A stable liquid control and/or calibration serum for use in clinical diagnostics containing a liquid-stable bilirubin derivative and a known concentration of at least one analyte. The invention further addresses a process for the preparation of the stable liquid serum.

Control and/or calibration sera or compositions referred to as control and/or calibration sera are usually used for monitoring accuracy and precision of an assay method and for the calibration of analyzers. These sera and compositions contain the parameter to be detected in known, exactly defined concentrations. A distinction is made between special control and/or calibration sera which are used to control and calibrate selected parameters or a certain limited, often related group of parameters and universal control and/or calibration sera used to control and calibrate, if possible, all conventional parameters using any of the methods that are commonly known in the practice.
In daily routine work, such products must fulfill the following requirements:
an exactly defined concentration of the measuring parameters must be maintained PA1 the concentrations must be within the range of medical relevance (normal or pathological) PA1 handling of the control and/or calibration sera must be easy PA1 the control and/or calibration sera must have an extended storage stability
Especially high demands are made on the handling and storage stability when these control and/or calibration sera are used on automated analyzers. To date, most control and/or calibration sera have been available as lyophilisates thus ensuring an acceptable stability until the sera are reconstituted. This method is, however, very cumbersome and requires the use of a reconstituting solution. Lyophilisates often tend to become turbid which may cause analytical errors since the results of numerous detection methods involve colorimetric evaluation. Another source of errors is incorrect pipetting of the reconstituting solution. Once reconstituted, the reference or calibration sera are stable for only a few hours at room temperature. They must, hence, be prepared fresh every day. To facilitate handling, it is therefore desirable to make avalailable a reference or calibration serum that does not require pretreatment by the operator of the analyzer.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,375 describes a liquid biological composition that is used as a reference serum in diagnostic analysis. 20-40% alkylene polyols having 2-5 C-atoms, such as ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, pentane diol and glycerol are used to stabilize this composition. When polyols in such high concentrations are added, the control and/or calibration serum may become viscous which may lead to problems and inaccuracies during the pumping and pipetting steps of the automated analyzer. It is therefore not suitable to add alkylene polyols in high concentrations.
In the preparation of a liquid-stable control and/or calibration serum, the bilirubin substrate limits stability in most cases. The bilirubin concentration is determined when hyperbilirubinemia is diagnosed. As a lyophilisate, bilirubin is sufficiently stable whereas after reconstitution stability is reduced to only a few hours at room temperature or to appr. two weeks at -20.degree. C.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,864 describes how conjugated bilirubin is stabilized by adding a sulfhydryl compound and a chelating agent at a pH of 8.2-9.2 in blood serum. For the preparation of a universal control and/or calibration serum it is, however, advantageous to use as few additives as possible. A stabilizing agent for one parameter often interferes with the determination of other parameters. Reducing agents which contain SH-groups can interfere with the subsequent enzymatic reaction, for example.
It is, hence, an object to provide a liquid control and/or calibration serum which is suitable for multiple parameter determinations in clinical diagnostics and contains bilirubin in a stabilized form. The object is accomplished by the invention which is characterized in greater detail in the disclosure which follows. The object is essentially accomplished in that the control and/or calibration serum contains a liquid-stable bilirubin derivative.

Stable liquid control serum or calibration system for use in clinical diagnostics


The present disclosure provides techniques that can enable a community of users to upload arbitrary images of particular locations and integrate them into a 3D model of that location in such a way that they appear as correctly aligned overlays with the model. Users can estimate rough location, orientation, and field of view, for one or more images and then add metadata such as keyword “tags” including time parameters. From the user estimates, a computer system determines the pose of the image relative to the 3D model and stores the metadata. A display system enables a community of users to freely navigate through the 3D model with visual indicators of all of the posed images, filterable via the metadata. Users also have control over a “snap-to-view” feature as they approach any of the posed images as well as a transparency feature for the degree of visibility of the overlaid image.

Not long ago, maps appeared online which allowed users of the Worldwide Web to move back and forth and zoom in and out of practically anywhere on Earth. Corresponding satellite imagery soon followed.
More recently, Google Earth, as made available from Google, Inc., made the leap from 2D to 3D representation enabling users to "fly" (control their position and orientation) in virtual 3Dspace rather than move over the 2D surface of a map or photograph. Google Earth initially relied on topographic information to create hills, mountains, and valleys in the landscape. Recently, these 3D models added simplified extruded building models with simplified (e.g., blank gray) surfaces.
Current work in government, universities, and corporations include building camera cars to sweep through cities, using aerial camera systems, integrating laser radar ("lidar") data, and developing the necessary computational resources to integrate all the data. Such models have been envisioned as exhibiting "ground truth," that is, they will be verifiably accurate when compared to the physical world.
So far, such 3D models have been created as closed, centralized efforts, but various methods have been developed that allow a community of users to create novel applications "on top of" them. For example, Google has made public their Application Program Interfaces (APIs) for Google Maps and Google Earth, allowing other data to be integrated, or "mashed up," into their 2D map or 3D model. One popular "mash-up" application, Mappr, built on top of Yahoo's Flickr, allows a community of users to place their own photographic images in the location in which they were taken. But to date, such photos have only appeared as hovering "playing cards," rather than seamless and integrated.
One solution in the prior art has been to integrate multiple images into the same model (though time artifacts, another potential problem, may occur if the multiple images are captured at different times). Another solution has been to artificially "fill in" the missing information, either by hand (like touching up a photo with a hole in the middle) or in some automated way. A great deal of research is currently underway seeking these kinds of solutions.
While prior art techniques, as described previously, have been developed, currently no techniques exist for a community of users to place their own images into these emerging rich 3D models in an integrated and seamless way, without any visible artifacts.

Seamlessly overlaying 2D images in 3D model


A trunnion ball valve provides a reliable seal when closed, while minimizing or eliminating frictional resistance during rotation of the ball. A pressurization chamber behind the upstream valve seat can be interconnected by one or more pressurization valves with either the upstream or the downstream process fluid. The interconnection can be via a single 3-way valve. When the valve is closed and the ball is fixed in orientation, the pressurization chamber is automatically connected to the upstream process fluid, thereby pressing the seat against the ball and ensuring a reliable seal. While the ball is being rotated, the pressurization chamber is automatically connected to the downstream process fluid, thereby substantially eliminating valve seat friction. Connection to the downstream process fluid can include connection to a small space in front of the upstream seat. An electronic controller can control both valve stem rotation and the pressurization valves.

A floating ball valve includes a ball that that is fixed to a valve stem at the top of the ball, but otherwise "floats" within a body cavity of a valve housing, such that when the valve is shut, the ball is pushed by the in-line pressure of the process fluid against a downstream seat provided within an outlet of the floating ball valve, thereby providing in a tight seal. When the valve is opened, the ball must be rotated against both the in-line pressure of the process fluid and the friction between the ball and the downstream valve seat.
With reference to FIG. 1A, in a trunnion ball valve, the bottom of the ball 100 is inserted in a central bottom shaft (the trunnion 101). The ball 100 is thereby fixed between the valve stem or an upper trunnion (not shown) at the top of the ball 100 and the lower trunnion 101 at the bottom of the ball 100, so that the ball 100 is able to rotate about an axis 106, but is otherwise fixed in position relative to the ball supports 104, and thereby to the housing or "body" of the valve. Instead of pressing a floating ball against a fixed downstream seat 109, in a trunnion ball valve at least one of the seats 108, 109 is movable, suspended for example by springs, which allows the inline pressure of the process fluid 110 to press the upstream seat 108 that is within the inlet of the trunnion ball valve against the ball 100, thereby providing a reliable seal when the valve is closed, i.e. when the central passage 102 through the ball 100 is directed away from the seats 108, 109.
As a result, when opening and closing the valve, the ball only needs to be rotated against the friction of the upstream seat 108, whereby the required torque of a trunnion mounted ball valve is generally lower than for a comparable floating ball valve. Also, the trunnion seat design in general is much more stable, which makes it more suitable for extreme conditions.
With reference to the close-up view of FIG. 1B, which also includes a section of the conduit 116 through which the process fluid 110 is conveyed, it can be seen that in a typical trunnion valve the rear surface 112 of the upstream seat 108 is subjected to the upstream pressure of the process fluid, while the front surface 113 of the upstream seat 108 is directed toward a small space 114 within the body cavity that is at a fluid pressure similar to the much lower fluid pressure downstream of the valve.
While the frictional resistance of a trunnion ball valve is typically less than for a floating ball valve, nevertheless it can be significant, due to the pressing of the upstream seat 108 against the ball 100. This friction increases the required torque when opening the valve, and is a primary source of valve wear and sticking. As a result, it is typically necessary to reach a design compromise between applying a higher force to the upstream seat 108, which will improve the quality of the seal, and applying a lower force to the upstream seat 108, which will reduce the required torque and the resulting valve wear.
One approach is to inject a pressurized pneumatic fluid into the small space 114 at the front of the upstream seat 108 when the ball 100 is being rotated, and to withdraw or depressurize the pneumatic fluid from the small space 114 once ball rotation has been completed. However, this approach adds significant complexity and cost due to the requirement of providing a separate pneumatic fluid source that is able to control the pneumatic pressure that is applied to the small space 114.
What is needed, therefore, is a trunnion ball valve that provides a high-quality seal when the ball is fixed in orientation and the valve is closed, while minimizing valve seat friction while the ball is being rotated.

