The thickness of an intermediate plate portion (31b) is smaller than the thickness of a stopper portion (31a). The thickness of a portion of a cylinder head gasket (20) having the stopper portion (31a) is set to be greater than the thickness of other portions of the cylinder head gasket (20). Before the cylinder head gasket (20) is provided between contact surfaces (12a, 13a), a space (S) is formed between the stopper portion (31a) and an adjustment stopper portion (32a), and the intermediate plate portion (31b) partially contacts the adjustment plate portion, and a bead (33a) contacts the adjustment plate portion (32b).

Patent Document 1 discloses a cylinder head gasket 80 that is shown in FIG. 7 of the present application. The cylinder head gasket 80 is a metal gasket having a laminated structure. The cylinder head gasket 80 has an intermediate plate 81 and an adjustment plate 82 that are laminated on each other, and bead plates 83, 84 that sandwich the intermediate plate 81 and the adjustment plate 82. The intermediate plate 81 and the cylinder head sandwich the bead plate 83 and the adjustment plate 82 and the cylinder block sandwich the bead plate 84.
The cylinder head gasket 80 has a plurality of combustion chamber openings 80a each of which corresponds to one of the cylinder bores formed in the cylinder block. The bead plates 83, 84 have beads 83a, 84a each of which surrounds the combustion chamber opening 80a. If the cylinder head is fixed to the cylinder block by a bolt in a state where the cylinder head gasket 80 is provided between contact surfaces of the cylinder head and the cylinder block, the bead 83a seals a space between the cylinder head and the intermediate plate 81, and the bead 84a seals a space between the cylinder block and the adjustment plate 82.
The intermediate plate 81 has a stopper portion 81a that is provided around the combustion chamber opening 80a. The stopper portion 81a receives axial fastening force of the bolt to inhibit the beads 83a, 84a from fully collapsing. That is, the stopper portion 81a compensates for the space between the contact surfaces of the cylinder head and the cylinder block that is formed by deformation of the cylinder head gasket 80 due to the fastening force of the bolt. The adjustment plate 82 adjusts the thickness of the cylinder head gasket 80 such that the thickness of the cylinder head gasket 80 becomes equal to the space between the contact surfaces of the cylinder head and the cylinder block. The adjustment plate 82 has a recess 82a to which the stopper portion 81a is fitted. In the above publication, the intermediate plate 81 is referred to as a "compensation plate", and the stopper portion 81a is referred to as a "folded portion".
The thickness of the stopper portion 81a is greater than the thickness of other portions of the intermediate plate 81. The stopper portion 81a protrudes along its thickness toward the adjustment plate 82. A step 81b is formed between the stopper portion 81a and the other portions of the intermediate plate 81. The measurement along the thickness between the intermediate plate 81 and the stopper portion 81a is referred to as a stopper height H1, and the measurement along the thickness of the recess 82a is referred to as an adjustment step height H2. The stopper height H1 is greater than the adjustment step height H2.
Therefore, when the cylinder head is fastened to the cylinder block with the bolt, the stopper portion 81a closely contacts the adjustment plate 82. However, a space T is formed between the intermediate plate 81 and the adjustment plate 82 in the vicinity of the step 81b. If the cylinder head gasket 80 receives pressure fluctuation in the cylinder bore or the repetition of cooling and heating in a state where the space T is formed, the adjustment plate 82 may flap.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 7-55005


The subject matter discloses an apparatus, comprises a managed access unit for regulating wireless communication in a facility by providing communication services to devices located in the facility according to a predefined usage policy pertaining to devices transmitting from the facility; a wireless signal monitoring system for detecting wireless communication transmitted from devices in the facility; a bypass detector for comparing the data received from the wireless signal monitoring system with expected wireless signals based on the predefined usage policy and activity of the managed access unit to determine whether there is a bypass of the managed access unit.

As the use of cellular phones and communications increases, organizations and other entities need to prevent or control the use of such phones. For example, many correctional facilities or sensitive compartmented information facilities (SCIFs) such as military installations and other campuses need to prevent persons from communicating with the outside world with devices that are not sanctioned or monitored by the facility. In such scenarios the entity seeking to prevent the use of the cellular device(s) would typically need to choose one of the following approaches: 1. Jamming—preventing the device from communicating with the base station. This approach prevents legitimate devices from communicating with the base station and does not distinguish legitimate devices from non-legitimate devices. 2. Detection—detecting which device communicates with the base station. This approach fails to prevent the non-legitimate device from communicating with another device outside the facility. The facility is defined in space.
Selective connectivity of cellular phones can be achieved using a managed access system that utilizes a base station (or a plurality of base stations) that attract(s) the cellular devices in the facility as the most attractive base station in the area. Once the phone registers onto the access base station, core parameters from the phone, which uniquely identify it, are acquired and used by a management system which controls the behavior and services provided to each device, allow or provide selective service to legitimate devices and prevent service from the non-legitimate devices. The base station can deny service from the legitimate devices and send them to another base station, while keeping the non-legitimate devices at the virtual base station. Alternatively, the base station can provide services to the legitimate devices by connecting the legitimate device to the public network. Such location based policy enforcement can be provided by a third party base station or by base station of the mobile operator.
While the managed access system offers a breakthrough in terms of selective connectivity there are methods that could be used to force the device to register with a specific/commercial base station, thus bypassing the managed access system.

System and method for enforcing communication policies


Cotton harvester multi-piece duct structure for conveying cotton materials between a cotton harvesting row unit, arranged toward a lower end of the duct structure, and an inlet opening of an extendable/retractable basket assembly. Toward an upper end thereof, the duct structure has a distal end operably connected to a remaining portion of the duct structure to allow the distal end of the duct structure to period between an operational position, wherein an outlet end of the duct structure is in general registry with the inlet opening to the basket assembly, and a storage position, wherein the distal end of the duct structure is lowered from the operational position to facilitate transportation of the cotton harvester. A lock mechanism is also disclosed for releasably fastening the distal end of the duct structure in an operational position relative to the remaining portion of the duct structure.

Modern cotton harvesters typically include a relatively large high volume receptacle mounted to the frame of the harvester. Recently, the receptacle or basket assembly of cotton harvesters has been designed such that the height and, thus, the capacity of the basket assembly is adjustable. The receptacle or basket assembly on recent cotton harvester designs includes a lower basket portion mounted on the frame of the harvester with an upper basket portion being movably mounted and supported for elevational movement relative to the lower basket portion under the influence between an extended field working position and a retracted storage position.
A conventional cotton harvester further includes a plurality of harvesting row units arranged across a front end of the harvester. Each harvesting unit has duct structure operably associated therewith for receiving cotton materials harvested by the respective harvesting unit and for delivering the cotton materials into the receptacle. To optimize receptacle capacity, the cotton conveying structure extends upwardly from a respective harvesting row unit to a top forward portion of the upper basket portion of the receptacle wherein one or more openings are provided in registry with an exhaust end of the cotton conveying duct structure. To promote the delivery of cotton from the duct structure into the receptacle, the upper basket portion of the receptacle can include hood structure that extends vertically over and in operable combination with the discharge end of the duct structure.
Although beneficially increasing the capacity of the receptacle, maintaining the upper basket portion in an extended field working position presents certain problems and drawbacks. Because of shipping size limitations, the upper basket portion must be moved to its retracted storage position when the harvester is freighted by rail or truck. Because of power lines and the like, the increased height of the receptacle, with the upper basket portion in a raised field working position, makes it difficult to transport the harvester from one location to another. Moreover, the normal height of barn doors makes moving the harvester indoors for repairs or storage a problem because of the increased height added to the receptacle by the upper basket portion. Thus, and after the cotton materials are removed from the receptacle, the upper basket portion of the receptacle is lowered into its retracted position to facilitate transportation of the harvester.
While the height of the duct structure can exceed the height of the cab region, it is beneficial for transportation purposes to lower the height of the duct structure along with reducing the height of the receptacle. Some cotton harvesters have a plurality of duct structures extending upwardly toward the opening in the receptacle from each harvesting row unit. As will be appreciated, removing portions of each duct structure to reduce the height thereof is a labor intensive manual process. Reassembling each duct structure to return the machine to an operational condition also involves a labor intensive effort. A customer, for example, who desires to transport his cotton harvester from one location to the other must often spend a considerable number of man hours in tearing down and setting up the receptacle, thereby reducing the overall productivity of the harvester.
Thus, there is a need and a desire for a large capacity receptacle for a cotton harvester having arranged in combination therewith duct structure designed to accommodate shipping and transportation of the harvester and which obviates the need for tearing down and setting up the entire duct structure in response to the position of the upper basket portion of the receptacle.


