Provided is a method for preparing a compound represented by Formula I or a salt thereof, wherein Coleophoma empetri F-11899 (FERM BP2635) and/or a mutant strain thereof is cultured in a medium containing amino acid or a salt thereof, an insoluble organic source, and a sugar alcohol, to produce the compound of Formula I or a salt thereof.

Fungus infections have become the major cause for the high morbidity and mortality in immunodeficiency patients. During the past 20 years, the incidence of mycotic infection has increased significantly. The high-risk population for the fungus infection includes critical patients, surgical patients and the patients with HIV-infection, leukemia as well as other tumors. Additionally, the organ transplant recipients are also the high-risk population for fungus infection.
Echinocandins, as a kind of novel anti-fungal medicaments, are effective in treating Candida- or aspergillus-infections, and the examples of which are Caspofungin and Micafungin. The echinocandins inhibit the fungi by inhibiting the formation of 1,3-β glucosidic bond, thereby reducing the toxicity toward the human and the side effects, while maintaining high efficiency. Therefore, compared with the traditional anti-fungal medicaments, the echinocandins are safer when they are used.
FK463 (Micafungin) is the compound of Formula III, which is obtained by removing the side-chain of compound FR901379 of Formula I through enzymolysis for forming compound FR179642 of Formula II, and then chemically modifying compound FR179642. Therefore, the production of compound of Formula I obtained through fermentation is very important for obtaining Micafungin.
However, the production for the compound of Formula I through fermentation maintains at low level for a long time. Great efforts have been made for seeking a medium with low-cost and high-production, but little progress has been made, therefore it is more difficult to prepare the compound of Formula I, thus increasing the cost and price for FK463. Therefore, it is urgent to find a method for synthesizing the compound of Formula I with low cost and high efficiency.
Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co Ltd (Japan) has obtained A-3 medium by replacing corn starch with soluble starch to reduce the viscosity of medium upon sterilization and adding sulfate and phosphate to control pH during the fermentation (Improvement of FR901379 production by mutant selection and medium optimization, Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, VOL 107 No. 5, 530-534, 2009). Afterwards, Fujisawa further improved A-3 medium by adding high concentration of ammonium sulfate to reduce the viscosity and replacing cottonseed meal with corn steep liquid, thereby obtaining medium A-4 for higher production of the compound of Formula I (Scale-up fermentation of echinocandin type antibiotic FR901379, Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, VOL 109 No. 2, 138-144, 2010).
However, it is necessary to further increase the production of compound of Formula I. And the viscosity of the above medium is still very high, and the mycelia form pellet during the fermentation, all of which are adverse to the dissolved oxygen control and subsequent filtering operation.
The inventors found a medium for increasing the production of compound of Formula I through creative works and great amount of experiments. Using the medium in the fermentation, the viscosity of the culture is low, the dissolved oxygen can be readily controlled and the mycelia won't form pellet.

Method for preparing cyclic lipopeptide compound

Shanghai Techwell Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd.


The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for sonically activating cement slurries. In some implementations, a method of treating a subterranean formation includes positioning a settable composition including a capsule in a wellbore. The capsule is used to increase a setting rate in response to at least sonic signals. A sonic signal is transmitted to at least a portion of the settable composition to release an activator from the capsule.

Some wellbores, for example, those of some oil and gas wells, are lined with a casing. The casing stabilizes the sides of the wellbore. In a cementing operation, cement is introduced down the wellbore and into an annular space between the casing and the surrounding earth. The cement secures the casing in the wellbore, and prevents fluids from flowing vertically in the annulus between the casing and the surrounding earth. Different cement formulations are designed for a variety of wellbore conditions, which may be above ambient temperature and pressure. In designing a cement formulation, a number of potential mixtures may be evaluated to determine their mechanical properties under various conditions.

Methods of sonically activating cement compositions


A system may include a finishing device to receive a print job. The print job may move about a first axis of the finishing device. The system may further include a stapling device contained within the finishing device. The stapling device to move about a second axis of the finishing device, and the second axis may be perpendicular to the first axis. A sensor may be located on the stapling device to identify a first edge of the print job. The first edge of the print job may be a leading edge of the print job as the print job moves about the first axis.

A finishing device, such as a printer, may include a stapling device. In some examples, the stapling device may be fixed, and the finishing device may place a staple in a received print job by moving the print job relative to the stapler to a predetermined position. In some examples, the stapling device may be movable, and the finishing device may place a stapling in the print job by moving the stapling device.

Stapling sensors to indicate movement of a stapling device

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A holding device is designed to compensate for the weight of a tool using a non-vertical length of an elastic rope. The elastic rope may be redirected using a pulley mounted to a carrier that is mounted to a support structure. The user is able to use the tool without supporting the entire weight of the tool during use.

In assembly tasks, particularly tasks associated with the manufacture of an aircraft, a heavy tool (e.g., a drill) frequently needs to be operated in an ergonomically unfavorable posture. The weight of such a tool may exceed 3 kg. However, a tool of this type needs to be positioned properly during the assembly, for example, overhead, in order to carry out the required tasks. Drill holes also need be arranged in a highly precise fashion so as to prevent tensions from occurring in a fairing section mounted thereon.
The tasks to be carried out with this tool may go on for an extended period of time such that the operator suffers significant strain on the body. The ergonomically unfavorable posture may also lead to health problems. Rapid fatigue of the operator may also be caused by an unfavorable posture. As a consequence, suspended balancer systems are nowadays used for assembly tasks in sufficiently large workshops. These balancer systems may reduce the apparent weight of a tool. However, these suspended balancer systems require sufficient space that is frequently not available, for example, in aircraft manufacturing processes. Additionally, conventional balancer systems currently used are quite heavy.


A tape guide mechanism in a storage device is disclosed for defining an improved roller guide tape path. A cartridge reel is provided for supplying tape to a take-up reel. Multiple flanged guides are provided located remotely from the cartridge and take-up reels. A non-flanged post guide is provided located proximate to the take-up reel for increasing a length of the tape path and for permitting the flanged guides to be located remotely from the cartridge and take-up reels so that the flanged guides are not located in proximity to the cartridge or take-up reels. An axis of symmetry exists longitudinally about one or two read/write heads. The tape path length is generally symmetrically disposed about this axis of symmetry.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to data storage devices and particularly to an improved roller guide tape path within a data storage device.
2. Background of the Invention
Magnetic tape is frequently used to store digital data. Such tape may be housed in a tape cartridge that protects the tape from damage. Tape drive systems for reading information from or writing information on magnetic tapes require tape guides to ensure that the tape is positioned correctly relative to the magnetic read/write heads in order to minimize lateral tape motion (LTM).
One type of prior tape path uses rollers having integral non-compliant fixed upper and lower flanges to guide the tape. Problems arising from this type of tape guide include friction generated from the tape movement against the fixed flanges which results in tape speed variations, tape resonance excitation, and tape debris generation. Also, the tape frequently varies in width, so that the flanges must be separated in excess of the tape width which results in vertical tape movement.
Magnetic tape may be made more useful and cost effective by increasing the density of information stored on the magnetic tape. One method of increasing information density is to decrease the thickness of the tape thereby permitting more tape to be stored in a given volume.
Decreasing the thickness of magnetic tape creates difficulties in a tape transport system. Thinner tape more easily stretches, increasing the possibility of read and write errors. Thin tape is also susceptible to folding, kinking, creasing, curling and other mechanical damage. These difficulties are exacerbated by complex tape transport systems requiring rollers, guides, and the like to drive the tape and position the tape relative to the tape head.
Current storage device designs provide for a very compact housing for holding the tape guide mechanism. This requires a short tape path. A longer tape path is desirable to reduce lateral tape motion, reduce skew, reduce cross-web tension, and reduce loads on tape edges.
Therefore, the current technology would be improved by providing an improved roller guide tape path for use with thin tape so that a longer tape path may be provided in a compact housing for holding the tape guide mechanism.


A method, system and product for determining a characterization of a terminal within a binary code, based on influences of the terminal. Based on the characterization of the terminal, the terminal is determined to be potentially affected by external input that is inputted to a device executing the binary code. A propagation path that indicates a reachability of the terminal within the binary code is determined. A code patch associated with a functionality of at least a portion of the binary code and with the propagation path of the terminal is located in the binary code. The code patch can be executed independently from the binary code. The code patch is extracted from the binary code for testing, and an emulation of the code patch is generated to enable fuzz testing of the emulation, whereby the code patch is tested independently.