Trunnion ball valve with controlled ball-seat engagement and disengagement


A glass substrate for p-Si TFT flat panel displays that is composed of a glass comprising 52-78 mass % of SiO2, 3-25 mass % of Al2O3, 3-15 mass % of B2O3, 3-25 mass % of RO, wherein RO is total amount of MgO, CaO, SrO, and BaO, 0.01-1 mass % of Fe2O3, and 0-0.3 mass % of Sb2O3, and substantially not comprising As2O3, the glass having a mass ratio (SiO2+Al2O3)/B2O3 in a range of 7-30 and a mass ratio (SiO2+Al2O3)/RO equal to or greater than 6. A method for manufacturing a glass substrate involves: a melting step of obtaining a molten glass by melting, by employing at least direct electrical heating, glass raw materials blended so as to provide the aforementioned glass composition; a forming step of forming the molten glass into a flat-plate glass; and an annealing step of annealing the flat-plate glass.

Displays incorporated in small devices, such as mobile devices, employ p-Si (polysilicon) for manufacturing thin film transistors (TFTs) for reasons such as reducing power consumption. At present, the manufacturing of p-Si TFT flat panel displays requires a heat treatment at relatively high temperatures of 400-600° C. Glass with excellent heat resistance is used for glass substrates for manufacturing p-Si TFT flat panel displays. It is known, however, that glass substrates used for conventional a-Si (amorphous silicon) TFT flat panel displays do not have sufficiently high strain points, and thus, significant heat shrinkage occurs due to the heat treatment at the time of manufacturing p-Si TFT flat panel displays, thus giving rise to the problem of uneven pixel pitch.
In recent years, a higher degree of definition is demanded of displays for small devices. Thus, it is desired to minimize unevenness in pixel pitch, and the inhibition of heat shrinkage of the glass substrate at the time of manufacturing displays, which is a cause of unevenness in pixel pitch, has been an issue.
The heat shrinkage of a glass substrate can generally be inhibited by increasing characteristic temperatures in the low-temperature-viscosity range (referred to hereinafter as "low-temperature-viscosity characteristic temperatures"), typified by the strain point and Tg (glass transition point) of the glass substrate. As an example of glass having a high strain point, Patent Literature 1 discloses a non-alkali glass having a strain point of 680° C. or higher.
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication JP-A-2010-6649

Glass substrate for flat panel display and manufacturing method thereof


Disclosed herein is an electric box for a vehicle including a box body and a cover wherein the box includes a storage space and cover is coupled to the box body to seal the storage space. The box body further includes a wire insertion passageway through which the wire is upwardly inserted into the box body.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric box for a vehicle, which may minimize the space required for withdrawing wires from the box and may increase the waterproof characteristic of the box.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an electric box (e.g., a junction box or a fuse box) may be used to connect a power source to various electric devices that consume electricity in vehicles. Such electric devices may include lamps, electric components of a vehicle body, multi-media devices, and motor driving devices. Additionally, a plurality of fuses may be installed in the electric box to protect an overcurrent or overload from being delivered to external circuits. Furthermore, various types of relays may be installed to provide or cut off electric supply.
Thus, the electric box may serve as a supplier and a distributor of battery power, as well as a protection for wires inside a vehicle. The electric box may include many other functions such as receiving and protecting various types of elements (fuses, relays, etc.) mounted therein, and maintaining operational efficiency through heat radiation.
In many vehicles, the electric box may be installed in the engine room, but in many commercial vehicles such as large trucks or buses, the electric box may be installed at a certain location inside the vehicle with a structure in which individual wires or wire harnesses may be connected to the inner portion of the box. In addition, due to the characteristics of electrical components, a high level waterproof may be required. Specifically, waterproofing describes the ability of an object or component to substantially block the intake or absorption of water.
Furthermore, since the electric box may include a plurality of wires connected to the inside thereof and may be installed in a narrow space inside vehicles, the design of the electric box should consider the interior space of a vehicle for layout difficulties such as withdrawal direction of wires.
Moreover, in many vehicles, the junction box or the fuse box may be installed in the narrow engine room and may include wires connected directly to the terminal portion of the box. Additionally, the junction box or the fuse box may have an integral structure in which the box and the wiring are not separated. Accordingly, the junction box or the fuse box may have limited a waterproof characteristic.
The electric boxes equipped in commercial vehicles such as large trucks may also have limited a waterproof characteristic. Additionally, in order to implement a satisfactory waterproof structure, the withdrawal direction (or the direction the wire is connected to the box) of a wire may be the lateral direction of the box as shown in FIG. 1.
Furthermore, however, when viewed from the top of the box cover, a region of wiring withdrawal space must be designated on the side of the box. Accordingly, there may be limitations in installing the box in a narrow space and difficulties in securing substantial space within the box for withdrawing wires.
The information disclosed above is only for enhancement of understanding the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known to a person of ordinary skill in the art.


A cold-cathode discharge display device which includes a fluorescent tube and electrodes containing R.sub.2 O.sub.3-z, where R is an atom or an atom group of rare earth elements, O is oxygen, and z is 0.0 to 1.0, to perform field emission of electrons and emission of secondary electrons. The electrodes are generated with an electron emitting film containing rare earth elements.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrode which emits electrons when a high electric field is applied to it, a method of manufacturing the electrode, and an electron-emitting device incorporating the electrode.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrodes are known which emit electrons when a high electric filed is applied to them. These electrodes, generally known as "electron-emitting electrodes," are shaped like a needle or a plate, unlike hot cathodes which are coiled filaments and which emit electrons when a current flows through them to heat them. An electron-emitting electrode emits electrons from its surface by virtue of tunnel effect when a high voltage of about 10.sup.7 V/cm or more is applied to it. They are used as cathodes in copying apparatuses, in cold-cathode fluorescent lamps employed as the back lights of non-self-emission displays (e.g., liquid crystal displays), in monochromatic or color display displays, in a plasma displays, in VFDs (Vacuum Fluorescent Displays), and in similar apparatuses.
A cold-cathode fluorescent lamp equipped with an electron-emitting electrode comprises a tube which has a fluorescent layer coated on its inner surface and which is filled with a mixture rare gas and mercury vapor. The electrons emitted from the electrodes impinge upon the mercury atoms in the tube so that, ultraviolet rays are generated. The ultraviolet rays excite the fluorescent layer. Thus excited, the fluorescent layer emits visible light.
Electron-emitting electrodes are made of metal having a small work function, such as nickel (Ni), molybdenum (Mo) or the like. Generally, the smaller the diameter of a cold-cathode fluorescent lamp having an electron-emitting electrode made of such metal, the higher the luminance (cd/m.sup.2) of the light the lamp generates. The cold-cathode fluorescent lamp can be thin and can emit intense light. It is therefore suitable for use as a back light in liquid crystal displays.
However, the voltage applied to the cold-cathode fluorescent lamp must be increased to enable the lamp to emit light of higher luminance. Consequently, the lamp consumes much power. If the lamp is used in a battery-driven portable display, the display cannot operate for a long time. The cold-cathode fluorescent lamp with electron-emitting electrodes is disadvantageous in another respect. As discharge proceeds, the material of electrode is gradually sputtered, inevitably contaminating the inner surface of the tube and shortening the lifetime of the electron-emitting electrode.
Various materials of electron-emitting electrodes have been proposed. Various limitations are imposed on the material for an electron-emitting electrode, however. For example, no insulating materials that greatly prevent tunneling cannot be used in a cold cathode wherein tunnel effect is utilized.

Display device with specific electrode structure and composition


An information management and synchronous communications system and method facilitates database equilibrium and synchronization with wired, wireless and Web-based systems, user-friendly and efficient generation of computerized menus and reservations with handwritten/voice modifications for restaurants and other applications that utilize equipment with nonstandard graphical formats, display sizes and/or applications for use in remote data entry, information management and communication with host computer, digital input device or remote pager via standard hardwired connection, the internet, a wireless link, printer or the like. Various operations employing automated telephone calls and/or messaging may, for instance, be performed. For example, desired reservation and/or appointment information may be automatically converted and conveyed to one or more entities via automated telephone call and/or messaging. As another example, information regarding reservation acceptability may be received and automatically converted via automated telephone call and/or messaging. Telephones may, for instance, be the only equipment required by the entities.

