An improved process for the preparation of key intermediates for tazarotene, 4,4-dimethyl-6-ethynylthiochroman, is provided comprising (a) reacting 4,4-dimethyl-6-acetylthiochroman of the formula

1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to an improved process for the preparation of intermediates for tazarotene. More specifically, the present invention relates to an improved process for the preparation of the intermediate 4,4-dimethyl-6-ethynylthiochroman using a Vilsmeier Haack reaction.
2. Description of the Related Art
The present invention is directed towards an improved process for the preparation of intermediates of tazarotene (also known as ethyl-6-[2-(4,4-dimethylthiochroman-6-yl)-ethynyl]) of Formula I:
Tazarotene is a member of the acetylenic class of retinoids and is a prodrug that is converted to its active drug form, known as AGN 190299, in most biological systems by rapid deesterificaion of the cognate carboxylic acid of tazarotene. AGN 190299 binds to all three members of the retinoic acid receptor (RAR) family: RARα, RARβ, RARγ. AGN 190299 shows relative selectivity for the RARβ and RARγ and may modify gene expression. Tazarotene is used in the treatment of psoriasis and is commercially available under the trade name Tazorac®.
A key intermediate in the preparation of tazarotene, 4,4-dimethyl-6-ethynylthiochroman (II), is prepared as shown in Scheme I:
Thiophenol (1) and 1-bromo-3-methyl-2-butene (2) are heated at reflux with sodium hydroxide in acetone resulting in phenyl-3-methylbut-2-enylsulfide (3). The phenyl-3-methylbut-2-enyl sulfide (3) is cyclized by refluxing with phosphorus pentoxide and phosphoric acid in benzene to yield 4,4-dimethylthiochroman (4). The 4,4-dimethylthiochroman (4) is reacted with acetyl chloride catalyzed by tin (IV) chloride (SnCl4) in benzene resulting in 4,4-dimethyl-6-acetylthiochroman (5). The 4,4-dimethyl-6-acetylthiochroman (5) is dehydrated with lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) and diethyl chlorophosphate in tetrahydrofuran (THF) results in the initial 6-ethenyl phosphonate intermediate (6). This intermediate undergoes further reaction with two equivalents of LDA to give 4,4-dimethyl-6-ethynylthiochroman (II).
The main disadvantages of this process include the use of difficult reagents, such as LDA, which is moisture sensitive, expensive, pyrophoric, and difficult to handle on a commercial scale, and diethyl chlorophosphate, which is highly toxic and corrosive. The process is also time consuming and includes low temperatures in an inert atmosphere, which is difficult to achieve on a commercial scale.
Accordingly, there remains a need for an improved process for preparing 4,4-dimethyl-6-ethynylthiochroman that eliminates and reduces the drawbacks of the prior art in a convenient and cost efficient manner on a commercial scale.

Process for the preparation of 4,4-dimethyl-6-ethynylthiochroman

Abstract: with an acid chloride and an amido-group containing compound of the general formula

Abstract: wherein R is hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl of from 1 to 15 carbon atoms and R1 and R2 can be the same or different and are hydrocarbyls of from 1 to 15 carbon atoms or R1 and R2 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are bonded are joined together to form a heterocyclic group, optionally containing one or more additional heterocyclic atoms, or one of R1 and R2 together with the nitrogen atom to which it bonded are joined together with the carbonyl radical to form a heterocyclic group, optionally containing one or more additional heterocyclic atoms to form a β-chloro vinyl carbonyl compound intermediate of the general formula

Abstract: wherein R has the aforestated meanings; and (b) reacting the β-chloro vinyl carbonyl compound intermediate with an alkali metal to provide the 4,4-dimethyl-6-ethynylthiochroman.


A metallocene compound represented by the following Chemical Formula 1:

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a metallocene compound having a functional group that facilitates the preparation of a supported metallocene catalyst for olefin polymerization and the olefin polymerization using the same.
(b) Description of the Related Art
In 1976, Professor Kaminsky of Germany reported that olefin polymerization could be accomplished using zirconocene dichloride compound as a catalyst with a methylaluminoxane (MAO) as a co-catalyst which was obtained through partial hydrolysis of trimethylaluminum (A. Anderson, J. G. Corde. J. Herwing; W. Kaminsky, A. Merck, R. Mottweiler, J. Pein, H. Sinn, and H. J. Vollmer, Angew. Chem, Int. Ed. Engl. 15, 630 (1976)).
Thereafter, Exxon showed that the activity of a catalyst and the molecular weight of the produced polymer could be controlled by changing the substituents on the cyclopentadienyl ligand, and issued a patent (U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,800) on olefin polymerization utilizing the filed metallocene compounds with various substituent groups. A homogeneous metallocene catalyst shows unique polymerization characteristics which can not be obtained by conventional Ziegler-Natta catalysts. That is, molecular weight distribution of the produced polymer is narrow, co-polymerization is easy, and the co-monomer distribution is uniform. In the case of propylene polymerization, the tacticity of polymer can be controlled according to the molecular symmetry of catalyst. These unique characteristics not only opened up a way to produce new polymers which are not attainable by the conventional Ziegler-Natta catalyst, but also provided a way to make the tailor-made polymers. Accordingly, there has been continuous interest on this catalyst system.
In a gas phase or a slurry process, particle morphology and bulk density of produced polymer should be controlled to increase the mobility of polymer and the production rate per reactor unit volume. Also, the reactor fouling, a phenomenon that polymer sticks to reactor wall and agitator blades, should be avoided for a continuous operation. To solve these problems the catalyst should be anchored on a suitable support.
Described below are conventional preparation methods for supported metallocene catalysts.                (1) a metallocene compound is adsorbed on a support, and then activated by treatment with aluminoxane (W. Kaminsky, Makromol. Chem., Rapid Commun. 14, 239 (1993));        (2) aluminoxane is supported first, and then a metallocene compound is supported (K. Soga, Makromol. Chem. Rapid Commun. 13, 221 (1992); U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,006,500; 5,086,025);        (3) a metallocene compound is treated with aluminoxane, and then adsorbed on a support (U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,894); and        (4) the anchoring of catalyst is achieved by a chemical reaction between the ligand of a metallocene compound and a support.
In one case, metal is ligated after ligand is supported. (K. Soga, H. J. Kim, T. Shiono, Makromol., Rapid Commun. 15, 139 (1994), Japanese Laid-open Patent No. Heisei 6-56928, U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,766). In the other case, a metallocene compound with suitable ligands is prepared and then it is supported onto a support by chemical reaction. The suitable ligands in this case usually contain silicon based functional groups such as alkoxysilane or halosilane (European Patent No. 293815, U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,300, European Laid-open Patent No. 839836, Korean Patent application No. 98-12660, and 99-06955). However, the metallocene compounds with silicon containing functional group are not easy to make and do not have good stabilities. For example, European Laid-open Patent No. 839836 discloses a metallocene compound having a functional group of —OSiMe3. The yield in the metallation step, which is the last step in synthesis, is only around 28˜51% which is a disadvantage in commercial application.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,814,574 discloses the supported polymerization catalyst which is prepared by the binding of inorganic support with metallocene compound containing a functional group selected from alkoxyalkyl, heterocycle oxygen radical, or alkyl heterocycle oxygen radical. U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,209 discloses a polymerization of olefins under a suitable temperature and pressure utilizing a supported catalyst. In this patent, the metallocene compound with Lewis base functionalities such as oxygen, silicon, phosphorus, nitrogen or sulfur atoms is bound to an inorganic support in the absence of aluminoxane to give a supported catalyst. However, the catalyst bound to and supported on an inorganic support surface by the Lewis acid-base reaction leaches out of the surface upon activation with Lewis acidic aluminoxane co-catalyst. The leaching of the catalyst will result in reactor fouling and irregular morphology which are detrimental in a slurry or a gas phase process.
Metallocene catalyst with a suitable functional group can be supported onto a silica surface by the reaction of alkoxysilane or halosilane functional group with surface hydroxyl group or highly reactive siloxane group, which is formed from the dehydroxylation of the silica above 600° C., as shown in Reaction Formula 1˜3.

EP 293815 A1 discloses a method in which a supported metallocene catalyst is prepared by the reaction of a metallocene compound containing —C—SiR2(OR′) functional group (wherein R is a C1-4 alkyl, C6-10 aryl, or C1-4 alkoxy, and OR′ is a C1-4 alkoxy) with a support hydroxyl group on its surface (See the Reaction Formula 4).
Herein, an Si—OR′ (silicon-based groups) bond of the metallocene compound is reacted with an Si—OH group of the support material to produce a strongly bound-supported metallocene catalyst via Si—O—Si bond formation. However, alkyl alcohol (R′OH) by-product is also formed during the reaction, which is possibly acted as a catalyst poison to lower activity of the final catalyst.
Especially, the Reaction Formula 3 is reported recently (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 117, 2112, (1995); J. Am. Chem. Soc. 115, 1190, (1993)) and is advantageous to the preparation of supported metallocene catalyst because side reactions are minimized (Korean Patent application No 98-12660). As mentioned above, however, the catalyst with siloxane functional group is not easy to make and has low stability. For example, the catalysts containing an alkoxysilane group, [HMe2Si—O—(CH2)6—C5H4]2ZrCl2 and [Me3Si—O—(CH2)6—C5H4]2ZrCl2], were disclosed in the examples and comparative examples of Korean Patent Application No 99-06955 which was applied by the present inventors. In the examples, the yield in the zirconation step which is the last step of the synthesis, was below 60% and the catalysts was observed to degrade slowly over an extended period under an inert gas atmosphere at room temperature.