Disclosed are an image processing apparatus and an image processing method capable of changing a quality of audio data according to a degree of significance of an image. The image processing apparatus includes an image encoding unit for encoding image data inputted, an audio data encoding unit for encoding audio data inputted together with the image data, a significant scene setting unit for setting to encode a part of region of the image with a high image quality, and an audio data encoding setting unit for setting to process the audio data with a high quality in accordance with the setting by the significant scene setting unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus for encoding an image (image data) and a voice (audio data) and to a method thereof.
2. Related Background Art
A digital video camera and a digital still camera for private use may be given as recording/reproducing apparatuses capable of recording and reproducing an image. Each of these apparatuses executes processing of compressing image data when recording and transmitting the image such as a still image and a moving image.
General standards related to an image compression technology are exemplified such as JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) for the still image and Motion-JPEG, MPEG1 (Moving Picture Experts Group 1), MPEG2 and MPEG4 for the moving image, and recently an examination of new standards such as JPEG2000 is underway.
Further, some of the image compression technologies are capable of encoding a specific region of the image with a higher image quality than in other regions. For example, in case an ROI (Region Of Interest) encoding method is used, an ROI region within a certain picture image can be displayed with the high image quality after being decoded or can be preferentially displayed when being transmitted.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.2001-230947 discloses a digital still camera, conceived as a camera utilizing such an ROI encoding method, capable of recording and reproducing by effecting the ROI setting of a specified region in a picked-up image and a compression thereof. In the case of performing the ROI setting in the camera, an ROI setting area or object includes a significant and interesting subject in the picture in many cases.
By the way, in the case of applying the ROI setting for a moving image, it is considered that the ROI setting can be done on a frame-by-frame basis in frames forming the moving image. At this time, the frame (ROI frame) including the ROI contains the interesting subject and is therefore considered more significant to a photographer than a frame containing no ROI (which is called a non-ROI frame).
On the occasion of reproducing the moving image data that are encoded including the ROI frame, however, the encoded moving image data are merely decoded and displayed irrespective of the significance described above. Namely, even in a case where the significance is differentiated between the frames, it is impossible to change even a quality of audio data reproduced together with the moving image, in accordance with this significance.

High quality image and audio coding apparatus and method depending on the ROI setting


The method for cooling a hot strip which is obtained after a hot rolling process to the temperature range of 500° or less. Cooling water is brought into contact with the hot strip. The method includes a first cooling step and a subsequent second cooling step. Cooling is stopped at a strip temperature that is higher than a transition boiling initiation temperature in the first cooling step, and the cooling is conducted using the cooling water having a water flow rate that causes nucleate boiling in the subsequent second cooling step. Entering the temperature range of transition boiling can be completely prevented to avoid thermal instability in cooling resulting from the transition boiling, and the temperature variation of the strip after cooling is controlled to be small while the cooling end temperature can be precisely controlled.

In a hot rolling process for manufacturing a hot strip, a slab heated to a high temperature is rolled so as to have a desired size and desired material properties, and then cooled with water on a run out table. The purpose of the water cooling is to obtain the desired material properties such as strength and ductility by mainly controlling the precipitates of the strip and the transformation structure of the strip. In particular, precisely controlling a cooling end temperature is significantly important to achieve the desired material properties without causing variation therefrom.
Although water, which is inexpensive, is often used as a cooling medium in a cooling step after hot rolling, use of such water cooling causes temperature variation of a strip at a low cooling end temperature or prevents precise stopping of the cooling at a desired temperature. The following factors are the main causes of these problems.
The first factor is a boiling state of water. In other words, cooling water boils when it comes into contact with a strip; however, the heat transfer performance of water changes at a certain temperature due to the conversion of the boiling state. When a hot strip is cooled lower than such a temperature, the cooling end temperature sometimes cannot be precisely controlled.
The boiling state of water in the case where a strip is cooled with water will now be described. Film boiling, nucleate boiling, and transition boiling occur, respectively, when the surface of a strip to be subjected to water is in a high temperature range, in a low temperature range, and in a middle temperature range between the high temperature range and the low temperature range. In the film boiling that occurs in a high temperature range, a vapor film is formed between the surface of a strip and cooling water. Since heat is transferred through thermal conduction within the vapor film, the cooling performance is low. In the nucleate boiling that occurs in a low temperature range, on the other hand, cooling water comes into direct contact with the surface of a strip and the cooling water is stirred due to the complicated phenomenon of the formation and disappearance of vapor bubbles, in which part of the cooling water vaporizes from the surface of a strip to form vapor bubbles and then the vapor bubbles are immediately condensed by the surrounding cooling water to disappear. As a result, significantly high cooling performance is achieved. In a middle temperature range, transition boiling in which the film boiling and the nucleate boiling coexist occurs. Unlike the nucleate boiling and the film boiling, heat flux increases as strip temperature decreases in this transition boiling. In terms of controlling material properties, the cooling rate should not vary with temperature. Furthermore, when cooling is stopped (ended) in a temperature range where the conversion from film boiling to transition boiling occurs, even a slightly long control time for cooling causes a problem in that the strip temperature is considerably lowered from a desired temperature because the cooling rate increases at an accelerated pace in a transition boiling temperature range.
In the case where a strip before cooling has locally low-temperature regions due to, for example, hot rolling, the transition boiling occurs first in these low-temperature regions during cooling, which causes further temperature deviation. In a cooling step conducted on a general run out table, such transition boiling begins at about 500° C.
The second factor is residual cooling water on a strip. Although laminar cooling is conducted using round or slit type nozzles when the upper side of a strip is cooled on a general run out table, cooling water that collides with the upper side of the strip flows in a direction of movement of the strip while being left on the strip. Normally, cooling water on the upper side of the strip is drained by being purged. In a conventional method, however, cooling water is purged at a position distant from the place where the cooling water is supplied. Therefore, only the part where the cooling water is left on the surface of the strip is excessively cooled before the cooling water is purged. In particular, in the low temperature range of 500° C. or less, the cooling performance of the cooling water becomes high due to the conversion of the boiling state from the film boiling to the transition boiling, resulting in a large temperature deviation between the regions where residual cooling water exists and the regions where residual cooling water does not exist.
From the reasons described above, the temperature in a coil is significantly varied when cooling of a hot strip is stopped at 500° C. or less, which is a transition boiling initiation temperature. Thus, various methods have been examined to deal with the above-mentioned phenomena.
For example, a method for supplying cooling water to both the upper and lower sides of a hot strip in the high temperature range where film boiling occurs, and supplying the cooling water to only the lower side of the strip in the temperature range of transition boiling is disclosed in Patent Document 1. In this cooling method, residual cooling water on the upper side of the strip and the thermal instability in cooling caused by the residual cooling water are removed by cooling only the lower side in the temperature range of transition boiling, to realize stable cooling.
A method for conducting cooling using low-temperature cooling water first, and then conducting cooling using cooling water having a high temperature of 80° C. or more from the temperature range of transition boiling is disclosed in Patent Document 2. In this cooling method, the transition boiling initiation temperature is shifted to the low temperature side by using hot water as cooling water, thereby lengthening the duration of film boiling, to realize stable cooling.
A method for disposing a water cooling apparatus together with a gas cooling apparatus, conducting water cooling with the water cooling apparatus in a high temperature range, and conducting gas cooling with the gas cooling apparatus in a temperature range that is lower than the transition boiling initiation temperature is disclosed in Patent Document 3. In this cooling method, the gas cooling that does not cause a boiling phenomenon and shows a stable cooling performance in the low temperature range is used to realize temperature stability in the low temperature range.
A method for conducting cooling to about 400° C. with hot water of 80 to 100° C. in the first half of a run out table, and then conducting cooling with cooling water having a temperature lower than that used in the first half of a run out table is disclosed in Patent Document 4. In this cooling method, the transition boiling initiation temperature is shifted to the low temperature side by using hot water as cooling water in the first half of a run out table, and cooling is conducted with cooling water that is cold enough to cause nucleate boiling in the low temperature range, to realize temperature stability in the low temperature range.
The following cooling apparatus is disclosed in Patent Document 5. In this cooling apparatus, a cooling zone where cooling water is supplied to continuously cool a strip after hot finishing rolling is divided into a first zone and a second zone. A cooling device with a high cooling performance (water flow rate: 1.0 to 5.0 m3/m2·min) is disposed in the first zone and a cooling device with a low cooling performance (water flow rate: 0.05 m3/m2·min to less than 0.3 m3/m2·min) is disposed in the second zone. In addition, a cooling device with a middle cooling performance (water flow rate: 0.3 m3/m2·min to less than 1.0 m3/m2·min) is disposed throughout the cooling zone. In the cooling of a hot strip with such a cooling apparatus, the transition boiling initiation temperature is shifted to the low temperature side by decreasing the amount of cooling water in the low temperature range, thereby lengthening the duration of film boiling to realize stable cooling.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Examined Patent Application Publication No. 6-248    Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 6-71339    Patent Document 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-313920    Patent Document 4: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 58-71339    Patent Document 5: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-25009


Various embodiments relate to a method for masked decoding of a polynomial a using an arithmetic sharing a to perform a cryptographic operation in a data processing system using a modulus q, the method for use in a processor of the data processing system, including: subtracting an offset δ from each coefficient of the polynomial a; applying an arithmetic to Boolean (A2B) function on the arithmetic shares of each coefficient ai of the polynomial a to produce Boolean shares âi that encode the same secret value ai; and performing in parallel for all coefficients a shared binary search to determine which of coefficients ai are greater than a threshold t to produce a Boolean sharing value {circumflex over (b)} of the bitstring b where each bit of b decodes a coefficient of the polynomial a.

