A fitting assembly and method for attaching to a fluid flow conduit in which a clamp having a threaded port is secured around the conduit. A threaded bushing is inserted into the threaded port and has an axial bore that guides and supports a tool which is inserted through the bore to pierce the corresponding surface of the conduit. After the tool and the bushing are removed from the threaded port, an external component, such as a sensing unit, can be connected to the port to permit access to the fluid for sensing a flow characteristic of the fluid, or the like.

The present invention relates to a fitting assembly and a method for tapping into a fluid flow conduit, and, more particularly, to such an assembly and method which permits access to fluid in the conduit.
When it is desired to add another component, such as a conduit, a measurement device, or the like, to an existing hydraulic equipment installation, one or more fluid flow conduits of the installation must often be replaced which is expensive, time consuming and requires the fluid flow to be shut off. This problem is compounded in installations, such as gasoline service stations, or the like, in which there is limited access to the conduits that connect the fuel dispensers and pumps.
Fitting assemblies have evolved that enable a component to be retro-fitted to a fluid flow conduit. However, these existing assemblies are often costly, bulky and/or complex with a relatively large number of parts. Also, they can be difficult to install and/or are not adaptable to a wide range of installations. Further, in the case of gasoline service stations, these prior art assemblies often cause significant fuel and gasoline vapor losses to the atmosphere.
Therefore, there is a need for a self-tapping fitting assembly of the above type which can easily and quickly be tapped into an existing conduit to enable a component to be connected to the conduit without having to disconnect, break or replace the conduit. There is a further need for a fitting of the above type which can be retrofitted to an existing fluid flow system, yet is cost efficient, and compact. There is a still further need for a fitting of the above type which requires relatively few parts, shorter installation time and enhanced retrofit flexibility, with a minimum of fuel and vapor losses to the environment. There is a still further need for a fitting assembly of the above type which provides efficient interaction between the fluid and the component that is added.

Fitting assembly and method for tapping into a conduit


An extensively reconfigurable seat design can include a vehicle seat system including: a vehicle seat defining a vehicle occupant accommodating space, the vehicle seat including a seat cushion portion including multiple individually adjustable bladders, where each of the multiple individually adjustable bladders has a connected valve that controls fluid communication with an internal space of the individually adjustable bladder to adjust a pressure level within the internal space of the individually adjustable bladder, and an associated sensor configured to detect the pressure level within the internal space of the individually adjustable bladder. A computer can actively sense and control the pressure levels within the bladders, using the sensors and valves, to provide customization, adaptive, ride-active and intelligent control over a reconfigurable cushion for a vehicle.

This specification relates to adjustable vehicle seats, such as for use in automobiles and airplanes.
Adjustable seats in vehicles, such as automobiles, typically include various moving parts and motors, where the seat can be adjusted for a particular vehicle occupant by operating the motors. Moreover, additional functionality is also often included in such seats, such as heating and massage components. Such adjustable seat designs can increase the cost of manufacturing the vehicle seat due to the cost of the various parts and motors, and due to the complexity of installing the various parts and motors. Further, such adjustable seats are often heavier than is desirable given the need for increased fuel efficiency and the impact that vehicle weight can have on fuel efficiency.

Extensively reconfigurable vehicle seat design


Improved package assemblies for containers, the packaging assemblies comprising a rigid base member having at least one row of containers removably secured to the base member by frangible adhesive, a cover member and a film of plastic material passing over the base member, the containers and the cover member and secured to itself to further secure the containers in assembly therewith. An improved package assembly according to the present invention may also have at least two layers of containers, such a package assembly comprising a rigid base member, a first layer of containers removably secured to the base member by frangible adhesive, at least one additional layer of containers removably secured to at least one intermediate pad by frangible adhesive, said at least one additional layer being placed on top of the first layer of containers, a cover member placed over the uppermost layer of containers, and a film of plastic material passing over the base member, the containers, the at least one intermediate pad and the cover member and secured to itself to further secure the containers in assembly therewith. The containers are removable from the assembly by removing the plastic film and cover member and separating the containers from the base member and/or intermediate pad by breaking the frangible adhesive.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to package assemblies, and more particularly to shrink wrapped container package assemblies having a rigid base member, at least one row of containers removably secured to the base member by frangible adhesive, and a cover member, in addition to shrink wrapped container package assemblies having at least two layers of containers and comprising a rigid base member, a first layer of containers comprising at least one row of containers removably secured to the base member by frangible adhesive, at least one additional layer of containers removably secured to at least one intermediate base member by frangible adhesive, said additional layer being placed on top of said first layer of containers, and a cover member over the uppermost layer of containers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Prior art packages and packaging methods do not address the special problem of packaging containers of unequal dimensions. A variety of variables affect the stability of a packaging assembly. These variables include the size of the container, the shape of the container, the temperature of the container, the degree of bonding possible between the container bottom and the base member, which is related to the size of the bonding surface at the base of the container, the weight of the containers, the size of the packaging assembly and the modes of distribution and handling of a packaging assembly.
Applicants have learned that these variables must be carefully controlled to avoid release of the frangible adhesive bond during handling and distribution. The adhesive bond between the containers and the base member has proven to be a key factor in the maintenance of package strength and stability. If the adhesive bond releases during distribution, it can result in package failure and lead to product damage.


A system and method is provided for timely and uniform real-time data packet transmission by a computing device. The system can include a shared packet memory buffer for storing data packets generated by a user application and a shared schedule memory buffer for storing packet identifiers and corresponding time slots for the data packets. Moreover, a kernel module is provided that operates in the kernel mode of the operating system directly above the network interface controller and can continuously poll the shared scheduled memory to access packet identifiers at corresponding time slots. Based on the packet identifiers in each time slot, the kernel module can pull the data packet having the packet identifier directly from the ring buffer and send each packet to the network interface controller for transmission as part of a media stream over a network to a media consuming device.

As media production migrates to packet-based data infrastructures, personal computer (PC) based software must be able to transmit high bitrate streams of data over a network to transport uncompressed video and audio data. Moreover, because many of the devices consuming these data streams perform minimal data buffering, senders in the network should try to space the transmitted data packets as evenly as possible to achieve a constant flow of packets instead of a burst for each frame or field in order to minimize data buffering requirements by the media consuming devices.
Moreover, in recent years, the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers® (SMPTE®) has standardized the use of IEEE 1588 precision time protocol ("PTP") to provide time-aligned signal generation and permit the interoperable use of IP-based media equipment with conventional genlocked serial digital interface ("SDI") equipment. These standards, and, in particular, SMPTE ST 2059-1, require that frames should to be sent at exactly the same time by all devices. As a result, it is even more critical that transmitting devices avoid transmission delays and packet bursts.
Modern non-realtime PC operating system (such as Windows® and most versions of Linux®, for example) provide little control on when certain operations will be executed, including, for example, when network data packets will be sent. As a result, it is nearly impossible for devices running on these operating systems to evenly space the transmission of such data packets. In particular, each individual data packet that is sent by a user mode application running on one of these existing operating systems will have to transition between the user mode and kernel mode, which inevitably leads to the delay of transmitting data packets.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional operating system network model. As shown, the operating system transitions between two distinct modes: user mode 10 and kernel mode 20. In user mode 10, the executing applications (e.g., applications 12A, 12B and 12C) have limited access to the computer hardware or reference memory, but cannot access the NIC hardware or NIC memory and must delegate this access to the system application programming interfaces ("APIs"). In contrast, in kernel mode 20, the executing code has complete and unrestricted access to the underlying hardware (including the NIC) and can execute any CPU instruction and reference any memory address. Accordingly, when a user mode application (e.g., application 12A) needs to transmit a data packet, the data packet must transition through multiple layers (e.g., network layers 22A, 22B . . . 22N) of the network stack of the kernel mode 20, which might include a firewall, anti-virus layers and the like, before reaching the driver 24 of the network interface controller ("NIC"), which ultimately transmits the data packet. As such, each of these steps to transmit every data packet requires time that cause problems when try to send for high bit rate/packet rate since every operation must be performed on the same thread to guarantee the packet order is kept during transmission.
Moreover, the ever improving video standards and resolution capabilities of media consuming devices only further increases the requirements for bit rate and packet rate. For example, current video standards and resolution can reach up to 1 million packets per second for a single stream at 12 Gbps (e.g., for a SMPTE ST 2022-6 ultra-high definition ("UHD") stream), meaning that a packet has to be sent every about microsecond (p).
Accordingly, a system and method is desired for timely and uniform distribution real-time data packet transmission of a network.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for timely and uniform distribution for real-time packet transmission


A universal serial bus (USB) extension allows for the transmission of data at high speeds over a much greater distance than typical USB operating range. USB devices may be connected to host computers at distances of 750 meters or more. USB tokens from a host computer are spoofed.

