicity, the invention is described using the most frequently used cement foam as an example of the production of such structural foams. The invention is, however, not to be limited to such cement foams. At the present time, the following procedure is usually employed for such structural foams.
To begin with, a foam is produced from air, water and a foaming agent, generally with the help of perforated disks arranged in series. This foam is supplied to a mixing apparatus at the mixing site. Over an additional pipeline, the pre-mixed cement slurry is brought into the mixing apparatus. When processing a cement foam in the upper floor of a house, the apparatus for producing the cement slurry and the foaming agent are usually on the first floor. This makes it necessary to force the heavy cement slurry to the top with the help of screw conveyors or the like. A further difficulty of the method used until now lies therein that, by mixing the pre-mixed foam with the cement, only so-called heavy foam with foam weights of 800 kg/cm.sup.3 or more can be produced.

Method and apparatus for the production of structural foam, particularly cement foam


One embodiment of the present disclosure sets forth a technique for convergence and automatic disabling of access points in a wireless mesh network. Specifically, an access point within a wireless mesh network computes one or more network metrics to determine whether the metrics are unfavorable or favorable. If the network metrics are favorable, then the access point disables the access point's network connection. An access point turns the network connection back on based on whether a routing was lost for at least a preset amount of time, utilization of one or more neighboring access points is above a preset value, or one or more network metrics have degraded by a certain percentage value. One advantage of this approach is that cost savings may be achieved when the number of access points dynamically changes to accommodate varying communications conditions.

Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to wireless digital communication systems and methods and, more specifically, to a system and method for convergence and automatic disabling of access points in a wireless mesh network.
Description of the Related Art
A conventional wireless mesh network includes a plurality of nodes, each incorporating a network interface. A given node may transmit payload data to one or more other nodes via the network interface. The node may originate the payload data or forward the payload data on behalf of a different node. Similarly, a given node may receive the payload data from a different node to be processed or forwarded by the node. The wireless mesh network may include an arbitrary number of nodes and may include certain access points, configured to bridge data communications within the mesh network to a related service system, such as a wire line or optical communications network. A given node may send payload data directly to a corresponding access point. Additionally, the node may forward payload data to the access point on behalf of one or more other nodes within the wireless mesh network. The access point collects payload data for various nodes within the wireless mesh network and forwards the payload data to the related service system through some form of system network such as a wide-area network (WAN).
A network system includes a plurality of wireless mesh networks, where each wireless mesh network may include an arbitrary number of nodes and access points. At least one access point within each wireless mesh network bridges communications for the nodes within the respective wireless mesh network. In this way, the related service system may reach any number of access points, where each access point in turn is in communication with a plurality of nodes. The number of access points and nodes in a given wireless mesh network may be fixed, with each access point configured to bridge data communications for a fixed group of nodes. The number of nodes serviced by an access point may be fixed such that the access point can receive the payload data for all corresponding nodes, even under poor communications conditions.
In some network systems, a transaction cost may be associated with transmitting payload data from one node to another node, or from one node to a corresponding access point. In addition, a transaction cost may be associated with transmitting payload data from an access point to the related service system. In at least some wireless mesh networks, the transaction cost to transmit payload data from the access point to the service system may be relatively high compared to the transaction cost to transmit payload data from one node to another node, or from one node to the corresponding access point.
One disadvantage of this approach is that, because the number of access points is fixed, the capacity of each access point may be underutilized when communications conditions are favorable. Because the number of nodes per access point is fixed at a relatively low number to accommodate poor communications conditions, a particular access point may be able to accommodate more nodes under good communications conditions but is unable to do so. Another disadvantage of this approach is that transaction costs may be higher than necessary, particularly when communications conditions are favorable. When transaction costs from the access points to the service system are relatively high, the cost per packet of payload data is also relatively high, especially where the number of nodes (and correspondingly the amount of payload data) per access point is fixed at a low value to accommodate poor communications conditions.
As the foregoing illustrates, what is needed in the art is a more efficient technique for convergence and automatic disabling of access points in a wireless mesh network.

System and method for convergence and automatic disabling of access points in a wireless mesh network


The disclosure provides a projection exposure method for exposing a substrate arranged in the region of an image plane of a projection lens with at least one image of a pattern of a mask arranged in the region of an object plane of the projection lens. A substrate is coated with a radiation-sensitive multilayer system including a first photoresist layer composed of a first photoresist material and, between the first photoresist layer and the substrate and a separately applied second photoresist layer composed of a second photoresist material. The first photoresist material has a relatively high first sensitivity in a first wavelength range and a second sensitivity, which is lower relative to the first sensitivity, in a second wavelength range separate from the first wavelength range. The second photoresist material has an exposure-suitable second sensitivity in the second wavelength range.

