An apparatus and method for forming a plastic container is provided. The method includes disposing a preform into a primary mold cavity and applying pressurized air to urge the preform to conform to the shape of the primary mold cavity to form a primary article. The primary article is then permitted to shrink to a predetermined volume. The method can further include exposing the primary article to an internal vacuum to facilitate shrinking to a predetermined volume. The method further includes disposing the primary article into a second mold cavity and applying pressurized air to urge the primary article to conform to the second mold cavity to form an intermediate article. Finally, at least a portion of the intermediate article is trimmed off to form a final container.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
As a result of environmental and other concerns, plastic containers, more specifically polyester and even more specifically polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers are now being used more than ever to package numerous commodities previously supplied in glass containers. Manufacturers and fillers, as well as consumers, have recognized that PET containers are lightweight, inexpensive, recyclable and manufacturable in large quantities.
Blow-molded plastic containers have become commonplace in packaging numerous commodities. PET is a crystallizable polymer, meaning that it is available in an amorphous form or a semi-crystalline form. The ability of a PET container to maintain its material integrity relates to the percentage of the PET container in crystalline form, also known as the "crystallinity" of the PET container. The following equation defines the percentage of crystallinity as a volume fraction:
      %                          Crystallinity    =            (                        ρ          -                      ρ            a                                                ρ            c                    -                      ρ            a                              )        ×    100  where ρ is the density of the PET material; ρa is the density of pure amorphous PET material (1.333 g/cc); and ρc is the density of pure crystalline material (1.455 g/cc). Once a container has been blown, a commodity may be filled into the container.
Traditionally, stretch blow molding has been used to manufacture resultant containers using a preform. The preform is heated and pressurized gas or fluid is introduced therein to stretch the preform to closely conform to the shape of a mold device. In some applications, the resultant container may shrink due to various mechanical and composition properties of the material being used. In some applications, the mold device can be sized larger than a desired final container size to permit shrinkage of the container into its final shape.
In some cases, containers can be manufactured using a double-blow process. The double-blow process can includes a step where a preform is blown into what is known as a primary article. This primary article is blown in a hot mold and is of similar size, or somewhat larger, than the finished container. In one method, this primary article is then moved through a series of ovens to shrink it to a point smaller than the finished container. In another method, the primary article is removed from the hot mold and allowed to shrink on its own to a point smaller than the actual container. The primary article is then moved into the final blow mold and blown into the finished container. However, according to these processes, the time necessary to either heat the primary article to encourage shrink or the time necessary for the primary article to shrink to a smaller size for final blow molding can delay the overall time of manufacture, thereby reducing the throughput of the manufacturing system. Therefore, there is a need to overcome these disadvantages.


The present invention relates to the use, in a cosmetic composition, of an extract of at least one part of an orchid of the species Vanda coerulea, as an agent for maintaining or restoring the hydration state of the skin, said composition also containing a cosmetically acceptable excipient.