Devices (that is, computer peripherals such as printers, cameras, external storage, and the like) may be connected to a computer using various types of standard connections, one of which is the so-called USB (Universal Serial Bus).
The USB system/standard was designed and intended to support computer peripherals that are physically close to the computer—mostly these devices are expected to be located on the same desk as the computer itself or within the same room as the computer. The USB system is defined by a formal specification, the current version of which is USB 2.0 (dated Apr. 27, 2000), the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Under the USB 2.0 Specification, the maximum distance from a port on a computer (a so-called root port) to any supported device is thirty meters and is achieved, for example, using a series arrangement of five hubs and six five-meter cable segments.
The inventor has found that for certain applications, however, it necessary or desirable to enable USB functionality at distances greater than thirty meters. For certain applications, USB functionality is desired at distances of at least one hundred meters and preferably at distances of seven hundred and fifty meters or more (for copper and fiber link products respectively).
For example, in a KVM ("Keyboard, Video, Mouse") system, a target or host computer may be controlled and accessed by peripheral devices (possibly connected to another computer) that are possibly located some distance away from the target computer. In such cases, it is desirable to be able to connect all kinds of peripheral devices, including USB devices, to the host computer.
Thus, in at least one aspect, the present invention provides a USB system/extension that allows for the transmission of data over greater distances than contemplated by the USB standard.


A fitting is provided that includes a receptacle having an inner wall forming a female member. The inner wall includes a shoulder and a land. A male member is received in the female member with a gap therebetween. The male member includes an outwardly opening groove. An O-ring is seated between the outwardly opening groove in the male member and the shoulder and the land of the receptacle to prevent removal of the male member from the receptacle. The outwardly opening groove, the shoulder and the land are configured such that compression of the O-ring is sufficient to prevent removal of the male member from the female member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to low pressure fittings. More particularly, the present invention relates to low pressure fittings such as low pressure couplings and low pressure valves.
2. Background of the Invention
There is a constant need for fittings used to convey and contain fluids. Since there are millions of these fittings used in millions of devices, it is desirable to configure these fittings so that they are both low in cost and reliable. Exemplary of such fittings are low pressure quick-connect fittings, which have replaced threaded fittings in thousands of applications, and valves which vent devices such as pressurized air containers and provide liquid drains for containers. With respect to keeping costs of such fittings as low as possible, there are needs for designs which can be machined, molded or end formed. It is also desirable to have components which are easy and inexpensive to manufacture and which do not require substantial changes in manufacturing know-how.
In configuring relatively simple devices, it is also desirable to use components and materials which have been extensively tested and have capabilities which are understood so that the limits of reliability are readily understood. This allows a designer and manufacturer to avoid over designing components so as to minimize manufacturing costs and perhaps spend manufacturing dollars on other aspects of the device using the fitting.


A goods-handling door for separating different spaces in factories or warehouses includes a curtain that can be raised by being wound up or by being folded up concertina-like. The curtain is insulating both with respect to heat and with respect to noise, while being transparent so that one vehicle can be seen by another if they approach the door from opposite sides. The door includes two airtight flexible skins that lie parallel to each other and that sandwich spreaders between them. The spreaders are spaced apart and define intermediate spaces between the two skins. The spaces are filled with air, which provides the required insulation. Since the two skins are transparent, the door is transparent in the vicinity of the intermediate spaces.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a goods-handling door of the type having a raisable curtain that comprises a deformable insulating curtain. Such doors are to be found in industrial premises, where they serve to keep different spaces apart in factories or in warehouses. There exist systems for raising the curtains in such doors quickly (by folding them up concertina-like or by winding them up), thereby enabling vehicles to pass through the doors without being significantly slowed down.
2. Description of Prior Art
In such an application, it is important to be able to see through the curtain so as to avoid collisions between vehicles moving towards the door from opposite sides. Simultaneously the curtain is required to provide good insulation, both thermally and acoustically.
European patent EP 0 076 349 discloses a door curtain that satisfies those two requirements. It is made up of two transparent flexible skins that are held together in spaced-apart regions, thereby defining pockets between them. The various pockets are filled with strips of insulating material such as polyurethane foam. The strips are pierced by holes to provide a degree of visibility.
That type of curtain suffers from a drawback that stems from the mechanical properties of foam. The foam is not mechanically strong and it becomes compacted within the pockets under the effect of its own weight. To remedy that problem, it is the practice to use panels of foam that extend over the entire curtain. The two skins disposed on either side are then pinched together in spaced-apart regions, thereby obtaining a kind of quilting effect.
Other known curtains suffer in turn from a drawback that stems from the mechanical properties of foam. This time it is the poor ability of foam to withstand repeated deformation that presents difficulties. Goods-handling doors of the kind described are designed to open and close often, e.g., in the range 100 to 1,000 times per day. As a result, the foam, which is folded or bent on numerous occasions, very quickly starts to tear. This happens in particular around the bridges left between the visibility holes or at the places where the skins are pinched together. The appearance of a door is quickly spoiled in this way.
The problem which arises is that of finding an insulating deformable curtain that has better endurance than prior art curtains. It must also be compatible with visibility requirements.

Deformable insulating panel for a goods-handling door, and a door including such a panel


Techniques for displaying a graphical user interface operable to receive user input specifying payments to be made are described. Each payment identifies a payee and a payment method to be used to make the payment. The techniques include making a determination as to whether any of the specified payments involve a payment method that uses a third-party on-line payment system. In response to a determination that a specified payment involves a payment method that uses a third-party on-line payment system, a message is sent to the third-party on-line payment system. The message includes payment information for specified payments to be paid by the third-party on-line payment system such that the third-party on-line payment system is able to process the specified payments.

Computer systems often are used to manage and process business data. To do so, a business enterprise may use various application programs running on one or more enterprise IT systems. Application programs may be used to process business transactions, such as taking and fulfilling customer orders, providing supply chain and inventory management, performing human resource management functions, and performing financial management functions. A computer system may include a financial transaction component that enables payment of invoices and other payable items.

Paying multiple payees through integration of a third-party on-line payment system with an enterprise information technology system


An aircraft cabin panel for sound absorption, with a sandwich construction, comprising a core layer that comprises a plurality of tube-like or honeycomb-like cells that extend in an open manner across the thickness of the core layer and that are separated from each other by cell walls and that are uniform in design. A first cover layer faces away from the sound field, as well as a second cover layer that faces towards the sound field and that comprises a plurality of perforation holes and adjacent cells are interconnected by way of apertures in the cell walls. The perforation of the second cover layer comprises a distance (b) between holes, which distance exceeds the opening width (c) of the cells of the core layer, wherein the first cover layer is closed and wherein the cell walls comprise a perforation so that they are acoustically transparent in the direction parallel to the cover layers.

The present invention relates to an aircraft cabin panel for sound absorption. The invention in particular also relates to a device for sound absorption in an aircraft cabin.
Acoustic panels are used in rooms in order to improve the acoustic characteristics of the room, in that the sound that is perceived to be disturbing is absorbed by the panels, e.g. in aircraft cabins. As the demand for greater comfort in rooms generally increases, at the same time there is a parallel demand for improved conditions of travel in aircraft, among other things also relating to room acoustics during flight operation. To this effect it is desirable to use sandwich panels for sound absorption in the interior of aircraft cabins so as to reduce the noise load in the cabin interior. The noises that are to be damped include, for example, the sound generated by the engines, and also the sound generated by mechanical air conditioning, and last but not least the sound generated by passengers themselves.


A refrigeration unit includes an evaporator assembly including an evaporator coil forming a first part of a refrigerant path. A condenser assembly is at least partially disposed in a compartment in a housing and includes a condenser coil forming a second part of the refrigerant path. A condensate pan is arranged and configured to receive condensate having dropped from the evaporator assembly. The condensate pan has a first portion that is exposed to pressure conditions in the compartment and a second portion that is spaced away from the compartment and exposed to ambient pressure.

Refrigerators are used in numerous settings, such as in a commercial setting or in a domestic setting. Typically, refrigerators are used to store and maintain food products by providing a cooled environment into which the products can be stored. Refrigeration systems typically include a refrigeration cabinet into which the food products are placed and a refrigeration assembly for cooling the air and products in the refrigeration cabinet.
The refrigeration assembly often includes an evaporator assembly and a condenser assembly, each forming a portion of a refrigerant loop or circuit. The refrigerant is used to carry heat from air within the refrigeration cabinet. The refrigerant picks up heat in the evaporator assembly and then gives off heat in the condenser assembly.
Because the evaporator assembly is used to cool air, moisture carried by the air often condenses on the evaporator assembly. As moisture accumulates on the evaporator assembly, it drips from the assembly due to gravity. A condensate tray may be included for collecting moisture having dripped from the evaporator assembly. The condensate tray is sometimes located near the condenser assembly, remote from the evaporator assembly to facilitate evaporation of condensate disposed therein.


A system for processing a database-queried call uses the call processing capabilities of a carrier's database and a subscriber's database as part of a total communication switching system. Generally, origination information such as as ANI, dialed number and caller entered information are forwarded by the originating switch to the carrier's database which sends them to the subscriber's database. The latter uses prestored programs and callers' related information to formulate a processing label for the call. The processing label is comprised of i) a routing label which provides input to the carrier's database to select a destination number for the call ii) an end point label which includes information to be passed to the subscriber's premise equipment and iii) a billing information label which can be used by the originating switch to create a customized billing record for the call. If desired, the subscriber's database, upon finding that the received call origination information is insufficient to positively identify a caller, can request additional information from the caller. This allows the communication switching system to provide call-by call routing features to subscribers without subjecting all callers to post-dial delay inconveniences caused by an ordinary prompting arrangement. In order to update a file of call handling resources available at all subscriber's locations, the carrier's database can send the selected destination number after the call has been completed to the subscriber's database.

