The present invention relates to an antioxidant compound having anti atherosclerotic effect and preparation thereof. The present invention more particularly relates to the synthesis of TPP+ coupled esculetin (mitochondria-targeted esculetin [Mito-Esc]) followed by the biological evaluation of Mito-Esc for its ability to attenuate Angiotensin-II-induced atherosclerosis in apolipoproteinE knockout (ApoE−/−) mice along with the endothelial cell age-delaying effects of Mito-Esc.

Atherosclerosis is an excessive inflammatory/proliferative response of the vascular wall to various forms of injury. It has been suggested that, during inflammation, reactive oxygen (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS)-induced endothelial cell damage represent an important primary event in the process of atherosclerotic lesion formation. The resulting oxidative and nitrosative stress impairs the critical balance of the availability of endothelium-derived nitric oxide in turn promoting the proinflammatory signaling events, ultimately leading to the plaque formation. Atherosclerosis initiating events may be different under different conditions; however endothelial dysfunction is known to be one of the major initiating events. Macrophages also undergo apoptosis inside the endothelium, leading to their phagocytic clearance.
Increased mitochondrial oxidative damage is a major feature of most age-related human diseases including atherosclerosis and abnormal electron leakage from mitochondria in the respiratory chain in oxidant-stressed cells triggers the formation of ROS in mitochondria leading to altered behavior of the cell/cell death. Previously many studies have linked excess generation of ROS with vascular lesion formation and functional defects. More so, a role for mitochondria-derived ROS in atherogenesis is supported by links between common risk factors for coronary artery disease and increased levels of ROS. Mitochondrial ROS is increased in response to many atherosclerosis inducers including hyperglycemia, triglycerides and ox-LDL. Aortic samples from atherosclerotic patients had greater mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) damage than nonatherosclerotic aortic samples from age-matched transplant donors (Mitochondrial integrity and function in atherogenesis. Circulation. 2002; 106:544-549). Even though endothelial cells have low mitochondria content, mitochondrial dynamics acts as a prime orchestrator of endothelial homeostasis under normal conditions, an impairment of mitochondrial dynamics because of excess ROS production would cause endothelial dysfunction resulting in diverse vascular diseases. Exposure of endothelial cells to free fatty acids, a common feature seen in patients with metabolic syndrome increases mitochondrial ROS (Palmitate induces C-reactive protein expression in human aortic endothelial cells. Relevance to fatty acid-induced endothelial dysfunction. Metabolism. (2011) 60: 640-648).
Therefore keeping in view of the involvement of mitochondrial ROS in causing endothelial dysfunction leading to the accentuation of vascular diseases, it would be ideal to counteract mitochondrial ROS by targeting ROS scavengers specifically to the site of action. The major drawback of antioxidant therapy in the treatment of mitochondrial diseases has been the inability to enhance antioxidant levels in mitochondria. Recently, there was a breakthrough in mitochondrial targeting of antioxidants (Drug delivery to mitochondria: the key to mitochondrial medicine. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. (2000) 41: 235-50). Antioxidants were covalently coupled to a triphenylphosphonium cation (TPP), and these compounds were preferentially taken up by mitochondria (Selective targeting of a redox-active ubiquinone to mitochondria within cells: antioxidant and antiapoptotic properties. J Biol Chem. (2001) 276: 4588-4596). The lipophilic cations easily permeate through the lipid bilayers and subsequently build up several hundred-fold within mitochondria because of a large mitochondrial membrane potential. The uptake of lipophilic cations into the mitochondria increases 10-fold for every 61.5 mV difference in the membrane potential, leading to a 100- to 500-fold accumulation in mitochondria. This strategy not only reduces the concentration of the molecule that is being employed to scavenge ROS, but also reduces the non specific effects of the molecule if it were to be used at high concentrations to elicit a similar effect. Coumarins constitute a group of phenolic compounds widely distributed in natural products (The Pharmacology, Metabolism, Analysis and Applications of Coumarin and Coumarin-Related Compounds. Drug Metab Rev (1990) 22: 503-529), and they have recently attracted much attention because of their wider pharmacological activities. Of these, esculetin (6,7-dihydroxycoumarin) has been shown to be a lipoxygenase inhibitor, and it inhibits the production of leukotrienes and hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid through the lipoxygenase pathway. More recently, esculetin has been reported to inhibit oxidative damage induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide in rat liver (Inhibitory effect of esculetin on oxidative damage induced by t-butyl hydroperoxide in rat liver. Arch Toxicol. (2000) 74:467-72). Esculetin protects against cytotoxicity induced by linoleic acid hydroperoxide in HUVEC cells and the radical scavenging ability of esculetin was confirmed by electron para magnetic resonance spectroscopy (Protection of coumarins against linoleic acid hydroperoxide-induced cytotoxicity. Chemico-Biological Interactions 142 (2003) 239-254). However, as coumarins may have poor bioavailability in vivo and do not significantly accumulate within mitochondria, their effectiveness remains limited and because of this, they may have to be employed in higher concentrations to scavenge mitochondrial ROS. In the present patent application, we have used lipophilic cation (TPP+) to target esculetin (Fig. X) to mitochondria and show that mitochondria-targeted esculetin (Mito-Esc) protects oxidant-induced endothelial cell death via nitric oxide and AMPK-dependent pathways at far below concentrations than reported earlier with native esculetin and further we report that Mito-Esc significantly inhibits aortic aneurysm (AA) and atheromatous plaque formation in Angiotensin-II-induced atherosclerotic process in Apolipoprotein E−/− mice model. The following are the prior art literature related to the present invention (WO1996031206; U.S. Pat. No. 6,331,532; WO2008145116; U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,276; U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,624; WO2011115819).

Antioxidant compound having anti atherosclerotic effect and preparation thereof

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research


A system and method for determining optimal query plans within a distributed processing system. The system includes a query optimizer for receiving a query and generating a query plan for execution by the distributed processing system; a repository including statistics related to prior executed query plans; a plan execution engine for receiving and executing the query plan, collecting statistics corresponding to the query plan, and storing the statistics and optimizer usage metadata corresponding to the query plan and prior executed query plans in the repository. The system further includes a statistics advisory tool for mining the metadata to generate a collection of histogram statistics and storing said histogram statistics in the repository. When generating a query plan, the query optimizer searches the statistics repository for statistics, including histogram statistics, useful to the generation of the current query plan and uses selected statistics from the repository to generate the query plan.

FIG. 1 shows a Hive data warehousing infrastructure 110 built on top of a Hadoop cluster 120. The Hive infrastructure shown includes a Hive Server 111, a MapReduce compiler 113, an optimizer 115, and execution engine 117, and other components. The Hadoop cluster employs a MapReduce model 121 to manage distributed storage 123 and distributed processing of very large data sets.
Using a Hive command line interface (CLI) 105, a Web interface 107, or a Hive JDBC/ODBC client 109, a user 101 submits a Hive query 103 to the HiveServer 111, which is compiled, optimized and planned as a MapReduce job. The resultant MapReduce job is executed on Hadoop cluster 120.
Software frameworks, such as the framework illustrated in FIG. 1, and others built around the MapReduce programming model, have recently introduced high level scripting languages that can provide a simplified abstraction of distributed computing environments along with varying levels of automatic optimization. Prominent examples of such scripting languages include Hive, Pig and SCOPE.
As with traditional relational database systems, these new optimizers are increasingly moving towards cost-based optimization methods whose plan operator selectivity estimations require statistics describing the properties of the input data. Unfortunately, the inherent nature of the raw data in these environments, e.g., Hadoop environment, is not suitable for traditional statistics collection methods. One problem is that the unstructured nature of the data along with the fact that many of the operators involve user defined functions, make it difficult to maintain quality statistics.
In an attempt to overcome this problem, the designers of SCOPE have introduced a technique for gathering statistics during query execution and leveraging them in future executions of the same or similar jobs. See J. Zhou, P. A. Larson, and R. Chaiken. Incorporating partitioning and parallel plans into the SCOPE optimizer. In Proceedings of ICDE Conference, 2010; and N. Bruno, S. Jain, and J. Zhou. Recurring Job Optimization for Massively Distributed Query Processing. In IEEE Data Engineering Bulletin. 36(1): 46-55 (2013); incorporated by reference herein.
Although such statistics are generally better than no statistics at all, they can suffer from the significant problems as compared to traditional database statistics collected by a dedicated collection statement. For example, these problems can include:                1. The reliance on query collected statistics can be inherently, reactive, rather than proactive, approach to statistics refreshing. At least one occurrence of a job (query) can suffer from out of date statistics before correcting the issue for subsequent occurrences.        2. The category of statistics that can reasonably be collected may be limited to simple summary statistics such as row counts and average row size. In MapReduce execution environments, many of the intermediate results passed between plan operators are streamed rather than materialized into spools and associated statistics are captured. via simple increment methods. Such methods are not capable of generating complex statistic structures such as histograms that describe value distribution in detail.        3. The gathered statistics may not be general purpose for use by a variety of other job occurrences. Many query runtime data sets are the result of applying one or more parametric (constant) filters that were input to the job, As a result, the gathered statistics pertain specifically to a given set of parameter values which may not be repeated on subsequent job invocations.        4. Although the statistics collection overhead can be reportedly low, the fact that it is repeated for every job (query) occurrence can be wasteful in those environments where the frequency of query execution relative to the frequency of updates and data loads.
As such, it will be appreciated that query time collected statistics can be supplemented with separate dedicated collections (non-query) in those instances where detailed histograms are required for accurate optimization. In one embodiment, existing query based statistics collection and optimization methods, such as the techniques described in N. Bruno, S. Jain, and J. Zhou. Recurring Job Optimization for Massively Distributed Query Processing. In IEEE Data Engineering Bulletin. 36(1): 46-55 (2013), referenced above, can be extended to support both categories of statistics. Although the description is provided in the context of the SCOPE scripting language and its collection methods, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that it can generally apply to virtually all similar scripting languages, including, for example, Hive and Pig. It will also be appreciated that the resulting "Hybrid" method can effectively leverage the strengths from both methods of statistics collection.