Orchids (Orchidaceae) are the subject of numerous research studies in the medicament or cosmetics field, aimed at identifying new compounds having advantageous properties. Orchids of the Vanda genus are epiphytic or epilithic orchids of the tropical forest of Asia and of Australia. They are monopodial orchids of low-altitude forests with a high atmospheric humidity. The genus comprises about fifty species with many hybrids. To date, research on plants of the Vanda genus is based on the knowledge and uses of these plants by local populations.
Manandhar et al. (Fitoterapia, 1994, 65 (1), 7-13) have described the use of Vanda cristata in the Kaski district of Nepal, for treating cuts and wounds using a paste based on the plant.
Sigh et al. have studied the traditional phytotherapy with medicinal plants used by the Tharu tribe of the Nainital district in the Uttar Pradesh region in India (Int. J. Pharmacogn., 1994 32 1, 51-58). These authors have described the use of a paste based on Vanda tessallata (synonym: Vanda roxburghii) obtained from the whole plant, and applied with salt to a bone fracture area. The publication also discloses the use of an aqueous extract of this same plant, administered orally for the same purpose.
Compositions intended for skin care, containing an extract of the plant Vanda roxburghii, have been described in Japanese Patent Application JP2006-257056, said extract being used in this composition as an oestrogenic agent for the treatment of skin aging.
Chawla et al. (Ind. J. Pharm. Sci., 1992, 54 (4), 159-61) have described the anti-inflammatory properties of an organic solvent-based extract obtained from Vanda roxburghii roots.
Bulpitt ("The uses and misuses of orchids in medicine", QJM, 2005, 98 (9), 625-31) indicates that the orchid Vanda coerulea appears to be part of the Indian pharmacopoeia.
Moreover, an extract of the whole plant of Vanda coerulea, sold under the name Biogreen Orchidée Bleue (Biogreen Blue Orchid) by Greentech SA, is also known. This extract is used as an antioxidant in cosmetic compositions.
Aquaporins or water channels are transmembrane protein systems that transport water and small molecules in solution, such as glycerol and urea, for example. The presence of type 3 aquaporins (AQP3) in the human epidermis, more specifically in the plasma membrane of the keratinocytes of human skin, and also the important role that these AQP-3s play in water transport within the human epidermis, are known (SOUGRAT et al., Molecular Biology of the Cell; November 1998; vol. 9, page 499a).
The LEKTI protein (lympho-epithelial Kazal type related inhibitor) is a protease inhibitor and is expressed in the granular layer of the epidermis located under the horny layer. Mutations in the SPINK5 gene, encoding this protein, result in a complete absence of the LEKTI protein in affected individuals, which leads to extreme disturbances of the cutaneous barrier, in particular at the level of the desmosomes.
Desmosomes enable mechanical attachment of the cells to one another, reinforcing the mechanical solidity of the sealing systems, and are binding sites for keratins between two cells (keratinocytes or corneocytes). They thus play an essential role in the cohesion between the cellular compartments which constitute the dermis and the epidermis and in the prevention of intercellular water evaporation, a phenomenon responsible for dryness of the skin.
In the absence of LEKTI production (in the case of patients suffering from Netherton's syndrome), a high degree of fragility of the skin is observed, resulting in severe dehydration.
It has been shown that the horny layer of the skin of knock-out mice (which do not possess the SPINK5 gene) detaches from the rest of the epidermis due to degradation of the desmosomes, which bind the horny layer to the granular layer. This alteration is secondary to the hyperactivity of epidermal proteases which, in the absence of inhibition by LEKTI, degrade one of the key components of desmosomes, Desmoglein 1. LEKTI therefore plays a major role in regulating the process of desquamation of the epidermis by controlling the degradation of these attachment structures.
Stimulating AQP3 and of LEKTI may make it possible both to limit intercellular water evaporation and also to improve water transport within the epidermis. Thus there is a need for a simple, relatively inexpensive cosmetic agent capable of maintaining or reinforcing skin hydration.

Abstract: This skin hydrating effect is obtained in particular by stimulating the expression of aquaporin 3 and of the LEKTI protein.

Abstract: The invention also relates to a cosmetic skincare method for the purpose of improving the hydration state of said skin.


A valve comprises a housing (1) having an inlet (4) and an outlet (5), and a pressure sensing port (8). A piston (6) slides in a part (3) of the housing (1) in response to a difference between a first fluid pressure at the pressure sensing port on the one side of the piston, and a second fluid pressure at the inlet and/or outlet on the other side of the piston (6). A valve member (7) carried by the piston is operable thereby to close the inlet (4) when said second fluid pressure is less than a value sufficiently greater than said first fluid pressure. The valve member (7) is movable with respect to the piston (6) to facilitate closing of the inlet (4), in response to a fluid flow from the housing (1) to the inlet (4), when the piston is not acting to close the inlet.

This invention relates to a valve, particularly, but not exclusively, for use in connection with a compressor.
Refrigeration and air-conditioning compressors often rely on the pressure difference generated by the compressor to provide the pressure difference needed to inject oil into the compressor for lubricating, sealing and cooling purposes. The pressure at the inlet (or "suction") of the compressor is dictated by the refrigeration duty being performed at the time. The delivery pressure at the outlet is dictated by the ability of the condenser of the refrigeration system to transfer heat to the condenser cooling medium. This medium may be ambient air or it may be a liquid such as water or a solution containing an anti-freeze. The medium is in turn cooled by ambient air or a cooling tower.
At times, unless preventative action is taken, the pressure difference between delivery and suction can be too low to inject oil into the compressor. This can arise from either a high suction pressure, for example when the plant is started up after being turned off for a period, or it can arise from a low delivery pressure. The latter can again occur after the plant has been turned off for a period, or it can arise where the condenser cooling medium is at a very low temperature. Both high suction pressure and low delivery pressure can be present at the same time. In some cases the condition would clear if the plant were allowed to continue running—but it cannot due to lack of oil injection. In other cases the cooling medium may be so cold that the condition would persist.
To remedy this situation it is necessary to fit means to keep the delivery pressure (as "seen" by the compressor and the oil system) high. One such means is a delivery/suction pressure control valve downstream of the compressor delivery and the oil separator/reservoir but upstream of the condenser. Such a valve is expensive.
Positive displacement compressors that do not have mechanical delivery valves (for example screw and scroll compressors) tend to act as expanders and rotate backwards when the driving force is switched off until the pressures in the evaporator and condenser equalise. This reverse migration of refrigerant from the high to the low-pressure side of the system is undesirable, as is the reverse rotation of the compressor, which can cause mechanical damage. To prevent this a non-return valve (also known as a check valve) is often fitted to the delivery line, downstream of the compressor delivery and the oil separator/reservoir but upstream of the condenser.