Database queried communications services, such as 800 and 900 services which require information look-up in order to route each call, have become increasingly critical for day-to-day operations of a large number of telephone subscribers. As the vital pipeline to a vast pool of callers, telephone calls made to subscribers of these services represent potential business opportunities and therefore need to be routed, completed and handled by telecommunications carriers and subscribers of these services represent potential business opportunities and therefore need to be routed, completed and handled by telecommunications carriers and subscribers alike, in the most efficient manner. To that end, communications carriers have enhanced these services by offering two major optional features, namely, 1) "advanced routing", which aims to enable subscribers to get optimal performance from their call handling resources and 2) "calling party identification" which purports to give subscribers some background information regarding the caller.
The advanced routing features are implemented as part of a plurality of inventions that have sprung out of the teachings of R. P. Weber in U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,860. Weber's patent described a technique for translating an 800 number to a Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) number in a routing database using the dialed number and the Numbering Plan Area (NPA) of the caller as routing parameters. New advanced routing features introduced by communications carriers allow subscribers to select from a broader class of routing parameters. Selection of these parameters however, is still limited to a restricted set. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,094, Asmuth et al. disclosed a method for routing calls based on additional information received from the caller through a call prompting device and other carrier defined routing parameters, such as time of day, day of the week, time zone at subscriber's locations or calling station, etc. While subscribers can periodically change the value of these carrier defined parameters or send congestion status information to the carrier's database via dedicated lines, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,737,983, carriers, however, have been reluctant to allow external parameters other than congestion status information to influence routing decisions on a call by call basis, because of heightened security concerns raised by the interaction between subscriber's databases and carrier's routing databases. As a result, subscribers are forced to choose exclusively from carrier's defined parameters that may be ill-suited for their business needs. For example, a bank with its operations confined to one time zone would likely prefer to have routing decisions for calls originating from its depositors or debtors predicated on their account number or loan number, in addition to traditional routing parameters (such as time of day, day of week etc). However, meeting the requirements of this bank and each of a carrier's numerous subscribers wishing to customize routing decisions to their particular business environment will necessitate a prohibitively costly expansion of the carrier's routing database. In addition, carriers are legitimately concerned about the potential degradation in performance in terms of call setup time delay that could arise from the increase in size and attendant processing logic complexity of carrier's routing database. Thus, the current stat of the art prevents subscribers from defining their own routing parameters that could take advantage of the vast wealth of customer information stored in a subscriber's database to route calls in a manner that is more functional to their business needs and customers requirements.
In response to this need of the marketplace, other prior art systems have tried to overcome some of the limitations of the advanced routing features by forwarding all calls for a specific subscriber to a PBX at one of the subscribers' central locations. Under this approach, the PBX forwards the Automatic Number Identification (ANI) of the caller and the dialed number to an attached processor which retrieves from its database called a "subscriber's database", a destination number for the call. The formulation of this destination number can be predicated on factors such as dialed number, caller's ANI, call handling capacity at all locations as well as information in a customer record retrieved from the subscriber's database. The PBX then uses the destination number to redirect or transfer the call to the appropriate location using, for example, the call redirect pre-ringing feature or the call redirect post answer feature available in the AT&T Definity.RTM. PBX. This solution however, is rather expensive due to the cost associated with the advanced features of the PBX mentioned above. In addition, the PBX solution subjects the caller to post-dial delay inconveniences caused by the call transfer or call redirection mechanism.
Another arrangement which uses a PBX to redirect calls is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,757,267 issued to B. Riskin on Jun. 17, 1987. The Riskin system uses a processor attached to a PBX to retrieve a destination number for the dealer of a national distributor or manufacturer that is closest to the caller. An alternative embodiment of the Riskin system discloses an arrangement wherein the processor, instead of being attached to the PBX, is linked directly to the carrier's routing database, thereby vitiating the need for the PBX as a call redirecting device. In this alternative embodiment, the carrier's database offloads its route selection functions to the processor which acts as a subscriber's database. Hence, the carrier's database participation in the route selection process is limited to relaying information back and forth between the carrier's originating switch and the subscriber's database. This approach may be arguably adequate for simple applications, such as the dealer locator type of services disclosed in the Riskin patent, wherein the caller entered digits or the NPA and the exchange number of the caller are matched to a destination number. For complex applications however, where multiple types of routing parameters play distinct but complementary roles in the formulation of a destination number for a call, the Riskin approach unduly penalizes the subscriber by forcing him or her to shoulder alone the entire development cost of a routing database and associated routing logic. In addition, Riskin's approach fails to exploit and use the processing and routing logic capabilities of the carrier's database.
The other feature introduced by carriers to help subscribers in their call handling tasks is broadly known as "caller identification" or "caller id" which purports to offer a competitive marketing tool by providing the subscriber with background information regarding the calling party. Automatic Number Identification (ANI), the most common form of caller id, when delivered to a subscriber's PBX, can be used as a key in a database search to retrieve additional information about the caller. This approach is adequate when all calls directed to a subscriber are routed to a single centralized location served by a PBX connected to a processor with a database containing all customer records. However, the caller identification features are less desirable for subscribers with a decentralized business structure or for subscribers who have implemented a distributed computing architecture characterized by each location having its own database storing information about local customers. For those subscribers, the use of ANI as a key in a database search to retrieve additional information about a caller constrains the subscriber to face some economically unattractive choices. One of these choices consists of duplicating the entire customer information database at all locations. Such a choice can become prohibitively expensive as the number of locations increases. In addition, coordination of database maintenance and updating for all locations can transform simple upkeeping tasks into an administrative nightmare. Another choice takes advantage of the advanced routing feature to route a call to a specific location based on the caller's ANI and the location of the database where the caller's records are stored. In that case, the database containing information about local customers is paired to another location's database storing the same information thereby allowing the call to be routed to the second location if the first location is unavailable. However, one of the deficiencies of this approach is that the carrier's database has to store not only callers ' ANI data but also additional data indicating the locations where records are stored for all callers associated with a subscriber.
Furthermore, the current architecture of database-queried communication services has prevented carriers to target specific market segments and to discretely differentiate various types of customers. Aiming to circumvent this limitation, some subscribers have assigned different 800 numbers to different classes of customers subject to different treatment. However, this solution is rather rigid and inflexible, since once a priority 800 number is assigned to a customer, he or she would still enjoy the same special treatment using that assigned number regardless of how little benefit may be derived by the subscriber out of that special treatment lavished on the caller.
In summary, the inability of the present architecture of database-queried communication services 1) to process calls based on existing routing parameters in the carrier's database and on functional parameters in the subscriber's database, 2) to allow subscribes to take advantage of the distributed computing trend in data processing and 3) to elevate these services to the additional role of a competitive edge tool for subscribers, is still an unresolved problem for subscribers of these services.

Cooperative databases call processing system


A method to manage and control engine operation includes injecting an initial mass of fuel into a combustion chamber to form a combustion charge, monitoring combustion and injecting a main mass of fuel into the combustion chamber substantially coincident with a start of combustion of the combustion charge.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Manufacturers of compression-ignition engines face increasingly stringent emissions standards, including reductions in allowable levels of nitrides of oxygen ('NOx') and particulate matter ('PM'). Known strategies to reduce emissions include reducing engine-out emissions, and converting engine-out emissions using some form of exhaust gas aftertreatment. Known systems and methods to reduce engine-out emissions include premixing fuel and air in the combustion chamber prior to ignition. Known systems and methods to convert engine-out emissions use some form of exhaust gas aftertreatment device(s), including, e.g., catalytic converters, adsorbers, and afterburners.
Engines using known fuel/air pre-mix charge systems can achieve low NOx and PM emissions at lower engine load operation. However, such operation is limited at higher engine load operation due to excessive combustion noise and combustion stability. Known strategies for fuel/air pre-mix charge systems to expand engine load operation include using multiple fuel injection events during a combustion cycle.

