An apparatus relating generally to a substrate is disclosed. In such an apparatus, the substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The first surface and the second surface define a thickness of the substrate. A via structure extends from the first surface of the substrate to the second surface of the substrate. The via structure has a first terminal at or proximate to the first surface and a second terminal at or proximate to the second surface provided by a conductive member of the via structure extending from the first terminal to the second terminal. A barrier layer of the via structure is disposed between at least a portion of the conductive member and the substrate. The barrier layer has a conductivity configured to offset a capacitance between the conductive member and the substrate when a signal is passed through the conductive member of the via structure.

Microelectronic assemblies generally include one or more ICs, such as for example one or more packaged dies ("chips") or one or more dies. One or more of such ICs may be mounted on a circuit platform, such as a wafer such as in wafer-level-packaging ("WLP"), printed board ("PB"), a printed wiring board ("PWB"), a printed circuit board ("PCB"), a printed wiring assembly ("PWA"), a printed circuit assembly ("PCA"), a package substrate, an interposer, or a chip carrier. Additionally, one IC may be mounted on another IC. An interposer may be an IC, and an interposer may be a passive die or an active IC, where the latter includes one or more active devices, such as transistors for example, and the former does not include any active device. Furthermore, an interposer may be formed like a PWB, namely without any circuit elements such as capacitors, resistors, or active devices. Additionally, an interposer includes at least one through-substrate-via.
An IC may include conductive elements, such as pathways, traces, tracks, vias, contacts, pads such as contact pads and bond pads, plugs, nodes, or terminals for example, that may be used for making electrical interconnections with a circuit platform. These arrangements may facilitate electrical connections used to provide functionality of ICs. An IC may be coupled to a circuit platform by bonding, such as bonding traces or terminals, for example, of such circuit platform to bond pads or exposed ends of pins or posts or the like of an IC. Additionally, a redistribution layer ("RDL") may be part of an IC to facilitate a flip-chip configuration, die stacking, or more convenient or accessible position of bond pads for example.
An IC die or an interposer may be coupled to traces or terminals, so a packaged microelectronic element may be mounted to a circuit panel by bonding traces or terminals of such circuit panel to contacts, such as contact pads for example, on such IC die or interposer. For example, some IC dies and some interposers used in microelectronic packaging have terminals in the form of exposed ends of pins or posts extending through a dielectric layer. In other applications, terminals of an IC die or interposer may be externally accessible pads or portions of traces formed on an RDL.
Conventionally, via structures, including without limitation, through-silicon vias ("TSVs") have had a dielectric liner capacitance causing frequency-dependent signal attenuation ("signal loss"). More particularly, low frequency signals passed through such vias with little signal loss in comparison to high frequency signals. Such signal loss degraded performance of high-speed applications, including without limitation in stacked die assemblies with cascaded TSVs. Along those lines, a signal "eye" conventionally had a significant amount of jitter due to such difference between low and high frequency signal loss.
Accordingly, it would be desirable and useful to reduce signal eye jitter.


In a process for preparing asphalt mixes charged with fibrous materials, the fibrous materials are introduced directly and continuously into the liquid asphalt in a drum, before or after contacting of the liquid asphalt with inert materials.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process and a device for preparing an asphalt mix.
2. Description of the Related Art
European patent EP 0,455,553 A discloses reinforcing asphalt with fibers for the coating of inert materials such as mineral pieces of various grain sizes, especially for road coatings.
The asphalts are used, among others things, for coating surfaces to make them fluid tight as in the case of flat roofs or vertical walls or for roads. Asphalts are almost never used in their pure state to form a water-permeable layer of a road since their performance at low and high temperatures is inadequate, so that they would provide fragile and brittle coatings in freezing weather and would become fluid under the effect of heat.
To improve the behavior of asphalts and especially asphalt mixes, and thus to broaden the range of temperatures where they can be used, various substances are added to the asphalts, such as fibers whose introduction is ordinarily performed in a batch manner.
Thus, European patent EP 0,055,233 B discloses a batch technique to prepare several tons of mixes by mixing inert materials such as gravel at a given temperature with the asphalt charged with mineral fibers at another precise temperature.
This technique is suitable only for the preparation of small quantities. Furthermore the precision that it requires in weighing and in controlling temperatures makes using it difficult. Furthermore, no device for using the technique is known.

Process and device for preparing an asphalt mix


An air induction system for carrying air to the intake of an internal combustion engine includes an air cleaner housing including a surface at least partially enclosing a first chamber or cover located in the air cleaner housing, an inlet through which air enters the air cleaner, and a MAFS bore through which air exits the air cleaner and passes to the engine intake, a second housing secured to the outer surface, the second housing and outer surface enclosing a second chamber, the second housing including a first port which comprise a sound attenuation device or devices.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an apparatus for inducting air into an engine and, in particular, to such apparatus in which a resonator is located.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Air inducted into the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine is tuned to minimize the effects of standing waves and other acoustic phenomena generated in the air induction system, the intake manifold, and the engine.
For this purpose, the inducted air flows through an expansion chamber (commonly called the air cleaner) and from there into the engine. The expansion chamber prevents the formation of large amplitude standing waves and dissipates the sound energy in the system. However, the use of resonators may permit a characteristic decline in sound pressure level generated by the engine at certain particular narrow ranges of engine speeds, since expansion chamber resonators typically are not effective at all noise frequencies.
A Helmholtz resonator includes a chamber, which does not receive the induction air flow but instead communicates with the air flow path through a passageway. Conventionally, a Helmholtz resonator is mounted at a right angle with respect to ducts that carry air to the engine. Sometimes limited package space in the engine compartment necessitates a very short clean-air tube and a short inlet tube to conserve space, leaving insufficient space for a side-mounted Helmholtz resonator.
Frequently a mass air flow sensor (MAFS), used to control engine operation, is located in the air induction system. The MAFS presents unique placement and package space requirements.
There is a need in the industry for an air induction system in which the neck for the resonator is manufactured integrally and parallel to the MAFS bore.

Air induction system having an integrated resonator


A system for displaying information on multiple mobile devices whereby the information displayed for each device is determined by the device's physical location in relation to other devices physical locations. The information may be graphic, text, numerical or audible.