Recent significant advances in quantum computing have accelerated the research into post-quantum cryptography schemes: cryptographic algorithms which run on classical computers but are believed to be still secure even when faced with an adversary with access to a quantum computer. This demand is driven by interest from standardization bodies, such as the call for proposals for new public-key cryptography standards by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The selection procedure for this new cryptographic standard has started and has further accelerated the research of post-quantum cryptography schemes.
There are various families of problems to instantiate these post-quantum cryptographic approaches. Constructions based on the hardness of lattice problems are considered to be promising candidates to become the next standard. A subset of approaches considered within this family are instantiations of the Learning With Errors (LWE) framework: the Ring-Learning With Errors problem. Another subset of approaches are based on recovering a quotient of polynomials in a ring. This means that the operations in these scheme involve arithmetic with polynomials with integer coefficients. Examples of the former include KYBER and NewHope, the latter NTRU-HRRS-KEM and Streamlined NTRU Prime.
When lattice based cryptographic functions are implemented, the main computationally expensive operations are the arithmetic with polynomials. More precisely, computations are done in a ring Rq=(/q)[X]/(F): the ring where polynomial coefficients are in /q and the polynomial arithmetic is performed modulo F.


An apparatus for managing software versions may include a processor. The processor may be configured to determine whether a security identifier of a first security certificate matches a trusted security identifier. In this regard, the first security certificate may include software version criteria. The processor may also be configured to determine whether a software version of a software application satisfies software version criteria of the first security certificate. The processor may be configured to make this determination in response to determining that the security identifier of the first certificate matches the trusted security identifier. Further, the processor may also be configured to permit execution of the software application, in response to determining that the software version satisfies the software version criteria. Associated methods and computer program products may also be provided.

The modern communications era has brought about a tremendous expansion of wireline and wireless networks. Various types of networking technologies have been developed resulting in unprecedented expansion of computer networks, television networks, telephony networks, and the like, fueled by consumer demand. Wireless and mobile networking technologies have addressed related consumer demands, while providing more flexibility and immediacy of information transfer.
Wired and/or wireless devices for executing applications, communicating data, and storing data have become important tools in both business and social environments. Individuals have come to rely on these devices to undertake everyday tasks, particularly tasks involving the sharing and communication of data. Users demand these communications capabilities, and as such, network providers that meet the consumer demands, do so while charging a fee for the provided services.
In some instances, in order to avoid payment of fees for communications, hackers may attempt to exploit security failures in software executed by communications devices. For example, vulnerabilities in software executed by a communications device, such as a cell phone or other mobile terminal, can be identified by hackers. Hackers may then exploit the vulnerability to communicate free of charge, use a cellular phone on unapproved cellular communications systems, or exploit other functionality of the cellular phone or the communications systems supporting the device.

Method, apparatus, and computer program product for managing software versions


A communication unit includes: a quadrature transmitter having analog transmit filter(s) for filtering a first quadrature test signal. An analog feedback loopback path selectively first routes the filtered quadrature first test signal to a quadrature receiver. The quadrature receiver has: at least one analog receive filter for further filtering the filtered quadrature first test signal; and a quadrature receive baseband circuit arranged to receive and decode the further filtered quadrature first test signal. The quadrature transmitter is arranged to receive a second quadrature test signal and the analog feedback loopback path selectively routes a filtered quadrature second test signal to the quadrature receiver via a second route such that the quadrature receive baseband circuit is arranged to determine a frequency-dependent quadrature imbalance of at least one component in the transmitter/receiver based on the decoded further filtered first quadrature test signal and the decoded further filtered second quadrature test signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of this invention relates generally to frequency dependent quadrature mismatch determination/calibration and compensation therefor, and in particular to quadrature (I/Q) compensation of frequency-dependent response mismatch of transmit and/or receive analog filters.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A primary focus and application of the present invention is the field of wireless telecommunications. In digital wireless telecommunications, an analog carrier signal is digitally modulated by a discrete signal at a transmitter, with a corresponding demodulation and detection performed at the receiver following analog-to-digital conversion of the received analog carrier signal. The digital signals comprise an in-phase signal (or 'I', with one example being a cosine waveform) and a quadrature phase signal (or 'Q', with an example being a sine wave), which are amplitude and/or phase modulated with a finite number of amplitudes/phases, and then summed.
A typical transmitter performs the following functions: group the incoming data bits into codewords, one for each symbol that will be transmitted; map (modulate) the codewords to, for example, amplitudes of 'I' and 'Q' signals; oversampling and filtering the digital signal and thereafter digital to analog conversion (DAC) of the 'I' and 'Q' signals and then with reconstruction filter to suppress the unwanted image. A high frequency carrier waveform then frequency translates the modulated signal to a radio frequency (RF) signal for amplification, further filtering and radiation from an antenna.
A typical receiver performs the following functions: bandpass filtering and automatic gain control of a received wireless signal, frequency down-conversion of the RF signal to equivalent intermediate frequency/baseband/digital 'I' and 'Q' signals, by mixing the RF signal with a local oscillator signal, sampling and analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) of the down-converted signal and various signal processing of the down-converted 'I' and 'Q' signals as part of the detection and demodulation process to recover the original transmitted codewords.
Referring to FIG. 1, a known transceiver architecture is illustrated, comprising a receiver 100 and a transmitter 150, shown as distinct circuits for ease of review. The receiver 100 comprises an antenna 102, a low noise amplifier (LNA) 104, two frequency down-conversion quadrature mixers 106, 108, two respective low pass filters (LPFs) 110, 112, two analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) 114, 116 (one for each quadrature path), a combiner 117 arranged to sum the two digital quadrature signals and a baseband (BB) demodulator 118.
Antenna 102 receives a radio frequency (RF) signal, which is fed into the LNA 104. The LNA 104 amplifies the received signal and outputs an amplified signal to each of the frequency down-conversion mixers 106, 108. Frequency down-conversion mixer 106 mixes the amplified signal with a local oscillator signal 107 (I) and outputs the frequency down-converted quadrature signal to low pass filter 110. Similarly, frequency down-conversion mixer 108 mixes the amplified signal with a local oscillator signal 109 (Q) and outputs the frequency down-converted quadrature signal to low pass filter 112. The two local oscillator signals (I) 107 and (Q) 109 are quadrature related (separated in phase by 90°). The low pass filtered signals are input to ADCs 114, 116 respectively, which sample the analog low pass filtered signals at a defined sampling frequency. A digital output from the ADCs 114, 116 is fed via combiner 117 into the BB demodulator 118, e.g. comprising a fast fourier transform (FFT) engine for an orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) system, which processes the received signal in the digital domain.
In a transmit sense, the transmitter 150 comprises a digital signal processor (DSP) 152, digital-to-analog converters (DACs) 154, 156, LPFs 158, 160, frequency up-conversion mixers 162, 164, power amplifier (PA) 166 and an antenna 168, which may be the same antenna 102 as in the receiver.
In the transmit sense, DSP 152 generates and outputs pairs of digital quadrature signals, which are input to DACs 154, 156. The DACs 154, 156 convert the digital quadrature signals to analog quadrature signals based on their operating sample rate. The resultant analog quadrature signals are input to LPFs 158, 160, which filter out alias components of the analog quadrature signals. Frequency up-conversion mixer 162 mixes the filtered analog quadrature signal with local oscillator signal 163, and frequency up-conversion mixer 164 mixes the filtered analog quadrature signal with local oscillator signal 165. The two resultant mixed signals are combined before being input to power amplifier 166, which amplifies the combined signal prior to transmission.
A known problem with the abovementioned transceiver is the effect of I/Q mismatch, between the respective quadrature paths, which can cause undesirable I/Q imbalance between the two quadrature signal paths. Quadrature mismatch/imbalances are generally caused by one or more of: a gain error between the frequency down-conversion quadrature mixers 106, 108, 162, 164; phase error between the local oscillator signals 107, 109, 163, 165; and any gain error between the ADCs 114, 116 and DACs 154, 156. It is also known that frequency independent parts of the receiver LPFs 110, 112, and the transmitter LPFs 158, 160 also contribute to the gain error. All of these are generally referred to as frequency independent I/Q (FIIQ) mismatch, with the primary contributor typically being due to gain and/or phase mismatch between the quadrature mixers of 'I' and 'Q' channel.
Further, quadrature imbalances may be caused by frequency-response related components, such as gain and/or phase mismatch between LPFs 110, 112, and 158, 160, referred to as frequency dependent I/Q (FDIQ) mismatch. Thus, referring to the receiver 100 and transmitter 150, if the components of, say, receive LPFs 110, 112 and transmit LPFs 158, 160 are not perfectly matched, then a non-zero (e.g. gain and/or phase mismatch between the) transfer functions would contribute to a leaked output component.
Therefore, it may be advantageous to be able to negate or reduce or minimise any transmitter or receiver induced FDIQ mismatch.

