A carborane siloxane base polymer is formulated into a crosslinked, rubbery high temperature material by incorporating a vinyl group in the backbone of the polymer. By careful control of process variables, the crosslinked polymer allows formation of optically clear and thermally stable adhesive bonds between a number of substrates. While curing is conveniently done at ambient temperature, the adhesive can withstand thermal cycling to over 600.degree. C.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method for crosslinking carborane siloxane polymers, and, more particularly, to providing a crosslinked, rubbery material capable of forming optically clear and thermally stable adhesive bonds between a number of substrates.
2. Description of Related Art
Materials which are used in a space environment must be able to withstand extreme conditions, such as exposure temperatures from about -70.degree. to +120.degree. C. for extended periods of time, such as ten years, and exposure to vacuum conditions in space. In addition, materials in space are exposed to high energy ultraviolet radiation, high energy protons, and high energy electrons, all of which can produce significant damage.
In the case of solar cells used in space, a cover glass, usually formed of silica, is bonded to the front of each cell to protect the photovoltaic junction from radiation and particle damage. The cover glass also acts as a thermal control link to allow the solar cells to operate at lower temperatures. However, even with such a glass cover, high energy electron damage does occur. It has been found that the effect of electron radiation can be minimized if the cells are run at higher temperatures or periodically cycled to higher temperatures. In the case of silicon solar cells, electron damage can be annealed and the cell efficiency optimized by heating the cells to about 60.degree. to 100.degree. C. At these temperatures, known adhesives used to bond the cover glass to the solar cell, such as dimethyl silicone resins, are sufficient.
However, solar cells based on gallium arsenide semiconductor technology are currently being developed which have a much higher efficiency than silicon solar cells at increased temperatures. In order to anneal the gallium arsenide cells for electron damage, a temperature in the range of about 250.degree. to 350.degree. C. is required.
Commercially available adhesive systems which are currently used in space hardware environments include DC-93-500, a two-part room temperature vulcanizing dimethyl silicone resin available from Dow Corning, which is used for bonding of cover glasses to solar cells. General Electric's room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) resins are used for bonding the solar cells to the backing systems.
While these commercially available materials allow thermal excursion of the bondlines to between 200.degree. C. and 300.degree. C., a need remains for an adhesive that can withstand annealing temperatures up to at least 350.degree. C. and which has the advantage of low temperature vulcanizing.
One material that has been previously studied for its thermal stability is a class of ultra-high molecular weight carborane siloxane polymers, as described by D. D. Stewart et al in "D2-m-Carborane Siloxanes. 7. Synthesis and Properties of Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polymer", Macromolecules, Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 373-377 (May-June 1979). In the method of Stewart et al, the carborane siloxane polymers are formed by:
(1) forming a slurry of carborane bisdimethyl silanol in dried chlorobenzene and cooling the slurry to -10.degree..+-.5.degree. C.;
(2) adding to the slurry a mixture of dimethylbisureido silane and methylphenylbisureido silane to form a reaction mixture at -10.degree..+-.5.degree. C.;
(3) separating from the reaction mixture a silanol end-capped prepolymer of the polycarborane siloxane polymer;
(4) dissolving the prepolymer in chlorobenzene to form a solution; and
(5) adding to the prepolymer solution an excess of the above-noted bisureido silanes.
Stewart et al reported that the polymers so formed had molecular weights in excess of 10.sup.6, which was believed to be due to the technique of the reverse addition of the bisureido silanes to the carborane disilanol in chlorobenzene. However, as disclosed by Stewart et al at page 375, right column, first and second full paragraphs, consistent and reliable results were not achieved. One problem was that a reliable technique for purifying the polymer was not found, and consequently the prepolymer was degraded by reaction with amine by-products. Another problem was that many of the prepolymer samples were not capable of being advanced to the high molecular weight polymers, and no cause for this difficulty was defined. In addition, attempts to replicate the experiments of Stewart et al did not result in polymers of the highest molecular weight reported by Stewart et al. As discussed by Stewart et al, optimum mechanical and thermal properties of these polymers occur only at high molecular weights.
Since the carborane siloxane polymers of Stewart et al at high molecular weight have desirable high temperature properties and could be useful in a space environment, the present inventor developed methods of reproducibly forming a very high molecular weight polycarborane siloxane polymer. These methods are disclosed and claimed in copending application, Ser. No. 07/807,364, filed Dec. 16, 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,310 and assigned to the same assignee as the present application.
While the new methods result in a considerably improved polymer over Stewart et al, the base polymer lacks the required mechanical integrity at high temperature to allow its use in adhesive bonds for space-stable structures. Thus, it is desired to provide improved high temperature stability compared to the base polymer.

Low temperature vulcanizing carborane siloxane adhesive


An apparatus comprising a first circuit, a second circuit and a third circuit. The first circuit may include a plurality of first multiplexers and one or more second multiplexers configured to generate a first intermediate enable signal in response to (i) an input enable signal, (ii) a first clock signal operating at a first data rate and (iii) a plurality of first select signals. The plurality of first multiplexers each present an output to each of the one or more second multiplexers. The second circuit may be configured to generate a second intermediate enable signal in response to (i) the first intermediate enable signal, (ii) a second clock signal operating at a second data rate and (iii) a second select signal. The third circuit may be configured to generate a third intermediate enable signal in response to (i) the second intermediate enable signal, (ii) a control input signal and (iii) a third select signal. The third intermediate enable signal may be configured to control a read operation of a memory.

In conventional double data rate (DDR) memories, data and data strobe signals (i.e., DQS) are returned from a memory module during each read cycle. The data strobe signal DQS is a bidirectional signal. Noise or unwanted signal toggling may propagate into a memory controller when the controller is not actively reading data from the memory module. Referring to FIG. 1, an example of a circuit 10 illustrating a conventional data strobe architecture for double data rate (DDR) memory is shown. Conventional approaches lack a programmable coarse delay in a first data rate domain.
It would be desirable to implement a data strobe enable architecture suitable for use in a double data rate (DDR) memory application that provides a programmable coarse delay in a first data rate domain.

Programmable data strobe enable architecture for DDR memory applications


A mounting bracket is rigidly mounted to the side of a child's car seat.An angle bracket has a first flange rotatably engaged with the mounting bracket and has a second flange which extends at approximately 90 degrees to the first flange. A first arm is rotatably mounted to the mounting bracket second flange. A second arm is rotatably mounted to the first arm and a third arm is rotatably mounted to the second arm, thus forming an extended linkage which supports a lightweight sunshield above and to one side of the car seat to shield a child using the car seat from the rays of the sun. The sunshield is constructed of a tubular support frame which is constrained within a fire resistant cloth cover. The tubular support frame is elastically constrained within a pocket formed by the two sides of the cover. The cover may have pictures printed thereon to entertain the child being shielded from the sun's rays. The ends of the tubular support pass through holes in opposed sides of a shade support bracket. The support bracket is rotatably linked to the uppermost arm in the extended linkage of the sunshade assembly. The elements of the assembly are connected at rotatable joints which may be clamped by adjustment of hand nuts to fix the sun shield in a desired position.

When traveling by automobile with small children there are many safety related precautions that should be taken. Restraining a child using an especially designed car seat is the most important and is required by law in many states. There are other safety devices, not currently mandated by any government agency which, nevertheless, those to whom the care of young children has been entrusted will wish to take advantage of. One important safety consideration is providing a shade to protect a young child from the harmful effects of the sun's radiant energy. The developing eyes of children are unusually susceptible to potential permanent damage from repeated exposure to the sun. In addition, the sun's ultraviolet rays can cause sunburns to sensitive young skin. Sunburn has been implicated as a cause of skin cancer in later life.
One type of sunshade consists of a blanket or other type of curtain positioned over one or more of the car's windows. However, placing shades over the car's windows reduces driver visibility and negatively impacts the safety of the car's occupants. Further, the sun will often shine through the front or back windows of a car which cannot be practically covered while the car is in motion.
Another known approach to shielding a child in a car seat from the harmful effects of the sun's rays is to position a shield to surround the child's head and/or his upper body. These shields, while effective at blocking the sun, can stifle air circulation producing an uncomfortable environment for the child. Surrounding sunshields may also result in an environment for the small child which has reduced visual and auditory stimulus as an all-encompassing sunshield blocks both vision and hearing. An environment of reduced stimulus is thought by some to adversely affect a child's development.
Yet another type of sun visor for a child's car seat adjustably positions a sunshield device between the sun and the child. However, these devices often contain metal components in the shield and are uniquely adapted to mount to the back of a child's car seat. Because of the mounting method of these car seats, they are not broadly adaptable to a range of car seats. Further, because this type of support passes over the child's head and because the shield contains metal, a hazard may be presented in a crash situation if the shield is driven downwards toward the child.
Another problem not addressed by known child car seat sunshades is that often a child's car seat will be designed to function as child tote in which case it will be desirable that the sunshades be readily stowable so as to not interfere with the function of the car seat as a child tote.
What is needed is a lightweight, adjustably positionable sunshade for a child car seat which mounts to the side of the seat, is stowable, and which allows stimulation of the child's visual environment.

Lightweight stowable sunshade for child's car seat


A system and method for displaying a trend indication using a primary and secondary indicia. The primary indicium corresponds to an overall trend indication and the secondary indicia relate to the reliability of the overall trend indication. The secondary indicia correspond to a trend indication for each phase of the selected analysis strategy. The secondary indicia provide the user with a quick and easy methodology to ascertain the reliability of the overall trend indication based on the concurrence or disagreement of the secondary indicia with the primary indicium.