Typically when a gathered crowd of people sends a message, they do so by shouting in unison or with movement such as a hand wave. These movements may also involve objects. For example, at a baseball game, fans may stomp their shoes or wave their baseball caps. Furthermore, a crowd may work together to create a synchronized motion.
A common example of a synchronized crowd motion is a stadium wave which is achieved in a packed area when successive groups of spectators briefly stand and raise their arms. Each spectator rises at the same time as those straight in front and behind, and slightly after the person immediately to either the right (for a clockwise wave) or the left (for a counterclockwise wave). Immediately upon stretching to full height, the spectator returns to the usual seated position.
Another common example of a synchronized crowd motion is when concert spectators raise their lighters in hand and sway in unison to the tempo of live music.
These methods however are limited in that the objects used in conjunction with physical movements can not be dynamically updated to transmit different information without being manipulated by the user. That is, a crowd might decide to sway at a different tempo, but it's the user that has to change their own movement speeds. Another example would be: A group of users raise their mobile phones in the air at a music concert. They all have a blank white screen showing on the phone. If they are prompted to change the screen to green, each user would have to execute the request manually.
The present device seeks to augment crowd capability by utilizing mobile devices in conjunction with one another to present synchronized group messages that can be dynamically updated and retain their cohesiveness while the crowd is moving.
For example, a crowd carrying mobile devices such as Apple's iPhone can all raise their phones with an orientation allowing onlookers to see the displays. Subsequently, the individual iPhone screens can be used in conjunction to form in aggregate, a larger image to onlookers. As the members of the crowd move, the individual images on the iPhone screens are updated using an algorithm so that the aggregate image remains intact.
It is also known that mobile devices have accelerometers, magnetometers, cameras, Bluetooth communications, wireless data systems and other mechanisms for input. The invention will incorporate one or more of these inputs to relate information about the user's state in order to communicate the information effectively throughout the group of mobile devices. It can also use these inputs to modify the information displayed on the mobile devices.
The present device will work in large and small groups. Furthermore, it may incorporate various communications protocols such as those of Mobile ad hoc (MANET) and Mesh networking. As described by Wikipedia, Mesh networking is a way to route data, voice and instructions between nodes. It allows for continuous connections and reconfiguration around broken or blocked paths by "hopping" from node to node until the destination is reached. A mesh network whose nodes are all connected to each other is a fully connected network. MANET can also deal with the problems introduced by the mobility of the nodes. Mesh networks are self-healing: the network can still operate when one node breaks down or a connection goes bad.


A channel allocation apparatus in a communication system includes: a measuring unit configured to measure clear channel assessments (CCA) of a plurality of stations (STAs) included in the communication system; a checking unit configured to compare the measured CCAs to preset reference CCA, and check fairness and unfairness in the STAs; and an allocating unit configured to change and allocate channels allocated to STAs corresponding to unfairness, according to the measured CCA and the reference CCA.

1. Field of the Invention
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a communication system; and, more particularly, to a channel allocation apparatus and method which is capable of minimizing adjacent channel interference (hereafter, referred to as 'ACI') in a communication system.
2. Description of Related Art
In a current communication system, research has been actively conducted to provide various qualities of services (hereafter, referred to as 'QoS') of services having a high transmission rate to users. Examples of the communication system may include a wireless local area network (hereafter, referred to as 'WLAN') system. In the WLAN system, research has been actively conducted on a variety of methods for stably transmitting large-volume data at high speed through limited resources. Particularly, in a communication system, research has been conducted on data transmission through wireless channels. Recently, in the WLAN system, there have been proposed a variety of methods for normally transmitting and receiving large-volume data by effectively using limited wireless channels.
Meanwhile, in a current communication system, there have been proposed a variety of methods for transmitting and receiving large-volume data to a plurality of users by effectively using limited frequency channels. Particularly, in a current WLAN system, there have been proposed methods for normally transmitting and receiving data by effectively using limited frequency channels, when a base station, for example, an access point (hereafter, referred to as 'AP') and a plurality of terminals corresponding to a plurality of users, for example, stations (hereafter, referred to as 'STAs') transmit and receive large-volume data through the limited frequency channels.
In the current WLAN system, however, when the limited frequency channels are allocated to the plurality of STAs and large-volume data are then transmitted and received through the allocated frequency channels, adjacent frequency channels may be allocated to the plurality of STAs. When the data are transmitted and received through the allocated frequency channels, interference may occur between the adjacent channels of the allocated frequency channels, that is, ACI may occur. Due to the ACI, the data may not be normally transmitted and received.
Therefore, there is a demand for a channel allocation method for normally transmitting and receiving data by minimizing ACI in frequency channels allocated to a plurality of STAs, when large-volume data are transmitted and received between an AP and the plurality of STAs through limited frequency channels in a communication system, for example, the WLAN system.

Apparatus and method for allocating channel in communication system

ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE


Operation of a combustion control system of furnace is controlled by image analysis, outside of the furnace or within the furnace, of a flame produced by combustion within the furnace, to correlate the image with carbon monoxide content of the flame, and adjustment of the oxygen and/or fuel flow into the furnace in response to the correlation.

Operations in which material is heated in a furnace can lead to formation of carbon monoxide in the furnace. Mechanisms by which carbon monoxide may be formed include incomplete combustion of fuel in the furnace; incomplete combustion of combustible material when the material to be heated in the furnace is also intended to be combusted; and/or conversion of carbonaceous material that is present in or on the material to be heated. Examples of such conversion include pyrolysis and/or incomplete combustion of the carbonaceous material.
When carbon monoxide forms in the furnace, emission of the carbon monoxide out of the furnace is usually undesirable. Various technologies exist for removing carbon monoxide from the gaseous offgas that leaves the furnace, such as absorption of the carbon monoxide onto absorbents, or adding reactants to the offgas which react with the carbon monoxide. Such technologies exhibit drawbacks such as expense and difficulty of implementation and control.
The present invention provides an efficient method for avoiding emission of carbon monoxide from a furnace. It also provides an efficient method for controlling operation of the furnace to obtain improved efficiency and production rates.

Flame image analysis for furnace combustion control


Multi-user (MU-) MIMO systems with quantized feedback are designed to maximize the sum-rate via scheduling and linear precoding. To maximize throughput over the network, quantized CSIT is sent through a low-rate feedback link feedback from a plurality of users back to a base station. The base station then determines a subset of the plurality of users to transmit one or more signals to based on the received feedback and determines a preceding matrix based on the received feedback from the plurality of users wherein the precoding matrix maximizes a sum-rate throughput for the subset of the plurality of users. Additionally, based on the received feedback, the base station designs a quantization codebook. This codebook may be designed off-line and/or online. The codebook and/or precoding matrix are used to transmit signals to the users.

The present invention is related generally to wireless transmission, and in particular, to throughput optimization of multi-user downlink linear multi-input multi-output (MIMO) precoding systems with quantized feedback.
In MIMO wireless transmission systems, higher rates of throughput (e.g., sum rates) for the overall system are desired. To facilitate gains in throughput, precoding may be used. Precoding is a generalized beamforming scheme for supporting multi-layer transmission in MIMO systems. In precoding, the multiple streams of the signals are emitted from the transmit antennas with independent and appropriate weighting so as to increase the link throughput at the receiver output.
In current systems, precoding algorithms for multi-user MIMO use either linear or nonlinear precoding algorithms. Linear precoding may achieve reasonable performance with lower complexity than nonlinear precoding. Nonlinear precoding may achieve greater capacity, but is very complex and accordingly slower. In general, nonlinear precoding is designed based on the concept of dirty paper coding (DPC). That is, known interference at the transmitter is subtracted without the penalty of resources if the optimal preceding scheme is applied to the transmission signal.
In general, multi user (MU-) MIMO systems offer significant gains over single user (SU-) MIMO schemes. In particular, by increasing the number of users there is a potential gain in system throughput. Even for a relatively small number of users, MU-MIMO systems can still outperform SU-MIMO systems by using an appropriate transmission scheme (such as precoding) for low- and mid-range SNRs.
With full channel state information at the transmitter (CSIT), the capacity of a Gaussian MU-MIMO channel is achieved by using DPC. However, there are insufficient solutions regarding capacity without CSIT or with partial CSIT. Many prior systems have instead used simpler transmission schemes with linear precoding. With partial CSIT, different schemes have been used. For example, a simple random beamforming algorithm has been used to realize the asymptotical gain of scheduling at the limit of large number of users. In another example, a robust opportunistic user scheduling and power allocation strategy based on limited feedback is used. However, these systems have sub-optimal throughput over the network because they do not have full CSIT and cannot quickly and efficiently schedule multiple users.
Therefore, there remains a need to improve throughput in MU-MIMO networks using CSIT.