Communication unit and method for determining and/or compensating for frequency dependent quadrature mismatch


In described examples, a geometric progression of structured light elements is iteratively projected for display on a projection screen surface. The displayed progression is for determining a three-dimensional characterization of the projection screen surface. Points of the three-dimensional characterization of a projection screen surface are respaced in accordance with a spacing grid and an indication of an observer position. A compensated depth for each of the respaced points is determined in response to the three-dimensional characterization of the projection screen surface. A compensated image can be projected on the projection screen surface in response to the respaced points and respective compensated depths.

When a projection system projects onto a non-uniform surface, local aspect ratio distortion can occur. For example, surface irregularities of the projection surface can cause the projected image to be distorted as observed from an observer perspective. In addition to screen surfaces being irregular, keystone distortion can occur when the projection optical axis is not perpendicular to the screen. The combination of keystone and projection surface distortion can severely limit the ability of an observer to correctly perceive the projected images.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Camera-assisted arbitrary surface characterization and correction


A lens system (46) for a digital camera consecutively includes a first lens element (20), a second lens element (30), and a third lens element (40). The first lens element is biconvex and has a first aspheric surface (22) and an opposite second aspheric surface (24). The second lens element is concavo-convex and includes a third aspheric surface (32) and an opposite fourth aspheric surface (34). The third lens element convexo-concave and has a fifth aspheric surface (42) and an opposite sixth aspheric surface (44). The first lens element is made of glass, and the second lens element and the third lens are made of optical plastic.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a lens systems for devices such as digital cameras and, more particularly, to a lens system that has optical elements with aspheric surfaces.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Digital cameras utilizing high-resolution electronic imaging sensors typically require high-resolution optical elements such as lenses. In addition, the lenses generally must be very compact, so that they can be incorporated into devices such as palm-sized computers, cellular telephones, and the like.
Lenses for digital cameras generally have a plurality of individual lens elements. The lens elements are typically spherical and so usually create spherical aberration. Chromatic aberration, coma aberration, distortion, and field curvature are also common optical aberrations that occur in the imaging process of a typical lens. A large number of lens elements are generally required in order to balance these inherent optical aberrations. Lenses having a large number of lens elements tend to be large, heavy, and expensive to manufacture. This greater manufacturing cost is caused by the added cost of assembling and mounting the lens elements into a lens barrel as well as the materials used in their construction.
Furthermore, conventional lenses commonly use one or more aspheric lens elements, each of which has one or two non-spherical surfaces. The aspheric lens elements are usually made of plastic or glass. Aspheric plastic lens elements may be produced by means of plastic injection molding and are therefore relatively inexpensive. However, the optical properties of most plastic lens elements are highly sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity, such as when the digital camera is used outdoors on very hot or cold days. On top of this, the hardness of optical plastic material is lower than that of an optical glass material, so the surfaces of such lens elements are easily scraped or abraded, which can also affect image precision. In comparison, glass aspheric lens elements have good optical properties and scratch-resistant. However, glass aspheric lenses cannot be easily produced by traditional glass grinding and polishing techniques. In addition, glass lens elements are heavier than plastic lens elements and thus defeats the goal of producing more light-weight digital cameras.
Thus it can be seen that a typical lens system has both spherical lens elements and aspheric lens elements. The lens system includes a first spherical lens element, a second spherical lens element, and a third lens element. The first lens element and the second lens element are made of glass. The third lens element has two aspheric surfaces and is made of plastic. Although the typical lens may satisfy the requirements for imaging, the resolution of the lens is low and may affect the image performance.
Accordingly, what is needed is a lens system for a digital camera which is compact and which provides good imaging quality.


The present application includes devices, systems and methods for therapeutic agent delivery. A device in accord with the invention may include a first infusion lumen having a proximal end, a distal end, a longitudinal axis and a therapeutic agent. This device may also include an inflatable balloon in fluid communication with the first infusion lumen, the inflatable balloon having an exit outlet wherein the device is configured to exert pressure at a target site with an external surface of the balloon, the exerted pressure greater than a target pressure prior to the therapeutic agent exiting the inflatable balloon. A method in accord with the invention may include positioning a delivery device near an intended treatment site, injecting therapeutic agent through an infusion lumen into an inflatable balloon, and determining a target pressure at a target site by monitoring the blood pressure of a patient.

Vasculature and muscle-related ailments, such as atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction, are common problems. Various procedures used to treat such ailments may employ a medical catheter having an inflatable balloon attached to a shaft, which is advanced through the vessel until the balloon is adjacent to the desired treatment site. The balloon is then inflated and medication released into the target treatment site. The balloon may serve to block flow of blood through the vessel, or to expand the vessel for ease of treatment. These devices utilize a guide wire, with the guide wire port often also serving as the infusion port to deliver a therapeutic agent. These devices also utilize small lumens with limited flow capabilities.
However, such procedures are not always successful in treating the ailment. As a result, a number of other devices have been suggested for use in conjunction with these procedures. Unfortunately, such devices may also not be entirely satisfactory. Specifically, a majority if not all of the therapeutic agent may not penetrate the vessel wall and may be washed away into the blood stream. Due to the toxic nature of some fluids, this procedure jeopardizes the health of the patient. Further, because the fluid is washed away, the treatment on the vessel is relatively ineffective. Some devices may block the flow of blood to the vessel in order to reduce these effects. However, it is desirable that the flow not be blocked for an extended period of time, to lessen the chance of injury to the patient. Current devices must accomplish occlusion of blood flow prior to delivery of a therapeutic agent, requiring flow within the vessel to be blocked for an extended period of time.