Supported metallocene catalyst and olefin polymerization using the same

Abstract: wherein M is a transition metal of Group 4;        Cp denotes a cyclopentadienyl ring unsubstituted or substituted by hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkenyl, alkylaryl, arylalkyl or arylalkenyl radicals;        Qs, which are the same or different, are halogen radicals, alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, alkylaryl, or arylakyl radicals having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or alkylidene radicals having 1 to 20 carbon atoms;        A′ is methoxymethyl, t-butoxymethyl, tetrahydropyranyl, tetrahydrofuranyl, 1-ethoxyethyl, 1-methyl-1-methoxyethyl, or t-butyl; and        a is an integer of 4 to 8.            The metallocene compounds in this invention can be strongly supported on the inorganic support, and the supported catalyst of this invention allows for an olefin polymerization process without any fouling in the reactor, and produces a polymer with better morphology and bulk density.


A variable drag area tow system including a tow cable, and a variable drag area device having a variable projected area, the variable drag area device is configured to have a smaller projected area as the velocity of the variable drag area device with respect to a fluid increases. A method of maintaining tension on a tow cable, the method including deploying at a first velocity a variable drag area device having a variable projected area, increasing the first velocity to a second velocity, and decreasing the projected area of the variable drag area device as the first velocity is increased to the second velocity.

Towed systems are used in a variety of applications, for example, advertising, exploration, scientific study, and military defense. In a typical application, an air or seagoing vessel will tow a desired system behind the vessel via a tow cable, for example, an advertisement or a sonar array. When the vessel is going a sufficient speed, the drag induced by the system and the tow cable cause sufficient tension on the tow cable to minimize the droop (the vertical height between the attachment point of the tow cable to the vessel and the back of the tow cable or towed system). However, as the speed of the vessel decreases, the induced drag on the towed cable also decreases causing the droop to increase, thus limiting the operational conditions of the vessel while towing.
Accordingly, there is a need and desire for systems and methods to increase the operational conditions of vessels performing towing operations.

Variable drag area tow system and methods


In hydraulic clutches (1) generating high levels of heat, the problem is to ensure a rapid and even heat dissipation over the entire friction surface and an oil flow rate which is independent of the wear of the hydraulic clutch (1) and largely independent of the actuating pressure. The problem is solved as follows: at least one restrictor (1/6) is located in and/or between the lining supports or discs (1/5) of the hydraulic clutch (1) and acts independently of the wear and machining inaccuracy of the lining grooves (1/7, 1/8) of the lining supports (1/3, 1/4). This ensures an optimal through-flow and an oil flow rate that is independent of wear. The independence of wear results from the fact that the flow resistance is determined solely by the through-apertures (1/6) in the lining support (1/5), the flow cross section of the grooves (1/7, 1/8) being several times greater than that of the through-apertures (1/6). If one or more oil ducts are enclosed on the side remote from the lining by two or more steel discs (1/9, 1/10) which do not move relative to each other, the flow rate is independent of wear, since the oil ducts or the flow cross sections are not affected by the wear. Independence from the actuating pressure and engine speed is ensured by flow rate limitation.

Since the introduction of automatic transmissions, hydrodynamic torque converters have been the connecting link between a prime mover and the transmission proper. Because of the slip, a converter makes a comfortably smooth start possible. At the same, it time absorbs irregularities in the rotation of the combustion engine. Additionally, a great starting torque is made available by the torque increase conditioned by principle.
Strictly speaking, a converter generally comprises a converter housing, an impeller, a stator and a turbine wheel. Because of the torque being transmitted by the hydrodynamic forces from the impeller, via the stator, to the turbine wheel, slip results between the impeller and the turbine wheel. This causes a loss in efficiency.
To improve the efficiency, a bridge clutch was introduced which bridges the converter at certain rated speeds. The bridge clutch can be fitted before the turbine wheel, that is, between the converter housing and the turbine wheel, or behind the impeller, that is, between the impeller and another transmission unit.
The bridge clutch's disadvantage is the loss of the absorption of the vibration generated by the differential speed between the turbine wheel and impeller. To compensate for this, an additional shock absorber must be applied or the clutch itself must be designed as a shock absorber.
As a consequence of limited space conditions within the converter and of the complicated vibration systems of an automatic transmission, mechanical torsional shock absorbers cannot be designed so that the bridge clutch can be engaged already at low engine speeds and in the lower gears. Otherwise low, dull booming sounds will emanate throughout the body. In modern torque-optimized engines with high engine torques, at speeds slightly above the idling speed rigid power trains must already be used to prevent twisting thereof. Thereby the inherent frequency is moved to higher speeds, thus intensifying the problem of booming noises in the body.
Powerful transverse engines, having great capacity, increasingly require a narrow converter design. A mechanical torsion absorber thus creates considerable problems.
A bridge clutch, with regulated slippage, already makes engaging the converter at low driving speeds possible, absorbing the vibrations in critical speed ranges by the bridge clutch slip, reducing the cost of the torsional shock absorber and further reducing the consumption of benzene.
Torsional vibrations are generated in the drive train as a result of an angular acceleration of the crankshaft followed by a delay due to the compression in the next cylinder during each ignition of the combustible mixture in a cylinder. The angular speed thereby fluctuates between a maximum and a minimum.
As the engine speed increases, the torsion irregularity decreases proportionally 1/n. At a speed of typically about 2,000 1/min, values of speed fluctuation are reached which scarcely decrease further as the engine speed increases. The curve of the angular deflection is proportionally 1/n while the vibration range of the angular acceleration is almost independent of speed. Because of this, as a rule, above about 2,000 engine revolutions the bridge clutch can remain engaged during traction operation. Below 2,000 engine revolutions, the torsion irregularity suddenly increases so that the bridge clutch must be operated disengaged or adjustedly slipping.
During the engine coasting operation, the gas pressure in the cylinder is substantially less than during a traction operation, whereby the critical range moves to higher speeds. The vibration range of the angular acceleration thereby intensively increases as the engine speed increases. Body booms in the overrun are therefore detected mostly at speeds way above 2,000 1/min. For a comfortable drive the bridge clutch must, in this case, be disengaged or regulated.
In order to achieve a sufficient absorption of the torsion vibration, a slip of up to about from 2% to 3% is needed. A slip or more than from 2% to 3% hardly produces any further increase in absorption.
If the interior of the converter is divided in two spaces by a piston of the hydraulic clutch (a smaller space between the hydraulic clutch piston and the converter housing and a larger space between the piston and the impeller being thus formed) the regulation can be obtained by passing an increased pressure into the turbine space of the pump and adjustedly controlling the pressure in the clutch piston space of the converter lid.
In addition, regulation can be achieved by venting the small converter space and adjustedly controlling the pressure of the pump and the turbine space.
A switching logic for a bridge clutch can look, for example, as if a control pressure acts upon valves which then vent a line to the smaller converter space and pass the main pressure into the larger converter space whereby the piston of the bridge clutch is engaged.
Control of the bridge clutch is obtained by a pressure control function resulting from a force balance of control pressure, spring tension and operative regulating pressure of a differential piston. To adjust a constant differential speed on the bridge clutch, the clutch pressure is adjusted proportionally to the torque by the control pressure.
A function of the regulated bridge clutch is to absorb, by as small a slip as possible, the torsional vibrations in the input so that no booming or humming can be heard.
This can be achieved, for example, by determining the slip required by characteristic lines which are determined by tests of the specific vehicle engine, or the slip depending on rotational irregularities, or the slip acts based on a constant nominal value which is fed to a control circuit.
The stated basic problem consists in controlling the high frictions appearing in bridge clutches.
Additionally, the problem is made worse by new driving strategies in which the bridge clutch, already in the range of high conversions, is engaged in order to save fuel and improve driving properties such as the direct response to a change of the accelerator pedal position.
The problem of higher friction work is in the considerations regarding substituting a hydraulic starting clutch for a converter.
The friction value cover is determined by the oil and the friction lining.
If, in one area of the bridge clutch, a temperature peak is reached which leads to oil damage, the friction value curve is thereby changed and as the slip increases the friction value m decreases in comparison to the normal rising curve.
As a result, the increase of the slip is no longer compensated by a simultaneous increase of the friction value, so no stable operating point appears. Also, friction vibrations can generate due to damaged oil.
Therefore, the problem basically consists in locally preventing high temperature peaks and altogether keeping the temperature below the critical temperature at which the oil will be damaged.
It is known to provide friction linings with grooves of different kinds and to cool them with the largest possible oil current passed through the grooves. With the guided structure of the shape of the grooves, an even high heat dissipation is obtained (see VDI-Report No. 649, 1987, pp. 335-358).
In cases of high heat development, the heat is not sufficiently dissipated in all zones of the friction lining, since the friction lining is not sufficiently flowed through. The temperature peaks caused thereby damage the oil.
Besides, the flow rate of the oil depends on the wear of the friction linings since the through flow cross section of the grooves decreases with the wear of the friction lining.
Moreover, the flow rate of the oil depends on the actuating pressure of the bridge clutch whereby, at elevated actuating pressures, the pressure effective for the contact force drops and the transmissible forces of the bridge clutch becomes weaker.
Therefore, the problem to be solved by the invention is to enable a high and even heat dissipation over the whole friction surface and permit an oil flow rate independent of the wear of the bridge clutch and largely of the actuating pressure.