Technical analysis began more than 100 years ago with the use of charts. For example, candlestick charts were originally developed in Japan over 150 years ago to anticipate movements in the rice market. For years, technicians have tried to identify patterns in individual stock prices, the market as a whole, or even in a particular industry segment. Technical analysis involves identifying and interpreting stock price movements to predict future movements in the price of a stock. However, charts only reveal data of past price movements. Therefore, in technical analysis, past price movements are often combined with knowledge about historical cycles in the market when predicting future stock prices.
Initially, technical analysis involved a very manually intensive process of identifying trends within charts. Therefore, technical analysis was not beneficial to most investors. This is due to the time delay that it would take to develop the technical analysis manually, and disseminate the information to traders. In addition, the information would be provided to many traders at rather granular intervals, making the information less valuable. With advances in computer hardware and software for identifying patterns in sets of data, technical analysis can now be performed on computers in a real time fashion.
The speed at which the data is processed also allows the user to evaluate the data based on more complex analysis strategies including multiple independent or interdependent algorithms. Accordingly, uptrend, downtrend, or neutral indications can be obtained by applying multiple algorithms within a single analysis strategy. One such analysis strategy can be applied using moving average convergence divergence (MACD). Thomas Aspry developed the MACD histogram in 1986. The (MACD) is one of the simplest and most reliable indicators available. The most popular formula for the standard MACD is the difference between a security's twenty-six day and twelve day exponential moving averages (EMA). A plot of this difference may be presented as a histogram. In addition, multiple criteria may be used to evaluate the histogram to formulate an uptrend, downtrend, or neutral trend indication.
A variety of software applications are available for displaying uptrend and downtrend indications. For example, it is well known to display security price data over a period of time in the form of a chart. Moving averages and other indicators are then drawn over the top of or adjacent to the price data and are aligned temporally. To provide a quick overview to investors, software was developed that includes visual indicators such as colored up and down arrows indicating whether the price of the security has moved up or down relative to the previous day's closing price. For example, it is well known to use a green indicator such as an arrow or some other symbol to indicate that the price of a security has moved up relative to the prior closing price, and to use a red arrow or some other symbol to indicate that the security price has moved down relative to its previous close. It is well known to display a security stock symbol in a cell or block with a color to indicate whether the stock price is up or down for the day. It is also well known to indicate the current stock price as well as a percentage change in that price for a given day in combination with a range of colors or shades indicating by percentage how much the stock price have gone up or down. Other software programs have combined the cell or block displays with the use of various color schemes or shades of color to rank a particular security. For example, one trading tool offered by J.S. Services and marketed under the name Market Color uses a variety of colors and shades to indicate whether the underlying security should be bought, held or sold. The Market Color tool displays a particular security and the current price of the security including any changes in the price of the security since the previous close.
Although products have previously been introduced that display uptrend or downtrend indicators, the user cannot easily ascertain the reliability of the indicator or understand what criteria were used in determining the trend indication. In view of the above, it is apparent that there exists a need for an improved system and method for displaying a trend indication.

System and method for displaying trend indications


A combined retrofit direct drive gas piston system, for use with M-16 rifle and other appropriated platforms, operating in conjunction with a frontal actuated, ambidextrous, non reciprocating charging system, working in tandem with other existing charging handle systems. The device, conceived to be installed in said rifles in an effortless manner by coupling supporting components with the receiver and the barrel without performing any machining operations. The artifact partially comprises affixing supports, a structural tube to constrain and hold the components, a securing frontal gas block, a regulated direct gas piston system including an independent push bar with alignment rings, springs, and freely displacing part with projections connecting with the exterior handle or hand guard actuator. By enabling to use the extended firer's supporting hand for charging, said artifact solves complicated ergonomic maneuvers required to charge the original M-16. Also eliminates problems of the original gas impingement system.

1. Field of the Invention
This application relates generally to an improvement to the M16 rifle platforms by the addition of a set of mechanisms integrating an extra lateral, ambidextrous, frontal, non reciprocating charging handle, or sliding hand guard, acting in conjunction with a regulated gas piston direct drive system of easy installation, not requiring any machining or permanent modification of the standard M-16 receiver.
2. Background Prior Art
The use of the high pressure gasses inside the barrel of firearms to propel direct drive rods to force the unlocking of the bolt and allows its recoil is very old. AK 47, AK 74, AK (10)1; FAL, Galil, G3 H&K, FN 49, SKS, SVT (40) just to name a few. Recently several manufacturers like Bushmaster, Remington, Smith & Wesson, Rugger, Armalite, Heckler & Koch have incorporated the use of the direct drive gas systems to substitute the gas impingement system of the original M16 rifles and platforms alike, or manufactured retrofits, to substitute the original Gas Impingement System utilized in the popular M16 rifle and related platforms. The automatic cycle of the ejection of used shells, and reload of new rounds into the chamber is made possible by bringing into being an aged combination of pistons, cylinders, push rods, and springs utilizing the high pressure gasses to generate a strong rearwards displacement of the push rod, that in turn impacts a solid spot of the bolt carrier, inside the receiver, unlocking and displacing the bolt rearwards. Numerous nearly identical systems, now in fashion, perform in a similar manner and are being supplied as standard from the factory or as retrofit kits. That is what all of the formerly mentioned manufacturers have done as an attempt to present AN improved version of M16 and AR 15 platform rifles.
However, none of such direct drive gas piston systems takes advantage of mechanical elements already in place to go one significant step forward in solving the notorious disadvantage of the M16 and platforms alike which is associated with the uncomfortable rear charging action that must be performed by pulling straight back a T Charging Handle located at the rear of the receiver, resulting in a very uncomfortable maneuver, against all ergonomic principles, forcing the firer to decompose his firing posture to the extent that it may reveal the location to the enemy.
Replacing the OEM gas impingement system of the M-16 or AR-15 rifles platform by a direct drive gas piston system is not a new idea. Several attempts have been made to do so. It is well known to those who use this rifle, and in the industry that the M-16 is notorious for fouling and jamming due to the original design requiring the discharge gas be directed through a gas impingement tube into the bolt carrier to urge the bolt displacement to the rear in response to the firing of a cartridge and produce the expel of the spent shell and the reloading of a new round into the barrel rear end.
Most of the guns utilizing gases to assist in the opening of the bolt avoid the gas impingement system. AK 47, AK 74, AK (10)1; FAL, Galil, G3 H&K, FN 49, M1, M2 Carbine, M (14), SKS, BAR, FN SCAR, Remington ACR, just to name a few, utilize a combination of rods, and pistons, either being of short stroke or long stroke. However the majority of them have an external, reciprocating charging handle that can potentially harm the firer in its rearwards strong displacement when firing.
Others have developed systems to replace the OEM gas impingement system. Some require that significant portions of the rifle be modified or replaced, such as the barrel and parts within the receiver. These systems have obvious drawbacks. The cost of replacing the barrel and other parts is substantial and unnecessary. If machining is required to install the system, the user must send the rifle to a machinist or gunsmith to be modified, added time and expense to the process, and potentially, introducing error with each independent machining process.
Some manufacturers have designed systems that do not require the replacement of the barrel and are an improvement over the OEM and previous systems, such as the system manufactured by Land Warfare Resources Corporation (LWRC), Bushmaster, Adams, Smith & Wesson, Rugger, Remington Heckler & Koch H&K 416, DPMS, and Armalite. More over, Rock River also recently introduced a rifle having the Frontal Charging System and Direct Drive combination that works only with its proprietary design of an extended Upper receiver and cannot be incorporated to any existing M 16, AR 15 rifle platform. Adcor recently manufactured a rifle providing a combination of frontal charging handle and Direct Drive system, while maintaining the traditional rear charging handle. However, this improvement demands a profound change in the rifle design, and requires for its operation to work in cooperation with the main spring and a frontal extension of the upper receiver. It is not a simple addition to an existing M 16, AR 15 rifle platform that can be added as a retrofit kit, or a simple addition to the production of conventional rifles of that category.
Other important patents to mention are: U.S. Pat. No. 3,246,567, Miller; U.S. Pat. No. 4,244,273, Langerdorfet; U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,224, Morris; U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,598, Schutz, which have in common the utilization of a gas-piston direct drive, and one of them U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,274, Herring; even a structural protecting tube through which the actuating bar moves, and all of them keep the OEM T charging handle of the system, reason for which the problems associated with the rear charging operation by the OEM T handle subsist.
Generically all gas—piston direct drive systems utilize an actuator pneumatic combination of a cylinder, either static or mobile, receiving high pressure combustion gases from a piston, either static or mobile, and wherein the moving part displaces to impact a part of the bolt with sufficient energy to unlock the bolt and allow its opening. Interesting is to notice the very small differences in recently awarded patents with respect to gas-piston mechanisms utilized successfully since the 1940 s like the FN 49 rifle and then by the FAL rifle.
Almost identical is the Adams gas piston system in which the major improvement comes from the ability to extract, for cleaning, in a single piece, the rod and the cylinder, which are a single integral part in their design.
None of these existing systems provide any means to enable, as well, the manual charging action from the front of the rifle. Further more, none of these systems operate inside an easily attached structural tube to contain, guide, and protect the components of the system. None of the above mentioned combinations can be installed in existing M16 or AR15 rifle platforms as a retrofit kit of quick installation or removal without extensive irreversible modification to the receiver.

