A radiation delivery system and method are described. The system includes a treatment configuration such as a stent, balloon catheter, wire, ribbon, or the like, a portion of which is covered with a gold layer. Chemisorbed to the gold layer is a radiation-emitting self-assembled monolayer or a radiation-emitting polymer. The radiation delivery system is compatible with medical catheter-based technologies to provide a therapeutic dose of radiation to a lesion following an angioplasty procedure.

The present invention relates generally to radiation delivery systems and more particularly, to a radiation delivery system and method for using the same for brachytherapy of benign, such as neointimal hyperplasia in coronary arteries (restenosis), or malignant proliferative disease.
Restenosis is the recurrence of blood flow obstruction in blood vessels previously treated by percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), a medical procedure that improves vascularization of occluded blood vessels using a number of techniques that include catheter-based balloon expansion, stent placement, rotational artherectomy, laser ablation, etc. Although the exact mechanism that results in the production of restenosis is unclear, it is believed to involve neointimal or adventitia hyperplasia (i.e., cell proliferation), vascular recoil, inflammatory processes, or some combination thereof initiated by PTCA. Restenosis is reported to occur in 30 to 50 percent of all PTCA procedures, and follow-up treatment results in increased patient risks, complications, and health care costs (see Tilkian, A. G., and Daily, E. K. Cardiovascular Procedures. Diagnostic Techniques and Therapeutic Procedures. C. V. Mosby Company, St. Louis, Mo. 1986, ISBN 0-8016-4965-X, hereby incorporated by reference).
Intravascular brachytherapy (IVB), a medical procedure involving the delivery of a therapeutic dose of radiation to a tissue portion subsequent to PTCA treatment, shows great promise in reducing the rate of subsequent restenosis.
Typically, a radiation delivery system (RDS) is used for IVB that includes a PTCA catheter-based device such as a stent, balloon catheter, ribbon, wire, etc. that has been modified to include an attached radioactive material. (see Alice K. Jacobs in xe2x80x9cSelection of Guiding Catheters, Practical Angioplasty, David Faxon ed., Raven Press, New York, 1993, hereby incorporated by reference). FIG. 1 shows a process flow chart describing the IVB process. Briefly, the RDS is used it irradiate a lesion following an angioplasty procedure. The RDS is inserted into the guiding catheter and into the body, and passes through the same blood vessels as during the angioplasty procedure. The RDS is positioned near the lesion and allowed to remain there until the radioactive element can provide a therapeutic radiation dose across the lesion.
Results from clinical trials indicate that IVB treatment of blood vessels with a radiation dose of about 15-30 Gray (Gy; 1 Gy=100 rads) significantly reduces the rate of restenosis after PTCA. Table 1 describes several radiation delivery systems that can be used for IVB.
Examples of the coated stent and/or balloon, and the liquid filled balloon, are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,698 to R. E. Fischell entitled xe2x80x9cBalloon Expandable Temporary Radioisotope Stent Systemxe2x80x9d, which issued Mar. 24, 1998. The ""698 patent describes an over-the-wire balloon angioplasty catheter having a balloon surrounded by a reversibly deployable stent system. The balloon can be filled with a radioactive liquid, or the balloon and/or stent can be embedded or implanted with a radioactive material, such as 32p.
Some delivery systems, like the one described in the ""698 patent, involve the insertion and removal of the RDS, while others include a detachable portion, such as a detachable stent, which remains in the body and continues to irradiate tissue after the rest of the device has been removed.
Radiation delivery systems are generally not manufactured at the treatment center, i.e. the hospital, clinic, or the like. This is unfortunate since the most desirable radionuclides cannot be used because they have relatively short half lives (hours) and would decay significantly during shipping. Radiation delivery systems are, therefore, limited to radionuclides with intermediate to long half-lives of days, weeks, or even longer.
Longer lived radionuclides have lower specific activities (SA), and present additional problems with RDS storage, handling and waste disposal. Some beta emitting and gamma emitting radionuclides and their specific activities are listed in Table 2.
There are clear advantages to a RDS that could be produced at or near the treatment center with short lived, high SA radionuclides. Short-lived radionuclides would allow administering the therapeutic dose over a short period of time, minimizing hazards to the patient, hospital workers, and anyone else handling the RDS. In addition, the clinician could select the treatment configuration of the RDS (balloon catheter, stent, guidewire, etc.) and the type of radiation (beta and or gamma radiation) at the treatment center and prepare the RDS immediately prior to use. The RDS geometry could then be based on actual patient parameters, such as the exact length of the lesion and vessel diameter, rather than the manufacturer predetermined parameters necessitated by offsite production.
Therefore, an object of the invention is a radiation delivery system that can deliver an effective dose of radiation to a tissue.
Another object of the invention is a radiation delivery system that can pass through narrow blood vessels.
Another object of the invention is a radiation delivery system that can be uniquely prescribed for a given patient and then manufactured and used at the treatment center.
Another object of the invention is a radiation delivery system that employs short-lived radionuclides with a high specific activity.
Yet another object of the invention is a radiation delivery system that remains intact after delivering a radiation dose to a tissue.
Still another object of the invention is a radiation delivery system that can be used for benign, such as neointimal hyperplasia in coronary arteries (restenosis), and malignant proliferative disease.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
In accordance with the purposes of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the present invention includes a radiation delivery system that includes a treatment configuration, such as a stent, balloon, ribbon, wire, or the like. The treatment configuration has a surface, at least a portion of which is coated with a layer of gold metal. One embodiment of the invention includes a radiation-emitting self assembled monolayer that is chemisorbed to the gold layer. Another embodiment of the invention includes a radiation-emitting polymer that is chemisorbed to the gold layer.
The invention also includes a method for preparing a radiation delivery system. The process may include providing a treatment configuration, such as a stent, balloon, ribbon, wire, or the like, coating at least a surface portion of the treatment configuration with a gold layer, and allowing a radiation-emitting self-assembled monolayer to form on the gold. A radiation emitting polymer layer can be allowed to form on the gold instead of the self-assembled monolayer.
The invention also includes a method for treating a patient at a treatment center with a radiation delivery system. The method includes determining the treatment configuration and type of radiation required for the patient; preparing a treatment configuration for the patient; covering at least a portion of the treatment configuration with gold; producing radionuclides at the treatment site; allowing a self-assembled monolayer to attach to the gold layer, the monolayer comprising a plurality of organic molecules, wherein each organic molecule has at least one sulfur-containing group, at least one chelating group capable of binding a radionuclide, and at least one radionuclide bound to said chelating group; attaching the radionuclides produced at the treatment center to the chelating group of the monolayer to produce the radiation delivery system; and using the radiation delivery system to deliver a therapeutic dose of radiation to a target tissue in the body.

The Regents of the University of California


A toner composition includes a thermoset resin, cross-linking agent, and optionally additives such as colorants. The thermally cross-linkable toner composition may be fixed, using standard fusing systems, to yield images that withstand rigorous processing conditions, such as, for example, the high temperatures reached in flexible packaging processes.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to thermosetting toner and developer compositions and methods by which such thermosetting toner and developer compositions can be prepared and used.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional toner and developer compositions for xerographic systems are prepared from thermoplastic resins. The molecular weight and structural characteristics, such as the degree of polymerization, polydispersity, segment distribution and branching, of conventional toner and developer compositions have been tuned to optimize fusing requirements and image characteristics. Conventional toner and developer compositions include thermoplastic resins, such as styrene-acrylic or polyester resins, and combinations of one or more pigments, charge control agents, release agents, and other additives, compounded together to yield toner and developer compositions. By selecting various homopolymers and copolymers, conventional toner and developer compositions possessing specific chemical, mechanical and/or triboelectric properties have been prepared.
Numerous processes are known for the preparation of conventional toner and developer compositions. For example, in conventional processes, a resin is melt-kneaded or extruded with a colorant, particularly a pigment, and the product thereof is micronized and pulverized to provide toner particles.
In recent years, greater flexibility in the selection of resin materials and the elimination of attrition and classification steps has been realized thorough the "chemical" fabrication of toners by the controlled, heteroaggregation and accretion of sub-micron resin emulsions and pigment dispersions to directly yield particulate toner compositions. There are several so-called chemical processes for making conventional toner compositions. In aggregation/coalescence processes for making toner particles, such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,309,787, the resin is prepared as a water-based dispersion of sub-micron-sized polymer particles (polymeric latex), which are then aggregated with pigment particles of sub-micron size to the desired toner size and are then coalesced to produce pigmented toner particles. The entire disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 6,309,787 is incorporated herein by reference.