Hydraulic clutch for high friction applications


A transdermal therapeutic system (TTS) comprises compounds releasing carbon monoxide in organisms to increase the CO-concentration in the organism.

The present invention relates to a transdermal therapeutic system (TTS) for the systemic and topical administration of active substances which are suitable to increase the carbon monoxide (CO) concentration in the organism.
Many research works carried out quite recently have shown that CO is of very great importance as a mediator in both physiological and physiopathological processes in the body. This part of CO comprises the regulation of the arterial tone of the vessels, the blood platelet aggregation, the influence on immunological and inflammatory processes, and the function as a messenger substance in the transmission of impulses of the central and peripheral nervous system. CO is also included in physiopathological changes of these functional structures or organ systems; for example, hypertension, coronary stenoses, arteriosclerosis. Moreover, there are indications as to a participation in immunological and inflammatory reactions and to an influence on cell growth.
In addition to the vasodilative and antithrombotic action, CO is said to have the function of a neurotransmitter in the central and peripheral nervous system. The important role as an intercellular and intracellular mediator is rendered possible by the rapid diffusion through cell membranes.
Owing to this finding there is the demand of being able to supply the active substance CO to the organism in a controllable manner without provoking the risk of an intoxication by accumulation to the hemoglobin. The way via the respiratory air, which normally comprises more or less CO, is ruled out because an exact and, in particular, reproducible dosage is difficult to manage. Other parenteral or eternal methods of administration are not known.

Transdermal therapeutic system comprising active substances representing carbon monoxide sources


The present invention provides a resin composition comprising a liquid crystal polymer and a filler comprising a composite oxide containing Ba, Sm, and Ti. The resin composition can provide a molded article which has excellent dielectric characteristics and is excellent in dimension stability.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a resin composition which can provide a molded article excellent in dielectric characteristics and dimension stability, and to a molded article obtained therefrom.
2. Description of Related Art
Due to the development in wireless information communication network represented by mobile communication (such as satellite communication appliance, mobile phone, and PHS, wireless LAN system), or automotive communication (such as ETC system and GPS for highways), a demand for an antenna to be used for information communication appliances has been rapidly increasing. Since there is a demand for reductions in size, weight, and cost of such an antenna, a molded article obtained from a thermoplastic resin is used in a base for an antenna (hereinafter, referred to as "antenna base").
For producing the antenna, it is necessary to form a conductive layer to be used as an electrode on the antenna base. Since soldering, metal plating, or the like is employed as a means for forming the electrode, the antenna base is required to have durability that prevents the properties thereof from being impaired by the electrode formation means. In order to satisfy such characteristics, liquid crystal polyester has been attracted attention as a thermoplastic resin to be used for producing an antenna base. Since the liquid crystal polyester has both of high level of heat resistance and processability and is of low water absorption, the liquid crystal polyester improves not only the durability related to the antenna production but also durability during temporal use of the antenna.
On the other hand, in the above-mentioned information communication appliances, due to the achievement of higher density of information, conformity to information communication using electromagnetic wave in higher frequency band has been considered, and because of the consideration, there is an increasing demand for an antenna base that is excellent in dielectric characteristics.
As the dielectric characteristics required for the antenna base, high dielectric constant (characteristic of being highly dielectric) and low dielectric loss tangent with respect to electromagnetic wave in higher frequency band are of importance. The highly dielectric antenna base is not considerably reduced in antenna characteristics even when the antenna is relatively small, and the low dielectric loss tangent antenna base has a tendency to be increased in antenna gain. In order to obtain the highly dielectric antenna base, a method of using a highly dielectric material as a filler (hereinafter, referred to as "highly dielectric material filler") and obtaining an antenna base from a resin composition containing the highly dielectric material filler and liquid crystal polyester has been employed. For example, a resin composition containing liquid crystal polyester and a ceramic powder is proposed as a resin composition which can provide a molded article having highly dielectric characteristics and low dielectric loss tangent (see, JP-A-2006-233118).

Resin composition and molded article using the same


The invention relates to a device for testing a concentrated photovoltaic module comprising at least one assembly of a photovoltaic cell and of a concentrator, the device being characterized in that it comprises: a light source; a parabolic mirror coupled to the source so as to reflect the light emitted by the source in an almost collimated light beam toward the module to be tested, in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the module; and an intensity filter interposed on the path of the almost collimated beam upstream of the module to be tested, the filter comprising at least partially absorbent regions that have a neutral spectral density with respect to the light beam, the at least partially absorbent regions being arranged facing higher intensity zones of the beam, so as to attenuate differences in the intensity of the beam.

A concentration photovoltaic module (CPV) essentially comprises a photovoltaic cell (for example multi-junction) and a concentrator designed to concentrate solar radiation toward the cell.
In the case of a multi junction cell, the different junctions are arranged in series, each of the junctions being adapted to a specific spectral band of the sunlight.
Multi-junction cells, which are a smaller size than conventional solar cells made of silicon, have the advantage of offering better efficiency, but to function need a higher light intensity.
In a CPV module the cells are associated with a concentrator, for example a Fresnel lens, which concentrates solar radiation toward the cell.
Also, photovoltaic modules are designed to be mounted on a sun-follower system (also called "tracker") so as to optimally orient the module as a function of the trajectory of the sun so that the concentrators focus the rays of the sun onto the cells.
During manufacture of such photovoltaic modules it is usual to verify the operation and performance of each module, with a view to detecting any failure of any one of the junctions, defects in quality or positioning of concentrators, or any other anomaly of the module before it is expedited.
The modules are frequently combined by being mounted totally or partially in series. In this case, performance of the overall system will be limited by the weakest element. It can therefore prove useful to select the modules before they are combined so that they are homogeneous in response. In this respect, it is important to be able to measure the performance of this module.
For this purpose, it is known to simulate the lighting of the sun by means of a lighting device generally called a "flasher," which generates a light beam having irradiance, spectral power distribution and angular divergence close to those of the sun. These characteristics are to be conformed over the entire surface of the module to be tested.
CPV modules currently commercially available have relatively small dimensions (of the order of 0.5 to 1.5 m2). There are lighting devices which simulate solar lighting on a module of this type.
The Soitec company has marketed large-size solar modules, having a surface of several m2, comprising several CPV sub-modules connected by a single chassis.
So for example, a module of 8 m2 can be formed by two rows of six sub-modules, which can optionally be connected in series.
There is therefore the problem of being able to test a large-size module. In fact, since the sub-modules are connected totally or partially in series and their mechanical integrity is assured by a single chassis, they cannot be tested independently.
On the other hand, it is important to ensure the operation of the assembly before it is installed.
It is therefore necessary to be able to verify the performance of the complete module by simulating lighting the closest possible to solar radiation.
In this respect, the constraints the lighting device must respect are the following:                irradiance comparable to that produced by the sun at ground level, that is, of the order of 1 kW/m2.        reproduction of the complete solar spectrum, from ultraviolet to infrared, by respecting spectral densities,        angular divergence close to that of solar light, that is, 0.5° (±0.25°),        considerable spatial uniformity of the irradiance (the aim being inhomogeneity of irradiance less than or equal to 5%).
Known lighting devices do not respond to these demands for a large-size module.
In fact, these devices offer either a more reduced field or characteristics (especially angular divergence) too far removed from those of the sun.
Another constraint to be considered in designing the lighting device is the compactness of the test installation.
So, it is not feasible to place a light source far from the module to obtain low angular divergence because, given the surface of the module, this would imply a distance of several tens of meters, not compatible with an industrial installation.
Retaining the compactness of the test device requires the use of a plurality of mirrors.
But this brings up an economic problem linked to the cost of parabolic mirrors.
In fact, to the extent where surface defects of the parabolic mirror of the lighting device are likely to affect the homogeneity of the light intensity sent to the module, very high-quality mirrors are generally used, such as mirrors employed in astronomy.
These mirrors are very expensive.
For known devices using just a single mirror, this cost is acceptable.
However, it would be economically very penalizing to use a plurality of such mirrors in the planned test device.
It is also possible to make a mirror by molding or thermoforming a plate of plastic material then depositing a reflecting film on it.
However, the surface state obtained by this technique is unsatisfactory.
Even if surface defects of minimal amplitude are present on the mirror, due to the distance between the mirror and the module to be tested they can engender a substantial variation in light intensity arriving at the module.
It is therefore necessary to find a solution to procure the expected homogeneity for the light intensity delivered by the source, less expensive than existing techniques.
An aim of the present disclosure is to provide a device for testing a concentration photovoltaic module of large size, which respects the abovementioned restrictions and which offers especially very good homogeneity of light intensity and which has a cost less than that of existing devices.

Device for testing a concentrated photovoltaic module


An adder unit for a microprocessor, being capable, in response to a first control signal, of adding two full word data values, stored in a first storage location and in a second storage location, respectively, and being capable, in response to a second control signal, of adding in parallel four half word data values, a first half word data value and a second half word data value being stored in the first storage location at the low half and the high half thereof, respectively, and a third half word data value and a fourth half word data value being stored in the second storage location at the low half and the high half thereof, respectively. The adder unit includes a first half word adder, arranged so as to add the first half word and the third half word to provide a first sum output of the adder unit, and a first carry out signal. The adder unit also includes a second half word adder arranged so as to add the second half word and the fourth half word, with a carry-in of 0 to provide a second sum output. The adder unit also includes a third half word adder arranged so as to add the second half word and the fourth half word, with a carry-in of 1 to provide a third sum output. Finally, the adder unit includes logic responsive to the first and the second control signals such that when the first control signal is present and the first carry-out signal is a 0, the logic provides the second sum output as a second sum output of the adder, to be concatenated with the first sum output of the adder, but, when the first control signal is present and the first carry-out signal is a 1, the logic provides the third sum output as a second sum output of the adder, to be concatonated with the first sum output of the adder. On the othe hand, when the second control signal is present, the logic provides the second sum output as a second sum output of the adder.