Combined direct drive gas piston system, and frontal, ambidextrous, non reciprocating, charging system for autoloading rifle


The presence of polychlorinated biphenyls and other chlorinated compounds in a sample is determined by treating the sample with a photo-activator and then exposing the treated sample to a UV light source. The UV light produces a photo-product complex, which is subsequently excited with UV light to cause luminescence of the complex. The luminescence is detected and characteristics of the luminescence spectra are used to determine the presence of chlorinated compounds and also the quantity of the chlorine in the compounds

Some chlorinated compounds, and in particular polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), have become a difficult environmental problem in that extremely minute levels are believed to present a health risk. PCBs are a class of 209 discrete chemical compounds known as "congeners", in which one to ten chlorine atoms are attached to biphenyl. PCBs were widely used for several decades due to their superior properties of chemical and physical stability, heat resistance and high electrical resistance. They were used in heat transfer systems, hydraulics/lubricants, transformers, capacitors, plasticizer applications and petroleum additives, just to name a few.
The chemical and physical stability, viewed once as an asset of the PCB, is now recognized as an environmental liability since the PCBs do not readily degrade after disposal. Now the use of PCBs is regulated in the United States under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), PL 94-469 (U.S. Congress, 1976). This law is administered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Various rules and regulations have been promulgated concerning the production, use and disposal of PCBs. Other countries have passed similar legislation, making the control of PCB use and disposal a world-wide concern. While PCBs are presently not in wide scale production, it has been estimated that up to 1.3 billion pounds were produced world wide through the year 1976.
Given the chemical and physical stability of PCBs, it has been of increasing concern to regulators to monitor and screen samples of various types for PCB contamination. In general, while the specifics of the various national laws may differ, there is a common interest in determining the presence of PCBs in the environment. Determination techniques used in the past include gas chromatography, thin-layer chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography. Non-chromatographic techniques include nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry, infrared (IR) spectrometry, and immuno-assays.
"Screening" techniques are determinations characterized by speed and/or simplicity of methodology and apparatus. Typically, samples are screened where immediate analysis is needed, such as analysis in the field or during an incinerator trial burn to make sure that the PCBs are being destroyed. In general, the analysis of PCBs generally requires selectivity and sensitivity. Even after cleanup of a PCB-contaminated site, PCBs are usually at ultra-trace levels in field samples, mixed with other halocarbons, lipids, etc. The levels of PCBs typically found in water, soil, tissue, food, biota and other matrices of interest are in the parts per billion (ppb) range. Most current measurement techniques for PCBs require the aforementioned chromatographic separation techniques, which are not practical for routine analysis in the field. A review of the state of the art in PCB detection can be found in Analytical Chemistry of PCBs by M.D. Erickson (Butterworth Publishers, 1986). As described therein, packed column gas chromatography (GC), thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) have been used to provide data on total PCB contents in samples. Packed column GC/ECD is the common method for quantification of PCBs such as AROCLORS made by the Monsanto Corporation in the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) procedures. In this procedure, the PCBs are quantified against an AROCLOR standard using the largest peak, or a secondary peak if necessary. Typically, this procedure was used to determine PCBs in sediments and soils.
If congener-specific determination is required, high-resolution gas chromatography (HRGC), which uses fused silica capillary columns, would be the preferred technique. High-resolution gas chromatography has been used for the analysis of PCBs in transformer fluids or waste oils.
Various mass spectrometry (MS) techniques, including electron impact MS, chemical ionization MS, coupled MS/MS, etc., have been used to analyze complex PCB samples. Methods involving perchlorination of the biphenyl ring of the PCB congeners have been used in the determination of PCBs. One limitation of the perchlorination approach is due to the fact that biphenyl can also be perchlorinated, thus leading to erroneously high blank levels.
Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) has been used in the analysis of PCBs. Detection using this technique has involved spraying the plates with silver nitrate followed by UV irradiation and fluorescence. See R.H. DeVos and E.W. Peet, Bul. Envir. Contam. Toxicol., 6 (2), 164, 1971, for UV irradiation and J. Stahr, Liq. Chromatogr., 7, 1393, 1984, for fluorescence. Two dimensional TLC has been used for PCB analysis, as described by N.V. Fehringer and J.E. Westfall in J. Chromatogr., 57, 397, 1971. Photo-degradation of PCBs is a previously known process and fluorescence following UV excitation has been reported. See The Chemistry of PCBs by O. Hutzinger et al., R.E. Krieger Publishing Co., 1983.
Sensitized room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) has been used as the detection method for HPLC in PCB analysis. The method is based on the transfer of triplet energy of the analyte molecule (donor) to biacetyl (acceptor) and detection of sensitized RTP of biacetyl in liquid solutions. See T. Vo-Dinh, Room Temperature Phosphorimetry For Chemical Analysis, Wiley Publishers, 1984. The RTP method has recently been applied to PCB analysis.
In spite of the myriad techniques available in the prior art, a strong need still exists to have a rapid and simple technique to screen for PCBs under field conditions.

Enhanced photo-activated luminescence for screening polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) and other related chlorinated compounds


Methods and systems are disclosed for debugging a computer program code by use of a debugging software. Software means may be provided for causing the debugging software to stop at one or more types of breakpoints set in the computer program code. In one embodiment, a debugging method is provided that comprises: debugging a program code with at least one type of breakpoint; and activating or deactivating all breakpoints of the at least one type by a single action.

When developing a computer software program, debugging of the program code is often difficult and time consuming. Debugging is often performed in the following manner: finding a program part which causes problems, finding relevant lines of the program code, setting breakpoints in places in the program code which are of interest regarding the status of certain variables, and executing the program code with a debugging software ("debugger"). When executing the debugger, a run-time environment of the program developing environment starts executing the program code, stops its execution at the first breakpoint in the order of the execution, and usually displays the content of the variables for analysis. In order to run the debugger, a failure in the program code (bug) does not need to be present. Also, the debugger may be used to only show the content of certain
The aforementioned debugging procedure has certain disadvantages performance the first three discussed above require a high workload if debugging has to be frequently repeated. Program developers and coworkers, who maintain the program, need a good understanding of the entire program code, although only a part of the code might be relevant for debugging purposes. Another disadvantage is that the breakpoints are automatically deleted when closing the program. Therefore, when starting the debugging software in a new session, the breakpoints have to be reset.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for debugging methods and/or systems that provide a more efficient solution to one or more of the problems described above.

Methods and systems for debugging a computer program code


The present invention provides a process for producing a target fermentation product. This process includes providing a fermentation medium containing a recombinantly-produced microorganism that over-produces a fermentation product and contains a mutation which causes auxotrophic growth of the microorganism wherein the auxotrophy within the microorganism does not compromise the ability of the microorganism to produce the fermentation product. The medium is then supplied in excess with all substrates required for production of the fermentation product and in growth limiting amounts with a substrate complementing the auxotrophy. Host cells, vectors, and polynucleotide sequences used in the process are also provided. The polynucleotide sequences of the present invention include sequences derived from the biotin operon of B. subtilis and in particular the bioFDB gene cassette.

Many commercially valuable products are produced by fermentation reactions. For example, riboflavin, which is an essential vitamin that is required by all bacteria, animals, and plants, is synthesized by plants and bacteria, however, it cannot be produced by higher animals, which must acquire it from their diet.
Riboflavin is produced commercially for use as a food and feed additive by, for example, fermentation reactions using Ashbya gossypii, Eremothecium ashbyii, or Candida flareri cells. (See e.g., Ainsworth, G. C. and Sussman, A. S., The Fungi, Academic Press, New York (1965); Heefner, D. L., et al., WO 88/09822; Hickey, R. J., Production of Riboflavin by Fermentation, in Industrial Fermentation (Underkofler, L. A. and Hickey, R. J., eds.) pp. 157-190, Chemical Publishing Co., New York (1954); and Perlman, D., et al., Fermentation Ind. Eng. Chem. 44:1996-2001 (1952).
The enzymes required to catalyze the biosynthesis of riboflavin from guanosine triphosphate (GTP) and ribulose-5-phosphate are encoded by four genes (ribG, ribB, ribA, and ribH) in B. subtilis. See, FIG. 1A. These genes are located in an operon, the gene order of which differs from the order of the enzymatic reactions catalyzed by the enzymes. For example, GTP cyclohydrolase II, which catalyzes the first step in riboflavin biosynthesis is encoded by the third gene in the operon, ribA. See, FIG. 2. The ribA protein also encodes a second enzymatic activity, i.e., DHB synthase, which catalyzes the conversion of ribulose-5-phosphate to the four-carbon unit DHB. Deaminase and reductase are encoded by the first gene of the operon, ribG. The bi-functionality of the ribA and ribG gene products may facilitate a coordinated riboflavin precursor flux. The penultimate step in riboflavin biosynthesis is catalyzed by lumazine (Lum) synthase, the product of the last rib gene, ribH. Riboflavin synthase, which controls the last step of the pathway, is encoded by the second gene of the operon, ribB. The function of the gene X (FIG. 1) located at the 3′ end of the rib operon is, at present, unclear, however, its gene product is not required for riboflavin synthesis.
Transcription of the riboflavin operon from the ribP1, promoter is controlled by an attenuation mechanism involving a regulatory leader region located between ribP1, and ribG. RibO mutations within this leader region result in deregulated expression of the riboflavin operon. Deregulated expression is also observed in strains containing missense mutations in the ribC gene. The ribC gene has recently been shown to encode the flavin kinase/FAD synthase of B. subtilis. See, Mack, M., et al., J. Bact., 180:950-55 (1998). Deregulating mutations reduce the flavokinase activity of the ribC gene product resulting in reduced intracellular concentrations of flavinmononucleotide (FMN), the effector molecule of the riboflavin regulatory system.
Recently, a Bacillus subtilis microorganism was genetically engineered to produce high yields of riboflavin during a short fermentation cycle. See, Perkins, J. B., U.S. Pat. No. 5,837,528 ("Perkins '528"), which is hereby incorporated by reference as if recited in full herein. This approach combined classical genetic mutant selection and fermentation improvement with genetic engineering of the riboflavin biosynthetic genes by deregulating and increasing the level of gene expression. In this system, the expression of the rib genes was increased by mutating the flavokinase encoding ribC gene, by linking the rib genes to strong, constitutive promoters, and by increasing the copy number of the rib genes.
For example, in the engineered rib operon present in plasmid pRF69 disclosed by Perkins '528, the entire ribP1, promoter and most of the regulatory leader region were deleted and replaced with a constitutive phage SPO1 promoter, P15 See, FIG. 1B. In addition, the phage promoter was introduced between the ribB and ribA genes to further increase the transcription of the corresponding downstream genes. Finally, pRF69 was provided with a chloramphenicol resistance gene downstream of the rib genes. pRF69 was targeted by single cross-over transformation into the rib operon of the host microorganism RB50, which contained mutations deregulating purine biosynthesis and which contained a mutation in the ribC gene deregulating riboflavin biosynthesis.
The genomic structure resulting from single crossover transformation of RB50 with pRF69 includes a chloramphenicol resistance gene flanked by the wild type rib operon at one end and by the engineered rib operon of pRF69 at the other end. The iterative elements within this structure originate increased copy numbers of the resistance gene and of the flanking rib operon upon selection of the pRF69 transformed bacteria for increased chloramphenicol resistance.
Enhanced transcription of the rib genes in RB50 containing multiple (n) copies of the modified rib operon of pRF69 (i.e., RB50::[pRF69]n) has been confirmed by Northern blot analysis. Unlike wild-type B. subtilis, which accumulated very small amounts of RNA transcript that covered the entire rib operon, RB50::[pRF69]n, accumulated large amounts of shorter transcripts that covered primarily the first two genes of the operon. The second P15 promoter engineered upstream of ribA gave rise to significant accumulation of RNA transcripts that covered the three downstream genes of the rib operon. See, Perkins, J. B., et al., J. Ind. Microbiol. Biotechnol., 22:8-18 (1999).
In a riboflavin fed batch fermentation reactor containing, for example, B. subtilis RB50::[pRF69]n, biomass and riboflavin are produced from a common fermentation substrate, glucose. The rate by which glucose is pumped into the reactor ("glucose feeding rate") is critical to its utilization in the production of biomass and riboflavin, respectively. A fast glucose feeding rate allows the culture to grow at elevated rates causing an excess of biomass formation and a reduction of the riboflavin yield. Glucose feeding rates that are too slow, however, while lowering biomass production, result in low riboflavin productivity. Because low yield, low productivity, or both increase riboflavin production costs, a balance must be struck between biomass and riboflavin production by carefully regulating the glucose feeding rate in commercial riboflavin fermentation reactors.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Process for producing a target fermentation product