Thermosetting toner compositions, thermosetting developer compositions and methods for making and using the same


An efficient and effective method and system for providing to a customer an audible call notification of a current call and a subsequently received call waiting call. The present embodiments notify the customer that a current call is waiting in an effective manner that reduces confusion. Confusion is reduced by the combination of audible call waiting indicators and audible caller identification information associated with the calling telephone station. Additionally, both the indicator and the representation of the information can be provided automatically without significant delay. The indication is provided even when standard caller identification information is not available by prompting the caller to provide spoken caller identification information. The spoken caller identification information is provided to the called party along with call disposition options, such as options to accept or reject the call, route the call to voice mail or send a sales refusal message.

The present invention relates generally to telecommunications call processing and more particularly to caller identification and call waiting features.
Telecommunications service providers typically offer services that attempt to provide customers with information that enables them to determine whether or not to accept a call before answering the call. Among these services that provide such information is caller identification (xe2x80x9cCaller IDxe2x80x9d) and Call waiting. Standard Caller ID services generally provide a customer with an indication of who is calling without requiring the customer to answer the call. These systems typically retrieve information about the calling party from a database and provide that information to the called party. Customer premise equipment (CPE) in the form of a display device is generally used to provide the called party with a visual readout of the name and/or telephone number associated with the calling party.
However, the effectiveness of Caller ID systems can be reduced due to a number of different occurrences. One such occurrence is the inability of a service provider to provide the standard Caller ID information for a particular incoming call. This may occur if the Caller ID information is blocked or the call is marked Private by the calling party, or if the Caller ID information is unavailable or incomplete.
Call waiting services generally notify a customer that is busy on a previous call that a current call has been placed to the customer. Call waiting services commonly utilize an audible tone that is transmitted to the customer, to notify the customer that the current call is waiting. When the customer is notified that the current call is waiting, the customer can decide whether or not to suspend the previous call to take the current call. Accordingly, information about the current call aids in the customer""s decision.
The effectiveness of Caller ID systems is limited when the called party receives a call waiting call. Some systems are configured to provide Caller ID information to the called party for the call waiting call. However, if the system is unable to provide the information for any of the reasons mentioned above, the called party has no way of identifying the source of the Call Waiting call.
When the standard Caller ID information cannot be provided, the called party is not adequately informed about who is calling and cannot determine whether or not to accept the incoming call before answering the call. For call waiting calls, this becomes particularly important because the called party must interrupt the ongoing call to answer the Call Waiting call. Because the effectiveness of Caller ID systems is greatly reduced when information cannot be provided, an improved system and method are needed for providing caller identification information that overcome these deficiencies.
Patent application Ser. No. 09/122,484, filed Jul. 24, 1998 and commonly assigned to the assignee of the present application, is incorporated herein by reference. This patent application discloses a method and system for providing a called party with audible caller identification information when standard caller identification information cannot be provided. When standard caller identification information cannot be provided, the call is blocked and a request for audible caller identification information is transmitted to the calling party. The audible information is subsequently transmitted to the called party.
This method and system are effective at responding to a first incoming call. However, calls subsequently received when the called party is busy in an ongoing call are either blocked by the current call or may be handled by standard call waiting systems. The standard call waiting system presents standard caller identification information. However, if the standard caller identification information cannot be provided, without placing the current call on hold, the called party has no information on which to base a decision to accept the call waiting call. The called party may wish to reject low priority calls but interrupt the ongoing call to accept higher priority calls. If the standard caller identification information cannot be provided for the call waiting call, the called party cannot effectively respond to the call waiting call.
Patent application Ser. No. 09/044,574, filed Mar. 19, 1998 and commonly assigned to the assignee of the present application, is also incorporated herein by reference. This patent application discloses a method and system for providing an enhanced call waiting message to a called party when the called party is busy on a previous call and receives a current call. The call waiting message includes a call waiting indicator and an audible representation of information associated with the calling party.
This method and system are effective at handling a call waiting call by providing audible information to the called party based on standard caller identification information. However, if standard caller identification information cannot be provided, the called party cannot effectively respond to the call waiting call.

Method and system for providing enhanced call waiting and caller identification


An improved stud removal tool comprises a cylindrical socket having an open end communicating with a coaxial cavity and a shank extending coaxially adjacent the socket opposite the open end, the shank terminating opposite the socket in an anvil end adapted to cooperate with a driver such as an impact wrench for turning the socket. A plurality of axially extending cams extend on the interior wall of the socket vary the radius of the cavity at evenly distributed positions. The cams radially engage an equal number of gripping jaws contained within a removable cartridge which is free to shift relative to the socket within the cavity. The cams thereby inwardly bias the jaws for gripping a stud inserted into the cavity between the jaws. The cartridge comprises a cylindrical unit made up of the jaws separated by resilient blocks bonded to the edges of the jaws and serving to space the jaws to keep them mated with the cams. The spacer blocks also radially bias the jaws outward against the cams.

1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to improvements to tools for tightening or non-destructive removal of threaded fasteners from objects, and particularly for removing studs protruding from objects sufficiently to grasp the studs about their circumference and to apply torquing force to rotate them. Still more particularly, this invention relates to sockets designed to axially surround the stud with gripping jaws which automatically contact the stud simultaneously in multiple locations about its circumference to apply thereto angular torque generated by a driver such as an impact wrench.
2. Description of Related Art:
Studs are lengths of rod threaded on one or both ends which serve as fasteners between objects in similar fashion to bolts. Unlike bolts, however, studs usually have no hexagonal head or other fixture adapted to cooperate with conventional wrenches for applying torque to the fixture to turn the bolt. Screwing or unscrewing threaded studs into or out of objects typically requires a tool adapted to apply angular torque to the axial perimeter of the stud at a point between the object and the end of the stud. Common hand tools adapted for the purpose include pipe wrenches which employ opposing toothed jaws to bite into the stud when angularly displacing an elongated, radially extending handle to apply angular force to the stud. Other hand tools, chucks or grapples employ different numbers of such jaws, three being the most common, radially forced against the stud using cams, as illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 3,371,562.
Impact wrenches employing pneumatic pressure produce impulsed angular force to overcome frictional resistance to rotation of the stud. Sockets for use with impact wrenches commonly rely upon differential rotation between the socket and a vehicle bearing gripping jaws and carried within an axially aligned cavity in the socket. Cams on the cavity walls mate with outer curved surfaces of the jaws as the socket rotates to bias the jaws radially inward and into frictional contact with the outer perimeter of the stud. Teeth borne on the inner surface of the jaws bite into the stud to enhance the gripping effect of the frictional contact.
For various reasons, available sockets provide less than satisfactory performance of this function. For example, Merrick, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,932,292 (Merrick I), and 5,152,195 (Merrick II), provide a plurality of jaws held within an open ended socket and biased outward against the cams by springs. Merrick I provides a positioning ring at one end of a trio of jaws, each of which has a lug protruding longitudinally into a radial slot within the ring. The positioning ring shifts with the jaws within the cavity to permit the radial slots to define and maintain balanced angular positioning of the jaws. Springs within the slots bear radially outward against the lugs to force open the jaws and to permit insertion of a stud into the cavity between the gripping surfaces of the jaws. Because of inevitable unbalanced tortional forces between each of the jaws, however, the lugs tend to shear off during rotational operation. This largely renders the tool inoperable because the jaws collapse inward and prevent insertion of a stud or fall out of place altogether.
Merrick II ostensibly offers an improvement by substituting for the positioning ring a hollow, cylindrical cage adapted to rotate with the jaws within the socket cavity. The cage carries one jaw within each of two opposing windows communicating through the cage walls. A resilient, circular wire forming a split-ring spring biases the jaws outward, the wire being carried in an annular groove longitudinally bifurcating the gripping surface of the jaws and the inner surface of the cage. If excess force is applied, however, such as where a stud is particularly hard to break out, the cage tends to continue its angular shift relative to the socket even after the jaws have gripped the stud and ceased shifting. This condition causes the jaws to slip out of the windows, further causing the cage to slip beneath one edge of the gripping surface of the jaws. This in turn applies radial force against the jaw, breaking either the jaw, the cage or both. A need therefore exists for a jaw configuration which will not break under adverse operating conditions and which has a reliable means to bias the jaws radially outward against the cams when not in use.
An additional problem of "bolt lock" arises with Merrick II and with any other such device employing one or more pairs of directly opposing jaws, especially where only two are present. The preferred method of loosening the jaws for removal of the socket from the stud is by simply reversing the torque applied by the driver. The cams thereby should reverse their angular shift relative to the jaws, increasing the radius of the socket walls at their contact with the jaws and decreasing the pressure applied until the gripping surface can slip on the stud. The biasing spring then fully retracts the jaws. When two opposing jaws lock into a grip on the stud, however, the radial forces applied by the cams directly oppose each other. This locks the cams to their bearing surface on the jaws, thereby locking the jaws to the stud and preventing loosening the jaws by reversing the torque. As reversing torque is applied, the tangential force in the socket walls at the cam contact point with the jaw is likely to cause the jaws to try to travel with the socket walls instead of causing the socket to turn relative to the jaws to relieve the pressure. If the jaws have shifted past this frictional "point of no return", reversing the torque only further forces the cam against the jaws, increasing the radial force against the jaws and the stud rather than decreasing it to permit the gripping surfaces to slip and unlock the grip. Giving the jaws a graduated thickness from one sidewall to the other helps deter bolt lock but does not prevent it, because sufficient thickness gradient to do so would create significant resultant tangential components to the biasing force of the cams, increasing shear forces applied to the stud and encouraging undesirable slippage of the teeth against the stud during operation. A large thickness gradient also requires unacceptably greater radial socket size to stud diameter. A need exists for a jaw configuration that functions effectively within a rotating socket without causing bolt lock.
Extraction of very large, heavy studs, such as those in the housing of turbine generators, often requires assistance of a crane to lift the studs using a sling or other device provided for the purpose. Likewise, the extraction tool for the job is heavy and, together with the driver, usually must be lifted into place using a crane. Field personnel have a tendency to use the extraction tool to lift the stud, however, without attaching the safety lifting sling. This creates a hazard that the jaws will spontaneously loosen and drop the stud, causing injury or damage. Such lifting is possible because radial forces tend to create significant friction between the cams and the jaws, even if the condition of bolt lock has not occurred. Nothing in the design of known socket jaw configurations prevents jostling from overcoming this friction and permitting the jaws to slip. A need therefore exists for a means of preventing reliance on the gripping surface to lift the stud.