Microprocessors, which include digital signal processors ("DSPs"), include execution units that perform the various operations directed by the instructions that make up the programs running on the microprocessors. The adder is one such execution unit, that performs addition operations. For example, a typical contemporary microprocessor adder performs two thirty-two bit additions. Thus, thirty-two bit wide operands, i.e., full word operands, are provided as inputs, and a full word sum result is provided as an output. The inputs are provided from registers in a register file, and the result is also provided to a register in the register file.
FIG. 1 depicts a typical full word addition, or ADD, operation, where the operands x and y, stored in registers r1 and r2, respectively, are added, and the result, z, is stored in register r3. This is expressed by, EQU ADD r1, r2, r3
While full word ADDs are essential in such microprocessors, another important microprocessor computation, especially in DSP applications, is the performance of multiple sub-word ADDs. Unfortunately, such ADD operations, for example of two sixteen bit, or half word, operands, are typically performed using full word adders that use carry-lookahead (CLA) schemes to compute the addition. One problem with this is that it breaks the carry path, and thus slows down the overall ADD operation.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an adder for inclusion in a microprocessor, which efficiently performs multiple sub-word ADD operations, without a great deal of additional circuitry, as compared with prior art adders. The present invention provides such an adder.

High performance adder for multiple parallel add operations


A support structure for a spare tire on a vehicle. A shell is attached to the vehicle and includes first and second end portions and a bottom portion extending at least partially between the first and second end portions. The shell at least partially defines a spare tire storage chamber and includes an opening providing access to the storage chamber, wherein the opening is adjacent to the first end portion. The support member is slidably positioned above the bottom portion and is movable back and forth along a movement path from a first position in which the support member is substantially disposed within the shell and a second position in which the support member is at least partially disposed outside the shell. In certain embodiments, a retention member can be fixedly attached to the shell. In further embodiments, the support member and the shell have a cooperative locking configuration.

Conventionally, spare tires have created design and storage problems in many vehicles, including pickup trucks. A spare tire for a pickup truck is typically hung underneath the pickup truck in a position below the truck bed. In order to access this spare tire, an operator of the pickup truck must typically crawl at least partially beneath the pickup truck in order to remove fasteners used to secure the spare tire to the pickup truck. It is accordingly difficult and messy to access such a spare tire. Furthermore, this conventional spare tire storage arrangement typically renders the spare tire subject to theft and/or environmental damage.
As one alternative, the spare tire can be placed upon the bed floor of a truck bed for storage. Although such storage would facilitate relatively convenient access to the spare tire by an operator, storage space for other cargo upon the bed floor would be considerably diminished. Furthermore, unless a truck cap or other protective device is associated with the truck bed, the spare tire would not likely be protected from theft and/or environmental damage.
Accordingly, there is a need for a spare tire storage arrangement on a vehicle (e.g., a pickup truck) that substantially protects the spare tire from theft and from environmental elements without reducing the storage capacity of the vehicle, and that facilitates simple and clean access to the spare tire by an operator of the vehicle.

Support structure for a spare tire on a vehicle


A method of bonding a first silicon wafer to a second silicon wafer comprises the steps of diffusing a high conductivity pattern into a surface of a first semiconductor wafer, etching a portion of the surface to raise at least a portion of the pattern, providing a second semiconductor wafer having an insulating layer of a silicon compound disposed thereon, contacting the surface of the pattern to the insulating layer, and bonding the first and second semiconductor wafers at an elevated temperature.

This invention relates to semiconductor devices in general and more particularly to semiconductor device isolation by wafer to wafer bonding.
It is known that two flat, smooth, hydrophilic surfaces can be bonded (or "contacted") at room temperature without the use of external forces. The bonded materials may be metallic, semiconducting, or insulating in nature. The contacting forces are believed to be caused by attraction between hydroxyl groups (--OH) and possibly some water molecules adsorbed on the two mating surfaces. This attraction causes the spontaneous formation of hydrogen bonds across the gap between two wafers. The spontaneity in the initiation of the contacting occurs only between exceptionally flat, smooth, and clean surfaces. Once initiated, this bonding process can spread in a form of "contacting wave" throughout the entire area between two silicon wafers with speeds of several cm/sec. The hydroxyl groups are usually attached to the surface through the reaction of a clean surface oxide with the moisture from the air or atomized water source.
The bonding of silicon wafers is one of the most promising techniques for the formation of silicon on insulator (SOI) wafers. Specifically, wafer bonding makes it possible to bury oxide and implantation layers within the bulk of a monocrystalline silicon wafer, and for this reason it has been utilized as a highly flexible and low cost alternative for SOI and epitaxial growth.
Currently, two basic approaches are employed in the fabrication of SOI wafers by wafer bonding, these differing primarily in the method of thinning the device (or seed) wafer, which is bonded to the substrate (or handle) wafer, to an appropriate device film thickness. In the first technique, a dielectric layer (such as SiO.sub.2) is formed on the handle wafer. The polished face of the device wafer is contacted with that of the handle wafer in ambient temperature and atmosphere. A full strength seal is obtained by bonding the contacted wafers at a temperature of at least 1150.degree. C. for at least one hour or greater. The bonded pair are precision lapped and polished from the device wafer side to the desired thickness of the silicon device layer. The resulting silicon film thickness uniformity is limited by the thickness uniformity of the handle wafer, which is on the order of 0.3 .mu.m.sup.2.
The second technique involves an etch back of the device wafer. A highly selective etch stop is formed by implantation, epitaxy or diffusion in the device wafer prior to bonding. As in the first technique, the polished face of the device wafer is contacted with that of the handle wafer in ambient temperature and atmosphere and the pair are bonded at 1150.degree. C. for an hour. The bonded wafers are subjected to an etching process from the device wafer side in which almost all of the device wafer is removed, thereby leaving a thin device layer which is subsequently patterned and etched using conventional photolithography.
A principal disadvantage of the above techniques, however, is the difficulty in uniform sealing at the interface of the mated wafers due to the presence of bubbles and voids. Interface bubbles are caused by dust particles and insufficient wafer flatness. While the latter problem can be avoided by appropriate wafer specification, it is extremely difficult to obtain totally dust-free wafer surfaces prior to the bonding procedure. In an article appearing in Vol. 27, No. 12 of the Japanese Journal of Applied Physics (1988), R Stengl et al. reported that even for wafers mated in a class 1 cleanroom, about 70% of the wafers contained one or more bubbles due to dust particles less than 1 micron in diameter.
An additional disadvantage of such techniques is the interval of time required to obtain a high reliability, full strength seal between the mating surfaces. As indicated above, sealing by prior art techniques requires at least one hour at 1150.degree. C. or greater to obtain a full strength seal.
Yet another disadvantage of such techniques is that the implantation or diffusion layer must be etched to form the desired circuit pattern after the etch back of the non-bonded surface of the device wafer. As a result, fine line patterns, which are desired in certain pressure transducer applications or very large scale integration applications, can not be obtained due to limitations in the etching process.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a method of forming silicon on insulator (SOI) wafers by fusion bonding which avoids the aforementioned problems associated with the prior art.

Fusion bonding technique for use in fabricating semiconductor devices


A method for treating plant seed is provided comprising contacting them with a first surface of semi-permeable membrane having first and second surfaces, the second surface being in direct contact with a solution of predetermined osmotic potential, whereby the seeds abstract water from the solution through the membrane, wherein the seed and semi-permeable membrane are constantly or periodically caused to move relative to each other such as to constantly or periodically reorient the seed with respect to the first surface such that the transfer of water occurs evenly over substantially the entire surface area of the seed.