Deploying systems and methods for deploying a plurality of seismic devices into a borehole comprising a cable including a plurality of inter-connected cable segments and ellipsoid seismic units with at least two rows of offset seismic protrusions to establish at least three points of contact between the seismic units and adjacent cylindrical surface of a borehole casing.

In the oil and gas industry, acoustic tools are used to provide operationally significant information about seismic events occurring during production of a well. Borehole seismic data can be utilized to determine subsurface stratigraphy and refine surface seismic data. Micro-seismic data may be generated by formation fracturing—induced or natural. The acoustic tools may include seismic sensors such as geophones, geophone accelerometers, hydrophones, or other types of sensors known in the art.
In the past, downhole seismic data has been acquired by a number of different techniques. An array of seismic devices having seismic sensors may be deployed into a borehole, and when the seismic devices reach a desired depth, they may be mechanically coupled to a borehole wall, casing and/or be cemented in place. In other instances, seismic tools with sensors may be coupled to production tubing, inside a well, or in association with production packers.
A conventional method for deploying a seismic device in a borehole may utilize a winch mechanism. The winch mechanism may include a winch drum and a cable, which may be a wireline and is wound around the drum. A plurality of seismic devices are attached to the cable spaced apart from each other. The drum is rotatably supported on the winch and, as the drum rotates counterclockwise, the cable unwinds from the drum and descends into the borehole with the sensors.
Conventional methods have encountered many problems. For example, the seismic devices may be attached to the cable by means of an electrical mechanism and a mechanical mechanism, and thus form large and less flexible nodes on the cable. When such a seismic array is wound onto a winch drum, the nodes may form numerous bulges. Thus, the seismic array may not be uniformly wound onto the winch drum, which may lead to inefficient use of space and potential entanglement of the cable and nodes. Although a triangle drum has been considered by people having ordinary skill in the art for deploying a seismic device array with large-sized sensors, such as a VSI (Versatile Seismic Imager), this kind of drum has a limitation on the number of layers of the array around the drum and hence the length of the array. Further, in conventional methods, a large-sized drum may be needed for an array having a large number of seismic devices and will take up a large space near a rig, which is not desirable.
There are also other conventional methods for deploying an array having a plurality of seismic devices into a borehole without using a winch drum, such as deploying seismic devices one by one into the borehole. Such methods, however, are time-consuming and it may take, for example, 5 to 10 minutes per node or shuttle, to deploy such an array into a borehole.

Method and apparatus for deploying a plurality of seismic devices into a borehole and method thereof


A method is provided for fracturing a geological hydrocarbon reservoir, including the static fracturing of the reservoir by hydraulic pressure, and the electrical fracturing of the reservoir by generating an electric arc in a well drilled into the reservoir. This enables the improved fracturing of the reservoir.

The present invention relates to a device and a method for fracturing a geological hydrocarbon reservoir, as well as a method of production of hydrocarbons.
In the production of hydrocarbons, the permeability and/or the porosity of the material constituting the reservoir have an influence on the production of hydrocarbons, in particular on the rate of production and thus the profitability. This is in particular what is referred to in the article Porosity and permeability of Eastern Devonian Shale gas" by Soeder, D. J., published in SPE Formation Evaluation, 1988, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 116-124, which describes the investigation of eight samples of Devonian shale gas, originating from the Appalachians. In particular, this article explains that the production of this shale gas presents the difficulty that the reservoir (i.e. the material constituting the reservoir) has low permeability.
Thus, various techniques exist for facilitating the rate of production of hydrocarbons, in particular from a reservoir of low permeability and of low porosity. These techniques consist of fracturing the reservoir statically or dynamically.
Static fracturing is a targeted dislocation of the reservoir, by injecting a fluid under very high pressure to crack the rock. Cracking is effected by a mechanical "stress" originating from hydraulic pressure obtained by means of a fluid injected under high pressure from a well drilled from the surface. It is also called "hydrofracturing" or "hydrosiliceous fracturing" (or else "frac jobs", or more generally "fracking", or "massive hydraulic fracturing"). Document US 2009/044945 A1 in particular presents a method of static fracturing as described above.
Static fracturing has the drawback that the fracturing of the reservoir is generally unidirectional. Thus, only the hydrocarbon present in the portion of the reservoir around a deep but highly localized crack is produced more quickly.
To obtain more diffuse fracturing, dynamic fracturing, or electrical fracturing, has been introduced. Electrical fracturing consists of generating an electric arc in a well drilled in the reservoir (typically the production well). The electric arc induces a pressure wave which damages the reservoir in all directions around the wave and thus increases its permeability.
Several documents discuss electrical fracturing. For example, document U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,758 presents a method consisting of generating an electro-hydraulic shock wave in a liquid in the wellbore to improve petroleum recovery. Document U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,978 suggests following the shock wave with an ultrasonic wave. Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,164 also describes a method of generating a plasma blast and thus fracturing a rock, but in the case of a borehole of small depth, for a mining application and not for production of hydrocarbons. Documents U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,651,311 and 4,706,228 present a device for generating an electric discharge with electrodes in a chamber containing an electrolyte, in which the electrodes are not subject to erosion by the plasma of the discharge. Document WO 2009/073475 describes a method of generating an acoustic wave in a fluid medium present in a well with a device comprising two electrodes between an upper packer and a lower packer defining a confined space. According to this document, the acoustic wave is maintained in a non-"shock wave" state in order to improve the damage, without however explaining the differences between "ordinary" acoustic wave and "shock" wave.
None of these documents produces entirely satisfactory fracturing of the reservoir. There is therefore a need for improved fracturing of a hydrocarbon reservoir.
For this, a method is proposed for fracturing a geological hydrocarbon reservoir, in which the method comprises a static fracturing of the reservoir by hydraulic pressure, and an electrical fracturing of the reservoir by generating an electric arc in a well drilled in the reservoir. According to the examples, the method can comprise one or more of the following features:                the static fracturing precedes the electrical fracturing;        the well is horizontal;        the electrical fracturing is repeated in various treatment zones along the well;        in each treatment zone, several arcs are generated in succession, preferably said arcs induce a pressure wave the rise time a rise time of which is decreasing;        in each treatment zone, the arcs are generated at a frequency equal to the resonance frequency of a material to be fractured in the reservoir;        the arcs are generated at a frequency below 100 Hz, preferably below 10 Hz, and/or above 0.001 Hz, preferably above 0.01 Hz;        the reservoir has a permeability below 10 microdarcy;        the reservoir is a shale gas reservoir.        the electrical fracturing is generated by a fracturing device which comprises two packers that between them define a confined space in a well drilled in the reservoir; a pump for increasing the pressure of a fluid in the confined space; an apparatus for heating the fluid; at least one pair of two electrodes arranged in the confined space; and an electric circuit for generating an electric arc between the two electrodes, the circuit comprising at least one voltage source connected to the electrodes and an inductance between the voltage source and one of the two electrodes;        the inductance is an adjustable inductance coil, preferably between 1 μH and 100 mH, more preferably between 10 μH and 1 mH;        the distance between the electrodes is adjustable, preferably between 0.2 and 5 cm, more preferably between 1 and 3 cm;        the voltage source comprises a capacitor with an adjustable capacitance;        the voltage source comprises a Marx generator.
A method is also proposed for fracturing a geological hydrocarbon reservoir previously fractured statically by hydraulic pressure, in which said method comprises an electrical fracturing of the reservoir as described above. A method is also proposed for the production of hydrocarbons comprising the fracturing of a geological hydrocarbon reservoir by the method described above.