While computers have dramatically altered many aspects of modem life, pen and paper have prevailed in the hospitality industry, e.g., for restaurant ordering, reservations and wait-list management, because of their simplicity, ease of training and operational speed. For example, ordering prepared foods has historically been done verbally, either directly to a waiter or over the telephone, whereupon the placed order is recorded on paper by the recipient or instantly filled.
Although not previously adapted for wide-scale use in the hospitality industry, various forms of digital wireless communication devices are in common use, e.g., digital wireless messengers and pagers. Also in common use are portable laptop and handheld devices. However, user-friendly information management and communication capability not requiring extensive computer expertise has not heretofore been available for use in everyday life such as for restaurant ordering, reservations and wait-list management. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on personal digital assistant ("PDA") development seeking to produce a small, light-weight and inexpensive device that could be adapted to such uses; yet none have yielded a satisfactory solution.
One of the inherent shortcomings of PDA type devices is that, as they strive for small size, low weight and low cost, they must compromise the size and clarity of the operator, display medium interface itself, which in most cases is one of a variety of LCD (liquid crystal display) type devices. As the size of the display shrinks, the amount of information that may be displayed at any one point or time is commensurately decreased, typically requiring multiple screens and displays to display information to the operator. This reduces the overall utility of the device. Additionally, the smaller display and keyboard results in a non-optimal operator interface, which slows down operation and is thus unacceptable for the time criticality of ordering, reservation and wait-list management and other similar applications. This necessitates many design compromises which in the aggregate have resulted in limited acceptance of PDA type devices in the restaurant and hospitality fields.
Many of the negatives prevalent in earlier devices have been eliminated, but, to date, there is still no integrated solution to the ordering/waitlist/reservation problem discussed above. With the advent of the Palm® and other handheld wireless devices, however, the efforts to make such devices ubiquitous have begun to bear fruit at least in some areas, e.g., personal calendars. However, substantial use of such devices in the restaurant and hospitality context has not occurred to date. As discussed above, at least one of the reasons PDAs have not been quickly assimilated into the restaurant and hospitality industries is that their small display sizes are not readily amenable to display of menus as they are commonly printed on paper or displayed on, e.g., large, color desktop computer screens. Another reason is that software for fully realizing the potential for wireless handheld computing devices has not previously been available. Such features would include fast and automatic synchronization between a central database and multiple handheld devices, synchronization and communication between a World Wide Web ("Web") server and multiple handheld devices, a well-defined application program interface ("API") that enables third parties such as point of sale ("POS") companies, affinity program companies and internet content providers to fully integrate with computerized hospitality applications, real-time communication over the internet with direct connections or regular modem dialup connections and support for batch processing that can be done periodically throughout the day to keep multiple sites in synch with the central database. A single point of entry for all hospitality applications to communicate with one another wirelessly has also previously been unavailable. Such a single point of entry would work to keep all wireless handheld devices and linked Web sites in synch with the backoffice server (central database) so that the different components are in equilibrium at any given time and an overall consistency is achieved. For example, a reservation made online would be automatically communicated to the backoffice server and then synchronized with all the wireless handheld devices wirelessly. Similarly, changes made on any of the wireless handheld devices would be reflected instantaneously on the backoffice server, Web pages and the other handheld devices.
For the foregoing reasons, paper-based ordering, waitlist and reservations management have persisted in the face of widespread computerization in practically all areas of commerce. At most, computerization of these functions has been largely limited to fixed computer solutions, i.e., desktop or mainframe, because of the problems heretofore faced in configuring wireless handheld devices and maintaining database synchronization for such applications. Specifically, the unavailability of any simple technique for creating restaurant menus and the like for use in a limited display area wireless handheld device or that is compatible with ordering over the Internet has prevented widespread adoption of computerization in the hospitality industry. Without a viable solution for this problem, organizations have not made the efforts or investments to establish automated interfaces to handheld and Web site menus and ordering options.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved information management and synchronous communications system and method which facilitates user-friendly and efficient generation of computerized menus for restaurants and other applications that utilize equipment with non-PC-standard graphical formats, display sizes and/or applications.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved information management and synchronous communications system and method which provides for entry, management and communication of information from the operator as well as to and from another computer, Web page menu, remote digital device using a standard hardwired connection, the internet or a wireless link.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved information management and synchronous communications system which is small, affordable and lightweight yet incorporates a user-friendly operator interface and displays menus in a readily comprehensible format.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a synchronous information management and communications system which enables automatic updating of both wireless and Internet menu systems when a new menu item is added, modified or deleted from any element of the system.

Information management and synchronous communications system


In a machine for horizontal or inclined percussion boring in the ground having a percussion boring string which has an oblique-face boring head at one end and an impact mechanism at the other end, the impact mechanism is mounted beside the rotary drive in order to reduce the length of the machine.

A machine of the abovementioned kind is known from German specification 41 03 196. In the case of this machine the rotary drive and the impact mechanism are mounted one behind the other in the direction of the axis of the string. For many applications the space requirement that results from this does not play any significant part. It is otherwise, however, if it is desired to start boring from a building or starting trench. When crossing underneath roads the starting trench is often restricted to the breadth of the pavement or else of a front garden. In such tight spaces it is often not possible to use boring machines having the conventional arrangement of the rotary drive arid the impact mechanism.

Machine for horizontal percussion boring

Tracto-Technik Paul Schmidt Spezialmaschinen


A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip and a wiring substrate. The wiring substrate is configured to be electrically connected to the semiconductor chip, and have a plurality of terminals arranged on an surface opposite to a surface on which the semiconductor chip is mounted. The plurality of terminals includes a plurality of first terminals configured to be arranged closely to each other, and a plurality of second terminals configured to be arranged so as to surround the plurality of first terminals. The plurality of second terminals is provided such that terminals of the semiconductor chip are connected to outer terminals through the plurality of second terminals. Each of the plurality of first terminals is not provided with a metal ball, while each of the plurality of second terminals is provided with a metal ball.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor device, particularly to a terminal arrangement thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
The advancement in a semiconductor technology has brought a progress in high integration and multifunction for LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit), further increasing the number of terminals to input/output signals. Complicated function incorporated in the LSI demands a high-level LSI test with the increasing number of terminals used for the test. Since the terminals used for the test are not used by a user, it is desirable to reduce the terminals as much as possible. Although efforts have been made to reduce the number of the terminals used exclusively for the test by sharing with other signal terminals or serializing a test signal, the number is still increasing.
The number of the terminals which can be mounted on a LSI package is physically limited. A technique to increase the number of the test terminals while securing the number of the terminals used by the user is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application JP-P2004-22664A. In a package of a semiconductor device, test terminals are arranged among external wiring terminals which are arranged in a lattice form in a BGA (ball grid array) or a CSP (chip size package). However, since the test terminals are located among the external wiring terminals used for common operations, it is not easy to contact the test terminals to terminals of a test tool.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application JP-P2004-342947A also discloses a technique for a semiconductor device including a plurality of connection terminals connected to a mounting substrate and a plurality of test terminals. In the semiconductor device, there are provided a first area wherein the connection terminals are arranged in a lattice form at a predetermined pitch, and a second area wherein the test terminals are arranged in a lattice form at a pitch narrower than the predetermined pitch. The second area is located at the center of a connecting side and surrounded in the outer edge by the first area which is arranged at the peripheral of the connecting side. The second area is also arranged at the peripheral of the connecting side, and the first area is arranged to surround the second area. These connection terminals and test terminals are formed by a solder ball. These connection terminals and test terminals are also formed in a land.
The arrangement of test terminals and common external terminals has been thus developed for improvement. However, when the test terminals are arranged among the external terminals, it is not easy to have a contact between the test terminal and the terminal of the test tool. Moreover, in an arrangement to centralize terminals exclusively used for a test, these terminals are connected to a mounting substrate even though they are not used by the user. Accordingly, the land is provided to connect these terminals exclusively used for the test on the surface of the mounting substrate. This causes the user to have less opening area on the surface of the mounting substrate for wiring as desired.

Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing semiconductor device


The present invention provides an improved, Internet-based system that seamlessly collects cardiovascular data from a patient before, during, and after a procedure for EP or an ID. During an EP procedure, the system collects information describing the patient's response to PES and the ablation process, ECG waveforms and their various features, HR and other vital signs, HR variability, cardiac arrhythmias, patient demographics, and patient outcomes. Once these data are collected, the system stores them on an Internet-accessible computer system that can deploy a collection of user-selected and custom-developed algorithms. Before and after the procedure, the system also integrates with body-worn and/or programmers that interrogate implanted devices to collect similar data while the patient is either ambulatory, or in a clinic associated with the hospital. A data-collection/storage module, featuring database interface, stores physiological and procedural information measured from the patient.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems for processing data from patients undergoing cardiovascular procedures, e.g. electrophysiology (EP) procedures.
Description of the Related Art
Patients with abnormal cardiac rhythms can be treated with EP, or receive an implanted device (ID), such as a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). These therapies and devices are effective in restoring the patient's cardiac rhythm to a normal level, and are typically characterized by a collection of data-generating devices that are used before, during, and after procedures for EP or the ID.
Prior to such a procedure, physicians often prescribe electrocardiography (ECG) monitors that measure time-dependent waveforms, from which heart rate (HR) and information related to arrhythmias and other cardiac properties are extracted. These systems can characterize ambulatory patients over short periods (e.g. 24-48 hours) using 'holier' monitors, or over longer periods (e.g. 1-3 weeks) using cardiac event monitors. Conventional holter or event monitors typically include a collection of chest-worn ECG electrodes (typically 3 or 5), an ECG circuit that collects analog signals from the ECG electrodes and coverts these into multi-lead ECG waveforms, and a computer processing unit that analyzes the ECG waveforms to determine cardiac information. Typically the patient wears the entire system on their body. Some modern ECG-monitoring systems include wireless capabilities that transmit ECG waveforms and other numerical data through a cellular interface to an Internet-based system, where they are further analyzed to generate, for example, reports describing the patient's cardiac rhythm. In less sophisticated systems, the ECG-monitoring system is worn by the patient, and then returned to a company that downloads all relevant information into a computer, which then analyzes it to generate the report. The report, for example, may be imported into the patient's electronic medical record (EMR). The EMR avails the report to cardiologists or other clinicians, who then use it to help characterize the patient.
To monitor non-ambulatory, hospitalized patients, conventional vital sign monitors include ECG monitoring systems that characterize a patient's cardiac response in a similar way to holter or event monitors. Such monitors typically measure multi-lead ECG waveforms that are processed by embedded software within the monitor to generate ECG waveforms and determine HR and a wide range of other cardiac properties.
During a conventional EP procedure, software systems can collect physiological information from the patient (e.g. vital signs and ECG waveforms), which is then used to help guide the procedure. These data are also stored in the patient's EMR, where they can be used for future analysis by cardiologists and other clinicians. ECG systems used during EP procedures typically measure 12 leads of ECG waveforms, which a cardiologist then interprets to elucidate, diagnose, and ultimately treat the electrical activities of the patient's heart. Additionally, during EP, an invasive catheter records spontaneous activity of the heart, as well as cardiac responses to programmed electrical stimulation (PES). In addition to these diagnostic and prognostic procedures, an EP cardiologist uses therapeutic methods, such as radio frequency ablation of pre-determined portions of the heart, to adjust the patient's cardiac rhythm to a relatively stable state. ECG-monitoring devices used in the EP procedure measure the response of the injured or cardiomyopathic myocardium to PES on specific pharmacological regimens in order to assess the likelihood that the regimen will successfully prevent potentially fatal sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) in the future. Sometimes a series of drug trials are conducted before and/or after an EP procedure to enable the cardiologist to select a regimen for long-term treatment that best prevents or slows the development of VT or VF following PES. Other therapeutic modalities employed in this field include antiarrhythmic drug therapy and IDs. Such studies may also be conducted in the presence of a newly deployed ID.
Modern IDs also include electronic circuitry for recording and storing cardiac parameters, such as arrhythmia information, HR, HR variability, and data describing the performance of the implanted device. Typically the ID stores this information within a computer memory that can be interrogated over a short-range wireless interface by a specialized device within a cardiologist's office called a 'programmer'. Both the programmer and ID are typically designed and manufactured by the same company. Medtronic, the world's largest manufacturer of IDs, also makes a software system called 'Paceart' that receives, stores, and displays scheduling information and data generated by all major manufacturers of IDs, e.g. Medtronic, Boston Scientific, St. Jude, and Biotronix. The programmer typically includes a computer, display, ECG-measuring system, thermal printer, and a wand that is placed over the implanted device to read information over a short-range, wireless interface. Once read, the computer stores information generated by the ID, and at a later time can import this information into the patient's EMR, where it can be used to further diagnose the patient.
Many conventional EMRs are large software systems hosted on computer servers within a hospital or medical clinic. Some EMRs reside in 'the cloud', meaning they are hosted on remote, Internet-connected computer servers (located, e.g., in a third-party data center), which then render a graphical user interface (GUI) to hospital clinicians with a conventional web browser. In most instances, hospital administrators and clinicians use either the EMR or a secondary software system to performancillary functions related to the EP procedure, such as scheduling, billing, and patient follow-up.

Internet-based system for evaluating T waves within ECG waveforms to determine the presence of cardiac abnormalities


The MRI apparatus includes a housing that includes a bore in which a first magnetic field for capturing a MR image is generated, a beam projector that is disposed in the bore of the housing during capture of the MR image and projects an image onto an inner wall included in the bore, and a controller that controls the beam projector, and transfers a video signal to the beam projector. The beam projector includes a coil which is disposed so that a direction of a second magnetic field, which is generated with a current applied to the coil, is parallel to a direction of the first magnetic field.

1. Field
One or more exemplary embodiments relate to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, and more particularly, to an MRI apparatus for displaying an image in a bore.
2. Description of the Related Art
MRI apparatuses are used for medical diagnostic imaging. MRI apparatuses include a main magnet that generates a main magnetic field, gradient coils that generate magnetic field gradients to select slices and provide positional information, and a radio frequency (RF) coil that is used to apply an electromagnetic wave to the human body for resonating an internal magnetization vector of the human body, and to receive a magnetic resonance (MR) signal. The main magnet and the coils which are used to capture an MR image are accommodated in a housing, which has a generally cylindrical structure having a bore in which a patient is placed during MR imaging.
The bore of an MRI apparatus is a small constrained space and may give the object a closed in feeling. Thus, when the capturing of the MR image is performed, there is a high possibility that the object would move due to boredom or discomfort which may result in a reduced quality of an image and the MRI would need to be re-executed. To this end, proposed is a system that provides image information to an object being imaged. As one example, proposed is a method in which an object wears glasses displaying an image, or looks at an image displayed outside of the housing by using a mirror provided in the bore. However, a method using glasses causes inconvenience to an object because the glasses displaying an image may enhance a closed in feeling, and a method using a mirror degrades a quality of a provided image.


The present invention relates to mazindol for use in the treatment of dependence and substance use disorder, wherein the substance is an opioid, a composition comprising mazindol and optionally a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient and/or a diluent, for use in the treatment of substance abuse disorder, wherein the substance is an opioid, and a method of treatment of substance abuse disorder comprising administering mazindol or composition comprising mazindol to a subject, wherein the substance is an opioid. The opioid is preferably heroin.