Microlithographic projection exposure methods are predominantly used nowadays for producing semiconductor components and other finely structured components, such as, for example, structured components for microsystems engineering. Highly integrated semiconductor components typically include a plurality of layers, of which only some layers are structured very finely, e.g. on the scale of a few dozen nanometers, while other layers have significantly coarser structures. The former layers realize in particular the actual main function of the semiconductor component, such as e.g. calculations and storage of data, while the latter layers serve e.g. for addressing and power supply. Structures having relatively coarse typical dimensions are also found in the field of microsystems engineering, such as e.g. in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) or in microoptoelectromechanical systems (MOEMS). Semiconductor components are typically produced from a substrate of a semiconductor, while other substrate materials, in particular metals and vitreous substances, are also used in microsystems engineering.
Microlithographic projection exposure involves the use of masks (reticles) bearing the pattern of a structure to be imaged, e.g. a line pattern of a layer of a semiconductor component. A mask is positioned in a projection exposure apparatus between an illumination system and a projection lens in the region of the object plane of the projection lens and is illuminated with an illumination radiation provided by the illumination system. The radiation altered by the mask and the pattern passes as projection radiation through the projection lens, which images the pattern of the mask onto the substrate to be exposed. The substrate can be e.g. a semiconductor wafer. The substrate to be exposed bears a radiation-sensitive (i.e. photosensitive) layer composed of photoresist material on its side to be structured. The layer is also referred to as a resist layer.
In order that an image of the pattern that is as faithful to the original as possible is transferred to the substrate during the exposure process, the radiation-sensitive layer on the substrate surface should lie in the image-side focus region of the projection lens during the exposure time interval. In particular, the layer arranged on the substrate surface should lie in the region of the depth of focus (DOF) of the projection lens.
According to one common definition, the depth of focus specifies the distance relative to the plane of best focus for which the intensity of a point image is at least 80% of the intensity in the plane of best focus. This is equivalent to the condition that the diameter of the point image maximally doubles. The depth of focus amounts to half of the Rayleigh unit RU, which is defined as RU=λ/NA2, wherein λ is the operating wavelength of the projection exposure apparatus and NA is the image-side numerical aperture of the projection lens; the region in which the depth of focus condition is met accordingly has a total thickness equal to the Rayleigh unit RU. In general, the depth of focus becomes smaller, the higher the resolution capability of the projection lens.
Further miniaturization of the feature sizes on computer chips is becoming more and more difficult technically and physically. The associated costs are making further miniaturization of the feature sizes less and less attractive in some cases. As an alternative to better utilization of the wafer area, it is possible instead to utilize the third dimension by producing structures not just on or at the surface of the wafer but into the wafer in the depth direction.
The third dimension has e.g. already been used for the production of DRAM structures with the involved capacitors being etched into the depth (see e.g. US 2012/0049262 A1). Another trend is the three-dimensional stacking of flash memory structures (see e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 8,445,447 B2). Since the silicon layers grown are amorphous instead of crystalline, only relatively coarse structures can be produced with a functional capability for electronic reasons, which is why it is generally not necessary to use relatively short wavelengths such as 193 nm or even 13 nm for lithography processes of this type.
In order to be able to produce deep structures, holes having a large aspect ratio between depth and width are etched into the substrate. This can be done for example via a dry etching process, such as e.g. via ion etching. Etching methods of this type attack not only the substrate but also the developed and cured photoresist. The radiation-sensitive layer should therefore have a minimum thickness which is not too small.
For the exposure of relatively thick photoresist layers, in the field of 193 nm immersion lithography it is known to use so-called "Focus Drilling". The ArF laser sources used in that case are so narrowband that it is not necessary for the corresponding projection lenses to be completely chromatically corrected. The wavelength dependence of the projection lens primarily consists in a (color-dependent) focus position dependent on the wavelength of the radiation used. By adjusting the line narrowing module (LNM) of an ArF laser in a targeted manner, it is possible for the bandwidth of the laser to be artificially increased. Different constituents of the spectrum which is continuous within the used bandwidth then simultaneously produce different focus positions. An effective increase in the depth of the region transilluminated within the photoresist layer thus occurs. However, this increase in the effectively usable depth of focus leads to blurring and thus to a reduction of contrast, which leads to coarser and/or less accurately definable structures on the finished structured substrate.
The article: "Thick Photoresist Imaging Using A Three Wavelength Exposure Stepper" by B. Todd, W. W. Flack and S. White in: SPIE MEMS 1999#3874-40, pages 1-15 describes the suitability of three ultrathick photoresists (layer thicknesses of 50 μm or 100 μm) for application in microstructuring with large aspect ratios using a wafer stepper having a mercury vapor lamp as radiation source. A catadioptric projection lens of the 1× Wynne-Dyson type having an image-side numerical aperture NA=0.16 is used for the imaging. Projection lenses of the Wynne-Dyson type allow a broadband exposure without introducing chromatic aberrations. For the exposure, the g-, h- and i-lines of mercury are used simultaneously in a wide spectral range of 350 nm to 450 nm (ghi-stepper). The results are compared with results of other experiments with a gh-line stepper and an i-line stepper of higher NA.
Another technology for producing holes extending deeply into a substrate with a high aspect ratio is multiple patterning using so-called hard masks. Examples are found in the article: "Evaluation of an advanced dual hard mask stack for high resolution pattern transfer" by J. Paul, M. Rudolph, S. Riedel, X. Thrun, S. Wege and C. Hohle in: Proc. of SPIE vol. 8685 86850V-1 to 86850V-11. The process is relatively complex and expensive. Moreover, each additional process step can lead to additional edge positioning errors of the structures produced on the substrate.

Projection exposure method and projection exposure apparatus for microlithography


A method of creating a software wizard. The method involves receiving, by a computer, an instruction to create a wizard, displaying by the computer one or more forms, created before receiving the instruction to create the wizard, receiving by the computer one or more customization instructions of at least one of the displayed one or more forms and storing a file defining a wizard including the displayed one or more forms as customized by the one or more customization instructions.

The Internet is used to exchange information between computers all over the world. Generally, server computers carry information organized in web pages, open for access by client computers. Web pages may include a web form, which is designed to receive information from a user of the client computer. Simple web forms are represented by source HTML code.
Wizards are software programs that assist users in completing a task in a plurality of steps. Wizards are used in both non-web and web environments, for various tasks including, for example, to install and uninstall programs, to prepare a fax transmission and to print images.
US patent publication 2007/0143181 to Linkner et al., issued Jun. 21, 2007, describes a web based wizard for generating promotion advertisements.
US patent publication 2006/0153173 to Beck et al., issued Jul. 13, 2006, describes a client specific self help wizard which is accessible and programmable over a computer network.
Generating wizards is generally a programming task which requires large amounts of human programming resources.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,871,340 to Gillis, issued Mar. 25, 2005, describes a software wizard builder which may be used to configure a wizard to a user's needs.
The web page http://www.hexamind.com/sections/plat/platform, downloaded on Jan. 26, 2008, describes a modeler for rapid modeling of complex configuration data. The modeler is claimed to allow intuitive definition of configuration validation rules and to include a graphical interface for authoring wizards to automate complex tasks. In addition, the Hexamind suite is reported to include wizards that automate and simplify common configuration tasks.
While a wizard builder or modeler makes the task of creating a wizard easier, the task still requires qualified designers to spend much time on the task and improvements are still required.