Method and apparatus for injecting fuel into a compression-ignition engine


This invention relates to a highly efficient artificial low-density lipoprotein (LDL) carrier system for the targeted delivery therapeutic agents across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In particular, this invention relates to artificial LDL particles comprised of three lipid elements: phosphatidyl choline, fatty-acyl-cholesterol esters, and at least one apolipoprotein. The present invention further relates to compositions, methods and kits comprising artificial LDL particles for targeting drugs to and across the BBB for the prevention and treatment of brain diseases.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB), while providing effective protection to the brain against circulating toxins, also creates major difficulties in the pharmacological treatment of brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and brain cancer. Most charged molecules, and most molecules over 700 Daltons in size, are unable to pass through the barrier, and smaller molecules may be conjugated in the liver. These factors create major difficulties in the pharmacological treatment of diseases of the brain and central nervous system (CNS), such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, bacterial and viral infections and cancer.
Many therapeutic agents for the treatment of diseases and disorders of the brain and CNS are sufficiently hydrophilic to preclude direct transport across the BBB. Furthermore, these drugs and agents are susceptible to degradation in the blood and peripheral tissues that increase the dose necessary to achieve a therapeutically effective serum concentration. The present invention provides a method of delivering therapeutic agents to the BBB by encapsulating the therapeutic agent in an artificial low-density lipoprotein particle (LDL). The LDL of this invention facilitates transport of therapeutic agents across the BBB by transcytosis. Since most drugs and therapeutic agents that are too hydrophilic to cross the BBB are also too hydrophilic to be incorporated into an LDL particle, the present invention provides a method for producing conjugates of the therapeutic agents with an LDL component that facilitates its incorporation into an LDL particles, transport across the BBB and subsequent release of the therapeutic agent into the cell.
Prior methods for delivery drugs across the BBB involve three general categories: (1) liposome-based methods, where the therapeutic agent is encapsulated within the carrier; (2) synthetic polymer-based methods, where particles are created using synthetic polymers to achieve precisely-defined size characteristics; and (3) direct conjugation of a carrier to a drug, where the therapeutic agent is covalently bound to a carrier such as insulin.
A. Liposomes
Liposomes are small particles that form spontaneously when phospholipids are sonicated in aqueous solution, and consist of a symmetrical lipid bilayer configured as a hollow sphere surrounding an aqueous environment. This has appeal as a means of transporting water-soluble drugs through the cell membrane, as the phospholipid can be absorbed in the plasma membrane, which automatically releases the contents of the liposomes into the cytosol. More successful variations of this technique include the use of cationic lipids, which can cooperatively create nanopores in the membrane. Cationic lipids are extensively used in cell culture to introduce water-soluble materials such as DNA molecules into cultured cells for experimentation.
Liposomes are attractive for transporting drugs across the BBB because of their large carrying capacity. However, liposomes are generally too large to effectively cross the BBB, are inherently unstable, and their constituent lipids are gradually lost by absorption by lipid-binding proteins in the plasma. For example, in some studies, the large size of the liposomes used produced microembolisms that gave a false impression of brain uptake. In some studies, liposomes were co-injected with Polysorbate 80, a detergent that can disrupt the BBB, as a stabilizing agent. The disruption of the BBB by the Polysorbate 80 in these studies may be responsible for any observed transport across the BBB.
Consequently, liposomes have had a checkered history as vehicles for transporting drugs across the BBB. Several attempts have been made to direct the liposome to particular cellular targets. Peptidomimetic mAbs that target endogenous receptors of the BBB have been used to target pegylated immunoliposomes to various BBB receptors, with the aim of achieving receptor-mediated uptake. However, this approach also requires the expensive production, testing and governmental approval of monoclonal antibodies. Because mAbs are typically produced in mice, and are susceptible to degradation, introduction of a peptidomimetic mAb would not only face significant regulatory obstacles but would prove difficult to deploy in a patient environment.
Immunoliposomes, for example, have been constructed in a process that involves covalent attachment of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to the surface of the liposome. Since these immunoliposomes are immediately coated with plasma proteins that trigger uptake by the reticuloendothelial systems (RES), a system that avidly destroys mAb-conjugated liposomes, immunoliposomes have been treated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) in a process known as pegylation. Unfortunately, the PEG molecules interfere with the mAb, rendering them non-specific due to steric interference. Huwyler et al. (1996) Proc. Nat'l. Acad. Sci USA 93: 14164–14169 avoided this problem by creating immunoliposomes with a maleimide moiety at the tip of the PEG tail, which could be conjugated with a thiolated mAb. These pegylated OX26 immunoliposomes, which were prepared with daunomycin in their interiors, were shown to be more stable in plasma than the free therapeutic agent or plain, unpegylated liposomes. Confocal microscopy, however, has shown that although the liposomes were endocytosed into rat brain capillaries, they did not reach brain cells and remained attached to endothelial cells. Thus, pegylated and maleimide-treated liposomes appear to be relatively ineffective as drug delivery vehicles.
In 1997, Dehouck et al. discovered that the LDL receptors, which binds ApoE, is involved in transcytosis of LDL across the BBB. In a series of three publications, Versluis et al. described the use of ApoE-enriched liposomes to deliver daunorubicin to cancer cells in mice. ApoE was selected as an LDL-receptor targeting protein based on the finding that tumor cells express high levels of LDL receptors on their membranes. Versluis et al. (1998) also proposed using natural LDL, but this experiment was not attempted and subsequent papers focused exclusively on ApoE-enriched liposomes. Versluis et al. (1999) examined the tissue distribution of daunorubicin, but there are no data related to brain uptake, indicating that this method was not envisaged as a means for transporting daunorubicin across the BBB.
Additionally, the conjugation chemistry used by Versluis et al. is different from that used in the present Invention. To anchor the drug to the liposome membrane, the authors coupled 3α-O-(oleoyl)-4β-cholanic acid (an ester of lithocholic acid) to the tetrapeptide Ala-Leu-Ala-Leu, which was in turn covalently linked to the hydrophilic anti-tumor agent daunorubicin. Thus, tumors were treated with conjugated, not free, daunorubicin. Although lithocholic acid is a steroid that already contains an activatable acid group, the acid group is located on the steroid side chain instead of the 3-OH position, which results in a reaction product with less desirable features. Free daunorubicin can be produced only after cleavage by proteases fund in the highly acidic lysosome, which would expose the conjugated during or agent to degradation by proteases, acid and other hydrolytic enzymes. The therapeutic agent would then be released into the intralysosomal space where it could undergo further degradation and expulsion from the cell.
In contrast, the conjugates of the present invention preferably provides for attachment of the therapeutic agent via an ester linkage that can be easily cleaved in the cytosol and consequently escape the harsh lysosomal conditions needed by the method of Versluis et al. Thus, a therapeutic agent conjugated by the present method would be more likely to survive the journey to its target and to be released at the target in an efficient manner. It is also more likely to be transported across the BBB than a liposome.
The method of Versluis et al. also requires a large number of solid-phase peptide chemistry steps to synthesize the tetrapeptide, and several additional steps to conjugate it with FMOC and react the conjugate with lithocholic acid and finally with the drug. The present invention uses a much smaller number of steps, each of which produces nearly quantitative yield. Thus the present invention also offers improved efficiency and lower cost.
Other liposomal formulations of doxyrubicin are currently in clinical use as possible treatments for cancer; however, no products have been introduced that use LDL.
Demeule et al. found that the protein melanotransferrin (p97) is transported by transcytosis across the BBB and concluded that an LDL receptor was involved, suggesting that this protein be employed as a drug delivery system.
B. Synthetic Polymers
Synthetic polymers such as poly(butyl cyanoacrylate) or polyacrylamide covered with Polysorbate 80 have also been tried. These polymers are appealing because the particles are sufficiently hydrophilic to be water-soluble, yet are able to maintain their structural form for long periods, which protects the therapeutic agent from uptake into the liver and kidney where it is subject to natural detoxification process. In both cases, uptake is generally supposed to occur by passive diffusion across the cell membrane or as a defensive uptake by clathrin-coated vesicles. In the former case, the therapeutic agent is then trapped in an endothelial cell, where it is not much closer to the target than before, whereas in the latter case, the therapeutic agent is transported to a lysosome, which is a highly acidic compartment in the cell containing proteases and other digestive enzymes analogous to stomach contents. Thus, in the latter case, the therapeutic agent must remain stable throughout more extreme conditions. In neither case is the drug carried across the cell and ejected into the brain parenchyma, which is the desired result. Thus, it is not surprising that neither of these two methods has achieved much clinical use.
Numerous researchers have tried various modifications of the approaches described above to improve carrier uptake across the BBB with limited success. For example, Kreuter et al. (2002) J. Drug Target 10(4): 317–25 engineered synthetic particles that contained various apolipoproteins that would bind to the apolipoprotein receptors located at the BBB. They demonstrated transport of drugs bound to poly(butyl cyanoacrylate) nanoparticles and coated them with Polysorbate 80. Uptake required coating with Polysorbate 80, ApoE or ApoB. Apolipoproteins All, Cll, or J coatings did not work. However, because these nanoparticles are not naturally occurring, they may have undesirable side effects. Acrylate polymers are particularly notorious for initiating autoimmune responses; the chemically-related polymer poly(acrylamide) is often used as an adjuvant.
Alyaudin et al. (2001) J. Drug Target 9(3): 209–21 used poly(butylcyanoacrylate) nanoparticles overcoated with Polysorbate 80 to transport [3H]-dalargin across the BBB and surmised the process was one of endocytosis followed by possible transcytosis. This polymer may have immunological complications as well.
C. Therapeutic Agent Conjugates
Direct conjugation of pharmacological agents with the substances that can be transported across the BBB, such as insulin, has also been attempted. Insulin and insulin-like growth factors are known to cross the blood brain barrier by specialized facilitated diffusion systems. (Reinhardt et al. (1994) Endocrinology 135(5): 1753–1761). Insulin is taken up by transcytosis mediated by the endothelial insulin receptor (Pardridge et al. (1986) Ann. Intern. Med. 105(1): 82–95). Specific transporters also exist for glucose and for large amino acids such as tryptophan. However, the specificity of the insulin transporter has proved to be too high to allow pharmacological agents covalently linked to insulin to cross into the brain. Similar results have been obtained with glucose and amino acid conjugates, whose uptake has been observed to obey the same general principles as other low-molecular weight substances, with only uncharged molecules below 700 Da achieving significant access to the brain. The inconvenience in devising chemical syntheses of conjugated forms of biomolecules, the risk of creating unanticipated toxic effects, and the likely necessity of obtaining FDA approval for an entirely novel compound has dampened enthusiasm for this approach.
Transport vectors, which are proteins such as cationized albumin, or the OX26 monoclonal antibody to the transferrin receptor undergo absorptive-mediated and receptor-mediated transcytosis through the BBB, respectively. These have been used to transport small amounts of drug. This process, suffers from the high expense and difficulty of producing monoclonal antibodies and cationized albumin and is not applicable to other types of molecules. Also, cationized proteins have been shown to be toxic due to their immunogenicity and the formation of immune complexes that are deposited in the kidney.
Wu et al. (2002) J. Drug Target 10(3): 239–45 showed transport of human basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), a protein neuroprotective agent, across the BBB using a drug delivery vector consisting of a conjugate of streptavidin (SA) and the murine OX26 monoclonal antibody against the rat transferrin receptor, and the conjugate of biotinylated bFGF (bio-bFGF) bound to a vector designated bio-bFGF/OX26-SA. Although they showed avid uptake of [1251] labeled bio-bFGF into peripheral organs, only 0.01% of the injected dose was taken up per gram brain. Also, this procedure requires covalent modification of the drug, and may be useful only for limited classes of drugs. The carrier also contains mouse monoclonal antibodies as a component, which would cause an immune response in the patient.
Kang et al. (2000) J. Drug Target 8(6): 425–34 also used an avidin-biotin linked chimeric peptide to transport a peptide across the BBB but achieved only 0.12% of the injected dose taken up per gram of tissue. Kang and Pardridge (Pharm. Res. 11: 1257–1264) conjugated cationized human serum albumin with neutral light avidin, and then bound it to radiolabeled biotin. The biotin/cHSA/NLA complex was stable in blood for up to 24 h, but the conjugate was selectively degraded in brain to release free biotin. As mentioned above, cationized proteins have been shown to be toxic due to their immunogenicity.
Cationized monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have also been used. Pardridge (J. Neurochem. 70: 1781–2) showed by confocal microscopy that the native humanized 4D5 MAb crossed the BBB by absorptive-mediated transcytosis, but only after cationization of the protein. This process, however, suffers from the high expense of producing and chemically modifying monoclonal antibodies and is not applicable to other types of molecules.
Witt et al. (2000) J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 295(3): 972–8 used insulin to transport delta-opioid receptor-selective peptide D-penicillamine (DPDPE), a Met-enkephalin analog, across the BBB. Insulin, however, presents numerous hazards that limit its use as a therapeutic strategy. Also, other researchers have found the insulin receptor to be extremely selective. Thus, in addition to the difficulty in producing chimeric peptides, this strategy is limited to a narrow class of pharmaceutical agents.
Other researchers have attempted to conjugate drugs to glucose, for instance using glycopeptides. However, no significant transport of any glycopeptide via the BBB Glut1 transporter has ever been demonstrated. Attempts to use the high-transport rate of carrier-mediated transporters such as the Glut1 glucose transporter, the choline transporter, or the LAT1 large amino acid transporter have foundered on the problem that carrier transporters are too selective to accept conjugated substrates. They also suffer from the problem that p-glycoprotein, a member of the multidrug resistance gene, rapidly acts to actively remove many small molecules, including any drugs that manage to get across the barrier, from the brain.
In addition to the LDL receptor, the BBB also contains type II scavenger receptors (SR), which bind LDL with high affinity. The scavenger receptor is particularly good with modified forms of LDL such as acetylated LDL. Binding to the SR results only in endocytosis and not the desired transcytosis. Rigotti et al. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270: 16221–4 found that acetylated LDL is not transported across the BBB, whereas cationized bovine IgG was more effective Bickel et al. (1993) Adv. Drug. Del. Rev. 10: 205–245. The failure to demonstrate transcytosis with acetylated LDL discouraged many researchers from attempting further experiments with LDL.
Protter et al. (WO 87/02061) describe a drug delivery system that uses peptides derived from apolipoproteins, such as ApoE and ApoB, which are covalently attached to the pharmaceutical agent, or to a carrier containing the agent. However, the use of molecular conjugates would only be limited to a small number of drug classes, and subject to many of the same problems discussed above.
Müller et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,288,040) describe the use of synthetic poly(butyl cyanoacrylate) particles to which ApoE molecules are covalently bound. The surface of the particles are further modified by surfactants or covalent attachment of hydrophilic polymers. As stated above, because these particles are not naturally occurring, they may have a variety of undesirable side effects.
Samain et al. (WO 92/21330) describe the use of synthetic particulate carriers containing lipids that are covalently attached to a solid, hydrophilic core and that also contain ApoB for delivery of substances to tumors or macrophages. However, they do not disclose any utility of such vectors for delivering drugs across the BBB.