Heroin is an opioid drug made from morphine which binds to μ-opioid, κ-opioid and δ-opioid receptors. Prolonged use of psychoactive substances over time may lead to dependence and/or substance use disorder. Psychoactive substances which are commonly used as recreational drugs include alcohol, cocaine, amphetamines related-derivatives and opioid substances. Any substance which increases pleasure-reward signaling in the mesocorticolimbic system of the brain may precipitate synaptic changes which lead to long term behavioral changes, such as addictive-type behavior.
The impact of substance use disorder on society is both harmful and costly. In 2015, substance abuse cost US society $249 billion for alcohol and $193 billion for illegal drugs (1). These costs relate to healthcare, crime and loss of work productivity. Specifically, opioid overdose, abuse and dependence related behavior alone cost the US $78.5 billion in 2009 (2).
Methods currently: used to treat substance use disorder include maintenance therapy or detox whereby a substitute drug, such as methadone for heroin dependence and addiction, is provided. The dosage may be tapered until the substitute drug is no longer administered. Therapy and behavioral counselling are also used to treat substance abuse disorders
Pharmacological intervention such as the administration of anti-anxiolytics and anti-depressants may also be used as part of the treatment of substance use disorder in order to reduce withdrawal symptoms. Once a subject begins to abstain from or reduce administration of a substance, withdrawal symptoms are commonly present. Withdrawal symptoms can be highly uncomfortable, and in some cases, fatal. Symptoms include irritability, anxiety, sweating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, tremors, headache, insomnia and loss of concentration. In severe cases, hallucinations, seizures and death are possible.
Relapse is also common in those who suffer from substance use disorder. Relapse occurs when a subject returns to administering the substance of abuse after a period of abstinence from the substance. Unfortunately, abstinence or a reduction in the dose of a substance can reduce a subject's tolerance to that substance, whilst the cravings remain the same. Therefore when relapse occurs, a subject may administer an amount which satisfies the craving, but may be harmful and even lethal due to reduced physiological tolerance.
Methadone is a synthetic opioid compound used as a heroin replacement in treating substance use disorder. However, dependency can arise and it is not uncommon for subjects to abuse methadone in the same way as other opioids such as heroin. Side effects of methadone use include anxiety, insomnia, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory depression and hypotension. Methadone has been implicated in a number of lethal overdoses, especially when mixed with other drugs such as alcohol, benzodiazepines and cocaine.
Naltrexone is a μ-opioid, κ-opioid and a δ-opioid receptor antagonist. It can be used to prevent the euphoria experienced by opioid use, and in turn eventually reduce the cravings in users who exhibit signs of opioid abuse. It has also been used to treat alcohol addiction. However, it is only recommended for use in treating substance use disorder when an initial period of abstinence from opioids has been achieved. This is to avoid acute harmful withdrawal symptoms from opioid abuse.
Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist that relieves drug cravings without producing the "high" or dangerous side effects of other opioids. Buprenorphine is also available in combination with naloxone (an opioid antagonist) and can be taken orally or sublingually to avert withdrawal symptoms with naloxone.
A vaccine comprising an optimized heroin-tetanus toxoid immune-conjugate has also been developed in order to treat opioid substance use disorder (3). Preclinical studies have demonstrated that this vaccine is able to reduce the euphoric effects of heroin, thereby suggesting it may be a viable treatment for preventing the craving aspect of opioid addiction. However, the vaccine is in preclinical testing and has not yet been approved for use in humans.
Therefore, there is a need for a treatment for substance use disorder, specifically opioid abuse disorder, which obviates the problems associated with current treatments such as methadone and naltrexone administration. These problems include addiction to the substance which is being used to treat the substance abuse, managing uncomfortable and harmful withdrawal effects, and relapse. Furthermore, a treatment which is currently approved for use in humans and which can be administered within an acute stage of withdrawal would be advantageous.
Mazindol has been investigated as a potential candidate in treating cocaine addiction (6). However, subsequent studies have reported mazindol as being ineffective at treating cocaine abuse and dependence (7, 8). The rate of relapse, number of days to relapse and cocaine use in these studies did not differ between subjects who were given mazindol and subjects who were given a placebo.
Mazindol is a psychopharmacologic agent different from that of currently available wake-promoting drugs and psychostimulants and has a receptor signature and functional activity profile different from those of available attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatments such as d-amphetamine, which is a moderately potent inhibitor of dopamine transporter, norepinephrine transporter and vesicular monoamine transporter 2 with weaker affinities for serotonin transporter. Currently available psychostimulants (e.g. amphetamine salts) may lead to substance use disorders and discontinuation due to a decline in efficiency (e.g. in adults), but none of them promote a regulator effect on opioid addiction.
Use of mazindol when administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) has also been investigated for its effects on spontaneous pain related behaviors (12).
Use of mazindol in treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,293,779. It is considered, in current medication classifications, as a psychoanaleptic and anorexigenic medication. It is currently authorized in Argentina, Mexico/Central America, and Japan for use in the treatment of obesity. Mazindol is a non-amphetamine compound because of its tricyclic chemical structure. It offers a pharmacological profile very close to that of amphetamines with less abuse liability. Indeed, mazindol is not metabolised to an amphetamine-like compound. The Met (2-(2-Aminoethyl)-3-(p-chlorophenyl)-3-hydroxyphthalimidine) has been identified to be the main metabolite of mazindol in man (Dugger et al., 1979). Met has been found to result from the hydrolysis of mazindol at moderate temperatures in neutral and alkaline aqueous solutions (Nakashima et al., 2004). Both mazindol and Met exhibit very close pharmacological properties. Mazindol and its metabolite act by blocking dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake similarly to amphetamines, but have a higher affinity for μ-opioid receptors and a modest affinity for κ-opioid receptors.
Table A discloses mazindol and Met tested at 1.0×10−0.5 M and the compound binding calculated as a percent inhibition of the binding of a radioactively labeled ligand specific for each target (Eurofins CEREP, France).
TABLE ATest compound manufacturer informationCompoundBatchForm-StockIDNumberFWMWPurityulationSolutionMazindolACVH001284.7499.0Powder1 × (100028703-10−02M1)DMSOMazindolACBA416339.26339.2692.0Powder1 × metabolite10−02M(100028703-DMSO3)FW: Formula Weight;MW: Molecular Weight
An inhibition or stimulation of more than 50% is considered a significant effect of the test compounds. Fifty percent is a common cut-off for further investigation (i.e. determination of IC50 or EC50 values from concentration-response curves). Tables B and C display the binding profiles for Mazindol and Met.
TABLE BCompound Mazindol bindng activityAssay1.0 × 10−05 M5-HT transporter(h)a99.5%5-HT1A(h)b89.5%5-HT7(h)b52.9%Dopamine 98.2%transporter(h)aH1(h)a75.3%M1(h)a52.1%μ (MOP) (h)b89.9%Norepinephrine 100.4%transporter (h)aaantagonist radioligandbagonist radioligand
TABLE CCompound Mazindol Metabolite binding activityAssay1.0 × 10−05 M5-HT transporter(h)a 98.5%5-HT1A(h)b 86.3%Dopamine transporter(h)a  101%H1(h)a 75.5%k (KOP)b 53.3M1(h)a 50.4%μ (MOP) (h)b 87.9%Norepinephrine transporter (h)a100.2%aantagonist radioligandbagonist radioligand
The results are expressed as a percent of control specific binding obtained in the presence of the test compounds:
            Measured                                      specific                                      binding              Control                                      specific                                      binding        ×  100and as a percent inhibition of control specific binding obtained in the presence of the test compounds:
  100  -      (                            Measured                                                              specific                                                              binding                          Control                                                              specific                                                              binding                    ×      100        )
The IC50 values (concentration causing a half-maximal inhibition of control specific binding) and Hill coefficients (nH) were determined by non-linear regression analysis of the competition curves generated with mean replicate values using Hill equation curve fitting:
  Y  =      D    +          [                        A          -          D                          1          +                                    (                              C                /                                  C                  SD                                            )                        nH                              ]
where Y=specific binding, A=left asymptote of the curve, D=right asymptote of the curve, C=compound concentration, C50=IC50, and nH=slope factor. This analysis was performed using software developed at Cerep (Hill software) and validated by comparison with data generated by the commercial software SigmaPlot® 4.0 for Windows® (©1997 by SPSS Inc.).
The inhibition constants (Ki) were calculated using the Cheng Prusoff (1973) equation:
      K    i    =            IC      50              (              1        +                  L          /                      K            D                              )
where L=concentration of radioligand in the assay, and KD=affinity of the radioligand for the receptor. A scatchard plot was used to determine the KD.
In addition, in animal toxicology studies, the toxic potential of mazindol has proved to be very low. In particular, no carcinogenic effect, no mutagenic effect, and no toxicology effect in reproduction was observed. In U.S. Pat. No. 8,293,779, it is disclosed that, after single or repeated oral administration, mazindol is absorbed with a time to maximum concentrations (Tmax) of 2-4 hours. The half-life time of mazindol after an immediate release formulation is 9.1±1.7 h in healthy volunteers (Kim 2009); therefore, steady-state concentrations are reached after approximately 30-55 hours. The pharmacokinetics is linear (independent of the dose) between 1 mg/day and 4 mg/day. This result however relates to current immediate release formulations of mazindol. Immediate-release pharmaceutical compositions of mazindol, such as Diminex®, Sanorex® and Teronac®, ensure the release of the active ingredient over a period of <1 h in vitro. Indeed, immediate-release pharmaceutical compositions of mazindol have been reported to undergo hydrolysis at moderate temperatures in neutral and alkaline aqueous solutions, including in human plasma. Due to the mild alkaline nature of plasma, improved mazindol stability in human plasma is achieved by adding acidic buffer.
To achieve once daily dosing regimen (a very desirable regimen for compliance), a better controlled release portion would also be needed to assure that adequate plasma concentrations are achieved throughout the day and evening, while also allowing the subject to fall asleep and remain asleep during the night. Thus, there is a need for a pharmaceutical composition with an improved release profile of active substance combining an immediate and a sustained release, an improved compliance for patients, and reduced fluctuation in steady-state plasma concentrations during a dosing interval, for treatment of a substance use disorder.
The above mentioned problems have been solved by the aspects and embodiments of the present invention outlined below.

Mazindol treatment for heroin dependence and substance use disorder


A medical device such as a wire guide has a lubricious and/or therapeutic coating adhered to an etched, carbonaceous polymeric surface, for example a sodium-etched polymer surface. A method for preparing a lubricious and/or therapeutic coating on a medical device includes etching a polymeric portion of the device to create a carbonaceous surface and applying a lubricious and/or therapeutic coating on the etched surface.

This invention relates generally to medical devices, and more particularly to elongate medical devices useful in minimally invasive procedures, such as wire guides and related devices.
Medical devices such as wire guides are often coated with another material, for example to increase the lubricity of a surface or to serve as a carrier for release of a therapeutic substance. A number of different coating strategies have been suggested and employed, including strategies that involve covalent, ionic, or hydrogen bonding of the material to the device surface.
Difficulties arise in that the coating material and the device surface sometimes do not adhere to one another to provide sufficient integrity to the coating. This is particularly a problem when non-covalent bonding of the coating material is involved. This is also a particular problem when the device surface is formed with a material, such as a fluoropolymer, that is chosen for its inert, non-reactive, non-adherent qualities.
The present invention is addressed to these problems.

Medical device with adherent coating, and method for preparing same


A power-saving circuit for an active matrix liquid crystal display (“LCD”) panel that comprises a plurality of first capacitors, each first capacitor corresponding to a data line of the LCD panel for collecting electrical charge provided on an associated data line, at least one set of second capacitors, at least one set of transistors, each transistor of a set corresponding to one of the plurality of first capacitors, and at least two control signals, each control signal corresponding to a set of the at least one set of transistors and corresponding to a set of the at least one set of second capacitors, and each control signal functioning to switch between a first and a second state to control the operation state of an associated set of transistors, wherein the at least two control signals switch to a first state in a first sequence starting from a first control signal to a last control signal, and then in a second sequence starting from the last control signal to the first control signal, the first sequence alternating with the second sequence.