Multi-user downlink linear MIMO precoding systems


An energy management system and method providing a holistic premise energy optimization and energy efficiency reclamation system comprised of an interconnected system of software, analytics and automated process that optimizes the energy generation and storage technologies, energy consumption, energy demand and energy utilization of energy consuming assets within a premise.

Based on data from the Energy Information Administration ("EIA"), residential and commercial end users consume over 40% of all electricity produced in the United States. At the same time, the Department of Energy ("DOE") estimates that current energy inefficiencies in buildings result in electric system losses of up to 40%.
While residential users have experienced efficiency gains over the last decade from technology improvements in appliances and HVAC ("Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning") systems, these gains have been largely offset by a 40% increase in the number of homes, a 49% increase in the use of air conditioning, a 72% increase in the size of homes, as well as a steady increase in the number of home electronic devices being used. The average United States home now has 26 consumer electrical products and there are an estimated 124,000,000 United States residences. Fifteen million new commercial buildings are forecasted to be constructed over the next decade.
Moreover, global demand for fuel sources such as coal and natural gas, the addition of more generating capacity, and required investments in new transmission and distribution infrastructure will only push energy prices even higher than they are in today's market. Renewable and conventional energy supply construction costs are going up across the board, energy fuel costs are rising, operating costs are increasing and, the significant costs of cleaning the climate will soon be predicted.
In conjunction with these ever-growing levels of energy consumption and continuing increases in energy costs, legislative and regulatory policies addressing energy efficiency, renewable energy supply, and carbon emissions are causing utilities to search for new technologies to deliver affordable, low carbon, reliable energy supply to their customers. Political and economic pressures to reduce carbon emissions and protect our climate from global warming continue to mount.
For example, the nation's economic reinvestment and recovery stimulus plan included over $40 billion in funding towards developing technologies for making the nation more energy efficient. This figure represents a ten-fold increase over any previous year in annual federal investments for energy efficiency. Over $6 billion is targeted for increasing home energy efficiency and expanding current state energy efficiency programs. Special "decoupling" provisions have been included in the plan ensuring utilities that they will recover revenues that may be lost should end users consume less electricity as a result of the utility's end user energy efficiency programs.
In addition, the U.S. Energy Policy Act of 2005 encouraged adopting energy pricing time-of-use ("TOU") rates to shape end user consumption behavior, reduce the need for expensive peaking generation and effectively increase grid utilization. Smart meters and advanced metering infrastructures ("AMI") are needed to implement these strategies. The government estimates that 50 million advanced meters, representing an estimated $1 billion in utility investment, will be in the pipeline by 2010.
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 supported creating the smart grid through modernization of the nation's electricity transmission and distribution system. It is estimated that $1.5 trillion of investment in transmission and distribution infrastructure will be made by utilities between 2010 and 2030. In the second half of 2008, over $275 million of new private venture funding was invested in companies developing and manufacturing communication networks and other technologies for smart grid solutions.
Generally, these smart grid initiatives aim at improving efficiencies in the utilities production and delivery infrastructure. The smart grid and demand response methods and technologies are designed to reduce consumers' peak energy demands. For example, the attempt to reduce total energy consumption used by a premise at a specific point in time by denying or limiting the consumer's user, but these technologies do not reduce total energy consumption. Moreover, these initiatives do not affect the highest contributor to energy waste in the overall system, i.e., the energy inefficiencies found in buildings and residences.
Furthermore, conventional systems, such as energy management systems, building automation systems, smart meters, home automation systems, in-premise displays, programmable communicating thermostats and DDC/Pneumatic control systems, take a singular approach to control and management, focusing only on controlling or managing the performance of the single electrical component asset or possibly the group of assets to which they are attached. These conventional systems rely on the premise occupant or premise facility manager to understand and input the correct parameters into the control systems in order to operate correctly. Further, these systems require that as conditions or premise circumstances change, these parameters be updated requiring premise occupants or premise facility managers to be extensively aware and knowledgeable of energy centric data facts such as current weather, upcoming weather, current energy pricing conditions, upcoming energy pricing conditions, other asset utilization and interactions between the current asset and the other premise assets.

System and method for energy consumption management


The invention is novel analogs of 9-cis-retinoic acid which are useful for the treatment and prevention of coronary artery disease and to protect against premature atherosclerosis by increasing HDL levels. The invention includes processes for preparing the novel 9-cis-retinoic acid analogs.

1. Field of the Invention
2. Description of the Prior Art
The family of molecules comprising both the natural and synthetic analogs of retinol (Vitamin A), are potent agents for control of both cellular differentiation and cellular proliferation (Wolbach et al, J. Exp. Med., 42:753-777). High Density Lipoproteins (HDL), a heterogeneous population of spherical particles containing variable amounts of lipids and apolipoprotein, are the most abundant lipoproteins in the plasma. It has recently been observed that low plasma HDL levels are associated with an increased incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD). Numerous epidemiological studies over the last thirty years have verified this association and provided evidence for a putative protective effect of increased HDL levels against CAD (Miller, N. E., Am Heart J, 113:589-597 (1987). It is believed that HDL plays a fundamental role in the lipid transport system and that HDL represents a site for transport storage of potentially harmful lipids and apolipoproteins which, if they were not packaged into lipoprotein particles, might damage cell membranes because of their potential detergent properties (Eisenberg, S., J. Lipid Res. 25:1017-1058 (1984)).
It is known that high-density lipoproteins are involved in a large number of diverse intravascular metabolic processes including the process of reverse cholesterol transport, in which cholesterol from extrahepatic tissue is transported to the liver for conversion to bile acids and eventual excretion. As a result of the observations, research efforts have focused on methods of affecting plasma HDL levels in order to provide protection against CAD.
As stated above, spherical particles of HDL contain variable amounts of lipoproteins and apolipoproteins. Apolipoprotein A-I (Apo A-I) is a major protein constituent of plasma HDL and intestinally derived lipoproteins known as chylomicrons. Although recent studies suggest that dietary, hormonal and other environmental factors regulate Apo A-I gene expression, the molecular basis for the mechanisms involved remains poorly understood. It is known that the gene coding for apolipoprotein A-I is expressed predominantly in the liver and intestine. Previous work has shown that hepatocyte-specific expression is determined by synergistic interactions between transcription factors bound to three separate sites with a powerful liver-specific enhancer located on the -222 to -110 nucleotides upstream of the apolipoprotein A-I start site (Widom et al, Mol. Cell Biol., 11:677-678 (1991)). In a recent study, it was found that one of the sites in this enhancer is a highly specific retinoic acid-responsive element, RARE, that responds to recently identified retinoic acid receptors, RXR.alpha., (Rottman et al, Mol. Cell Biol., 11:3814-3820 (July 1991). These results suggest that retinoic aid response pathways mediated by RXR.alpha. play a role in apolipotrotein A-I expression and ultimately cholesterol and retinoid transport and metabolism.
Ringer el al, Am. J. Chem. Nutr., 53:688-694 (1991) observed an increase in HDL concentrations in patients given .beta.-carotene, but did not find any changes in apolipoprotein A or B levels. Gollinich et al, Saurat (ed.), Retinoids: New Finds in Research and Therapy, Retinoid Symp., Geneva 1984, pp 445-460 (Karger, Basel 1985) reported no significant alteration in the HDL and LDL fractions of cholesterol in patients given etretinoate, and a decrease in HDL-chlolesterol under isotretinoin. Lyons et al, Br. J. Dermotology, 107:591-595 (1982) observed a decrease in HDL-cholesterol levels in patients given 13-cis-retinoic acid.