A delay circuit with a delay time being more accurate and a circuit area being reduced is provided. The delay circuit includes a resistance element 3, a capacitor element 4 and a connection wiring 6. The connection wiring 6 includes a first polysilicon layer 13a above a substrate 10, and a first silicide layer 14a which connects the resistance element 3 and the capacitor element 4 and is on the first polysilicon layer 13a. The capacitor element 4 includes a diffusion layer 12b in the surface region of the semiconductor substrate 10, a gate insulating layer 15b on the diffusion layer 12b, a second polysilicon layer 13b on the gate insulating layer 15b, and a second silicide layer 14b on the second polysilicon layer 13b. The resistance element 3 includes a third polysilicon layer 13c above the semiconductor substrate 10. The first, second and third polysilicon layers 13a, 13b and 13c are integrally provided. The first and second silicide layers 14a and 14b are integrally provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a delay circuit, and particularly relates to a delay circuit for use in a semiconductor integrated circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a semiconductor integrated circuit (including a semiconductor memory), a delay circuit which delays a signal by a desired time is used for regulating the timing of propagation of the signal. A delay circuit is generally configured by an inverter, a resistance element, a capacitor element and the like. As a result of enhancement in the operation speed in semiconductor integrated circuits of recent years, extremely high precision is required in regulation of delay times. Therefore, delay circuits need to be manufactured with higher precision so as to obtain more accurate delay times. Further, by microfabrication of a semiconductor integrated circuit, reduction in the circuit area of a delay circuit, and suppression of influence on metal restriction are demanded.
As a related art, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-94002 discloses a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a signal line, and a capacitor element and a resistance element which are connected to the signal line. This semiconductor device is characterized in that a part or whole of the resistance element configures a part of the capacitor element. The capacitor element and the resistance element function as a delay circuit. The capacitor element may be an MIS capacitance. The resistance element may be formed from a wiring layer used as a gate of an MIS transistor. The resistance element may be formed from a polysilicon layer. The capacitance value of the capacitor element and the resistance value of the resistance element may be physically or electrically variable. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-94002 describes that by the semiconductor device, the layout area of the delay circuit can be reduced.
However, it has been found out by the study of the inventor that the technique of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-94002 has the following problem. FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view schematically showing the configuration of the semiconductor device of Japanese patent Laid-Open No. 2002-94002. In this art, a diffusion layer 112 is provided in a well 111 on a semiconductor substrate 110, and a gate wiring layer (polysilicon layer) 113 is provided on the diffusion layer 112 via a gate insulating film 115. More specifically, a capacitor element (C) configured by the gate wiring layer 113, the gate insulating film 115 and the diffusion layer 112, and a resistance element (R) configured by the gate wiring layer 113 continuously configure the delay circuit 101. FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram showing the equivalent circuit of FIG. 1. In the delay circuit 101, C1 can charge and discharge electricity from and to R1, and Cn can charge and discharge electricity from and to Rn (n is a natural number). However, Co charges and discharges to and from an impedance component in an inverter INV1. More specifically, a transistor in the inverter INV1 relates to charge and discharge. However, in a transistor, variation easily occurs to the impedance component due to the influence of voltage, temperature, a production error and the like as compared with a normal capacitor element and resistance element of simple structures. Therefore, the delay circuit 101 has difficulty in making the delay time more accurate, and is considered to have a problem of precision.
Further, in order to enhance precision, the resistance element is preferably in a straight-line shape of which size precision can be easily realized. However, the resistance element (gate wiring layer) of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-94002 is in a meandering shape. Accordingly, it is considered to be difficult to realize high size precision. Further, in recent years, for the gate wiring layer, the stacked layers of a polysilicon layer and a silicide layer are used instead of only one polysilicon layer. Therefore, it is conceivable that application of such a gate wiring layer to the resistance element of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-94002 makes the resistance value too low. Further, if metal wiring coupling noise is on a delay contact point, an error occurs. Therefore, when the metal wiring is used in the delay circuit, there arises the problem of metal wiring restriction which restricts use of the metal wiring in its upper layer. Further, when a metal wiring is used in the delay circuit, there is the problem of the occurring noise easily propagating to the metal wiring.
A delay circuit which provides more accurate delay times is desired. A delay circuit is required, in which the circuit area is reduced, and influence on the metal restriction is suppressed is required. A delay circuit in which noise hardly propagates is desired.