LCD devices are widely used as a TV screen or a computer monitor for desktops and notebooks. In general, LCD devices are driven by using techniques that alternate the polarity of the voltages applied across a cell. These techniques may include inversion schemes such as frame inversion, row inversion, column inversion, and dot inversion. Typically, notwithstanding the inversion schemes, a higher image quality requires higher power consumption because of frequent polarity conversions. Such LCD devices, in particular thin film transistor ("TFT") LCD devices, may consume significant amounts of power, which may in turn generate excessive heat. The characteristics of the LCD devices will be significantly deteriorated due to the heat generated.
Charge sharing techniques have been developed in the art to reduce power consumption required by LCD devices. An exemplary column driver integrated circuit in the art uses multiplexers to selectively couple each of the columns to a common node during a portion of each row drive period. During the remaining portion of each row drive period, the multiplexers selectively couple voltage drivers to the columns of the LCD pixel array. In addition, the common node can be connected to an external storage capacitor.
Another power-saving circuit in the art uses switches and capacitors to passively change the voltage level on column electrodes without active driving by the column driver circuit. The power needed by the column driver circuit to drive voltages of alternating polarity onto the column electrodes is significantly reduced, particularly for the pixel inversion and the row inversion schemes.
The prior art techniques may save a significant amount of power in the column inversion and the dot inversion and row inversion schemes, respectively. However, these techniques in the art are not particularly effective in other schemes. It is desirable that a circuit is designed to achieve significant power saving in all the inversion schemes.

Power-saving circuits and methods for driving active matrix display elements


A wireless communication system for location based schedule management (10) includes a plurality of wireless communication devices (40), including a wireless communication device (32) and a backup wireless communication device (47); a system controller (24) for generating a message; a RF transmitter (26) for transmitting the message (34) to the plurality of wireless communication devices (40); and an application server (76). The application server (76) includes a server memory (152) for storing an event location (134) and one or more event criteria parameters (129), a server processor (150) for processing a current location (122) of the wireless communication device (32); and a server event management application (82) for comparing the current location (122) with the event location (134). The server processor (150) sends a server command (84) to the system controller (24) in response to the comparison of the current location (122) and the event location (134) exceeding the event criteria parameters (129). The system controller (24) sends an update message (36) to the backup wireless communication device (47) in response to the server command (84).

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to wireless communication systems and in particular to wireless communication systems for schedule management through communication to one or more wireless communication devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
At present, when a person has an event to attend in the future such as a meeting, appointment, or luncheon, the person typically records the details of the event as an entry in a calendar which may be, for example on a desktop PC. These details can include the date, time, and location of the event along with an alert. The alert is set to remind the user at a predetermined time before the event is to begin.
Recently, designers of portable wireless communication devices (i.e. cellular phones, pagers, and palm top computers) are including software applications, which emulate desktop PC software applications in their products. These software applications can enable users to keep track of their schedules while away from their desk, such as while traveling. The software application in the portable wireless communication device can include a calendar system or event reminder based upon the time. Specifically, a future event having a future time can be identified and stored. A comparison of the current time and the stored future time determines when to provide an indication such as an alert to the user that the identified future event is approaching. This allows the user sufficient time to prepare for or travel to a specific location where the future event will take place.
One disadvantage to a time based event reminder is that the user must determine how far in advanced of a future event the user should be reminded of the future event. For example, a user must decide today that, for a meeting that will occur next month, a 10-minute advance notice will be a sufficient amount of time to prepare for or travel to the location of the event. However, when the user finds he is physically located too far from the location of the future event so that the 10 minute advance notice would not allow enough time to travel to the location of the scheduled event, the user will not arrive at the event in time. Given that one month has passed since the event was originally entered in the event reminder, there could be several different factors that could cause the user to be delayed or miss the event all together when the original advance notice is utilized. For example, reasons could include unexpected traffic delays, sudden illness, car trouble or the user forgetting about the future event until being reminded just minutes before the event is to occur. Therefore, time based event reminders may not provide sufficient notification for the event.
Additionally, once a user has determined that the upcoming scheduled event cannot be attended on time, the user may desire that another associate attend the scheduled event in place of themselves. This requires the user to contact numerous alternative associates to determine if they are in a location which allows them to attend the scheduled event on time and subsequently provide the details of the event (i.e. location, subject matter, etc). The user may also desire to inform a contact person located at the upcoming scheduled event location that he/she may not be able to attend the event on time. This requires a user to determine the appropriate contact information for the upcoming scheduled event and initiate a call or message to be sent to the contact person.
Another disadvantage of existing reminder methods is that changes to the user""s calendar must be made manually. That is, when the event is canceled or postponed and the user""s assistant is notified of the change, the event entry in the calendar must then be manually updated by the assistant or by the user to reflect the change. When the user stores the calendar and associated notifications on a portable wireless communication device the calendar system located in the portable wireless communication device must also be updated. When the assistant makes any additional changes to the user""s schedule, adding another event in the original event""s place, the original calendar, for example located on a desktop PC, again must be updated and the user must be notified of the change. This may not be easily accomplished. When, for some reason, the assistant is not able to reach the user, then the user""s portable calendar will not be manually updated and the new event may be missed.
Recently portable wireless communication devices include the capability to determine current location. For example, a wireless communication system can use well-known direction and location-finding techniques at each base station site in order to fix the location of the portable wireless communication device. The current location can be computed by triangulation when two or more transmitter base stations receive the same signal or by any other well-known technique. Once the portable wireless communication device""s location is determined, it may be used along with current traffic data, as in the previous case, to calculate the user""s travel times and the distance to a particular point of interest.
Similarly, the portable wireless communication device can include a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for determining its current location. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a worldwide radio-navigation system formed from a constellation of twenty-four (24) satellites and their ground stations. GPS uses satellites as reference points to calculate positions accurate to a matter of meters.
Therefor, what is needed is a system and method for schedule management, which includes a user""s current location and the location of the future event.

Wireless communication system for location based schedule management and method therefor


Aspects of the invention include a method and apparatus for cooling a hard drive in a hard drive array. In one example, the cooling device has similar dimensions as a hard drive on a server. Within the cooling device is a fan. The positioning of the fan provides both impingement and indirect airflow on a hard drive. The cooling device may also have power and data connections identical to those of the hard drive. These connections allow the cooling device to be connected and controlled by a control unit. The control unit may operate to monitor and control the temperature of the hard drive by controlling the power and speed of the fan. In another example, the cooling device is operable to cool DIMMs on a circuit board.

1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the invention relate generally to methods and apparatuses for cooling devices in a server structure. More specifically, aspects of the invention involve a cooling device with a similar form factor as a heat producing device, for example a hard drive in a server array.
2. Description of Related Art
Large-scale computing systems, such as server farms, may have one or more servers, each of which may include multiple hard drives. When operating a large number of hard drives in a server, a primary goal is to draw as much heat as possible away from the hard drives and out of the server chassis. The resultant hot exhaust air may be run though a heat exchanger within a cooling system to continuously cool the server and its environment. For example, the server may be operating in a datacenter where the exhaust air from the server is used in the cooling system for the entire data center. The higher the exhaust temperature leaving the server, the more efficiently the datacenter cooling system may operate.
Hard drives generate heat during operation. If the temperature of a given hard drive becomes too hot, that hard drive may fail or its efficiency may degrade. Therefore, without proper cooling, some or all of the drives may become too hot to operate before the exhaust reaches a desired temperature.
To maintain optimal exhaust and operational temperatures, continuous airflow through the server structure may be provided. Traditionally, operators have addressed this problem by reducing the density of the hard drives on the server. As a result, the server structure may require a greater amount of physical space as opposed to a more compact arrangement. If a hard drive begins to overheat or fails, it is typically removed for maintenance.
Known cooling products include fans positioned near the heat producing device. For example, some products require that the fan be mounted directly to a hard drive. Certain cooling products require separate power connections within the computer. Furthermore, fans used to cool the drives may cause vibrations which can degrade the performance of the drives.


A bathroom dispenser for containing and dispensing health-related products, cups and toothpaste from a tube, including several longitudinally-extending containers each having a bottom end, an open top end for receiving the health-related product and dispensing means at the bottom end for dispensing the health related product. The dispenser also includes a longitudinally-extending cup dispenser disposed adjacent to the containers and having a bottom end, an open top end for receiving cups and flexible retaining means at the bottom end for singly dispensing the cups. The dispenser also includes a longitudinally-extending toothpaste dispenser disposed adjacent to the containers for receiving a tube of toothpaste having a flat crimped end and a threaded open end. The toothpaste dispenser has a bottom with an aperture and an open top end for receiving the tube of toothpaste so that the threaded open end extends through the aperture. The toothpaste dispenser engages the flat crimped end of the tube and is guided toward the aperture to gradually flatten the tube and dispense the toothpaste.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bathroom dispenser which is suitable for gravity distribution of liquid solutions or granular materials. More specifically, it relates to a bathroom dispenser having several liquid or granular dispensers, with a cup dispenser and a toothpaste dispenser on each end thereof.
2. The Prior Art
Containers and dispenser are known for various uses in the home. Various containers and dispensers are discloses, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,971,678, to Cazeneuve; U.S. Pat. No. 2,781,152, to Van Slyke; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,078,016, to Judy. These patents disclose several liquid or granular material dispensers which are arranged adjacent to each other for mounting on a bathroom wall, for example.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,232,488, to Headberg, discloses an electro-mechanical dispenser for toothpaste. It would be desirable to have a dispenser with interchangeable units which would allow the user to select the dispensers most suitable to their needs. In addition, interchangeable dispensers could be easily removed from the main unit for refilling, cleaning or replacement, if damaged. Previously, a dispenser has not been available which provides several dispensers in conjunction with a paper cup dispenser and a manual toothpaste dispenser.