Embodiments include systems and methods for detecting logical presence and location of modules, detecting physical presence and location of modules, and mapping the logical and physical locations together for use by the storage library. For example, when an expansion module is installed, it is connected to a network and it reports its logical presence and logical network location to a base controller in the base module. A robotic mechanism is used to trigger one or more presence sensors to detect physical presence and location of the installed expansion module. The base controller or another component generates and stores a mapping between the logical location and the physical location. The storage library can use the mapping to translate between logical and physical functionality.

Storage library systems are often used by enterprises and the like to efficiently store and retrieve data from storage media. In the case of some storage libraries, the media are data cartridges (e.g., tape cartridges) that are typically stored and indexed within a set of magazines. When particular data is requested, a specialized robotic mechanism finds the appropriate cartridge, removes the cartridge from its magazine, and carries the cartridge to a drive that is designed to receive the cartridge and read its contents. Some storage libraries have multiple drives that can operate concurrently to perform input/output (IO) operations on multiple cartridges.
In some storage libraries, cartridge magazines and/or drives are arranged in structural modules, and some storage libraries allow the modules to be added, removed, and/or rearranged. Proper functioning of the library may involve discovering which modules are present and in which locations. For example, the electromechanical systems of the storage library may interface physical devices in physical locations, while the logic and data processing systems of the storage library may interface with logical components at logical locations. Accordingly, it may be desirable for the storage library to be aware of which logical functions are available at which physical locations.

Module self-discovery in a storage library


Systems and methods for managing toilet training of a person are provided. In one aspect, a method for managing toilet training of a person is provided. The method includes packaging a toilet training product within a container. The method also includes enclosing a post-sale image within the container. The post-sale image is configured to enable a set of enhanced functionality within a user computing device. The set of enhanced functionality is configured to track and record toilet training milestones achieved by the person.

The field of the present invention relates generally to a package having an image associated therewith that is used to generate digital interaction and, more particularly, to a system and method for using images to generate digital interaction that includes a user computing device having a toilet training management application configured to recognize images and deliver augmented reality experiences to a child during the toilet training process.
Toilet training a child is a process conducted over weeks or months, and often involves many manual efforts involving both the parent and the child. When a child is physically ready for toilet training, the parent helps the child through the process of learning to control their bladder and bowel. Although a child may be physically ready to toilet train, the child may not be mentally enthusiastic about performing the recommended toilet training steps. To help the child through the process, a parent will often employ helpful techniques. Known techniques during toilet training include: ritualistic behavioral routine such as having the child sit on the toilet at regular intervals; positive reinforcement such as rewarding the child with a treat or praising the child after a particular achievement; and negative reinforcement such as scolding the child if the child is not willing to participate in some way.
One known problem with the toilet training process is a lack of willingness on the part of the child to participate in the necessary training events and rituals. For example, as a part of the training process, a parent may have the child sit on a toilet at various times during the day. This step both helps the child become acclimated to sitting on the toilet, as well as positioning the child for a potential event. If the child is resistant to this step, then the parent may try to coax the child with a promise of a reward. Or, the parent may give the child a book to occupy the child while sitting on the toilet so that the child will remain seated longer. But these techniques are often limited in their usefulness. Children can quickly tire of sitting on the toilet with just a book, or just a promise.
Another known problem with the toilet training process is parental unfamiliarity with techniques to assist with the process. A new parent may not know when to start a child toilet training, what steps can help in the process, how to engage the child with the process, or how to deal with a child who is uncooperative or disinterested in the process.
Thus, there is a need for a system that can both assist the parent with the toilet training process, as well as motivate the child to participate more readily in the toilet training process, inspire completion of milestones, and provide more compelling entertainment while engaging in the process.

Systems and methods for using images to generate digital interaction


A high concentration central receiver system and method provides improved reflectors and a unique heat removal system. The central receiver has a plurality of interconnected reflectors coupled to a tower structure at a predetermined height above ground for reflecting solar radiation. A plurality of concentrators are disposed between the reflectors and the ground such that the concentrators receive reflective solar radiation from the reflectors. The central receiver system further includes a heat removal system for removing heat from the reflectors and an area immediately adjacent the concentrators. Each reflector includes a mirror, a facet, and an adhesive compound. The adhesive compound is disposed between the mirror and the facet such that the mirror is fixed to the facet under a compressive stress.