Computerized devices control almost every aspect of our life—from writing documents to controlling traffic lights. However, computerized devices are bug-prone, and thus require a testing phase in which the bugs should be discovered. The testing phase is considered one of the most difficult tasks in designing a computerized device. The cost of not discovering a bug may be enormous, as the consequences of the bug may be disastrous. For example, a bug may cause the injury of a person relying on the designated behavior of the computerized device. Additionally, a bug in firmware may be expensive to fix, as patching it requires recall of the computerized device. Hence, many developers of computerized devices invest a substantial portion, such as 70%, of the development cycle to discover erroneous behaviors of the computerized device.
Testing is even more important with relation to connected devices and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. As many devices that were once low-tech without computers or processors thereon, are now connected to the Internet and to sensitive networks, these devices are potentially exposed to cyber threats. Cybersecurity analysis may be performed for such devices and their embedded code to reduce the risk of cyber-attacks. Code testing is a time consuming and resource extensive task, and is even more challenging when the code being analyzed is given in low level, binary form, and without access to the original source code.

Extracting code patches from binary code for fuzz testing


Techniques for notifying clients whose locks did not persist about a loss of lock state after a failover event are disclosed herein. According to one embodiment, a storage node of a high availability cluster constructs a lock data structure based on a mirrored lock data structure for a lock on a data container. The storage node receives a data operation request permitted by the lock from a client to operate on the data container. The storage node instructs to terminate a connection with the client if the lock data structure for the lock on the data container has been recently reconstructed. Accordingly, the client revokes the connection and refrains from committing the locally cached operations to the data container stored in the storage node. The client has an option to reconnect with the cluster and regain the data container privilege controlled by the lock.

A storage system typically comprises one or more storage devices in which information can be stored and from which information can be retrieved. A network storage system can be implemented in accordance with any of a variety of storage architectures and techniques including, but not limited to, a network-attached storage (NAS) environment or a storage area network (SAN).
A storage system typically includes a storage operating system that implements a high-level data organization module, sometimes called a file system, to logically organize stored data in hierarchical structures of logical containers. The logical containers can be or include, for example, volumes, files and/or logical units. A volume is a logical data set which is an abstraction of physical storage, combining one or more physical mass storage devices (e.g., disks) or parts thereof into a single logical storage object. Volumes can be further organized into aggregates. An aggregate is a logical container for a pool of storage, combining one or more physical mass storage devices (e.g., disks) or parts thereof into a single logical storage object, which contains or provides storage for one or more other logical data sets at a higher level of abstraction (e.g., volumes). Each logical container can be configured to store data in smaller units, often called blocks. Each block contains information, which may include the actual data of the file and/or metadata. The blocks of one or more files can be organized within one or more volumes that are maintained by the file system.
A network storage system can be configured to operate according to a client-server model of information delivery, to allow clients to store and access data in the system via a network. In this model, the client can have an application, such as a database application, executing in a computer that communicates with the storage system. Each client may send input/output (I/O) requests to read and write the data containers.
Two or more storage systems may be interconnected as nodes in a storage cluster to service client requests. Clustered storage systems can provide redundancy for the data stored in the systems, so that if one node becomes unavailable, then another node in the cluster takes over the storage space managed by the unavailable node to provide uninterrupted data service to the client. For example, a high-availability (HA) cluster can harness storage servers in pairs, groups or clusters to provide continued service when one or more of the system components fail. An HA cluster can detect hardware or software faults in one of its nodes and immediately cause another node to takeover the service from the at-fault node without requiring administrative intervention; this is a process known as failover.
In such an environment, managing access rights associated with input/output (I/O) operations (reads and writes) is a challenge. Access rights may be managed by issuing locks to one or more client applications (each of which can be referred to as "a client"), on a data container or a set of data residing at a storage volume. A lock provides certain rights to the entity (e.g. a client) which owns the lock, to perform read and write operations with respect to the data or the data container. The lock prevents the interceding update scenario in which more than one entity attempts to access the same data simultaneously. Continuous efforts are being made to better manage locks in networked storage systems without interrupting clients' data requests.
For example, nodes within a networked storage cluster can store information of the locks in a shared memory that multiple nodes can access. When a first node fails, a second node can takeover storage of the first node and retrieve information of the locks for the storage from the shared memory. Thus, the second node can continue to service data requests for the taken-over storage and maintain access rights of the taken-over storage controlled by the locks. However, shared memory architectures are costly and require special hardware to implement. When a client owns a lock as an exclusive right to read or write data, the client may cache I/O operations such as writes in a local cache first. Then the client may commit the cached operations to the data container in a batch for performance reasons. Events including takeover, giveback, and aggregate relocation are storage level events. There is no provision in protocol to communicate that information regarding the events to clients. For instance, when events such as takeover occur, the client may not receive the notification about the takeover and may continue to accumulate operations in the local cache.

Lock state reconstruction for non-disruptive persistent operation


A flow guiding structure for guiding into a clockwise swirling flow pattern gas flowing into a gas passageway leading toward a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. The structure includes a tubular peripheral wall having a base section for securing the structure to the gas passageway and an integrally extending guiding section. A plurality of guiding vanes extend radially inward from the guiding section each about a corresponding vane first edge. Each guiding vane includes a vane second edge extending in a geometrical plane perpendicular to the structure longitudinal axis. Each guiding vane further includes a substantially convex vane third edge. The guiding section is provided with a plurality of guiding bents formed therein and extending radially inwardly. The guiding bents are adapted to act as an auxiliary guide and as reinforcement for the structure.