Flow-inflated diffusion therapeutic delivery


Provided is a novel chamber effluent monitoring system. The system comprises a chamber having an exhaust line connected thereto. The exhaust line includes a sample region, wherein substantially all of a chamber effluent also passes through the sample region. The system further comprises an absorption spectroscopy measurement system for detecting a gas phase molecular species. The measurement system comprises a light source and a main detector in optical communication with the sample region through one or more light transmissive window. The light source directs a light beam into the sample region through one of the one or more light transmissive window. The light beam passes through the sample region and exits the sample region through one of the one or more light transmissive window. The main detector responds to the light beam exiting the sample region. The system allows for in situ measurement of molecular gas impurities in a chamber effluent, and in particular, in the effluent from a semiconductor processing chamber. Particular applicability is found in semiconductor manufacturing process control and hazardous gas leak detection.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel chamber effluent monitoring system and a semiconductor processing system which include an absorption spectroscopy measurement system for measuring a gas phase molecular species. The present invention also relates to a method of detecting a gas phase molecular species within the inventive chamber effluent monitoring system and inventive semiconductor processing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the manufacture of semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs), it is important to have an extremely low partial pressure of molecular impurities in the processing chamber. In particular, water vapor is especially detrimental to the devices fabricated in the processing tools. For example, water vapor must be eliminated or minimized in an aluminum etching chamber in order to achieve reproducible etching processes. Also, when subjected to water vapor during processing, corrosion of the device metallization layers is accelerated, substantially reducing product yield.
Molecular impurities may be introduced into the processing chamber in a number of ways. For example, molecular impurities may be present in the process gases introduced into the chamber during processing. Also, molecular impurities such as moisture are present in the air to which the chamber is exposed during maintenance of the processing tool. Air and water may also be introduced into the processing chamber whenever a substrate is introduced into the chamber. Molecular impurities may also be released from the substrates themselves after introduction into the process chamber or may result from the process conditions themselves. For example, during plasma processing and rapid thermal processing, molecular impurities may take the form of reaction byproducts or, as in the case of water vapor, may be released from substrate and chamber surfaces upon heating.
Molecular impurities which are introduced into the process chamber with a substrate are typically removed by purging the chamber with a pure gas, by evacuating the chamber, or by a series of pressurization-evacuation cycles.
In the case of chamber evacuation, the base pressure in the chamber is used as a measure of the extent of removal of the molecular impurities. Conversely, when relying on the chamber purge technique, the chamber is filled with a pure gas for a period of: time which is usually determined by the operator""s experience.
The extent of removal of atmospheric contamination from the processing chamber can also be determined by the measurement of water vapor concentration in the chamber. Such a technique is particularly useful in the case of contamination resulting from exposing the processing chamber to the outside atmosphere during maintenance and from introducing a substrate into the chamber. Water vapor can adhere to the surfaces inside a processing chamber as well as to the surface of the substrate. It is present in the atmosphere in an amount of from about 1-2%, and is generally the most difficult atmospheric constituent to remove by evacuation or purging.
In state-of-the-art production facilities, particle monitors are often used to monitor particulate contamination in situ. It is known to dispose particle monitors in the exhaust line of processing tools. (See, e.g., P. Borden, Monitoring Vacuum Process Equipment: In Situ Monitorsxe2x80x94Design and Specification,xe2x80x9d Microcontamination, 9(1), pp. 43-47 (1991)). While such particle monitors may be useful for tracking process events which result in the generation of particles, they cannot be used to monitor molecular concentrations.
Among the analysis tools which can be used in the measurement of molecular contamination is one type of mass spectrometer, usually referred to as a residual gas analyzer (RGA). (See, e.g., D. Lichtman, Residual Gas Analysis: Past, Present and Future, J. Vac. Sci. Technol., A 8(3) (1990)). Mass spectrometers generally require pressures in the range of about 10xe2x88x925 torr, whereas the operating pressures of semiconductor processing tools are often at pressures in the range of from about 0.1 to 760 torr. Consequently, mass spectrometers require sampling systems and dedicated vacuum pumps. Mass spectrometers are generally both expensive and not compact in construction. Moreover, the differentially pumped chamber in which the mass spectrometer is housed contributes a high level of residual water vapor which is difficult to remove and which severely limits the sensitivity of the mass spectrometer for water vapor measurement.
Optical emission spectroscopy is widely used for monitoring plasma processes. In principle, optical emission spectroscopy can be used to monitor molecular contamination in the processing tool. However, the optical emission spectrum is very complicated, and this method cannot be used in non-plasma processes.
Other spectroscopic techniques have been widely used in research situations to study process chemistry. (See, e.g., Dreyfus et al., Optical Diagnostics of Low Pressure Plasmas, Pure and Applied Chemistry, 57(9), pp. 1265-1276 (1985)). However, these techniques generally require specially modified process chambers and have not generally been applied to the study of contamination. For example, the possibility of in situ moisture monitoring by intracavity laser spectroscopy has been mentioned generally in a review of that technique. (See, e.g., G. W. Atkinson, High Sensitivity Detection of Water via Intracavity Laser Spectroscopy, Microcontamination, 94 Proceedings Canon Communications (1994)).
Finally, conventional gas analyzers have been applied to in situ moisture measurement, usually for processes running at or close to atmospheric pressure. (See, e.g., Smoak et al., Gas Control Improves Epi Yield, Semiconductor International, pp. 87-92 (June 1990)). According to such techniques, a portion of the process gas is extracted into a probe which then delivers the sample to the analyzer. However, use of a probe is undesirable in the measurement of moisture since moisture tends to adsorb on the surfaces of the probe. Moreover, this approach is often impractical as it requires considerable space to accommodate the conventional gas analyzers. It is well known that free space inside a semiconductor fabrication cleanroom is typically at a minimum.
A method for measuring the instantaneous moisture concentration and drydown characteristics of a processing environment is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,851, to Tapp et al. According to this method, a moisture analyzer alternately samples the effluent from a process chamber and the gas generated by a standard gas generator. The output of the standard gas generator is adjusted until the analyzer indicates no difference between the effluent and standard gas streams. Because the moisture content in the output of the standard gas generator is known, the level in the effluent stream can be determined. This system, however, is inconvenient and complicated as it requires a standard gas generator and complicated piping to effect switching between the effluent and standard gas streams. Moreover, there is a risk of backflow from the standard gas generator to the process chamber, resulting in contamination.
To meet the requirements of the semiconductor processing industry and to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel chamber effluent monitoring system, and in particular a novel semiconductor processing system, which includes an absorption spectroscopy system for detecting gas phase molecular impurities, which will allow for accurate, instantaneous and in situ determination of gas phase molecular impurities in a semiconductor processing tool.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method of detecting gas phase molecular species within the inventive chamber effluent monitoring and semiconductor processing systems.
Other objects and aspects of the present invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art on a review of the specification, drawings and claims appended hereto.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a chamber effluent monitoring system is provided. The system comprises a chamber having an exhaust line connected thereto. The exhaust line includes a sample region, wherein substantially all of a chamber effluent also passes through the sample region.
The system further comprises an absorption spectroscopy measurement system for detecting a gas phase molecular species. The measurement system comprises a light source and a main detector in optical communication with the sample region through one or more light transmissive window. The light source directs a light beam into the sample region through one of the one or more light transmissive window, and the light beam passes through the sample region and exits the sample region through one of the one or more light transmissive window. The main detector responds to the light beam exiting the sample region.
In a second aspect of the invention, a semiconductor processing system is provided. The semiconductor processing system comprises a processing chamber for processing a semiconductor substrate. The processing chamber comprises an exhaust line connected thereto. The exhaust line includes a sample region, wherein substantially all of a chamber effluent passes through the sample region.
The processing system further comprises an absorption spectroscopy measurement system for measuring a gas phase molecular species as described above with reference to the chamber effluent monitoring system.
A third aspect of the invention is a method of detecting a gas phase molecular species in a chamber effluent. In the inventive method, a chamber is provided which has an exhaust line connected thereto. The exhaust line includes a sample region. Substantially all of a chamber effluent is removed from the chamber through the exhaust line and is passed through the sample region.
A gas phase molecular species is detected by an absorption spectroscopy method by directing a light beam from a light source into the sample region through one or more light transmissive window. The light beam passes through the sample region and exits the sample region through one of the one or more light transmissive window, and the light beam exiting the cell through one of the one or more light transmissive window is detected.
The novel systems and methods permit accurate, instantaneous and in situ detection of gas phase molecular species in a chamber effluent. Particular applicability can be found in semiconductor manufacturing process control and in hazardous gas leak detection. For example, the time dependent moisture concentration and drydown characteristics of a semiconductor process environment can be monitored.

Chamber effluent monitoring system and semiconductor processing system comprising absorption spectroscopy measurement system, and methods of use

L""Air Liquide-Societe Anonyme a Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l""Etude et l""Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude


A system and method for managing information of a mobile terminal automatically generates a link to related information in association with one or more separate function databases in the mobile terminal. All information stored in each function database is also stored in a link database to allow other functions to refer to them. When a certain function is used, its related information is automatically searched for in the link database. If related information exists, a hyperlink to the related information is automatically generated, so that a user can simply use the related information as necessary.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to electronic information management, and more particularly to a system and method for automatically managing information in a processor-driven device including but not limited to personal digital assistants, handheld computers, and mobile communication terminals.
2. Background of the Related Art
As mobile terminals become more popular, users are expected to rely on supplementary functions to a greater extent. These functions include, for example, an address book, phone book, memo management, and schedule management functions as well as others. To support these functions, mobile terminals are equipped to store large amounts of diverse information in their memories.
Although supplementary functions of mobile terminals are being continuously added to meet user satisfaction, methods for managing information to support these functions are not being improved sufficiently or at the same rate. More specifically, information in a mobile terminal is stored and managed separately and different forms of that information are not associated with each other in terms of their use. In addition, in existing mobile terminals, in order for a user to use desired information, the user must tediously search lower levels of a main tree structure for a corresponding supplementary function or must use a search function in a corresponding menu.
Consider, for example, the case where a user has an appointment with person A and stores an appointment location and time in a schedule management menu of his mobile terminal. Later, when the user checks the schedule, only the stored content is displayed, without any information about person A. Thus, in order to place a phone call to person A, the user must separately search the phone number of person A from a phone book menu in the mobile terminal.
Thus, in related-art systems, while the user is using a certain function, the currently executed function must be terminated when related information is needed to be searched. The desired information then needs to be separately searched by executing a different function, and then the original function needs to be executed for the intended operation. As a result, convenience of the user has not been improved compared to other improved functions. On the contrary, the user's inconvenience has been increased because the user needs to search and obtain the desired information by performing several different functions.
The above references are incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for appropriate teachings of additional or alternative details, features and/or technical background.

Method for automatically managing information using hyperlink features of a mobile terminal


An optical imaging system (e.g., hyperspectral imaging system) is described herein which includes imaging optics, an uni-axial homogenizer (including a rectangular cross-section light pipe and an astigmatic paraxial optic), and a detector. The uni-axial homogenizer is configured to preserve imaging along one axis while homogenizing (removing all image information) along a second perpendicular axis. In one embodiment, the uni-axial homogenizer is utilized in a spectrograph of a hyperspectral imaging system where the rectangular cross-section light pipe replaces the entrance slit of the spectrograph and the astigmatic paraxial optic is built into the design of the spectrometer's optics.

Manufacturers of optical imaging systems like hyperspectral imaging systems, projectors, tracking systems and optical control systems are constantly trying to enhance such systems by tailoring the imaging to have certain properties. One way that manufacturers can enhance the optical imaging systems to make it perform better by actually making the image less perfect is the subject of the present invention.