Small particles, of macromolecular size or the like, are separated in a liquid by size by applying electric fields of predetermined distributions in time and space to enhance the Brownian motion of the particles so as to favor motion of particles of a particular size. When the particles are separated by size they can be removed from the region in which they have accumulated and they can be collected by size.

The present invention is concerned with separation of small particles. More particularly, the invention is concerned with separation of small particles by use of a fluctuating potential acting on particles having a characteristic coefficient of friction.
Separation of small particles, especially colloidal particles, and in particular macromolecular biological particles in liquids, presents a technical challenge. Mechanical filtration is inadequate or ineffective and, if it is possible, is extremely slow. Mechanical filters are also likely to cause physical damage to proteins and other small particles (of the order of one to one thousand micrometers in major dimensions). The term "major dimension" is taken to mean the diameter of the smallest sphere that would contain the particles.
It is known that nonequilibrium fluctuations in time acting on a particle in an anisotropic periodic potential U(x) can cause transport of the particle in a medium. Thermal noise can complicate the situation and is sometimes necessary to get any flow at all. The study of such systems has been motivated in part by recent advances in the experimental study of motor proteins, i.e., proteins that convert the energy of ATP hydrolysis into motion along a biopolymer. These tiny engines may work by using the nonequilibrium fluctuations, brought about by the ATP turnover, to make a Brownian step in one direction more likely than in the opposite direction. This biasing of Brownian motion is an operating principle that is fundamentally different from that of macroscopic engines. Furthermore, nanotechnological devices have been constructed where the same principles are employed to drive microscopic particles.
In this application we cause a potential to fluctuate in such a way that the direction of the biasing depends on the coefficient of friction of the particle and thus we have a method for the separation of such particles. The setup is summarized by the following Langevin equation: ##EQU1## where .beta. is the coefficient of viscous friction, .xi.(t) is the function representing zero-average normalized white noise, and D controls the amplitude of this noise. The fluctuation-dissipation theorem D=kT/.beta. relates the coefficient of friction and the amplitude of thermal noise. The functions f(t) and g(t) describe the "nonthermal" additive and multiplicative noise, respectively. When g(t) does not vary in time and f(t)=0 no transport can occur. Transport occurring with f(t)=0 and constant g(t) means that thermal fluctuations are converted into work and implies a violation of the second law of thermodynamics. A great many investigations have focused on additive fluctuations or oscillations. In our method we focus on multiplicative noise, i.e., a g(t) that varies in time while f(t)=0, which means that the periodic potential changes shape but no net macroscopic force every occurs. The study of multiplicative noise has already led to the construction of a device to drive and possibly separate small particles or macromolecules. Multiplicative noise is also more likely to be the operating principle for motor proteins. The binding of ATP, the subsequent hydrolysis, and the release of ADP do not cause a macroscopic force along a biopolymer, but simply change the distribution of charges in the motor protein and thus the energy profile that the motor protein "feels" on the periodic biopolymer. The fluctuations of this profile can account for the observed speeds and stopping forces of real motors.
The models for which fluctuation-induced flow has been studied have generally been as simple as possible. A piecewise-linear potential with two pieces per period and a two-state additive or multiplicative Markovian fluctuation allows for analytic evaluation and it can, furthermore, be understood how and why flux occurs and how and why it changes when parameter values are changed. But when only slight complications are added the behavior of the system can become surprisingly rich and flux can actually change its direction more than once when a certain parameter is varied. In the prior art a two-piece piecewise-linear potential has been examined, and this examination showed how in the fast noise limit of an added fluctuation the direction of the induced flow depends on a characteristic of the noise. In a similar system with a three-state fluctuating force the many flux reversals were explained as noise characteristics were varied. Other prior art investigated a three-piece piecewise-linear potential. When transition rates between such a potential and a flat potential are changed, a reversal of flow occurs. While the prior art methods have observed a variety of interesting characteristics of particle flux, there has been no demonstration of the ability to efficiently separate different particles sizes.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved method and system for separating small particles.
It is another object of the invention to provide a novel method and system for applying a fluctuating potential to separate smaller colloidal particles from larger colloidal particles.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method and system for applying a motor force to a molecule that is attached to a biopolymer.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent by reference to the description of the invention.


A composition and method for preparing a food supplement. The composition consisting essentially of at least 70% by weight of an oil seed constituent, at least 8% by weight of an additional plant constituent and at least 4% by weight of yeast wherein oil seed constituent, additional plant constituent and yeast are prepared by blending and cutting for less than about 20 minutes at a temperature of less than about 100.degree. F. and in the presence of light of a wavelength not greater than that of red light and of an intensity not greater than that of a darkroom light to thereby inhibit oxidation of the components of the composition. The method comprising combining at least 70% by weight of an oil seed constituent, at least 8% by weight of an additional plant constituent, and at least 4% by weight of yeast wherein oil seed constituent seed with a liquid coating solution, cutting and blending the constituents, packaging the cut and blended constituents in an opaque, oxygen impermeable pouch, expelling oxygen from the pouch and sealing the pouch.

Diet is importance in determining general health, work performance, energy level and appearance. A diet must include proper amounts of essential nutrients. Essential nutrients are those that an animal is incapable of synthesizing and therefore, must be obtained from the diet of the animal. Essential nutrients are different for different animals. Of the approximately forty essential nutrients necessary for humans, fourteen are minerals, fourteen are vitamins, ten are amino acids and two are essential fatty acids. Other non-essential, but beneficial, factors include enzymes, beneficial bowel bacteria and certain kinds of fiber. These factors can become essential when the diet contains highly processed foods.
Extensively processed foods cannot provide all the nutritional requirements for optimum animal or human health because processing destroys chemically fragile essential nutritional elements. For example, processing steps may expose the carbon-carbon double bonds in hydrocarbon chains of essential fatty acids to oxidizing agents such as light and oxygen. Oxidized fatty acids lose their nutritional value. Humans and animals suffer from a nutritional deficiency as a result of consumption of a diet which is largely composed of processed foods. Despite the deficiencies of processed foods they have become popular due to the ease, speed and convenience with which meals can be prepared.
There is a need for a food supplement containing the missing essential nutrients to supplement the diet of processed-food consumers.


A workpiece is milled by a tool of a milling machine to form a desired freeform surface. For this purpose, the tool is moved relative to the workpiece along at least one tool path defined via support points. The support points of the or each tool path are defined either in workpiece coordinates or in machine coordinates. For each tool path, at least one spline is produced in connection with the support points. The or each spline is output to a control arrangement of the milling machine, which controls the motion of the tool along the or each tool path on the basis of the or each corresponding spline.