As is well known in the art, internal combustion engines produce mechanical power from the chemical energy stored in hydrocarbon fuel. This energy is released by oxidising or burning fuel within the cylinders of the engine.
The amount of power released from the fuel is function of the degree of oxidation and, hence, is dependent on the amount of oxygen available during combustion. As a general principle, the greater the degree of oxidation of the fuel, the higher the efficiency and the greater the power output, reflected respectively by the gas mileage and horsepower of a vehicle.
Three major pollutants typically result from combustion of hydrocarbon in internal combustion engines. These pollutants are oxides of nitrogen, oxides of carbon and hydrocarbon. Carbon dioxide is generally considered a non-toxic necessary by-product of the hydrocarbon oxidation process.
With respect to the nitrogen oxide emissions, their formation is understood to be largely a function of combustion temperatures. However, it is presently understood that leaner fuel-air mixtures and improved mixing of fuel and air may tend to reduce the formation of nitrogen oxides.
With respect to carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions, it is understood that increased oxidation during combustion tends to reduce the formation of these compounds by way of oxidation.
A conventional method for reducing emissions to the environment of the by-products of internal combustion engines oxidation is to use so-called catalytic converters. Catalytic converters however suffer from numerous drawbacks. For example, they are relatively costly and their effectiveness is reduced over time. Hence, they require periodical inspection and replacement to maintain performance.
The life-span of conventional catalytic converters is understood to be a function of the amount of pollutants (primarily unburned hydrocarbons) the device has processed. Accordingly, in addition to increasing the efficiency and power output of combustion, increasing oxidation during combustion is also likely to increase the life-span of the conventional catalytic converters.
As is also well known in the art, reciprocating engines of the Wankel-type typically include a piston mounted for reciprocating or back and forth movement in a cylinder. The piston transmits power through a connecting rod and crank mechanism to the drive shaft. The majority of reciprocating engines operate on what is called a four-stroke cycle, i.e. each cylinder of the engine requires four-strokes of its piston or two revolutions of the crank shaft to complete the sequence of the cycle which produces one power stroke.
The first stroke is termed an intake stroke. It starts with the piston at the top centre crank position and ends with the piston at the bottom centre crank position. As the piston moves from the top to the bottom centre crank position, fresh intake mixture generally comprised of air or air and fuel is drawn into the cylinder through an inlet valve. The inlet valve typically opens just before the stroke starts and closes shortly after it ends.
Whether the intake mixture drawn into the cylinder is comprised of air or an air and fuel mixture is dependent on the engine. For example, in a typical spark emission engine, air passes through an air filter and then is mixed with fuel in the intake system prior to entry to the engine using a carburetor or fuel injection system. The air-fuel mixture is then drawn into the cylinder via the intake valve during the intake stroke. In comparison, a compression ignition engine inducts air alone into the cylinder during the intake stroke and the fuel is directly injected into the engine cylinder just before combustion.
Within internal combustion engines found on most vehicles, the engine takes in large volumes of air at a relatively rapid rate which is then conducted to Venturis within a carburetor is to be mixed with vaporised gasoline and then conducted within the firing cylinders of the engine.
At present, carburetors manage to vaporise approximately 40% of the gasoline in the air and this slow vaporisation rate results in incomplete and inefficient combustion of the gasoline in the engine cylinders, resulting in relatively poor gasoline mileage for the vehicle being driven and relatively high output of combustion products or pollutants.
The use of means for improving the degree of oxidation of the fuel in an internal combustion engine has long been known. For example, in order to increase the volume of the intake mixture into the combustion chamber of internal combustion engines, devices such as turbo-chargers and super-chargers are sometimes used. Although somewhat useful, such devices suffer from numerous drawbacks including that they are relatively expensive to manufacture and service. Furthermore, they draw usable power from the engine and are prone to wear. Still furthermore, they require space within the engine compartment for mounting and increase the overall weight of the motor vehicle.
Another type of means used for improving the degree of oxidation of the fuel in an internal combustion engine includes positioning a structure within the fuel/air stream prior to entry within the firing cylinders so as to cause turbulence of the fuel/air stream. The use of such structures allows the air entering into the combustion chamber to be in a swirling or turbulence state. Turbulent air flow provides a more complete and uniform mixture of air/fuel and, hence, improves the combustion of the charge within the combustion chamber.
The prior art has shown some examples of air turbulence generators for internal combustion engines. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,412 issued to Kelsen and naming J. S. Kim as inventor discloses a device which may be used to create swirling, turbulent flow to the air entering an internal combustion engine and to the exhaust gases therefrom prior to the gases entering an air pollution system.
The device utilises multiple curved and radially angled vanes to force the air into a predetermined turbulent, swirling pattern. For carburator engines, the device is positioned between the air filter and the inlet to the carburettor and on fuel injection engines, the device is positioned at the inlet port of the intake manifold. Within the exhaust system, the device is positioned within the exhaust tubes just upstream of the catalytic converter to force the gases into a swirling and turbulent flow.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,041,753 issued Mar. 28, 2000 to Lyn et al. discloses an intake swirl enhancing structure including a guide shaft and several guide interfaces radially extending from the guide shaft to split a space into several intake passages. Each of the guide interfaces has a curved outer corner near an outlet end of the intake passages to swirl gas flowing through and out each intake passage.
Although somewhat useful, known prior art gas swirling devices suffer from numerous drawbacks. For example, the flow pattern created by prior art gas swirling devices is often considered to be sub-optimal. Also, the proportion of the surface of the guiding vanes being used for effectively guiding the flow of gas is often considered to be too small.
Furthermore, some prior art devices suffer from the particular defect of overcomplexity, with resulting high manufacturing costs and a propensity to require service and/or repair. Some prior art devices also create an undue restriction to the flow of gases.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved flow guiding structure. It is a general object of the present invention to provide such an improved flow guiding structure for internal combustion engines.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a flow guiding structure for guiding into a predetermined flow pattern a flow of gas flowing into a gas passageway leading towards a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, the gas passageway including a passageway delimiting wall and defining a passageway axis, the structure comprising: a substantially tubular peripheral wall delimiting a structure passage, the peripheral wall defining a peripheral wall first edge, an opposed peripheral wall second edge and a passage longitudinal axis; the peripheral wall having a base section extending from the peripheral wall first edge for allowing the structure to be secured to the gas passageway; the peripheral wall also having a guiding section extending substantially from the base section to the peripheral wall second edge for allowing the flow of gas to be guided into the predetermined flow pattern; a plurality of guiding vanes, each extending substantially radially inward from the guiding section about a corresponding vane first edge; each of the vane first edges extending from a first edge proximal end located substantially adjacent the base section to a first edge distal end located substantially adjacent the peripheral wall second edge; at least one of the guiding vanes including a vane second edge extending in a second edge geometrical plane substantially perpendicular to the structure longitudinal axis from the first edge distal end to a second edge distal end; the at least one of the guiding vanes also including a vane third edge extending from the second edge distal end to the first edge proximal end.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, there is also provided flow guiding structure for guiding into a predetermined flow pattern a flow of gas flowing into a gas passageway leading towards a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, the gas passageway including a passageway delimiting wall and defining a passageway axis, the structure comprising: a plurality of guiding vanes, each extending substantially radially inward from the guiding section about a corresponding vane first edge; each of the vane first edges extending from a first edge proximal end located substantially adjacent the base section to a first edge distal end located substantially adjacent the peripheral wall second edge; each of the guiding vanes including a vane second edge extending in a second edge geometrical plane substantially perpendicular to the structure longitudinal axis from the first edge distal end to a second edge distal end; each of the guiding vanes also including a vane third edge extending from the second edge distal end to the first edge proximal end.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, there is further provided a flow guiding structure for guiding into a predetermined flow pattern a flow of gas flowing into a gas passageway leading towards a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, the gas passageway including a passageway delimiting wall and defining a passageway axis, the structure comprising: a substantially tubular peripheral wall delimiting a structure passage, the peripheral wall defining a peripheral wall first edge, an opposed peripheral wall second edge and a passage longitudinal axis; the peripheral wall having a base section extending from the peripheral wall first edge for allowing the structure to be secured to the gas passageway; the peripheral wall also having a guiding section extending substantially from the base section to the peripheral wall second edge for allowing the flow of gas to be guided into the predetermined flow pattern; a plurality of guiding vanes, each extending radially inward from the guiding section, the guiding vanes being configured, sized and positioned so as to guide the flow of gas into the predetermined flow pattern; the guiding section being provided with at least one guiding bent formed therein and extending substantially inward into the structure passage, the at least one guiding bent being configured, positioned and sized so as to act as an auxiliary guide and cooperate with the guiding vanes for guiding the flow of gas into the predetermined flow pattern.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, there is still further provided a flow guiding structure for guiding into a predetermined flow pattern a flow of gas flowing into a gas passageway leading towards a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, the gas passageway including a passageway delimiting wall and defining a passageway axis, the structure comprising: a substantially tubular peripheral wall delimiting a structure passage, the peripheral wall defining a peripheral wall first edge, an opposed peripheral wall second edge and a passage longitudinal axis; the peripheral wall having a base section extending from the peripheral wall first edge for allowing the structure to be secured to the gas passageway; the peripheral wall also having a guiding section extending substantially from the base section to the peripheral wall second edge for allowing the flow of gas to be guided into the predetermined flow pattern; a plurality of guiding vanes, each extending substantially radially inward from the guiding section, the guiding vane being configured, sized and positioned so as to guide the flow of gas into a substantially clockwise swirling flow pattern.
Advantages of the present invention include that the proposed structure allows for a flow of gas flowing into a gas passageway leading towards the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine to be guided into a predetermined flow pattern so as to improve the mixing of air and fuel in the combustion chamber.
The proposed structure allows for the guidance of the intake flow into an optimally configured intake swirl or vortex pattern. The swirl is directed in a clockwise direction and generally radially outwardly. The induction of such an airflow configuration has been found to improve gas mileage, increased horse-power as well as reduced carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emissions.
It is presently understood that the reason for these results is increase air intake to the cylinder or improved mixing of the fuel and air prior to combustion which is understood to likely result in the improved oxidation of the fuel. It is also presently understood that the increased air intake is likely to be the result of similarities in geometry between the valve head and the swirling air flow or vortex. These similarities may likely result in the valve head opposing less resistance so the intake mixture.
The guiding vanes of the structure are configured, sized and positioned so as to optimize the proportion of the surfaces effectively guiding the flow of gas. Also, the proposed device is provided with auxiliary guiding means for further improving the guiding of the flow of gas. The auxiliary guiding means also act as a structural reinforcement for the proposed structure.
The proposed structure is designed so as to be usable with various types of fuels and various types of engines including naturally aspirated and turbo-charged positive displacement internal combustion engines using carburettors, fuel injection or the like. The proposed device is further designed so as to prevent undue flow restriction which could starve the engine of air and/or cause incomplete combustion and sluggishness.
The proposed device is designed so as to be mountable at various locations including in close proximity to the intake of the combustion engine through a set of quick and ergonomical steps without requiring special tooling, manual dexterity or major alterations to the conventional engine and/or its accessories. The proposed device is designed so as to be easily retro-fitted to existing engines as well as installed with new ones.
Typically, the proposed structure is designed so as to be manufacturable out of an integral piece of material through a set of bending and die-cutting operations. Yet, still furthermore, the proposed structure is designed so as to be manufacturable using conventional forms of manufacturing and conventional materials so as to provide a structure that will be economically feasible, long-lasting and relatively trouble-free in operation.
Optionally, the device allows for various types of swirl energy in the intake air based on characteristics of the engine and other vehicle parameters. For example, a general high swirling motion of the air is needed in the combustion chamber at lower engine operating speeds in order to enhance the fuel/air mixing process while a lower swirling motion of the air is desirable at higher engine speeds during which the swirl energy needed to assist in the mixing process is reduced due to the increased energy derived from the incoming gases at the higher piston speeds.

Flow guiding structure for an internal combustion engine


This is to provide a conductive paste with higher electroconductivity containing, as raw materials: a metallic powder; a thermosetting resin; and a flux-activating compound having a carboxyl group and a phenolic hydroxyl group, which is applicable to the fine pitch-utilization.

