A method of sealing a joint between components especially in an aircraft comprises the steps of identifying the sealing gap to be sealed; selecting a suitable sealing material having a fractional maximum sealing thickness and a fractional fully-compressed thickness and selecting a suitable thickness of that sealing material, based on a consideration of the fractional maximum sealing thickness and the fractional fully-compressed thickness of the sealing material and on the sealing gap; locating, between the mating surfaces of the components to be sealed, the suitable thickness of the suitable sealing material; and fastening the components together.

The invention relates to a method of sealing a joint and, in particular, to a method of sealing an interfay joint during the manufacture of an aircraft.
In the manufacture of an aircraft it is necessary to provide fluid-tight sealing in many of the joints between components, for example, to prevent fuel leakage from fuel tanks or air leakage from pressurised cabins and to prevent water ingress into joints and consequent corrosion in those joints. Joints between components of an airframe are known as interfay joints.
The requirements for sealants used in aircraft include resistance to fuel and water, chemical compatibility with the metals and coatings used in the aircraft components and reliable maintenance of sealing performance over a wide temperature range and over the lifetime of the aircraft.
Polysulphide sealants are known for use in a range of sealing applications and, in particular, are known for use in sealing airframe interfay joints. The polysulphide sealant is typically cured via an oxidative mechanism promoted by a transition metal oxide, for example, manganese dioxide or dichromate compounds or via an organic chemical reaction, for example, epoxidation or condensation esterification. In general, the polysulphide sealants are currently used in aircraft manufacture are two-component systems, with the mixing of the components being done shortly before use of the sealant (one-component polysulphide sealants are known but do not, in general, meet the demanding requirements for use in aircraft).
In aircraft manufacture, the components to be assembled into the joint will usually be of lightweight aluminium alloy and will usually be painted prior to assembly. The joining or mating faces are first prepared by cleaning with a suitable solvent, light abrasion and wiping dry. Freshly-mixed sealant is then applied directly on to at least one mating face and the components are offered together and then fastened with bolts or the like. That known method of joint assembly suffers from a number of disadvantages, including:                the premixing of the sealant components prior to use is labour-intensive, messy and requires accurate control and measurement of the levels of curing promoter in order to ensure that the period during which the sealant remains workable (the "work life") is sufficient for the planned joint assembly;        the work life and the time required to cure the sealant both depend, inter alia, on the local conditions, in particular, humidity and temperature;        application of the correct amount of liquid sealant requires skill and experience;        the joint must not be disturbed until the sealant is cured which in practice may mean that no further work can be carried out on the components for a period of several days; and        during tightening of the bolts, the liquid sealant is squeezed away from the immediate vicinity of each bolt thereby allowing direct contact of the components such that subsequent relative movement of the components during the lifetime of the aircraft can cause the paint to rub off, leaving the joint vulnerable to corrosion (this is known as "fretting").
Our British patent application No. 0329891.6 "A Sealing Material" filed on 23 Dec. 2003, discloses solid sheet sealant materials comprising a cured polysulphide sealant and a reinforcing element, for example, glass fibre. In one process, the mixed polysulphide sealant is spread over the glass fibre and is then pressed in a press while the polysulphide cures to produce a sheet or film of cured polysulphide/glass fibre composite. In use, the sheet is cut into shape and fitted like a gasket in between the mating surfaces of two components. The components are then fastened together with bolts or the like to form the joint. As the fasteners are tightened, the metal of the components in the immediate vicinity of each fastener distorts such that in those areas the mating surfaces are brought closer together. A solid sealing material or gasket located between those surfaces will, however, reach a minimum thickness beyond which it cannot be compressed further, in contrast to the conventional liquid sealants which are entirely, or almost entirely, squeezed out of the vicinity of each fastener.
It is highly desirable for the sealing material to seal effectively in both the areas of high compression around the fasteners and in the areas of lower compression in the "quilted" pockets between the fasteners. In general, using an increased thickness of sealing material will improve the sealing action. However, using such an increased thickness of sealing material increases the weight of the aircraft, involves additional cost and reduces any contribution to the stiffness of the joint made by the sealing material.
The behaviour under compression of a particular solid sealing material depends upon the physical and chemical nature of the material but also depends upon the dimensions of the material and the effects of any fillers, reinforcing elements or voids in the material. Thus, for a sealant of a particular chemical type, such as a polysulphide sealant, the actual behaviour under compression shown by different sealing materials including that sealant may vary over a wide range.
For the above reasons, there is a need to improve the process of identifying the optimum sealing material and the thickness of that sealing material to be used in a joint.


A compact, ambient light sensitive flashing warning light that is removably attached to a traffic control device to alert on-coming motorists and pedestrians of a roadway condition. A photocell is connected between a light bulb and a battery voltage source so that illumination of the bulb can be made dependent upon ambient light conditions. The warning light includes a tapered attachment leg that is sized to fit through a hole in the top of a conventional hollow traffic cone, such that the warning light is removably attached to the cone by friction. As an alternate embodiment, the warning light may be interfaced with a bracket that is adapted to be fastened to other traffic control devices such as a conventional wooden barricade.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a battery powered ambient light sensitive flashing warning light to be removably attached to a traffic cone, barricade or similar traffic control device to alert on-coming motorists and pedestrians to a potentially hazardous roadway condition.
2. Background Art
Cones, delineators, barrels and barricades have long been used as traffic control devices to alert motorists and pedestrians to hazards, detours, closures, construction and similar temporary roadway conditions. However, these traffic control devices are often hard to see, particularly when it is very dark or when adverse whether conditions prevail. At night, a motorist may have to depend solely upon his headlights reflecting off a distant traffic control device to enable the motorist to first locate the device and then execute a maneuver corresponding with the particular roadway condition. However, it may be difficult to distinguish the traffic control device from a crowded background, especially when the motorist is tired or driving at a high rate of speed. The foregoing can lead to an accident if the motorist is not able to quickly and accurately detect the presence of a traffic control device so as to allow sufficient time to react to the existing roadway condition and execute a required maneuver.
Battery powered warning lights have been used in the past in place of or along side traffic control devices. Such conventional warning lights typically have a large lens in the order of about eight inches in diameter. Moreover, two large six volt batteries are commonly included to power the light. The foregoing results in the conventional warning light being undesirably large, heavy and expensive to manufacture. This expense is compounded in the event that the conventional light needs to be replaced because of theft, breakage or malfunction.
It would therefore be desirable to have a compact light weight and relatively inexpensive warning light available to be easily and removably attached to a traffic control device to draw attention to said device and thereby alert on-coming motorists and pedestrians to a roadway condition in time to permit the motorist or pedestrian to properly react in accordance with such condition.

Flashing warning light for a traffic control device


The present disclosure provides a method of treating a subject that is resistant to one or more drugs by identifying a subject having one or more drug resistant cells; administering to the subject a pharmaceutically effective amount of an inhibitor compound, and contacting one or more drug resistant cells with the inhibitor compound to reduce the export of the inhibitor compound from the one or more drug resistant tumor cells and to block the transport of drug(s) from the one or more drug resistant cells.