The present invention relates to solar power plants. More particularly, the invention relates to a high concentration central receiver system having improved reflectors and a unique heat removal system.
As concerns over the environment, the deterioration of fuel sources, and energy efficiency continue to increase, solar power plants have become the subject of worldwide attention. In the development of solar power plants, high concentration central receiver systems have demonstrated a relatively high level of usefulness and are therefore quite popular. The conventional solar central receiver system has a "tower top" configuration in which a field of heliostats reflect sunlight onto a receiver mounted on a tower structure. The concentrated solar energy on the receiver heats a fluid, such as oil or molten salt, to high temperatures. This energy is then transferred to a boiler/heat exchanger to produce steam, which then powers a steam turbine to produce electricity. While this type of configuration has been shown to be useful for power plants, other configurations have proven to be more effective for large power plants, especially when operated with high efficiency, combined cycle gas turbines powered by both natural gas and solar energy.
One such configuration is the "tower reflector" configuration. One of the major features of this type of configuration is that special parabolic concentrators are located on the ground beneath the tower and reflectors are coupled to the tower structure at a predetermined height above ground for reflecting solar radiation. The tower-mounted reflectors redirect sunlight from the heliostats, to the parabolic concentrators which are located on the ground. The tower-mounted reflector is composed of a number of mirrors, coupled to a metallic facet (or heat exchanger) for support. Each parabolic concentrator typically has a special quartz receiver into which the concentrated light is directed. Air flowing through this receiver is air heated to a high temperature and then passes into the turbine combustion chamber, where it is further heated, before passing through the turbine to produce electric power by turning the generator.
It is critical that the tower mounted reflectors provide the light into the aperture opening of the parabolic concentrators at the appropriate angles under a wide variety of conditions. These conditions include temperature changes, wind variations, solar insolation levels, sun angles, etc. It is very desirable that the concentrators have very little loss due to "spillage" under these conditions, because conventional systems make no use of this wasted heat. The tower reflectors must therefore achieve high optical quality at a low cost. The tower reflectors must also be able to withstand high concentrations of solar energy and meet the optical requirements under a wide variety of environmental conditions. It is therefore desirable to provide reflectors having a good structural integrity and that are safe to operate. It is also desirable to enable the reflectors to be adjustable and configurable such that there is minimal loss of reflected light from the heliostats in harsh environments and over several decades.
A particularly difficult aspect of conventional solar reflectors relates to high operating temperatures, cost and breakage. Specifically, while various facet designs and heat removal systems have been designed for tower reflectors, a number of difficulties remain. For example, the conventional design has a small reflector area and uses small, high tensile strength, thick glass mirrors. Generally, these mirrors have been shown to be too costly for practical use in high temperature commercial applications. The conventional design is also prone to breakage, since the glass is held by "clips" such that there are slight stresses built up in the glass under nominal conditions. It is therefore easy to understand that such systems can impose relatively high levels of stress at local points under more severe conditions. For example, high stresses occur (especially when exposed to sand, dust and ice, since these can cause "ratcheting") when the glass expands and contracts due to exposure to diurnal cycles of high concentration irradiance, with high temperatures, followed by little or no irradiance and relatively cool temperatures.
The resultant expansion and contraction, with metal joints used to hold the glass securely for good alignment, can result in high local stresses and breakage. Since the glass is not otherwise constrained, it can fall, causing a significant hazard to equipment and personnel below. In particular, the falling glass can damage the high optical quality, relatively high cost Compound Parabolic Concentrators (CPCS) on the ground. These thermal and stress related problems are exacerbated further by the exposed clips, which can be subjected to over 50 to 100 suns (i.e., 50 to 100 kW/m2). Since the metal has a relatively high solar absorptivity, the operating temperature of the metal clips can be quite high, thus adding to the local thermal stresses already placed on the facets by the direct, concentrated solar flux.
The conventional approach also does not provide for adequate thermal control to prevent ice buildup. Ice buildup on high structures is a serious problem, since it can greatly increase the structural load, distort and damage the glass mirrors. If ice forms and falls onto the CPCs, further damage is likely to be caused to the system. It is therefore desirable to provide a design that ensures thermal control to prevent buildup.
Another aspect of the conventional design is that it uses a rectilinear support structure. Such supports do not offer the torsional stiffness inherent in geometries such as triangular shapes. The mass of material required, and the complexity of assembly (as well as cost) are therefore higher than for other geometric shapes. For example, the triangular design disclosed herein, is formed with a novel "geodesic dome" concept, that uses essentially equilateral struts arranged with novel attachment fittings to allow easy assembly of the support structure and adjustment of the facets.
In the more general case, for certain applications, mirrors are heated by incident solar irradiance and/or heat flux. This heating can cause damage to the mirrors or to the support backing structure. Furthermore, the optical quality can be degraded by changes in the radius of curvature, increases in the surface slope error, damage to the reflective surface, or warpage. The problem is typically solved by either selecting high tensile strength glass (at high cost), flowing a stream of air over the mirror, or using a fluid coolant. It is important to note that while conventional coolant-based heat removal systems are moderately effective in sinking heat away from the reflectors, other shortcomings remain. For example, the "spillage" area immediately adjacent the concentrators is also a considerable source of heat. Removing heat from this area would both improve the operation of the concentrators as well as provide additional heat to other systems (e.g., residential/commercial systems). As already mentioned, extreme cold or ice buildup can also cause problems. These problems include warpage of the facet or its support structure, changes in the facet cant angle, build-up of extremely high loads on the structure, or cracks in the glass. To mitigate concerns of extreme cold and ice buildup, an embodiment of the invention utilizing a fluid coolant heat recovery system can maintain adequate coolant temperatures to prevent formation of ice and protect the area from extreme cold.
In general, the mirrors must be adjusted to produce the beam positioning required by the application. This problem is typically solved by attaching multiple (most often, three) adjustable attachment fittings to the back of the mirror assembly. Also, for certain applications, the mirror assembly must be very light weight, and in some applications the mirror must be mounted in a location where access is difficult. For example, in the tower reflector case, the reflectors are mounted high above the ground (hundreds of feet high). Therefore, the reflectors must demonstrate exceptional long life and integrity, while at the same time being light weight and inexpensive.

Thermally controlled solar reflector facet with heat recovery


The present invention is directed to methods and compositions which employ an Arabidopsis VIP1 gene or VIP1-like gene from another plant species for purposes of increasing host plant susceptibility to Agrobacterium infection. Methods for increasing susceptibility of a host to Agrobacterium infection and methods for improving Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer are provided. Also provided are chimeric genes and expression vectors that, upon introduction into a plant cell, enable the plant cell to become more susceptible to Agrobacterium infection and thus better transformed via Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer. Transgenic plant cells and plants regenerated therefrom which overexpress a VIP1 or VIP1-like gene are also provided.

Agrobacterium elicits neoplastic growths on many plant species. This genetic modification results from the transfer and integration into the plant genome of a single-stranded copy (T-strand) of the bacterial transferred DNA (T-DNA) from the bacterial tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid. In planta expression of several oncogenic genes encoded by the T-DNA leads to formation of tumors1 and production and secretion of specific amino acid and sugar phosphate derivatives (opines) which are then exclusively utilized by the bacterium as a carbon/nitrogen source. Plant genetic transformation by Agrobacterium requires the presence of two genetic components located on the bacterial Ti plasmid: (i) T-DNA, the actual genetic element transferred into the plant cell genonme, and (ii) the virulence (vir) region composed of seven major loci (virA, virB, virC, virD, virE, virG, and virH), encoding most components of the protein machinery mediating T-DNA transfer (recently reviewed in refs. 2, 3-5).
The ability of Agrobacterium to infect eukaryotic cells is not limited to plants, and, in laboratory conditions, Agrobacterium has been shown to genetically transform yeast6-8, filamentous fungi and cultivated mushrooms9, and human cells10. Thus, Agrobacterium has been utilized as a model organism capable of a wide-range trans-kingdom DNA transfer. Furthermore, disarmed Agrobacterium strains that lack the wild type T-DNA, are widely used in plant genetic engineering11-13. One of the long-standing goals of these basic scientific and applied aspects of the Agrobacterium research is the increase of the transformation efficiency. To date, this objective has been addressed by modifying the Agrobacterium itself, e.g., introducing multiple copies of various vir genes14-16, or by optimizing tissue culture and inoculation techniques17.
While only the wild-type Agrobacterium T-DNA carries tumor-inducing genes, any DNA placed between the T-DNA borders will be transported into the plant cell nucleus (reviewed in ref. 19). This lack of sequence specificity implies that a T-DNA molecule itself does not contain specific signals for nuclear import and integration. Instead, this process is likely mediated by two Agrobacterium proteins, VirD2 and VirE2, which are thought to directly associate with the T-strand, forming a transport (T) complex20, 21. VIP1 (VirE2-interacting protein 1) is a recently discovered Arabidopsis protein, which is required for Agrobacterium infection.18 Nuclear import of the T-complex is most likely assisted by VIP1 that specifically interacts with VirE218 and may mediate its interaction with the nuclear import machinery of the host cell22.
Prior to the present invention, no endogenous host factors have been described that improve the Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer. The present invention provides methods for increasing host susceptibility to Agrobacterium infection by overexpressing in the host, the Arabidopsis VIP1 or other VIP1-like gene.

Increasing host plant susceptibility to agrobacterium infection by overexpression of the arabidopsis VIP1 gene


Disclosed herein is a composition comprising of resveratrol and/or derivatives thereof and/or functionally related compounds and benzoyl peroxide and/or derivatives thereof and/or functionally related compounds for the treatment of acne and other inflammatory or infectious skin disorders. Also disclosed are methods of treating acne and other inflammatory and infectious skin disorders using the compositions described herein.

Acne affects up to 85% of adolescents and causes significant morbidity.1 Topical therapy is the first line treatment for mild acne and can be used as adjunctive therapy for moderate to severe acne. However, undesirable side effects such as dryness, redness, and irritation from topical therapies such as tretinoin derivatives and benzoyl peroxide limit patient compliance.1,2,3,4,5
Acne pathogenesis is mediated by several factors including hyperproliferation and abnormal differentiation of keratinocytes, impaction of follicles forming a keratinaceous plug, increased androgens and sebum production, Propionibacterium acnes overgrowth, and the production of proinflammatory mediators.6
There remains a need to identify novel acne regimens and adjuvant therapies to address the limitations of current topical therapies.