Conventionally, a process employing so called a through hole plating process, in which a through hole is created in a substrate by using a drill and a laser and a plated metal is precipitated on a wall of the through hole via an electroplating process, or a process for filling the through hole with a conductive paste of a material such as silver or copper via a screen printing process, which is often employed in general-purpose products, are utilized for achieving an electric coupling between a front side and a back side of a double-sided printed wiring board, which have electric conductor layers in both sides of the substrate member.
A process for filling with the conductive paste by the screen printing process is advantageous in terms of achieving better productivity. When silver is employed for the electric conductor, there is a problem of easily generating silver migration in higher temperature and higher humidity, though better electric coupling is provided.
On the other hand, when copper is employed as the electric conductor, generation of migration is inhibited, as compared with the case of employing silver, and therefore the use of the conductive pastes containing copper are spreading.
In addition, sophistications and miniaturizations of electronic devices lead to growing requirements in fine pitch-utilization and high electric conductivity-utilization in applications of the conductive pastes.
A mechanism of electric conduction in the conductive paste is mainly constituted with compression bonding between the electric conductor particles caused by cure shrinkage of a thermosetting resin serving as a binder. Therefore, the electroconductivity of the conductive paste is affected by a condition of oxidation of the surface of the electric conductor and a condition of compression of the binder resin.
For example, in the conventional technology, a technology for adding a chemical substance having reductive action to the copper paste is reported as a measure for preventing oxidation of copper surface (Patent Documents 1 and 2). In addition, in the electric conduction due to the compression bonding between the copper particles, which is the mechanism of electric conduction of the conductive paste, a presence of the oxide film on the surface of the copper powder serving as an insulating material is influential for an increase in the coupling resistance. Thus, an inhibition of an oxidation of the surfaces of the copper fine particles by employing a reducing agent is required (Patent Documents 3). However, it is difficult to reduce the electric conduction resistance in such approach, and thus sufficient characteristics for the requirements in the fine pitch-utilization and high electroconductivity-utilization in applications cannot be obtained.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. S61-3,154    Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. S63-286,477    Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H08-73,780


A desk structure is provided that is adapted for use in a modular work environment. The desk structure has a transparent portion in its top member and incorporates a pair of side walls, a bottom shelf, and a back brace. The desk structure is cooperatively associated with an underdesk adjustable monitor support assembly. The support assembly incorporates a shelf member and a pair of side supports and such are all preferably comprised of formed wire. Each side support is associated with desk components including adjacent portions of one side wall, the top member, the bottom shelf, and the back brace. The shelf member is adjustably associated with the side supports.

We have previously provided a new and very useful type of underdesk monitor support assembly for desk structures, computer work stations and the like that have a transparent top portion through which a monitor can be viewed; see the above referenced parent patent application Ser. No. 693,392. Although this type of monitor support assembly is well suited for use in free standing desks, computer work stations, and the like, we have observed that such a monitor support assembly would also be suitable for use in work modules and the like if a desk structure suitable for use in a modular environment were available which was cooperatively integratable with such a monitor support assembly.
Although modular office structures are already in extensive use, the field of use appears to be still growing. In such a structure, wall and even floor surfaces of cubicle defining members are associatable where practical with functional furniture components. A common objective in such structures is to provide a maximized usable working area (volumetrically and also surface-area wise). A desk structure that has a transparent top portion and is associatable with an underdesk adjustable monitor support would be well suited for such modular applications.
The present invention provides such a desk structure.

Modular desk with adjustable monitor support


A temperature detecting circuit and method thereof, adapted to a voltage converter circuit which includes a current detecting circuit having a detecting output port outputting a current detecting signal proportional to an output current of the voltage converter circuit, includes: a current signal processing unit, having a signal input port coupling to the detecting output port, a first detecting output port generating a first processing signal with a first temperature coefficient, a second detecting output port generating a second processing signal with a second temperature coefficient, wherein the first and the second processing signals are proportional to the current detecting signal; and, a temperature calculating unit, receiving the first and the second processing signals and performing calculation to derive a temperature value.

1. Technical Field
This present invention relates to a temperature detecting circuit and method, more specifically, to a temperature detecting circuit and method with less hardware requirement and capable of detecting current and temperature at the same time.
2. Description of Related Art
Please refer to U.S. Pat. No. 6,870,352. A current sensor (30) is shunt to an inductor (18) to detect the inductor current. The current sensor is also adopted as a compensation circuit to compensate the temperature coefficient of the inductor (18). Hence, the temperature coefficient of the signal representing the inductor current generated by the current sensor (30) is zero. Therefore, when accurate output current detection is required for reference on control in a voltage converter circuit, the current sensor (30) can be applied to alleviate the influence of temperature. For example, the current sensor (30) can be applied in a voltage converter circuit with the feature of adaptive voltage positioning (AVP), which renders the output voltage on the output node of the voltage converter circuit decreasing with the increase of the output current in order to allow larger tolerance range in a transient response of the output voltage. As a result, the decoupling capacitors on the output node can be reduced, which saves hardware cost and size, and power consumption can also be saved a bit under the criteria of complying with the specification of output voltage range.
Please refer to U.S. Pat. No. 6,998,827. A detecting device (2) is adopted to detect the output current of a voltage converter circuit and generate a detected current Ifb which is proportional to the output current and flows through a resistor Rfb coupled between an inverting terminal of an amplifier (3) and an output terminal of the voltage converter circuit. When the output current increases, the voltage drop between the inverting terminal of the amplifier (3) and the output terminal also increases, and the function of AVP is thus realized. However, in this prior art, since the Ifb and Rfb have their own temperature coefficient, the output voltage will change with temperature. In order to overcome this issue, Rfb is replaced by a compensation circuit to compensate the temperature coefficient of Ifb and the temperature coefficient of the output voltage is essential zero.
However, in the design of the voltage converter circuit, it is a usual technique to detect change on temperature for realizing over-temperature protection (OTP) or other temperature-related compensations. In the above-mentioned prior arts, the problem is solved by directly compensating the temperature coefficient of the detected signal of the output current. Nonetheless, these prior art cannot be adopted in other purposes relating to temperature, and extra circuit will be needed. For example, when OTP function is required in a voltage converter circuit, a circuit disclosed in FIG. 1 will be additionally required. In FIG. 1, a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) resistor and a normal resistor are adopted as a voltage divider, which generates a voltage ratio compared with a reference voltage Vfref. When the temperature is higher than a default value, the output of the comparator change the signal state thereon to inform the voltage converter circuit shut-down to prevent from mal-function of the circuit or even unsafety issue such as burning. However the NTC resistor, which is also inevitably adopted in the above-mentioned prior art, is a special device. Hence, if the NTC resistor can be shared in the designs of different purposes, the hardware cost and size can be further saved.

Temperature detecting circuit and method thereof


An optical film including cellulose acylate and a compound represented by General Formula (I) described below, a polarizing plate, and a liquid crystal display device;

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical film, a polarizing plate using the same, and a liquid crystal display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical films such as a cellulose acylate film are used in a variety of liquid crystal display devices as optical members for the liquid crystal display devices, for example, a support for an optical compensation film, a protective film for a polarizing plate, or the like.
Occasions are increasing for liquid crystal display devices to be used outdoors as mainly portable devices, other than to be used indoors as TVs and the like. Therefore, there is a demand for the development of liquid crystal display devices capable of withstanding applications under a higher temperature and a higher humidity than in the related art.
Furthermore, there is an intensifying demand for liquid crystal display devices to withstand harsh operation conditions in diversifying applications and a higher level of durability than in the related art has been demanded every year.
Regarding optical films for which a cellulose acylate film is used, it is known that, in order to further improve the performance or solve a variety of problems in relation to the characteristics or manufacturing of the optical films, a specific compound is added to the film.
For example, a gelatinizing agent having a specific structure with an intention of gelatinizing a cellulose acylate solution in a solvent cast method (refer to JP2002-322294A), an organic acid exhibiting a specific acid dissociation constant with an intention of improving the durability of a polarizer that deteriorates at a high temperature depending on a variety of humidity conditions (high humidity or low humidity) (refer to JP2011-118135A), barbituric acid having a specific substituent at the fifth position with an intention of suppressing the change in optical characteristics that change depending on humidity (refer to JP2011-126968A), and the like have been proposed.

Optical film, polarizing plate using same, and liquid crystal display device

Abstract: R1 and R3 represent hydrogen atoms, alkyl groups having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl groups having 3 to 20 carbon atoms, alkenyl groups having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, or aromatic groups having 6 to 20 carbon atoms. R5 represents a hydrogen atom, an unsubstituted alkyl group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl group having 3 to 20 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group having 2 to 20 carbon atoms, or an aralkyl group represented by -L5-Ar5 (L5 represents an alkylene group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms and Ar5 represents an aromatic group having 6 to 20 carbon atoms). Here, the total of ring structures present in R1, R3, and R5 is one or two.