Seed priming is a process for treating plant seeds that enables them to undergo faster and more uniform germination on sowing or planting, with the option of simultaneously treating them with fungicide or other preservatives providing protection during processing or after sowing and allowing their prolonged storage, e.g. in packets displayed at point of sale.
This process allows the seeds to absorb enough water to enable their pre-germinative metabolic processes to begin and then arrests them at that stage. The amount of water absorbed must be carefully controlled as too much would simply allow the seed to germinate and too little would result in the seed ageing. Once the correct amount of water has been absorbed it is then necessary to hold the seed at that water content for a period, typically one to two weeks, before drying it back to the original water content for storage. When subsequently sown the seeds usually germinate more quickly and uniformly than natural unprimed seeds and, where the geographical situation of the point of priming allows, the seeds can be sown directly after priming without drying whereupon they germinate even faster than those which have been primed and dried.
The conventional way of priming seeds has been to immerse them in an aerated solution of an osmotic material, usually polyethylene glycol (PEG). The seed coat is more or less semi-permeable to PEG such that the osmotic potential of the seed tends to equilibrate with that of the solution; the PEG concentration being chosen such that it will not allow seed to absorb enough water to germinate. This works well for many species but the priming of large quantities of seed requires large quantities of PEG solution and this can cause disposal problems, particularly if fungicides have been added. Immersion in liquid also restricts oxygen absorption and some seeds, particularly onions, will only prime satisfactorily if the solution is aerated using air enriched with oxygen.
To avoid the problems of large scale priming with PEG the system known as `drum priming` was devised (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,598=GB 2192781). This involves first carrying out tests on a seed lot to determine the optimum level of hydration and then hydrates the bulk of seeds in a drum which is slowly rotated about its horizontal longitudinal axis. Water is added to the drum more slowly than the seeds are able to absorb so that they become hydrated without ever appearing to get wet. The seeds are next incubated in a revolving drum with access to air for a period appropriate to their type before drying.
An alternative method of priming seeds is known as `matrix priming` and does not involve the use of PEG but utilises an absorbent medium such as clay or peat to absorb water and then transfer it to the seeds (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,874). The extent of seed hydration is controlled by altering the water content of the medium and the medium/seed ratio. The process is completed by removal of seed from the medium with optional drying. Both drum and matrix priming have been developed to avoid the problems of using PEG when priming large quantities of seed.
Further seed treatments involving control of seed water content are germination and desiccation tolerance induction treatments. Treatment for producing germinated seeds may involve treatment similar to priming as described above with treatment being continued until the radicle emerges. Seed so produced may be further dried back and/or coated as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,411. Separation of the germinated seed from primed seed may be carried out using a seed classifier operating to separate seeds showing signs of radicle emergence from those that do not. Such apparatus and method are exemplified by the disclosure of Kirin Brewery Co Ltd JETRO May 1994 where a video CCD camera is used to observe seed for colour and size of tissue and a compressor device is used to move selected developed seed from undeveloped seed. Treatment for induction of desiccation tolerance in seed with emerged radicles is exemplified by WO 94/05145 wherein the content of the seed is held between 35 and 55% weight such that the emerged radicle does not develop while other metabolic processes continue.


Silicone rubber coatings resistant to fouling by aquatic organisms are based on a hydroxy-functional polydiorganosiloxane and a crosslinking agent therefor. The hydroxy-functional polydiorganosiloxane may be packaged separately from the crosslinking agent, or a stable package comprising a hydroxy-functional polydiorganosiloxane terminated by excess crosslinking agent may be packaged separately from further hydroxy-functional polydiorganosiloxane. In either case the two packages can be combined to give the optimum ratio of crosslinking agent to silicon-bonded hydroxyl groups to ensure cure and give optimum resistance to fouling, whilst overcoming the problem of premature gelation during storage.

Silicone rubber fouling-resistant compositions are described for example in GB-A-1307001, 1470465, 1581727 and 2141436, EP-B-16195 and 32597, EP-A-89071 and 329375 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,702,778 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,565. They have significant advantages over conventional antifouling compositions containing marine biocides which are gradually leached from the paint. The silicone rubber coatings rely on their low surface energy, rather than on biocides, to inhibit settlement of marine organisms. Conventional anti-fouling paints eventually become ineffective as all their biocide is released. Silicone rubber coatings are potentially capable of retaining their low energy surface indefinitely.
The silicone rubber fouling-resistant coatings are generally based on a hydroxy-functional polydiorganosiloxane, usually an alpha, omega-dihydroxypolydiorganosiloxane, or a material which is hydrolysable to such a hydroxy-functional polydiorganosiloxane. These hydroxy-functional polydiorganosiloxanes, sometimes known as silicone gums, are curable through their hydroxy groups, and fouling-resistant coating compositions based on them include a crosslinking agent reactive with SiOH groups or hydrolysable to a substance reactive with SiOH groups. EP-B-32597 and EP-A-329375 describe two-pack compositions in which a crosslinking agent such as ethyl silicate is packaged separately from the hydroxy-functional polydiorganosiloxane. Single-pack compositions in which the crosslinking agent contains hydrolysable groups such as acyloxy or ketiminoxy groups are described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,565 and EP-B-32597.
Such single-pack compositions have the disadvantage that substantial excess of the crosslinking agent needs to be used to obtain a storage-stable composition as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,623. If the molar ratio of crosslinking agent to the silicon-bonded hydroxyl groups of the hydroxy-functional polydiorganosiloxane is low, the composition is liable to gelation on storage.


A method for performing a multilingual information offer through a communication network includes a step of translating contents of information into many languages, and a step of entering the translated contents into a multilingual processing database, wherein a page record and a text record are given for processing each page of the translated contents in the multilingual processing database. Multilingual translated contents of information and advertisements are provided. A number of visitors to an information site in each language is counted, and an advertisement charge is charged to an advertiser on the basis of the number of visitors. These steps are performed through one Web site having one apparatus and one translation processing system.

Up to now, an example utilizing a communication network (Internet for example) under a TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) environment is known as a multilingual translation service of this kind.
FIG. 12 is a block diagram for explaining the architecture of a conventional Web (Web: World Wide Web) site for performing multilingual translation, and FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure for performing multilingual translation by the Web site of FIG. 12. And FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a procedure for maintenance of multilingual translation by the Web site of FIG. 12.
In this example, as shown in FIG. 12, a Web site connected to a TCP/IP transmission circuit network has been built for each of Japanese, English, German, French, and so forth in many languages. In each Web site, a Web server processes one of the respective languages (ranging from Japanese to French and so forth). Such a Web site is a processing system of hardware having software installed in it, namely, an individual firmware.
This architecture is a structure in which a UNIX workstation or the like to be a Web site is connected to such a digital circuit network as ISDN or the like, and a general-purpose small computer, and a UNIX workstation or the like to be used by a translator and further a general-purpose small computer, a UNIX workstation or the like to be used by a translation requester are connected to the digital circuit network. In this communication network structure, a two-way communication through a so-called Internet communication is performed by a Web browser (application).
In such a multilingual translation service, in a process of multilingual translation of FIG. 13, a master site is downloaded and copied through a TCP/IP transmission circuit network (step S1), and data of HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) of its language portion are extracted and converted into language data (step S2). Next, the language data is translated into a destination language (step S3). After this, the translated language is converted into HTML data (step S4). Further, the language HTML data are ported into a copy site and adjusted (step S5). These processes are repeated for necessary languages.
And in a maintenance process of FIG. 14, a Web administrator is notified of change of a master site (step S11), and a language portion needing to be translated is selected (step S12). HTML data of the language portion are extracted and converted into language data (step S13). Next, the language data are translated (step S14) and these translated language data are converted into HTML data (step S15). Next, the language HTML data are ported into a Web site and adjusted (step S16). These steps on and alter the step of extracting and converting HTML data of the language portion into language data are repeated for necessary languages. In this way, a multilingual translation service utilizing the Internet is offered.
And translation of contents into only one's native language is frequently performed, but the same contents are translated and offered infrequently in many languages.

Method for offering multilingual information translated in many languages through a communication network


A process for preparing a catalyst by selecting an active catalyst and contacting the active catalyst with one or more fluids containing an organic solvent or mixture of organic solvents. In one embodiment, each organic solvent has a dielectric constant within a range of about 5 to about 55 when measured at a temperature of 20° C. to 25° C. The catalyst thus prepared may be used in a process for preparing maleic anhydride.

Maleic anhydride may be used as a raw material in the production of many products, such as synthetic resins, and may generally be prepared by the catalytic oxidation of n-butane. The catalyst of choice for this oxidation is typically a catalyst containing vanadium, phosphorus, oxygen (VPO) and optionally a promoter component.
These catalysts are generally prepared by contacting vanadium-containing compounds with phosphorus-containing compounds and optionally promoter component containing-compounds under conditions suitable to reduce the pentavalent vanadium to the tetravalent state to thereby form a catalyst precursor containing vanadyl hydrogen phosphate and optionally the promoter component. The catalyst precursor may then be recovered and typically formed into a shaped body, such as a tablet or pellet, by compression in a die. A lubricant is ordinarily incorporated as well to aid in the tableting or pelleting process. The pellet or tablet may then be subjected to calcination to transform the catalyst precursor into an active catalyst.
Variants and different embodiments of the preparation of the active catalyst are further described in, for example: U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,158, which discloses preparation of the catalyst precursor in the presence of an alcohol-modifying agent to form a highly porous catalyst precursor which is then converted to the active catalyst; U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,179 which discloses forming the catalyst precursor into a geometric shape and calcining the shaped catalyst in an inert atmosphere at a temperature within the range of about 343° C. to 704° C. and further at an increased temperature in an oxygenous atmosphere to produce the active catalyst; U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,860 which discloses the use of three heating stages for converting the catalyst precursor into an active catalyst; U.S. Pat. No. 5,506,187 which discloses preparation of the catalyst precursor in the presence of a glycol ether solvent; U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,144 which discloses the use of orthophosphoric acid as the phosphorus-containing compound for producing the catalyst precursor; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,773,382 which discloses the use of removable pore modification agents in the preparation of the catalyst precursor to produce a catalyst precursor exhibiting a high proportion of large pores.
Thus, there are many different methods of producing and activating these catalysts, however the main active substance in all such catalysts is believed to be vanadyl pyrophosphate (VO)2P2O7. This active substance is believed to be very sensitive to preparation conditions in terms of catalytic performance. In the past, improvements in catalytic performance have come from processing techniques including (1) dopant addition, such as Fe, Mo, Nb, Zr as promoters, for example, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,923; and (2) catalyst structure modification including catalyst shape and pore structure inside of catalyst particles, for example, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,090. Although these and other known techniques provide catalysts having appreciable activity and selectivity in the preparation of maleic anhydride, further improvements are desirable.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Oxidation catalyst for maleic anhydride production


Accordingly, the invention provides constructs in which the nucleic acids encoding Plasmodium falciparum MSP4 and MSP5, and the resulting polypeptides, have been modified. More particularly, this invention provides constructs encoding recombinant MSP4 and MSP5 polypeptides, which are expressed as soluble, secreted polypeptides in a baculovirus-insect cell expression system. It was surprisingly found that the recombinant polypeptides contain an EGF-like domain at the C-terminus that is properly folded in the polypeptide.