The present invention relates to the field of milling technology, especially the HSC milling (High Speed Cutting milling), which is also designated as HPC milling (High Performance Cutting milling).
In the milling of freeform surfaces, a tool, a so-called miller, is moved relative to the workpiece. The motion of the tool relative to the workpiece is described by tool paths or milling paths. According to the prior art, such tool paths or milling paths are defined or programmed via support points or check points or way points. In order to ensure the best possible quality of the freeform surface to be milled, the spacing distance between the individual support points must be as small as possible. With a small spacing distance of the support points, the number of the support points per milling path is large. The greater the number of the support points, the greater is also the data volume to be processed by a control arrangement of the milling machine. The greater the data volume, accordingly the greater are the demands on the processing speed of the control arrangement of the milling machine. If, namely, the processing speed of the control arrangement is limited, then the case can certainly arise, that with a too-large number of the support points and therewith a too-high data quantity that is to be processed, the control arrangement of the milling machine can no longer process the arising data quantity in such a time window so that a continuous motion of the milling tool is ensured. In this case, the motion of the milling tool relative to the workpiece proceeds in a jerky or jump-like manner. This must be avoided for quality reasons. However, the larger that the spacing distance of the support points is selected, the more faceted the freeform surface that is to be milled becomes. Therefore quality problems arise also with a reduction of the support point number and thus with an increase of the support point spacing distance.

Method and device for milling freeform surfaces


Disclosed are a data transmission method and a data restoration method. The data transmission method includes forming a plurality of transmission preparatory packets by dividing data to be transmitted by the predetermined number (n) of bits, forming transition inducing packets different from the transmission preparatory packets while having the predetermined number (n) of bits, forming transition included data packets by performing a logical operation on the transition inducing packet and each of the transmission preparatory packets, and transmitting the transition included data packets and the transition inducing packet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data transmission method and a data restoration method.
2. Discussion of Related Art
As interface technologies between a timing control unit and a data driving unit of a conventional display, a point to point differential signaling (PPDS) method that was released by National Semiconductor may be used. In the PPDS method, an independent data circuit is formed between the timing control unit and the driving unit. Such a PPDS method has an advantage that electromagnetic interference (EMI) is reduced and the number of overall signal lines is reduced, compared to a conventional reduced swing differential signaling (RSDS) method and a conventional mini-low voltage differential signaling (LVDS) method. A clock line and a load line are connected between the timing control unit and a plurality of data driving units.
In the conventional technologies, a separate transmission line is required to transmit clock signals. That is, since the clock signals are transmitted from the timing control unit to each of the plurality of data driving units through a separate line from data signals, a separate line for transmitting the clock signals is required, and therefore this causes an increase in complexity of the wiring, an increase in complexity of the manufacturing process, and an increase in the manufacturing costs. In addition, the clock signals having high frequencies may enable EMI to be increased, and when skew occurs between the data signals and the clock signals transmitted through the separate line, an error may occur at the time of data sampling.

Data transmission method and data restoration method


A tailgate of a type used in pickup trucks and other vehicles, and a method of operating such a tailgate. The tailgate includes a front/interior side, an oppositely-disposed rear/exterior side, lateral ends, and hinges disposed at the lateral ends and configured for pivotably coupling the tailgate to a vehicle. The tailgate further includes at least a first seat integrated into the tailgate between the front/interior side, the rear/exterior side, and the lateral ends. The seat comprises a seat back defined by a first rotatable portion of the front/interior side, and a seat cushion that is recessed into an interior region of the tailgate between the front/interior and rear/exterior sides. The seat cushion is exposed by rotating the seat back from a closed position in which the seat back is aligned with the front/interior side to an open position in which the seat back is deployed away from the front/interior side.

The present invention generally relates to automotive accessories including tailgates of types used in pickup trucks and other vehicles. The invention particularly relates to tailgates equipped with integral seating.
Sports fans, concert-goers, and others attending group events often participate in outdoor gatherings before such events, and such gatherings often include meals. Further, construction workers often eat meals outdoors at their job sites, and campers, hunters, and other individuals participating in outdoor activities often eat meals at a campsite. If a pickup truck is present, these individuals may find it convenient or comfortable to sit on the open tailgate of the truck, particularly under conditions in which seating is limited or otherwise unacceptable, for example, due to weather or ground conditions, e.g., mud, water, etc. While an open tailgate offers convenience for outdoor seating, tailgates offer limited comfort and features.


The invention provides a method of fabricating a semiconductor device that enhances the amount of stress that is transmitted to the channel region for carrier mobility enhancement. In one embodiment an amorphous region is formed at or near the gate dielectric interface prior to source/drain anneal. In a second embodiment the gate material is amorphous as deposited and processing temperatures are kept below the gate material crystallization temperature until stress enhancement processing has been completed. The amorphous gate material deforms during high temperature anneal and converts from an amorphous to a polycrystalline phase allowing more stress to be transmitted into the channel region. This enhances carrier mobility and improves transistor drive current.

As technology scales, transistor performance has not improved accordingly. In order to increase transistor performance, various processes have been implemented to apply stress to the channel region to enhance carrier mobility. One method for PMOS transistors is to remove silicon from the source and drain regions and replace it with epitaxially grown silicon germanium, SiGe. Germanium is a larger atom than silicon so compressive stress is applied to the PMOS channel region. Also, compressive overlayers are deposited over PMOS transistors to apply stress to the channel region resulting in enhanced hole mobility. For NMOS transistors, silicon is removed from the source and drain regions and replaced with epitaxially grown silicon carbide, SiC. Carbon is a smaller atom than silicon so tensile tress is applied to the NMOS channel region. Tensile overlayers also are deposited on NMOS transistors to apply stress to the channel region resulting in enhanced electron mobility. A method to enhance the effectiveness of transmitting stress to the channel region to improve carrier mobility is therefore, desirable.

Method to enhance channel stress in CMOS processes


A method for the detection of motion in video data is disclosed. In an embodiment, a method uses a background technique for the motion detection. In another embodiment, a Gaussian Mixture Model is applied to a neighborhood or block of pixels within an image frame, thereby identifying background and foreground in the image based on said blocks.