A vehicle body assembly (10) includes a roof (12) defining an opening having a periphery. The roof (12) has a roof panel (18) having a peripheral edge (20). The vehicle body assembly (10) comprises a clamping mechanism (22) for clamping the edges (20) of the roof panel (18) to the periphery of the opening in sandwiched relationship to one another. The present invention provides several advantages over the prior art patents including an effective and a quick way of fastening a roof panel onto a body of a vehicle. Therefore, the present invention provides another vehicle body assembly that is efficient and easy to use.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to a roof panel for an automotive vehicle, and more particularly to an improvement in the roof panel mounting assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous motor vehicle roof panel mounting arrangements and vehicular roof panel structures are known in the prior art and are widely used in the automotive industry. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,957,326 to Chiba et al., 6,347,829 to Hanyu, and 6,367,871 to Grimm et al. disclose a variety of roof panel modules and constructions for motor vehicles.
The ""326 patent to Chiba et al. shows a roof panel mounting structure wherein the roof panel is fixedly mounted on a vehicle body. The roof panel mounting structure includes a roof rail that forms a part of the vehicle body. Inner and outer panels, joined one with another form a hollow portion therebetween. The roof panel is made of plastic and integrally formed with a boss section projecting downwardly from the roof panel. A mounting bolt is inserted in the boss section and is secured to a reinforcement member to mount the roof panel on the vehicle body.
The ""829 patent to Hanyu shows a roof construction for an automotive vehicle. The construction includes a thermoplastic resin roof panel and a roof section of a body frame structure. The roof section has a wall inwardly of its periphery and a support flange extending from a lower end of the wall toward the periphery. The roof panel has an attachment flange on the support flange and is attached to the body frame structure by fastening elements.
The ""871 patent to Grimm et al. shows a roof module for a motor vehicle. The roof module includes an inner shell molded out of plastic foam. The inner shell is divided into an upper layer that can be supported on the body framework and a lower layer that serves to line the body framework. To improve and simplify assembly of the roof module on the vehicle body, it is suggested that the upper layer of roof module can be securely fixed to the body framework by fixing screws for sun visors and handholds.
An outsourced or in-house made roof panels and roof modules can save car manufacturers money and can also make the final assembly of automotive vehicles more simpler and cost effective. A variety of the roof panels can be manufactured and installed on the vehicle based on a particular demand of a consumer.
An era of modern technology introduced several ways to solve these problem by providing more efficient and economic methods for making plastic parts used in automotive industry such as plastic roofs, doors, headliners, etc., that can be easily switched from one to another based on consumer particular demand or fancy. However, one of the areas of continuous development and research is the area of more advanced ways to install and assembly parts to a body of a vehicle that is efficient, easy to use and reduces assembly time. Therefore, there is a need in the automotive art for a new, easy to use and install vehicle roof assembly.
A vehicle body assembly includes a roof defining an opening with a periphery. The roof panel is formed from organic polymeric material and has a peripheral edge. The vehicle body assembly is characterized by a clamping mechanism for clamping the edges of the roof panel to the periphery of the opening in sandwiched relationship to one another.
The present invention provides several advantages over the prior art patents including an effective and a quick way of fastening roof panel onto the body of the vehicle. Therefore, the present invention provides another vehicle body assembly that is efficient, not time consuming and easy to use.


Disclosed is a therapeutic regime for treating patients with fibromyalgia (FM) and other syndromes characterized by non-restorative sleep and musculoskeletal pain. Supplemental growth hormone (GH) is administered and somatomedin-C (SMC) levels monitored until SMC levels reach optimal levels and musculoskeletal pain and fatiguability symptoms subside.

Over the past decade there has been a growing realization that the fibromyalgia syndrome represents a very common cause of widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatiguability (A-C). According to a recent position paper by the American College of Rheumatology, fibromyalgia is now the second most common cause for rheumatology referrals after rheumatoid arthritis (D).
The pain experienced by fibromyalgia patients arises from their muscles and is activated by even minimal exertion. It has been hypothesized that the muscle pain in fibromyalgia patients is akin to the universal experience of post-exertional muscle pain (E, F)--a phenomenon which is well-known to be due to muscle microtrauma (G-J). It would appear that in fibromyalgia patients, muscle microtrauma occurs at very low levels of exertion and is much slower to heal than in normal individuals. The resulting functional disability often causes a significant curtailment in the quality of life as regards both vocational and avocational activities.
Patients with the fibromyalgia syndrome have abnormal sleep pattern characterized by EEG changes termed the alpha delta sleep anomaly (K, L). The sleep anomaly is characterized by an abnormal EEG in stages 3 and 4 of non-REM sleep with a super-imposition of a waking rhythm (10 cps--alpha rhythm) over the typical stage 4 rhythm cycles cps--delta rhythm). Furthermore, the induction of this sleep anomaly in healthy adults results in symptoms and clinical findings similar to those noted in fibromyalgia patients (M). The clinical correlative of EEG abnormality is non-restorative sleep--typically these patients awaken feeling tired and exhausted even if they have slept a normal number of hours.
Most patients with fibromyalgia have a reduced "quality of life", particularly as regards physical exertion, sleep, employment, sex life, vocational pursuits and maintaining friendships (AA). Heretofore, there has been no generally accepted efficacious treatment of fibromyalgia (F,AB); the best that could be achieved was to help patients learn to live with their problem through costly multidisciplinary treatment programs (1).
For many years the link between abnormal sleep and muscle pain remained an enigma. My discovery of low levels of somatomedin-C in a majority of patients with the fibromyalgia syndrome provides a link between sleep and muscle pain (N).
Growth hormone, through its action on the liver and the stimulation of somatomedin-C production, is an important hormone in maintaining muscle homeostasis (O, P). Recent studies attest to the beneficial effects of supplemental growth hormone in growth hormone deficient adults (Q-V).
I have discovered that fibromyalgia patients have a highly significant reduction in their somatomedin-C levels (p=0.000001). Accordingly, supplemental growth hormone injections would provide a clinical benefit in the treatment of fibromyalgia.