Malaria is responsible for approximately 2 million deaths per year worldwide, mostly African children under 5 years old, and places an enormous public health burden on many of the world's poorest countries. This burden is increasing at an alarming rate, as drug resistance in both the parasite and its mosquito vectors spreads, exacerbating the urgent need for an effective vaccine.
The most promising blood stage vaccine candidates examined so far are merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1) and an apical membrane antigen (AMA1). Humoral immune responses targeting these surface antigens are found to be correlated with reduced disease incidence, and in vitro, such antibodies can inhibit parasite re-invasion of red blood cells (RBC) [1-3]. However, these antigen genes generally display a disproportionately high number of non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) compared to genes coding for proteins that are not accessible to immune effectors [4-6], and some of these nsSNPs encode radical amino acid substitutions that clustered within the regions of the protein most accessible to the host immune system [7]. Such amino acid polymorphisms could function in immune evasion by altering both B and T cell epitopes [4,8]. It is now generally accepted that any functional malaria vaccine will need to be composed of several allelic types of each target antigen in the hope of inducing a multi-allelic response and/or conserved regions of several target antigens.
More particularly, there exists a need in the art for antigens that can be used in the diagnosis and treatment of malaria and in particular of Plasmodium falciparum malaria and Plasmodium vivax malaria. In particular, there is a need for conserved antigens associated with specific immune responses that confer protection from disease in endemic regions, and the assessment of their suitability as components of a multi-valiant malaria vaccine.

Centre Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique


Described herein are compounds of Formula I and Formula II, methods of their synthesis, compositions comprising the compounds, and use of the compounds and compositions in treating numerous diseases and disorders, including cognitive deficits associated with CNS diseases and disorders.

The cyclic nucleotides 5′-3′ cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and 5′-3′ cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) are second messenger molecules, relaying signals from receptors on the cell surface to target molecules inside the cell. The cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are a group of enzymes (which can be localized to different cellular compartments) that hydrolyze the phosphodiester bond of cyclic nucleotides and thereby inactivate their function. PDEs can therefore play important roles in signal transduction by modulating the localization, amplitude, and duration of cyclic nucleotide signaling within the cell.
PDEs comprise at least eleven families: PDE1-PDE11, each categorized by distinct molecular, kinetic, regulatory, and inhibitory properties. PDE family members are differentially expressed in various tissues and can localize to distinct sub-cellular domains. This diversity enables PDEs to modulate local intracellular cAMP and cGMP gradients in response to discrete external stimuli. For review, see Conti and Beavo, 2007, Annu. Rev. Biochem. 76, 481-511.
Among the PDE families, PDE1 is unique in its requirement for full activation by calcium (Ca2+) and calmodulin (CaM). Calcium enters the cell and forms a complex with CaM. Binding of the Ca2+/CaM complexes to multiple domains near the N-terminus of PDE1 can result in full phosphodiesterase activity. PDE1 is therefore a point of convergence and integration for multiple signaling pathways that regulate numerous downstream targets and cellular events. For review, see Sharma et al., 2006, Int. J. Mol. Med. 18, 95-105.
The PDE1 family comprises three genes, pde1a, pde1b, and pde1c, and each encodes multiple isoforms via alternative splicing and differential transcription. All PDE1 enzymes appear to hydrolyze both cAMP and cGMP, although they can differ in their relative affinities for each. For review, see Bender and Beavo, 2006, Pharmacol. Rev. 58, 488-520.
PDE1 is expressed in many tissues, underscoring a role in many physiological processes. Regions of PDE1 expression include, but are not limited to, the heart, lungs, veins and arteries, smooth muscle, skeletal muscle, skin, adrenal gland, thyroid, pancreas, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, liver, leukocytes, testis, ovary, bladder, kidney, and the nervous system. In the brain, PDE1 isoforms are expressed in the cerebral cortex, frontal lobe, hippocampus, cerebellum, and amygdala, regions involved in memory formation and other cognitive processes. PDE1B expression, in particular, correlates closely with brain regions showing high levels of dopaminergic innervation. In the cardiovascular system, PDE1 appears to play a central role in organizing cAMP microdomains and mediating hormonal specificity in cardiac cells. See Maurice et al., 2003, Mol. Pharm. 64, 533-546. Indeed, human PDE1B is highly expressed in numerous cardiovascular regions, including the pericardium, heart atrium (left), heart apex, Purkinje fibers, and pulmonic valve.
More generally, cyclic nucleotide signaling pathways, including those involving PDE1, are implicated in numerous pathological processes. See, e.g., Keravis and Lugnier, 2012, Br. J. Pharmacol. 165, 1288-1305. For example, alterations in these pathways have been implicated in various disorders of the brain, including depression, schizophrenia and cognitive disorders. Inhibiting PDE1 activity in the nervous system, for example, can increase cAMP or cGMP levels and consequently induce expression of neuronal plasticity-related genes, neurotrophic factors, and neuroprotective molecules. Based on such properties, PDE1 inhibitors are promising therapeutic candidates in treating many CNS disorders and associated cognitive impairments. Similarly, PDE1 enzymes and cyclic nucleotides are emerging as key mediators of pathological processes that underlie many vascular disorders, including hypertension, myocardial infarction, and heart failure. See, e.g., Miller et al., 2011, Basic Res. Cardiol. 106, 1023-1039; Miller et al, 2009, Circ. Res. 105, 956-964. In addition, PDE1 is implicated in the development and progression of renal disease, where cAMP and cGMP regulate a variety of signaling pathways, including those that modulate mitogenesis, inflammation, and extracellular matrix synthesis. See, e.g., Wang et al., 2010, Kidney Int. 77. 129-140; Cheng et al., 2007, Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 232, 38-51; Dousa, 1999, Kidney Int. 55, 29-62.
Accordingly, there is a need to develop treatments for CNS and other disorders, as well as disorders that are due, at least in part, to an aberration or dysregulation of an intracellular signaling pathway regulated by PDE1. The present invention meets these and other needs in the art by providing compounds that inhibit PDE1, and more particularly, can inhibit PDE1B.

Therapeutic thiophene-, furan-, and pyridine-fused azolopyrimidin-5-(6H)-ones


The present disclosure relates to an electronic control apparatus for a vehicle using waterproof housing sealing and a manufacturing method thereof, and the electronic control apparatus includes: an electronic control element configured to electrically control each part of the vehicle; a connector electrically connected with the electronic control element; a housing having an opened one side surface, the connector connected with the electronic control element being inserted from the one side surface in the slot type to be accommodated in the housing; and a connector cover coupled with the connector to cover the opened one side surface of the housing, in which a flange extended by a predetermined length toward the outside is formed on the opened one side surface of the housing along a side surface of the housing, and a potting layer is formed inside the flange on the connector cover.

In general, an electronic control apparatus such as an ECU, which electronically controls various types of devices, is equipped in a vehicle. The electronic control apparatus receives information from sensors or switches installed at each part of the vehicle. The electronic control apparatus serves to perform various electronic controls for promoting improvement of a riding quality and safety of the vehicle or providing various items of convenience to a driver and a passenger by processing the received information.
For example, the electronic control apparatus such as the ECU, which controls states of an engine, an automatic transmission, an anti-lock brake system (ABS), and the like in the vehicle using a computer, also serves to control all parts in the vehicle, such as a driving system, a braking system, and a steering system as well as the control of the automatic transmission as the vehicle and the computer have been developed in terms of performance.
The electronic control apparatus such as the ECU has a structure that includes a case which includes an upper cover and a lower base, a printed circuit board (PCB) which is accommodated in the case, a connector which is coupled to a front end of the PCB so as to be connected to an external socket, and the like.
The case has a structure in which the cover and the base are assembled together with the PCB while covering the PCB, and particularly, the connector, which is interposed between the cover and the base when the cover and the base are assembled, forms a sealing structure with the cover side and the base side.
The electronic control apparatus includes a high integrated control circuit means and thus requires a predetermined sealing structure that may prevent external moisture or foreign substances from flowing into the electronic control apparatus, and the electronic control apparatus mainly adopts a sealing structure in which the cover and the base are typically assembled together with the connector in a state in which sealing materials are inserted on connected portions between the cover and the base and the connector so as to protect the PCB and the like in the electronic control apparatus.
However, the sealing structures applied to the electronic control apparatus in the related art mostly have a structure in which a sealing member is applied on a connected portion between a groove or protrusion at the connector side and a protrusion or a groove at the cover side and the base side, so that it fails to secure a sufficient sealing area and as a result, there is a difficulty in securing a sealing quality of an assembled portion between the connector, and the cover and the base.
A slot type electronic control apparatus has a sealing structure in which an O-ring is inserted between a housing body and a cover.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of coupling of an electronic control apparatus including slot type housing in the related art, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an O-ring used in the electronic control apparatus of FIG. 1.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the electronic control apparatus including the slot type housing in the related art includes a housing body 110, a cover 120, a connector 130, and a PCB 140.
The housing body 110 is a slot type body among existing various types of housings.
The connector 130 includes an inner pin and an outer pin, and is coupled to the cover 120.
The cover 120 is coupled with the PCB 140, and a slot formed by the PCB 140 is coupled with the housing body 110. Here, an O-ring 121 is inserted between the housing body 110 and the cover 120.
That is, in a case of the waterproof slot type housing in the related art, the O-ring 121 is inserted between the housing body 110 and the cover 120. The housing body 110 is in close contact with the cover 120 so that a coupled region between the housing body 110 and the cover 120 is sealed. Accordingly, the O-ring 121 suitable for the cover 120 needs to be manufactured in advance before the housing body 110 is coupled with the cover 120, and the manufactured O-ring 120 needs to be mounted inside the cover 120.
FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are a cross-sectional view of a coupling state of the electronic control apparatus including a slot type housing in the related art, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a coupling state of the electronic control apparatus adopting a slot type waterproof sealing structure, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a coupling state of a slot type non-waterproof electronic control apparatus.
In a case of FIG. 3, the connector 131 is a special connector integrated with a cover, and the cover 131 is coupled with the PCB 140 and the slot formed by the PCB 140 is coupled with the housing body 110. The O-ring 121 is inserted between the housing body 110 and the connector 131, so that the coupling portions are in close contact with each other so as to be sealed.
However, in a case of FIG. 4, the cover 130 is coupled with the PCB 140, the slot formed by the PCB 140 is coupled with the housing body 110, and a means, such as the O-ring, for sealing the coupling portion is connected between the housing body 110 and the connector 130, so that there is a problem in that it is impossible to prevent external moisture or foreign substances from flowing into the housing.