Without limiting the scope of the invention, its background is described in connection with P-glycoprotein.
A fundamental characteristic of cancerous cells that normal cells lack is the ability of the cancerous cells to sustain chronic proliferation. Uncontrolled proliferation of cells in the body often creates a serious pathological state that requires medical intervention. The use of cancer chemotherapy began in 1948 when Sidney Farber reported that treating patients with a folate-dependent leukemia with an anti-folate chemotherapy could lead to temporary remissions in several children. Unfortunately, the toxic side effects of these chemotherapeutic agents prohibited extended therapy at that time. Within 25 years, combinations of different chemotherapeutics, tailored to specific cancers, had become routine. The most successful contemporary treatments for serious cancers often include localized treatment via surgical or radiation techniques when possible, followed by systemic chemotherapies. These chemotherapies often involve the parenteral administration of very cytotoxic compounds in attempts to eliminate proliferating cancer cells that remain in the body, while trying to not affect normal cells to the same degree.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,214,664, entitled "Peptidyl prodrugs that resist P-glycoprotein mediated drug efflux" discloses dipeptide, tripeptide, and tetrapeptide ester derivatives of bioactive agents that are substrates effluxed by the P-glycoprotein transporter. The derivatives are said to be useful in treating the same condition as the bioactive agent and a method for preparing a bioactive agent for targeted delivery by nutrient or peptide transporters comprising linking the agent to one or more groups of the formula —X—Yn—Zn′—Z′n″—R; wherein each X, Y, Z, and Z′ is independently Met, Val, Thr, Tyr, Trp, Ser, Ala or Gly; R is independently H or an amino-protecting group; n=1, and each, n′, or n″ is independently 0 or 1.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,144,704; 6,630,327; 6,365,357; and 5,994,088, related to methods and reagents for preparing and using immunological agents specific for P-glycoprotein are directed to immunological reagents and methods specific for a mammalian, transmembrane P-glycoprotein, which is said to be a non-specific efflux pump activity, and is clinically-important in multidrug resistance in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. They disclose methods for developing and using immunological reagents specific for certain mutant forms of P-glycoprotein and for wild-type P-glycoprotein in a conformation associated with substrate binding, or in the presence of ATP depleting agents, provide improved methods for identifying and characterizing anticancer compounds.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,443, entitled "MDR resistance treatment and novel pharmaceutically active riminophenazines" and discloses the use of riminophenazines in the treatment of a patient who has built up, or could build up, resistance to a therapeutically active substance, such as a patient requiring treatment for cancer, and includes novel riminophenazines, their preparation, and compositions containing them.
United States Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0068786, entitled "Methods and compositions for reversing P-glycoprotein medicated drug resistance," discloses a method for inhibiting therapeutic drug resistance within a cell over-expressing a membrane protein is provided, wherein the method comprises synthesizing a dimeric prodrug inhibitor of a monomeric therapeutic agent; administering the dimeric prodrug inhibitor to the membrane protein together with the monomeric therapeutic agent; and occupying at least one substrate binding site of the membrane protein with the synthesized dimeric prodrug to allow the monomeric therapeutic agent to accumulate within the cell. The dimeric prodrug inhibitor contains a crosslinking agent that is adapted to breakdown under reducing conditions within the cytosol of the cell to cause the dimeric prodrug to revert back to a form equivalent to the monomeric therapeutic agent.
Multidrug resistance is a significant problem in the pharmaceutical industry, and may be achieved by the activation of cellular membrane transporters. Drugs and certain proteins are transported across the membranes by energy-activated pumps where the outer membrane component of these pumps is a channel that opens from a sealed resting state during the transport process. For example, exporter proteins confer drug resistance by pumping the drug out of the cell before the drug can function or exert its intended effect (e.g., kill a cancer cell). Classical inhibitors of the exporter proteins are bulky hydrophobic molecules that overload the capacity of the hydrolysis of two ATP molecules to expel the drug by disruption of the hydrophobic associations, but these inhibitors lack specificity and are associated with significant side effects, disrupting important functions in tissues throughout the body.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,626,452, entitled "Compositions and methods for optimizing drug hydrophobicity and drug delivery to cells," discloses methods to determine drug hydrophobicity and to quantify changes in drug hydrophobicity that optimize drug function by means of differential scanning calorimetry of an endothermic phase transition of a base protein-based polymer, specifically of an elastic-contractile model protein, to which is attached to the drug to be evaluated for its hydrophobicity in terms of the change in Gibbs free energy for hydrophobic association have been developed. Also described is the preparation of nanoparticles comprised of protein-based polymers, specifically of elastic-contractile model proteins, designed for the binding and desired release rate of a specific drug or class of drugs. Further described is a means of targeting the drug-laden nanoparticle to a cell by means of decorating the nanoparticle surface with a molecular entity that selectively binds to the diseased cell or disease causing organism, e.g., by decorating the drug-laden nanoparticle surface with synthetic antigen-binding fragment to an up-regulated receptor characteristic of the diseased cell.
The present disclosure provides a method of treating a subject having a cancer that is resistant to one or more chemotherapeutic drugs by identifying a subject having one or more drug resistant cancer cells; administering to the subject a pharmaceutically effective amount of an inhibitor compound having one of the following structural formulas:
andcontacting one or more drug resistant cancer cells with the inhibitor compound to reduce the drug resistance of the cancer cells. In one aspect, the inhibitor compound can reduce the export of the inhibitor compound from the one or more drug resistant tumor cells and/or block the transport of chemotherapeutic drug(s) from the one or more drug resistant cancer cells. In one aspect, the inhibitor compound interacts with an exporter protein. In another aspect, inhibitor compound is a P-glycoprotein inhibitor. In another aspect, the inhibitor compound interacts with drug-toxin pumping structures of a P-glycoprotein. In another aspect, the inhibitor compound interacts with ATP binding domain(s) of a P-glycoprotein and the inhibitor compound does not bind to drug binding site(s) on the P-glycoprotein. In another aspect, the inhibitor compound is minimally transported by a P-glycoprotein. In another aspect, the one or more drug resistant cancer cells are one or more multidrug resistant tumor cells. In another aspect, the one or more drug resistant cancer cells are lymphoma, leukemia, cancer stem cells, nonsmall-cell lung cancer, liver cancer, encephaloma, leukocythemia, carcinoma of prostate, intestine cancer, myeloma tumor, lymphoma, breast carcinoma, ovarian cancer, gastric cancer, small cell lung cancer, esophageal carcinoma, esophageal carcinoma, and sarcoma. In another aspect, further comprises the step of administering one or more chemotherapeutic agents to the subject.
The present disclosure provides a method of sensitization and re-sensitization of a cancer cell to a chemotherapeutic by identifying a subject having one or more cancer cells in need of sensitization and re-sensitization to one or more chemotherapeutics; administering to the subject a pharmaceutically effective amount of an inhibitor compound having one of the following structural formulas:
andcontacting one or more cancer cells with the inhibitor compound to reduce the export of the inhibitor compound from the one or more cancer cells and to block the transport of the one or more chemotherapeutic drug(s) from the one or more cancer cells to sensitization or re-sensitization of the one or more cancer cells to the one or more chemotherapeutic drug(s). In one aspect, the inhibitor compound interacts with an exporter protein. In another aspect, inhibitor compound is a P-glycoprotein inhibitor. In another aspect, the inhibitor compound interacts with drug-toxin pumping structures of a P-glycoprotein. In another aspect, the inhibitor compound interacts with ATP binding domain(s) of a P-glycoprotein and the inhibitor compound does not bind to drug binding site(s) on the P-glycoprotein. In another aspect, the inhibitor compound is minimally transported by a P-glycoprotein. In another aspect, the one or more drug resistant cancer cells are one or more multidrug resistant tumor cells. In another aspect, the one or more drug resistant cancer cells are lymphoma, leukemia, cancer stem cells, nonsmall-cell lung cancer, liver cancer, encephaloma, leukocythemia, carcinoma of prostate, intestine cancer, myeloma tumor, lymphoma, breast carcinoma, ovarian cancer, gastric cancer, small cell lung cancer, esophageal carcinoma, esophageal carcinoma, and sarcoma. In another aspect, further comprises the step of administering one or more chemotherapeutic agents to the subject.
The present disclosure also provides a method of increasing an efficacy of one or more chemotherapeutics and/or decreasing toxicity of one or more chemotherapeutic treatments by identifying a subject having one or more cancer cells; administering to the subject one or more chemotherapeutics; administering to the subject a pharmaceutically effective amount of an inhibitor compound having one of the following formulas:
andcontacting one or more cancer cells with the inhibitor compound to reduce the export of the inhibitor compound from the one or more cancer cells and to block the transport of the one or more chemotherapeutics from the one or more cancer cells to increasing the efficacy of the one or more chemotherapeutics and/or decreasing toxicity of the one or more chemotherapeutic treatments.
The present disclosure provides a method of increasing the penetration of an agent through the blood brain barrier or the blood testis barrier by identifying a subject in need of increasing the penetration of an agent through the blood brain barrier or the blood testis barrier; administering to the subject a pharmaceutically effective amount of an inhibitor compound having one of the following formulas:
andwherein the inhibitor compound reduces the export of the inhibitor compound from the one or more cells and increases the penetration of the agent through the blood brain barrier or the blood testis barrier.
The present disclosure provides a method of decreasing the P-glycoprotein activity of a cancer patient who has built up resistance to a therapeutically active agent used in the treatment of cancer to reduce the resistance to further treatment with the substance by administering to a cancer patient before further treatment, during treatment or after treatment with the therapeutically active agent, an amount of an inhibitor compound having one of the following structural formulas:
andto reduce the export of the inhibitor compound, and to block the transport of the therapeutically active agent from one or more cancer cells of the cancer patient.
The present disclosure provides a method of reducing the likelihood of developing a resistance to a therapeutically active agent by administering to a patient before further treatment, during treatment or after treatment with the therapeutically active agent, an amount of an inhibitor compound having one of the following structural formulas:
andto reduce the export of the inhibitor compound and to block the transport of the therapeutically active agent from one or more cells of the patient.
The present disclosure provides a method for modulating the activity of a cell membrane transporter in a biologic tissue by contacting a tissue having a cell membrane transporter with a pharmaceutically effective amount of an inhibitor compound having one of the following structural formulas:

The present disclosure provides a method for treating a disease or condition in a mammal or avian resulting from an activity of a cell membrane transporter by administering to said mammal or avian a therapeutically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition having the structural formulas:
andor pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof and a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.

Inhibitors of multidrug resistance transporter P-glycoprotein


A dynamic quote window for a securities system includes a quote montage that displays quotes from market participants to buy or sell a security and a plurality of controls disposed proximate to the quote montage, each of the controls displaying a price level and aggregated quote size at the price level for the security. The aggregate controls display aggregated quotes at various price levels that represents publically displayed, available liquidity. Market participants can see the depth of the quotes at the inside. Also described in a multi-order window which when populated and transmitted can generate orders to capture all shares available at the price corresponding to the aggregate interest control depressed and better.

This invention relates to display of orders and quotes in electronic markets.
Electronic equity markets, such as The Nasdaq Stock Market® display pre-trade information to all market participants. Such markets often have multiple systems to receive the pre-trade information. One system may be for small orders whereas another may be for larger orders or orders that get executed in different manner, e.g., by negotiation rather than auto execution.
In a market such as Nasdaq small orders are delivered by the Nasdaq Stock Market's Small Order Execution System ("SOES"). The SOES provides a simple and efficient vehicle to execute small agency orders at the so called inside quote, report trades for public dissemination, and send trades to clearing for comparison and settlement. In the SOES system, trading is done automatically and is negotiation-free. In response to the October 1987 market break, SOES was enhanced in several respects to provide individual investors with guaranteed liquidity and assured access to market makers in times of market disruption. In particular, SOES participation was made mandatory for all market makers in Nasdaq national market securities.
An example of another system used to access the same market is the Nasdaq Stock Market's SelectNet, originally referred to as the Order Confirmation Transaction Service ("OCT"). SelectNet provides an alternative to telephone contact among trading desks for negotiating trades. SelectNet is an electronic screen-based order routing system that allows market makers and order-entry firms (collectively referred to as "participants") to negotiate securities transactions in market securities through computer communications rather than relying on the telephone. Unlike SOES, SelectNet offers the opportunity to negotiate for a larger size or a price superior to the current inside price, i.e., best bid best offer.
SelectNet currently allows subscribers to direct, or "preference" orders to specified market makers or to broadcast orders to all market participants. Although SelectNet is an order delivery service, rather than an order execution service, a preferenced SelectNet order presented to a market maker at its displayed quote generally gives rise to liability under SEC Rule 11Ac1-1 ("Firm Quote Rule") for the market maker to execute the transaction at that price.
SelectNet is the link to Electronic Communications Networks ("ECNs"). OTC market makers are required to make publicly available any superior prices that the market maker privately quotes through an ECN. A market maker may comply with this requirement by changing its quote to reflect the superior price or, in the alternative, may deliver better priced orders to an ECN provided that the ECN disseminates these priced orders to the public quotation system and provides broker-dealers equivalent access to these orders.


There is provided a substrate processing method for performing an etching processing by immersing a substrate in a processing liquid containing a chemical liquid and silicon, the substrate processing method including: a preparation step of setting a supply flow rate of the chemical liquid based on a replenishment amount of the chemical liquid and a replenishment amount of the silicon; and a replenishment step of supplying the chemical liquid at the set supply flow rate of the chemical liquid and dissolving a set replenishment amount of the silicon in the processing liquid.

Conventionally, a technique has been known for performing an etching processing on a substrate by immersing the substrate in a processing liquid containing a chemical liquid and silicon. In such a technique, when the processing liquid is decreased, the silicon concentration of the treatment liquid is adjusted to a predetermined concentration by immersing a dummy substrate in the processing liquid replenished with the chemical liquid and the processing liquid is replenished.
However, in the substrate processing method described above, since the dummy substrate is immersed in the processing liquid after replenishing the chemical liquid, the step of replenishing the chemical liquid and the step of adjusting the silicon concentration are performed separately. Thus, in the above substrate processing method, the number of working steps increases, and thus there is a concern that the replenishment time of the processing liquid may be prolonged.

Substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus


Embodiments described herein may operate to image a scene with an imaging system using an image blurring technique. An image sensor array (ISA) element may be identified as a dark defect element if a first ratio of an average of a set of illuminance signal magnitudes from a set of surrounding ISA elements to a magnitude of an illuminance signal from the ISA element is greater than a threshold sharpness value. The image sensor array element may be identified as a bright defect element if a second ratio of the magnitude of the illuminance signal from the ISA element to the average of the set of illuminance signal magnitudes from the set of surrounding ISA elements is greater than the threshold sharpness value.

Image sensors are widely used in a variety of consumer electronic devices, including digital cameras and cellular telephones with built-in digital cameras. An image sensor may comprise a matrix of sensor elements. If one or more sensor elements are defective or occluded, this condition may degrade image quality.
Sensor elements may include "bright defects" and "dark defects," perhaps causing them to be unusable. Some bright and dark defects may be of a "stuck pixel" variety. That is, an output signal from a stuck sensor element may register a fixed signal level regardless of the brightness of light incident to the element. The terms "defective element" and "unusable element" are used interchangeably herein. "Brightness of light" may hereinafter be referred to using the more precise term "illuminance." Units of lux, or lumens per square meter, may be used as a measure of illuminance.
An image sensor may convert light to analog sensor element output signals. An analog to digital converter (ADC) may convert the sensor element output signals to a digital format. A least significant bit (LSB) associated with the ADC may establish a granularity with which illuminance sensed by the sensor element may be measured. Thus, in the field of digital imaging, illuminance may also be expressed in LSB units.
A dark defect may also result from a dust particle lodged against the sensor element, blocking some or all of the light that might otherwise impinge on the element. If all light is blocked, the sensor element output signal may remain fixed as the illuminance incident to the sensor element changes. If the incident light is only partially blocked, and the partially-blocked sensor element is not stuck, the element output signal may vary as the incident illuminance varies. In the latter case, however, the output signal may not be as large as if the sensor element were not partially blocked.
Some methods are available to identify unusable sensor elements at a production facility following fabrication. For example, each production sensor may be tested and calibrated under controlled conditions. Such methods may incur substantial cost, and may fail to identify dark defects resulting from dust particles.
Consider, for example, a cellular telephone with a built-in camera. The camera sensor may have been tested and calibrated at the semiconductor manufacturing facility, following fabrication and before shipment to a cellular telephone manufacturer. During camera module assembly, a dust particle inside the camera module may break free and land on the surface of one or more sensor elements. The resulting dark defect may subsequently manifest itself as a cluster of dark pixels on captured images. Thus, there is a need to identify and rectify such defects.