The invention comprises a tool with at least one extending member which causes the fluids moving in the wellbore after perforation to increase in velocity. The velocity is further increased by an auxiliary flowpath which permits the addition of fluid from the surface or from elsewhere in the wellbore or formation to be pumped to mix with the other fluids being produced after perforation. The auxiliary fluid further increases velocity, thus improving the ability of the mixture of formation and auxiliary fluid to entrain debris and remove it from the wellbore.

Subsequent to drilling or workover of a subterranean oil or gas well, it is sometimes desirable to gravel pack same in order to prevent solid particulate matter in consolidated production formations from being co-produced with the fluid hydrocarbons through the production conduit to the top of the well. In such operations, a "pre-pack" well screen may be utilized, along or in conjunction with exterior conventional gravel-packing techniques. In many instances, such gravel packing is performed without use of a "pre-pack" well screen and gravel is circulated in a viscous carrier fluid for deposition around the exterior of the well screen, which is positioned across the production zone. The deposited gravel prevents the solid particulate matter within the fluid hydrocarbons to freely pass therethrough, and the screen prevents the solids forming the gravel pack from entering into the interior of the production conduit, yet permits the fluid hydrocarbons to pass through porous openings therethrough.
In some instances, the gravel packing of a subterranean well is performed by depositing solid particulate matter, i.e., sand, within a highly viscous carrier fluid. This fluid body is introduced through a tubular conduit and placed within the bore across the production zone to straddle the open perforations. Thereafter, the tubing is withdrawn from the well, and the appropriate screen assembly, which may or may not include a "pre-pack" screen, is run into the well and inserted into the viscous body of fluid containing the gravel.
Since many of the carrier fluids are a highly viscous, high molecular weight, polymeric substance, they are typically shear-thinning, thixotropic substances. Typical of such materials is a product marketed by the Kelco Corporation under the name "XC Polymer," which is a bacterial fermentation product of a polysacharide exposed to the bacteria xanthomonas campestris. When such fluid is agitated, its viscosity is reduced. However, when agitation is decreased, or stopped, the rheological property of the material is reversed and it becomes thixotropic, and the viscosity of the fluid increases substantially to permit the fluid to hold the solid particulate matter in suspension.
Due to the high viscosity and thixotropic nature of such fluids, insertion of the well "pre-pack" or other screen through the fluid will be resisted, often causing more torque and/or weight to have to be applied through the length of the drillstring. Additionally, the thixotropic properties of such fluid also contribute substantially to the difficulties in removing any such screen assemblies, thus often requiring considerably more torque to be applied through the tubing.
Such high viscous and thixotropic fluids many times are utilized as completion or "kill" fluids to be placed across the production zone prior to or subsequent to perforating the casing. In such instances, it becomes considerably more difficult to insert the gun through such viscous completion fluids or to easily withdraw same from the fluid subsequent to the perforating step.
The present sequence that is employed involves perforation of the formation using a gun mounted to the end of a tubing string below a retrievable packer. After perforating the formation and allowing the well to flow to clean up the perforations, the packer is released and the well is killed by bullheading or pumping down the tubing into the formation or by reverse circulating down the annulus and up the tubing of kill fluids of sufficient density to keep the well from coming in as the tubing, including the retrievable packer, and the perforating gun are withdrawn completely out of the well. After removing the perforating gun, the tubing is reinserted into the well to facilitate the introduction of sand as part of the gravel-packing procedure. An alternative to removing the perforating gun completely out of the well requires pulling up the perforating gun after it is fired, sufficiently above the perforations so that when sand is delivered down the tubing, the packed sand column will not reach the position of the raised-up perforating gun. In order to raise the perforating gun, the retrievable packer has to be released, which again requires an initial killing of the well by bullheading or reverse circulating as previously described. The introduction of the killing fluids to the newly perforated formation has a negative effect on the productivity of the formation through the perforations. In employing the methodology of raising the gun above the perforation or coming completely out of the hole with the gun prior to the introduction of sand, the formation is exposed to a larger volume of "kill fluids," as well as a portion of the volume in the tubing string which is displaced during the deposition of sand ("squeezing") into the perforations.
As a means of getting around pulling the gun completely out of the hole or pulling it up sufficiently high above the perforations, another alternative would be to leave the gun in place. The problem with past designs of guns has been that the placement of sand with the gun in place adjacent the perforations can result in sticking of the gun at the bottom of the hole as the sand packs around the gun.
Another concern is how well the perforations clean up after the gun is fired. With past designs, the flow velocities in the region where the gun is mounted have been sufficiently slow to prevent comprehensive elimination of debris when the formation starts to flow after the perforating gun is fired.