Electrical and static fracturing of a reservoir

UNIVERSITE DE PAU ET DES PAYS DE L'ADOUR


An actuating control device for use between a printer head and an actuating and transmitting device includes a path planning unit, a feedback unit, a proportional-integral controller and a feed forward controller. The path planning unit issues a position command value and a speed command value. The feedback unit generates a position feedback signal and a speed feedback signal according to the position and the speed of the printer head. The proportional-integral controller generates a first control signal according to the difference between the position command value and the position feedback signal and the difference between the speed command value and the speed feedback signal. The feed forward controller generates a second control signal according to a computation on the speed command value. The printer head is driven to move by the actuating and transmitting device in response to the first control signal and the second control signal.

Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic diagram of some components contained in an inkjet printer is illustrated. The supporting pedestal 11 of the inkjet head 10 is driven by the motor 12, the gear set 13 and the belt 14 to linearly move along the gliding rod 19 back and forth. In such manner, the inkjet head 10 is moved to the desired positions for performing the printing tasks. For actually realizing the position of the inkjet head 10 by the control unit (not shown in this drawing), the optical encoder 15 which is carried on the supporting pedestal 11 generates a position feedback signal and a speed feedback signal according to the graduations of the optical ruler 16. In response to the position feedback signal and the speed feedback signal, the control unit generates a control signal to control movement of the inkjet head 10.
Please refer to FIG. 2, which is a functional block diagram illustrating the control unit of the inkjet printer. According to a computation associated with the position command value and the speed command value outputted from the path planning unit 20, the proportional-integral-differential (PID) controller 21 issues a control signal to the actuating device 22 such as the motor 2 described above. An exemplified control signal is a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal. In response to the control signal, the mechanical installation 23 including for example the gear set 13, the belt 14 and the inkjet head 10 as described above is driven by the actuating device 22. The position feedback signal and the speed feedback signal generated by the feedback unit 24, which includes the optical encoder 15 and the optical ruler 16 as described above, are fed back to the input end of the PID controller 21. According to the difference between the position command value and the position feedback signal (i.e. the position error signal) and the difference between the speed command value and the speed feedback signal (i.e. the speed error signal), the PID controller 21 issues the control signal to control the driving force of the actuating device 22.
As previously described, the control signal is generated from the PID controller 21 according to the position error signal and the speed error signal. Under this circumstance, these error signals should be large enough to generate sufficient voltage of the control signal to drive the actuating device 22. Therefore, the control unit of the inkjet printer has some drawbacks such as a slow response speed and a large speed error signal.
In views of the above-described disadvantages resulted from the prior art, the applicant keeps on carving unflaggingly to develop an actuating control device according to the present invention through wholehearted experience and research.


A method of and register for obtaining information required to contact a communications unit is disclosed. The method includes: accessing a accessor location register, containing uniform resource names (URNs) cross referenced to uniform resource locators (URLs), to determine whether a URL corresponding to a URN for the communication unit is available; when the URL is available; initiating, using the URL, a first contact attempt with the communications unit; and contacting, using the URN, a home location register to validate the URL; and when the URL is not available; contacting, using the URN, the home location register to obtain the URL and then, using the URL, initiating a second contact attempt with the communications unit.

The present invention relates to communications systems that provide service to communications units over a plurality of coverage areas and more specifically to providing contact information for such a unit identified by a uniform resource name (URN).
Communications systems that provide service to communications units over a plurality of coverage areas are known. Such systems include various Wide Area Networks such as present and planned cellular or wireless phone and data systems. Current versions of such systems include cellular phones or communications devices that have a phone number and normally have an associated home coverage area or area that the device or unit normally operates within known as the home area. Particulars regarding the device, billing information, and services available are found within the memory or database known as a home location register (HLR). When the device roams out of the home area and into another area it will register with that visited system. The visited system will contact the home system or HLR and obtain the appropriate information which is then retained in a local visiting location register (VLR).
When the unit comes within the home coverage area and is activated or powered on, it registers with the system and the unit phone number or other information is recognized and services provided according to the information within the home location register. When the unit is activated in the visited coverage area and registers with that system it normally will be recognized as a visitor to the system. The device particulars such as phone number are sufficient for the visited system to contact the proper HLR to obtain the billing information and services information which will be stored within the VLR associated with or local to the visited system. The HLR when contacted will be updated to include information that points to the VLR. When the unit originates a call the appropriate information will be available to provide correct services and collect and forward to the HLR proper billing information.
A second unit wishing to contact the unit will contact the HLR, if registered with the same home area, and be forwarded to the VLR. If registered with a different home area, the second unit will contact its local VLR and if no information related to the unit is found, it will be directed to the HLR and thus to the VLR. Thus second units registered with the visited system will be able to contact the unit directly while all others will have to go through the HLR suffering the inherent latency that entails. When the unit roams out of the visited system and registers with another system a new VLR will contact the HLR and the HLR will forward information resulting in the other VLR de-registering the unit and the HLR being updated to point to the new VLR. In essence there can only be one HLR and one VLR and any communications units that are not within the same coverage area as the unit they wish to contact will suffer some additional latency in call setup while the proper contact information is being collected or determined or located.
Communications systems such as GPRS or those being planned use or may use internet protocol addressing such as IP version 6 or IPv6 where units will have a unique uniform resource indicator (URI) or more specifically a uniform resource name (URN), for example, of the form urn:wireless:800-555-1234. A URN is a subset of URIs normally used to provide a unique name having persistence as an identifier for an entity. The URN as the name suggests provides a unique designator for a unit or entity and should not be confused with a uniform resource locator (URL) that may take various forms. For example, a URL corresponding to the above URN may be of the form sip:+email@example.com, or if the URN corresponds to a URL for an IP address, the URL may be of the form sip:firstname.lastname@example.com. A URL identifies a network location and a URL is again a subset of URIs. When a computer or unit or the like moves it will have a new URL but can retain the same URN. In these systems a problem of associating URNs and URLs will be with us much as the problem of associating phone numbers and locations is now with us.
What is needed is a method and apparatus for efficiently and effectively obtaining contact information and minimizing any session setup delays resulting therefrom.

Register for and method of providing contact information for a communications unit identified by a uniform resource name


A controlling method for an electronic apparatus is disclosed. The method comprises: detecting a location for vision of an eye on a display of the electronic apparatus; controlling the electronic apparatus to operate in a first mode if a time period for the vision stops on an objective on the display is not larger than a predetermined time period; and controlling the electronic apparatus to operate in a second mode if the time period for the vision stops on an objective on the display is larger than the predetermined time period. The electronic apparatus detects at least turning operation for a head comprising the eye and performs corresponding operation according to the turning operation in the second mode.

1 . Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a controlling method and an electronic apparatus utilizing the controlling method, and particularly relates to a controlling method and an electronic apparatus utilizing the controlling method, which detects turning of a head to perform corresponding operation.
2 . Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, a user can utilize their vision to control an electronic apparatus. FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B are schematic diagrams illustrating a prior art operation for detecting vision to control a cursor. Please note the left eye EL and the right eye ER in the dotted frame is an enlarged figure of a figure for viewing the left eye EL and the right eye ER in an X direction vertical to the head H.
The electronic apparatus 100 includes an eye tacking apparatus 103, which can be utilized to track vision of a user. In FIG. 1A, the head H of the user is parallel with the television and does not turn. The vision locates on the cursor Cr on the display 101 of the electronic apparatus 100, and the left eye EL, the right eye ER look at the cursor Cr as shown in the drawings in the dotted frame. In FIG. 1B, the user rolls the left eye EL and the right eye ER to the right, such that the eye tacking apparatus 103 detects such operation and the electronic apparatus 100 controls the cursor Cr to have corresponding displacement on the display 101.
However, in normal life people seldom performs the operation for rolling eyes up and down, thus if a user always utilize their vision to control the electronic apparatus, they may feel inconvenient or tired.

Controlling method and electronic apparatus utilizing the controlling method


In one embodiment, a cooling system is disclosed. The cooling system comprises: a cooling channel for receiving a cooling media, a substrate disposed near the cooling channel, and a fluidic jet disposed within the substrate and in fluid communication with the cooling channel. The cooling channel is for thermal communication with a component to be cooled. The cooling channel has a height of less than or equal to about 3 mm and a width of less than or equal to 2 mm. The fluidic jet comprises a cavity defined by a well and a membrane. In one embodiment, a method of cooling an electrical component comprises: passing a cooling media through a cooling channel, drawing the cooling media into one or more of the fluidic jets, expelling the cooling media from the one or more fluidic jets into the cooling channel, and removing thermal energy from the electrical component.

In the field of electronic devices there is generally continuous consumer demand for enhanced processing capabilities and size reduction. For example, manufacturers of portable computers (e.g., laptop computers) strive to increase computing functions and reduce size. This is also true in portable electronics, such as personal digital assistants (PDA's), and so forth.
To provide for these demands, electronics manufacturers continue to develop manufacturing method for increasing the density of electrical components that can be disposed on integrated circuits. For example, methods for producing microprocessors have been developed that can produce up to millions of transistors within one square millimeter.
As a result of these innovations in electronics manufacturing technology, thermal management of integrated circuits has developed into an area of great interest. This is due to the fact that integrated circuits can generate an excessive amount of heat, which can hinder their performance and/or cause irreversibly damage. In addition, or alternatively, hot-spots can form within localized areas of the integrated circuit that can cause localized failure. In these specific circumstances, it can be challenging to remove the thermal energy from the portion of the chip that is generating the heat.
Although various methods for integrated circuit cooling have been employed (e.g., cooling fans mounted on microprocessors, heat sinks mounted on microprocessors, and so forth), the technologically advanced integrated circuits being developed necessitate improved cooling systems capable of removing a greater amount of thermal energy per unit area.