Compressor stators (22) for gas turbine engines (10) are disclosed. An exemplary compressor stator (22) comprises a circumferential array of stator vanes (28) and a shroud (24, 26) for supporting the stator vanes (28). The shroud (24, 26) has a circumferentially extending inner endwall (30, 32) exposed to an annular gas path (20) of the compressor (14). The endwall (30, 32) has a circumferentially uniform axial cross-sectional profile (42). The axial cross-sectional profile (42) comprises at least one deviation (48, 50) from a nominal axial cross-sectional profile (44) defining an overall shape of the annular gas path (20). The at least one deviation comprises a concave deviation (48) and a convex deviation (50).

Airfoils such as stationary vanes in compressor or turbine sections of gas turbine engines use surface curvature to change the static pressure of the fluid (e.g., gas) flowing therethrough to redirect the flow of fluid. Such airfoils can be arranged in one or more rows circumferentially extending about a central longitudinal axis of such engines and can extend generally radially relative to the central axis. An annular gas path through the one or more rows of airfoils can be defined by circumferential endwalls radially inward and/or radially outward from the one or more rows of airfoils.
During operation, secondary flows can develop on or near such endwalls and produce energy losses. Attempts have been made to reduce the development of such secondary flows through the modification of the geometry of the endwalls. However, existing methods can result in endwall geometries that are relatively complex and expensive to produce.
Improvement is therefore desirable.

Compressor stator with contoured endwall


This invention relates to the manufacture of iodixanol (1,3-bis(acetamido)-N,N′-bis[3,5-bis (2,3-dihydroxypropylaminocarbonyl)-2,4,6-triiodophenyl]-2-hydroxypropane), more specifically to the purification of iodixanol by crystallization by using ultrasound.

Iodixanol is the non-proprietory name of the chemical drug substance of a non-ionic X-ray contrast agent marketed under the trade name Visipaque™. Visipaque™ is one of the most used agents in diagnostic X-ray procedures and is manufactured in large quantities.
The manufacture of such non-ionic X-ray contrast agents involves the production of the chemical drug substance (referred to as primary production) followed by formulation into the drug product (referred to as secondary production). Primary production of iodixanol involves a multi step chemical synthesis and a thorough purification process. For a commercial drug product it is important for the primary production to be efficient and economical and to provide a drug substance fulfilling the specifications, e.g. as expressed in the US Pharmacopeia.
A number of methods are known for the preparation of iodixanol. These are all multi step chemical synthetic processes and the cost of the final formulated product thus mainly depends on these processes. It is therefore important to optimize the processes both for economic and environmental reasons.
Three main chemical synthetic processes are known for the preparation of iodixanol, all of which start with 5-nitroisophthalic acid. In the first process described in EP 108638, which document is hereby incorporated by reference, the final intermediate 5-acetamido-N,N′-bis (2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodo-isophthalamide (hereinafter "Compound A") is reacted with a dimerisation agent such as epichlorohydrin to yield the drug substance, see Scheme I.

The overall yield in this process is relatively low and the purification of the end product iodixanol is expensive and time consuming. The purification process described in EP patent 108638 involves purification by preparative liquid chromatography. The use of preparative liquid chromatography is a serious disadvantage in industrial processes in particular due to the high costs involved.
Several attempts have been made to find alternative manufacturing processes. Attempts to increase the yield of the chemical synthesis is published by Priebe et. al. (Acta Radiol. 36 (1995), Suppl. 399, 21-31). This publication describes another route which avoids the difficult last step of the process of Scheme I. However, the route involves eight reaction steps from 5-nitroisophthalic acid, which is undesirable, and one of the steps includes chlorination with thionyl chloride, which is extremely corrosive. Also, the introduction of the iodine atoms takes place very early in the sequence, which is disadvantageous as iodine is the most expensive reagent in the process. The yield and final purification method for this route have not been reported.
The third route to iodixanol involves the synthesis of 5-amino-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalic acid (WO 96/37458) and then its dichloride (WO 96/37459), followed by conversion into Compound A (U.S. Pat. No. 5,705,692) and finally dimerisation as in the process of Scheme I. This method thus has the same disadvantages as the first process, and also uses an undesirable acid chlorination step.
A common system for purification of the crude product in the final step of the primary production process, avoiding the liquid chromatography method, has been purification by crystallisation. To achieve the desired purity, the crude iodixanol produced by the synthetic chemical process is crystallized twice. The process is time consuming and takes about 3 days for the first crystallization and about 2 days for the second one. Hence, the crystallisation process is very demanding in terms of time and equipment size, it will take several days to perform and is often a bottleneck in industrial scale processes.
WO 99/18054 describes a process for the crystallization of i.a. iodixanol where the crystallization is effected with high thermal energy, specifically under elevated pressure and at a temperature above the boiling point of the solution at atmospheric pressure.
WO 00/47549 describes a process for the preparation of iodixanol where unreacted Compound A is precipitated from the reaction mixture and recovered for reuse in a later batch.
It is hence a desire to shorten the crystallization time and also improve the crystallization step in order to increase the purity of the final product.