Artificial low-density lipoprotein carriers for transport of substances across the blood-brain barrier


A portable pneumatic abdominal aortic tourniquet for occlusion of the abdominal descending aorta to restrict blood supply to a non-compressible arterial hemorrhage in or below the inguinal region is presented. The tourniquet includes an adjustable waist strap for securing it around the abdomen of a patient and a windlass rod connected to the waist strap to selectively tighten the strap as needed to tightly secure it to patient. A directed air bladder is mounted to the waist strap having a generally “V” shaped construction and is expanded for exerting directed pressure against the abdomen. Upon inflation of the air bladder and adjustment of the windlass, occlusion or restriction of blood flow through the abdominal descending aorta will occur which will achieve cessation of hemorrhage in or below the inguinal area or achieve other therapeutic effects like elevated blood pressure to enhance CPR or blood flow control to the lower extremities.

Various tourniquet devices that use a wide variety of clamping and/or pneumatic means to apply pressure to various limbs on the body have been attempted. However, prior attempts at cessation of hemorrhage from the major blood vessels of the body at or below the inguinal area have not been no completely successful, especially if attempted on gross battle-field wounds such as leg amputations due to anti-personnel mines or high velocity bullet percussion wounds to the lower extremities. Quite often, such wounds do not provide a satisfactory compressible site to stop arterial hemorrhages and require occlusion of the abdominal descending aorta to cut-off the blood supply to the wound in order to protect the patient's life.
However, compressing the abdominal descending aorta is a difficult exercise. One of the major obstacles to providing an effective portable abdominal aortic tourniquet is in providing a focused compression force over the targeted area on the abdomen to achieve aorta occlusion. Typically, most tourniquets apply a constricting force around the circumference of a limb or over a broad area to reduce total blood flow through the limb. Such a broad application of force is ineffective to reduce or occlude blood flow through the descending aorta proximal to the bifurcation in the abdomen due to the deep location of the aorta in the body. A strong focused pressure is required to reach the descending aorta and reduce blood flow. Prior inventions fail to show or disclose a technique for focusing a compression force in the abdomen to operate as an abdominal aortic tourniquet.
For example, US Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0191881 A1 (Amisar et al.) shows a tourniquet that includes a pressure source and a selector leaver attached to a cam to facilitate manual selection of a designated pressure. This tourniquet is designed to apply pressure around a limb. There is no teaching in the patent that this device would be effectively useable as an abdominal aortic tourniquet. Further, the air bladder is not a directed air bladder that would focus the compression force, but is rounded to wrap around the limb and spread the pressure force over a broad area. Such a broad application of constricting force is unusable if intended to reduce or occlude circulation through the descending aorta for a non-compressible arterial hemorrhage in the abdominal region.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,459 (Lee) shows an inflatable balloon for use in a tourniquet. The patent discloses a manual pump for inflating the balloon. There is no disclosure of the balloon having a directed shape for focusing a compression force, or that the tourniquet is in any way designed to work as an abdominal aortic tourniquet. This tourniquet is representative of a vast majority of pneumatic prior art tourniquet devices which completely fail to address the specific problems associate with providing an effective abdominal aortic tourniquet
U.S. Pat. No. 6,884,254 (Brooks) shows a tourniquet system that includes a leverage assisted clamp means for tightening the strap around a limb. This patent is representative of a large section of the prior art that uses mechanical means, as opposed to pneumatic to provide a constricting force around a limb. Again, such devices fail to provide the directed compression force required to restrict blood flow through the descending aorta.
Therefore, what is needed is a portable abdominal aortic tourniquet that can be rapidly applied under field conditions that includes a means for tensioning the tourniquet upon a patient rapidly and with sufficient force to ensure abdominal aortic occlusion.

Portable pneumatic abdominal aortic tourniquet with supplemental tensioning means


Systems, methods, and apparatus are described. A method for data communication performed at a master device includes configuring a serial interface for a point-to-point mode of operation, transmitting a first two-bit command through the serial interface, the two-bit command including a one-bit address and a read/write bit, and initiating a transaction through the serial interface. The transaction may be identified by the two-bit command and is conducted in accordance with an I3C protocol. The transaction may include the transfer of one or more data frames formatted in accordance with the I3C protocol. The method may include receiving an acknowledgement from a slave device in response to the first two-bit command.

Mobile communication devices may include a variety of components including circuit boards, integrated circuit (IC) devices and/or System-on-Chip (SoC) devices. The components may include processing circuits, user interface components, storage and other peripheral components that communicate through a serial bus. The serial bus may be operated in accordance with a standardized or proprietary protocol. In one example, a serial bus operated in accordance with an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C bus or I2C). The I2C bus was developed to connect low-speed peripherals to a processor, where the I2C bus is configured as a multi-drop bus. A two-wire I2C bus includes a Serial Data Line (SDA) that carries a data signal, and a Serial Clock Line (SCL) that carries a clock signal.
A serial bus may employ a multi-master protocol in which one or more devices can serve as a master and a slave for different messages transmitted on the serial bus. In some examples, Improved Inter-Integrated Circuit (I3C) protocols may be used to control operations on a serial bus. I3C protocols are defined by the Mobile Industry Processor Interface Alliance (MIPI) and derive certain implementation aspects from the I2C protocol. Original implementations of the I2C protocol supported data signaling rates of up to 100 kilobits per second (100 kbps) in standard-mode operation, with more recent standards supporting speeds of 400 kbps in fast-mode operation, and 1 megabit per second (Mbps) in fast-mode plus operation.
As applications have become more complex, it has become desirable to increase performance and throughput provided by serial buses used to couple two or more devices.