Image sensor defect identification using blurring techniques


A three dimensional figure eight propeller/impeller blade apparatus is provided which may be used to propel a vehicle, power a shaft, create a vacuum, or move a medium. The blade apparatus is made from an elongated strip of generally flat material. In one embodiment, the ends of the flat strip of material are joined together to form two loops having an overall three dimensional figure eight configuration. In forming the loops, the upper and lower surfaces of the flat strip of material are continuously maintained relative to each other.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains in general to the field of propelling apparatus for generation of a thrust or for fluid flow, and in particular to the field of blade apparatus for powering a shaft, propelling a vehicle or for pumping a fluid, gas, liquid, or any other mixture, or any other medium.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Blades are used in various devices such as propellers, turbines, pumps, blowers, fans and other like apparatus. In general, such blades are twisted and angled to either propel a medium such as a liquid, gas or slurry past the blades or to cause a medium to impinge upon the blades to cause rotation of the blades about a shaft. For example, a boat propeller generally consists of two or more blades attached to a hub or shaft with the blades being twisted and raked backwards. The blades are symmetrically arranged around the circumference of the hub. The overall diameter, the amount of rake and the pitch of the blades all play a part in the performance of a propeller. Blades having a low pitch angle are generally more power producing than a blade having a high pitch angle. A higher pitch angle generally produces greater speed. Airplane propellers and fan blades are not unlike boat propellers, the only difference being that air is moved rather than water. The basic design of such blades has not changed for many years.
Pump impellers, on the other hand, come in many different designs. There are gear pumps, centrifugal pumps, turbine pumps and others. The only real difference between a pump impeller and a propeller is that one is designed to move a vehicle while the other is designed to move a medium. In actuality both devices move mediums. The boat itself moves because of the reaction of the propeller to the water as the water is being "pumped" past the propeller.
While there exist a number of inventions which are said to increase the performance of propellers and impellers, these inventions utilize the basic blade designs as explained above. Such inventions include changes to the rake and pitch angles, adding vanes to the blades, etc. But, the basic shape of the blade remains the same and the problems remain the same, i.e., the achievable rake and pitch are limited. Only the axial flow components serve to propel a vehicle, pump a medium or power a shaft. The transverse flow components are simply wasted energy.
Accordingly, there is still a need in the art for a propeller/impeller blade with improved rake and pitch, so that transverse energy is not diminished at the center or edges of the propeller/impeller blade(s). Any such device should allow for the use of a wide range of materials to accommodate different applications and decrease the cost. The present invention is particularly suited to overcome those problems which remain in the art in a manner not previously known.
Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a propeller/impeller blade apparatus which has improved performance characteristics over the blades of conventional propellers, blowers, fans, pump impellers, etc.
Another object of the present invention is to provide propeller/impeller blade apparatus which can be used for pumping, turning a shaft and propelling applications.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a propeller/impeller blade apparatus which has improved performance characteristics over conventional blades as used in propelling, power conversion and pumping devices.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a pumping or thrust-producing blade which is of simple construction and therefore economical to manufacture.


A reflector array antenna is divided into independent subarrays each comprising at least two radiating elements adapted firstly to collect signals delivered by a source and having at least one chosen first polarization and secondly to send phase-shifted signals having at least one chosen second polarization orthogonal to the first polarization. Each subarray sums the collected signals as a function of a chosen first phase law so that they correspond to a chosen source pointing direction, applies a chosen phase shift to the summed signals, and distributes the phase-shifted signals between the radiating elements as a function of a chosen second phase law so that the radiating elements of each subarray radiate them in a pointing direction of a chosen area. The combining and distribution are effected separately and the subarrays are therefore of a nonreciprocal type.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is that of array antennas and more particularly that of reflector array antennas.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are two large families of array antennas, namely phased array antennas (PAA) and reflector array antennas (RAA).
Array antennas must be reconfigurable in order to move from one coverage area ("spot") to another.
In the case of phased array antennas, reconfigurability may be obtained by dividing the array into subarrays each associated with an active phase control device. The reconfigurability of the antenna then depends on only one constraint, namely the dimensions of each subarray, which depend on the dimensions of the coverage area to which the antenna must point.
In the case of reflector array antennas, it is essential that the radiating elements intercept with minimum losses the waves carrying the transmitted signals, which are delivered by a source. Now, the angle of incidence at which the radiating elements receive the waves varies as a function of their positions relative to the source. For certain arrays it may vary from 0° to 50°. An angular variation of this magnitude makes it particularly difficult both to receive waves coming from the source with a high gain and to transmit (or send) received waves over the whole of the pointed to coverage area with a high gain.
Reflector array antennas therefore routinely employ relatively undirectional radiating elements, with a typical dimension from 0.6λ to 0.7λ, where λ represents the operating wavelength. Reconfiguring the antenna diagram of this kind of antenna therefore necessitates equipping each radiating element with a phase control device. However, this kind of solution may lead to prohibitive costs.
Thus an object of the invention is to improve on this situation in the case of reflector array antennas.

Low-loss reconfigurable reflector array antenna


Methods and systems, including computer program products, for determining a plurality of color clusters based on a plurality of pixels associated with a color image, the clusters being fewer than the pixels. A grayscale value for each one of a plurality of points in a color space is determined. Each grayscale value is based on a weighted average of target differences between each point and the clusters. Each of the pixels is associated with one or more of the points. A grayscale value for each pixel is identified based on the grayscale value of the associated one or more points.

The present disclosure relates to image processing.
Despite the widespread availability of color cameras and color displays, black-and-white imagery is still used in artistic endeavors and in the design of algorithms in image processing and computer vision that require a single value per pixel. Black-and-white printing is also less expensive than color printing. Therefore, the conversion of color images to grayscale images is an interesting problem in many workflows. The goal is to preserve the visual information present in the original image while removing chrominance information.
Typical techniques for preserving visual information while mapping colors to grayscale attempt to preserve the difference between every pair of colors in the color image in the grayscale version of the image. After all differences have been computed, nonlinear minimization is typically done to find the grayscale value for each color that best preserves the color differences.
But such techniques can take a great deal of time to convert large color images and fail to provide an interactive experience to an end user. This is very important because users may not have a clear idea of what the desired output should look like, and many possibilities may need to be examined. Moreover, any color space uses a specific layout of colors that may not be desirable to users. For example, since red and green are opposites in the CIE-Lab color space, only one is commonly favored as being brighter in the grayscale image. Similarly, blue and yellow objects of equal luminance are commonly not both bright. An additional drawback is that such techniques may not allow users to control parameters for processes implementing such techniques.

Fast, adaptive color to grayscale conversion


In a display device with a buffer amplifier which receives an input signal on a positive input terminal, has an output terminal connected to a negative input terminal, and outputs a stabilized output signal, a switch for connecting the positive input terminal and the output terminal is provided. By switching the switch ON, the output of the buffer amplifier is set close to the input.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to display devices with an amplifier circuit which stabilizes an input signal and outputs a stabilized output signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, flat panel display devices such as liquid crystal display devices are commercialized. In particular, a small size, light weight display device is necessary for a portable device, and, for example, a liquid crystal display device is primarily used in a portable phone or the like.
In the liquid crystal display device, because high resolution images are also displayed, an active matrix type liquid crystal display device is used which has a pixel circuit in each display pixel and which can display a high-resolution image.
In the liquid crystal display device or the like, a data line is provided corresponding to each column of pixels arranged in a matrix and a data signal for each pixel is supplied to each pixel through the data line. The data line is relatively long and has a capacitor for storing a data signal. Therefore, when a data signal is supplied onto the data line, a buffer amplifier is provided to increase a current supplying capability and the signal is stabilized in advance. Such an amplifier circuit is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 11-150427.
A difference occurs among inputs and outputs of buffer amplifiers due to, for example, variation or the like in the characteristics of the transistor which is a part of the buffer amplifier. When the voltage varies in the data for display, the display brightness varies, and thus there is a demand to minimize the variation in the voltage.