Crystallization of iodixanol using ultrasound


A method and apparatus for determining a circuit path between a source node and a destination node within a network comprising a plurality of nodes by iteratively selecting appropriate next nodes using a shortest path algorithm and accepting or rejecting the selected next node based upon the bandwidth utilization level of the communications link to the next node. In the case of a lack of acceptable communication links or a determined circuit path exceeding an ideal circuit path by a predetermined amount, the threshold levels defining acceptable links are adjusted.

Telecommunication networks and other networks are increasing in both size and complexity. It is anticipated that this trend will continue such that very large telecommunications networks having tens of thousands of nodes will become increasingly commonplace. Unfortunately, as such networks increase in size, the network management function also increases in complexity. This means that critical tasks such as provisioning (allocating resources to form a communications link), restoration, reinstatement and the like, must be completed in a reasonable time using network management tools available to a network manager at a single location.
In a manual provisioning mode, an operator specifies all details of a circuit such as end points, all links, time slots, and all network elements. The manual provisioning mode allows the operator to select a particular circuit providing a communication circuit for DS-1, DS-3, EC-1, OC-3 and other communications services. However, the manual provisioning mode is slow (the operator must select all links manually) and error prone (the operator may make an error in selecting these links).
In an automatic provisioning mode, the operator specifies end points (i.e., start node and end node) and type of circuit needed to provide the desired communication. A network manager system responsively examines all of the spare resources available in the network and selects the optimum path for the requested circuit. This automatic provisioning mode requires the identification of all spare resources such as channels and communication links from the data base, the constructing of a graphical or other depiction of the spare resources within computer memory and the execution of a shortest path algorithm to find the optimum route.
Within a telecommunications network comprising many network elements (NEs) or nodes, it is desirable to balance the network traffic such that the network elements or nodes are not over utilized. Unfortunately, provisioning algorithms do not properly account for system-wide network element loading levels. That is, present provisioning algorithms tend to over utilize some nodes and under utilize other nodes while attempting to provide a "shortest path" for provisioned circuits.
Therefore, it is seen to be desirable to provide a method for provisioning a circuit in a manner that avoids over utilizing network elements or nodes. Additionally, it is seen to be desirable to adapt automatic provisioning and/or manual provisioning techniques in a manner that avoids over utilizing network elements or nodes.

Method and apparatus for computing the shortest path between nodes based on the bandwidth utilization link level


A bridge adapter assembly connects a plurality of modular telephone cables and multiple conductor (e.g. twenty-five pair) telephone cables. The bridge adapter assembly includes a housing having first and second generally rectangular major surfaces which are generally parallel to one another, first and second generally rectangular side walls, and first and second generally rectangular end walls. A first multiple contact connector is mounted in an opening in the first side wall, and a second multiple contact connector is mounted in an opening in the second side wall. Modular connector jacks are mounted in openings in the first end wall and the second end wall. Conductors within the housing connect the first and second multiple contact connectors and the modular connector jacks. Since no connectors are provided on either the first or the second major surfaces, a plurality of the bridge adapter assemblies may be stacked to provide a large number of connections. The housing is preferably made of two identical halves which snap together. The multiple contact connectors and the modular connector jacks are held in position by the two halves of the housing without requiring any screws or other fasteners.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electrical connectors. In particular, the present invention is a bridge adapter assembly which is preferably used for interconnecting individual telephones with multi-conductor telephone cables.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, adapter assemblies have been developed for interconnecting telephones and other telephone equipment with a multi-conductor telephone cable. Examples of one type of adapter system are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,985, in which a multiple contact connector and a plurality of modular connector jacks are provided within a housing. A cover is mounted over the housing and has openings to permit cables to enter the housing and make connection with the multiple contact connector and the modular connector jacks.
A similar type of bridge adapter is the TRW Cinch Super Mod V telephone adapter system. This device uses five modular jacks, half tapped into two back-to-back, wired-through, twenty-five pair connectors. One of the connectors is a male type connector, while the other is a female type connector. The five modular jacks are mounted at the top of the housing, while the two twenty-five pair connectors are mounted on opposite sides of the housing.