Collecting statistics in unconventional database environments


A portable compute case for eyewear devices may include a wireless transceiver and a computation component that includes at least one processor. The portable compute case may be configured to house an eyewear device; establish, using the wireless transceiver, a communicative connection between the portable compute case and the eyewear device; generate, using the computation component, processed sensor data; and transmit, using the wireless transceiver, the processed sensor data to the eyewear device for display by the eyewear device. Various other systems and methods are also disclosed.

Virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) eyewear devices and headsets may enable users to experience exciting events, such as interacting with people in a computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional world or viewing data superimposed on a real-world view. VR or AR eyewear devices and headsets may also be used for purposes other than recreation—governments may use them for military training simulations, doctors may use them to practice surgery, and engineers may use them as visualization aids.
Unfortunately, VR and AR systems often require significant computing resources to generate such immersive virtual and augmented reality environments. Because of this, conventional "untethered" VR/AR systems (i.e., systems that do not offload VR/AR compute operations to external computing devices) are often bulky, heavy, hot (due to the heat generated by their onboard computing components) and, thus, uncomfortable for end users to wear. Moreover, conventional attempts to reduce the size or weight of such systems also typically reduce the computational capabilities of the system, which may in turn prevent the end user from properly experiencing a true VR or AR environment.

Portable compute case for storing and wirelessly communicating with an eyewear device


An image forming apparatus includes a photoreceptor; a plurality of laser beam generation means for generating a plurality of laser beams, respectively; and an optical system in which the plurality of laser beams pass through and scan simultaneously a plurality of lines on the photoreceptor, and thereby dot images are formed on the photoreceptor. The difference in wavelength among the plurality of laser beams is less than a diameter of one dot of laser beam.

The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a production method thereof, which are applied to an electrophotographic copier, a laser beam printer, or similar equipment in which an image is written by a laser beam.
Recently, an electrophotographic copier, printer, or similar equipment in which an image is written by a laser beam, is much in use, and an image forming apparatus, which can conduct higher speed copying, is required for the market. However, when the speed of the image forming apparatus is made higher, it is difficult to achieve a high speed because an image is written on each line by laser beam scanning. To achieve a higher speed, although it is required to stably rotate a polygonal mirror, which controls the optical scanning speed at a higher rate, it is difficult to achieve the higher speed with the present mechanism of the image forming apparatus.
For this purpose, the following has been proposed: a plurality of laser beams are simultaneously used for scanning to increase the writing speed more than two times.
However, when a plurality of laser beams are used for scanning, a difficult problem occurs in the positioning of a primary scanning direction and a subsidiary scanning direction with respect to each other. Specifically, due to some deviation of one laser beam to the other on an image, irregularity occurs on the peripheral portion of the image, and reproducibility of fine lines, image density, gradation reproducibility, and a degree of resolution become poor, so that a high quality image can not be provided. Although the wavelength of a semiconductor laser beam is monistically determined by semiconductor material in principle, a slight difference of the wavelength occurs due to fluctuations of its composition or its crystal system. For this reason, when an image is written by a plurality of laser beams, this slight fluctuation of the wavelength largely adversely affects the image writing.
That is, when a plurality of laser beams pass through the same optical system for scanning, the beams are required to pass through various types of lenses for appropriate exposure scanning. However, when the wavelength is different from each other, the beam's speed passing through the lenses is different from each other. In this case, when the plurality of laser beams are used for exposure scanning, the arrival time is different from each other. Accordingly, the length of the exposure scanning in the primary scanning direction is different, and the writing position in the direction of the primary scanning is different, resulting in image deviation. Further, also due to the difference of the refractive index of each laser beam due to aberration of an f.theta. lens, the phenomena of deviation in the primary scanning direction is amplified. This deviation of the image results in a deviation of 4 .mu.m on a image per 1 nm of the difference of the wavelength. Accordingly, when a plurality of laser beams having fluctuations in the wavelength are arbitrarily combined with each other, the difference of the wavelength of laser beams is 30 nm at the maximum, and the deviation is 120 .mu.m on the image. Thereby, irregularity occurs on the peripheral portion of the image, and reproducibility of fine lines, image density, gradation reproducibility, and resolution become poor, so that a high quality image can not be provided.
Accordingly, it is preferable to manufacture a laser with small fluctuations in the production of the laser itself. Because the wavelength of oscillation of the semiconductor laser is mainly determined by the width of forbidden band of active material included in a mixed crystal, it may be possible that crystal is formed by strictly controlling the component, in principle. However, it is almost impossible to perform the above-described production in practice.


There is provided a multilayer type inductor, including: an inductor main body; a coil part having conductive circuits and conductive vias formed in the inductor main body; and external electrodes formed on both ends of the inductor main body, wherein in the inductor main body, at least parts around the conductive circuits and the conductive vias are formed of a ferrite material or a non-magnetic material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multilayer type inductor and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In terms of electronic parts using a ceramic material, there may be provided a capacitor, an inductor, a piezoelectric element, a varistor, a thermistor, or the like.
Among these ceramic electronic parts, the inductor is one of the main passive elements constituting an electronic circuit, and serves to remove noise or constitute an LC resonance circuit.
This inductor may be manufactured by winding a coil around a ferrite core or printing a coil, and then forming electrodes at both ends thereof, or by printing internal electrodes on a magnetic material or a dielectric material and laminating them.
Inductors may be classified into several types, such as a multilayer type, a winding type, a thin film type, and the like, according to a structure thereof, the multilayer type being widely employed.
The multilayer type inductor is manufactured to have a laminate form in which a plurality of ceramic sheets, formed of ferrite or low-k dielectric, are laminated.
A coil type metal pattern is formed on each ceramic sheet. Coil type metal patterns formed on respective ceramic sheets are sequentially connected through conductive vias formed in the respective ceramic sheets, and overlap in a laminating direction, to constitute a coil having a helical structure.
Both ends of the coil are drawn out to an external surface of the laminate and connected to external terminals.
The multilayer type inductor may be manufactured as a separate component in a chip type, or may be formed together with other modules while it is embodied in a board.
Generally, the multilayer type inductor has a structure in which a plurality of magnetic layers having metal patterns thereon are laminated. The metal patterns are sequentially connected by via electrodes formed on the respective magnetic layers so that they overlap in a laminating direction, resulting in a coil having a helical structure.
Since this coil of the multilayer type inductor is surrounded by a magnetic material, the magnetic material around the coil is likely to be magnetized when a high current is applied thereto.
In addition, a part around the coil is magnetized, and thus, an inductance (L) value of the inductor is changed, thereby deteriorating capacitance characteristics of the inductor.

Multilayer type inductor and method of manufacturing the same


Disclosed are systems, methods and computer program products for remote administration of a computer network. The system comprises an administration server for remotely managing a computer network. The server deploys administration agents on the computers in the network for performing various administrative tasks. In addition, the server selects a computer with the highest performance rating as a local administration proxy for the network. The server then transmits to the local administration proxy a control signal for performing one or more administrative tasks by administration agents deployed on the computers in the network. The server then establishes, through the local administration proxy, a connection with the administration agents for performing administrative tasks of the computers.

Personal computers (PCs) have become essential part of any business enterprise. It is impossible to imagine a modern office, regardless of its size, without a PC for every employee. The corporate PCs are typically connected in a computer network, which enables secure communication and file exchange between PC users. However, administration of a large corporate network, having hundreds and often thousands of disparate PCs and other networked devices, such as printer, scanners, facsimile machines, mobile communication devices used by employees, is a complicated task. The failures in network management may result in network security breaches, computer malfunctions, and other problems that can negatively affect productivity of the employees and cost thousands of dollars in lost profits and repair costs.
Therefore, the development of problem-solving approaches, similar to the application of remotely installed or cloud-based software, has been recently developed. Such approach, for example, is the "software as a service" (SaaS) approach. Saas is a software sale business model where the supplier develops a web application and administers it independently, providing the customer online access to the software. Thus, all interaction is realized online between the service supplier's server, where the software is installed, and the corporate networked PC. In this and other situation of remote administration of network computers, certain difficulties may occur, since not every networked PC can be connected to the Internet or such PC's may be located in a closed network not accessible to the service supplier's server. Accordingly, there is a need to improve techniques for remote administration of a computer network.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for remote administration of computer network


An injection syringe for the injection of materials into domestic animals is provided. The syringe includes a tubular body having a guide member positioned within the body that is adapted to engage and properly position fluid containing straws of varying diameters with respect to the syringe. A plunger can be inserted through the body and through the guide member to expel the material from within the straw out of the body. The tubular body and the straws that can be used with the tube can be positioned within a conventional, removable hygienic sheath, that allows the syringe to be used for numerous fluid transfers.