With heightened awareness about security threats, interest in video surveillance technology and its applications has become widespread. Historically, such video surveillance has used traditional closed circuit television (CCTV). However, CCTV surveillance has recently declined in popularity because of the exponentially growing presence of video networks in the security market. Video networks, and in particular intelligent video surveillance technologies, bring to the security and other industries the ability to automate an intrusion detection system, maintain the identity of the unauthorized movement during its presence on the premises, and categorize moving objects. One aspect of this, video object segmentation (also known as Video Motion Detection), is one of the most challenging tasks in video processing, and is critical for video compression standards as well as recognition, event analysis, understanding, and video manipulation.
Any video motion detection algorithm should have certain functional and performance requirements. Such requirements may include that false positives are kept to a minimum, that the detection probability is close to 100%, that the detection algorithm is insensitive to environmental variations such as snow, rain, and wind, that the algorithm works in a broad spectrum of lighting conditions (well lit to poorly lit), that the algorithm provides robust results irrespective of camera positioning, that the algorithm handles variations and clutter in a scene due to camera vibrations, overlapping objects, slow and fast moving objects, and objects arriving into and departing from the scene, and that the algorithm handles shadows and reflections. Video motion detection (VMD) therefore poses a challenge due to the numerous variations that occur in typical outdoor and indoor scenarios. These requirements are met to one degree or another by motion detection schemes that are known in the art. These known motion detection schemes fall into one of the following categories—Temporal Frame Differencing, Optical Flow, and Background Subtraction.
The basic principle of temporal differencing based schemes is the calculation of an absolute difference at each pixel between two or three consecutive frames, and the application of a threshold to extract the moving object region. Though this method is rather simple to implement, it is not entirely effective in extracting the entire moving region—especially the inner part of moving objects.
The optical flow based method of motion segmentation uses characteristics of flow vectors of moving objects over time to detect moving regions in an image sequence. For example, one known method computes a displacement vector field to initialize a contour based tracking algorithm, called active rays, for the extraction of moving objects in a gait analysis. Though optical flow based methods work effectively even under camera movement, they require extensive computational resources. Also, such methods are sensitive to noise and cannot be applied to real-time video analysis.
For background subtraction techniques, pixels are modeled in the video frame in order to classify them as background (BGND) or foreground (FGND) pixels, thereby determining the motion or lack of motion for a pixel. Particular background modeling methods include the Hidden Markov Model (HMM), adaptive background subtraction, and Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM). In most applications, these methods have been limited by the availability of high speed computational resources. Consequently, the methods that have been used were designed to handle video captured under rather restricted or controlled situations. However, with the advent of increasing processor speeds coupled with the miniaturization of such processors, systems have been designed to address situations beyond restricted or controlled scenarios in modeling real-world processes under a plethora of varying conditions.
Increased processor power has therefore made background subtraction a viable means of VMD. In particular, the separation of background (BGND) and foreground (FGND) information using a background model, followed by an adaptive model update, has become a popular approach in most VMD methods to identify and segment moving objects. The accuracy and performance of many of these modeling schemes depends largely on the model initialization procedure. Of these models, the Gaussian Mixture Model, which models the individual pixel variations over a number of frames, has been successfully used in many applications. The Gaussian Mixture Model uses Expectation Maximization (EM) based model initialization. Notwithstanding the success of the Gaussian Mixture Model in many applications, it still has its problems, such as rather high resource requirements. Consequently, video processing applications that use background modeling methods such as the Gaussian Mixture Model would benefit from an improvement in these background methods.

Block-based Gaussian mixture model video motion detection


A stent delivery system includes a tubular stent which is retained in a body cavity of a living body; a pusher tube, whose distal end contacts with a proximal end of the stent, which pushes and moves the stent to a distal end side; a filament which connects the stent with the pusher tube by the proximal end side of the filament being engaged with the pusher tube and by the distal end side of the filament stretching to the stent side so as to penetrate the peripheral wall of the stent; an engaging member which is engaged with a distal end portion of the filament penetrating the peripheral wall of the stent, and which keeps the connecting condition between the stent and the pusher tube by the filament; and a pulling member which pulls a distal end side of the filament into a proximal end side of the pusher tube when the engagement between the engaging member and the filament is released and the connection between the stent and the pusher tube is released.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stent delivery system and a stent delivery method for indwelling a stent at a hollow site of a digestive system, respiratory system, urinary system, reproductive system or the like by using an endoscope.
2. Background Art
Stents are used for obtaining a path that restores the function of an organ having a structure or a blockade having occurred somewhere in the hollow organs such as the digestive system, the respiratory system, the urinary system or the reproductive system.
In many cases in recent years, a maneuver of disposing a stent to a site of the aforementioned hollow organ which must be treated uses an endoscope and a specific treatment instrument. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,921,952 discloses a stent delivery system which is used for such maneuver. Specifically, it is provided with a guide catheter, a guidewire, a pusher tube and a suture (a filament) for connecting a stent to a distal end of the pusher tube in a manner that the stent can be removed. The guide catheter inserted in an inner hollow portion of the stent and is inserted in a living body together with the stent. The guidewire is inserted in the inner hollow portion of the guide catheter and guides the guide catheter and the stent in the living body. The pusher tube, of which the guide catheter is inserted in the inner hollow portion, is inserted in the living body together with the guide catheter and presses the stent along the guide catheter. The suture is passed through a hole which is formed in the distal end of the pusher tube, and both ends of the suture are tied so as to make a ring. In addition, a part of the suture is passed through the inner hollow portion of the stent through the hole which is formed in the stent and is forming a loop. The distal end of the guide catheter inserted in this loop prevents the suture from being detached from the stent. That is, the stent is connected to the distal end of the pusher tube via the suture detachably.
First in the procedure, four members combined like the above, i.e. the stent, the guide catheter, the pusher tube and the suture, are inserted into a channel which is formed along the guidewire in the inserting portion of the endoscope, and are protruded from the distal end of the inserting portion, and then the distal end of the stent and the guide catheter is inserted in the portion of the hollow organ where the treatment is necessary.
Subsequently, the guide catheter is pulled from a channel in the retracting direction while the guidewire and the pusher tube are maintained at a prescribed position. The guide catheter in this state may not have to be fully retracted. Drawing the guide catheter causes its distal end to be retracted from the loop of the suture, thereby releasing the stent from the guide catheter. Subsequently, the guidewire is pulled from the channel of the inserting portion of the endoscope in the retracting direction similarly to the guide catheter. The guidewire in this state may not have to be fully retracted. Drawing the guidewire causes its distal end to be retracted from the loop of the suture, thereby releasing the stent from the guide catheter, and releasing the engagement between the stent and the pusher tube via the suture.
Further pulling the pusher tube from the channel in the retracting direction causes the stent alone, which has previously been released from the pusher tube, to be indwelled at a site of the hollow organ which must be treated.
In the above-described procedure, when the distal end of the stent and the guide catheter is inserted in the portion of the hollow organ where the procedure is necessary, if the stent is arranged back from the portion where the procedure is necessary, the pusher tube is pulled a little before the guide catheter and the guidewire is pulled, that is, before the engaging relation between the stent and the pusher tube is released. This allows the stent connected to the distal end of the pusher tube to be returned to a desirable position.

Stent delivery system and stent delivery method


The invention has utility generally for monitoring any part for severance of the part. The invention is specifically useful for monitoring severance of a tension blade in a tension blade grid. For general monitoring of a part, the apparatus has wireless connection between the sensing unit and the control unit. The wireless connection is achieved with a transmit/receive unit using radiofrequency power transfer for electrical power and using infrared transmitters and receivers for signal transfer. For food processing, specifically for a vegetable cutting method employing at least one tension blade in a first tension blade grid through which vegetables are passed for cutting the vegetables wherein the at least one tension blade is severed during the cutting, the invention provides for diverting the vegetables to a second tension blade grid. Diversion is accomplished with an acoustic emission sensor acoustically coupled to the at least one tension blade so that during the vegetable cutting, the acoustic emission sensor detects acoustic energy from tension blade severance. The acoustic energy is converted to an electronic signal that is compared in a microprocessor to a threshold. In a severance condition, an actuator receives an alarm signal from the microprocessor and diverts the vegetables to the second tension blade grid.