A low inertia rotary drum transport for flexible sheets, the drum rotating at a relatively low speed for loading a sheet, rapidly accelerating to a relatively high speed for processing the sheet, then rapidly decelerating to the relatively low speed for unloading the sheet. A gate and conveyor are controlled to supply the sheet to the drum in precise registration. Vacuum apparatus and a charge corona are provided for attaching the sheet to the drum, the vacuum attaching the leading portion of the sheet, the corona charging the middle portion of the sheet to hold the sheet to the drum by electrostatic attraction, and the vacuum attaching the trailing portion of the sheet. Air pressure apparatus detaches the leading portion of the sheet for unloading.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the feeding and transport of flexible sheet material and, more particularly, the feeding and transport of such material on a rotary drum.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Rotary drum transport mechanisms for sheet material appear to attempt to maintain a constant velocity of the drum, especially where processing of the sheet material is involved. Drums having high inertias are therefore often used to reduce the effect of high frequency disturbances on drum velocity.
Such drums are thus used for relatively slow rotational velocity applications where the entire processing of the sheet material is accomplished in one revolution or less and possibly uses only continuous sheet material.
The use of cut sheet material is advantageous in many situations and is required if the processing requires more than one revolution. Cut sheet material further requires mechanisms to feed each sheet onto the drum, register and attach the sheet, and strip the sheet from the drum. None of these steps is trivial. Witness U.S. Pat. No. 3,784,190, Crawford, assigned in common with the present invention, wherein a rotary drum and feeding, processing and stripping of cut sheet material are described.
A way to both increase processing speed and to reduce the machine size is to employ a rotary drum of smaller size and significantly higher speed. Feeding and attaching mechanisms of high to extreme complexity and tolerance are therefore required to accelerate the sheet material, register the sheet material on the rotating drum, attach the sheet material to the rotating drum, strip the processed material from the drum, and decelerate the material.
At the higher speeds, attaching and registering the sheet to the drum while holding the remainder of the sheet against the centrifugal force generated by the rotation becomes important. Vacuum has been employed to attach leading edges of sheet material and occasionally other parts of the sheet, such as the trailing edges. Electrostatic attraction has also been employed to hold insulative sheets, such as paper, to conductive drums at slow speeds, although it has normally been only a by-product of electrophotographic processing. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,506,259, Caldwell et al, and 3,804,401, Stange, describe mechanisms for separating sheets from a drum to which they are electrostatically attracted. Caldwell et al in particular presents the connotation that such electrostatic "tacking" is a problem. Crawford indicates that separation becomes far more difficult at higher speeds and proposes a solution to the problem.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a sheet feeding, transport and unloading arrangement for a rotary drum which operates at high speed for processing the sheet material.

International Business Machines Corporation


A low-profile electrical connector includes an insulative housing, a plurality of contacts and a pair of mounting pieces positioned at opposite sides of the insulative housing. The insulative housing includes a half-opened plug-receiving space. Each contact includes a fixing portion, a deformable contacting portion extending into the plug-receiving space and a soldering portion for being mounted to a circuit board. Each mounting piece includes a retaining portion, a bending portion extending sidewardly from the retaining portion and a mounting portion parallel to the retaining portion. The mounting portions are adapted for being fixed to the circuit board in order that when a plug is inserted into the plug-receiving space, the mounting portions replace the soldering portions to bear a great deal of impact force.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to a low-profile RJ 45 connector with improved mounting pieces for resisting impact force so as to improve stable electrical connection with a circuit board.
2. Description of Related Art
With consumer's requirements of reduced size and light of electronic devices, superslim notebook computers begin to be newly presented in notebook computer market, which leads the whole notebook computer market to a thin trend. However, in order to realize light and thin appearance, it is a big problem for traditional standard electrical connectors to arrange their inner structures because of reduced height. For this reason, sink type electrical connectors are developed.
Currently, sink type RJ 45 connectors are integrally fixed to the circuit boards via the contacts soldered to the circuit boards. However, there is no directly fixation between the insulative housing of the RJ 45 connector and the circuit board. When a RJ 45 plug is inserted into the RJ 45 connector, the insertion force applied by the user is totally transferred to and endured by a soldering area where the contacts are soldered with the circuit board. As a result, the soldering area is easily broken so as to make the whole RJ 45 connector lose its function.
Hence, it is desirable to improve the conventional electrical connectors to solve the above problems.

Low-profile electrical connector with improved mounting pieces for resisting impact force


A golf ball aligning device (GBAD) (10) that is disclosed as a golf visor (12) and as a golf cap (80). Both the visor (12) and the cap (80) feature a bill (40) that has a front square edge (44), an upper surface (50) and a lower surface (52). To the lower surface (52) and adjacent to the front square edge (44) of the bill (40) is applied a dark non-glare finish (60). Alternatively, to the square front edge (44) of the bill (40) can be attached by means of a living hinge (58) a square movable tab (48) also having a dark non-glare finish (60). The dark non-glare finish (60) when viewed by a golfer, aids in aligning a straight ball trajectory along a golf course. The GBAD (10) can also be designed to include a bill adjusting assembly (114) that interfaces with the right and left head bands (26),(32) and the respective right and left hand bands (26, 32).

One of the most popular sports throughout the world is golf Especially in recent years, golf has become a sport that is watched and played by many different types of people, including children and adults. As a result of this popularity there has been an increased interest in, and the production of golf equipment and accessories. As golf has become more popular, sporting goods manufacturers have attempted to provide a wide variety of golf clubs, golf apparel such as shoes, golf bags and other items. Some companies have also tried to provide golfers with devices or accessories that will improve the golfer's ability. These items vary from those that improve the way a golfer swings a golf club to those that promise to improve the accuracy of a golf ball that is hit.
While certain items have proven to be useful and do in fact live up to their improvement goals, many items have not been effective. One of the most difficult elements of playing golf is the golfer's ability to accurately line up and sight a golf ball's trajectory before hitting the ball. The angle at which the ball is struck is important, and improvements such as golf clubs with specialized head angles have proven to be effective at addressing this aspect. Unfortunately, the strike angle is only part of the problem. A golfer must also be able to visually determine the trajectory that the ball will travel after it is struck. There have been attempts to utilize laser sighting devices to determine a golf ball's trajectory, but these devices are often complicated and expensive. Additionally, many golfer's feel a laser sighting device detracts from the game of golf by providing an unfair technological advantage.
If there was some way of providing a simple-to-use, accurate and non-obtrusive means of determining a golf ball's trajectory the benefits would be significant.
A search of the prior art did not disclose literature or patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention. However, the following U.S. patents are considered related.
PAT. NO.INVENTORISSUED6,721,962B1Plaire20 Apr. 20044,896,375Colucci30 Jan. 19903,812,593Wydro28 May 1974
The U.S. Pat. No. 6,721,962 patent discloses a lighted hat that provides illumination for the user while maintaining the appearance of a conventional cap visor. The lighted cap has a head-engaging portion, a brim attached to the front of the head-engaging portion and a headband that is connected to the lower inside rim of the head-engaging portion. A low profile light is incorporated into the brim of the hat where it is concealed within the brim.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,375 patent discloses a golf cap having a headband and an elongated visor. The visor includes at least one marker which is plainly visible to the wearer. The visor is longer than the usual golf cap visor, and is sufficiently long so that the lower edge is below eye level when the wearer has positioned the hat on their head. The marker is in the form of a longitudinally extending line along the centerline of the visor. The golfer wearing the hat views the golf ball so that the longitudinal line is aligned with the ball and perpendicular to the proposed line of flight.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,812,593 patent discloses a golfer's green reader made up of an elastic head band, a visor attached to the head band and a spirit level attached to the front of the visor. On the lower side thereof, the level is disposed adjacent the front of the visor so that the user can view the level and thereby estimate the topography of the terrain of a golf green.
For background purposes and as indicative of the art to which the invention relates, reference may be made to the following remaining patents found in the search:
PAT. NO.INVENTORISSUED3,437,339Starck8 Apr. 19693,178,187Cardwell13 Apr. 19653,156,211Mallory, Jr.10 Nov. 19641,459,705Bullock19 Jun. 1923