Treatment of inflammatory and infectious skin disorders

The Regents of the University of California


An abdominal support article is disclosed for providing support to a user's abdomen. The abdominal support article includes a continuous tubular support band which encircles a user's abdomen, at least one left-front attachment component and at least one right-front attachment component on the continuous tubular support band, and a plurality of left support straps and right support straps which are to be wrapped around a user and attached to the attachment components of the continuous tubular support band. The at least one left-front attachment component and at least one right-front attachment component are specifically placed such that, in use, the abdominal support article is properly positioned to effectively simulate the bodily support normally provided by the transverse abdominis muscle. The abdominal support article may be incorporated into various support garments such as postpartum and post-surgical support garments and undergarments.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to abdominal supports, and more particularly to an abdominal support article for providing support around the abdomen, effectively simulating the bodily support normally provided by the transverse abdominis muscle. The inventive abdominal support article may be incorporated into various support garments such as postpartum and post-surgical support garments and undergarments, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Abdominal supports are well known in the art, and are typically designed to provide support and stability to a user's abdomen. Conventional abdominal supports are often present in the form of a linear panel such as a belt or wrap, which is wrapped around a user's abdomen and secured to itself. Such supports are often bulky and uncomfortable, and are difficult to adjust for a proper supportive fit. The designs of such supports are not conducive to providing customizable levels of support in different areas of the abdomen. Furthermore, while many linear abdominal supports serve to provide external stiffness to a user's abdomen, they fail to provide intra-abdominal pressure which is normally provided by the body's inner abdominal musculature.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,442,270 provides a surgical binder support comprised of a single panel of material which is wrapped around a user's abdomen and secured via Velcro strips 26, 28. Such a binder is not easily adjustable to provide useful support to different users of varying body shapes and support needs. U.S. Pat. No. 3,570,480 provides a linear medical corset to be secured around a user's abdomen. This linear support is wrapped around a user's body and secured to itself via Velcro tapes 32, 34. This configuration also provides difficulty in adjusting the corset to a user's body for proper abdominal support. U.S. Pat. No. 3,598,114 provides an adjustable rib belt which is linear in structure. It features a belt having two ends 12, 14 having tabs 18, 33 which overlap. The linear belt is thus effectively wrapped around a user's abdomen and attached to itself. Optimal support is not achieved with such a configuration. U.S. Pat. No. 3,603,316 discloses an abdominal belt 10 having ends 18 and 20. The ends 18, 20 are brought together and tightened via strips 54, 56, 58, and 60. Thus the linear belt 10 encircles a user's abdomen and is attached to itself. U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,163 provides a linear binder which is adjustable in the direction of their multiple parallel belts 20, 22, 24. These belts are stitched together, to form a panel. The binder is wrapped around a user's abdomen in a linear fashion such that the fastening strip 36 at one end of the binder attaches to section 12 at the other end of the binder. U.S. Pat. No. 3,812,862 discloses a waist-supporting garment having ribbon-like belts encircling the waist, with ends joined to each other by fasteners. U.S. Pat. No. 3,920,008 provides a linear support belt having a primary band and a secondary band, which are placed on top of each other. Each band is wrapped around a user's body and secured to itself. U.S. Pat. No. 6,921,375 provides a lumbar support having an inner belt and an outer belt specifically angled to support a particular region. The inner and outer belts are attached to each other and wrapped around a user's body such that each belt is secured to itself. U.S. Pat. No. 7,160,262 provides a linear abdominal binder which splits apart into two horizontally arranged support bands. The binder is wrapped around a user's body such that the bands are attached to each other at a user's front side. U.S. Pat. No. 8,430,830 provides a post-operative pressure garment which is present in the form of single panel of material which encircles a user's abdomen. The garment has Velcro strips thereon for securing the garment to itself. U.S. Pat. Appln. No. 2013/00116609 provides a linear support having fasteners 31, 32 for attaching the support to itself when wrapped around a user's abdomen. This structure is lacking in its ability adjustment or customization of fit to various abdomen shapes and sizes. U.S. Pat. Appln. No. 2013/0178744 provides a multi-strap lumbar support having a rear panel 123 and parallel support strips which attach to each other around a user's body (see FIGS. 8, 9). Again, this linear configuration requires that the straps of the support are attached to each other. WO/2007/041243 provides a single-strap belt for post caesarian section abdominal support. This single-belt structure requires that the belt's first end 104 and second end 106 are attached to each other.
It is clear that a need exists in the art for an abdominal support article which is capable of providing varying levels of support as needed in different areas of the abdomen. It would be desirable to provide such an abdominal support article which is non-bulky and comfortable while being easily adjustable to provide customized support and tension, and which simulates the support normally provided by a user's inner abdominal musculature, particularly during postpartum or post-surgical recovery. It would further be desirable to provide an abdominal support article which may be easily incorporated into a support garment such as an undergarment or the like.
The present invention solves these problems by providing a specifically designed abdominal support article which is designed to be highly adjustable, thus providing varying levels of abdominal support to a user's desired areas. A key feature of this invention is the presence of a continuous tubular support band to be worn around a user's abdomen. This support band preferably provides compression support to a user's abdomen, while serving as an attachment point for securing support straps around a user's abdomen as described below. Another key feature of this invention is the presence of a plurality of spaced apart support straps which are attached to a rear center panel of the tubular support band. As tension is applied to the support straps, they are laterally stretched from the rear center panel, around the user's sides, across the user's front midline, and are attached to the tubular support band at a desired location on the user's abdomen. Another key feature of this invention is the location of the at least one left-front attachment component and the at least one right-front attachment component on the continuous tubular support band, to which the support straps are attached. As described below, these attachment components of the tubular support band are preferably positioned approximately above the left and right anterior superior iliac spine of the user's pelvis. This landmark ensures that the inventive abdominal support article is properly positioned to provide optimal intra-abdominal support to a user's abdomen, as normally provided by the transverse abdominis muscle. This muscle is the deepest abdominal muscle and a main stabilizer in the abdominal region. When the integrity of the transverse abdominis muscle is compromised, normal body movements such as bending or twisting become difficult. Proper positioning at least one left-front attachment component and at least one right-front attachment component on the continuous tubular support band ensures proper positioning of the abdominal support article on a user's body, thus providing optimal support to the user. The new and useful configuration of the inventive abdominal support satisfies an unmet need in this field by providing enhanced comfort and adjustability, while also providing intra-abdominal support and pressure which is normally provided by the body's inner abdominal musculature.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,425,171 to Maupin provides the closest related art. Maupin provides a post-surgical abdominal binder for female patients. Maupin's invention provides a girdle or the like having cross straps 52, 58. However, it is noted that the structure of Maupin differs significantly from that of the present invention. First, Maupin requires that their cross straps are attached to a centerline of the binder's front section. A second end of each cross strap is then fastened to the binder's side section. Thus, the support provided by Maupin's device is achieved by pulling these centrally attached cross straps outward from a centerline of a user's abdomen, and toward the user's sides where they are attached. As stated in Maupin, their configuration serves to apply pressure to an incision area, optionally with the additional use of a cold pack, to reduce swelling at the incision area. It is clear that Maupin's design and strap placement results in a different type of abdominal support than that provided by the present invention. That is, Maupin's design provides a superficial level support to a surgical incision area, rather than effectively simulating the support and intra-abdominal pressure normally provided by the transverse abdominis muscle as desired by the present invention. The inventive abdominal support article is a clear improvement over what is known and currently used in the art.


A combination pressure regulator/drain check valve comprising a housing having an inlet, an outlet and a flowpath therebetween, the flowpath at least partially defined by a reciprocable plunger. One end of the plunger closest the inlet approaches a pressure regulator seat while the opposite end closest the outlet is engageable with a drain check valve seat. The plunger is normally biased toward the drain check seat.