Cooling systems employing fluidic jets, methods for their use and methods for cooling


Disclosed are conductive composites comprising a polymer, a conductor selected from metals and metal alloys, a compatibilizing agent, and an optional thickening agent.

A conductive composite, broadly defined, is any composite having significant electrical or thermal conductivity. Such composites contain an electrically conducting phase dispersed in a polymeric resin. The unique properties of such composites make them technologically superior to or more cost effective than alternative materials in a variety of applications. As a result, conductive composites have a broad range of uses in areas such as telecommunications, power generation and distribution, defense, aerospace, medicine.
In the context of using conductive composites, conductivity is not only significant, but is typically a primary characteristic of the composite. The conductivity of the materials varies by use. For certain applications, composites that have an effective sheet resistance of less than 100 Ohm/sq are important.
Conductive composites are commonly manufactured by and/or properties are achieved by incorporating a polymeric material with solid conductive particles. To achieve sufficient conductivity, i.e., to reach percolation, high particle loadings, typically in excess of 45 volume %, are often needed. The polymers used with these particle loading levels are normally rigid materials. As a consequence, these particle loading levels result in conductive films and coatings that have properties such as elongation at break, tensile strength, and thermal stability that make them inappropriate or difficult to use. Solutions to this problem that employ liquid metal suffer from leakage of the metal from the polymer matrix.
There also exists a need for conductive polymer coatings and films having a wide operating temperature range.
Therefore, there is a need for composites that are conductive, avoid leakage of the metal from the polymer, and have characteristics that permit a wide variety of uses under different environmental conditions, i.e., elongation, tensile strength, and thermal stability.


Novel, edible, pressure molded proteinaceous wafer, waffle, inclusion ingredient, and cookie food products are derived utilizing an engineered batter formulation of proteinaceous materials, water, oils/fats, flavors, and select percentages of carbohydrates. The batter has a specific mass balance ratio that allows the wafers to be consistently manufactured on process equipment that was designed for carbohydrate wafer, waffle, or cookie processing. The novel engineered mass balance-based protein formulation provides a batter that can be pumped, utilizes standard steam port pressure relief systems, and results in a final food product that has marketable organoleptic qualities as a component in fabricated protein bars/snacks, confections, as an inclusion in other foods, or as an independent snack food, frozen breakfast food, cookie, or cone product.

Currently, all molded, baked, wafer-waffle-cookie food products are made from high carbohydrate/fat/lecithin/water batter formulations, processed on expensive continuous process lines, utilizing molding plate and drum technology, including but not limited to large scale commercial equipment from Hebenstreit and Franz Haas. Such specialized process equipment systems have been designed for mixing, pumping, applying (depositing), molding, baking, and processing high carbohydrate-based batters and resulting final molded food products including bars/cones/confections/inclusions/waffles/wafer cookies/pizzelles/fortune cookies. High protein batters and resulting food products cannot be easily processed on this equipment due to the fact these highly engineered standardized process systems have been designed specifically for handling high carbohydrate/water/fat/oil/lecithin batters having known properties.

Pressure molded proteinaceous wafers, ingredient inclusions, cookies, and waffle food products; pressure molding process method, mass balanced and viscosity specific batter for the manufacture of these food products, and final proteinaceous food products derived ut


A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for query simplification by applying generalized inference propagation and generalized transitive closure in SQL queries having selection, projection, join, outer join, and intersection operations. The disclosed transformations and enumeration method unify and solve the problems of 1) unnesting join aggregate queries, and 2) complete enumeration of queries containing outer joins, when the outer join predicate references an aggregated value, or the predicate references more than two base relations in a query subtree. The system first eliminates redundant sub-expressions and modifies expensive binary operations to inexpensive binary operations, then converts complex predicates to simple predicates by application of a generalized selection (GS) operator.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to database management systems performed by computers, and in particular, to a method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for the reordering of complex structured query language (SQL) queries involving GROUPBYs, joins, outer joins and full outer joins.
2. Description of Related Art
The current state-of-the-art in query optimization has few results for optimizing query expressions involving GROUPBYs, joins, outer joins, and full outer joins specified with predicates that either reference more than two relations or reference columns generated by aggregations. Several researchers have performed work in this area, as reflected in the following publications, all of which are incorporated by reference herein:
Bhargava, G., Goel, P. and Iyer, B., "Reordering of complex queries involving joins and outer joins," IBM Technical Report TR03.567, July 1994, (hereinafter referred to as "BHAR94!");
Bhargava, G., Goel, P. and Iyer, B., "Hypergraph based reorderings of outer join queries with complex predicates," SIGMOD, 1995, pp. 304-315, (hereinafter referred to as "BHAR95!");
Ganski, R., and Wong, H. K. T., "Optimization of nested SQL queries revisited," SIGMOD, 1987, (hereinafter referred to as "GANS87!");
Galindo-Legaria, C., and Rosenthal, A., "How to extend a conventional optimizer to handle one- and two-sided outerjoin", Proceedings of Data Engineering, pp. 402-409, 1992, (hereinafter referred to as "GALI92a!");
Harinarayan, V. and Gupta, A., "Optimization using tuple subsumption", ICDT, Prague, January 1995, (hereinafter referred to as "HARI94!");
Levy, Alon Y., Mumick, I.S. and Sagiv, Y., "Query optimization by predicate move-around", VLDB, pp. 96-107, 1994, (hereinafter referred to as "LEVY94!");
Muralikrishma, M., "Improved Unnesting Algorithms for Join Aggregate SQL Queries", Proceedings of 18th VLDB Con., pp 91-102, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 1992, (hereinafter referred to as "MURA92!");
Pirahesh, H., Hellerstein, J. M. and Hasan, W., "Extensible/rule based query rewrite optimization in tarburst," SIGMOD, pp. 39-48, San Diego, Calif., June 1992, (hereinafter referred to as "PIRA92!"); Paulley, G. N. and Larson, P-A., "Exploiting uniqueness in query optimization," CASCON, pp. 804-822, Vol. II, October 1993, (hereinafter referred to as "PAUL93!");
Selinger, P. G., Astrahan, M. M., Chamberlin, D. D., Lorie, R. A. and Price, T. G., "Access path selection in a relational database management system," SIGMOD, pp. 23-34, 1979, (hereinafter referred to as "SELI79!").
However, there are numerous problems in the above prior art techniques. More specifically, BHAR94! and BHAR95! have proposed algorithms to reorder queries containing outer join predicates that reference two or more relations, but their work can only do partial reorderings and cannot reorder join aggregate queries.
With regard to join aggregate queries, consider the following query:
View V.sub.1 :
SELECT R.sub.1.a AS a, R.sub.2.a AS b, c=count(R.sub.1) PA1 FROM R.sub.1, R.sub.2 PA1 WHERE R.sub.1.b .theta..sub.1 R.sub.2.b PA1 GROUPEY R.sub.1.c, R.sub.2.d PA1 SELECT R.sub.3.a, R.sub.4.b, R.sub.2.b PA1 FROM (SELECT * FROM V.sub.1 LEFTOUTERJOIN R.sub.3 ON R.sub.3.b .theta..sub.2 V.sub.1.c), R.sub.4 PA1 WHERE R.sub.4.b=V.sub.1.b PA1 SELECT R.sub.1.a FROM R.sub.1 WHERE R.sub.1.b.theta..sub.1 PA1 (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM R.sub.2 WHERE R.sub.2.c=R.sub.1.c AND R.sub.2. d .theta..sub.2 PA1 (SELECT COUNT(*) FROM R.sub.3 WHERE R.sub.2.e=R.sub.3.e AND R.sub.1.=R.sub.3 f)), PA1 SELECT INTO TEMP R.sub.1.key, R.sub.1.a, R.sub.2.key, R.sub.2.b FROM (SELECT * FROM R.sub.1 LEFTOUTERJOIN R.sub.2 ON R.sub.1.c=R.sub.2.c), R.sub.3 LEFTOUTERJOIN R.sub.2.e=R.sub.3.e AND R.sub.1.f=R.sub.3.f GROUPBY R.sub.1.key, R.sub.1.a, R.sub.2.key, R.sub.2.b HAVING R.sub.2.d.theta..sub.2 count(R.sub.3.key) PA1 SELECT R.sub.1.a FROM TEMP GROUPBY R.sub.1.key HAVING R.sub.1.b .theta..sub.1 count (R.sub.2.key)
Querv 1:
where .theta..sub.1, .theta..sub.2 .epsilon.{=, .noteq., .gtoreq., .ltoreq., <, >}. The outer and inner joins specified in the above query cannot be reordered by the existing methods. This follows from the fact that view V.sub.1 cannot be merged with the rest of the query because it contains a column (column c) that is generated by an aggregation operator. Hence, the join specified in view V.sub.1 cannot be reordered with other outer and inner joins specified in the query.
Join-aggregate queries are known to be much more complex. Consider the following co-related join-aggregate query:
where .theta..sub.1, .theta..sub.2 .epsilon.{=, .noteq., .gtoreq., .ltoreq., <, >}. Typical commercial relational data base management systems (RDBMS) execute the above co-related query using Tuple Iteration Semantics (TIS), wherein for every tuple in R.sub.1, first, tuples in R.sub.2 are selected by applying predicate R.sub.2.c=R.sub.1.c and then each selected tuple in relation R.sub.2 in turn, along with the tuple in R.sub.1, is substituted in predicate R.sub.2.e=R.sub.3.e and R.sub.1.f=R.sub.3.f in order to first select and then count the selected tuples in relation R.sub.3. This process is repeated for every tuple in R.sub.1 resulting in a very inefficient processing strategy.
Prior work by GANS87! and MURA92!, incorporated by reference herein, proposed a method to unnest the above query and to transform it into the following two queries that employ outer joins and do not require TIS:
Ouery 2:
Ouery 3:
One difficult problem in query optimization has been the inability to unnest join aggregate queries. While the transformation of such a query to an outer join is known, existing methods cannot reorder the left outer joins specified in Query 2 because of the complex predicate R.sub.2.e=R.sub.3.e and R.sub.1.f=R.sub.3.f. In addition, the prior art has not described how to perform complete enumeration of queries containing outer joins, when the outer join predicate references an aggregated value, or the predicate references more than two base relations in a query subtree. The problem is important since hierarchical schemas are often found in the schemas translated from hierarchical legacy data bases used for RDBMS-based data warehousing applications and object oriented data bases.
Therefore, for more efficient processing of complex SQL queries, there is a need for reordering complex SQL queries that contain GROUPBYs, inner and outer joins.