In order to artificially impregnate domestic animals, a number of devices have been designed. The most well recognized and utilized device that has been developed is an artificial insemination syringe or gun. While the words syringe and gun are often used interchangeably in the industry and within this application, the word syringe is believed to be technically broader in scope.
A number of different configurations for guns or syringes of this type have been developed, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,173,227, 4,261,361, 4,846,785 and 4,865,589, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. The syringe comprises a tubular body adapted to receive a container holding the biological material to be injected into the animal. The body and container can be inserted into the animal and the material is expelled from the container by a push-rod or plunger slidably insertable into the body and the container. To enable the syringe to be used repeatedly without becoming contaminated by a particular animal, a flexible sheath can be removably positioned around the body to prevent contact of the internal fluids of the animal with the body of the gun, allowing the syringe to be reused a number of times. After each use, the sheath can be removed from around the body of the syringe and discarded, allowing a new, sterile sheath to be placed around the syringe.
When injecting material from this type of syringe in order to, for example, artificially inseminate a domestic animal, the material is normally contained within a plastic straw, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,478,261 and 5,190,880 which are incorporated by reference herein. The straw is generally a plastic tubular structure that is sealed at one end by a pair of plugs and sealed at the other end with ultrasound. These seals retain the material within the straw. To use the straw, the ultrasound sealed end is first severed from the remainder of the straw. The end of the straw containing the plug pair is then inserted into and engaged by the body of the syringe. The straw is held in this position by the sheath placed around the body. When properly positioned, the plunger is inserted into the body and into the straw such that the plug is contacted and urged along the length of straw by the plunger to expel the material from within the straw out the opposite end.
The straws come mainly in two sizes, a smaller diameter straw having a volume of approximately one quarter cubic centimeter (¼ cc), and a larger diameter straw having a volume of approximately one half cubic centimeter (½ cc). Thus, in order to effectively discharge the material from within a particular diameter straw, the gun or syringe must be compatible with the diameter of the straw in which the material is contained. Thus, due to the different sizes of the straws available, on many occasions it is necessary for an individual conducting such procedures to change the type of syringe being used in order to accommodate the size of the straw containing the biological material to be injected. This is undesirable as it is inconvenient to constantly switch between syringes when utilizing straws of different sizes. Furthermore, based on the small differences in the sizes of the different types of straws and between the configuration of the various syringes, it may often be the case that an individual inadvertently uses a syringe with a straw that is not compatible with the syringe, thereby wasting the valuable biological material contained within the straw.
Therefore, to overcome this deficiency, an injecting syringe was developed that was capable of accommodating straws of multiple sizes. This syringe is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,227 and includes a tubular body defining an internal, axial cavity separated into two halves having a different diameters by a tubular insert positioned within the body. Each half is capable of receiving and retaining a straw having a specific diameter, such that the injecting syringe can utilize the straws having each of these diameters.
However, to change the configuration of this syringe to accommodate a straw having one of the two compatible diameters, the syringe must be partially disassembled in order to reverse the configuration of the body, thereby switching the ejection or outlet end of the body from one end to the other. By having to disassemble and reverse the configuration of the syringe, it is often the case that leaks occur between the reassembled elements of the syringe, such that some or all of the biological material that was to be injected is lost before it can be used. Moreover, having to repeatedly turn the syringe around is a nuisance when in a hurry.
Therefore, it is desirable to develop an injecting syringe that is capable of accommodating straws having different diameters that does not require disassembling and/or altering the syringe to prevent the material from leaking out of the syringe.


A sample rate converter 210, 209 includes a filter 210 for processing digital data in response to a clock controlled by a clock enable signal, the filter 210 receiving the digital data at a first sampling rate and outputting digital data at a second sampling rate. Resampler circuitry 209 generates first selected periods of the clock enable signal having a first duty cycle approximating a ratio between the first sampling rate and the second sampling rate. Selectively, selected periods of the clock enable signal are generated having a second duty cycle for minimizing an error accumulated over the first selected periods of the clock enable signal.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates in general to mixed analog and digital signal processing and in particular, to synchronous sample rate conversion circuits and methods.
2. Background of Invention
In many applications, converting data from its native analog form into the digital domain for processing, storage and transmission provides the best overall system performance. One well known example is audio processing where analog audio is digitized through analog to digital (A/D) conversion and then processed, for example filtered or compressed, and then stored on a digital storage medium such as a compact disk (CD) or digital video disk (DVD). On playback, the digital data is decompressed, as required, reconverted to analog through digital to analog (D/A) conversion, and finally presented to the end user as audible tones.
According to the Nyquist Theorem, so long as the analog waveform is sampled during A/D conversion at a sampling frequency at least twice as high as the highest frequency component, that waveform can be successively reconstructed during subsequent D/A conversion. In actual practice, oversampling A/D and D/A converters are typically used because of their relative ease in implementation. For example, in an 8xc3x97 oversampling converter operating on data with a base sampling rate of 44.1 kHz, the data are sampled at a rate of 352.8 kHz. At the higher sampling rate, operations such as anti-aliasing filtering are easier since a substantial amount of the noise power is translated to frequency bands well above the band of the signal of interest.
Sample rate conversion is an additional problem which must be addressed when processing digitized analog data. For example, professional digital audio is typically recorded with a sampling rate of 48 kHz while typical playback devices operate with a base sampling rate of 44.1 kHz. Sample rate conversion, and specifically down-conversion, is therefore required to ensure that the recorded audio properly plays back. There are several existing sample rate conversion techniques, including decimation for lowering the sampling rate and interpolation for increasing the sampling rate. Notwithstanding, these techniques are still subject to some significant disadvantages including the need for substantial silicon area for fabricating the requisite interpolation/ decimation filters, as well as limitations on the ability to convert to fractional sampling rates.
The present principles are embodied in circuits and methods for providing accurate, synchronous sample rate conversion. According to one particular embodiment, a sample rate converter is disclosed which includes a filter for processing digital data in response to a clock controlled by a clock enable signal, the filter receiving the digital data at a first sampling rate and outputting digital data at a second sampling rate. A resampler generates first selected periods of the clock enable signal having a first duty cycle approximating a ratio between the first sampling rate and the second sampling rate and, selectively, second selected periods of the clock enable signal having a second duty cycle for minimizing an error accumulated over the first selected periods of the clock enable signal.
Synchronous sample rate conversion circuits and methods embodying the inventive principles require substantially fewer filter stages and consequently can be implemented on substantially less silicon area. Moreover, such circuits and methods can be used in a wide range of synchronous applications including up-conversion (interpolation) and down-conversion (decimation). By appropriate selection of the operating parameters, fractional sample rate conversions can be accomplished.

Variable duty cycle resampling circuits and methods and sample rate converters using the same


A system (400) for reducing non-acoustic noise includes a primary sensor (420), at least one secondary sensor (410), a filter (415), and a summation unit (425). The primary sensor (420) measures pressure and produces a primary pressure signal. The at least one secondary sensor (410) measures pressure and produce a secondary pressure signal. The filter (415) processes the secondary pressure signal to produce a filtered pressure signal. The summation unit (425) subtracts the filtered pressure signal from the primary pressure signal to reduce non-acoustic noise in the primary pressure signal.

A number of conventional systems detect, classify, and track air and ground bodies or targets. The sensing elements that permit these systems to perform these functions typically include arrays of microphones whose outputs are processed to reject coherent interfering acoustic noise sources (such as nearby machinery). Other sources of system noise include general acoustic background noise (e.g., leaf rustling) and wind noise. Both of these sources are uncorrelated between microphones. They can, however, be of sufficient magnitude to significantly impact system performance.
While uncorrelated noise is addressed by spatial array processing, there are limits to signal-to-noise improvements that can be achieved, usually on the order of 10*log N, where N is the number of microphones. Since ambient acoustic noise is scenario dependent, it can only be minimized by finding the quietest array location. At low wind speeds, system performance will be limited by ambient acoustic noise. However, at some wind speed, wind noise will become the dominant noise source—for typical scenarios at approximately 5 mph at low frequencies. The primary source of wind noise is the fluctuating, non-acoustic pressure due to the turbulent boundary layer induced by the presence of the sensor in the wind flow field. The impact of an increase in wind noise is a reduction in all aspects of system performance: detection range, probability of correct classification, and bearing estimation. For example, detection range can be reduced by a factor of two for each 3–6 dB increase in wind noise (depending on acoustic propagation conditions).
Therefore, there exists a need for systems and methods that can cancel wind noise so as to improve the performance of acoustic detection systems such as, for example, acoustic detection systems employed in vehicle mounted systems for which the effective wind speed includes the relative velocity of the vehicle when the vehicle is in motion.

Systems and methods for adaptive noise cancellation


The first crystal structure of the androgen receptor ligand binding domain has been determined to 2.0 angstrom resolution. Disclosed are the coordinates for the crystal structure, and methods for determining agonists, partial agonists, antagonists, partial antagonists and selective androgen receptors modulators (SARMs) of the androgen receptor.