Multiple dispensing container for viscous materials, cups and toothpaste


An airflow register for an air conditioning system for an enclosure such as room within a house or an office within a building. The register includes a series of louvers which can be located in either an open position or a closed position. The open position permits air to flow through the register and the closed position prevents air from flowing through the register. Louvers are to be movable by a motor with this motor being operated by a light sensor mounted on the exterior surface of the register. Upon an observable lightened environment being detected by the light sensor, the motor is activated which will locate the louvers in the open position. Upon an observable darkened condition being sensed by the light sensor, the motor is activated which will locate the louvers in the closed position. A flow limiter may be used to keep the louvers slightly open when in the closed position to have some heated air enter the room when the ambient temperature is severely cold.

1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an enclosure air conditioning apparatus for rooms of houses and offices and more particularly to an airflow register which automatically is located either in an open position permitting passage of air therethrough or in a closed position preventing passage of air therethrough by respectively sensing of light or no light within the enclosure.
2) Description of the Prior Art
Air conditioning of an enclosure involves heating of the enclosure when the ambient temperature is below the comfortable level for a human and cooling the enclosure when the ambient temperature is above the comfortable level of a human. A common way to control the temperature within an enclosure is by a way of forced air heating and cooling. Included within the enclosure are a series of ducts with each duct being connected to the heater and air conditioner. The heater and air conditioner supplies heated and cooled air, respectively, into the ducts which in turn conducts the air to remote locations within the enclosure. Within forced air heating and cooling systems, a thermostat is required to control these systems. A thermostat is to be set at a prescribed temperature. If the enclosure temperature departs from the prescribed temperature, cooling or heating is appropriately activated to bring the enclosure temperature to the prescribed temperature.
Normally, a single thermostat will serve a single forced air central system. There is normally involved a plurality of different rooms within this single forced air central system. Registers are placed over the duct inlets into each room. The register constitutes a grill which covers the end of the duct in a generally attractive manner. This grill includes a series of louvers and these louvers can be moved from an open position to a closed position. With the louvers in a closed position, air from within the duct is not permitted to flow into the room. Only when the louvers are in the open position can heated or cooled air from the duct flow into the room. Therefore, airflow into the room is controlled by opening and closing of the louvers of the register of that room.
Within any home or business, there invariably are rooms that are not being utilized. If heat is being supplied to the central system based on a reading from a thermostat, the heat is being supplied to all rooms. The same is true for cooling. Heating or cooling may not be required in several of the rooms. However, heating and cooling is being supplied to the rooms which becomes a significant added expense to the homeowner or landlord of the business.
Generally a room when occupied is in a lighted condition. Generally also it can be said that for most rooms that, when the rooms are dark, the rooms are empty with the possible exception when humans are sleeping. Within most of the rooms, with the possible exception of the bedroom, the airflow can be eliminated or greatly reduced when the room is not lighted. This will save a substantial amount of expense in conjunction with heating and cooling for homes and offices each and every month.


A barrier for delimiting spaces, indicating paths, pointing out dangers and the like, comprising a tubular frame which has a closed shape and to which a sheet-like element made of extruded plastics and closed in a loop can be applied, the sheet-like element being anchored to two mutually opposite portions of the frame by shrinkage produced by a thermal treatment.

The present invention relates to a barrier for delimiting spaces, indicating paths, pointing out dangers and the like.
It is known that barriers for forming partitioning or delimiting elements are already commercially available and are generally formed by means of a tubular metal frame which has a closed shape and acts as a surrounding element, for example, for a plurality of bars which are welded to the frame or for a panel which is screwed to said frame.
Other solutions provide wood trestles or in any case elements which are always difficult to handle and have a considerable weight and bulk, causing serious problems in the transport and storage thereof.
Other enclosure solutions use plastic elements, such as nets and the like, but these solutions are generally flimsy and require supporting elements which must be fixed to the ground and therefore require an installation which is difficult to move.

Barrier for delimiting spaces, indicating paths, pointing out dangers and the like


A diesel combustion engine comprises multiple particulate filters and corresponding exhaust piping and valving in the exhaust manifold and/or exhaust line, configured to enable regeneration to occur in one of the DPF filters through heating the exhaust from a single cylinder of the engine, while the exhaust from the remaining cylinders is temporarily routed through the other DPF filter during the regeneration event. Flow redirection devices are placed within the DPF filters to direct flow of exhaust gas through the DPF filters during regeneration in a manner to facilitate complete regeneration, including in outer volumes along the interior walls of the DPF filters.

Diesel particulate filters (aka DPFs or PM filters) are gaining acceptance for reducing emissions of harmful particulate matter (PM) from diesel internal combustion engines. DPFs are an aftertreatment technology, generally being placed in the exhaust line downstream of the engine to catch particulate matter within the filter to prevent the harmful material from being released into the atmosphere.
In some circumstances, active regeneration of the DPF is needed to clear the DPF of accumulated particulate matter so that the DPF can continue to operate effectively in removing additional PM from the engine exhaust gas. Regeneration generally occurs by burning off the accumulated particulate matter. Known methods to regenerate a DPF include the use of an electrical resistance heater, and/or the use of an additional injection of fuel, to increase exhaust gas temperatures through the DPF. The high exhaust gas temperature, together with excess oxygen in the exhaust, combine to oxidize the carbon and organic PM in the filter, thereby producing carbon dioxide. A diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) is also sometimes placed upstream of the filter. As the oxidation reaction in the DOC is exothermic, placement of the DOC upstream of the filter results in increasing the exhaust temperature through the filter, for improved filter regeneration.
Nevertheless, by requiring electrical energy and/or the use of additional fuel, each of these active regeneration methods reduce the overall fuel efficiency of the internal combustion engine system. The energy lost in DPF regeneration can become particularly significant in engine systems with relatively cool exhaust temperatures and/or with particularly high engine-out PM levels, such as low temperature diesel combustion systems that use high levels of exhaust gas recirculation for reduced emissions of NOx.
It is therefore desirable in the art to provide an apparatus and methods for effective DPF regeneration with a reduced fuel efficiency penalty. While some have already advocated one way of improving the efficiency of DPF regeneration, by routing just a small portion of exhaust gas through the DPF during regeneration and bypassing the remainder of the exhaust gas around the DPF (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,216 to Rao, U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,737 to Lopez-Crevillen, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,066 to Bly), such prior systems would result in (i) an increase in emissions during the regeneration process, and/or (ii) potential significant complication of engine management strategies occasioned by significant changes in combustion and exhaust characteristics in each of the engine's cylinders during the regeneration event.

Diesel particulate filter regeneration system

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency


A two-line roll stand has a frame, an upper shaft on the frame, and two lower shafts on the frame spaced horizontally from each other below the upper shaft and forming with the upper shaft an isosceles triangle. Identical drive units each have a pair of rolls and gearing connected to the respective rolls. The lower shafts each carry three drive units and the upper shaft carries at least four of the drive units. The drive units of the lower shafts define a pair of roll lines spaced below and symmetrically flanking the upper shaft. The upper-shaft drive units are aligned on the lines with the rolls of the respective lower-shaft drive units. A single motor has an output directly connected to drive gears on the shafts for synchronously rotating all the shafts and thereby rotating all the rolls via the respective bevel gears and the respective drive units.

The present invention relates to a roll stand. More particularly this invention concerns a compact rod-rolling stand with two rolling lines.
In the hot-rolling of rod, typically immediately after it is cast as a billet or bloom, it is known to use a roll stand having a succession of pairs of rolls, vertical pairs alternating with horizontal pairs, that serve to reduce the cross-sectional size of the incoming workpiece to the desired small rod cross section.
With small calibers it is understood that the procedure is quite expensive, both because of the process time as well as due to its complexity. Thus in order to insure acceptable productivity, the rolling speed must always be increased, speeds of 100 m/sec being exceeded by far.
The solution is the split-roll procedure such as shown in Japanese 60-130,401. This produces two strands from a single incoming strip and passes each of the individual strands through a series of roll pairs, with each succeeding roll pair oriented 90xc2x0 offset from the preceding one. Similarly it is possible to expand this method and reduce a flat strip to four or more strands that are individually rolled. Thus, starting with a square-section bloom or billet some 160 mm on a side coming straight from the furnace, it is possible to produce rod at a rate of for example 37 ton/hour.
It is also possible to use horizontally arranged winding machines, for instance of the Edembor(trademark) type to produce rod or wire with a diameter smaller than 5.5 mm by means of several rolling lines.
Such use of multiple rolling lines greatly increases the complexity and also the overall size of the treatment plant.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved dual-line rolling stand.
Another object is the provision of such an improved dual-line rolling stand which overcomes the above-given disadvantages, that is which is quite compact and of relatively simple and inexpensive construction.
A further object is to provide a roll stand which is particularly easy to service and repair.
A two-line roll stand has according to the invention a frame, an upper shaft on the frame, and two lower shafts on the frame spaced horizontally from each other below the upper shaft and centered on axes forming with an axis of the upper shaft an isosceles triangle. A plurality of identical drive units each have a pair of rolls and gearing connected to the respective rolls. The lower shafts each carry at least two of the drive units and the upper shaft carries at least four of the drive units. Respective bevel gears on the shafts are connected to the gearing of the drive units. The drive units of one of the lower shafts are tipped outward away from the drive units of the other lower shaft with the rollers of the lower-shaft drive units defining a pair of roll lines spaced below and symmetrically flanking the upper shaft. The upper-shaft drive units are tipped downward with the rollers of each upper-shaft drive unit aligned on the lines with the rolls of the respective lower-shaft drive units. A single motor has an output directly connected to drive gears on the shafts for synchronously rotating all the shafts and thereby rotating all the rolls via the respective bevel gears and the gearing of the respective drive units.
Thus this system uses identical drive units so as to simplify servicing the machine. Furthermore the use of three shafts oriented on a triangle with interleaved pairs of rolls makes the stand very compact, in particular longitudinally parallel to the roll lines.
According to the invention the lower shafts each carry the same predetermined number of the drive units and the upper shaft carries twice as many of the drive units. In one preferred embodiment each lower shaft carries three of the drive units and the upper shaft carries six of the drive units. The longitudinal spacing parallel to the lines between the upper-shaft drive units is half a longitudinal spacing between the lower-shaft drive units.
Furthermore in accordance with the invention seen in vertical section the axes of the shafts form with the lines a substantially equilateral pentagon.