Reordering of complex SQL queries involving groupbys, joins, outer joins and full outer joins

International Business Machines Corporation


A distillate fuel composition for reducing nickel corrosion in internal combustion engine by contaminants in the motor fuel such as sulfuric acid, alkyl sulfate esters, comprising a motor fuel and a combination of at least one 2,5 dihydrocarbyldithio-1,3,4 thiadiazole of the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are independently H or R.sub.3 S, where R.sub.3 is a hydrocarbyl group containing from 1 to 16 carbon atoms with the proviso that at least one of R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 is not hydrogen, and an adduct of benzotriazole or tolyltriazole and an amine.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to distillate fuel compositions of reduced nickel corrosivity containing additives.
2. Description of the Related Art
Acidic sulfur species such as sulfonic acids, alkyl sulfate esters and sulfuric acid contained in hydrocarbon streams are corrosive and damaging to metal equipment, particularly nickel and nickel alloys such as Monel (70% Ni/30% Cu). Acidic sulfur compounds may be present in varying concentrations in refined fuel products that comprise in whole or in part alkylate product. Alkylate product may sometimes contain small amount of corrosive sulfur compounds. The compounds are usually alkyl sulfate esters formed by the addition of sulfuric acid to the olefin in the alkylation process. These resulting esters can hydrolyzed in the presence of heat and water to sulfuric acid and alcohol. Formation of these alkyl esters is inherent in the alkylation mechanism; however, under proper operating conditions the reaction is of only minor importance. The sulfuric acid resulting from the decomposition of even these minor concentrations of esters has a particularly corrosive effect on equipment such as nickel director in engine injection system, nickel parts in in-tank fuel pump in motor vehicles, etc.
Corrosion of silver, copper and copper alloy by elemental sulfur in fuels is controlled by use of additives. These additives are either sulfur scavengers or metal deactivators that coat metal surfaces thus preventing attack of the surface by sulfur or sulfur species.
Up to now, however, no commercial corrosion inhibitors were known that were suitable for preventing corrosion of nickel from acidic sulfurous species such as sulfuric acid, sulfurous acid or alkyl sulfate esters. Nickel parts are common in internal combustion engines and in the fuel systems for such engines.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,663,561 discloses useful 5-mercapto-2-hydrocarbyldithio-1,3,4-thiadiazoles and their preparation thereof. This type of compound is well known to have the ability to inhibit corrosion of copper, brass and silver metal parts from elemental sulfur. The commercially available Elco 461, a 2,5-(bis)-(hydrocarbyldithio-1,3,4-thiadiazole, Hitec 4313, Hitec 4312 and Tolad 9717 fall in this category.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,720 discloses oil soluble adducts of a triazole and a basic nitrogen compound (an amine) which are useful for inhibiting corrosion of copper and aluminum surfaces in fuel systems, and more particularly to such compositions and methods for inhibiting corrosion of copper and aluminum surfaces in petroleum-based fuel systems which contain elemental sulfur or sulfur-containing compounds, such as mercaptans. The triazole is benzotriazole or tolyltriazole. The amine is water-insoluble such as alkoxyamine with 2-15 alkoxy groups. The adduct is obtaining from tolyltriazole and bis (hydroxyethyl) cocoamine, bis (hydroxyethyl) octadecylamine, bis (hydroxyethyl)-2-ethylhexyl-amine or bis (hydroxyethyl) oleylamine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,787 relates to an additive composition for reducing silver corrosion in two-cycle engines running on gasoline containing elemental sulfur contaminant, the additive comprising a 2,5-dihydrocarbyldithio- 1,3,4-thiadiazole in combination with an adduct of benzotriazole or tolyltriazole with an alkoxyamine.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,465 discloses lubricating oils that contain a silver protective agent comprising: (a) a sulfurized olefin, sulfurized fatty acid, sulfurized hydroxyaromatic compound, sulfur heterocyclic compound, organic sulphide or dithiocarbamate, or (b) a product obtained by reacting a saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon-substituted dicarboxylic acid with a 1-15 carbon hydrocarbyl substituted aminoguanidine. The combination of (a) and (b) have a synergistic affect in reducing wear of silver bearings and avoid the environmental problems associated with chlorinated hydrocarbons. The oils are especially suitable for use in medium-speed diesel engines such as are used in railway locomotives, marine tugs and stationary power units.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,675 discloses a method for inhibiting the corrosion of metallic surfaces, particularly copper/nickel alloy surfaces in contact with aqueous system, comprising adding to the aqueous system being treated an effective amount of a polyphosphate in combination with an alkyl or alkoxy benzotriazole, tolytriazole or mercaptobenzothiazole derivative.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,276 discloses the combination of (di) amine adducts of benzotriazoles with overbased sulfurized calcium alkylphenolate. The additives mixture is useful as antioxidant and corrosion inhibitor in medium speed diesel lubricant compositions. There is no mention of the use of 2,5-hydrocarbyldithio-1,3,4-thiadiazole.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,634 discloses a lube composition encompassing (i) Mannich reaction product of benzotriazole, amine and formaldehyde, (ii) sulfur-containing compound, and (iii) metallic detergent.

Distillate fuel composition of reduced nickel corrosivity


A device for cleaning of crankcase gas including a centrifugal separator having a housing and a separation chamber in which a rotor is arranged. The separator is connected to a gas inlet for conducting crankcase gas from the crankcase to the centrifugal separator and a gas outlet for conducting the cleaned gas from the separator. A motor is arranged to rotate the centrifugal rotor. A sensor is provided for detection of a parameter and is arranged to communicate with the control equipment. The control equipment is operatively connected to a valve for adjusting the flow of gas through the centrifugal separator. The control equipment is arranged to change the position of the valve in response to a detected change of the parameter such that the gas pressure in the crankcase is maintained at a predetermined value.

One problem in connection with cleaning of crankcase gases in this manner is to maintain a desired gas pressure in the crankcase. A solution to this problem is disclosed in EP1532353 B1 which describes the initially defined device in which the centrifugal rotor is arranged by its rotation to suck crankcase gas from the crankcase to the centrifugal separator, wherein the control equipment is arranged to change the rotational speed of the centrifugal rotor in response to a sensed change of said parameter in a way such that the gas pressure in the crankcase is maintained at a predetermined value, or at a predetermined pressure interval, during the operation of the combustion engine. Accordingly, the known device maintains a desired gas pressure within the crankcase by changing the rotational speed of the centrifugal rotor. However, reducing the rotational speed of the centrifugal rotor will also reduce the separating efficiency of the centrifugal rotor.