A vehicle display apparatus includes a display panel to be placed at a position where a driver visually recognizes the display panel and to display information related to vehicle traveling status. The display panel includes a first display area for displaying a first information and a second display area for displaying second information. The vehicle display apparatus further includes a first display control portion for obtaining the first information, and a second display control portion for obtaining the second information and displaying the second information. A vehicle display apparatus includes the display panel which has a third display area for displaying third information and a fourth display area for displaying fourth information. The vehicle display apparatus further includes a third display control portion and a fourth display control portion.

Recently, an image display apparatus is proposed as a display apparatus for displaying a vehicle instrument. The image display apparatus is provided with a display panel configured from liquid crystal or the like instead of a mechanical meter. There are advantages that it is possible to arbitrarily make a display design and a display layout.
For example, as the display apparatus which is provided with the display panel to display the image, Japanese Patent No. 4389173 proposes a vehicle display apparatus by which vehicle speed and a night-vision image are displayed on a display panel. The night-vision image is taken by a night-vision camera. In the vehicle display apparatus, in a case where an obstacle exists in front of a vehicle and the obstacle is recognized in the night-vision image, an area for displaying the night-vision image is enlarged. According to this feature, it may be possible that a driver quickly recognize the obstacle.
Furthermore, an image display apparatus is proposed as a display apparatus for displaying a vehicle instrument. The image display apparatus is provided with a display panel configured from liquid crystal or the like instead of a mechanical meter. There are advantages that it is possible to arbitrarily make a display design and a display layout. The image display apparatus can display images, representing a variety of traveling information. For example, traveling information includes vehicle speed, water temperature, traveling distance, engine speed or residual fuel. Multiple information items are selected from the above traveling information; and the selected information items are displayed on the image display apparatus.
A display apparatus, in which an analogue meter image is displayed, is proposed in JP-A-2004-157434, for example. In the display apparatus, a ring image is displayed outside of the analogue meter image, and brightness in a gloss of the ring image is changeable. In this case, a visual effect of the ring image with the gloss effect is improved and a luxury appearance is given by the gloss effect.

Vehicle display apparatus and vehicle display control unit


Methods, apparatuses, and computing systems are provided for bot messaging. In an implementation, a method may include one or more of receiving, by a group messaging service coupled to the internet and a group including one or more user nodes, a message including a message address and a first group identifier, determining that the group includes a bot, the bot including a software application for performing one or more tasks over the internet. The method also includes determining whether the bot is a user bot responsive to one user node in the group or a group bot responsive to each of the one or more user nodes. In response to determining the bot is a group bot, the method also includes identifying that the message address corresponds to the group bot and sending, by the group messaging service, the message to the group bot.

With the worldwide proliferation of the internet, providing goods and services to users and consumers has become more commonplace and automated. One way that automatically providing increased numbers of goods and services is through bots. An internet Bot, also known as web robot, WWW robot or simply bot, is a software application that runs automated tasks (scripts) over the internet. Typically, bots perform tasks that are both simple and structurally repetitive, at a much higher rate than would be possible for a human alone. The largest current use of bots is in web spidering or web crawling, in which an automated script fetches, analyzes and files information from web servers at many times the speed of a human. More than half of all web traffic is made up of bots.
Some bots communicate with other users of internet-based services, via Instant Messaging (IM), Internet Relay Chat (IRC), or another web interface such as Facebook Bots and Twitterbots. These chatterbots may allow people to ask questions in plain English and then formulate a proper response. These bots can often handle many tasks, including reporting weather, zip-code information, sports scores, converting currency or other units, etc. Others are used for entertainment, such as SmarterChild on AOL Instant Messenger and MSN Messenger. An additional role of IRC bots may be to lurk in the background of a conversation channel, commenting on certain phrases uttered by the participants (based on pattern matching). This is sometimes used as a help service for new users, or for censorship of profanity.
General-purpose bots, such as Amazon's Alexa, Microsoft's Cortana, Google's Assistant, and Apple's Siri, are digital personal assistants able to provide a wide range of consumer-oriented voice-activated services, including turning lights on/off, controlling appliances, playing requested music from services such as Pandora or Spotify, providing requested information, or ordering products or services.
Overview
With increasing interest in bot-based platforms and internet ease of use, it is desirable to create a new generation of messaging services that allow groups of users to interact with both user-oriented bots as well as group-oriented bots. The present disclosure provides advantages for bot environments. Methods, apparatuses, and computing systems are provided for bot messaging.
In an implementation, a method may include one or more of receiving, by a group messaging service coupled to the internet and a group including one or more user nodes, a message including a message address and a first group identifier, determining that the group includes a bot, the bot including a software application for performing one or more tasks over the internet. The method also includes determining whether the bot is a user bot responsive to one user node in the group or a group bot responsive to each of the one or more user nodes. In response to determining the bot is a group bot, the method also includes identifying that the message address corresponds to the group bot and sending, by the group messaging service, the message to the group bot.
In another implementation, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium is provided. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium is configured to store computer instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform one or more of receiving, by a group messaging service including the processor and coupled to the internet and a group including one or more user nodes, a message including a message address and a first group identifier and determining that the group includes a bot, the bot including a software application for performing one or more tasks over the internet. The processor performs one or more of determining whether the bot is a user bot responsive to one user node in the group or a group bot responsive to each of the one or more user nodes. in response to determining the bot is a group bot, the processor performs identifying that the message address corresponds to the group bot and sending, by the group messaging service, the message to the group bot.
In yet another implementation, a computing system is provided. The computing system includes one or more of a storage system including program instructions and a processing system, operably coupled to the storage system. Program instructions when executed by the processing system are directed to receive, by a group messaging service coupled to the internet and a group including one or more user nodes, a message including a message address and a first group identifier. Program instructions are also directed to determine that the group includes a bot, the bot including a software application for performing one or more tasks over the internet, and determine whether the bot is a user bot responsive to one user node in the group or a group bot responsive to each of the one or more user nodes. In response to the processing system determines the bot is a group bot, the processing system is further directed to identify that the message address corresponds to the group bot and send, by the group messaging service, the message to the group bot.
This overview is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Technical Disclosure. It may be understood that this overview is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Shared and per-user bot group messaging method


A composite sensor assembly for monitoring bio-processes which is suitable for use with a polymeric bioprocess vessel or with downstream equipment, and comprises:                i) a port comprising a high surface tension thermoplastic having a hollow tubular portion and a base plate portion, the base plate portion being fusibly sealable to the bioreactor vessel at a hole in the wall thereof;        ii) a generally opaque polymeric monitoring sensor assembly including electrical, and/or optical measurement components. The sensor assembly fits inside the bore of the hollow tubular portion of the port, and is adhesively retained therein.