Most mechanical tests (compression testing, tensile testing, flexure testing, shear testing) of samples in the sub-mm size scale are performed under the observation with an optical microscope or a scanning electron microscope. However, the following problems exist with prior art force sensors as e.g they cannot be used for in-plane mechanical testing (a- and b-direction) of a sample; they cannot be used for vertical testing (c-direction) of a sample. In order to overcome the before mentioned drawbacks the invention comprises the following basic working principle: A force is applied to the probe (2) at the probe tip (1) of the sensor. The force is transmitted by the sensor probe (2) to the movable body (3) of the sensor. The movable body is elastically suspended by four folded flexures (4), which transduce the force into a deflection dx. This deflection is measured by an array of capacitor electrodes, called capacitive comb drive (6).

Multiple methods for measuring force from the nanonewton (10−9N) to millinewton (10−3N) range exist such as atomic force microscopes, microscales, piezoresistive cantilevers and capacitive force sensors. These systems have been successfully used in different application fields including material science, microsystem development, nanotechnology, biological research, medical research, thin film characterization and quality control of miniaturized systems. Using these sensors in combination with a precise positioning device such as a micromanipulator, allows building compression and tensile testing systems for mechanical testing at the microscale.
Capacitance is a measure of the electrical charge between two conductors separated by an air gap. A load applied to the sensor causes a deflection. As the conductors are moved closer to or farther from one another, the air gap changes, and so does the capacitance. The principle of capacitive micro force sensing is simple and effective and features an excellent sensitivity. MEMS fabrication technology allows the efficient fabrication of such sensors [1]. Due to the single-crystalline silicon structure of the sensor, the results are highly repeatable and the sensors are less likely to degrade over time. Capacitive MEMS force sensor designs are detailed in [1-3] and provided as a commercial product [4].

Sub-millinewton capacitive MEMS force sensor for mechanical testing on a microscope


A method for repairing a crack in a windshield wherein the windshield has an outer glass member and an inner-glass member, and wherein the crack is disposed within either the outer glass member or the inner glass member. The method includes the steps of (a) applying pressure to either the outside glass member or the inside glass member, depending in which glass member the crack is disposed, to expand the width of the crack; (b) depositing a repair material at predetermined positions within the crack to allow the deposited material to flow within and fill the crack by capillary action; and (c) creating an anaerobic activity upon said crack.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to glass crack repair, and more particularly, to a method for repairing long cracks in vehicle windshields.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior to 1970, most vehicle windshields were constructed from one piece tempered glass. One problem with the tempered windshields was that they were known to easily shatter. Accordingly, since early 1970 most vehicle windshields have been constructed from laminated glass commonly referred to as "VIRICON". Typically, the windshield contains two pieces of the VIRICON glass. Sandwiched between the two pieces of glass is a clear polyvinyl material, which helps hold the windshield together, as well as providing protection to the windshield.
In use, cracks may occur in the VIRICON constructed windshield. These cracks can occur for various reasons, including stress cracks which signal structural integrity problems, as well as cracks associated with rock chips.
Several devices have been utilized in the past for repairing cracks in the windshields. Examples of such devices include U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,042 issued to Einiger; U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,441 issued to Campfield, Jr.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,148. These devices are used solely for crack repair which is performed on the "outside" piece of windshield glass. U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,042 issued to Einiger discloses an apparatus for repairing cracks in a windshield which includes a mounting bracket having a plurality of arms. Each arm has a suction cup attached to it for securing the mounting bracket to the windshield to be repaired. One of the suction cups is removable for attachment at a second location on its associated arm. An injector tube is attached to the mounting bracket and extends through an aperture in the center of the mounting bracket. When it is desired to repair cracks near the periphery of the windshield, the removable suction cup is attached to its second location and the injector tube is attached to the suction cup's original location.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,441 issued to Campfield, Jr. discloses a kit for repairing glass cracks by insertion of a resin having an index of refraction substantially that of the glass. The tools which are included in the kit are a repair bridge and a repair bar which may be placed on an automobile windshield and used to inject resin into a glass crack and a crack spreader which may be placed on the inside of a windshield and used to spread the crack to facilitate entry of the resin.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,148 issued to Anderson discloses a windshield repair device which comprises a first vacuum device for repairing relatively large imperfections, a second vacuum device for repairing relatively small imperfections adjacent the windshield periphery, and a platen to secure the second vacuum device to the windshield. The first vacuum device evacuates a relatively large area over a chip or crack and injects ultra-violet light-settable polymer resins into the evacuated imperfection. The second vacuum device is essentially the inner portion of the first vacuum device and is capable of evacuating a much smaller area. The second vacuum device is primarily useful either at the periphery of the windshield, or on areas of windshields having a high degree of curvature. The platen assists in holding the second vacuum device to the windshield.
Previous crack repair devices require specialized injectors and bridges which require frequent adjustments during operation. Furthermore, lubrication is required to allow the specialized injector and bridge to slide across the windshield. These lubricants have been known to cause crack contamination. Additionally, prior art crack repairs often require the repairer to drill the end of the crack, which creates an additional fracture at such end. The drilling typically leaves marks in the windshield and often traumatizes the crack, which causes it to run further, thus, creating an additional repair item. Furthermore, prior art devices rely on gravity feed, thus allowing for repairing only the outside glass member of the windshield.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a method for repairing windshield cracks, which does not require specialized injectors and bridges and which can be completed relatively easily and within a relatively short period. What is also needed is a method which allows for repairing cracks disposed on either the outside glass member or the inside glass member. It is, therefore, to the effective resolution of the aforementioned problems and shortcomings that the present invention is directed.