The placement of a structure to facilitate extraction, such as an auger blade on the gun, allows clean up by initial flowing of the well with the formation isolated. The reversing out using kill fluids, which is carried on thereafter, occurs above the packet without any effect on the newly created perforations. Thereafter, without releasing the packer or moving the gun, the appropriate charge of sand can be spotted via circulation, again with the formation isolated. When the sand is properly spotted, it can then be directed through a ported disc located between the packer and the perforating gun into the newly created perforations caused by firing of the gun. This mechanism allows the placement of sand in the formation with a specifically selected carrier fluid as opposed to commonly used killing compounds. For example, a stimulating fluid can be used to spot the sand such that when the sand is properly spotted, the amount of liquid bullheaded into the formation to place the sand in the perforations can be a limited quantity of the most beneficial fluid to promote efficient flow of hydrocarbons from the formation through the newly made perforations created by shooting off the gun.
The auger blade around the perforating gun, which straddles the openings in the perforating gun so as not to be damaged by shooting off the gun, creates several advantages. After the formation is perforated and begins to flow, the flights of the auger create a tortuous path, thereby increasing the velocity of the gases and/or liquids produced from the formation. This increased velocity promotes the removal of the debris generated from firing the gun. Additionally, the positioning of the auger blades on the outside of the perforating gun facilitates the removal of the gun, even after the sand is pumped into the perforations. The string can be merely lifted and/or simultaneously rotated and the addition of the flights allows the gun to avoid getting stuck in the compacted sand at the newly packed perforations. in essence, the only resistive force against removing the gun from the sand is the weight of the sand accumulated between the flights of the auger. To the extent necessary, a rotational force can be applied to the gun to facilitate its removal in case of sticking. In the preferred embodiment, the auger is disposed in a manner such that rotation of the drillstring to tighten up its components results in a counter-rotation of the flights of the auger to assist in breaking loose from any obstruction as the gun is removed from the sand. The auger can be left- or right-handed without departing from the spirit of the invention.
With the advent of directional drilling, formations are now perforated in ever increasing lengths. Rather than having a perforating gun extending for about 20-50 feet, assemblies of perforating guns for deviated wellbores are now in use where the perforation takes place over a much longer length of wellbore. Lengths of 3,000-4,000 feet are not unusual. In many cases, the formation which being perforated is unconsolidated. This requires the wellbore to be cased prior to perforation to avoid collapse of the wellbore upon perforation. This has additionally created the need for a better way to remove perforation debris because wells with longer lengths of perforated formation produce a greater volume of debris than typical vertical wells. It has also enhanced the concerns about removal of the perforating gun in view of the extremely long lengths of gun placed in the wellbore.
In the past, where gun lengths have been short, it has been satisfactory to circulate fluids or reverse circulate fluids using the tubing in the annulus to remove debris. However, the low point of the circulation flowpath is above the top of the gun. Accordingly, the debris generated in the immediate proximity of the perforating gun is not effectively removed by circulation or reverse circulation.
Additional problems are created by small depth deviated wellbores where the zone to be perforated is nearly horizontal and extends for a significant length. Using existing available perforating equipment, kill fluids cannot be brought close to the newly formed perforations because of the location of the low point in the circulation or reverse circulation flowpath. The inability to get heavy weight brines or other kill fluids into the immediate viciniy of a perforation which extends several thousand feet, albeit at a low depth from the surface, can present a significant problem. The possibility exists that the well may actually come in during the efforts to circulate out the debris. This can occur because an insufficient weight of heavy fluid bears down on the newly made perforations in shallow deviated wells.
The apparatus of the present invention has been developed to assist in dealing with some of these problems. To facilitate the removal of debris after perforation, the perforating gun or another tool run in subsequent to the perforating of the wellbore can have a tortuous path formed on its outer periphery, or any other mechanism or projection which will increase the flowing velocity. An auxiliary source of fluid can be applied from the surface or from within the wellbore, internally through the tool or perforating gun or adjacent its exterior periphery, or if the tortuous path is formed from a hollow-flight auger, the auxiliary fluid can be added from the surface or from within the wellbore through the auger flights, and extending to a predetermined depth of the auger. While the energy of the formation fluids when the well is allowed to flow is used in combination with the tortuous path to pick up the debris generated in perforation, the use of the auxiliary fluid further increases velocity and the ability to efficiently remove the generated debris.
Augers have previously been applied to screens, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,513,944; 1,080,684; and 2,371,391. Also cited as relevant to the general field of tubing-conveyed perforating and sand control are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,681,163; 2,336,586; and manuals put out by Baker Sand Control, a Baker Hughes company, regarding perforating systems, entitled "Tubing-Conveyed Perforating Systems," as well as a manual on gravel-packed systems put out by Baker Sand Control entitled "Products, Services and Accessories."