Techniques are disclosed for virtualizing internet protocol (IP) addresses in terminal server sessions. A client component comprises a layer service provider (LSP) and a name service provider (NSP) that intercept a socket call to associate a port with a socket for a terminal server session. The client component queries a server component for a virtual IP address, and the server component determines whether the terminal server session can use a virtual IP address. Where the session can use a virtual IP address, the server returns a virtual IP address and the client component binds the socket call to the virtual IP address. Where the session cannot use a virtual IP address, the server returns an indication of that, and the client component acts as a proxy for that socket call and any future calls for that socket.

A terminal server thin client, such as provided by REMOTE DESKTOP SERVICES™ in WINDOWS SERVER™, allows a user to access applications and data running on a remote computer over a communications network. Some implementations allow a user to access the entire desktop of the remote computer running a terminal server program. The user may access the remote computer with a full computer running any operating system that the terminal server protocol supports, as well as a bare-bones computer that has enough power to support the protocol. Only the user interface (UI) of an application is presented to the user. Any user input is sent over the communications network to the remote computer, where the application processing occurs.
In the terminal server environment, all applications on a terminal server session share a single internet protocol (IP) address, or the same IP addresses where the host computer has a plurality of IP addresses. Furthermore, where there are multiple terminal server sessions running on the host computer, all of those sessions share the same IP address or addresses. However, some applications that can be run in a terminal server environment use a corresponding IP address as a way to identify or track the application. For instance, some internet service providers (IPSs) have requirements to track (e.g. duration of a session, and when that session occurs) a user when he or she is surfing the INTERNET™. Since all applications in a terminal server environment share a single IP address, it is not possible to run simultaneously multiple instances of an application that uses an IP address for identification purposes.
In light of these constraints, it would be beneficial to enable applications executing through a terminal server session to have a unique IP address.

Internet protocol (IP) address virtualization for terminal server sessions


Authentication system and method are provided. The authentication system includes: a server configured to provide at least two security levels and configured to transmit one of at least two security modules corresponding to the security level of a user terminal, via communications network, to the user terminal based, at least in part, upon an environment of the user terminal; and an authentication server communicatively linked with the server and configured to perform a user authentication in response to a user authentication request from the user terminal. Accordingly, various hackings can be prevented and the user authentication can be accomplished with user's convenience and security.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an authentication system and method. More particularly, the present invention relates to security authentication system and method for preventing the leak of user information and authenticating a user.
2. Description of the Related Art
Internet has become a must in a present-day life, and Internet services such as electronic commerce, Internet banking, and online game, are prevalently used. To use the Internet service, a user generally needs to join as a member of the corresponding service and pass through user authentication to use the corresponding service. The user authentication is performed in a manner that the user inputs his/her identification (ID) and password in a web browser of a user terminal, the ID and the password are transmitted to a server, and the server confirms the ID and the password.
Crimes which install a hacking tool in other user terminals, extract and user ID and password by stealth are increasing. An example of the hacking tool is a browser helper object (BHO). The BHO, which was originally invented to extend the functionality of the web browser, supports functions not provided by the web browser. Most BHOs are used as spyware, adware, and hacking against its original purpose. Particularly, the BHO is used to intercept user authentication information transmitted from the user terminal to the server in the process of the user authentication. Another example of the hacking tool is a key logger. The key logger steals keyboard information input by the user and leaks out the information.
To prevent the hacking by the hacking tools, many security programs are under development. Most security programs find and remove the hacking tools in the user terminal or encrypt the user authentication information to avoid the hacking. It is not easy for the user to select and install his/her proper or desired security program among various security programs.

Security authentication system and method


Alum, used as a coagulant in water treatment, is recovered from clarifier sludge by adjusting the pH of the sludge downward to produce an aqueous clarifier sludge solution, and contacting the aqueous clarifier sludge solution with one side of a semi-permeable cation exchange membrane while contacting the other side of the membrane with an acidic sweep solution. By virtue of the Donnan co-ion exclusion phenomenon, aluminum ions, which are trivalent, pass readily through the membrane, in preference to divalent and monovalent cations, and consequently heavy metal carryover is relatively low. Organic matter carryover is substantially excluded, and consequently, the recovered alum can be reused without the potential for trihalomethane formation. The reactor is preferably in the form of a stack of spaced membranes, with the aqueous clarifier sludge solution and the acid sweep solution flowing through alternate spaces. The same process can be used for recovery of ferric iron coagulants.