The androgen receptor (AR) is a member of the steroid nuclear-receptor superfamily of ligand-dependent transcription factors. The binding of androgen to AR initiates the gene activation required for male sex development.
AR is an important target primarily in two drug discovery areas. In oncology drug discovery, inhibitors (antagonists or partial antagonists) of androgen receptor function are useful for treatment of anti-androgen refractory prostate cancer. In metabolic diseases drug discovery, agonists or partial agonists to the androgen receptor in muscle are useful to treat age-related diseases.
As with the other members of the steroid receptor family, AR has several functional domains including a DNA binding domain (DBD), and a 261 residue ligand-binding domain (LBD) (Mw=30,245 Da) which contains the androgen binding site, and is responsible for switching on the androgen function.
Development of synthetic ligands that specifically bind to androgen receptors has been largely guided by trial and error method of drug design despite the importance of the androgen receptor in physiological processes and medical conditions such as prostate cancer and modulation of reproductive organ modulation. Previously, new ligands specific for androgen receptors were discovered in the absence of information on the three dimensional structure of the androgen receptor with a bound ligand. Before the present invention, researchers were essentially discovering androgen receptor ligands by probing in the dark and without the ability to visualize how the amino acids of the androgen receptor held a ligand in its grasp.
Consequently, it would be advantageous to devise methods and compositions for reducing the time required to discover ligands to the androgen receptor, synthesize such compounds and administer such compounds to organisms to modulate physiological processes regulated by the androgen receptor.
The cDNA and amino acid sequences of human and rat androgen receptors have been described (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 1988 85: 7211–7215). However, there have been no crystals reported of any androgen receptor. Thus, x-ray crystallographic analysis of such proteins has not been possible.
We have discovered the first crystal structure of the androgen receptor ligand binding domain (AR-LBD). Our understanding of the androgen receptor structure has allowed for the determination of the ligand binding site for selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs).

Crystallographic structure of the androgen receptor ligand binding domain


An inner-focus type zoom lens system used for a camera module having an image sensor and using an LC lens is provided. The inner-focus type zoom lens system includes an objective lens group, a condensing lens group, at least one moving lens group, and an LC lens. The objective lens group is located most closely to an object side and fixed, and the condensing lens group is located most closely to an image side and fixed. The moving lens group is located between the objective lens group and the condensing lens group and moved for zooming. The LC lens includes an inner space filled with an LC material whose refractive index and abbe number change according to an applied voltage. The LC lens compensates for an image plane using the changes of the refractive index and the abbe number of the LC material when the zooming is performed by the moving of the moving lens.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a zoom lens system, and more particularly, to an inner-focus type zoom lens system for use in an image-pickup camera module having an image sensor therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a focusing system of a zoom lens, a front-focus type system for moving a first lens group closest to an object side is generally used. Since a movement amount of the first lens group required for focusing an object located at the same distance does not depend on a focal length of a lens in the front-focus type system, the front-focus type system is widely used.
However, since the front-focus type system moves the first lens group, which is relatively big and heavy, to perform focusing, the front-focus type system has a disadvantage that a focusing speed is slow and much driving power is required. Further, since a plurality of lenses are used so as to obtain excellent optical characteristics such as high resolution, a camera module has a large size and difficult to mount on a portable apparatus.
For another focusing system of a zoom lens, there is a rear-focus type system moving a lens located at an image-surface side. The rear-focus type system has a problem that a movement amount of a focusing lens required for focusing an object located at the same distance is varied depending on a zooming position (i.e., the focal length of the lens) and that a focus is lost when zooming is performed after focusing is once performed for a close distant object.
For another focusing system of a zoom lens, there is an inner-focus type system moving a lens located between an objective lens and a condensing lens.
The above focus type systems move one or more lens groups so as to perform zooming and move another lens group so as to correct an image plane formed by the moving of the lens group, so that a lens moving apparatus is complicated and is difficult to manufacture in a small size.
Therefore, a zoom lens system capable of achieving a sufficient zooming performance and high resolution by moving only one lens group, is highly required.


A linerless double-backed adhesive tape structure is disclosed. In one embodiment the tape has three tape strips each with an adhesive coated surface and an adhesive free surface. Two of the strips are joined to a center strip along its lateral edges with the adhesive coated surfaces of the two strips overlapping and adhered to the adhesive coated surface of the center strip. Also disclosed is a method of unitizing and sealing a plurality of containers. In one embodiment a double-backed adhesive tape structure is adhered to each of the containers and the containers are stacked together with the exposed adhesive side of the tape on each container adhered to the exposed adhesive side of the tape on an adjacent container. Finally, an apparatus for dispensing the double-backed adhesive tape of the present invention is disclosed.

The present invention relates broadly to a double-backed adhesive tape structure and to a method of unitizing containers with the tape structure. The present invention also relates to an apparatus for dispensing the tape structure. Double-backed adhesive tape is well-known in the prior art. Typically, the tape is coated on both sides with a pressure sensitive adhesive. Because there is a strong adhesive bond that would be formed between the front and back layers of adhesive it is necessary in the prior art to use a release liner as an intermediate layer allowing the tape to be wound upon a roll or formed into a pad. The use of release liner increases the cost of the tape system. Through careful selection of the adhesives, it may be possible to produce linerless double-backed tape. However, this is generally unsatisfactory because it imposes significant limitations on the tapes that can be developed.
Unitizing containers refers to stacking containers for storage and/or transportation. Containers, such as cardboard boxes, are stacked together on a pallet. In the prior art plastic shrink wrap or stretch wrap is used around the entire stacked configuration to secure the containers on the pallet. The plastic wrap must ultimately be disposed of in some manner. There are environmental concerns raised by the use of such materials. In addition the plastic wrap adds costs associated with the products. One added cost item is that an extra step in the packaging is required since the shrink or stretch wrap operation is usually separate from the box sealing operation.
The present invention solves these problems in the prior art by employing single coated tape to form a double-backed adhesive tape structure. Through the selection of the component tapes, the structure of the present invention has wide applications and versatility. The invention does not require the use of a release liner and can be formed into pads or rolls or can be applied directly to containers. The use of the tape structure to unitize containers eliminates the need for undesirable and ecologically unsatisfactory plastic shrink wrap. The tape structure functions to both seal the containers as well as secure the containers together in a stacked configuration.

Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company


A game executing method for making a computer device execute a given game by generating an image of a game space, and for analyzing and outputting a power distribution of a character group in the game space, the character group including a plurality of characters movable in the game space. The method includes setting a plurality of sample points in the game space; calculating a position of each character at a time that each character has maintained a current moving condition for a predetermined time period; calculating an arrival time needed for each character to arrive at each set sample point from the calculated position as a starting point; calculating the power distribution of the character group based on the calculated arrival time of each character to each sample point; and outputting a geographical power state of the game space based on the calculated power distribution according to a predetermined output method.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game executing method, an information recording medium, a game device, a data signal and a program for making a computer device execute a given game by generating an image of a game space and for analyzing and outputting a power distribution in the game space of a character group comprising a plurality of characters movable in the game space.
2. Description of Related Art
A soccer game is known as one genre of video games. A game playing person can enjoy a soccer game under virtual reality while one team is set as an game playing person's team operated by the game playing person and the other team is set as a COM team automatically operated by a computer.
For example, there is known such a soccer game that a shout of a player can be output with voice to achieve more realistic sensations like an actual game and to enable the player to have good cooperation with another player (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication (Unexamined) No. Tokukai 2002-325964).
Specifically, when a teammate of a player character operated by a game playing person keeps a ball, position information of all the fellow players and rival players at that time is obtained, and the distance and direction between the player character and each of the other players are detected on the basis of the position information. Players existing within a predetermined area from the player character are identified, and it is judged whether the identified player is a teammate or not. If the identified player is a teammate, voice of shouts is output with the contents and voice levels corresponding to the direction to the player. If he/she is not a teammate, an effect sound is output instead of a shout voice.
"Space" is considered as an element for strategy in a real soccer. "Space" means an "vacant space" in which neither a teammate nor a rival player exists in a pitch which is equivalent to a soccer court, and it is an available area into which an attacking-side team player passes a ball or runs and which is thinly marked by the other team.
In a real soccer, it is strategically important how to find out and effectively use such a space while a ball is passed around. For example, the following tactical pattern is known as one of tactical patterns for attacking from the midfield. That is, when a space exists at a rival team goal side, a player kicks the ball into the space and at the same time another player runs to the space to receive the ball. Furthermore, the player passes the ball to another player that is running to the center of the front side of the goal, and the running player receives the ball and shoots the ball.
The conventional soccer game is based on passing from a player to another player or shooting to a goal as a principle, and it is impossible to kick the ball to any area corresponding to a space. Furthermore, game playing persons are not provided any information concerning space. Therefore, the strategies in the real soccer as described above cannot be implemented to be enjoyed in a game.
If a game playing person knows a geographical distribution state of power in a game space, it would be expected that the game playing person can simply recognizes a player running to a space to enjoy the strategies as described above by carrying out an input operation so that the ball is passed to the player running to this space.