The invention describes compositions and methods for optimizing IgA class switching in B cells. The compositions comprise a multivalent antigen receptor crosslinker, CD40 ligand or lipopolysaccharide, and the cytokines TGF-.beta., IL-4, and either IL-5 or IL-2. Methods of using the compositions are also described.

The human immune system comprises numerous different types of cells having overlapping functions which together act to protect the human body against sickness and disease. The cells of the immune system have complex multiple functions and interconnecting relationships. A major component of the immune system that plays an essential role in protecting the host against infection by these organisms is the humoral antibody.
Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins, are protein molecules which have exquisite specificity for the foreign particle which stimulates their production. Immunoglobulins (Ig) are a class of structurally related proteins consisting of two pairs of polypeptide chains, one pair of light (L) low molecular weight! chains (.kappa. or .lambda.), and one pair of heavy (H) chains (.gamma., .alpha., .mu., .delta., and .epsilon.), all four linked together by disulfide bonds. Both H and L chains have regions that contribute to the binding of antigen and that are highly variable from one Ig molecule to another. In addition, H and L chains contain regions that are nonvariable or constant.
The L chains consist of two domains. The carboxy-terminal domain is essentially identical among L chains of a given type and is referred to as the "constant" (C) region. The amino-terminal domain varies from L chain to L chain and contributes to the binding site of antibody. Because of its variability, it is referred to as the "variable" (V) region.
The H chains of Ig molecules are of several classes, .alpha., .mu., .delta., .alpha., and .gamma. (of which there are several subclasses). An assembled Ig molecule, consisting of one or more units of two identical H and L chains, derives its name from the H chain that it possesses. Thus, there are five Ig isotypes: IgA, IgM, IgD, IgE, and IgG (with four subclasses based on differences in the H chains, i.e., IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4).
Not all antibody isotypes are equal in the performance of the many biological roles of antibodies. For example, IgA, primarily present in secretions such as tears, urine, saliva, colostrum, sweat, and mucus (i.e., secretory IgA) is the major immunoglobulin synthesized in the body. It is believed to be the primary immunological defense against local infections in such areas as the respiratory or gastrointestinal tract. Secretory IgA is also an efficient antiviral antibody, preventing the viruses from entering host cells, as well as an efficient agglutinating antibody.
The actions of the very versatile and long-lived IgG ranges from neutralization of toxin to activation of complement and opsonization. For example, IgG reacts with epitopes on microorganisms via its Fab portions leading to the final engulfing and destruction of the microorganism. It also plays an important role in antibody-dependent, cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) by activating natural killer cells which then destroy the target by release of various substances. It is also an effective virus neutralizing antibody.
In contrast to IgG, IgM antibodies are not very versatile; they are poor toxin-neutralizing antibodies, and they are not very efficient in the neutralization of viruses. IgM is found predominantly in the intravascular spaces and is the isotype synthesized by children and adults in appreciable amounts after immunization or exposure to T-independent antigens, and is the first isotype that is synthesized after immunization with T-dependent antigens. IgM molecules are the most efficient agglutinating and complement-activating antibodies.
IgD molecules, present on the surface of B lymphocytes, appear to be involved in the differentiation of these cells and generally have not been demonstrated to serve a protective function.
IgE, also called reaginic antibody, is of paramount importance in hypersensitivity or allergy reactions. These reactions may be mild, such as in the case of a mosquito bite, or severe, as in the case of bronchial asthma. The reactions may even result in systemic anaphylaxis, which can cause death within minutes.
Despite this variability, all immunoglobulins derive from antibody-secreting cells. The precursors of the antibody-secreting cell are B lymphocytes, also known as "B cells." B cells are a type of lymphocyte that derives from hematopoietic stem cells by a complex set of differentiation events that are only partially understood.
B cells bear as a cell-surface receptor an immunoglobulin (Ig) molecule specialized for expression on the cell surface. Newly differentiated B cells initially express surface Ig solely of the IgM class. Associated with maturation of a B cell is the appearance of other immunoglobulin isotypes on the surface of the B cell.
To release antibody, the B cells must first be activated. There are many ways to activate B cells, including cross-linkage of membrane (m) Ig molecules by the antigen mIg (cross-linkage-dependent B cell activation), direct encounter with T cells (helper T cells or helper T cell-associated molecules, such as, for example, CD40 ligand), or encounter with mitogens. In such encounters, the antigen presents epitopes recognized by the B cell's cell-surface Ig.
Because each B cell bears multiple membrane Ig molecules with identical variable regions, high level cross-linkage of the cell-surface receptors yields optimal activation. This cross-linkage requires that the antigen present more than one copy of the epitope that the cell-surface Ig recognizes. Although many simple protein antigens do not have this potential, polysaccharides and other antigens with repeating epitopes, such as surfaces of microbes and DNA, do. Among these more complex antigens are the capsular polysaccharides of many medically important microorganisms, such as pneumococci, streptococci, and meningococci.
There are much data to show that cross-linkage of membrane Ig can also lead to elimination or inactivation of B cells. In general, it is believed that certain types of receptor cross-linkage events, if they occur in the absence of specific stimulatory signals, lead to inactivation rather than activation. The highly repetitive epitopes expressed on polysaccharides may lead to activation in the absence of costimulation, possibly because of the magnitude of the receptor-mediated stimulation.
Once the B cells which initially express IgM and/or IgD on their surface, are activated the antibodies that are initially produced are primarily of the IgM isotype. Most interestingly, in response to a specific challenge, T cell help allows B cells to "class switch" their particular V region to an appropriate C region (i.e., to a region corresponding to .gamma., .alpha., and .epsilon.). Thus, a cell that expresses receptors of the IgM and IgD classes may differentiate into a cell that expresses IgG, IgA, or IgE receptors and then into a cell that secretes those antibodies. This process allows the production of different antibodies with their distinct biological functions against the same antigen that first induced the antibody response.
The induction of the switching process depends upon the action of a specialized set of B cell stimulants. Studies have identified two different kinds of stimuli that are important for the induction of isotype switching. The first kind of stimuli are predominantly responsible for the specificity of the isotype-switch event. These include, but are not limited to, the cytokine IL-4, interferon-.gamma. (IFN-.gamma.), and transforming growth factor-.beta. (TGF-.beta.). They are all characterized by the ability to induce the transcription of an immature (germline) form of RNA for the heavy chain isotype to which switching will be induced. Stimuli that induce switching to one isotype often stimulate switching to an additional isotype and inhibit switching to other isotypes.
The second kind of stimuli, or combinations of stimuli, activates B cells and often results, by themselves, in B cell proliferation and Ig secretion without isotype switching. These stimuli may permit switching to occur to any of a number of different isotypes, depending on which of the specific stimuli are present, although some of the stimuli appear to block switching to some isotypes. These permissive stimuli include, but are not limited to, bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the cytokine IL-5, crosslinking of cell surface Ig, signals given by molecules on the cell membranes of activated T cells (for mouse B cells), infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), crosslinking of CD40 ligand (a cell surface protein found generally on a specialized group of T cells), crosslinking of the tumor necrosis factor-.alpha. (TNF-.alpha.) receptor, and signals given by molecules on the cell membranes of activated T cells. Of these, the most widely studied are LPS (acting in the mouse but not in the human) and direct interaction of CD40 ligand.
Despite this information, the parameters necessary for induction of high-rate IgA class switching were unknown prior to this invention. Because IgA antibodies are an important line of defense against infection and disease, there is a need in the art for this knowledge. Such knowledge facilitates additional and superior methods of treating immune disorders.