The increasing popularity of single-use systems for bio-processing is apparent in the market place and can be readily understood by considering a typical biotech manufacturing facility. The infrastructure required to implement a facility using traditional glass/steel bioreactors, mixers, and purification systems is substantial, and the time and expense required to construct such bio-process systems can be immense. The requirement that both the equipment itself and also the ingress and egress tubing utilize inert materials such as 316L electro-polished stainless steel requires a large initial investment and the bioreactors, (i.e. bio-process vessels) mixers and down-stream processing equipment (e.g. chromatography skids, filtration systems) all have a considerable footprint. In contrast, the size and form factor of single-use platforms generally permits easier storage and re-configurability when compared to traditional, rigid glass/steel solutions. Other advantages of single use systems include a lower support infrastructure and time savings over traditional designs including specifically the reduction in preparation and sterilization time, the reduced need for purified water for cleaning the vessel after a run, and the significantly reduced post run maintenance time. Additionally, single use systems and their associated plastic tubing lend themselves to being re-configured and validated quickly and efficiently as manufacturing or process requirements change. In the context of the present invention we will focus primarily on single-use bioreactors, but the principals apply generically to any of the aforementioned single-use equipment used in bioprocessing, both in the upstream processing (USP) and downstream (DSP) processing arenas.
Although a number of different styles of single use bioreactors have been conceived and introduced into the marketplace, two types currently predominate. The first type of single-use bioreactor to become commercially popular is generally referred to as the "pillow" or "rocker" bag style, and is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,913 the teaching of which is incorporated herein by this reference. This style of bag can be constructed from a variety of different polymeric materials, but generally speaking, low or ultra low density polyethylene (LDPE) and ethylene/vinyl-acetate (EVA) copolymers are currently among the most common materials for at least the innermost layer of the bag, i.e., the bag surface which is in contact with the aqueous growth medium. Other materials sometimes used in the construction of the single-use bioreactor vessels include high density polyethylene (HDPE) and Kevlar (Poly-paraphenylene terephthalamide). The pillow or rocker type of single-use bioreactor utilizes a wave motion induced by movement of a bag support platform which generally rocks about a single axis to both mix and sparge (aerate) the contents of the bioreactor. While the rocker type single-use bioreactor bag has enjoyed some marketplace success, to date one major issue has been the lack of robust, single-use sensors that can be integrated into these rocker bags and preferably be radiation sterilized together with the bag. By robust, we mean accurate, gamma or beta radiation stable and capable of being used for real time (real time within the speeds or time responses required for bio-processing) e.g. providing 1-3 second sampling for process monitoring and control for at least 21 days. The pillow or rocker bag is not the only type of single-use bioreactor vessel in use today. There are also single-use polymeric hard shell bioreactors that functionally imitate small scale glass vessels, and also larger scale single-use, plastic liner bags that fit inside both rigid pilot and production scale glass/stainless steel stirred tank bioreactors (see e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,384,783 the teaching of which is incorporated herein by this reference). The larger liner bags are typically constructed of multi-layer film laminates that also utilize ultra low density polyethylene or EVA for at least their innermost layer.
By way of example, FIG. 6 shows the construction of the CX-14 film used by Thermo Fisher Scientific for bioreactor vessels. Sensors are generally introduced into these larger single-use bioreactors through lateral ports. Both pillow (rocker) bags and liner bags can be considered to be "polymeric bioreactor vessels" for purposes of the utilization of the bioprocess monitoring assembly of the present invention.
One key issue affecting polymeric bioreactor vessels and other types of single-use equipment in both upstream and downstream applications in general has been the method by which to introduce sensors and ancillary monitoring equipment or assemblies that require multiple different materials (e.g.: mechanical assemblies). The sensors (both single-use and traditional multi-use) are often introduced through the type of prior art port shown in FIG. 1 (see e.g. published application US2006/0240546) or as is shown in FIG. 2 of this application specifically for use with a rocker bag. The port shown in FIG. 1 can be used to introduce into the vessel a monitoring assembly which allows the use of different types of sensing elements while the port shown in FIG. 2 is generally restricted to fiber optic based, single-use sensor systems. We use the term "port" herein to denote a part of our assembly to make it clear that we are replacing these prior art port and component assemblies compromised of these separate components. It should be noted, however, in the invention described here that there really is no longer a port or a separate monitoring component which enters into the vessel through said port. The concept of a port dates back to glass and stainless steel bioreactors where the ports were comprised of threaded openings in the headplate or the actual vessel wall and into which sensors or other components were secured by a threaded cap with an o-ring seal. A more accurate analogy here would be if the assemblies were welded into the stainless steel bioreactor wall or the steel headplate in order to effect a seal.
The prior art port shown in FIG. 1 is typically made of a material that is similar to the surface of the bag that it is in contact with, as this allows it to be readily fused (e.g., thermally or ultrasonically welded) to the bag surface. The port shown in FIG. 1 is comprised of a cylindrical tube 10 and a flange 11. This type of port uses a mechanical seal to prevent leakage around the normally cylindrical sensor or other object introduced into the tube portion of the port. This mechanical seal can be a friction fit created by surface to surface contact over a relatively large area as shown in FIG. 3 (see published application US 2006/0240546). FIG. 3 shows in more detail how a cylindrical object (e.g., a conventional 12 mm diameter electrochemical dissolved O2 (DO) or pH probe or aseptic connector like a KleenPak™) 34 fits into the tubular member 31 with a large contact area 33. This prior art port has a feature 32 that emulates an O-ring and an annular flange 35 which is welded to the liner of the single use bioreactor vessel. Similarly, the port can actually utilize an O ring seal as shown in FIG. 4, which shows a single use, free space optical assembly (e.g., single use sensor sheath) 41 installed in tubular port member 42 with a weldable polymer flange 43. The O-rings 44 are shown as residing in grooves 45 in the port tubular member. While these port designs can generally provide an air and water tight seal between the port and introduced assemblies, a significant amount of time is required to qualify and test these assemblies (e.g.: validate them for cGMP use) and they cannot be simply and directly assembled when manufacturing single-use polymeric bioreactor vessels. Additionally, there are circumstances where it is difficult to design a suitable port assembly to support the sensor assembly. This is especially true in the case of rocker type single-use bioreactor bags where there are drawbacks to using fiber optic based single-use sensors, but introducing an optimally designed free space based optical sensor assembly as described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,489,402, the teaching of which is incorporated herein by this reference, might require a larger port. However, a large port can put stress on the bag materials and is therefore difficult to construct such that the integrity of the bag can be assured while at the same time maintaining a leak free seal.
A preferable method of introducing sensor assemblies, (or other type of monitoring assembly) into single-use bioreactor vessels would be to simply weld these assemblies directly into the bags in a manner similar to the way that prior art ports and vents are presently attached to single-use bag liners. To date, this has not generally been feasible for most sensors or sensor assemblies. The reasons for the inability to implement such a solution for introducing sensors and other accessories into single-use bioreactor vessels or other single-use equipment include the fact that the bags or liners are generally made from laminated films where the inner layer is typically a high surface tension polymer such as ultra-low density LDPE or EVA; while the material used for the sensor assemblies (e.g.: whether a free space optical sensor, or electrical sensor) is generally needs to be a polymer such as a polycarbonate, cyclo-olefin, copolyester, or other thermo plastic that can be either transparent or opaque, substantially rigid, can meet USP Class VI standards, and in particular, can withstand the 50 kGy of gamma or beta radiation as is normally used for sterilization without a significant change in its physical or optical properties (e.g., the materials cannot become brittle or change opacity). The laminated films used to make the bags or vessel liners can be readily welded together, and although the prior art ports which are typically constructed from materials matching the inner layer of the single-use bioreactor (e.g.: LDPE, EVA, PVDF, or other polyolefin) can also be welded to the bag or liner, the optimal material for the sensor assembly itself cannot be readily welded to the film liner materials or to a port of the same material as the liner (See: "Materials of Construction for Single-Use Bioprocessing Systems", William Hartzel, Innovations in Pharmaceutical Technology, p 46, April 2007). We have found that the two materials i.e. the sensor assembly and the bag liner cannot be melted or glued together without altering the surface of at least the contact layer of the liner and generally without altering both material surfaces. Therefore, the ability, as is enabled by the current invention, to construct complex assemblies that can be welded directly to the bag provides important new possibilities for putting sensors or assemblies in single-use bioreactor vessels and addresses the many issues present with existing sensor port designs. In addition, in order to fully enable the single-use paradigm and process optimization on a global scale, the automation software, hardware, and single-use sensors must be expanded from upstream processing (USP) units such as mixers and bioreactors to also encompass downstream bioprocessing (DSP) tools such as chromatography assemblies and filtration skids which utilize similar films. The advent of flexible, modular equipment with integrated data historization would allow the collection of a unified set of process data from buffer mixing to the final ultra-filtration of the bioprocess product. The availability of data from sensors of specific process modules (e.g., mixer, bioreactor, and different process configurations, especially on the downstream side), would allow users to develop models for each process step and the interactions therein. Once sufficient information becomes available from the database, the bio-process engineer could optimize the entire process end-to-end and implement yield modeling.
As used herein the term bioprocess vessel is intended to include both USP and DSP tools. In DSP the equipment would ideally implement single-use sensors fabricated using the manufacturing processes of the present invention as described herein to either replace traditional sensors and/or enable new additional analytical capability. DSP equipment that utilizes film technology similar to that utilized in USP polymeric bioprocess vessels is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,935,253. Ideal "smart" sensors for the DSP as well as the USP would have the capability of being pre-calibrated and gamma or beta irradiation sterilized along with the bio-process vessel itself. In this way the sensors would arrive enclosed in the transport container together with the bio-process vessel. Thus, the entire system arrives sterile, thereby minimizing operator time during process setup. For example, in downstream applications, there is also a significant need for measuring pH and temperature, as well as optical density and product purity (e.g., viral load, biological impurities). In DSP sensor design, the ability to combine composite materials is particularly important as the optical requirements in the ultraviolet range further significantly limit the materials choices, and where requirements on extractables and leachables are becoming ever more stringent. Furthermore, as the size of single-use mixers, bioreactors, and DSP equipment increases to meet capacity, the risk of leakage from a standard sensor/port configuration increases with the greater pressure inside the container. This ability as provided by the present invention to utilize material combinations that were previously considered incompatible from a bonding perspective so as to provide an impermeable seal is an important enabling factor in both DSP and USP.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Composite sensor assemblies for single use bioreactors


A brush seal assembly which includes a brush seal which is bristle hoop positioned between two plates. A segmented ring is positioned in contact with the brush seal and provides a uniform clamping force against the seal to hold it in place within a support member.