Electronic control apparatus for vehicle using water proof type housing sealing and method thereof


There is provided a communication address detection apparatus, a connector with a built-in control circuit, and a communication address detection method capable of preventing abnormal operations even in cases when a voltage level to be input to any one of a plurality of communication address setting terminals has inverted due to some faults. In a communication address detection apparatus for detecting a communication address in accordance with a combination of voltage levels of high or low levels input to a plurality of communication address setting terminals, the combination of the voltage levels with the assigned communication address is set which is stored in a communication address information storing unit (172) is set so as to become a combination of the voltage levels that has no assigned communication address when any one of the voltage levels in the combination of the voltage levels has inverted.

A vehicle such as an automobile is provided with a plurality of actuators for driving a window, a mirror, etc. The plurality of actuators are connected to an electronic control unit (ECU) by a wire harness constructed by bundling a plurality of electric wires. Each of the actuators performs operations of, for example, opening and closing of the window or angle adjustment of the mirror in response to control information by sending and receiving the control information through the wire harness.
Then, there is a problem that the wire harnesses increase in proportion to the number of actuators in the case of being configured to individually connect these plurality of actuators to the ECU by the wire harnesses. As a result, using one or a few wire harnesses, the plurality of actuators are mutually connected to the ECU by a bus. Then, identification is enabled by setting mutually different communication addresses in the ECU and each of the actuators and also the communication address is added to control information traveling in the wire harnesses and a destination of the control information is specified. Thus, communication between the plurality of actuators and the ECU can be conducted by one or a few wire harnesses and an increase in the wire harness is suppressed (see Patent Literature 1 as one example).

Communication address detection apparatus, connector with built-in control circuit, and communication address detection method


The occurrence of uneven drying in the center and end of a surface of a bonding layer during a desolvation process of a pre-drying step is reduced to ensure highly reliable bonding without peeling of a bonding surface even after repeated exposure to heat shock after bonding. The bonding material of the present invention to achieve the object contains silver nanoparticles coated with organic substance having 6 or less carbon atoms and having an average primary particle diameter of 10 to 30 nm as main silver particles, silver nanoparticles coated with an organic substance having 6 or less carbon atoms and having an average primary particle diameter of 100 to 200 nm as secondary silver particles, two kinds of solvents having different boiling points, and a dispersant.

A metal having a smaller particle diameter is known to exhibit physical properties particular to the size. In particular, nano-scale particles may exhibit properties different from those of a bulk material. A material for bonding different substances using metal nanoparticles, in which such properties are used, has been proposed.
On the other hand, when the electronic control of an automobile and an industrial machine is promoted, power consumption increases. Therefore, the operating temperature of a semiconductor used in the inside thereof tends to increase. For this reason, a bonding material that can withstand a high-temperature environment is desired. Conventionally, lead-containing solder that can maintain its strength at high temperature has been used. However, from a recent tendency of reducing the use of lead, the use thereof tends to be restricted.
A temperature at which a bonding portion is exposed during operation may be near the melting point of solder. In this case, a bonding material having a higher melting point is required. However, when a brazing material having a high melting point is used, a bonding method is not facilitated. Therefore, the provision of a bonding material that is capable of bonding at low temperature and has bonding strength even at high temperature, and a bonding method has been desired.
In order to apply a technology that requires the application of pressure to materials to be bonded during bonding, a device capable of applying at least pressure and heat simultaneously is required. This technology somewhat has a problem in versatility. The technology has another problem in which it cannot be used for a material having only a mechanical strength enough not to withstand the application of pressure. Therefore, if a paste (bonding material) that can exhibit appropriate bonding power without application of pressure to the materials to be bonded can be provided, an object to which the technology can be applied is expected to significantly increase.
An atmosphere where a bonded body is formed is an oxidative atmosphere containing oxygen, for example, at least in the air. For this reason, in a bonding portion containing a surface to be bonded and a bonding material, the bonding portion may be oxidized to adversely affect the bonding power. An influence of oxygen on the bonding portion may be remarkable particularly on a fine bonded body. In order to eliminate such an influence, bonding may be performed under an inert atmosphere including nitrogen. If a bonding material that can exhibit sufficient bonding power even under an inert gas atmosphere can be provided, the use field and potential of the bonding material are expected to significantly increase. Therefore, bonding without application of pressure is strongly required.
As a candidate of a bonding method that can meet such requirements, a bonding method using silver nanoparticles, in which bonding can be achieved using no lead at a temperature lower than that of silver of a bulk material, recently receives attention. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses that a three-metallic-component type composite nanometallic paste that contains three types of metallic component particles of large, medium, and small sizes in terms of specific size, and particularly composite metal nanoparticles as particles of small size, is sintered in an inert gas without application of pressure, to form a compact metal bonding layer having a high bonding strength of 10 MPa or more.

Bonding material and bonding method in which said bonding material is used


A method for optimizing routing functions in a router is provided. The router has a split plane architecture including a control plane and a data plane. The control plane includes an Address Resolution Protocol cache and the data plane includes a programmable forwarding information base. According to one aspect, when the control plane obtains information about a route, it evaluates the obtained information about the route to determine if address resolution is needed. If it is determined that address resolution is needed for the route, the control plane performs the needed address resolution to derive additional information about the route. The control plane programs the forwarding information base to incorporate the obtained and additional information. The determination as to whether address resolution is needed for the route is performed regardless of whether packets are to be delivered on the route.

The present invention generally relates to routing in computer networks and, more specifically, to a method and system for optimizing routing functions in routers with a split plane architecture.
A router typically has three basic components, namely, a routing table, a forwarding information base (FIB) and an address resolution protocol (ARP) cache. The routing table contains information relating to routers that are present on a computer network. The FIB contains information that is necessary to forward an Internet Protocol (IP) datagram to its intended destination, i.e., the FIB contains information on paths or routes that can be used to forward the IP datagram. The ARP cache includes information relating to mappings from IP addresses to corresponding hardware addresses. ARP provides a dynamic mapping between two different forms of addresses: an IP address and whatever type of address a data link uses. ARP is used to resolve a layer-3 IP address to a layer-2 MAC address.
In a software based router, when a datagram or packet needs to be forwarded, the router consults the FIB. Once a route for the packet is identified, the router then consults the ARP cache to retrieve the MAC address of the next hop gateway or host. If a corresponding MAC address is located in the ARP cache, the packet is forwarded to the next hop gateway using the corresponding MAC address. Otherwise, an ARP request is initiated to resolve the needed corresponding MAC address. A reply to the ARP request from the next hop gateway provides the needed corresponding MAC address that can then be used to forward the packet. An appropriate entry linking the IP address and the corresponding MAC address is then stored in the ARP cache. Subsequent packets that need to pass through the same gateway can be quickly forwarded using the recently added entry in the ARP cache. To account for gateways or hosts that become unavailable, the ARP cache entries are invalidated after a predetermined period of time. This prevents the router from forwarding packets to a gateway or host that is not operational, thereby minimizing waste of network resources. At the same time, periodic invalidation of the ARP cache entries also saves precious memory resources of the router as the router no longer has to maintain any information relating to the next hop.
In traditional software based routers, the functions of the three basic components of the router are performed by software. Recently, due to advances in hardware technologies, many router vendors have utilized a split plane architecture which segregates or splits the forwarding functions from the routing functions. In other words, the split plane architecture includes a control plane and a data plane. The control plane determines and controls how a packet is to be routed or forwarded; and the data plane performs the actual forwarding of the packet. With the split plane architecture, the forwarding functions are implemented in hardware, for example, network processors, in order to achieve line rate forwarding as high as, for example, OC-48 or even OC-192. However, the split plane architecture has its own set of issues that are not present in the traditional software based routers.
One of the common problems encountered in the split plane architecture is, for example, delay in determination of routes. In the split plane architecture, the hardware (for example, the network processor) requires that all information that is necessary for forwarding a packet be programmed in advance before the packet arrives for delivery to its intended destination. As a result, routes traversing a gateway, whose ARP cache entries are not resolved, are not programmed. When a packet is received for delivery to an intended destination for which the ARP is not resolved, the network processor forwards the packet to the control plane which, in turn, generates an ARP request. As a result, upon the arrival of a packet intended for a particular destination whose ARP is not resolved, ARP needs to be engaged and the proper route entries need to be programmed, thereby incurring delay in the delivery of the packet. Once the ARP is resolved, the route entries are programmed with the complete information. Subsequent packets can then be forwarded by the network processor without any assistance from the control plane. One drawback of performing address resolution only upon arrival of a packet is that the packet cannot be delivered while address resolution is being performed. That increases the likelihood of losing that packet. For example, on a 10 Mbps pipe, a network processor can forward about 20,000 packets/sec (each packet being 64 bytes long). It takes about 1-2 seconds to resolve an ARP entry. During this 1-2 second period, the number of packets lost can reach about 20,000 to 40,000 packets for each route that does not have an ARP entry resolved.
Another common problem encountered in the split plane architecture is ARP cache invalidation. As previously mentioned, ARP cache entries are periodically invalidated. Hence, when an ARP cache entry times out or becomes invalidated, all the route entries in the network processor that relate to that particular ARP cache entry have to be flushed or deleted. Consequently, the ARP cache entry has to be re-learned again and the corresponding routes reprogrammed again in the network processor. The re-learning and reprogramming operations consume significant CPU resources and time. Empirically, it has been shown that it takes about 2-3 minutes to program 5000 routes. During this time, packets received for routes that have not been programmed are either dropped or sent to the CPU, thereby negatively affecting forwarding performance.
Hence, it would be desirable to provide a method and system that is capable of optimizing route determination and routing table changes due to ARP cache invalidation in routers with a split plane architecture.