Vaccine for enhanced production of IgA antibodies

Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine


Horizontal motion conveyors for moving material and methods for reversing such horizontal motion conveyors are disclosed. In some embodiments, the horizontal motion conveyor includes a motor such as a servomotor that is connected to the driveshaft that drives the horizontal motion of the conveyor. In some embodiments, the speed profile of the pan may be changed to reverse direction of the flow of material on the pan without slowing or stopping the drive motor.

Horizontal motion conveyors operate by oscillating the pan over which material is carried forward and back relatively quickly. The speeds at which the conveyor moves forward and back changes over the cycle of the pan to allow the bulk material to slide along the conveyor. For example, the conveyor forward acceleration may be less than the rearward acceleration. This causes the inertia of the material to exceed the friction force which causes the material to slide forward. This allows bulk material to be conveyed with little or no bouncing which reduces the vertical impact of the bulk material during conveying. This causes less breakage of the bulk material relative to other conveyor systems such as vibratory conveyors.
In some applications, it is desired to allow the horizontal motion conveyor to reverse direction. This allows the direction in which material flows to be controlled for sorting or to vary the downstream processing of the material. For example, product flow may be reversed to accumulate material evenly on the pan or to reject unwanted product before downstream processing (e.g., as a result of foreign contamination or out of specification product at start-up). Reversing product flow also enables product to be directed to one of two downstream processing operations or to allow product to be split between such processing operations. Conventionally, horizontal motion conveyors change the direction of the flow of material by stopping and reversing the drive motor or by altering one or more components of the drive assembly used to move the conveyor pan forward and back. Stopping and restarting the conveyor results in unnecessary downtime, reduces the lifetime of components, and is less efficient (e.g., uses more energy).
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

Horizontal motion conveyors and methods for reversing such conveyors


A light source unit generates an optical signal out of a bend-insensitive (“BI”) optical fiber that is compliant with a desired encircled flux (“EF”). The unit includes a light source to generate an optical light signal and a conventional multimode optical fiber coupled to receive the optical light signal from the light source at a first end. A modal conditioner is arranged to condition the optical light signal propagating along different modes of the conventional multimode fiber. A first bend-insensitive (BI) multimode optical fiber has an input end, the input end of the first BI multimode optical fiber being coupled at a second end of the conventional multimode optical fiber to receive the conditioned optical light signal from the conventional multimode fiber. The output from the first BI multimode optical fiber outputs an optical signal having the desired EF.

The present invention is generally directed to optical communications, and more specifically to improved methods of characterizing multimode optical fiber connections.
Optical signals are transmitted along an optical fiber by injecting light from a light source, typically a semiconductor light emitting diode (LED) or semiconductor laser, into one end of an optical fiber. The light source and the optical fiber need to be in correct alignment so that as much light from the light source is coupled into the optical fiber. Optical fiber communications over distances less than about one kilometer are often carried by multimode fibers, i.e. optical fibers that support the propagation of light along more than one fiber mode. Some of the fiber modes, the lower-order modes, are predominantly located near the center of the fiber core and others, referred to as higher order modes, extend closer to the core-cladding interface. The modal power distribution, i.e. the distribution of the optical power, entering a fiber into the different fiber modes, is referred to as the "launch condition."
Optical fiber connectors are often characterized before use in the field, or after installation. Such a characterization can include a measurement of the optical loss experienced by an optical signal traversing the optical fiber. It is important to control the launch conditions in order that the attenuation measurements can be made consistently. If a light source and fiber can be aligned so that nearly all modes are excited, then the optical fiber is said to be overfilled and the connection attenuation measurements will show a high connection attenuation that is pessimistic with respect to a typical practical installation. If, on the other hand, the launch condition is such that a smaller number of modes are excited, then the optical fiber will be underfilled and the attenuation measurements may show a much lower attenuation, which may lead to an underestimate of attenuation in a practical installation. Therefore, controlling the launch conditions so that only a desired combination of modes is excited results in repeatable, consistent testing of multimode optical fibers.
One approach to normalizing the launch condition for an optical test signal into a multimode fiber is the "encircled flux" ("EF") approach, where the profile of the light launched into the multimode fiber is well-defined. The EF approach was developed for conventional multimode fibers.
Bend-insensitive (BI) multi-mode optical fibers, however, are recently becoming more widely used. BI fiber uses additional features in the refractive index profile to reflect leaky modes back into the fiber and typically support more higher order modes than conventional fibers. Because of this, however, BI fibers are less amenable to the approaches used with conventional multimode fibers to comply with current EF standards.
There is a need, therefore, to develop ways of producing sources that comply with EF standards, and that are suitable for use with BI fibers.

Modal conditioner for use with bend-insensitive, multimode optical fibers


The feedback calculation for a dynamic matrix control (DMC) system has been modified so that it can accommodate a delay period between the time when the output variable is measured and when the measurement is available for feedback. This was accomplished by storing the projection vectors calculated by the DMC system and then comparing them to the output variable measurements as they become available. The algorithm was modified to handle planned production rate changes by adding another term to the equation used to calculate the projection vectors. This term involves multiplying the dynamic matrix for a given disturbance variable by a vector of future changes in that disturbance variable.

The present invention relates to a method for the dynamic matrix control of a process in a pulp mill, namely a Kamyr digester.
Dynamic matrix control (DMC) methods are as old as the art. For example, the DMC methods disclosed in prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,349,869 and 4,616,308 comprise MV control algorithms which use mathematical models. These algorithms calculate values of one or more manipulable process variables to maintain one or more controlled variables at their setpoints. The calculations involve the use of predictions for the controlled variables based on the estimated response to changes in all the independent process variables (including the manipulated variables) which affect the controlled process variables. The algorithms calculate the future values of the manipulated variables which will minimize any future deviations of the controlled variables from their setpoints. Using predictions of the effect of the independent process variables on the controlled variables provides feedforward action for the control system and also minimizes the effects of interactions between the independent process variables which are manipulated to maintain the controlled variables at their setpoints.
The prior art methods of dynamic matrix control use periodic measurements of the controlled variable to correct the predictions used to calculate new values for the manipulated variables. The most recent prediction of the controlled variable is adjusted so that it matches the most recent measurement of the controlled variable. This provides feedback action for the algorithms. However, the measurement processes for controlled variables in some process systems may involve significant delay periods. This is particularly true when the controlled variable is a chemical composition and the measurement process involves collecting a sample and performing a wet lab experiment to determine its composition. The use of such a delayed measurement in the known DMC systems would result in severe errors in the control calculations, particularly if the controlled variable was changing rapidly.
The prior art DMC systems also use estimates of the response of the controlled variable to step changes in the independent variables. These are usually obtained by changing each independent variable while holding the others constant and recording the response of the controlled variable. However in many processes it is not possible to obtain step responses in this manner; the step responses must be obtained by examining a great deal of process data and estimating the step responses. Such estimates may be in error by as much as 20% due to process noise and unmeasured disturbances. This can also lead to severe errors in the control calculations, especially if there are large errors in the estimates of the process deadtime (i.e. the time between when an independent variable is changed and when the dependent variable starts to respond).
Finally, prior art methods of DMC may also use step response estimates of all the independent process variables which affect the controlled variable. The independent variables which are not manipulated are called disturbance variables. Using the step response information from these variables to calculate the predicted behavior of the controlled variable provides feedforward action for the control system. However, if there is a large deadtime in the step response for the manipulated variables and/or the disturbance variables, changes in the disturbance variables can lead to considerable errors in the controlled variable before the effect of changes in the manipulated variables drive the controlled variable back to its setpoint.
In contrast to the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of DMC which provides the advantages of the feedforward and feedback aspects of the prior art methods yet addresses the problems inherent with deadtime in the feedforward action and delays caused by lengthy measurement processes.