In a plating apparatus 10, a known control signal for detection is supplied from a computer 50 to a motor 13 in advance; the motor 13 is rotated at a variable speed within a predetermined range; and the displacement of a basket 18 is detected by a displacement sensor 30 to obtain displacement characteristics data. Next, the computer 50 controls the rotating operation of the motor 13 through a motor controller 60 to put the basket 18 in a desired optimum state of vibration using the obtained displacement characteristics data and data of an optimum amplitude for the plating process obtained in advance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vibrational processing apparatus and methods including apparatus and methods for plating small electronic components such as laminated chip capacitors and including barrel-polishing apparatus for applying vibration to an object to be processed to perform processes such as plating and polishing thereon. More particularly, the present invention relates to a vibrational processing apparatus and method capable of controlling the state of vibration to optimize vibration applied to an object to be processed.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 9 shows a structure of a plating apparatus as an example of conventional vibrational processing apparatus. For example, a plating apparatus as illustrated is disclosed in Japanese unexamined patent publication (KOKAI) No. H5-70999. This plating apparatus 1 includes a vibration generating portion 2, a vibration transfer member 7 for transferring vibrational energy generated by the vibration generation portion 2, and a basket 8 connected to the vibration transfer member 7 for containing an object to be plated such as a chip type electronic component. The basket 8 constitutes a negative electrode. A plating process is performed with the basket 8 immersed in a plating solution in a plating solution bath 9.
The vibrational generating portion 2 includes a motor 3. An eccentric load 4 is added to the rotating shaft of the motor 3. The motor 3 is mounted on a supporting frame 5 which is elastically supported on the bottom of a case through springs 6. With such a structure, rotation of the motor 3 causes periodic fluctuations of the balance between an eccentric force produced by the eccentric load 4 and an elastic supporting force provided by the springs 6, thereby causing a swinging motion of the supporting frame 5 as a whole. Then, vibrational energy is transferred to the basket 8 through the vibration transfer member 7 connected to the supporting frame 5 to cause the basket 8 to vibrate in the plating solution periodically. As a result, objects to be plated and steel balls or media placed in the basket 8 are agitated and mixed by the vibration of the basket 8. This allows the objects to be plated to be agitated in appropriate contact with the basket 8 and therefore allows formation of uniform plating films on the surface of the objects to be plated.
The rotational speed of the motor 3 of the conventional plating apparatus is set at a fixed value. Therefore, the vibrational energy which can be generated by the vibration generating portion 2 is fixed. However, the characteristic frequencies of vibrating portions including the basket 8 vary depending on the amount, size and weight of the objects to be plated and steel balls or media charged in the basket 8. This results in a change in the degree of the agitation of the objects to be plated in the basket 8. Therefore, even if the rotational speed of the motor 3 is preset so as to apply optimum vibration to the objects to be plated, it has been necessary to reset conditions such as the rotational speed of the motor 3 by detecting optimum vibrating conditions using detecting equipment or the like each time conditions of the objects to be plated or the like contained in the basket 8 are changed. Such an operation has required much time and labor, reducing the efficiency of a plating process. Further, there has been a problem in that the thickness of plating on an object to be plated can vary because of insufficient agitation of the object if the resetting of the rotating condition of the motor 3 and the like is not carried out.
Further, the problems as described above have occurred in conventional barrel polishing apparatus. Specifically, when polishing is performed by applying vibration to an object to be polished and an abradant or medium placed in the barrel pot, the state of vibration of the barrel pot varies if the size, weight, and quality of the object to be polished vary depending on the process. This has resulted in a problem in that much time and labor is required for resetting the optimum vibrating conditions.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a vibrational processing apparatus capable of applying the optimum vibrating conditions to an object to be processed even if processing conditions such as the size and quantity of the object to be processed are changed.

Vibrational processing apparatus and method


An aircraft emergency exit door indication system may comprise a first plurality of light sources, a controller, and a first sensor associated with a first exit door. The first sensor feedback signal indicates an availability for egress through the first exit door. The first plurality of light sources is operated by the controller based upon the first sensor feedback signal. The light sources may be lights that already exist in an aircraft such as ceiling wash lights, sidewall wash lights, floor path lights, dome lights, or passenger service unit lights. The system may include a second plurality of light sources logically separated from the first plurality of light sources based upon its location relative to the first exit door and a second exit door.

In many situations and environments, it is desirable to provide emergency systems that direct persons to exits or other areas of safety. Areas such as airplanes may require systems to direct persons in the event of an emergency. It may be desirable for such systems to have certain characteristics to be effective. They should be highly visible, both in darkness and in situations where smoke or other environmental conditions reduce visibility. They should be able to communicate escape routes effectively and unambiguously to users. Finally, they should be able to guide persons to the most accessible exit in the vicinity of the persons.
The current method for identification of exit areas include static signs and phosphorescent floor marking. During an emergency event, confusion and panic may occur and instructions given by the flight crew relative to location of emergency exits may be forgotten or misinterpreted.


An evaporator evaporates a working fluid by heat from a battery. The evaporator includes at least one evaporation channel connected to the battery in a thermally conductive manner. The evaporator includes a supply channel connected to an upstream end of the evaporation channel, and supplies the working fluid in liquid phase from the supply channel to the evaporation channel. The evaporator includes an outflow channel connected with a downstream end of the evaporation channel, and discharges the working fluid. The outflow channel is disposed above the supply channel, and the supply channel is disposed at a position more insulated from the heat of the battery than the evaporation channel is.

As a device provided with an evaporator of this type, for example, a battery temperature adjusting device has been conventionally known. The battery temperature adjusting device is a thermosiphon cooling device, for example. The battery temperature adjusting device includes a heat medium cooling unit as a condenser, and a temperature adjusting unit as an evaporator. The heat medium cooling unit and the temperature adjusting unit are connected to each other in a circuit by piping, and the battery temperature adjusting device is configured such that a heat medium (that is, a working fluid) circulates between the heat medium cooling unit and the temperature adjusting unit.
The temperature adjusting unit is disposed so as to be in contact with lateral surfaces of multiple battery cells constituting an assembled battery, and cools the assembled battery by evaporation of a heat medium.


A rectangular substrate 12 composed of c-plane sapphire is prepared. Nickel serving as a catalytic metal is deposited on the entirety of an upper surface of the substrate 12 to form a catalytic metal film 14 (see (a)). The catalytic metal film 14 is patterned by a lithography method into a catalytic metal film 16 having a predetermined shape (see (b)). The temperature of the catalytic metal film 16 is raised to 1000° C. and maintained at 1000° C. for 20 minutes. The temperature of the catalytic metal film 16 is lowered from 1000° C. to 800° C. at a rate of 5° C./min. The temperature of the catalytic metal film 16 is maintained at 800° C. for 15 hours. Thereby, a catalytic metal layer 17 having large grains is provided (see (c)).

Graphene is a two-dimensional material which is a planar monolayer composed of fused six-membered rings of carbon atoms. It is said that graphene has an electron mobility 100 or more times higher than silicon. In recent years, a transistor including graphene serving as a channel material has been reported (see PTL 1). In PTL 1, a film pattern composed of a catalytic metal is formed on an insulating substrate by evaporation. A graphene sheet is grown on the film pattern. Then a drain electrode and a source electrode are formed on both sides of the graphene sheet, and a gate electrode is formed on the graphene sheet with a gate insulating film provided therebetween. Here, the film pattern of the catalytic metal is separated by an insulating film. However, the graphene sheet has a structure in which graphene sheet portions extend from the film pattern located on both sides of an insulating separation film and are connected together on the insulating separation film because the graphene sheet portions extend transversely from ends of the film pattern. The literature states that examples of the catalytic metal used include metals, such as cobalt, iron, and nickel.

Method for producing catalytic metal layer and method for producing graphene material