Soccer game method for use in game apparatus, involves recognizing areas pertaining to power of character group, based on calculated arrival times of characters up to sample points


In accordance with one embodiment, a system for storing commodities is provided. The system may include a tarpaulin. The tarpaulin may further have an internal strapping. In accordance with one embodiment, a method for storing commodities is provided. The method may include providing a tarpaulin. In one embodiment, the method for storing commodities may include configuring the tarpaulin to provide internal strapping.

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to storage covers, and more particularly to tarp covers.
Various types of protective covers have been developed for covering piles or mounds of particulate material, such as salt, sand, grain and the like, from the effects of the weather while the material is in outside storage.
While prior art covers are capable of protecting a pile or mound of materials covered thereby, they possess a number of shortcomings. For example, in order to counteract the effects of aerodynamic lift exerted on such cover by the wind, a large number of ballast weights, such as automobile tires, were attached to the cover at fixed attachment points so that the ballast weights rested on the cover between the top or apex and the lower margin of the pile. However, if the pile had an atypical size or shape, the height of the pile diminished, or as particulate matter was removed from the pile, the fixed attachment points ended up so close to the ground that the ballast weights rested on the ground which reduced or eliminated the effectiveness of the weights in maintaining the cover on the pile.
The wind may also enter beneath the cover through a removal opening or otherwise get beneath the cover and exert tensile forces on the cover. In addition, the canvas material would develop rips if the stress became too great. However, once a canvas panel formed a rip, the rip had a tendency to propagate and extend the entire length of the panel, resulting in a substantial cost to repair the rip. Such ripping may also occur in vinyl or polyethylene panels of a cover under certain stress conditions.
Bulk storage pile covers have been in use for a long time. However there are some problems holding the covers down. The covers attach around the perimeter and in some cases also attach in the center. The cover is then held down by vacuum fans. Relying on vacuum fans to hold down the covers leaves them vulnerable to power outages. Any interruption in electrical service leaves the cover subject to damage, although some users have backup generators and others have tried external strapping systems. When used, external strapping systems are installed after the piles are full. However, new worker safety regulations on the use of fall protection, limits the use of external strapping systems.
Thus, there is a need for a cover for a pile of particulate material which protects the pile from the elements and resists the effects of wind and rain on the cover. A related need is for a cover which allows for the attachment of ballast weights at desired locations on the cover and also allows for each ballast attachment point to be shifted, compensating for changes in the shape and height of the pile.
There is a further need for a cover for a pile of particulate material which prevents rips which may form in the panels compromising the cover from propagating for more than a desired short length that is easy to repair.


A duct and a method for damping pressure waves caused by thermoacoustic instability, the duct comprising: a locking Helmholtz resonator positioned on the circumference of the duct, the locking Helmholtz resonator tuned to a first frequency; and one or more damping Helmholtz resonators positioned on the circumference of the duct at or adjacent to 90 and/or 270 degrees from the locking Helmholtz resonator, wherein the damping Helmholtz resonators are tuned to a second frequency which is different from the first frequency of the locking Helmholtz resonator.

Environmental factors are a key driver in the progression of the aerospace industry. Such factors have resulted in the continual development of gas turbine engines to produce higher power and lower emissions.
Lean-burn combustors, which have low NOx emissions, have been developed for gas turbine engines. These lean-burn combustors operate by increasing the flow of air into the combustor such that the fuel to air ratio is below the level at which NOx is formed. Furthermore, the fuel is burnt at a lower temperature, again reducing the formation of NOx. However, these conditions are also conducive to the occurrence of thermoacoustic instabilities within the combustor. Such instabilities create pressure waves which cause vibration in the gas turbine engine producing undesirable noise and further may result in mechanical failures.
To reduce thermoacoustic instabilities it is known to use Helmholtz resonators. A Helmholtz resonator is a hollow container, typically a sphere, with a neck having an open hole. When air is forced into the container, the pressure inside increases. When the external force pushing the air into the container is removed, the higher-pressure air inside will flow out of the container. However, the inertia of the body of air in the neck causes the pressure in the container to be reduced below the ambient pressure, thus causing the body of air to be drawn back into the container. The body of air oscillates into and out of the container with decreasing amplitude. The amplitude of the oscillation is greatest at the resonant frequency of the Helmholtz resonator.
In our published European patent application EP1669670A1 various Helmholtz resonators have been placed around the circumference of the combustor as for example shown for the inner annulus in FIG. 1. The annular combustion chamber 10 composes an inner annulus 2 and an outer annulus 4. The inner annulus 2 comprises seven Helmholtz resonators 6 spaced around the circumference of the inner annulus 2. A similar distribution of Helmholtz resonators 6 connected to the combustion chamber could be placed within the outer annulus 4.
The thermoacoustic instability in annular combustion chambers creates a pressure wave which spins circumferentially through the combustion chamber. A Helmholtz resonator tuned to the frequency of the wave creates an acoustic node (zero pressure fluctuation) at the circumferential position of the Helmholtz resonator. Consequently, the spinning mode shape is locked in position and a standing wave is present with known positions of anti-nodes (points where the pressure fluctuation is at its maximum).
Thermoacoustic instabilities may arise at different stages in the gas turbine engine operating, range. As the conditions in the combustion chamber (for example temperature) vary during the engine operating range, the frequency of the pressure wave also varies. To account for this, several, groups of the Helmholtz resonators 6 are tuned to different frequencies. This can lead to a large number of Helmholtz resonators at various frequencies around the combustion chamber.
The maximum absorption of a resonator is obtained when it is located at a pressure anti-node. Conversely, no damping is provided at pressure nodes. The Helmholtz resonators 6 are therefore arranged so that additional resonators of the same frequency tuning are included at 90 degree and 270 degree spacing from the Helmholtz resonator 6 which defines the node of the pressure wave. This ensures that all Helmholtz resonators apart from one are located in the vicinity of the anti-nodes to maximise damping efficiency.
However, by distributing additional Helmholtz resonators tuned to the same frequency around the circumference of the combustion chamber it is not known a priori which Helmholtz resonator generates the pressure node by locking the spinning wave, since the position of the node could be at any of the Helmholtz resonator positions. This can lead to a compromise in positioning the Helmholtz resonators and hence a reduction in damping. Furthermore, by using a large quantity of Helmholtz resonators the position of each of the Helmholtz resonators is compromised since not all Helmholtz resonators are located in the direct vicinity of the pressure anti-node. This reduces the amount of acoustic damping provided by the Helmholtz resonators. In addition, the large number of Helmholtz resonators adds weight to the combustion chamber. Moreover, space constraints may not allow the installation of large quantities of Helmholtz resonators on the combustion chamber due to their blockage of the external air flow.
The present invention provides a duct with a Helmholtz resonator configuration which overcomes sonic or all of the above identified problems.

Duct and method for damping pressure waves caused by thermoacoustic instability


A semiconductor integrated circuit device including: a large scale cell array; a through wiring passing through a first region within which the large scale cell array is formed; an input buffer connected to one end of the through wiring at the boundary between the first region and a second region within which the large scale cell array is not formed, the input buffer converting the level of a signal inputted from the second region to a smaller level and transmitting the signal of the smaller level to the first region; and an output buffer circuit connected to the other end of the through wiring at the boundary, the output buffer converting the level of the signal transmitted from the first region to a larger level and transmitting the signal of large level to the second region.

The present invention relates to semiconductor integrated circuit devices.
Cells in a semiconductor integrated circuit device include general logic cells and large scale cells. General logic cells are disposed in separate regions of a macro cell region and a wiring region. In the macro cell region, logic elements constructed of a plurality of transistors or the like are formed. Large scale cells, typically memory cells, are disposed on the basis of optimized design for the purpose of improving the operation speed, integration, and the like, so that there is no separation between the macro cell region and the wiring region.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram briefly showing the structure of a conventional semiconductor integrated circuit device. In this example, a large scale cell array 22 and general logic cell arrays 23a and 23b are disposed as shown, the large scale cell array 22 and the general logic cell arrays 23a and 23b being interconnected by signal lines 31 and 32. The general logic cell arrays 23a and 23b are interconnected by wiring 35. The large scale cell array 22 has macro cells and wirings contributing only to the operation function of the array 22, and there is no through wiring 34 not directly contributing to the operation function.
The reason for this is as follows. The large scale cell array, for example, a memory cell array, includes cells of small size and capacity. The amplitude between logical signal levels "0" and "1" is set small at sense amplifiers, word lines and bit lines in order to realize high speed operation. Therefore, if a through wiring 34 not directly contributing to the operation function of the large scale cell array 22 passes through this array, there is ample possibility of a malfunction caused by crosstalk noises from a large amplitude signals on the through wiring 34. For this reason, the through wiring 34 is disposed so as not to pass through this array 22.
However, since the through wiring 34 is not allowed to pass through the large scale cell array 22, the general logic cell arrays 23a and 23b are required to be interconnected by a wiring 33 which by-passes the large scale cell array 22, hindering high integration. Such poor integration poses a serious problem under the present technical progress of wiring techniques for three-layers or more, and even four-layers.