It is well known to use fluid pressure regulators in irrigation systems in order to provide constant outlet pressure over a wide range of inlet pressures. The need for such regulators is particularly acute in low pressure systems because a slight variation in pressure along the system operating at low pressure causes a much greater variation in discharge than the same system operating at high pressure.
The assignee of this invention currently manufactures and sells fluid pressure regulators of the flow through type, having an inlet at one end of a tubular housing and an outlet at the other end of the tubular housing. A plunger seat is secured within the housing and is adapted to be engaged by a lower end of a tubular plunger assembly which is spring biased away from the seat (in the direction of fluid flow) so that under low pressure conditions, maximum flow through the regulator is permitted. In the event of excess pressure, the plunger is moved back by pressure within the diaphragm chamber (above the diaphragm) against the action of the spring (and against atmospheric pressure), toward the regulator seat to thereby throttle the flow through the regulator until the pressure is reduced to the desired level. One such regulator is described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,646. Other examples are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,543,985 and 3,890,999.
It is also known to use drain check valves in agricultural irrigation and many other liquid and gas flow systems. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,655,248; 3,874,404; and 4,674,000. A combination check and pressure relief valve is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,626,977. These valves are usually installed just upstream of respective sprinklers and prevent water from draining out of the sprinklers upon shutdown. In the case of sprinklers installed on a sloping field without drain check valves, all of the water in the lines downstream of the shut-off valve will drain out through the sprinklers at the low end of the field, often flooding that area. The drain check valve is designed to close at some preset pressure that is greater than what would be developed in the line due to elevation. For example, if a line of sprinklers has 32 feet of elevation difference between the head of the line and the tail end of the line, in order to keep the water from draining out of the line, the drain check valve would need to close at 32 feet.times.0.433 p.s.i./ft.=14 p.s.i. There are several drain check valves of this type on the market today, and a typical example of this device is that sold by the assignee of this invention under the name Nelson DCV and the Nelson DCVQC.
The disadvantage of such drain check valves is that they create a pressure loss slightly in excess of the pressure they are designed to check. For example, one drain check valve available from Nelson Irrigation Corp. will check 32 feet of elevation, but will also create 17-18 p.s.i. pressure loss when the sprinkler is operating. This means that the system must be overpressurized by 17-18 p.s.i., which translates into a significant increase in pumping costs.

Combination pressure regulator/drain check valve


A split seal ring having end faces that self-align in both the axial and radial directions is prepared by forming an opposing first pair of angled grooves extending from an inner edge partway across the seal ring inner diameter, and a second pair of angled grooves extending from the inner edge partway across the seal ring rear surface. In embodiments, corresponding grooves meet to form V-shapes. Additional grooves can extend from the outer edge partway across the inner diameter. Corresponding grooves extending from the outer and inner edges on the inner diameter can terminate at locations that are offset radially and/or angularly. By applying an outward force, the seal ring is split at the groove locations into split ring sections having mating end faces. The resulting end face geometry is sufficiently complex to cause both radial and axial realignment as the seal ring halves are mated together.

Mechanical shaft seals are used on a wide variety of machines, including pumps and the like, having rotating shafts that pass through housings. Typically, the mechanical seal is disposed in surrounding relationship to the shaft and creates a seal between the shaft and the housing by bringing two parallel, annular seal faces into sliding physical contact, where one of the seal faces is part of a stator seal ring fixed to the housing and the other seal face is part of a rotor seal ring that is rotationally fixed to the shaft. Normally, at least one of the seal rings (usually the stator ring) is axially slidable, and a positive pressure is maintained between the seal faces by a spring or other mechanism that presses the slidable ring toward the other ring. The seal rings are generally made from wear resistant materials such as silicon carbide. Nevertheless, the seal faces wear over time and require replacement.
Since installation or replacement of mechanical seals employing one-piece ring members is an extremely time consuming and complex operation, numerous assemblies with split ring members have been developed to facilitate installation and repair. Typically, the split ring members are formed by splitting one-piece ring members. In particular, each one-piece ring member is split by forming axial grooves at opposing locations on the inner annual surface (also referred to as the "inner diameter") of the ring member, whereby the grooves extend from the outer face (outer edge of the inner diameter) to the inner face (inner edge of the inner diameter) of the ring member. Once the grooves have been formed, pressure is applied in the radially outward direction at two locations separated by approximately ninety degrees from the grooves, whereby the pressure is sufficient to fracture and split the ring member along the grooves. Due to the symmetry of the ring, orientation of the grooves, and natural grain configuration of the ring material, the exposed end faces of the resultant seal ring segments are relatively flat and smooth. Any surface irregularities are usually nominal, and are solely the result of the grain structure of the seal ring material.
While split ring seal assemblies are recognized to possess highly desirable advantages, an important challenge in split ring seals is the radial and axial alignment of the split seal ring halves with each other. Typically, the seal is engineered to maintain a gap between the sealing faces that is less than 10−5 inches wide, so any misalignment of the split seal ring halves will significantly increase process emissions and seal face wear.
One approach that has been suggested for addressing this alignment problem is to form a pair of radial groves on at least one face of the seal ring, whereby the radial grooves are either curved, V-shaped, or otherwise non-linear. The resulting end faces of the split rings are shaped so as to be self-aligning in the radial direction. However, they are not self-aligning in the axial direction. A similar approach can produce end faces that are self-aligning in the axial direction, but not in the radial direction.
What is needed, therefore, is an improved split seal ring design that improves alignment of the ring halves in both the axial and radial directions.

Radially and axially self-aligning split seal ring


A holder for a safety razor is presented which also contains a sponge reservoir. The sponge reservoir is at one end of the holder and contains lubricating fluids within the sponge and reservoir. At the other end of the safety razor holder is a handle end which is slotted. A safety razor is placed in the holder by placing the razor blade head end in the sponge reservoir and the razor handle into the holder handle slot. When the blade of the safety razor is pressed into the lubricating sponge, the fluid keeps the blade relatively free of the corrosive effects of oxidation of the air, debris from shaving or other dulling factors. The blade may be lubricated by pressing it against the lubricated sponge as needed. The effect of using the safety razor holder is to keep blades sharper, to provide smoother and more comfortable shaves, and to allow the user to apply an appropriate amount of lubricating or softening oils to the razor blade.

This invention relates to the field of shaving with a safety razor. More particularly it relates to a new device for holding a safety razor which also serves as a reservoir for lubricating oil.
This invention is for use with the standard safety razor. A safety razor is generally T-shaped having a head and razor blade at one end and a perpendicular longitudinal handle. Safety razors are common throughout the world and there use is well known.
One of the problems encountered in using a safety razor is the dulling of the blade. Another problem with the use of safety razors involves the smoothness of the shave provided. One way for providing a smooth shave is to provide a lubricating oil to the face either through the razor itself or by separate application to the area to be shaved.
The 1986 patent issued to Hitchens involves a lubricant-applying mechanism used in conjunction with a safety razor. The Hitchens device provides a cumbersome yet useful means for applying lubricating oil to the razor end of a safety razor to insure a smoother and more comfortable shave. The instant device provides a holder which is separate and apart from the many types of safety razors now in use. The instant device allows the user to selectively apply an appropriate amount of lubricating oil to the individual safety razor without utilizing the cumbersome, yet effective, means shown in Hitchens.
Other United States patents have described holders for safety razors. However, these holders do not in any way keep the blade sharpened or lubricate the blade as does the instant device. The 1985 safety razor holder design patent issued to Iten (D277,434) as well as the 1988 design patent issued to Pokorny (D294,903) both show a device for holding a safety razor. However, the instant device provides not only an attractive holder for the safety razor but also a means for lubricating the razor and keeping the blade sharp.
If a safety razor is stored in a lubricating fluid when not in use, the dulling of the razor edge due to the corrosive action of elements normally found in water, air, and soaps will not occur as readily. It is an object of this invention to provide a holder for a safety razor which also provides a lubricating fluid to reduce premature dulling of a razor edge. Since the corrosive activity of the air, water or soap contributes greatly to the dulling of the blade, it is a further object of this invention to create a razor holder which will help keep the edge sharpened.
Since the razor and the razor holder may be used as needed or desired by the individual user, this device allows a user to apply the lubricating fluid to a safety razor on the basis of personal preference, as desired. It is a further object of this invention to allow the user to apply individualized amounts of lubricating oil to a safety razor.
Since the safety razor is kept in a lubricating fluid and kept sharper in the instant razor holder, it is a further object of this invention to provide a smoother and closer shave from a safety razor involving fewer cuts and nicks in the process of shaving. This invention also provides longer blade life and thus allows for less frequent replacement of the blade and shaver. Other and further objects of this invention will become obvious upon reading the following Specification.