Method and system for optimizing routing table changes due to ARP cache invalidation in routers with split plane architecture


A contact holding sheet with a light guide without using a holding sheet with protrusions made of resin is provided. The contact holding sheet does not require a protrusion fabrication process, thereby reducing costs, and making the contact holding sheet thin without forming the protrusions on the holding sheet. The contact holding sheet includes a holding sheet opposed to a substrate, fixed contacts provided on the substrate, and dome-shaped movable contacts attached to a pressure sensitive adhesive surface of the holding sheet. The dome-shaped movable contacts face the substrate, and the movable contacts are opposed to the fixed contacts of the substrate. The protrusions are formed at central positions of the movable contacts and positioned inside holes formed in the holding sheet. The holding sheet and a light guide film are integrated with adhesion in a state where the light guide film is laid on upper portions of the protrusions.

There has been conventionally a contact holding sheet provided with a light guide, for example, as disclosed in JP 9-198902A and JP 2001-028220A. Small switches that are built in a cellular phone and other portable electronic devices are configured by dome-shaped movable contacts. Each of the movable contacts has a diameter of around 2 to 6 mm and fixed contacts that are opposed to the movable contacts. The movable contacts are held by the holding sheet. The fixed contacts are built in a substrate and opposed to the movable contacts.
In a state where the switches are built in the portable electronic devices, since the operation of switches is implemented by pushing central portions of the movable contacts, protrusions made of resin are formed on the holding sheet, and apexes of the protrusions are pushed to displace the movable contacts, thereby causing the movable contacts and the fixed contacts to be electrically brought into contact with each other. When the movable contacts come in contact with or separate from the fixed contacts, the switches are turned ON or OFF.
Meanwhile, the light guide made of a transparent film, and so forth is disposed between switch operation portions and the holding sheet for illuminating the switch operation portions. When the switches are operated, the light guide strikes against the protrusions made of resin, and cracks are liable to be generated in the light guide when implementing the life test of the switches, thereby causing a problem with durability.

Contact holding sheet provided with a light guide


A coated comestible product having an improved coating appearance and a method for improving the appearance of a coated product is achieved when a food-acceptable, poorly water-soluble salt is added to a coating syrup that further comprises a primary coating material. One preferred inventive coating comprises calcium gluconate as the poorly water-soluble salt, and xylitol as the primary coating material.

Comestible products such as chewing gums, other confections, and pharmaceuticals are often covered with a hard or soft coating to vary the taste, appearance, mouth-feel and nutritional value of these products. Traditionally, the primary coating material used to coat these products is sugar. However, to suit the market's demand for sugarless products, it is also necessary to produce sugarless coatings.
One problem that is common to all coatings becomes especially troublesome for sugarless, particularly xylitol, coatings. The surface of the coating are often marred by visible imperfections that appear as dimples, pimples, pits, etc. Although it has been possible to improve the coating appearance, prior efforts often required costly formulation and/or processing changes. It would be desirable to produce a coating that has an improved appearance without the costly formulation and/or processing changes.

Coated chewing gum product and method of making


An implantable medical device (IMD) is implanted in a patient. The IMD uses a plurality of electrode vectors to generate intrathoracic impedance measurements. The intrathoracic impedance measurements can be indicative of amounts of intrathoracic fluid in the patient. An accumulation of intrathoracic fluid may indicate that the patient is at an increased risk of experiencing a heart failure event in the near future. The IMD performs a vector selection operation on a recurring basis. When the IMD performs the vector selection operation, the IMD uses impedance measurements to select one of the electrode vectors. The IMD can perform a risk assessment operation on another recurring basis. During performance of the risk assessment operation, the IMD uses impedance measurements of the selected electrode vector and/or other patient characteristics stored within the IMD to determine whether the patient is at an increased risk of experiencing a heart failure event.

Heart failure is a condition affecting thousands of people worldwide. Essentially, congestive heart failure occurs when the heart is unable to pump blood at an adequate rate to meet metabolic demand Heart failure may result in tissue congestion, peripheral edema, pulmonary edema, and shortness of breath. When heart failure is severe, it can lead to patient death.
Heart failure treatments have historically been pharmacologically based but more recently, biventricular stimulation has been added in moderate to severe heart failure patients meeting approved indications. Drug therapy has included diuretics, beta blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and aldosterone antagonists. Even though patients may follow strict drug regimens, heart failure exacerbations may arise, placing them at risk for increased morbidity and mortality.
Some implantable medical devices assist in detecting medical conditions based on measured impedance. For example, certain implantable medical devices are programmed to measure intrathoracic impedance of a patient. The intrathoracic impedance may be a function of the amount of fluid within the thoracic cavity of the patient. The amount of, or change in, the amount of fluid within the thoracic cavity may be indicative of various cardiac conditions. For instance, a relatively large amount, or a relatively significant change from the patient's average amount, of fluid within the thoracic cavity may be indicative of an acute heart failure event.

Automatic selection of electrode vectors for assessing risk of heart failure decompensation events


Disclosed, is a system for pipe network failure classification, including a network part sensor layer for monitoring pipe(s) operation condition and collecting related parameter values. A system pipe network parts database includes feature parameter value records of pipes in the pipe network. A classification processing logic, intermittently receive sensor collected parameters from said network part sensor layers, references records of the pipe network parts database and retrieves one or more feature parameter values associated with the failed pipe's operational or environmental conditions, and classifies the pipe failure into one of two or more failure categories.

The presence of a leak represents a loss of resources as well as an economic loss. In some cases, for example, when the fluid is a toxic or combustible material, the presence of a leak can create a dangerous situation.
Leaks can be detected in two general ways. The first is by detecting the substance that escapes the vessel. The second is by detecting certain leak-related properties such as pressure drops, acoustic emissions, volume balance changes and temperature changes.
There remains a need, in the field of system monitoring, for methods, circuits, assemblies, devices, systems and functionally associated machine executable code, for mechanical failure classification, condition assessment and remediation recommendation, wherein mechanical failures, such as those that may occur in a pipe network, are both detected and classified and wherein the classification may be utilized for the recommendation of remediation to the mechanical failure and for prevention of similar conditions.

Methods circuits assemblies devices systems and functionally associated machine executable code for mechanical failure classification condition assessment and remediation recommendation


A method for image decoding is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) receiving from a medium (1) an encoded signal and (2) transform data comprising at least one of (i) encoding statistics embedded in the encoded signal, (ii) encoding information and (iii) pre-processing information, wherein (a) the encoding statistics are created by an encoder in encoding an intermediate input signal to create the encoded signal, (b) the encoding information is producible by the encoder in the encoding and (c) the pre-processing information is producible by a pre-processor in converting an image input signal into the intermediate input signal, (B) generating an intermediate output signal by decoding the encoded signal and (C) generating an image output signal by processing the intermediate output signal in response to the transform data.

Conventional methods exist for creating low bit rate and/or low-quality video bitstreams for various applications. However, extending such conventional methods to create content for high-quality portable video bitstreams results in a number of problems. The problems can occur when recording at a full capture resolution, including power costs, heat dissipation, storage capacity and cost of the processor. Other problems are caused by some fundamental compromises in quality versus bit rate imposed by hybrid compression technologies. Practical difficulties exist moving the content into a more powerful authoring workstation or transcoder to finalize the content. Furthermore, systems to protect the content in the process of transferring and manipulation for finalization are often missing.
Several methods currently exist for post-processing decompressed video. However, current methods process the decompressed video with no information from the capture processing, pre-processing and/or encoding processing. At very low bit rates, an importance for video post-processing is considerably higher than at higher bit rates since the video quality from low bit rate streams can be improved considerably by post-processing.

Method and apparatus for image decoder post-processing using image pre-processing and image encoding information