Multivariable control of a Kamyr digester


An image forming apparatus, in accordance with the present invention, forms a color image on an image bearing member. The image forming apparatus includes a charging device for electrically charging the image bearing member, an exposing device for exposing a light beam on the image bearing member so as to form a latent image on the charged image bearing member corresponding to image data to be formed, and a developing device for developing the latent image formed on the image bearing member with a developing agent including toner. The image forming apparatus also includes a detecting device for detecting the amount of toner attached to the image bearing member by the developing device, an estimating device for estimating the amount of toner attached to the image bearing member in accordance with image data to be formed, and a control device for controlling the charging device, the exposing device and the developing device in accordance with the detected toner attaching amount and the estimated toner attaching amount so as to stabilize image density changes of the image formed on the image bearing member. Thereby, the image forming apparatus of the present invention can correct for image density variations due to a change in the operating environment or a deterioration over time independently of the conventional maintenance of image forming materials and processes, and forms an image having a stable high image density.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an image forming apparatus, such as for use in forming an image on an image bearing member and, more particularly, for use in an image forming apparatus such as a color digital copying machine or a color laser printer, for forming a color image on the image bearing member.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, the use of color in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a laser printer has rapidly advanced. However, for example, in operating color copying machines, many users have experienced the problem that different images formed from the same original image using the same copying machines have different densities. In these conventional image forming apparatuses, the image density changes are influenced by a change or deterioration of the image forming conditions due to different operating environment factors and an elapse of time. Thus, it is important to stabilize the image density changes. In particular, in a color image forming apparatus, since the image density changes influence not only the density reproducibility but also color reproducibility, a stable image density is an indispensable requirement for maintaining color fidelity.
Therefore, in a conventional image forming apparatus, a given allowance margin (i.e., tolerance) is provided for the image forming materials and the image forming process itself, and image stabilization is attained to some extent by maintaining the materials and process variables within this allowable margin. However, the allowable margins that can be provided for the image forming materials and image forming processes are limited in conventional apparatuses. Also, the cycle in which the image density changes is shorter than a maintenance cycle so that an image having a stable image density may not form by only maintaining the material and process within tolerance. Maintenance cycle, as used herein, refers to the time period within which the tolerances or allowable margins for the image forming materials and process can be maintained.

Image forming apparatus for forming an image on an image bearing member


Receiving portions (26, 27) for partial locking and full locking are formed on walls of a retainer mount hole (24) in a housing (10). The receiving portions (27) for full locking are before the receiving portions (26) for partial locking with respect to an inserting direction of a retainer (30). Resiliently deformable holding arms (35A, 35B) for partial locking and full locking are cantilevered on the retainer (30), and locking sections (41, 42) resiliently engageable with the corresponding receiving portions (26, 27) are formed at the free ends of the holding arms (35A, 35B). The holding arms (35A) for full locking extend in the inserting direction of the retainer (30) from their supported ends to their free ends, whereas the holding arms (35B) for partial locking extend in a direction opposite from the inserting direction of the retainer (30) from their supported ends to their free ends.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector provided with a retainer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-75508 and FIG. 14 herein disclose a connector with a retainer. With reference to FIG. 14, the connector has a housing 1 and a retainer 2 is inserted into a retainer insertion opening 3 formed in one side surface of the housing 1. Terminal fittings (not shown) are accommodated in the housing 1 and are retained by the retainer 2. A partial locking projection 4 projects in from a right surface 3A of an inner wall surfaces of the retainer insertion opening 3, and a full locking projection 5 projects in from a left side surface 3B. The full locking projection 5 is at a position higher than the partial locking position 4. The retainer 2 has a base 6 and resiliently deformable holding arms 7 project up from each of the opposite widthwise ends of the base 6. A partial locking portion 8 is formed at the upper end of the right holding arm 7A and is resiliently engageable with the partial locking projection 4 to achieve partial locking. A full locking projection 9 is formed at the upper end of the left holding arm 7B and is resiliently engageable with the full locking projection 5 to achieve full locking. The retainer 2 can be held at the partial locking position by the engagement of the partial locking projection 8 and the partial locking projection 4 and can be held at the full locking position by the engagement of the full locking projections 9 and the full locking projection 5.
The partial locking projection 4 is lower than the full locking projection 5. Thus, the projecting length of the holding arms 7A for partial locking is shorter than the projecting length of the holding arms 7B for full locking. A demand exists for smaller connectors, and both holding arms 7 of the retainer 2 must be shortened to shorten the housing 1. However, a projecting length of the holding arms 7A for partial locking may not be sufficient to ensure smooth resilient deformations.
The invention was developed in view of the above problem and an object thereof is to ensure smooth resilient deformations of holding arms.


A heat pipe for cooling a heat-generating component has a generally planar, sealed flexible body having an evaporator section, a condenser section, and a flexible bellows section. The bellows section is located between the evaporator section and the condenser section along a longitudinal length of the body. A chamber extends from the evaporator section to the condenser section inside the body and contains a working fluid. The bellows section includes internal supports to keep the chamber open during repeated bending of the heat pipe at the bellows section.

Modern day electronic systems are compact and often include one or more high-power, high-density devices, such as microprocessors or other chip sets or chip packages. As the functionality of these microprocessors increases, the circuitry in the processor is becoming denser and operating at higher speeds which results in more heat being produced. The high-power, high-density chips frequently cannot be adequately cooled by the conventional forced air cooling system used to cool the overall electronic system. Instead, these chips require their own, i.e., dedicated, cooling systems. These dedicated cooling systems may include a heat sink, a fan, a heat spreader, or a heat pipe.
The purpose of a heat pipe is to move the heat from the point of generation to a remote location for dissipation. A heat pipe is a sealed, usually evacuated chamber which contains a liquid coolant. The liquid coolant or working fluid changes phase as it absorbs and dissipates heat. The coolant changes from liquid to vapor as heat is transferred to it from the chip, and changes from vapor back to liquid as it dissipates the heat to the surrounding environment.
The end of the pipe which acts as the evaporator is placed in thermal contact with the chip or other heat source. The heat conducts through the walls of the heat pipe to the working fluid. This causes the working fluid to vaporize. The vapor travels to the condenser end of the heat pipe where the vapor is cooled by the surrounding environment causing it to condense back into its liquid phase, thus liberating the heat. A wicking structure or other capillary device draws the condensed working fluid back through the pipe to the evaporator, where heat is again transferred to it from the chip.
Conventional heat pipes are relatively rigid and may include tubular expandable bellows to permit bending of the heat pipe when it is installed in an electronic device. Because these heat pipes are made out of rigid materials such as copper tubes or pieces of sheet metal, they can have relatively thick effective cross-sections. These heat pipes can be bent into their final fixed shape. Generally, large bending radii are required to enable the heat pipe to function properly. These conventional heat pipes thus can not be readily and repeatably deformed, either elastically or plastically, to match the space constraints of the electronic system. In addition, repeated plastic deformation could lead to embrittlement or fatigue of the heat pipe which would result in reliability failures that would shorten the useful lifetime of the heat pipe.
In laptop computers, the central processing unit (CPU), memory chips or other computer chips are typically attached to a printed circuit board located in the base portion of a laptop computer. The heat generated by the chips is either dissipated through the base portion of the laptop computer which can get uncomfortably warm if it is sitting on the user's lap or a fan may be used to move the heat away from the heat generating chips.
Rather than dissipating the heat through the base portion of the laptop computer, it would be advantageous to dissipate the heat to the backside of the screen in the cover of the laptop computer. This requires the heat pipe to pass through the hinge that joins the cover portion to the base portion. In this application, the heat pipe must be flexible to allow for repeated opening and closing of the cover. A current method of addressing this application is to utilize two separate rigid heat pipes connected to a flexible heat sink, typically two hinged blocks of aluminum. The first heat pipe moves the heat from the chip or CPU to the flexible heat sink which transfers the heat through the hinge to a second heat pipe or a heat spreader. The weight of this heat sink assembly, as well as having at least three heat transfer interfaces, makes this approach less desirable for most portable or hand held devices.
Additionally, as consumers demand smaller, more powerful systems, providing space for these rigid heat pipes becomes more of a problem. A need exists for a heat pipe that can fit into relatively narrow spaces and can be flexed repeatably.