Brush seals are commonly used on various applications, including gas turbine engines. The brush seal is typically used to prevent secondary flow in the engine from escaping through a gap between a stationary part such as a diffuser case and a rotating part (e.g. a turbine shaft). Brush seals may also have other uses, such as sealing a gap between stationary parts of the engine.
A brush seal typically includes packs of wire bristles sandwiched between plates. The bristle packs and plates are typically welded together to form the brush seal. The brush seal must undergo heat treatment after the welding step to relieve any residual stresses. Heat treatment typically involves securing the brush seal within a fixture, then placing the fixture in an oven. The heat treatment process is time consuming and can be expensive.
The welding step transforms the discrete sub-assemblies of the brush seal into one piece. The one-piece arrangement prevents the removal of a sub-assembly without affecting or damaging the remainder of the brush seal. This means a mechanic must replace the entire brush seal during maintenance. Replacement of the entire brush seal must occur despite the fact that only one of the sub-assemblies (typically the bristle packs) needs replacement.
The bristle packs of the brush seal are expensive. The main factor influencing cost is the amount of raw material used. Each individual bristle in the bristle pack is a taken from a length of wire. A commonly used wire is a 0.002″, 0.003″, 0.004 or 0.006″ diameter cobalt alloy wire. One type of bristle pack can have approximately 5000 bristles per linear inch. This type of bristle pack clearly contains a large amount of wire. When used in a 12″ outer diameter single stage brush seal, this type of bristle pack can contain approximately 2.6 miles of wire.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved brush seal.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a brush seal which can be readily disassembled.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide for a brush seal assembly which requires no welding together of the seal assembly components.
It is a further object of the present invention to produce a brush seal at a reduced cost.


A backpackable, collapsible blind designed to be mounted against a tree for use by hunters and others. The blind has a backpack-capable frame with canopy support arms that are collapsible against the frame for use as a backpack, a removable canopy, and a seat on a lower part of the frame that can be used to support a backpack load. The support arms define a unique upper/lower support structure for the canopy relative to the seat, with the canopy having a generally triangular opening located above the seat and a lower end or hem that hangs below the seat and the lower end of the frame for a baseless, open-bottomed blind that is useful for nearly any hunting situation.

Portable hunting blinds and treestands are generally known, including some that can be collapsed or folded and carried like backpacks. However, known blinds and treestands are usually designed for one specific hunting situation, and therefore lack flexibility and adaptability to the many different types of hunting available throughout the year. Ground hunting, elevated treestand hunting, and hunting in flooded timber are three common types of hunting where some sort of stand or blind is often used, and hunters often use several different types of blind or treestand to accommodate all of them.
The problem is complicated by the large quantity of gear a hunter typically carries into the woods, including things such as firearm and ammunition, bow and arrows, optical equipment, food, water, extra clothing, licenses, field dressing equipment, flashlight, and more. Some blinds and treestands are designed to be carried like backpacks, such as the canopy-enclosed blinds disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,536 to Wilburn and U.S. Pat. No. 6,021,794 to Guerra, whose frames double as backpacks for carrying the collapsed blinds. The resulting backpacks, however, seem designed primarily as self-carrying devices for the blind components, and do not appear able to carry much gear. U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,376 to Campbell, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,165 to Latini, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,975,389 to Braun et al. disclose treestands whose frames function as backpack frames on the way in and out of the woods for carrying gear and game, but none provides an enclosed blind or shelter. U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,395 to Rittenhouse discloses a treestand with a canvas shelter, but it does not appear to be adapted for use as a backpack. None of the foregoing is believed to carry both itself and gear well, while additionally providing shelter and a truly all-around hunting blind.
Some prior blinds are designed to work in complementary fashion with treestands where, for example, it might be desirable to use a blind for its weather protection along with a treestand for its elevated hunting position. Examples are U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,192 to O'Hare and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0078988 to Valpredo. O'Hare discloses a blind with two arched, fabric-paneled sidewalls that can either be mounted to the ground with stakes, or retrofitted to an existing treestand with a relatively bulky, T-shaped, non-loadbearing support base by lashing it onto the treestand with cable ties. The fabric-paneled sidewalls are mounted on the base in a "V" shape; the spacing of the sidewalls can be adjusted by telescoping extension arms on the base of the T, and the angle of the sidewalls can be adjusted through pivoting sockets or elbows on the ends of the base. Valpredo discloses a portable hunting blind with a frame whose base can either be placed in freestanding fashion on the ground, or mounted on a large treestand platform with brackets and bolts.
The O'Hare and Valpredo blinds, however, are not believed to be as easily transported as the backpack type blinds, and either do not offer much weather protection (O'Hare) or do not appear to be useful with small, backpack-portable treestands (Valpredo).
Finally, none of the prior blinds or treestands is believed to be particularly well-suited for flooded timber hunting, where the hunter typically wants to be positioned near ground level but is hampered by as much as several feet of water.


A fluid flow monitoring and control system for a self-propelled applicator which may be a sprayer and is configured to allow real-time visual monitoring of graphical representations of system statuses, control of the systems, and coordinated control instructions for multiple tasks through a single user input or command. The fluid flow monitoring and control system may include a touchscreen HMI providing electronic control and monitoring for the systems and components of the applicator. A rules engine may be implemented to prevent erroneous states, such as activating a pump without fluid flow to the pump as a rule implemented interlock to prevent inadvertent rapid component wear or other compromises of system integrity.

Over time, agricultural sprayers and other applicators have gotten larger to increase machine efficiency with wider booms that can cover more area in a single pass. The operational systems of applicators have correspondingly gotten more powerful and complex. Such complex operational systems include product delivery systems that direct stored product to multiple spray sections of the boom and can include rinse and air systems for liquid and pneumatic purging of various lines of the applicator. Attempts to remotely control components of these complex systems is typically done with mechanical switches, requiring long lengths of conductors running from each component to an array of mechanical switches in a cab of the applicator. The array of mechanical switches can be confusing to use especially for new operators, which can at times activate or deactivate components in ways that can compromise the integrity of the components or create other system problems.

Fluid flow monitoring and control system for an agricultural sprayer


A method and device enabling friction stir welding along non-linear joint lines or seams on either planar or non-planar surfaces are provided. The device features four roller clamps located on upper and lower pieces. It also contains a non-consumable tool with a profiled probed end that engages work pieces and follows along a non-linear or linear joint lines in order to achieve high-integrity friction stir welds. No special anvil is required and the device can be manually or automatically operated and controlled. Operating similarly to a conventional sewing machine, this device and process enable an operator or user to manually guide work pieces to be welded through a friction stir welding tool and allows for flexibility in the path of the weld and the types of material being welded.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for friction-stir welding, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for friction-stir welding along non-linear joints on either planar or non-planar surfaces.
2. Background of the Invention
A recent development in the welding industry, known as friction-stir welding, has revolutionized welding techniques and devices worldwide. Friction-stir welding involves plunging a non-consumable tool with a profiled, probed end into a joint line between two pieces of metal. A joint line is the small gap formed between pieces of metal being held tightly together. This gap is where the friction-stir weld occurs.
Specifically, in friction-stir welding, a weld occurs when the spinning, non-consumable tool is plunged into the joint line and forced to move along the joint line while spinning. Frictional heat is generated between the rotating tool and the pieces of metal contacted by the tool. The frictional heat softens the metal sufficiently that the stirring action of the rotating tool pulls metal across the joint line from each workpiece and fuses them together forming a weld. Though the metal is softened and plastically mixed, it is not melted. Fusion takes place below the melting temperature of the metal work pieces. The fundamental friction-stir welding process is fully described in the original patent held by The Welding Institute, U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,592.
Because the temperature of the work pieces does not reach the melting point it is possible to weld alloys that are difficult to weld by melting, such as certain aluminum alloys. There are other advantages of friction-stir welding over traditional welding. There are no fumes, spatter, and no shaded eye protection necessary for the operators. Because there is no melting, no shielding gas is needed to prevent contamination of liquid metal. There is no solidification shrinkage, so distortion of the work pieces is reduced. Friction-stir welding is also energy efficient compared to welding processes that melt metal.
Friction-stir welding offers some design advantages over traditional welding. The depth of penetration can be consistently and accurately controlled by tool geometry. Relatively deep weld joints can be achieved in a single pass. Butt, T, lap, and fillet joint configurations can be welded. Friction-stir welded joints also experience fewer traditional weld defects than joints produced by conventional welding processes.
There are also significant disadvantages with current friction-stir welding equipment and processes. The large thrust and side loads on the tool in most cases make it impossible to manually guide the weld the way one would with traditional welding processes. In friction-stir welding, the pieces to be welded are securely clamped to a rigid backing plate to resist the large side loads from the tool tending to separate the joint. This limits the current process to joints that can be clamped to a flat backing plate mounted on a large machine with heavy-duty spindle bearings for holding and rotating the tool. Most such machines are limited to tool travel in a straight line over a path no longer than the length of the backing plate to which the work pieces are clamped. Friction-stir welding would derive much benefit from a variation of the current process that would allow hand-guiding and feeding of workpieces along the rotating tool.
Four Japanese patent applications offer alternatives to the work pieces being clamped to a heavy, flat backing plate. These applications describe methods for producing circumferential friction-stir welds on large cylinders, allowing the ends of two cylinders to be joined. These variations still require heavy clamping and do not permit hand guiding of the weld along a non-straight line joint. The Japanese patent applications referred to are Japanese Pat. App. Nos. 10027652, 10141008, 11333572A2, and 10052769A2.