In the United States, there are over one thousand drinking water treatment plants which use alum, Al2(SO4)3.14H2O, as a coagulant for efficient removal of particulate solids and colloids. In the treatment process, alum is finally converted into insoluble aluminum hydroxide, Al(OH)3, which constitutes a major component, e.g., from about 25% to 50%, of the solids in water treatment residuals (WTR), i.e., clarifier sludge. The water treatment sludge is essentially a bulky, gelatinous slurry composed of suspended inorganic particles, natural organic matter (NOM), trace amounts of heavy metal precipitates and aluminum hydroxide. Clarifier sludges are biologically inert and retain near-neutral pH. The total solids content of the sludge normally ranges from 2 to 10 percent in mass per unit volume. Water treatment plants in the United States produce over 2 million tons of aluminum-laden disposable solids every day. Due to recent regulatory changes, disposal of sludges must now be carried out by way of landfills or land application. Because of the magnitude and pervasiveness of the disposal problem, alum recovery from clarifier sludge has received considerable attention. The toxicity of free and complexed aluminum species to aquatic life, including benthic organisms, is also a matter of concern, and has been the focus of several studies.
An ideal solution to the problems of sludge disposal and toxicity would be a simple-to-operate process which selectively recovers alum from the sludge to reduce the volume of the disposable solids, and which delivers the recovered alum in a form sufficiently pure to be recycled for use as a coagulant at the front end of the water treatment plant. Such a process will truly combine pollution prevention with resource recovery, thereby significantly reducing the stress on the environment.
When clarifier sludge is sufficiently acidified with sulfuric acid, insoluble aluminum hydroxide is dissolved in the form of dilute liquid alum. The stoichiometry of this reaction is as follows:
This reaction illustrates the underlying concept of the acid digestion process, which has been tried both at laboratory and pilot-scale levels.
The basic concept of the process of alum recovery is simple. However, the process is subject to shortcomings which have ruled out the possibility of reusing the recovered liquid alum as a coagulant. The process is non-selective. Along with alum it also recovers all other substances that are soluble under highly acidic conditions or that exist as colloids. If this occurs and the recovered alum is recycled for water treatment, the potability of the water will be degraded. Consequently, the acid digestion process may not be used in areas where such impurities present problems.
Potential impurities which can be converted to soluble form by acidification include iron, manganese, chromium and other metals, including those metals which are inherently present as impurities in the sulfuric acid used in the process. For example, significant concentrations of manganese exist in raw water at some locations, and the concentration of manganese in the delivered water may be increased to unacceptable levels when alum is recovered for reuse as a coagulant. Heavy metals, such as copper, lead, cadmium, etc. are normally present in relatively low concentrations in clarifier sludge. However, the concentrations of these heavy metals may increase to significant levels if the sludge is recycled in order to recover alum. The problem of increased concentration of an undesirable substance in the recovered alum can occur with many different substances present in ionic or colloidal form in the raw water, especially substances which have a low solubility and a high settling rate in the clarifier.
Naturally occurring organic material (humates and fulvates), which are generally removed quite well by alum coagulation, will be present in the recovered alum. Should this recovered alum be reused as a coagulant, the concentration of organic matter in the treated water will tend to increase, thereby significantly increasing the potential for formation of trihalomethanes (THMs), which are suspected carcinogens.
Since aluminum oxide is amphoteric, theoretically alum could be recovered from clarifier sludge under alkaline conditions as well as under acidic conditions. However, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) tends to increase with dissolved Al(III) under both acidic and alkaline conditions. Since a high concentration of dissolved organic matter is very undesirable in recovered alum due to its potential for formation of trihalomethanes, neither acid nor alkali digestion processes have been able to achieve satisfactory selective alum recovery in practice.
Acid digestion, that is, acidic extraction using sulfuric acid, is the most widely used method for alum recovery. When clarifier sludge is sufficiently acidified with sulfuric acid, insoluble aluminum hydroxide is dissolved in the form of dilute liquid alum as shown in the equation:
2Al(OH)3.3H2O+3H2SO4+2H2O=Al2(SO4)3.14H2O
This equation illustrates the underlying concept of the acid digestion process, which has been tried on a laboratory scale, in pilot scale studies, and in full-scale at one of the water treatment plants of Durham, N.C. Studies on this process have shown that the aluminum concentration in recovered supernatant liquid ranged from 360 to 3700 mg/l. In addition to aluminum, the recovered alum was also found to contain other metals such as manganese, zinc and lead. The concentration of heavy metals such as As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn ranged from 0.002 to 8.5 mg/l. The total DOC ranged from 326 to 1800 mg/l, which was of the same order of magnitude as the recovered aluminum concentration. Similarly, the concentration of humic substances ranged from 160 mg/l to 1140 mg/l. Thus, the acid digestion process is non-selective; it cannot prevent DOC and heavy metals from being carried over into the recovered alum. The process is not capable of yielding high concentrations of aluminum ions, and the recovered alum is subject to reduced coagulation efficiency due to the presence of dissolved organic carbon.
In the case of Alkali digestion, at increased pH, the total DOC increases markedly. At a pH of 12, the DOC of water treatment residuals increases rapidly to over 1000 mg/liter. Furthermore at high pH levels, undissolved organics tend not to settle adequately and lead to poor quality in the recovered solution.
Liquid Ion Exchange (LIE) has also been tried. According to one study, this process can concentrate aluminum to a level as high as 4000 mg/l from an initial level of 1000 mg/l. However, this takes place in a second stage of stripping. In the first stage of extraction, the concentration ratio is 1:1. Entrainment issues are always a concern in the stripping process, because it involves separating aluminum ions from an organic phase into which the aluminum ions are dissolved in the first stage. In the stripping process, aluminum is recovered from the organic phase and the latter recycled. Since ideal 100% separation cannot be achieved, organics are carried over with dissolved aluminum. The liquid ion exchange process is operationally complex and expensive, and capable of delivering only a low concentration of recovered alum. Solvent carryover in the recovered alum is also a problem inherent in liquid ion exchange, and requires additional treatment steps.
Ultrafiltration is another technique that can be employed following acid treatment. However, ultrafiltration suffers from various shortcomings including fouling, decreased membrane life due to pressure differential, a decrease in flux with continued deposition, and the relatively high cost of pumping.
Still another approach is the cyclic composite membrane process described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,309, dated Apr. 19, 1994. In this process, aluminum ions are selectively sorbed from an aqueous phase (containing dissolved aluminum in acidified WTR) onto a composite membrane and thereafter desorbed, with the release of aluminum ions, as the composite membrane is regenerated in a sulfuric acid solution. The process is carried out in a continuous cycle characterized by the following equations:
xe2x80x83Al(OH)3(s)+3/2Rxe2x80x94N(CH2COOH)2=3/2Rxe2x80x94N(CH2COOxe2x88x92)2Al3++3/2H2O
3Rxe2x80x94N(CH2COOxe2x88x92)2Al3++3H2SO4=3/2Rxe2x80x94N(CH2COOH)2+Al2(SO4)3
The cyclic composite membrane process overcomes many of the shortcomings of the previous processes in that it selectively recovers aluminum ions and prevents passage of natural organic materials, heavy metals and manganese into the recovered alum. However, composite ion exchange materials are not available in sizes appropriate for large-scale applications, and the process is not capable of concentrating alum to high levels. Furthermore, the process is a two-stage process with inherent complexity, and subject to various operational problems such as difficulties in rinsing the membrane.
An object of this invention is to overcome at least some, and preferably all, of the above-mentioned deficiencies in previously proposed alum recovery techniques.
In accordance with the invention, the pH of clarifier sludge is adjusted to a level, preferably about 3, such that at least the majority of its aluminum content is in solution. The pH adjustment results in an aqueous clarifier sludge solution, which is then brought into contact with a first side of a semi-permeable cation exchange membrane, preferably by circulating the solution through a first circulatory flow path. Simultaneously, an acidic sweep solution is brought into contact with the opposite side of the membrane, preferably by circulating it through a second circulatory flow path. By Donnan dialysis, aluminum ions are caused to pass through the membrane in one direction while hydrogen ions pass through the membrane in the opposite direction. Anions, organic molecules and suspended solids are substantially prevented from passing through the membrane, and aluminum ions are selectively favored over monovalent and bivalent cations for passage through the membrane. Thus, the concentration aluminum in the second circulatory path increases while the solution in the second circulatory path remains substantially free of anions and organic molecules, the concentration of toxic metals in the second circulatory flow path is maintained at a low level, and the hydrogen ions regenerate the membrane and acidify the aqueous clarifier sludge solution thereby causing further quantities of aluminum in the first circulatory path to go into solution.
In a preferred mode, the cation exchange membrane comprises a plurality of sheets of cation exchange membrane disposed in a stack, the sheets being separated from one another in the stack by spaces through which the solutions flow, and the solutions are directed to and from the stack so that clarifier sludge solution and acidic sweep solution flow through alternate spaces. Preferably the spaces through which the clarifier sludge solution flows are connected in series, and the spaces through which the acidic sweep solution flows are also connected in series.
The process is preferably carried out with the pressure difference across the membrane maintained substantially at zero.
The process provides for a simple and effective recovery of alum, substantially free of solids, natural organic matter and dissolved organic carbon, and with relatively low carryover of toxic metals. The recovered alum is therefore suitable for reuse as a coagulant in the same water treatment plant from which it was recovered, and the formation of trihalomethanes upon chlorination is substantially avoided.
Further objects, advantages and details of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the drawings.

Process for selective coagulant recovery from water treatment plant sludge


A method for electrically connecting a semiconductor chip to at least one contact surface uses a thin wire having a first end welded to the at least one contact surface and a second end connected to a contact zone of the semiconductor chip. In order to produce a good connection between the wire and the contact zone of the semiconductor chip, the second end of the wire is welded to a metal piece in the form of a wedge which is disposed on the contact zone of the semiconductor chip and is connected in a conductive manner thereto. The metal piece is formed by a nailhead contact having a free end which is guided in a loop and is connected to the nailhead by a wedge contact. A smart card module and a smart card are produced by the method.

Field of the Invention:
The invention relates to a method for electrically connecting a semiconductor chip to at least one contact surface through the use of a thin wire having a first end welded to the at least one contact surface and a second end welded to a metal piece disposed on a contact zone of the semiconductor chip and connected thereto in a conductive manner.
Such methods are carried out in a known way by bonding. It is customary in such a case to guide the gold wire, which is usually about 24 .mu.m thick, in a capillary, at the end of which a piece of the gold wire juts out. The piece jutting out is melted through the use of a hydrogen flame or an electrically ignited spark, with the result that the piece is formed into a small ball. The ball is then pressed onto a first contact surface through the use of the capillary and in the process is connected to the contact surface as a result of capillary vibrations in the ultrasonic range, producing a form of the gold wire which is designated as a nailhead. In the case of so-called thermo-sonic bonding, the contact surface is additionally heated to a temperature of about 200.degree. C. to 300.degree. C. Subsequently, the capillary is moved upwards again and is guided in an arc, the so-called loop, to a second contact surface which is to be connected to the first contact surface. At that point the capillary is lowered again and pinches off the gold wire on the second contact surface. The relatively high pressure produces a good connection between the gold wire and the second contact surface, with the resulting wedge structure being designated as a wedge. That type of bonding is also referred to as ball-wedge bonding, in contrast to wedge-wedge bonding of the type which is customary with aluminum wires.
When connecting semiconductor chips to contact surfaces, the ball is usually connected to the semiconductor chip and the wedge to the contact surface, since the ball can be better positioned and the resulting nailhead has a more precisely defined size than the wedge. In addition, the risk of destroying structures on the semiconductor chip is very low in the ball-on-chip method. However, that procedure has the disadvantage that the loop turns out to be relatively large, although that is not important with customary semiconductor housings.
However, in the case of smart cards, for example, the housing height, which corresponds to the thickness of the smart card, is very small and fixedly predetermined. If in that case a component, for example the carrier, is of a somewhat thicker construction, that additional space requirement must be saved again by a reduction at another point.
It is known from German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 36 21 917 Al to connect the wire first of all to a contact surface and then to the semiconductor chip. Since that procedure provides the nailhead contact on the contact surface and the wedge contact on the contact zone of the semiconductor chip, a small loop height is produced. However, there is the risk of a short circuit with the chip surface due to the shallow angle at which the wire is guided onto the contact zone of the chip. In addition, the proportion of gold in the gold/aluminum joining zone (contact zones of semiconductor chips usually are formed of aluminum) is distinctly less than in a nailhead contact. As a result, the gold is demonstrably converted completely into brittle intermetallic phases, resulting in contact detachment or contact isolation.
European Patent Application 0 397 426 A2 discloses a configuration in which, before a wedge contact is provided on a contact surface of the semiconductor chip, a nailhead contact is applied to that contact surface and the wedge contact is first provided on that nailhead contact. That increases the reliability of the connection.
The nailhead contact yields the same metallurgical conditions as is the case with traditional thermo-sonic nailhead contact-making.
However, the planar guidance of the bonding wire over the chip surface, particularly when the contact zone is situated in the inner region of the chip surface, may result in contact between the bonding wire and the edge of the semiconductor chip, which can lead to a short circuit.
Japanese Patent Abstract 6-97350 (A) from Patent Abstracts of Japan, E-1574 Jul. 6, 1994, Vol. 18, No. 359 discloses an electrical connection of a semiconductor chip to a lead frame which has a contact element in the form of a wedge, to which a wedge contact is applied in order to achieve better guidance of the bonding wire. However, the contact element in the form of a wedge is an individual part which is complicated to produce and must be disposed on the lead frame in a special method step.