An apparatus for detecting an arc in a plasma chamber is designed to detect the respective voltage and current values of RF power supplied to the plasma chamber and calculate the ratio of the voltage and current values to accomplish a required control of the supplying of the power. When it is determined that the arc is generated, the apparatus rapidly controls the supplying of the power to prevent damages on the plasma chamber and contaminations on the materials to be processed due to the generation of the arc.

An arc generated in a load where a power is consumed may cause damage to a power supply or the load. Although it is preferred to substantially prevent the generation of the arc, the arc may occur due to various factors. Therefore, technical efforts have been continued to detect the generation of arc to block the consecutive generation thereof.
In particular, for a plasma process where a RF power is used, the generated arc may damage a plasma chamber and contaminate the materials to be processed. In this regard, technologies have been suggested to detect the arc generated in the chamber and to rapidly block it. For example, there is a process comprising detecting unexpected changes in a reflected power, checking whether an arc is generated or not, and blocking or reducing a RF power supplied. However, it is difficult to increase its feasibility since the arc generated in the plasma chamber does not necessarily lead to the increase in the reflected power.
A semiconductor fabrication process using plasma requires very high precision. Accordingly, there is a need for a method and an apparatus to precisely detect the arc generated in the chamber and rapidly control the supplying of power.

Method and apparatus for detecting arc in plasma chamber


A robot includes a base, a first arm that rotates around a first rotation axis, a second arm that rotates around a second rotation axis extending in a direction different than the first rotation axis, a third arm that rotates around a third rotation axis extending in a direction parallel to the second rotation axis, a first inertia sensor at the first arm, a second (a) inertia sensor at the third arm, a first angle sensor at a first drive source, a third angle sensor at a third drive source, and the drive sources rotate the respective arms. Angular velocities from the first inertia sensor and the first angle sensor are fed back to a first drive source control unit. Angular velocities from the second (a) inertia sensor and the third angle sensor are fed back to a second drive source control unit.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a robot.
2. Related Art
In the related art, a robot having a base and a plurality of arm link portions is known (for example, refer to JP-A-10-100085). Each arm link portion is rotatably coupled to an adjacent arm link portion on a base end side via a joint portion, and the arm link portion closest to the base side is rotatably coupled to the base via another joint portion.
In such a robot, the rigidity of the joint portion that couples the base and the arm link portion or the rigidity of the joint portion that couples the arm link portions together is low as compared to the base or the arm link portions that are biased by the spring elements of the joint portions. As such, a vibration may be easily generated in the arm link portions due to the rotation of the arm link portions or a disturbance applied to the arm link portions.
Thus, in the robot described in JP-A-10-100085, an acceleration sensor is installed at a tip portion of the arm link portion closest to a tip side of the robot, compensation components of the respective joint portions that compensate command values to the motors of the respective joint portions so as to suppress the vibration generated at the tip portion of the arm link portion closest to the tip side are calculated on the basis of the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor, and the calculated compensation components of the respective joint portions are subtracted from the command values of the corresponding respective joint portions.
However, the robot described in JP-A-10-100085 has the following problems.
Since the acceleration sensor is installed at the tip portion of the arm link portion closest to the tip side, the acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor is converted and corrected for the respective joint portions. At this time, since it is necessary to perform a coordinate axis transformation referred to as the Jacobi's transformation, and a matrix calculation having a number of sine and cosine factors is required, the amount of calculations becomes huge. Since it is necessary to calculate the factors according to the rotation angles of the motors of the respective joint portions that change every moment, it is always necessary to execute huge calculations. Accordingly, there is a drawback in that the response speed becomes slow.
Additionally, since accurate acceleration or speed cannot be fed back if the calculation precision declines, the vibration suppression capability may decline or control performance may be impaired. For this reason, there is a restriction on the design of a control system in that a high-speed computing unit is required, for example.
Additionally, in the calculation of the coordinate axis transformation, there is a region (an incalculable region) with no coordinate axis transformation solution referred to as a singular point. In this region, the vibration suppression capability may decline or the vibration may be increased instead.


A node is configured to receive first optical channel data unit (ODU) signals; encapsulate the first ODU signals into a second ODU signal; distribute data of the second ODU signal to a group of third ODU signals; encapsulate each of the third ODU signals into a respective optical channel transport unit (OTU) signal; and transmit each of the OTU signals on a respective optical channel of a group of optical channels. Each optical channel, of the group of optical channels, has a corresponding one of group of wavelengths. The data of the second ODU signal is carried by the group of optical channels.

An Optical Transport Network (OTN) is defined by ITU-T as a set of optical elements that are connected by optical links and that are capable of providing transporting, multiplexing, switching, management, and supervision functionality, and survivability of optical channels carrying client signals.
An OTN uses digital wrapper technology that provides a method for encapsulating data in an optical data unit. Generally, digital wrapping involves grouping a number of existing optical data units together into one entity that can be more efficiently managed with a small allocation of overhead and forward error correction (FEC) bytes. There are three levels of hierarchy for the encapsulation: the optical channel payload unit (OPUk) for encapsulation of client data; the optical channel data unit (ODUk) for encapsulating the OPUk data; and the optical channel transport unit (OTUk) for encapsulating the ODUk data.
From the perspective of a node in the optical network, the functions required to support the end-to-end transport of the client signals may include:                (1) Select an ODUk container that can transport the client signal.        (2) Determine if the network can support an end-to-end ODUk connection of the bit rate identified in step (1).        (3) If the network can support an end-to-end ODUk connection, the single ODU container occupies a single wavelength at every hop along the route from the source node to the destination node. Select and configure the correct ODU mappers/demappers at the ingress and egress nodes. The service setup has succeeded.        (4) If the network cannot support an end-to-end ODUk connection, the available network bandwidth is fragmented and the required bandwidth is not available within a single wavelength along every hop, but is distributed across multiple wavelengths. Determine if the network can route L independent ODUj connections end-to-end, where j<k, and L depends on the client signal rate, and the bit rate of the ODUj container. Find the largest j<k for which this step can succeed. If no combination of L ODUj containers can be found, the service setup fails.        (5) Instantiate a Virtual Concatenation Group (VCG) at the head and tail-end nodes, and configure the hardware appropriately, where the VCG members are ODU connections which are routed independently and, thus, encounter different latencies in their transit through the network. The service setup has succeeded.
The head-end node distributes the data from the client signal in a round-robin fashion among the VCG members. The ODU containers for all of the VCG members start out being frame (and frequency) aligned at the head-end node. The frames may arrive skewed at the receiver because of possible differing path latencies. The tail-end node performs a "deskew" operation to align the various VCG members, and then reconstructs the client signal by sequencing the data from the VCG members in a round-robin fashion.
The existing VCG approach creates operational difficulties for network operators. For example, network operators lose the one-to-one correspondence between a service and the ODU instance that is transporting the tributary signal supplied by the customer edge device. In the existing VCG approach, some services are supported by multiple ODU server layers. Also, the existing VCG approach may create a need to monitor multiple ODU connections for each service. This would mean monitoring each of the ODU connections to gather alarms and performance information. Further, the head-end node may need to support the independent restoration/reroute of each of these ODU connections (upon the detection of a failure). The protection/restoration of the individual VCG members needs to be coordinated to ensure that the end-to-end skew between the VCG members is within the range that the tail-end can handle. Moreover, even when a service was initially setup via mapping to a single ODU container, the restoration that occurs following a network resource failure (e.g. link/node) may make use of a VCG containing multiple lower bit rate ODU containers. More specifically, each service could be set up with or without the use of VCG. This aspect makes it difficult for the network operators to troubleshoot and fix network issues that occur.

Super optical channel data unit signal supported by multiple wavelengths