Device and method for cleaning crankcase gas


An optical pickup device includes an astigmatism element which sets focal line positions to be defined by convergence of laser light away from each other, a diffraction element which diffracts four light fluxes obtained by a light flux of the laser light to disperse the four light fluxes from each other, and a photodetector having a first sensing section and a second sensing section which respectively receive m-th order diffraction light and n-th order diffraction light of the four light fluxes. In this arrangement, the first sensing section receives eight light fluxes obtained by dividing the four light fluxes of the m-th order diffraction light by two straight lines to output detection signals of the number less than eight.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical pickup device and an optical disc device, and more particularly to a technology adapted to record/reproduce with respect to a recording medium having laminated recording layers.
2. Disclosure of Related Art
In recent years, as the capacity of an optical disc has been increased, an optical disc having an increased number of recording layers has been developed. Laminating recording layers in a disc enables to considerably increase the data capacity of the disc. In the case where recording layers are laminated, generally, two recording layers are laminated on one side of a disc. Recently, however, laminating three or more recording layers on one side of a disc has been put into practice to further increase the capacity of the disc. Thus, the capacity of a disc can be increased by increasing the number of recording layers to be laminated. However, as the number of recording layers to be laminated is increased, the distance between the recording layers is decreased, and signal deterioration resulting from an interlayer crosstalk is increased.
As the number of recording layers to be laminated is increased, reflection light from a recording layer (a targeted recording layer) to be recorded/reproduced is reduced. As a result, if unwanted reflection light (stray light) is entered into a photodetector from a recording layer on or under the targeted recording layer, a detection signal may be deteriorated, which may adversely affect focus servo control and tracking servo control. In view of this, in the case where a large number of recording layers are laminated, it is necessary to properly remove stray light, and stabilize a signal from a photodetector.
As a method for removing stray light, there is proposed a method using a pinhole. In this method, a pinhole is formed at a position where signal light is converged. In this method, an unwanted stray light component entered into a photodetector can be reduced, because a part of stray light is blocked by the pinhole. There is proposed a method using a half wavelength plate and a polarizing optical element in combination, as another method for removing stray light. In this method, a polarization direction of stray light is changed by the half wavelength plate, and the stray light is blocked by the polarizing optical element. This enables to prevent an unwanted stray light component from being entered into a photodetector.
However, in the method for removing stray light using a pinhole, it is necessary to accurately position the pinhole at a position where laser light (signal light) reflected on a targeted recording layer is converged. In this method, therefore, it is difficult to adjust the position of the pinhole. If the size of the pinhole is increased to easily adjust the position of the pinhole, stray light is more likely to pass through the pinhole, which obstructs the effect of suppressing signal deterioration resulting from stray light.
In the method for removing stray light by combined use of a half wavelength plate and a polarizing optical element, each two half wavelength plates and polarizing optical elements are necessary. In addition, two lenses are necessary to remove stray light. Thus, the number of parts and the cost are increased. Further, it is cumbersome to adjust the arrangement positions of these members. Furthermore, it is necessary to secure a space for arranging these members side by side, which may increase the size of an optical system.
In the case where a recording/reproducing operation is performed with respect to an optical disc of the above type, a servo signal such as a focus error signal and a tracking error signal is generated, in addition to a reproduction RF signal, based on current signals to be outputted from a photodetector. The photodetector includes a plurality of sensors divided each other so that a servo signal can be generated. Current signals to be outputted from the respective sensors are subjected to amplification and voltage conversion by I/V amplifiers. A reproduction RF signal and a servo signal are generated by summation and subtraction of voltage signals obtained by the above process.
However, an inherent noise is generated in the I/V amplifiers at the time of I/V conversion. The noise may be superimposed on voltage signals from the respective sensors. As a result, a reproduction RF signal and a servo signal may be deteriorated resulting from the noise.
In particular, since a reproduction RF signal is generated by summation of all the voltage signals from the sensors, all the noises generated in the I/V amplifiers may be superimposed on the reproduction RF signal. On the other hand, since the frequency of a reproduction RF signal is high, as compared with a servo signal, deterioration of an electrical characteristic of the reproduction RF signal is large, as compared with the servo signal. The deterioration becomes conspicuous, as the recording/reproducing speed is increased. If a noise resulting from an I/V amplifier is superimposed on a reproduction RF signal whose electrical characteristic is likely to be deteriorated, the S/N ratio of the reproduction RF signal may be seriously lowered. If the deterioration of the reproduction RF signal progresses, it may be impossible or difficult to compensate for the deterioration by an error correction circuit provided posterior to the I/V amplifiers. In view of the above, it is necessary to provide a measure for suppressing noise resulting from the I/V amplifiers particularly with respect to a reproduction RF signal.

Optical pickup device and optical disc device


An internal combustion engine control device is provided. An engine executes A/F oscillation that alternates between lean combustion and rich combustion every cylinder. If a reaction state between rich gas and lean gas inside an exhaust passage on the upstream side of a catalyst is judged to be low, the assignment of cylinders conducting lean combustion and cylinders conducting rich combustion is swapped, so that rich combustion is conducted by a #1 cylinder farthest away from the catalyst in terms of the length of the exhaust passage, and also so that lean combustion is conducted by a #2 cylinder closer to the catalyst than the cylinder that is farthest away.

Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to an internal combustion engine control device, and more particularly, to a device that has a function of controlling a fuel injection amount to promote warmup of a catalyst.
Description of the Related Art
In the related art, control of a fuel injection amount is conducted immediately after a cold start of an internal combustion engine, in order to rapidly raise the temperature of a catalyst for exhaust gas purifying up to the activation temperature. For example, in the device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H08-158858 (1996), when the catalyst temperature rises to the activation temperature after the internal combustion engine starts, a dither control that alternately increases and decreases the fuel injection amount (in this specification, referred to as A/F oscillation operation) is executed.
Under such a dither control, when oxygen is supplied by lean combustion and combustible content (such as carbon monoxide (CO)) is supplied by rich combustion, CO oxidation reactions increase inside the catalyst and inside the exhaust passage near the inlet of the catalyst, the catalyst is heated with the heat produced by these oxidation reactions, and warmup of the catalyst is promoted. Since the dither control is allowed only when the catalyst temperature is at or above a predetermined temperature, an escape of unburned components such as CO and HC passing through the catalyst is minimized.
With the device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-270584, in order to burn exhaust gas containing uncombusted gas inside the exhaust passage, a secondary air supply device is disposed only at the exhaust ports of a subset of multiple cylinders. The cylinders that supply secondary air may be any of the cylinders.

Internal combustion engine control device


The process is particularly well suited to the manufacture of composite materials, where a fibrous reinforcement texture is to be impregnated by a densifying matrix, and comprises the steps of:. preparing a slurry containing a solid charge in the form of finely divided particles dispersed in a carrier liquid, which preferably contains an organic compound, PA0 placing a substrate inside an enclosure, PA0 creating a vacuum inside the enclosure, and PA0 causing the slurry to pass through the substrate by means of a pressure difference.. Uniformity of charge integration is ensured by forcing the slurry to pass through the substrate several times, in successively opposite directions. The concentration of solid charge in the slurry can be determined as a function of an intended charge percentage by volume in said substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for uniformly integrating a solid charge, composed of finely divided particles, within a porous substrate.
A particular field of the present invention includes the manufacture of composite materials comprised of a fibrous reinforcement texture densified by a matrix filling at least a part of the texture's pores.
2. Prior Art
One known process for introducing a solid charge within a fibrous texture consists in impregnating the latter using a composition containing a solid charge in the form of finely divided particles in suspension within a liquid carrier.
For instance, document EP-A-0 130 105 discloses a process for manufacturing a ceramic matrix composite material by impregnating the fibrous reinforcement material first with a slurry containing a ceramic powder, and then with a fluid composition based on a precursor which, upon thermal treatment, yields a compound that is identical to the ceramic powder in suspension. The ceramic matrix is consequently formed by both the ceramic powder and the compound derived from the precursor. The use of a ceramic powder suspension in a slurry makes it possible to fill in a large part of the pores in the fibrous reinforcement texture, and thus accelerates its densification compared with the classical process involving successive impregnations with a matrix precursor.
Document FR-A-2 655 977 discloses a similar type of process in which impregnation by a slurry containing a suspension of ceramic powder is achieved by setting up a pressure difference.
There is also known from document FR-A-626 570 a process for the manufacture of a carbon-carbon composite material in which a metallic carbide charge is introduced into the carbon matrix. To this end, the carbon matrix is obtained by impregnating a carbon reinforcement texture with a pitch which is doped with metallic carbide in powder form, and which constitutes a precursor for the carbon matrix.
Among the aforementioned prior art processes, those that employ a slurry containing a powder in suspension for the purpose of densifying the fibrous reinforcement matrix do not allow control of quantity of powder to be integrated into the fibrous texture. Indeed, the latter is generally placed above a filter, while the slurry is admitted from above the fibrous texture, possibly by setting up a pressure difference. The powder contained in the slurry, and retained by the filter, gradually fills in the pores of the fibrous texture. Impregantion is stopped when the powder covers the upper surface of the texture. In this way, the pores are filled in as much as possible by the powder. However, it is not possible to achieve a partial densification by the powder with any degree of uniformity, since the powder accumulates in the parts of the texture lined by the filter.
Similarly, the process in which a carbide charge is incorporated in a pitch that constitutes the carbon matrix precursor does not ensure a uniform distribution of the charge within the resulting matrix.

Process for uniformly integrating a solid charge within a porous substrate


A flange with a shoulder piece that may be adjusted into different positions within a shoulder piece opening of a base piece. The shoulder piece includes a lip that catches a recessed portion of the base piece so that the shoulder piece is caught and held in position with the base piece. The base piece and shoulder piece may include complimentary indentations and protrusions so as to hold specific positions relative to one another. The base piece and shoulder piece may include base and shoulder screw holes so that the base and shoulder pieces may be screwed into a specific position.

Many piping systems include valves and/or valve and circulator combinations that require a flange to connect the pipe to the valve and/or circulator. When conventional one piece flanges are securely attached, there is often only one position the circulator may take with respect to the flange. As many work spaces are already small, or otherwise awkward, having only one choice in the positioning of the circulator may be problematic for future replacement. The circulator may be forced into a position that it is difficult or awkward to reach for maintenance, or the valve handle of the circulator isolation valve may end up obstructed in one or more directions by the circulator so that the handle cannot be turned all the way in one or more directions, thus affecting valve function.
Flanges are also typically used to connect circulators or other pumps to other parts of a piping system. In order to work properly, circulators must be oriented in a specific orientation so that the circulator motor is always in a horizontal position relative to the motor shaft. Damage to the motor can result otherwise. However, the flanges of a circulator volute are fixed and are oriented in either a horizontal or vertical plane relative to the circulator motor, which can make it impossible to replace a faulty circulator with one that a plumber or HVAC professional may have with him that has volute flanges oriented 90° from the flanges on the circulator that must be replaced. The plumber or HVAC professional may simply attach a new circulator of the same volute flange orientation to the existing flanges, but would need to remove and reattach the existing flanges in order to utilize a circulator he may have with him with a volute flange orientation 90° from the installed flanges in the system. It is usually more cost effective to simply install a replacement circulator of the same volute flange orientation.
There are currently two-piece flanges on the market that allow the orientation of the flange to be altered relative to the pipe. Unfortunately, when these flanges are used to attach circulators, the weight of the circulator can eventually force the circulator to rotate and become misaligned relative to other components in the system. Circulator motors must always maintain a horizontal position relative to the motor shaft, per manufacturers' instructions.
Therefore there is a need for a flange that allows a valve to be attached thereto in more than one position and that will not rotate from the weight of a circulator.