Optical imaging system that incorporates an uni-axial optical homogenizer


Indolinone derivatives, such as compounds of the formula (I):

Phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (PDK-1) is a serine/threonine (Ser/Thr) kinase that functions to phosphorylate and activate other Ser/Thr kinases in the AGC kinase family (see, e.g., Vanhaesebroeck, B. and D. R. Alessi, "The PI3K-PDK1 connection: more than just a road to PKB," Biochem. J. (2000), Vol. 346 (Pt 3), pp. 561–76). The best-characterized substrate of PDK-1 is the intracellular Ser/Thr kinase known as AKT, whose expression and/or activity is elevated in many cancers. Kinase activity of serum and glucocordicoid regulated kinase (SGK), which is structurally related to AKT, can also be phosphorylated and activated by PDK-1. Once activated in tumors, AKT promotes increased tumor cell survival, drug resistance, growth and angiogenesis. Three highly related isoforms of AKT, termed AKT1, AKT2 and AKT3 are known in humans. Activation of AKT is dependent on the activity of phosphatidylinsoitol-3 kinase (PI-3 kinase), whose activity is activated by many signaling molecules elevated in cancer cells, including growth factor receptors (e.g., epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor, ErbB2 and IGF1-receptor) and oncogenes (e.g, Ras, BCR-abl, and Src). Other potential substrates of PDK-1 include p70 S6 kinase, p90 S6 kinase, protein kinase C, cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA), PRK1, Protein kinase G and serum and glucocorticoid regulated kinase (SGK).
PDK-1-mediated phosphorylation of AKT, which is largely present in an inactive form in unstimulated cells, converts the enzyme to a catalytically active form. This occurs through the phosphorylation of the activation loop domain of AKT, e.g., at threonine-309 in AKT2 and theonine-308 in AKT1. Phosphorylation of a homologous domain in many kinases is known to regulate their kinase activity. One stimulus for PDK-1-mediated phosphorylation of AKT is the association PI-3 kinase products, (3,4,5)PIP3 or (3,4)PIP2, with the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain of AKT. Although AKT displays low, basal levels of activation in normal, unstimulated cells, AKT often becomes constitutively activated in tumor cells. This occurs through the up-regulation of a variety of different signaling molecules or the presence of oncogenenic mutations commonly found in cancer cells that can promote the activation of AKT, such as PI-3 kinase, growth factor receptors (e.g., EGFR family members), Ras, Src, and BCR-ABL activation. Loss of the tumor suppressor PTEN is another means of greatly increasing AKT activity in cancer cells (Besson, A. et al., "PTEN/MMAC1/TEP1 in signal transduction and tumorigenesis," Eur. J. Biochem. (1999), Vol. 263, No. 3, pp. 605–611). PTEN mutation or down regulation of PTEN protein is found in a large number of tumors and cancer cell lines. PTEN is a phosphatase that removes the D-3 phosphate from the products of PI-3 kinase such as phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate and phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate (Myers, M. P. et al., "The lipid phosphatase activity of PTEN is critical for its tumor supressor function," Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (1998), Vol. 95, No. 23, pp. 13513–13518; Stambolic, V. et al., "Negative regulation of PKB/Akt-dependent cell survival by the tumor suppressor PTEN," Cell (1998), Vol. 95, No. 1, pp. 29–39). Loss of PTEN, therefore, has the effect of increasing products of PI-3 kinase and promoting constitutive activation of AKT. Cancers with highly up-regulated levels of AKT may be especially sensitive to the effects of PDK-1/AKT pathway inhibitors.
Downstream substrates of PDK-1 and/or AKT are associated with a number of cell responses including proliferation, metabolism and cell survival (Testa, J. R. and A. Bellacosa, "AKT plays a central role in tumorigenesis," Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA (2001), Vol. 98, No. 20, pp. 10983–5; Vivanco, I. and C. L. Sawyers, "The phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase AKT pathway in human cancer," Nat. Rev. Cancer (2002), Vol. 2, No. 7, pp. 489–501). Examples of signaling molecules downstream from PDK-1 or AKT involved in these pathways include BAD, p70 S6 kinase, p21 (Waf-1/Cip-1), Forkhead transcription factors, p27 (kip-1), GSK-3-alpha/beta, TSC2 (tuberin), and ecNOS. The survival function of AKT is particularly well-characterized cellular activity of AKT (Datta, S. R. et al., "Cellular survival: a play in three Akts," Genes Dev. (1999), Vol. 13, No. 22, pp. 2905–27). AKT functions to suppress cell death, i.e., apoptosis, induced by a variety of agents, including UV radiation, chemotherateutic drugs, TFG-beta, withdrawal of survival factors, overexpression of oncogenes such as c-myc and detachment of cells from the extracellular matrix.
The ability to escape apoptosis is a critical characteristic of tumor cells allowing their uncontrolled growth and invasive behavior. One trigger for apoptosis is the perturbation of the normal growth regulation resulting from oncogenic mutations or inappropriate expression signaling molecules coupled to cell proliferation. Apoptotic pathways, therefore, provide a key means of protection from the development and progression of cancer. Cancer cells, however, can escape apoptotic death by selecting for activation of signaling molecules such as AKT that turn off apoptotic signals. Some oncogenes, such as Ras, which is activated in as many as 60% of human tumors, simultaneously promote uncontrolled growth and the activation of AKT. Inhibition of AKT in NIH 3T3 cells prevents transformation of these cells through transfection with activated Ras. Furthermore, a number of studies have shown that combining expression of an oncogene with an activated form of AKT greatly facilitates formation of tumors in vivo (e.g., Holland, E. C. et al., "Combined activation of Ras and Akt in neural progenitors induces glioblastoma formation in mice," Nat. Genet. (2000), Vol. 25, No. 1, pp. 55–7). Inhibitors of PDK-1, by blocking activation of AKT, are therefore a means of promoting apoptosis in tumors cells, especially, but not necessarily limited to those over-expressing AKT activity.
Inhibitors of the PDK-1/AKT pathway are also expected to block cancer progression through inhibition of tumor-stimulated angiogenesis (Dimmeler, S. and A. M. Zeiher, "Akt takes center stage in angiogenesis signaling," Circ. Res. (2000), Vol. 86, No. 1, pp. 4–5; and Shiojima, I. and K. Walsh, "Role of Akt signaling in vascular homeostasis and angiogenesis," Circ. Res. (2002), Vol. 90, No. 12, pp. 1243–50). AKT has been shown to regulate a number of responses critical for the process of angiogeneisis, including endothelial cell migration, proliferation and survival during new vessel formation, ecNOS regulation, response of endothelial cells to growth factors (including IGF-1, agniopoetin-1 and VEGF) and the regulation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1)-alpha levels.
Inhibition of the cell cycle and growth of tumor cells is yet another expected effect of compounds that block PDK-1 and/or AKT. Inhibition of PDK-1 and/or AKT activity has been shown to regulate growth of cancer cells in a number of studies. These effects may occur through PDK-1 or AKT-mediated regulation of a number of different signaling pathways important in growth regulation. For example, AKT has been shown to block nuclear localization and/or expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, p21 (Waf-1/Cip-1) and p27 (kip-1). Inhibitors blocking these effects would be expected to reduce the activity of cyclin-dependent kinases, blocking progression through the cell cycle and reducing tumor cell growth. AKT was found to inhibit Myt1, thereby acting as an initiator of mitosis in oocytes from the starfish Asterina pectinfera. Furthermore, PDK-1 and/or AKT regulate the expression of proteins important for cell growth through its regulation of mTOR, p70 S6 kinase and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E binding protein 1 (4E-BP1). While the mechanism of this regulation is not firmly established, it has been shown that AKT phosphorylations reduces expression of TSC2, thereby relieving TSC-2 mediated suppression of mTOR activity. This, in turn, promotes the activation p70 S6 kinase activity and the phosphorylation and inhibition of 4E-BP1 (Inoki, K. et al., "TSC2 is phosphorylated and inhibited by Akt and suppresses mTOR signalling," Nat. Cell. Biol. (2002), Vol. 12, p. 12; and Potter, C. J. et al., "Akt regulates growth by directly phosphorylating Tsc2," Nat. Cell. Biol. (2002), Vol. 12, p. 12). Both these effects result in increased synthesis of mRNAs encoding proteins important for cell growth. Loss of TSC2 function is associated with the disease tuberous sclerosis, which results in differentiated benign growths (harmatomas) in a wide variety of organs. PDK-1 also has been shown to have a direct role in the phosphorylation and activation p70 S6 kinase (Alessi, D. R. et al., "3-Phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1) phosphorylates and activates the p70 S6 kinase in vivo and in vitro," Curr. Biol. (1998), Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 69–81).
Compounds which block PDK-1 mediated activation of AKT or PDK-1 directly may therefore be useful therapeutic agents in treating a variety of disease-states, such as cancer.

Indolinone derivatives and their use in treating disease-states such as cancer

Abstract: wherein A, m, n, R1, R2, R3, R5 and R6 are described herein, are disclosed herein as being useful in treating mammal having disease-states alleviated by the inhibition of PDK-1 activity.