Semiconductor integrated circuit device with crosstalk prevention


Conversion coatings comprising a rare earth element and a valence stabilizer combined to form a rare earth/valence stabilizer complex are described for substrate metals. The rare earth element is selected from cerium, praseodymium, terbium, or combinations thereof, and at least one rare earth element is in the tetravalent oxidation state. The coating bath may also contain a preparative or solubility control agent. The oxidized cerium, praseodymium or terbium is present in the coating in a “sparingly soluble” form. The valence stabilizers can be either inorganic or organic in nature. A number of cerium, praseodymium, or terbium/valence stabilizer combinations are presented that can equal the performance of conventional hexavalent chromium systems.

This invention relates generally to compositions and methods for the formation of protective, corrosion-inhibiting coatings on metals, or other materials coated with metals, without the use of chromium in the hexavalent oxidation state. More particularly, this invention relates to non-toxic, corrosion-inhibiting conversion coatings based on tetravalent cerium, praseodymium, or terbium and methods of making and using the same.
Metals like aluminum, zinc, magnesium, titanium, cadmium, silver, copper, tin, lead, iron, rare earths, zirconium, beryllium, niobium, tantalum, lithium, or indium, their alloys, or items coated with these metals, tend to corrode rapidly in the presence of water due to their low oxidation-reduction (redox) potentials or ease of oxide formation. Non-alloyed specimens of these metals typically form a natural oxide film that will protect them somewhat and reduce their overall rate of corrosion. However, alloys of these metals are particularly sensitive to corrosive attack. These materials also have a significant problem with paint adhesion. The as-formed metal surfaces are typically very smooth, and they tend to form weakly bound surface oxides. The native oxides do not normally provide a robust base on which subsequent paints can anchor themselves. These metal alloys have many uses ranging from architectural adornments, to protective coatings on ferrous alloys, to structural aerospace components, inter alia.
The 2000 and 7000 series of aluminum alloys are used throughout military and civilian aircraft because of their high strength to weight ratio. However, these aluminum alloys are very sensitive to corrosive attack because their natural oxide layer offers only a limited degree of protection. Materials with greater redox potentials, such as steels or carbon fibers, in proximity to aluminum alloys will promote corrosive attack in water by the formation of a galvanic corrosion couple with the less-noble light metal alloy.
Inhibiting the initiation, growth, and extent of corrosion is a significant part of component and systems design for the successful long-term use of metal objects. Uniform physical performance and safety margins of a part, a component, or an entire system can be compromised by corrosion.
One method of enhancing the corrosion resistance of these alloys includes the use of a conversion coating. A conversion coating is a self-healing, corrosion-inhibiting layer formed during intentional exposure to a chemically reactive solution. The conversion coating process forms an adherent surface containing an integral corrosion inhibitor with "throwing power" that can provide protection to coating breaches. The metal is exposed to a compound that chemically alters the surface and forms a coating that provides a high degree of corrosion resistance. A chemical conversion coating applied to the surface of a less-noble alloy can reduce the extent and severity of aqueous corrosion, provide long-term property stability, and extend the useful life of the object of manufacture.
Conversion coatings incorporate a portion of the base metal and form a mechanical, chemical, and electrostatic barrier to corrosive attack. A feature of effective conversion coatings is their ability to provide corrosion protection to the base metal in the presence of a coating breach.
Anodization of a metal surface followed by "sealing" or "rinsing" of the anodized metal does not constitute the formation of a conversion coating in our usage. Anodization, the formation of a porous oxide film on the metal, is achieved by the application of an electrical potential to the metal. This oxide film must then be "sealed", "washed", or "rinsed" in order to impart complete corrosion protection. Typically, the corrosion protection afforded by an anodized piece is due to the barrier oxide film. Conversion coatings, however, grow an oxide coating on the metal without an externally applied electrical potential. The protective film is produced by a chemical redox reaction between the metal surface and the conversion coating solution. The film is composed both of an oxide and integral corrosion inhibitor species formed during exposure to the conversion coating solution. A true conversion coating therefore affords corrosion protection from an oxide barrier film that has co-deposited oxidative corrosion inhibitor species.
A conversion-coated surface may be left bare or afforded further protection by the application of additional films or coatings. Conversion coatings need to adhere to the substrate and should result in a surface that will promote the formation of a strong bond with subsequently applied coatings. Bonding with subsequently applied coatings is a function of the morphology and chemical composition of the conversion coating. Adhesion promoting surface treatments may exhibit corrosion-inhibiting characteristics. Depending on the intended application, a conversion coating, as described herein, may be considered to be an "adhesion promoter" and vice versa.
Conversion coatings are usually formed by the application of a conversion coating solution to a metal surface. The solution can be applied by immersion, spray, fogging, wiping, or other means.
Hexavalent chromium has traditionally been used in the formation of protective conversion coatings for aluminum, zinc, magnesium, titanium, cadmium, silver, copper, tin, lead, iron, rare earths, zirconium, beryllium, indium, and their alloys. Compounds such as Alodine® (available from Henkel Surface Technologies, Madison Heights, Mich.) and Alumigold™ (available from Turco Products, Inc., Madison Heights, Mich.) contain hexavalent chromium as their main corrosion-inhibiting compound.
Two generic types of hexavalent chromium coatings have been widely used. The newer "gold" coatings are named for the faint gold tint that is exhibited when these coatings form on the surface of aluminum alloys. The compositions and application procedures of these "gold" hexavalent chromium conversion coating formulations are described in United States military process specifications, as well as other federal guidelines. Therefore, guidelines for the application of these solutions to aluminum (MIL C-5541; MIL C-81706; MIL STD-171; ASTM B-449), zinc (ASTM B-633; ASTM B-201; MIL C-17711; QQ Z-325a), magnesium (MIL M-3171), cadmium (ASTM A-165; ASTM B-201; QQ P-416b), silver (ASTM B-700; QQ S-365a), copper (ASTM B-281), and tin (ASTM A-599; QQ-T-425a) are available. The common components to these "gold" conversion coating baths are hexavalent chromium, complex fluorides, and ferricyanide. Older "green" conversion coatings containing hexavalent chromium have also been described, and the color formed on aluminum alloys through the application of these conversion coatings is a light green color. The "green" formulations all contain hexavalent chromium, a fluoride, and an acidic phosphate component. The major compositional difference between the two is that the current "gold" formulation contains ferricyanide and the older "green" formulations contain phosphate.
Corrosion-resistant compositions have also been described which contain hexavalent chromium, fluoride, and molybdic acid or molybdates, rather than ferricyanide or phosphate. Tungstates and vanadates have also been used in combination with hexavalent chromium and fluoride. Hexavalent chromium formulations which do not contain a fluoride source, and which contain borate ions instead of ferricyanide or phosphate or molybdate have also been described. Hexavalent chromium has also been used in combination with stannates, oxalates, and tellurates. Finally, corrosion protection of aluminum, magnesium, or zinc alloys has been achieved through the use of hexavalent chromium, fluoride, and rare earth compounds.
The variation in the type and amount of additional components such as ferricyanide, phosphate, molybdate, and borate, etc., in conversion coat formulations based on hexavalent chromium is significant in light of the chemistry developed and presented in the present invention. It is important to note that hexavalent chromium conversion coatings which have nearly identical formulations, except for one or more of the non-chromium components, result in obvious differences on the applied metal surface for a given alloy (such as "gold" and "green" coatings). It is also important to note that differences in the composition of aluminum alloys will influence the chemistry of the conversion coating formed when only one hexavalent chromium conversion coat composition is used.
Significant efforts have been made to replace chromium with other metals for corrosion-inhibiting applications due to toxicity, environmental, and regulatory concerns. Cerium is one non-toxic, non-regulated metal which has been considered as a chromium replacement. Cerium (like chromium) exhibits more than one oxidation state (Ce+3 and Ce+4). In addition, the oxidation-reduction potential of the Ce+4—Ce+3 couple is comparable to the Cr+6—Cr+3 couple. For example, in acid solution:Ce+4+e−→Ce+3+1.72 VCr+6+3e−→Cr+3+1.36 V
Praseodymium and terbium also exhibit more than one oxidation state (Pr+3 and Pr+4, Tb+3 and Tb+4). Tetravalent praseodymium and terbium are even stronger oxidizing agents than cerium (with calculated redox potentials of +3.3 V in acidic solution (Nugent, L. J., et al., J Inorg. Nucl. Chem. 33: 2503-30, 1971):Pr+4+e−→Pr+3+3.2 VTb+4+e−→Tb+3+3.2 VCr+6+3e−→Cr+3+1.36 VA number of processes have been reported in the literature that make use of cerium in conversation coating bath solutions, as well as general corrosion protection or coloring of the alloys. However, the coatings formed by these processes provide only limited protection and do not approach the benefit derived from the use of hexavalent chromium.