Acoustic monitoring of parts for incipient failure is industrially well known and has been used for bridges, nuclear power plants and aircraft. Typically, the acoustic equipment is configured with an acoustic emission sensor electrically hard-wire connected to a controller.
Monitoring of cutters for cutter breakage is also well known and used especially for rotary cutters on machine tools, for example milling machines, drills, saws, and rotary shears. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,779, ACOUSTIC DETECTION OF TOOL BREAK EVENTS IN MACHINE TOOL OPERATIONS, uses an accelerometer to detect tool breaks.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,616, TOOL MONITORING SYSTEM uses an acoustic emission sensing unit for detecting a tool failure in a tool machine. In this system, an artificial signal generating unit generates a predetermined artificial tool failure signal simulating the acoustic emission signal obtained in an actual failure of the tool for comparison to actual acoustic emission received during operation of the tool. When the actual acoustic emission matches the artificial signal, then a tool break is confirmed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,449, APPARATUS FOR DETECTING A FAILURE IN BEARINGS, uses an acoustic emission sensor which detects acoustic emission from a bearing. Signals indicative of power of the acoustic emission are passed through a bandpass filter which passes only signals in the range of from 100 kHz to 500 kHz. A comparator compares the passed signals with a predetermined threshold value and outputs any event signals which exceeds the threshold value. A computer receives the event signals from the comparator, then determines time intervals or duration of the event signals. The number of event signals are counted in each time interval and total count compared to a predetermined threshold count value to determine a failure in the bearing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,687, DETECTOR TO DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN TOOL BREAK ACOUSTIC SIGNATURES AND SPIKY NOISE, recognizes that in some machining conditions the background noise in an acoustic cutting tool break detection system is a low mean level with fairly dense high amplitude noise spikes. A common tool break vibration signature is the sudden appearance of a dense high amplitude (spiky) noise. Digital signal pattern recognition logic uses an up/down counter to reject the noise on the basis of its lower spike density while alarming on such a tool break signature. Preprocessed vibration signal samples are tested against a detection threshold and an alarm generated when amplitudes above the threshold amplitude exceeds a preset count.
In the food processing industry, specifically vegetable processing by cutting, more specifically potato cutting, a self-supporting blade grid has been used. Potatoes are moved past the self-supporting blade grid and sliced as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,141. An advance in throughput was realized by putting the potatoes in water and pumping the water/potato stream through the self-supporting blade grid as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,109,468, and FIG. 1. A pipe 10 carries potatoes 12 into a box or housing 14. The housing 14 contains one or more self supporting blade grid(s) 16 wherein the potatoes 12 are cut into slices 18. Occasionally a foreign object, for example a rock, would be passed with the potatoes to the self-supporting blade grid whereupon the rock would deform the self-supporting blade grid and become trapped therein. Incoming potatoes would stack up behind the rock. By implementing a pressure transducer (not shown) to detect the clog, the pressure transducer provided a signal upon clogging whereupon (see FIG. 2) an actuator (not shown) moves the housing 14 containing a spare blade grid 20 from a clogged position A (indicated by dashed lines) to an unclogged position B thereby diverting potatoes to the spare self-supporting blade grid 20 and taking the first self-supporting blade grid 16 out of service, permitting an operator to remove the deformed and clogged self-supporting blade grid 16 and replace it with a new one.
Yet a further advance was realized upon introducing much thinner blades maintained by tension as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,343,623 as a tension blade grid having an advantage of less waste. However, with the thin blades only 0.08 inch (0.20 cm) thick, upon being struck by a rock the thin blade would sever rather than deform, the rock would pass and incoming potatoes would not be cut by the severed blade thereby permitting irregular cuts of potatoes to pass the tension blade grid. Further, the thin tension blades are more affected by the varying loads compared to self supporting blades. The varying loads are imposed as vegetables are alternately in contact then no contact with the tension blades thereby creating a time varying stress that leads to fatigue of the tension blades. Thus, even absent a foreign object such as a rock, one or more tension blades may fail by fatigue permitting irregular cuts to pass the tension blade grid. Stationing an inspector to watch the output of the blade grid for irregular cuts is expensive and undesirable.
Accordingly, there is a need in the acoustic emission industry for an apparatus wireless combination of sensor unit and transmit/receive station. Further in the food processing industry, there is a need for a fully reliable detector of a malfunction of a tension blade from which a signal may be used to divert the incoming vegetables, especially potatoes, as was done when using the self-supporting blade grid.

Acoustic emission severance detector and method


An automated system (10) is provided for resetting a computing system user's log-in password. The automated system (10) includes a database (16) which stores at least one question and corresponding answer received from the user. In response to a request for password reset received from the user, an interface (12) displays the stored question(s), thereby prompting the user to input an answer to each displayed question. A processor (14) is coupled to the database (16) and the interface (12). The processor (14) determines whether each input answer is the same as the stored corresponding answer. If the answers are the same, the processor (14) automatically resets the user's log-in password.

Many computing systems contain proprietary or sensitive information, and thus require that users enter a log-in password in order to access the systems. Preferably, no one should know a user's password except the user. Previously, if a user forgot his or her password, the user was required to contact a security officer in order to reset the password. This prior method of resetting a password was problematic for several reasons.
For security, a security officer needed to verify a user's identity before resetting the user's password. In many cases, the only way a security officer could verify the user's identity was to query the user using information, such as a social security number, available to the security officer. This information would often be readily available to or known by other people as well. Thus, a person having a knowledge of a user's name and such other information could fraudulently obtain access to a computing system.
Furthermore, the process was inefficient because a security officer was required to manually reset a user's password. In addition, because the security officer assigned a new password to the user during the reset process, the security officer was given knowledge of the user's password. Consequently, after receiving a new password from the security officer, the user was required to change the password again so that it would not be known to the security officer.


A method for improving the monitoring of the fill state of a sliver can (5) at a spinning station of a textile machine processing sliver wherein a defined portion (24 or 124) of a can bottom (22) is initially kept free from sliver (6) while a predetermined amount of sliver (6) is deposited on an adjoining portion (25 or 125) of the can bottom (22) and only after the adjoining portion (25 or 125) is covered with sliver, is the defined portion (24 or 124) covered with sliver (6). The method includes monitoring the defined (24 or 124) portion while the sliver is being drawn out and detecting when the defined portion of the can bottom (22) is uncovered to trigger a signal for exchanging an empty can for a filled sliver can. In one preferred embodiment, a sensor (27) for monitoring the defined portion (24 or 124) and detecting an uncovered can bottom is mounted on a service unit (16) which passes over the spinning stations. In another preferred embodiment, a sensor (127) is mounted on a spinning station (2) and continuously monitors the fill state of the sliver can (5).

Sliver cans are known for receiving and dispensing sliver in connection with textile machines processing sliver. These textile machines typically include a plurality of spinning or work stations and a sliver can located at each spinning station. In operation, sliver is drawn from each sliver can into the spinning station and fed into a spinning unit. If a can containing sliver becomes empty at a work station of a textile machine processing slivers, the empty can is typically exchanged for a full can. While the empty can is being exchanged, there is a break in the production which results in a reduction of productivity. To minimize the downtimes of the textile machines, it is known to monitor the fill state of the sliver cans, so that when a sliver can becomes empty, the exchange of the empty can for a full can may be initiated. For example, it is known from German Patent Publication DE 36 14 654 A1, to utilize a sensor at the piecing carriage of a textile machine to monitor the fill state of the sliver cans at the individual spinning stations of an open-end spinning machine. The sensor is positioned on the underside of the piecing carriage and monitors the fill state of each sliver can in the course of the travel of the piecing carriage along the spinning machine, and reports the location of a completely empty sliver can to a control device on the machine, which then initiates the exchange of the empty can for a freshly filled one, or the filling of the empty can. One disadvantage of this method is that an indefinite period of time passes before an empty can is sensed by the sensor on the piecing carriage and the exchange or filling, of the can is initiated.
Different methods for monitoring the degree of filling of sliver cans are described in German Published, Non-Examined Patent Application DE-OS 25 54 915. In one method, an ultrasound transmitter/receiver unit, for example, is proposed for monitoring the fill level of the sliver. In this method, the monitoring stations are provided at each work station. When the fill level of each sliver can falls below a defined preset threshold value, the sliver can is exchanged. Although this method eliminates the time period between when a sliver can is emptied and when the sliver can is exchanged for a full can, a disadvantage is that the sliver can is exchanged while more than an inconsiderable amount of sliver remains in each sliver can. Thus, because the sliver can is exchanged before the sliver is depleted from the can, the amount of sliver which can be drawn from the can before it is exchanged is less than the full capacity of the can and the can is not fully utilized. Therefore, this method undesirably increases the number of times the sliver cans must be exchanged. In addition, this method requires the removal of the sliver remaining in each can after such can has been exchanged for a full sliver can.