A warehouse dock light includes a lamp assembly which is provided with a plurality of LEDs arranged in such a fashion as to collectively provide sufficient light for illumination of an area. The LEDs are arranged in two columns with each column having both LEDs with narrow angle and wide angle lens, and with each column being angled so as to project outwardly from a central axis. Heat from the LEDs is dissipated through bi-metal boards to an extruded aluminum heat sink, and air is blown through the ribs of the heat sink by a fan. A heat sensor is provided with electronic circuitry to responsively turn on the fan and/or turn off the LEDs at predetermined temperature thresholds.

The use of dock lights on the loading platform of a warehouse for the purpose of illuminating the interior of a truck backed up to the loading platform is well known. Typically, the base of the light is mounted to a wall on the inside of the warehouse to protect the dock light from the elements when not in use, but it includes an extendible linkage for extending the light through the door of a truck so that it can illuminate the interior of the truck.
Such an extendible dock light is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,709,458 wherein a single halogen lamp is included for obtaining the desired illumination. One disadvantage to the use of halogen lamps is that they are relatively sensitive to damage from impact and can be made inoperable if the surrounding lamp assembly is hit by a door, for example. Further, because of the relative large size of the halogen lamp, the profile of the lamp assembly is relatively large and therefore more likely to be hit by an object.
Another disadvantage to the use of halogen lamps is that, although they use less energy than an incandescent light, they still use a considerable amount of energy to light them. Further, their life is relatively short (i.e. in the range of 2,000 to 5,000 hours).


An improved catalytic process for producing hydrogen peroxide directly by reaction of hydrogen and oxygen is disclosed. The process employs staged or sequential feeding of portions of the hydrogen feedstream into zones in the catalytic reactor in amounts sufficient to maintain an essentially constant and preferred ratio of oxygen to hydrogen at the inlet to each of the vessel's zones whereby high selectivity for hydrogen peroxide production is achieved and excess oxygen recycle requirements are minimized.

1. The Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an improved catalytic process for producing hydrogen peroxide directly by reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. The process involves sequentially staged or serial feeding of portions of the hydrogen feed stream to the continuous catalytic reactor downstream from the initial locus of the feedstream entrance to the reactor. The staged addition of hydrogen allows preferred oxygen to hydrogen stoichiometry to be maintained throughout the reactor. This significantly reduces the amount of unconverted oxygen, thereby reducing or eliminating the need for recompression and recycling of effluent gases while improving the selectivity of the catalytic reaction.
2. Related Technology
While the direct production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) from hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) is known in the art, commercial processes are typically indirect processes using a hydrogen donor organic compound as the source of hydrogen needed to react with oxygen in order to circumvent the explosive hazard of direct mixtures of hydrogen and oxygen. Usually, anthraquinone or a derivative thereof is employed as a hydrogen donor molecule by first reducing the molecule to the dihydro moiety and then oxidizing the reduced dihydro moiety with oxygen to yield hydrogen peroxide and the starting anthraquinone. While a relatively safe process, the indirect process has many drawbacks, not the least of which is the fact that it is a multi-step process which consumes anthraquinone and solvent by oxidation.
The direct catalytic production of hydrogen peroxide from hydrogen and oxygen, although well-studied, has not achieved commercial acceptance as yet. When the direct process is carried out at hydrogen levels below 5% by volume to avoid the explosive hydrogen gas mixture range, the yields of hydrogen peroxide are low. Further, the process selectivity is low as a consequence of the conversion of hydrogen peroxide to water in the catalytic environment. The cost of hydrogen and oxygen is an important economic factor in the direct synthesis process. Inefficiencies in their use caused by low selectivity constitute a significant problem.
Another significant economic problem in direct hydrogen peroxide production arises from the use of large gas excesses. It is common practice in direct synthesis processes to employ large excesses of one of the gaseous components, especially oxygen. Consequently, large gas flows must be handled in the process. Since direct synthesis processes typically operate at pressures of at least 500 psig, and often greater than 1000 psig, the copious amount of excess oxygen in the reaction mixture which must be recompressed for recycle imposes a significant cost burden on the process. Large and expensive compressors are required to accommodate the recycle stream from direct synthesis processes that employ excessively large oxygen flows.
It is also well known in the prior art that the ratio of oxygen and hydrogen gases in the direct catalytic synthesis process has a critical effect on the yield of hydrogen peroxide produced as well as the selectivity of the process for hydrogen peroxide production. U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,239 teaches a direct synthesis hydrogen peroxide production process using noble metal catalysts where the molar ratio of oxygen to hydrogen is greater than about 3.4, preferably above 5, and most preferably a molar ratio of 12–15, at catalyst loadings of more than 30 mg per 100 ml of medium. According to the '239 patent, higher oxygen to hydrogen ratios above 3.4 result in an increase in the amount of hydrogen peroxide obtained.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,920 teaches a reactor system for hydrogen peroxide production wherein hydrogen is fed to the reactor in staged points of entry above an oxygen and hydrogen inlet. The process is distinguished by employing a woven catalyst having a long on-stream life in a fixed bed reactor which produces a selectivity of above 65%. The '920 patent does not teach or claim the adjustment of the oxygen to hydrogen gas ratio at each stage to provide a preferred ratio that yields a minimum volume of a recycle stream.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,743 teaches a method for preparing hydrogen peroxide directly using staged oxygen addition into the reactor at a relatively high ratio of oxygen to hydrogen.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,467 to Huckins teaches and claims a method for safe hydrogen peroxide production in a catalytic reactor by injecting oxygen or oxygen and hydrogen into a flowing medium at multiple points downstream in a catalytic reactor. The volumetric ratios of flowing medium to injected hydrogen and/or oxygen are selected to preferably maintain a safe combination of hydrogen to oxygen, or where the volume ratio of oxygen to hydrogen is from 1:1 to 20:1. However, the '467 patent does not teach or claim the staged injection of hydrogen at varying hydrogen to oxygen ratios that are pre-selected to maximize the conversion and selectivity of hydrogen peroxide production while producing low oxygen recycle ratios.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,042,804 is related to the foregoing '467 patent and teaches and claims the separation of hydrogen peroxide plus process operating conditions within the explosive limits of hydrogen gas and oxygen mixtures.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a process for the direct continuous synthesis of hydrogen peroxide from hydrogen and oxygen gas in a catalytic reactor that avoids the necessity of feeding a large excess of oxygen that might result in a substantial recycle stream of unconverted oxygen. It is a further objective of the invention to provide such a process that avoids the production of and need for recycling a large excess of oxygen but, nevertheless, achieves improved process conversion of hydrogen and oxygen to hydrogen peroxide with high selectivity.

Direct hydrogen peroxide production using staged hydrogen addition


The present invention is directed to a compound represented by formula (I): wherein, for example, R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, and R.sub.4 each represents a hydrogen atom; R.sub.6 and R.sub.7 each represent a substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl group; A represents a group represented by formula (II): ##STR1## wherein R.sub.5 represents, for example, a hydrogen atom; and n represents an integer of 2 to 6, or a stereoisomer or optical isomer thereof and a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and compositions and methods for treating ischemic diseases. The compounds represented by formula (I) have an inhibitory action on calcium overload in addition to a vasorelaxing activity (calcium antagonism) and an inhibitory action on lipid peroxidation and are useful as a preventive or treating agent for ischemic diseases and hypertension.