By improving the purity of metal lines and the crystalline structure, the overall performance of metal lines, especially of highly scaled copper-based semiconductor devices, may be enhanced. The modification of the crystalline structure of the metal lines may be performed by a heat treatment generating locally restricted heating zones, which are scanned along the length direction of the metal lines, and/or a heat treatment comprising a heating step in a vacuum ambient followed by a heating step in a reducing ambient.

1. Field of the Invention
Generally, the present invention relates to the formation of microstructures, such as advanced integrated circuits, and, more particularly, to the formation of conductive structures, such as metal lines in metallization layers of integrated circuits.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the fabrication of modern microstructures, such as integrated circuits, there is a continuous drive to steadily reduce the feature sizes of microstructure elements, thereby enhancing the functionality of these structures. For instance, in modern integrated circuits, minimum feature sizes, such as the channel length of field effect transistors, have reached the deep sub-micron range, thereby increasing performance of these circuits in terms of speed and/or power consumption. As the size of individual circuit elements is reduced with every new circuit generation, thereby improving, for example, the switching speed of the transistor elements, the available floor space for interconnect lines electrically connecting the individual circuit elements is also decreased. Consequently, the dimensions of these interconnect lines have to be reduced to compensate for a reduced amount of available floor space and for an increased number of circuit elements provided per unit die area. The reduced cross-sectional area of the interconnect lines, possibly in combination with an increase of the static power consumption of extremely scaled transistor elements, may require a plurality of stacked metallization layers to meet the requirements in view of a tolerable current density in the metal lines.
Advanced integrated circuits, including transistor elements having a critical dimension of 0.13 μm and even less, may, however, require significantly increased current densities in the individual interconnect lines despite the provision of a relatively large number of metallization layers, owing to the significant number of circuit elements per unit area. Operating the interconnect lines at elevated current densities, however, may entail a plurality of problems related to stress-induced line degradation, which may finally lead to a premature failure of the integrated circuit. One prominent phenomenon in this respect is the current-induced material transportation in metal lines, also referred to as "electromigration," which may lead to the formation of voids within and hillocks next to the metal line, thereby resulting in reduced performance and reliability or complete failure of the device. For instance, aluminum lines embedded into silicon dioxide and/or silicon nitride are frequently used as metal for metallization layers, wherein, as explained above, advanced integrated circuits having critical dimensions of 0.13 μm or less, may require significantly reduced cross-sectional areas of the metal lines and, thus, increased current densities, which may render aluminum less attractive for the formation of metallization layers, due to significant electromigration effects.
Consequently, aluminum is increasingly being replaced by copper which exhibits a significantly lower resistivity and exhibits an enhanced resistance to electromigration effects at higher current densities as compared to aluminum. The introduction of copper into the fabrication of microstructures and integrated circuits creates a plurality of severe problems due to copper's characteristic to readily diffuse in silicon dioxide and a plurality of low-k dielectric materials. To provide the necessary adhesion and to avoid the undesired diffusion of copper atoms into sensitive device regions, it is, therefore, usually necessary to provide a barrier layer between the copper and the dielectric material in which the copper lines are embedded. Although silicon nitride is a dielectric material that effectively prevents the diffusion of copper atoms, selecting silicon nitride as an interlayer dielectric material is less than desirable, since silicon nitride exhibits a moderately high permittivity, thereby increasing the parasitic capacitances of neighboring copper lines. Hence, a thin conductive barrier layer that also imparts the required mechanical stability to the copper is formed to separate the bulk copper from the surrounding dielectric material, and only a thin silicon nitride or silicon carbide or silicon carbonitride layer in the form of a capping layer is frequently used in copper-based metallization layers. Currently, tantalum, titanium, tungsten and their compounds with nitrogen and silicon and the like are preferred candidates for a conductive barrier layer, wherein the barrier layer may comprise two or more sub-layers of different composition so as to meet the requirements in terms of diffusion suppressing and adhesion properties.
Another characteristic of copper significantly distinguishing it from aluminum is the fact that copper may not readily be deposited in larger amounts by chemical and physical vapor deposition techniques. In addition, copper may not be efficiently patterned by anisotropic dry etch processes, thereby requiring a process strategy that is commonly referred to as the damascene or inlaid technique. In the damascene process, first, a dielectric layer is formed that is then patterned to include trenches and vias which are subsequently filled with copper, wherein, as previously noted, prior to filling in the copper, a conductive barrier layer is formed on the sidewalls of the trenches and vias. The deposition of the bulk copper material into the trenches and vias is usually accomplished by wet chemical deposition processes, such as electroplating and electroless plating, thereby requiring the reliable filling of vias with an aspect ratio of 5 and more with a diameter of approximately 0.1 μm or even less in combination with trenches having a width ranging from approximately 0.1 μm or less to several μm. Although electrochemical deposition processes for copper are well established in the field of electronic circuit board fabrication, a substantially void-free filling of high aspect ratio vias is an extremely complex and challenging task, wherein the characteristics of the finally obtained copper metal line significantly depend on process parameters, materials and geometry of the structure of interest. Since the geometry of interconnect structures is determined by the design requirements and may, therefore, not be significantly altered for a given microstructure, it is of great importance to estimate and control the impact of manufacturing processes involved in the fabrication of metallization layers and of materials, such as conductive and non-conductive barrier layers, of the copper microstructure and their mutual interaction on the characteristics of the interconnect structure so as to insure both high yield and the required product reliability.
Accordingly, a great deal of effort has been made in investigating the degradation of copper lines, especially in view of electro and stress migration and undue conductivity reduction in highly scaled devices, in order to find new materials and process strategies for forming copper-based metal lines, as increasingly tighter constraints are imposed with respect to the electro and stress migration and conductivity characteristics of copper lines with the continuous shrinkage of feature sizes in advanced devices. Although the exact mechanism of electro and stress migration in copper lines is still not quite fully understood, it turns out that voids positioned in and on sidewalls and interfaces, large bulk voids and residuals at the via bottom may have a significant impact on the electro and stress migration behavior. Empirical research results indicate that the degree of electro and stress migration may frequently depend on the material composition of the metal, the crystalline structure of the metal, the condition of any interfaces to neighboring materials, such as conductive and dielectric barrier layers, and the like.
For instance, in aluminum lines, grain boundaries provide preferred diffusion paths for stress- and current-induced material transport events. Consequently, as line size reduction tends to generate smaller grains, disproportionately increased electro and stress migration may occur. Although grain boundaries may not necessarily form preferred diffusion paths in copper-based metal lines, the increased number of grain boundaries may nevertheless significantly increase the overall resistivity of the copper-based line owing to increased electron scattering at the grain boundaries. Consequently, the highly complex manufacturing process of metallization layers, including the deposition of the metal, the subsequent annealing thereof and the like, needs to be controlled in an attempt to increase performance of the metal interconnect structures with respect to electro and stress migration and/or conductivity.
Therefore, a need exists for an enhanced technique that enables the formation of metal interconnect structures exhibiting reduced stress- and current-induced material diffusion and/or enhanced conductivity even in highly scaled microstructures.

Technique for forming interconnect structures with reduced electro and stress migration and/or resistivity


A heat management device able to be manufactured using 3-D printing and corresponding to a body of a head mounted display system having an outer wall that partially encloses a chamber. The outer wall of the heat management device comprises a plurality of channels that traverse a thickness of the outer wall, each channel shaped to allow air to flow between the interior and exterior of the chamber, while preventing light from outside the chamber from entering the chamber. In some embodiments, each channel may be shaped to comprise a first portion and a second portion connected at an acute angle, the connection between the first and second portions serving to block a direct path for light to traverse between the ends of the channel.

The present disclosure generally relates to heat management systems, and specifically to a printable heat management device for use with an artificial reality head mounted display (HMD).
Heat management devices function to transfer heat from a heat source, or otherwise maintain a thermal state of an object in a desired manner. In the context of head mounted display systems, heat management devices can function to maintain or improve processing performance of such computing systems by preventing system overheating, as well preventing the temperature of the computing systems from creating an environment with a temperature that is uncomfortable for the wearer. However, such heat management devices may be heavy or allow outside light to undesirably effect the display of the head mounted display system, reducing a comfort of the wearer while also potentially reducing display quality.

Heat venting shroud for artificial reality head mounted display


A polestand that supports and elevates peripheral devices such as electronic flat screen computer monitors. The polestand has either a base, a pole, and a collar or a pole, which can be vertically secured, and a collar. The collar has a support mount that accommodates components including a moveable extension arm and a tilter which are attached to the peripheral device. The polestand is balanced in such a way as to prevent or minimize the risk of tipping.