Apparatus and method for performing non-linear friction stir welds on either planar or non-planar surfaces


A surface fastener molded of synthetic resin comprises a substrate sheet, a multiplicity of engaging elements standing on a front surface of the substrate sheet, and continuous ribs integrally formed on a rear surface opposite to an engaging surface of the substrate sheet.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a surface fastener molded by injection or extrusion and having a substrate sheet and a multiplicity of engaging elements, and more particularly to a molded surface fastener which effectively prevents the substrate sheet from being torn and secures adequate viscosity of a backing glue under various conditions.
2. Description of the Related Art
A surface fastener molded of thermoplastic synthetic resin and having a substrate sheet and a multiplicity of engaging elements standing on a surface of the substrate sheet is already known from U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,725,221, 4,984,339 and 5,131,119.
However, since the substrate sheet of the conventional molded surface fastener has a flat rear surface, a crack would occur in the substrate sheet locally between adjacent rows of engaging elements so that the surface fastener can be easily broken or torn out during sewing.
In the meantime, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho 55-55602 discloses a molded surface fastener in which a woven fiber cloth or a filament film is fused with the substrate sheet, when the substrate sheet is in a melted state, or is attached to the substrate sheet by an adhesive, reinforcing the substrate sheet. But in the surface fastener of such structure, since synthetic resin or adhesive is impregnated into the surface adhering to the woven fiber cloth to make it hard, this reinforced molded surface fastener is not suitable for use in a product that requires adequate softness.

Molded surface fastener with continuous ribs on rear surface


A measurement arrangement for accurate and repeatable measurement of transmission and reception characteristics of a communication device. The arrangement comprises an at least partly conductive box forming a substantially enclosed cavity, and arranged in the box a reference antenna, at least one conducting mode mixer and/or at least one mode mixer with absorbing material.

Traditionally, antennas for mobile phones are either a helix or a whip or some combination thereof. These antennas were measured and compared to each other using gain tests from an anechoic chamber. A gain test in an anechoic chamber consists of measuring a single polarization (sometimes two—vertical and horizontal) with a directional antenna (reference antenna). The walls of the anechoic chamber are covered with an absorbing material to prevent reflections between the reference antenna and the mobile phone. These external antennas 100 (helix, whip, or combination) arranged on a mobile phone 110 tend to perform very well inside the anechoic chamber as they receive one of the polarizations 120 very well, as shown in FIG. 1.
In FIG. 2 an internal antenna 200 is illustrated, which usually is mounted above a ground plane, i.e. the PCB 230 of mobile phone 210, and is able to receive several polarizations 220 of an incoming wave. This is due to the electric and magnetic field distributions across the top of the antenna. In limited (only two to three planes measured) anechoic chamber measurement tests, the internal antennas demonstrate low performance. A complete anechoic chamber test, where ten or more planes are measured, the internal antennas have similar performance to the external antennas.
The typical environment where the mobile phone is used is very different from the anechoic chamber. In an urban environments schematically shown in FIG. 3, the field from the base station 350 (reference antenna) gets scattered through buildings 360, vehicles, people, etc. This scattered field that arrives at the mobile phone is comprised of several polarizations and magnitudes (changing in a random fashion). The phase of the incoming signals changes, sometimes adding to give a strong field, sometimes cancelling out completely. In addition, the phones are next to a user's head with their hand in the near vicinity. The head and the hand disturb the near fields of the mobile phone, changing the input impedance, and the far fields by absorbing some of the radiation emitted from the mobile phone.
Since the anechoic chamber does not provide sufficient information about the phone's performance in the actual environment, mobile phone manufacturers measure their phones in the field (called a field test). This involves programming the phone to send received power levels (or other performance measurements such as BER to a computer. The phone is then tested in several areas and several thousand samples are taken. This measurement typically takes several hours. Furthermore, it is not repeatable at a later time since some of the scattering objects are moving (i.e. Vehicles and people).
Several measurement systems on the market are intended for measurement of EMC and are not suitable for mobile phone measurements. These EMC scattered field boxes have no absorbing or lossy material within the chamber. If a mobile phone was placed inside this EMC chamber, the high densities of electrical field strength would disturb the near-fields of the mobile phone, changing the input impedance. Other scattered field systems have been proposed, but they rely on a single fan (or pendulum or other method of "stirring the modes") with low losses (ie. highly conductive-like metal).


A fiber tail assembly is provided that includes an outer sleeve, which can be attached and hermetically sealed to the housing of an optical device, and a sealing ferrule, which may be inserted into and hermetically sealed to the outer sleeve. An optical fiber may be inserted through an axial bore in the sealing ferrule and hermetically sealed thereto, such as with a glass seal. The hermetic seal between the sealing ferrule and the fiber avoids high or transversely asymmetric stress that may change the birefringence of the fiber. The optical fiber may be inserted through a cap ferrule or a stress relief tube, which may be attached to the fiber and to the outer sleeve, protecting the fiber tail assembly from axial stress that may damage the fiber or the hermetic seals. Methods for forming the same are provided.

The present invention relates to the mechanical and optical connection of optical fibers within an optical system, and more particularly, to a hermetically sealed fiber tail assembly for connecting optical fibers to an optical device
Optical fiber networks provide high-capacity communications with increased reliability at greatly reduced costs. Such networks often include components that are both sensitive to environmental conditions and installed in harsh environments. Further improvement in the reliability and cost of communications requires protection of optical components from such environments.
In an optical network, optical fibers are typically connected to optical components such as signal transmitters, modulators, signal testers, switches, fiber splices, signal splitters, amplifiers, or receivers. A fiber tail assembly ("FTA") may be placed on the optical fiber and the optical component to facilitate mechanical and optical coupling between the two. Optical components may be hermetically sealed in a device housing to prevent the device's being damaged by seepage of external elements into the package. However, in order to maintain a hermetic seal and protection of an optical component, the FTA must also be hermetically sealed to the fiber and to the component.
A component may be hermetically sealed to an optical fiber by metalizing the fiber and soldering a component to the metalized fiber surface. However, fiber metalization can reduce the strength of the glass fiber by introducing high surface stress, usually from slippage and/or metal spiking in the first adhesion layer that contacts the glass surface. Therefore, metalized fibers can be weak and break during assembly or, worse yet, while operating in the field.
Fiber metalization can also induce stress in the fiber that is not symmetric about the fiber axis. Such asymmetric stress can produce an asymmetric change in the fiber's refractive index that degrades the performance of polarization maintaining fiber ("PMF") by reducing its ability to maintain the polarization state of light that it carries. Furthermore, if melting temperatures of the metalization layer and the hermetic seal of the FTA are not sufficiently high, then the fiber metalization or the hermetic seal may be destroyed when the FTA is sealed to an optical component.
Thus, there is a need for an FTA that can be hermetically sealed to an optical fiber and to an optical component reliably and without damaging the mechanical or optical properties of the fiber.

Hermetically sealed fiber tail assembly for polarization maintaining fiber


A low-offset bandgap circuit including a core bandgap circuit and an offset-cancelling circuit is provided. The low-offset bandgap circuit provides a reference voltage at an output node. The core bandgap circuit includes a core operational amplifier to generate a core current. The offset-cancelling circuit is coupled to two input terminals of the core operational amplifier. The offset-cancelling circuit is configured to generate a compensation current according to the voltages at the two input terminals of the core operational amplifier so as to compensate for an offset voltage of the core operational amplifier. The reference voltage is generated according to the core current and the compensation current.

1. Field of the Invention
The disclosure generally relates to a bandgap circuit, and more particularly, relates to a low-offset bandgap circuit and an offset-cancelling circuit therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
A bandgap circuit is widely used as a power supply circuit capable of generating a constant reference voltage or a reference current without being affected by the power supply voltage fluctuation or the temperature fluctuation in a semiconductor device.
However, in fact, the output voltage of a bandgap circuit is often negatively affected by the offset of the operational amplifier therein, and it is more unstable than the ideal case. Accordingly, there is a need to design a new bandgap circuit to reduce its output fluctuation caused by the offset of the operational amplifier.

Low-offset bandgap circuit and offset-cancelling circuit therein