The process of cell injuries owing to ischemia is broadly divided into two courses: (1) damages caused by reduction in intracellular ATP level or increase in intracellular calcium concentration etc. under insufficient oxygen supply during ischemia and (2) damages caused by increasing influx of calcium or production of free radicals, etc. followed by reperfusion or restoration of blood vessels after ischemia (Yoshiwara, et al., Metabolism and disease, 29, 379 (1992)). As typical ischemic diseases, cardiovascular diseases such as variant angina, unstable angina, myocardial infarction and arrythmia brought by reperfusion of coronary arteries by PTCA/PTCR/CABG, etc. or cerebrovascular diseases such as transient cerebroischemic attack, traumatic injury to the head and sequels after brain surgery can be given. In the treatment for variant angina or unstable angina, nitro compounds exemplified by nitroglycerin and nicorandil and calcium antagonists exemplified by diltiazem, nifedipine and verapamil are used and for the myocardial infarction or coronary reperfusion injury followed by PTCA/PTCR/CABG, etc., use of 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors or radical scavengers is under investigation. As a preventive or treating agent for ischemic cerebrovascular diseases, glyceol (registered trade mark), ozagrel, nizofenone, ticlopidine, nicaraven, etc. have been investigated and used with the idea of reducing the occurrence of cerebral edema or cerebrovascular spasms in the acute stage of cerebrovascular accident. In the chronic stage, cerebral circulation enhancers such as calcium antagonists exemplified by nicardipine, cinnarizine and flunarizine, cerebral circulation enhancers with promotive action for metabolism such as vinpocetine, nicergoline, pentoxifylline, and ifenprodil, or cerebral metabolic activators such as idebenone, GABA, and calcium hopantenate have been used in order to increase blood flow or improve the metabolic state in the tissue which survived the ischemic injury.
Based on extensive investigation to seek for an excellent preventive or therapeutic agent for ischemic diseases and an antihypertensive agent which would be able to suppress the generation of active oxygen species and increase of intracellular calcium concentration that are considered as the main causes of ischemic diseases and hypertension, the present inventors have synthesized the compounds represented by formula (I) and found that these compounds concurrently exhibit vasorelaxing activity (calcium antagonism), lipid peroxidation inhibitory action and calcium overload inhibitory action and that they are effective as a preventive or therapeutic agent for ischemic diseases and an antihypertensive agent. The present invention has been accomplished based on the findings.
Disclosure of the Invention
The present invention provides a therapeutic agent for ischemic diseases characterized by containing a compound represented by the general formula (I): ##STR2## wherein R.sub.1 represents a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, an acyloxy group having 1 to 9 carbon atoms or a lower alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms; R.sub.2 and R.sub.3, which may be the same or different, each represents a hydrogen atom, a hydroxyl group, a halogen atom, a lower alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or a lower alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms; R.sub.4 represents a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms; A represents a fragment represented by formula (II): ##STR3## wherein R.sub.5 represents a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted lower alkenyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group, or R.sub.5 forms a 5- or 6-membered ring containing two or more oxygen atoms or sulfur atoms, in which case the carbon atom to which it is bonded is a spiro atom; or a fragment represented by formula (III): EQU B (III)
wherein B represents a fragment selected from the group of following fragments represented by formulae (IV), (V), (VI), (VII), (VIII), (IX), (X), (XI), (XII), (XIII), (XIV), (XV), and (XVI): ##STR4## R.sub.6 and R.sub.7, which may be the same or different, each represents a hydrogen atom, a substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted lower alkenyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group or a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic group, provided that R.sub.6 and R.sub.7 do not represent a methyl group simultaneously, or R.sub.6 and R.sub.7 are taken together to form a substituted or unsubstituted ring which may be a condensed ring; and n represents an integer of 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6; or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof or a possible stereoisomer or optical isomer thereof as an active ingredient.
In the compounds represented by the general formula (I), examples of the substituents which may be present on the lower alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, lower alkenyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, lower alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, aryl group or heterocyclic group include halogen atoms such as chlorine and bromine atoms; a hydroxyl group; a carboxyl group; alkoxycarbonyl groups such as methoxycarbonyl and ethoxycarbonyl groups; carbamoyl groups such as N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl group; alkoxy groups such as methoxy and ethoxy groups; phenoxy groups such as 3,4-methylenedioxyphenoxy, 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenoxy, 3,4-dimethoxyphenoxy and 4-methoxyphenoxy groups; and phenyl groups such as 3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl and 4-methoxyphenyl groups.

Benzene derivatives, compositions and methods for treating ischemic diseases


A monitoring system for a machine is provided. The machine includes at least one movable member including at least one sensor configured to generate at least one speed measurement of the moveable member. The machine also includes at least one processor coupled in electronic data communication to the sensor. The sensor is configured to generate at least one time stamp value for the at least one speed measurement signal. The at least one processor is configured to generate a plurality of time-stamped speed measurement signals of the at least one moveable member. The processor is further configured to determine a prioritization of the plurality of time-stamped speed measurement signals as a function of at least one predetermined temporal value.

This invention relates generally to machines and more particularly, to methods and apparatus for monitoring wind turbines.
Generally, a wind turbine generator includes a turbine that has a rotatable hub assembly including multiple blades. The hub assembly is coupled to a rotor and the blades transform mechanical wind energy into a mechanical rotational torque that drives one or more generators via the rotor. The generators are generally, but not always, rotationally coupled to the rotor through a gearbox. The gearbox steps up the inherently low rotational speed of the rotor to enable the generator to efficiently convert the rotational mechanical energy into electrical energy that is supplied to a utility grid. Gearless direct drive wind turbine generators also exist. Generally, the rotor, generator, gearbox and other components are mounted within a housing or nacelle, that is positioned atop a base, such as truss, lattice or tubular tower.
Some known wind turbines include vibration monitoring systems that record, transmit, and analyze data that includes, but is not limited to, component speed and vibration data. Generally, component speed and vibration data form an inter-relationship that facilitates analysis of a component at a particular time. Therefore, recording component speed and vibration data, while mitigating a time differential between the two, facilitates component analysis. However, at least some known vibration monitoring systems are not configured to record, transmit, and/or process component speed and vibration data simultaneously and as such, may need to utilize component speed and vibration data recorded at differing times.

Method and apparatus of monitoring a machine


A sensor integrated protection device is disclosed. This device includes a sensor for detecting radiations; and a radiation shielding pad to which the sensor is coupled. A data communicating device is placed within radiation shielding pad and electrically coupled to the sensor. This device is suitable for easy wear with the pad shape and can be used for protecting different parts of the body with the various type of the pad holders. In the sensor integrated protection device, the data communicating unit is not built in the sensor but is configured to the sensor outside of the sensor to reduce the size of the sensor and to improve the convenience of using and keeping the sensor.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a radiation protection pad for shielding radiation, and, more particularly, to a sensor integrated protection pad.
Description of the Related Art
In general, a radiation imaging apparatus like an X-ray imaging equipment captures images of the inside of a subject by detecting radiation transmitted through the subject with a radiation detector or sensor, and it has been used variously for diagnosing patients in a hospital and testing a test material in a laboratory in a non-destructive manner. For an example, at the dentist, an intraoral sensor detecting the radiation is placed within in a mouth and radiation irradiation is performed outside the mouth to obtain image of teeth, the alveolar bone and facial bones.
Since the radiation used for diagnostic purposes exerts an adverse effect on the human body, it is important to prevent the human body from being exposed to the excessive radiation or to unnecessary radiation.
In order to protect the organs or structure of the human body to be imaged and to prevent regions not to be imaged being exposed to the radiation, it is common to use a radiation shielding equipment or radiation protective clothing for patients.
The conventional radiation protective clothing has the problem of heavy weight and being directly contacted to the skin of patients. This direct contact may cause unexpected radiation contamination. Specifically, the conventional radiation protective clothing used in the dentist is helpful to protect thyroid and regions around the thyroid from the radiation but it is not suitable to protect eyes and their surroundings.
Further, the conventional radiation protective clothing is separated from the radiation detector or the sensor. This causes inconvenience of using the radiation protective clothing during the radiography and keeping it after the use.

Sensor integrated protection pad for shielding radiation


The present invention relates to a building for a high-rise construction. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide for a single, cohesive building that has the appearance of a multi-segmented building. Each segment of the building may be separated by an open-air area and have a different façade than adjacent segments.

The façade of traditional high-rise building constructions is typically uniform from top to bottom, as the same materials used throughout the entire façade, thereby giving a largely homogenous appearance to the building. Without using different façades, it is difficult to differentiate between different parts of the building. Furthermore, by using only one style for the façade, a building lacks the character of a building that integrates multiple types of façades. Additionally, traditional high-rise building constructions have a limited amount of open-air and green spaces. Open-air and green space is limited due to the fact that a typical high-rise building only incorporates open-air space on the roof portions of a building. Often times, there is not enough open-air and green space incorporated in the construction of the building to adequately meet the demands on the building inhabitants.
Therefore, there is a new in the art for a construction that incorporates multiple façades into a single high-rise building and increases the amount open-air and green spaces that is available without increasing the footprint of the building or the building's roof areas. These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be explained and will become obvious to one skilled in the art through the summary of the invention that follows.

Segmented building construction with multiple facades


A piston 2 includes a piston upper body 8 made up of a crown portion 3 for receiving combustion pressure and a land portion 7 having piston ring grooves 4, 5, and 6, as well as a skirt portion 9 formed on the lower side of the piston upper body 8, and a pin boss portion 11 for supporting a piston pin 10. The land portion 7 also includes an outer peripheral surface 16 of the aforementioned piston upper body 8. The land portion 7 is referred to as the outer peripheral surface 16 of the piston upper body 8. In the piston 2, reference numeral 12 denotes a thrust side, and reference numeral 13 denotes an anti-thrust side. The piston 2 is formed such that the piston upper body 8 is off-centered toward the anti-thrust side 13 with respect to a center line 14 of the piston 2.

Patent Document 1: Pamphlet of International Publication No. WO 92/02722    Patent Document 2: JP-A-04-347352    Patent Document 3: JP-A-05-26106    Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent No. 2988010
Techniques for reducing the friction loss between the piston and the cylinder on the thrust side due to thrust force acting on the piston include, among others, a pamphlet of International Publication No. WO 92/02722, JP-A-04-347352, JP-A-05-26106, and Japanese Patent No. 2988010 (Refer to Patent Documents 1 to 4). In the techniques described therein, a gas chamber is formed between piston rings for compression provided on a piston upper body, i.e., on a second land portion, and high pressure gas above the piston is introduced into this gas chamber in an initial stage of the expansion stroke of the engine operation, such that the piston is supported by this introduced gas pressure in opposition to the thrust force generated due to the tilting of a connecting rod, to thereby attain reduction of the friction loss between the piston and an inner surface of the cylinder.