Method for repairing cracks in windshields


Public-key cryptography is realized by means of PKI in which biometrics data, in which biological information of users is converted to numerical values, are used to authenticate users that transmit and receive data, and based on the biometrics data, identical secret keys (common secret keys) are generated in each of the user terminal devices that are used by the users without releasing the secret keys onto the network.

With the current dramatic improvements in the processing capability of information processors such as personal computers, and moreover, the accompanying expansion of the communication infrastructure, opportunities are increasing for using a network such as the Internet to transmit and receive personal information or company information. As a result, security technology has become increasingly important for concealing such information to prevent disclosure to a third party.
Common-key cryptography is known as one typical method for concealing data that are transmitted and received. In this type of cryptography, terminal devices that transmit and receive data with each other use a common key to encrypt and decode the data. With the expansion of electronic commerce such as BtoB (Business to Business) and BtoC (Business to Consumer) transactions in recent years, PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) is also receiving attention (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-216270).
In public-key cryptography that is known as the basic PKI technology, a public key is used to encrypt transmission data, and a secret key that is a pair with the public key but that is not published is used to decode the received data. This public key cryptography uses different keys on the transmission side and reception side and therefore increases the level of security over that of the above-described common-key cryptography. However, the public-key cryptography requires a relatively long time for the processes of encrypting and decoding data, and common-key cryptography is therefore generally more appropriate for data communication with a specific partner.
A technique for increasing the level of concealment achieved by the above-described public key and secret key (PKI key) is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-357371. In this technique, the user's fingerprint is read and a random number that is obtained from the fingerprint is used to encrypt the PKI key itself.
In the above-described common-key cryptography, both the transmission-side terminal device that encrypts data and the reception-side terminal device that decodes the data must have a common key, and a user that transmits data by way of a network must deliver the common key to the communication partner by some method. In data communication systems in recent years, the above-described public-key cryptography is used as a means for more safely delivering a common key.
However, in a method for transmitting a common key by public-key cryptography, the common key itself, although encrypted, is released onto the network, and the danger therefore exists that a third party with malicious intent may appropriate the common key.
Alternatively, when data are transmitted and received using only public-key cryptography, the secret key must similarly be delivered to the communication partner, and as a result, there is a danger that the secret key may be stolen by a third party having malicious intent when the network is used to deliver the secret key.
In other words, data communication systems of the prior art suffered from the problem that the risk of interception of a common key or secret key must always be kept in mind.


A method of acquisition of images by X-rays consisting in exposing the object to be visualized to X-rays and producing from these rays by means of a scintillator screen with a strong remanence and of a charge-coupled device, electrical signals representative of the object, placing the scintillator screen upon the light-sensitive surface of the charge-coupled device and causing the latter to acquire the visible image from the scintillator through integration during the post-luminescence phase of the scintillator.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of acquisition of images by X-rays, which consists in exposing the object to be visualized to X-rays and producing from these rays by means of a scintillator screen and of a charge-coupled device, electrical signals representative of the object as well as to an acquisition arrangement for performing this method.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Image acquisition methods and arrangements of this type are already known. Indeed, upon the advent of image sensors in the form of charge-coupled devices hereinafter called CCD devices, it is possible to build photo-and-television cameras of small size which are very sensitive and usable in many fields. These devices are not only replacing the old vacuum valves as image sensors but they are at the same time imposing a digital structure to the chains of images which are using them. In the applications of images by means of X-rays, have been stated as being problems: the too small size of the sensors with respect to the size of the radiographics to be taken, the resolution less good than the conventional film and the destroying effect of the radiation upon the structure of the semi-conductor elements.
When looking into the solutions proposed in the patents EP-A-0 129,451; FR-A-2,333,404; EP-A-0 285,214; EP-A-0 372,122;; EP-A-0 373,717; EP-A-0 149,502; EP-A-0 279,294), it is found that to solve the size problem, optical systems should be called upon, which are transposing the image coming from the scintillator onto the surface of the CCD device while reducing it properly. To solve the problem of the bombardment with X-rays, the arrangement of the CCD device is based upon so as to reduce the exposed portion while going so far as to offset the CCD device at the end of an optical guide outside of the zone considered to be dangerous or screens transparent to light and sufficiently absorbing X-rays are used. The disadvantages are obvious: the price of the optical system, the geometrical distorsions, the lowering of the sensitivity and of the resolution, the non-uniformity of illumination and in particular the gauge which may be deemed inadmissible in some applications. In the field of image pick-up sensors sensing through X-rays for intra-buccal uses for instance, the best compromise until now seems to be the use as an optical system, of a frusto-pyramidal doped reducing optical fiber which operates both as an image reducer and as a screen or shield against undesired radiation.

Method and apparatus for acquiring images by X-rays