Method for electrically connecting a semiconductor chip to at least one contact surface and smart card module and smart card produced by the method


A method for manufacturing isotope-doped carbon nanotubes (10) includes the steps of: (a) providing a carbon rod (209), the carbon rod including at least two kinds of carbon isotope segments (202, 203) arranged therealong according to need; (b) providing a laser beam source positioned opposite to the carbon rod; and (c) irradiating the carbon rod with a laser beam (214), wherein the carbon isotope segments of the carbon rod are consumed sequentially to form the isotope-doped carbon nanotubes. Growth mechanisms of the isotope-doped carbon nanotubes manufactured by this method can be readily studied.

The present invention relates to methods for manufacturing carbon nanotubes, and more particularly to methods for manufacturing isotope-doped carbon nanotubes.
Carbon nanotubes were discovered by S. Ijima (Nature, vol. 354, pp. 56-58, 1991) and synthesized by T. W. Ebbesen and P. M. Ajayan (Nature, vol. 358, pp. 220-222, 1992). Theoretical studies showed that carbon nanotubes exhibit either metallic or semiconductive behavior depending on the radii and helicity of the tubules. Carbon nanotubes have interesting and potentially useful electrical and mechanical properties, and offer potential for use in electronic devices. Carbon nanotubes also feature high aspect ratios (>1000) and atomically sharp tips, which make them ideal candidates for electron field emitters, white light sources, lithium secondary batteries, hydrogen storage cells, transistors and cathode ray tubes (CRTs).
Generally, there are three methods for manufacturing carbon nanotubes. The first method is the arc discharge method, which was first discovered and reported in an article by Sumio Iijima entitled "Helical Microtubules of Graphitic Carbon" (Nature, Vol. 354, Nov. 7, 1991, pp. 56-58). The second method is the laser ablation method, which was reported in an article by T. W. Ebbesen et al entitled "Large-scale Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes" (Nature, Vol. 358, 1992, pp. 220). The third method is the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, which was reported in an article by W. Z. Li entitled "Large-scale Synthesis of Aligned Carbon Nanotubes" (Science, Vol. 274, 1996, pp. 1701).
Isotope labeling is a powerful tool in the study of nano-material growth mechanisms and nano-sized isotope junction synthesis. Methods of isotope labeling use reactants containing different isotopes of a special element (usually light elements such as carbon, boron, nitrogen and oxygen), which are fed in designated concentrations (pure or mixed) and sequences into a nano-material synthesis process to provide in situ isotope labeling of nano-materials.
However, the carbon nanotubes manufactured by the above-mentioned three methods are not isotope-doped, and the growth mechanisms of such carbon nanotubes cannot be readily studied.
What is needed, therefore, is a method for manufacturing isotope-doped carbon nanotubes.

Method for manufacturing isotope-doped carbon nanotubes


In a semiconductor integrated circuit device having a system-on-chip structure in which a DRAM and a logic integrated circuit are mixedly mounted on a chip, a silicide layer is formed on the surfaces of the source and the drain of a MISFET of a direct peripheral circuit of the DRAM, the surfaces of the source and the drain of a MISFET of an indirect peripheral circuit of the DRAM, and the surfaces of the source and the drain of a MISFET of the logic integrated circuit, and the silicide layer is not formed on the surfaces of the source and the drain of a memory cell selective MISFET of the memory cell of the DRAM.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit device and a method for manufacturing the same, and in particular, a technology effectively applicable to a semiconductor integrated circuit device having a system-on-chip structure in which a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and a logic integrated circuit are mixedly mounted on a chip.
In recent years, in a high technology field such as multimedia, information communication and the like, a movement has become active to speed up a data transfer rate, to save a space (to increase a packaging density), and to reduce a power consumption by realizing a system-on-chip structure in which a microcomputer, a DRAM, an ASIC, and the like are mixedly mounted on one chip.
One of means for speeding up a logic integrated circuit part is a technology of forming a silicide layer over the surfaces of a source and a drain. However, if the silicide layer is formed over the source and drain of a memory cell selective MISFET of a memory cell of the DRAM, a leak current increases and deteriorates a refresh property.
In the case of mounting a DRAM and a logic integrated circuit on one chip while keeping the performance of the DRAM and the performance of the logic integrated circuit, it is necessary to develop a new mixed-mounting process suitable for the one chip structure.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a technology realizing one chip of a DRAM and a logic integrated circuit while keeping the performance of the DRAM and the performance of the logic integrated circuit, in a semiconductor integrated circuit device having a system-on-chip structure in which a DRAM and a logic integrated circuit are mixedly mounted on one chip.
The above-mentioned object and other objects, and new features of the present invention will become clear from the following description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

Semiconductor integrated circuit device and method for manufacturing the same


Provided is a thermoplastic resin composition in which a modified rubber excellent in low temperature resistance is dispersedly added in a polyamide resin matrix to improve the low temperature resistance (cyclic fatigue resistance) of the polyamide resin, the composition maintaining its fluidity even at a high content of modified rubber, thus allowing film formation, and exhibiting excellent low temperature resistance. The thermoplastic resin composition includes a polyamide resin (A) and a modified rubber (B) having an acid anhydride group or an epoxy group and is characterized in that the modified rubber (B) having an acid anhydride group or an epoxy group is modified with a hydrogen bonding compound (C) having a functional group reacting with an acid anhydride group or an epoxy group and a functional group capable of hydrogen bonding with an amide bond or a hydroxyl group. In addition, the polyamide resin (A) is preferably modified with a compound capable of bonding to a terminal amino group of the polyamide resin. The thermoplastic resin composition is suitably used for production of tires, hoses and the like.

There is known a thermoplastic elastomer composition prepared by dispersing a specific rubber elastomer component as a discontinuous phase in a specific thermoplastic resin matrix and has a good balance between air permeability resistance and flexibility (JP 8-259741 A).
In addition, a thermoplastic elastomer composition having more flexibility and excellent air permeability resistance by attaining a high elastomer component ratio by setting a melt viscosity (ηm) of a thermoplastic resin component, a melt viscosity (ηd) of an elastomer component in a thermoplastic elastomer composition and a solubility parameter difference (ΔSP) between the elastomer component and the thermoplastic resin component such that they satisfy a specific relational expression, as well as a pneumatic tire in which the thermoplastic elastomer composition is used for a gas permeation preventive layer is known (JP 10-25375 A).
Furthermore, there is also known a thermoplastic elastomer composition in which gas permeability resistance is greatly improved due to the presence of a barrier resin composition having a phase structure dispersed flatly in a thermoplastic elastomer having a continuous phase of a thermoplastic resin and a dispersion phase of a rubber composition, and moreover, which has flexibility, oil resistance, cold resistance and heat resistance (JP 10-114840 A).
Furthermore, there is also known a thermoplastic elastomer composition in which an acid anhydride-modified ethylene-based modifier polymer is blended in an aliphatic polyamide resin modified with a layered silicate (JP 2000-160024 A).


A vacuum molding-compatible mat including about 10 weight percent to about 99 weight percent glass monofilaments having a mean average length ranging from about 5 to about 150 millimeters and coated with a filament coating composition which is compatible with a thermosetting matrix material for forming a vacuum molded composite; and glass fiber strands having a mean average length ranging from about 5 to about 150 millimeters and coated with a strand coating composition which is compatible with the thermosetting matrix material for forming the vacuum molded composite; wherein the mat has a mat surface weight greater than about 200 grams per square meter, the glass monofilaments and glass fiber strands are essentially uniformly distributed throughout the mat and at least a portion of the glass monofilaments are entangled with at least a portion of the glass fiber strands.

The physical characteristics of a composite, such as flexibility, strength and glass content, are greatly influenced by the configuration and type of reinforcement. Preferred reinforcement configurations often vary greatly for different molding processes, molding conditions and matrix materials. For example, reinforcements typically used for reinforcing thermoplastic matrix materials may not be compatible with thermosetting molding operations. In thermosetting molding operations, good "wet-through" (penetration of the polymeric matrix material through the mat) and "wet-out" (penetration of the polymeric matrix material through the individual bundles or strands of fibers in the mat) properties are desirable. In contrast, good dispersion properties are of predominant concern in typical thermoplastic molding operations.
For reinforcing a resin matrix material, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,664,909, 3,713,962 and 3,850,723 disclose fibrous mats of unstranded filaments which can be layered with reinforcing mats of fiber strands.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,948,661, 5,011,737, 5,071,608 and 5,098,624 disclose fiber reinforced thermoplastic molded products produced by intimately blending reinforcing glass fibers and thermoplastic fibers into a web and heating the web to the melting point of the thermoplastic fibers while applying pressure to the web to press the web into a consolidated structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,174 and 4,129,674 disclose a carrier mat useful in the manufacture of roofing materials which includes a web of randomly dispersed monofilament glass fibers, elongated glass fiber bundles and a binder such as urea-formaldehyde for consolidating the mat.
British Patent Application No. 2 104 559 discloses a web, tissue or mat of continuous glass filament yarn entangled with glass fiber monofilaments and coated with a resin bonding agent which is useful for reinforcing plastic moldings.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,108,678 and 5,194,462 disclose a fiber reinforced plastic sheet having a gradient layer structure wherein less opened strands are concentrated in the lower layers and more opened strands are concentrated in the upper layers of the structure.
The foregoing references do not adequately address the challenges of thermoset vacuum molding processes, in which there is a long-felt need for a glass fiber reinforcement which is compatible with thermosetting matrix materials and which provides composites having good surface characteristics such as hydrolysis and ultraviolet radiation resistance and physical properties such as stiffness and strength.

Glass monofilament and strand mats, vacuum-molded thermoset composites reinforced with the same and methods for making the same