The use of film-forming substances, such as polymers, silicates, sol-gel, etc., which have no inherent oxidizing character, in conversion coating solutions has been described in the literature. The film formers may enhance short-term corrosion resistance by functioning as a barrier layer. However, these films interfere with substrate oxidation during the conversion coating process and produce thin, incompletely anodized surfaces, resulting in poor mechanical adhesion to the solution-deposited polymer film and to later applied coatings. Restricting the formation of the oxide layer that acts as a reservoir for the active corrosion inhibitor yields a barrier film that is inhibitor starved. Barrier layers lacking an active corrosion inhibitor have been demonstrated to be capable of inhibiting corrosion only as long as the barrier is not breached, as by a scratch or other flaw. Film formers can actually enhance corrosion on a surface after failure due to the well-known effects of crevice corrosion. The addition of polymer during conversion coating also produces a smooth coating which can reduce subsequent paint adhesion, resulting in reduced long-term corrosion protection.
Likewise, a myriad of inorganic oxide, phosphate, silicate, carbonate, ox al ate, molybdate, tungstate, zirconate, titanate, borate, etc. barrier films have been described in the literature as providing corrosion protection. However, these films will serve this function so long as the film or coating is not breached to expose bare metal. Should this occur, none of these coatings exhibit "self-healing" characteristics. For example, hexavalent molybdenum (Mo+6) found in molybdate or heteropolymolybdate coatings does not exhibit oxidation-reduction potentials comparable to hexavalent chromium (i.e., in acidic media, Mo+6+3e−→Mo+3, potential is +0.43 V; or Mo+6+2e−→Mo+4, potential is +0.65 V). Similarly, hexavalent tungsten (W+6) found in tungstate or heteropolytungstate coatings does not exhibit oxidation-reduction potentials comparable to hexavalent chromium (i.e., in acidic media, W+6+2e−→W+4, potential is −0.12 V). In order to match the oxidation-reduction potential of hexavalent chromium, tetravalent cerium must be present in the coating.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,635,084, 5,582,654 and 5,194,138, all to Mansfield et al., describe methods for treating the surface of an aluminum alloy having a relatively high copper content, so as to make the surface resistant to corrosion. The method comprises a) removing substantially all of the copper from the surface of the alloy, b) contacting the surface with a first solution containing cerium, c) electrically charging the surface while contacting with an aqueous molybdate solution, and d) contacting the surface with a second solution containing cerium. However, tetravalent cerium is not disclosed.
European Application No. EP 0 792 922 A1, by The Boeing Company et al., describes chromate-free, corrosion-inhibiting coatings for protection of aluminum and its alloys comprising a) a film-forming organic polymeric and/or sol-gel component, b) an ester of a rare earth metal, i.e., cerium, or a vanadate salt of an alkali or alkaline earth metal, and c) a borate salt of an alkali earth metal. The film-forming organic polymeric or sol-gel component may provide short-term corrosion resistance by functioning as a barrier layer. However, these films usually interfere with substrate oxidation during the conversion coating process and result in thin, incompletely anodized surfaces, resulting in poor mechanical adhesion to the solution-deposited polymer film and to later applied coatings. Polymers added during the coating process also produce smooth coatings with a limited amount of "rough" surface morphology for subsequent paint adhesion resulting in reduced long-term corrosion protection. Neither the importance of tetravalent cerium nor the functional parameters for tetravalent cerium-containing complexes are described.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,374 to Kindler describes the formation of an aluminum oxide (boehmite) coating on structural aluminum, followed by treatment with a soluble cerium salt and a metal nitrate at 70° C. to 100° C. to form cerium oxides and hydroxides for increased corrosion resistance. The formed oxides and hydroxides are described as filling the pores in the boehmite coating. Also, Stoffer et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,932,083 describe the use of a solution containing cerium and an oxidizing agent for treatment of aluminum alloys. The aluminum-containing substrate is electrolyzed in this solution, forming a mixed aluminum oxide/cerium oxide (or hydrated cerium oxide) coating on the aluminum as a barrier film. The formation of tetravalent or hydrated tetravalent cerium oxide is described. However, neither Kindler nor Stoffer et al. teach the use of "valence stabilizers", which are important for use of tetravalent cerium compounds having aqueous solubilities that are sufficiently high to ensure long-term self healing of the coating. The cerium oxides and hydrated oxides described in these patents function merely as pore-filling barrier layers and not as active self-healing inhibitors within the coating. Moreover, the use of tetravalent cerium oxides and hydroxides as corrosion inhibitors results in lower corrosion performance, as is described herein, due to the fact the electrostatic double layers around such oxide and hydroxide species are much smaller than those exhibited by tetravalent cerium species containing 50% or less oxide or hydroxide as attached ligands.
Similarly, PCT International Publication No. WO 88/06639 by the Commonwealth of Australia and U.S. Pat. No. 6,022,425 to Nelson et al. describe the application of a corrosion-resistant coating for aluminum based on cerium, which cerium is oxidized to the tetravalent oxidation state, resulting in the formation of tetravalent or hydrated cerium oxides. However, these references teach tetravalent cerium compounds having aqueous solubilities that are so low they function as barrier films or sealants, rather than active corrosion inhibitors. Moreover, the use of valence stabilizers for forming complexes with tetravalent cerium is not disclosed.
European Patent Application No. EP 0 902 103 A1 by Nippon Steel Corporation describes the application of a trivalent cerium solution with organic oxoacids to aluminum or galvanized steel. U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,780 B1 to Shoji et al. describes the use of rare earth and/or Group IVA solutions for the treatment of metal surfaces with oxyacids (i.e., molybdates, tungstates, vanadates, or phosphates). Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,672 B1 to Tadokoro et al. describes the use of rare earth and/or Group IVA solutions with selected organic molecules for treatment of metal surfaces. U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,928 to Tomlinson describes the use of a Group IVA compound (i.e., zirconium, titanium, or hafnium) in combination with a rare earth element and optionally a fluoride. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 6,503,565 B1 to Hughes et al. describes the use of aqueous acidic, rare earth ion-containing coating solutions for metal surfaces. The coating solutions can include rare earth cations capable of having more than one valence state. However, none of these references teach the presence of a valence stabilized, oxidized rare earth element such as cerium, praseodymuim, or terbium in the formed conversion coating, whose availability to the corroding system is controlled via the solubility of the oxidized rare earth compounds. In order to function as a true replacement for hexavalent chromium, which is itself a highly oxidized species, the rare earth compound must be oxidized in the formed coating.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,982 B1 to Hughes et al. describes the use of a four component system to provide corrosion protection of aluminum. One of these components includes a rare earth compound, especially cerium.
The use of colloidal suspensions of tetravalent cerium oxide (CeO2) in anticorrosive coatings is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,733,361 and 5,922,330 to Chane-Ching et al.; PCT International Publication No. WO 96/26255 by Rhone-Poulenc Chimie; and PCT International Publication Nos. WO 01/36331 A1 and WO 01/38225 A1 by Rhodia Terres Rares. The CeO2 exhibits a solubility that is too low for effective release of corrosion-inhibiting tetravalent cerium ions.
An aqueous dispersion of a cerium compound with other rare earths, transition metals, aluminum, gallium, or zirconium is described for anticorrosive agents in PCT International Publication No. WO 01/55029 A1 by Rhodia Terres Rares. Similarly, an aqueous dispersion of cerium oxide in combination with additives such as beta-diketones, alpha-hydroxycarboxylic acids, beta-hydroxycarboxylic acids, or diols is described for anticorrosive agents in U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,677 to Cabane et al. Neither of these references defines the need for cerium to be in the tetravalent oxidation state to achieve anticorrosive effects.
U.S. application Publication Ser. No. 2003/0,024,432 A1 by Chung et al. describes an anti-corrosive surface treatment comprising, inter alia, an organometallic compound that can include cerium (i.e., cerium acetate hydrate, cerium acetylacetonate hydrate, cerium 2-ethylhexanolate, i-propoxycerium, cerium stearate, and cerium nitrate). The disclosed coating is an anti-corrosive sol-gel that produces an adhesive film interface between a metal surface and an organic matrix resin or adhesive. In addition, U.S. application Publication Ser. No. 2003/0,019,391 A1 by Kendig describes a corrosion inhibitor comprising an oxo-anion and a cation that is capable of inhibiting the propagation of pit corrosion on the surface of coated metal substrates. The cation can be a rare earth metal including cerium and praseodymium, inter alia. However, neither Kendig nor Chung et al. describe the need for cerium to be in the tetravalent oxidation state for corrosion inhibition.
Accordingly, a need exists for improved corrosion-protection conversion coatings composed of currently unregulated and/or non-toxic materials which have an effectiveness, ease of application, and performance comparable to coatings formed with hexavalent chromium, and for methods of making and using the same.