Method and apparatus for removing debris from a wellbore


An air spring having an airsleeve, wherein at least one layer of said airsleeve includes the vulcanization product of a composition that includes an unsaturated chlorinated polymer; and a saturated chlorinated polymer.

Air springs, or pneumatic suspension devices, have long been used to isolate road disturbances from a vehicle, seat, or cab. An air spring, as part of a vehicle's suspension, supports the vehicle's load or mass at each axle. Typically, each axle of a vehicle associated with an air spring supports the mass component or load carried by the axle. In addition, there may be ancillary air springs that support driver comfort in and around the driver's compartment, or cab. In an air spring, a volume of gas, usually air, is confined within a flexible container. As an air spring is compressed (jounce travel), the pressure of the gas within the air spring increases; and as an air spring extends (rebound travel), the pressure of the gas within the air spring decreases. Road disturbances are mainly absorbed by this compression and extension of the air springs as a function of work (w=∫F·dx). Air springs are often engineered to have a specific spring rate or spring constant, thereby controlling jounce and rebound characteristics for the desired application and for comfort.
Elastomeric articles such as air springs may undergo countless cycles between compression and extension, and must be flexible and durable. Over time and under operational stresses, the material properties of an airsleeve will change. Eventually, cracks may form and become sufficiently large so that the integrity of the airsleeve is challenged, requiring replacement.
Typically, the air spring bellows or airsleeve is made of cord-(fabric or metal) reinforced rubber compositions, which may be natural or synthetic materials. Unsaturated, chlorinated rubber such as neoprene, which is sometimes referred to as chloroprene rubber (CR), is often used due to its relatively low compression set, good resilience and abrasion resistance.
Saturated chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) has been used in various automotive and industrial rubber parts for its properties of heat, weather, and oil resistance. Commercially available from Dow Chemical Company under the tradename TYRIN®, CPE has been used in automotive wire and cable jacketing, hose and tubing, and industrial hoses. Product literature for TYRIN® CPE states that the molecular saturation of the CPE requires the use of vulcanization systems other than conventional sulfur systems. Furthermore, particular care must be taken in the selection of additives when compounding CPE, because additives that are beneficial in one cure system can be detrimental in another.
There remains a need in the market for compositions for airsleeve having improved properties, including shorter cure cycle, improved filler dispersion, and improved resistance to cracking and flex fatigue.

Elastomeric articles with improved properties

Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC


A portable hollow upright container has a vertical exposed surface. A tossable saucer shaped disc having a circular outer periphery and a concentric inner periphery is detachably secured to a member integral with the container and projecting outward from the surface.

Tossable saucer shaped discs are widely employed as amusement devices or in various types of games. These discs are often employed in this fashion in open areas such as beaches which are exposed to sunlight. Individuals who use such discs in such areas often must apply various types of fluids for protection from sun burn and these fluids are normally dispensed from portable containers.
However, individuals who wish to use discs in this manner and also need protection from sun burn may not have convenient access either to readily available discs or to readily available containers of protective fluids.
In the present invention, a container of suitable fluid is provided with a tossable saucer shaped disc readily securable to and readily detachable from the container whereby combined access to the container or the disc is quickly and conveniently available.