This invention relates to a stand for mounting peripheral device, and more particularly, to a polestand for elevating and supporting a flat-screen electronic peripheral device, such as a computer monitor or television.
Adjustable stands for use with electronic or other equipment are known in the prior art. Such stands are useful when it is required to elevate a device off a floor, a desk, or other surface, in order that the device meets eye-level or some other desired height. Stands also serve to hold cumbersome objects that are not designed to be placed directly on a surface due to ventilation requirements or other concerns.
In conjunction with stands, it is known in the art to also provide mechanical extension arms and/or tilters in order to position the supported equipment. Typically, an extension arm is attached to the stand and may then be attached to, among other things, a computer monitor. The arm enables the user to linearly position the device along one or more axes. Such extension arms are shown and described in Applicant""s co-pending patent applications"": xe2x80x9cAn Arm Apparatus for Mounting Electronic Devicesxe2x80x9d, filed on Sep. 24, 1999 and assigned Application No. 09/405,628, which claimed priority of the Provisional Application No. 60/133,378, filed on May 10, 1999, and xe2x80x9cArm Apparatus for Mounting Electronic Devices with Cable Management Systemxe2x80x9d filed on Sep. 24, 1999 and assigned Application No. 09/406,006, which claimed the priority of the Provisional Application No. 60/138,120 filed on Jun. 7, 1999. These co-pending applications are incorporated by reference herein as fully as if they were set forth in their entirety.
In order that a device may be positioned with even greater precision, a tilter is typically employed that allows a device to be rotated about one or more axis. The tilter may be attached to the extension arm previously discussed, or attached directly to the stand. One such tilter is shown and described in Applicant""s co-pending patent application entitled xe2x80x9cA Tilter for Positioning Electronic Devicesxe2x80x9d, filed on Sep. 27, 1999 and assigned Application No. 09/406,530, which claimed the priority of the Provisional Application No. 60/137,088, filed on Jun. 2, 1999. This co-pending application is incorporated by reference herein as fully as if it were set forth in its entirety.
In the prior art, when an electronic device such as a computer monitor or a television was desired to be positioned and/or removed from the surface of a desk, the device was provided with a extension arm connected to a stand. The stand was either clamped to the desk or provided with a heavy base which helped to keep the device from tipping over.
However, the stands of the prior art are not well suited for use with flat-screen devices, such as flat-screen computer monitors and televisions. For instance, one of the reasons that flat-screen devices are increasing in popularity is due the fact that they require a minimal amount of space and are relatively lightweight. Because stands were often meant to support the weight of a large monitor, they often consisted of the extension arm firmly clamped to a rigid surface.
A common prior art stand, often provided with monitors, consists of a base constructed from a sturdy plastic material. A tilter is often included as part of the base, allowing the monitor to be rotated and tilted. However, such a stand has many limitations. For example, in order that it may support relatively large computer monitors, the base of such a stand must itself be relatively large and thus requires an abundance of desk space. Furthermore, these stands typically require that the center of gravity of the monitor remains directly above the stand. This is necessary to prevent the weight of the monitor from tipping over the stand. Another problem with prior art stands is that they cannot be used interchangeably with various tilters, extension arms, and the like.
Thus, there is a need for a polestand device that is suitable for supporting an electronic peripheral device, such as a flat-screen computer monitor or television, and that can accommodate various extension arms and tilters.
The present invention provides a polestand that supports and elevates peripheral devices. The present invention is further designed to accommodate electronic flat screen computer monitors and television screens. It is also capable of operating interchangeably with extension arms, tilters, and other devices.
Thus, according to one embodiment of the invention, a polestand is provided having a base, a pole attached to the base, and a collar which is positionable on the pole. The collar is provided with a support mount that can receive various components which may in turn be attached to a peripheral device.
According to other embodiments of the invention, a polestand is provided having a pole secured in a vertical manner, and a collar which is positionable on the pole. The collar is provided with a support mount that can receive various components which may in turn be attached to a peripheral device. The polestand also may have more than one collar.
The above descriptions set forth rather broadly the more important features of the present invention in order that the detailed descriptions thereof that follow may be understood, and in order that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed descriptions considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for the purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims.

Polestand apparatus for mounting electronic devices


A connecting rod includes a connecting rod body having a crank arm bore portion at a first end and a pin bore portion at a second end. A beam portion connects the crank arm bore portion and the pin bore portion. At least one oil squirter is provided within the crank arm bore portion. The oil squirter operates to selectively communicate oil to the underside of a piston. One of the oil squirters is a plain orifice oil squirter or a check valve regulated oil squirter.

A piston within an internal combustion engine must dissipate the heat energy it absorbs, during each engine cycle, from the conversion of chemical energy into heat energy and finally into mechanical work.
Pistons are commonly made from aluminum or iron alloys. A piston typically has a crown portion with an upper surface exposed to engine combustion and the temperatures associated therewith. An undercrown portion of the piston is exposed to crankcase fluids. A ring belt, carrying compression and oil control rings, depends or extends from the crown portion. A piston skirt portion, having generally curved sidewalls, extends from the ring belt portion to provide a reaction force to counter the thrust forces exerted on the piston. A pin boss may extend between the skirt sidewalls for receiving a wrist pin for connection with a connecting rod.
In operation, the piston crown portion absorbs heat energy from an engine combustion chamber. The heat energy absorbed by the crown portion is conducted through the piston to the undercrown portion, the ring belt, and the skirt portion. Heat energy within the ring belt and skirt portion is conducted to the associated engine cylinder bore by direct contact and through the piston rings. The heat energy within the undercrown portion is transferred to the ring belt or dissipated to crankcase fluids, including air, oil vapor, and liquid oil present in the engine. By increasing the amount of liquid oil supplied to the undercrown portion of the piston, the operating temperature of the piston can be reduced, thereby increasing the durability of the piston and enabling increased engine performance.


A radio controller includes: a schedule information receiver for receiving schedule information related to a schedule of data transmission; a selection execution determiner for determining, based on the schedule information, whether or not to select a cell used by a mobile station after the data reception; and a selection execution commander for commanding the mobile station to select the cell used after the data reception in accordance with a determination result by the selection execution determiner.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radio controller, a server and a mobile communication method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A service of transmitting multimedia contents to a plurality of mobile stations by broadcast or multicast (Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service; hereinafter referred to as the "MBMS") has been conventionally performed (for example, 3GPPTSG-RAN, "TS25.346 V6.1.0 Introduction of Multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS) in Radio access network (RAN)", June 2004). In the MBMS, a frequency used for transmitting data by the MBMS is notified to mobile stations through the Radio Access Network (RAN). Therefore, mobile stations, which are not currently receiving data by the MBMS, can receive data by the MBMS by performing handover to the notified frequency.

Radio controller, server and mobile communication method


An image taking apparatus is provided with a lens driving unit that includes a magnetic shaft in which the S pole and the N pole are alternately aligned in a longitudinal direction of the shaft. The lens driving unit also includes a first lens holding frame that holds a first lens and has a first coil, and a second lens holding frame that holds a second lens and has a second coil. The magnetic shaft is inserted in the first and second coils, so that each of the first and second coils form a linear motor in cooperation with the magnetic shaft.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image taking apparatus that obtains an image of an object through an image taking optical system and generates image data representing the object.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an image taking optical system provided in an image taking apparatus includes a focus lens and a zoom lens that are required to be moved along an optical axis. Moving such lenses independently requires lens driving units each with a motor and a driving shaft that are provided for the respective lenses, resulting in the enlarged lens barrel in which the lens driving units are incorporated.
In order to miniaturize the lens barrel, there have been proposed a technique in which two driving shafts provided in the respective two lens driving units are integrated into one driving shaft so as to be used in common (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Nos. 8-292358, 2002-350709, and 2004-4321).
However, according to the above-mentioned technique, the driving shaft should be coaxial, and/or a switching mechanism such as a clutch must be provided at a part of the driving shaft, which makes the structure of the lens driving unit complicated.
Incidentally, a large number of small, light and thin-designed digital cameras have recently been released. Such digital cameras can be made thin by employing a refractive optical system. The refractive optical system enables a lens barrel to be housed compactly inside the body of the camera, avoiding such a structure that the lens barrel extends outward, and thus facilitating the effective use of the above technique.