Non-toxic corrosion-protection conversion coats based on rare earth elements


An apparatus is provided for effectively preventing the scattering and the like of powder material, by maintaining a completely sealed condition, from the supply of the powdery material and the discharge of the molded articles to the cleaning of the interior. A housing 1 comprising, connected via a piping system 10, a vacuum device 11 for depressurizing said housing 1 interior; an atmosphere cut-off valve 12 installed on said piping system 10 for cutting off a piping interior atmosphere on said housing 1 side from a piping interior atmosphere on the vacuum device 11 side; a wetdown piping system 72 for wetting, within the atmosphere on the housing 1 side starting from said atmosphere cut-off valve 12, a compression molding mechanism 2 as well as powdery material stuck to the inside of said housing 1; and an outside air introduction mechanism 15 installed on said housing 1 for opening up an airtight condition of the housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a powder compression molding machine for producing powder compression molded articles such as drugs, foods and electronic components.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional rotary powder compression molding machines have a rotary table, arranged to rotate horizontally by means of a vertical shaft within a housing. A plurality of dies are arranged at a fixed pitch on this rotary table. Above and below each die is kept an upper punch and a lower punch enabled to slide up and down. The upper punch and lower punch, which have their punch points inserted within the dies, are passed between an upper roller and a lower roller. Generally, the machine is constructed so that the materials, such as drug powders, which fill up the inside of the dies are then compression molded.
In such a powder compression molding machine, the inside of the housing will be depressurized to a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure. For example, Patent Literature 1 (Official Gazette Publication No. Sho 43-25910) discloses one that compresses powder after such depressurization. In such depressurized powder compression molding machines, higher decompressions form better quality molded articles. Thus, the maintenance of the seals becomes important.
In the machine mentioned in Patent Literature 1, a rocker valve is arranged at the part where the powdery material is supplied, as well as at the part where the article is taken out. In this way, the supplying of the powdery material and the taking out of the article are accomplished in a condition where the direct communication between the interior and the exterior is cut off. In other words, this rocker valve has a rotatable partition. After supplying the powdery material at this partition at below atmospheric pressure, the partition is rotated and communicated with a depressurized interior. By this means, the above-mentioned powdery material is supplied to the depressurized interior of the housing.
However, with the above-mentioned rocker valve, at each partition, until the powdery material is supplied to it and to the interior of the housing, a sealed up state must be kept. It is necessary to perfect the tools at the internal circumference and both side surfaces of the rocker valve, in order to completely seal each partition.
However, when employing such tool constructions, the revolving resistance of the tool parts becomes great, when the rocker valve is rotated. This results in remarkable wear of the seals. When the tool sealing up the partition wears away in such an arrangement, the sealing degree within the partition drops. At the spots where the tool function thereby drops, the powdery material may then strongly scatter towards both the air and the interior of the housing. When such a situation occurs, the scattering of the powdery material within the housing interior becomes pervasive, and its cleaning becomes difficult.
Similarly, when a partition having its airtightness deteriorated in this fashion exists at the rocker valve, at the side for taking out the molded article, outside air can flow into the housing interior that has been depressurized, by means of the rocker valve. Thus, the depressurized state can no longer be formed. In this way, because air exists between the particles of the material supplied to the housing interior, the effectiveness of the depressurized compression molding cannot be sufficiently demonstrated.
Additionally, after finishing the compacting of the molded articles in the powder compression molding machine, it is necessary to clean out the powdery material sticking to and remaining within the interior. But, with a depressurized powder compression molding machine, after the molded article is molded and the decompression in the housing is released and opened to the external atmosphere, the powdery material remaining in the housing may scatter to this external atmosphere.
As discussed above, the depressurized powder compression molding machine handles a powdery material within a housing sealed up for airtightness, and compression molding is thereby accomplished to obtain the molded article. However, this process has the problems of maintaining airtightness, as well as the scattering of the internal powdery material when releasing the airtightness.
This invention solves such problems. Its purpose is to present a device that efficiently stops the scattering of the powdery material, while also maintaining the completely sealed up state from the supply of the powdery material and the discharge of the molded article, until the cleaning of the interior.

Rotary powder compression molding machine


An image processing apparatus for performing gamma correction and edge correction on the image and for generating a noiseless image. The image processing apparatus includes a gamma correction unit for performing gamma correction on the image; an edge extraction unit for extracting an edge portion of the image on which gamma correction is performed by said gamma correction unit; a correction coefficient generation unit for generating a correction coefficient based on gamma correction performed by said gamma correction unit; an edge-image generation unit for generating edge-image data by multiplying the correction coefficient to image data of the edge portion; and an adding unit for adding the edge-image data to the image data of the image on which gamma correction is performed by said gamma correction unit. The correction coefficient generation unit generates the correction coefficient based on an inverse of a differential coefficient of a gamma correction curve of the gamma correction at the brightness of each pixel for each of the pixel of the image. The correction coefficient generation unit replaces the correction coefficient with a predetermined value when the brightness of the pixel is larger than a predetermined threshold.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, computer readable medium storing program, image processing method, image capturing apparatus, printing apparatus and scanning apparatus which perform image processing on images. More particularly, the present invention relates to the image processing apparatus, computer readable medium storing program, image processing method, image capturing apparatus, printing apparatus and scanning apparatus which performs edge correction on the image.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, when edge correction is performed on an image, the edge correction is performed on the image after gamma correction is performed on the image, or the edge correction is performed on the image before gamma correction is performed on the image. In such manners, there has been a problem that higher gain is applied on an area where signal level is low, and noise in the dark area of the image is greatly conspicuous. Moreover, since the gain is uniformly applied on the image, result of the edge correction is not satisfactory in a bright area of the image.
Conventionally for example, a Japanese patent application publication No. 55-92083 discloses an edge compensation circuit and a Japanese patent application publication No. 63-209373 discloses a video signal processing circuit as image processing apparatuses. In the disclosed edge compensation circuit, edge correction signal is generated based on image signal before gamma correction, and edge compensation is performed by superimposing the edge correction signal on the image signal after gamma correction. The disclosed video signal processing circuit includes an edge correction means for performing edge correction to an input video signal, a gamma correction means for performing gamma correction to the input video signal, and an adding means for adding an output video signal from the edge correction means and an output video signal from the gamma correction means.
However, in the disclosed edge compensation circuit, since the edge correction signal is generated based on the image after the gamma correction, there is a problem that the noise in dark area of the image is greatly conspicuous. Moreover, in the disclosed video signal processing circuit, there is a problem that level of the edge enhancement in bright area of the image becomes excessive.

Image processing apparatus, computer readable medium storing program, image processing method, image capturing apparatus, printing apparatus, and scanning apparatus


A method and related configuration for stacking and interconnecting multiple identical integrated circuit semiconductor die. A die designed in accordance with the present invention can be directly interconnected with other identical die by placing a second die on a first die. The second die is substantially identical to the first die and has a rotation with respect to the first die. A plurality of electrical interconnections on the first die are contacted with a plurality of electrical interconnections on the second die, forming electrical interconnects between adjacent stacked dies.

Modern-day semiconductor devices, commonly called integrated circuits, or "dies," are fabricated on wafers, and the wafers are then sawn into grids, separating the individual dies prior to assembly in a package. Integrated circuits are fabricated in a variety of sizes, but typically range from only a few millimeters to a couple of centimeters or more in width. Each die may have numerous electrical signals for input or output. Processors, for example, may have several hundred signals.
Provisions must be made to electrically connect a die to the printed circuit board with which it is used and also to protect the die from damage or other external conditions that could hinder its operation. Package engineering, or packaging, is the field within semiconductor engineering that addresses these needs. Integrated circuits are generally mounted on printed circuit boards in "packages," i.e., structures that provide an electrical interface with a printed circuit board (or simply "board") and also protect a bare die and its electrical interconnects from damage, including damage due to moisture, vibration, and impact. A packaged die is generally attached to a metal leadframe or a substrate, electrically connected to the leadframe or substrate, and encapsulated with a ceramic enclosure or plastic "mold compound" for protection.
Occasionally, conventional packaging solutions may not afford adequate space savings on a printed circuit board. Especially in the case of memory devices, the functionality of multiple dies may be required while space for only one packaged die is available on a board. In such cases, using a "multi-chip module" (MCM), or single package containing multiple dies, is often considered. In some MCM's, dies are arranged side-by-side on a single substrate. However, depending on the application, this approach may not provide significant space savings over simply packaging multiple dies separately, a more common assembly process. Accordingly, it may be desired to stack multiple dies within a single package.
There are several benefits to stacked die packages. More functionality within a given area of board space may be achieved, since more silicon functions per area of board space (and per unit volume of application space) are possible. Eliminating individual packages for each die can contribute to significant size and weight reductions of printed circuit boards and electronic devices in which they are installed. Including two or more dies in one package decreases the number of components mounted on an application board, potentially reducing overall system cost. In addition, providing a single package for package assembly, electrical testing and handling may reduce manufacturing costs.
In some cases, it is desirable to package multiple identical dies in a single package, such as in the case of certain memory devices. As an example, four identical 8-megabyte (Mb) dies could be interconnected to act as a single 32-Mb device. In addition, a 16- or 24-Mb device could be assembled on the same package substrate or board by interconnecting two or three of these dies, respectively, without the need for designing and fabricating an additional die design.
Stacking and electrically interconnecting several identical dies has proved problematic, since each identical die will have the exact same internal structures, circuitry, and pattern of bond pads. Consequently, it is difficult to route multiple identical dies to a substrate or motherboard through those dies below it, since an active feature on one die would require an area free of active circuitry on the die beneath it in order to pass through and connect with the substrate or board. A need exists to provide a low-profile solution for interconnecting multiple identical stacked dies.

Interconnect method for directly connected stacked integrated circuits

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A multi-zone media system and method for providing multi-zone media. As a non-limiting example, various aspects of this disclosure provide a system and method that flexibly presents media content (e.g., audio content) to a user as the user moves throughout a premises.

Present systems and methods for presenting audio, for example presenting audio to a user as the user moves throughout a premises, are inadequate. Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such approaches with the present disclosure as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.

Multi-zone media system and method for providing multi-zone media