Combined hollow container and detachably secured tossable saucer shaped disc


The present invention relates to a method for making an indolopyrrolocarbazole of the general formula [I], where the method includes the step of reacting a bisindolylmaleimide compound with an oxidizing agent in the presence of an oxygen containing gas at a temperature and for a time sufficient to yield the indolopyrrolocarbazole compound of the general formula [I]. Methods of making rebeccamycin analogs using the indolopyrrolocarbazole compound are also provided

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to indolopyrrolocarbazoles and analogs thereof, more particularly to improved methods of making indolopyrrolocarbazoles and analogs thereof and their use as intermediates in the production of rebeccamycin and related analogs.
2. Description of the Background Art
Rebeccamycin and analogs thereof possess potent pharmaceuticaly activity especially the inhibition of tumor cell growth. For this reason, rebeccamycin and its analogs have been extensively studied for practical use as antitumor agents. The biologically active compounds are generally comprised of two components: an indolopyrrolocarbazole ring also referred to as rebeccamycin aglycone, and a sugar moiety which is covalently bonded to the ring. It is known that the biological activity of the compounds is closed associated with the rebeccamycin aglycone. Extensive research of the rebeccamycin aglycone has spurred a demand to find an efficient process of producing commercial quantities of the rebeccamycin aglycone and its analogs in a cost effective manner.
Several approaches to synthesizing rebeccamycin aglycone and its analogs have been reported in literature. See, for example, Gribble et al., Tetrahedron, 48, 8869 (1992), Moody et al., J. Org. Chem., 57, 2105 (1992), and Joyce et al., J. Org. Chem., 52 1177 (1987). It is known to react bisindolylmaleimides with oxidizing agents to synthesize the indolopyrrolocarbazole ring. Suitable oxidizing agents include dicyanodichloroquinone (DDQ), cupric chloride (CuCl2), cupric acetate (Cu(OAc)2), palladium chloride (PdCl2), palladium diacetate (Pd(OAc)2) and the like. The reaction rates and the availability of bisindolylmaleimides provide an efficient synthesis of the indolopyrrolocarbazole ring. However, these syntheses utilizing oxidizing agents have some limitations. For example, the use of DDQ as an oxidizing agent greatly complicates recovery of the desired product due to the products poor solubility. Iodine or cupric chloride used as oxidizing agents typically generate excessive by-products which significantly reduces overall yield and quality of the product.
It has been noted in the art that Pd(O2OCCF3) and palladium diacetate Pd(OAc)2 can suitably be used as oxidizing agents for synthesis of rebeccamycin aglycone. However, such oxidizing agents must often be used in excess to achieve acceptable oxidation levels. For example, palladium diacetate is capable of oxidizing bisindolylmaleimides to produce indolopyrrolocarbazole rings in acceptable yield levels, but at a level of 2.5 equivalents or 250 mol % of palladium diacetate. The need to use large amounts of the precious catalyst renders large-scale production of indolopyrrolocarbazole rings commercially impracticable.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method of making indolopyrrolocarbazoles rings such as indolo[2,3-a]pyrrolo[3,4-c]carbazoles in relatively high yields and with improved purity. It would be desirable to develop a process that is also low cost, and simple to perform. It would also be desirable to provide processes for making indolo[2,3-a]pyrrolo[3,4-c]carbazoles which may be used to provide a convenient source of intermediates for synthesizing biologically active compounds including rebeccamycin and analogs thereof.

Process for the preparation of rebeccamycin and analogs thereof


Devices and methods for analyzing cardiac signal data. An illustrative method includes identifying a plurality of detected events and measuring intervals between the detected events for use in rate estimation. In the illustrative embodiment, a set of intervals is used to make the rate estimation by first discarding selected intervals from the set. The remaining intervals are then used to calculate an estimated interval, for example by averaging the remaining intervals.

Implantable cardiac devices typically sense cardiac electrical signals in an implantee and classify the implantee's cardiac rhythm as normal/benign or malignant. Illustrative malignant tachyarrhythmias include ventricular fibrillation and polymorphic ventricular tachyarrhythmia. Other tachycardia or bradycardia conditions may be of interest as well. The accuracy with which an implantable medical device analyzes sensed signals determines how well it makes therapy determinations and other decisions. Incorrect rate calculation can lead to inappropriate classification of cardiac activity. For example, calculation of an erroneously high cardiac rate can cause a system to identify a cardiac arrhythmia that may not actually be occurring. Inappropriate classification can, in turn, lead to incorrect therapy decisions.

Robust rate calculation in an implantable cardiac stimulus or monitoring device


A method and system for disk I/O (input output) command splitting in a computer system. The method includes tracking a head position of a disk drive. Upon receiving a request for data from the disk drive, a first split access is executed to read a first portion of the data and a second split access is executed to read a second portion of the data. The second split access is executed after a rotation of the disk drive. The first split access and the second split access are used to fulfill the request for data.

Mass storage for a computer system is typically provided by an attached disk drive. Disk drives having size of 200 GB or more are increasingly common in desktop and laptop computer systems. Fast and efficient access to data stored on such drives is important to responsiveness and functionality of typical user applications. A typical disk drive comprises a motor to rotate the disk at a constant rate and one or more read/write heads which are positioned over a desired track on the disk by a servo mechanism. The disk drive also contains electronics to amplify the signals from the one or more heads and convert them to normal computer system digital logic levels and vice versa.
The disk surface is divided into concentric tracks (e.g., circles within circles), and data bits are magnetically recorded on the tracks. Modern high-capacity disk drives pack the bits as tightly as possible within each track. Tracks are further divided into sectors, which generally hold the least amount of data that can be read or written at one time. The disk drive initiates a read or write to a given location by positioning a read/write head radially over the right track and rotationally over the start of the right sector. For example, in order to update the disk, one or more sectors are read from the disk into the computer, changed and written back to disk.
Seek time and rotational latency comprise the two main components of data access latency for a disk drive. There is usually one head for each disk surface (e.g., platter) and all heads move together. The set of locations which are accessible with the heads in a given radial position are known as a "cylinder". The "seek time" is the time taken to seek to a different cylinder. In most circumstances, the disk is constantly rotating, so positioning the heads over the right sector is simply a matter of waiting until it rotates under the head. With a single set of heads this "rotational latency" will be on average half a revolution. Access time is generally the sum of the seek time component plus the rotational latency component.
Modern hard drives reduce rotational latency by spinning the disk at very high rpm. Since rotational latency directly affects the access time for data on the hard drive, a brute force method to reduce access time is to simply spin the hard drive at a higher rpm. For example, a disk drive spinning at 10,000 rpm will have a lower rotational latency than a disk drive spinning at 7200 rpm. Decreasing rotational latency by simply increasing disk rpm, however, becomes increasingly expensive. High-speed drive mechanisms are very sensitive and difficult to manufacture. Furthermore, high-speed drive mechanisms generate an inordinate amount of heat, cause unwanted vibration, and decrease reliability of the disk drive. Thus, a new approach for reducing the time required to retrieve a block of data stored on the hard drive (e.g., beyond merely increasing rotation rpm) is required.
The SATA2 (Serial ATA version 2) specification specifies a non-zero offset approach to reduce rotational latency for a new architecture of disk drives. The SATA2 specification comprises a new specification designed to improve the performance of disk drives. SATA2 is designed to add features that improve the data transfer speed and efficiency of SATA2 disk drives in comparison to ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment) disk drives. Generally, the SATA2 non-zero offset approach reduces rotational latency by enabling a SATA2 disk drive to read the middle of a sequential series of sectors (e.g., sectors 18-31 out of 1-31) as they pass under the disk drive's read/write head and subsequently, read the earlier sectors (e.g., sectors 1-17) of the series of sectors after a rotation of the disk brings them under the read/write head.
A significant problem with this SATA2 specification non-zero offset approach is that it only applies to new architecture disk drives manufactured in accordance with the SATA2 specification. The built-in architecture level non-zero offset approach can only be implemented with hard drives manufactured in accordance therewith. The SATA2 non-zero offset approach does nothing to reduce rotational latency for the millions of non-SATA2 disk drives that are still being manufactured, already on the market, or in the supply chain. Thus, for these "legacy" disk drives, a new approach for reducing rotational latency is required.

Method and system for implementing disk IO command splitting


A malleolar registration clamp comprising a reference unit and a receiving portion for receiving the malleolus, wherein the receiving portion is designed to receive at least part of the malleolus in a defined position relative to the receiving portion, and the position of the reference unit relative to the receiving portion is defined.

For surgery, especially knee surgery, it is often necessary to know the position of one or both malleoli of an ankle. Determining the position is also called registration if it implies informing a navigation system of said position in a reference system of the navigation system. A malleolar registration clamp and a malleolar registration method are used for registering one or more malleoli.
A navigation system and/or surgical navigation system is understood to mean a system consisting of: at least one marker device; a transmitter which emits electromagnetic waves and/or radiation and/or ultrasound waves; a receiver which receives electromagnetic waves and/or radiation and/or ultrasound waves; and an electronic data processing device which is connected to the receiver and/or the transmitter, wherein the data processing device (for example, a computer) comprises in particular a processor (CPU), a working memory, advantageously an indicating facility (for example, a visual indicating facility such as a monitor and/or an audio indicating facility such as a loudspeaker) and advantageously a permanent data memory, wherein the data processing device processes navigation data forwarded to it by the receiver and can advantageously output guidance information to a user via the indicating facility. The navigation data can be stored in the permanent data memory and for example compared with data which have been stored in said memory beforehand.

Malleolar registration clamp and malleolar registration method