Method for monitoring the fill state of sliver cans


A jewelry item having a top member pivotally joined by a hinge to a lower base member used to retain a handbag's shoulder strap in place to the clothing of a user. The top and base members are curved lengthwise to resemble the natural curvature of a user's shoulder. A latch on the top can engage a mating member on the base member to lock the the top and base members together when closed. A fastener on the base can attach the jewelry item to the clothing of a user at their shoulder. Several different designs and materials are disclosed for the exposed upper surface of the top member to exhibit and resemble a fine piece of jewelry. This jewelry item may be worn along or used to retain the shoulder strap of a handbag to a user.

Anyone who has ever carried a shoulder mounted handbag knows that, as the user moves, there is a tendency for the shoulder strap to slip off the user's shoulder. To lessen this tendency shoulder strap pads have been developed that engage the bearing part of the handbag's shoulder strap. A flap or other foldable closure which fits over the engaged shoulder strap may form a part of such shoulder pads. The present invention relates to an improvement in such enclosure shoulder pads wherein a jewelry item is used to both hold a handbag's shoulder strap and to act as a jewelry piece that can be attached to the user's clothing all as more fully described hereafter.


Sport ball training devices and methods for releasably holding a tennis ball or other sport ball at an appropriate height for the practice of striking the ball, either directly or indirectly with a racket or the like. An embodiment may have a support device with a base and an adjustable vertical tubular assembly for the support of a transverse arm from which a ball sling is suspended. A retainer member of the ball sling circumferentially holds a sport ball. An embodiment of the retainer member may be made from an elastometric material that lightly squeezes the ball with sufficient force to restrain it, but releases easily when the ball is hit so that the trajectory of the ball is not affected by the presence of the retainer member nor is the racquet significantly affected by the presence of the ball sling generally.

Many sports require the hitting of a ball using different techniques to gain a competitive advantage in a game. For example in the sport of tennis the technique of making the ball spin as it travels through the air provides some distinct advantages. One ground stoke technique is that of hitting a ball with top spin in which the ball can driven through the air at a high velocity and still remain in play due to the curved flight path that the ball takes. This technique requires a specific stoke pattern to be developed which is difficult to master when a balls are delivered by a ball machine or an assistant because the balls are in constant motion and they typically land in different positions with varying characteristics of bounce. When a mistake is made by a player or student attempting to learn a particular stroke technique, it can be difficult for the player to analyze and correct the problem due to the many inherent variables. Some of the existing devices for tennis training allow a player to practice repeated hits from a fixed location, however, these devices are often difficult to use or transport. In addition, for the existing training devices, the ball is typically fixed to some sort of tether or requires special modification of a ball in order to release from the device, which may have an adverse effect on the flight path and give the player a distorted perception of the success of their attempt to hit the ball. What has been needed are training techniques and devices to support the techniques that are simple and easy to implement, can accommodate any type of ball typically used in the game, including well worn practice balls, and that yield a natural and realistic flight path for a ball hit using the techniques and devices.

Methods and devices for sport ball training


A compound of the general formula ##STR1## wherein A represents a benzene ring, B represents a 6-membered hydrocarbon ring; X represents a lower alkylene, carbonyl or sulfonyl; Y represents a bond, oxygen or >N--R.sup.1, R.sup.1 represents H or an alkyl group, R represents H, an aromatic group, or an alkyl group optionally substituted by an aromatic group; m and n each represents 1-3, or a salt thereof has potent GnRH receptor antagonizing activity.

GnRH is a decapeptide, a peptide consisting of 10 amino acids, which is produced in the hypothalamus and modulates the secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), etc. via receptors supposedly present in the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland to thereby exhibit multi-pronged physiological activity inclusive of induction of ovulation. Therefore, selective antagonists and agonists specific for such receptors modulate the activities of GnRH hormones produced in the hypothalamus and control secretion of the anterior pituitary hormones such as LH and FSH. As a consequence, the secretion of estrogen in women and of testosterone in men is suppressed. Therefore, these agonists and antagonists can be expected to be clinically useful for the prevention or treatment of gonadotropin-dependent diseases.
Since the discovery of GnRH in 1971, leuprolerin acetate and many other peptides have been synthesized in anticipation of their utility as agonists or antagonists of GnRH. Leuprolerin acetate, which is 20-50 times as active as native GnRH, causes the so-called receptor down-regulation on repeated administration to diminish the release of gonadotropins in the pituitary gland, reduce the response of the testes to gonadotropins to cut down on the production of testosterone to the castrated level, and reduce the productivity of estrogen in the ovaries. As a consequence, the compound exhibits antitumoral efficacy in cancers dependent on such hormones, typically prostate cancer. In fact, leuprolerin acetate is in broad use clinically as a therapeutic agent for prostate cancer, endometriosis, and precocious puberty. It has also been demonstrated that the compound is effective in the treatment of hysteromyoma and breast cancer as well.
However, these GnRH agonists are not well absorbed after oral administration because of their peptide structures, thus imposing restrictions on the dosage form. Moreover, these compounds show a burst of agonist activity following commencement of therapy, elevating blood steroid hormone levels and, hence, causing transient exacerbations, e.g. of bone ache, before the onset of expected therapeutic effects.
Meanwhile, as a tricyclic compound, JP-A-54 135788 discloses that a compound of the formula: ##STR2## wherein X represents halogen, lower alkyl or lower alkoxy; n is 1 or 2; R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 may be the same or different and each represents H or lower alkyl; either one of the two bonds represented by dotted lines is a double bond but, when R.sup.2 is lower alkyl, it is bound to the nitrogen atom not forming a double bond; and where X and R.sup.1 represent H and n is equal to 1, R.sup.2 is lower alkyl, has anxiolytic and analgesic actions. Furthermore, WO94/17075 discloses that a compound of the formula: ##STR3## wherein n is 0 or 1, X typically represents .dbd.CH, Z represents nitrogen which may be substituted typically by alkyl; W typically represents C.dbd.0; R.sup.1 and R.sub.2 each typically represents hydrogen, benzyl or C.sub.2-6 alkylacyl; R.sub.8, R.sub.9 and R.sub.4 each typically represents hydrogen, is useful as an antiviral agent.
However, none of the compounds ever discovered are medicinally useful GnRH receptor antagonists and the development of a therapeutically useful compound having improved GnRH receptor antagonist activity with a low risk of side effect has been awaited.


Hexacarboxylic acid hexa-amides are described which form new lipophilic magnesium complexes with magnesium ions. The hexa-amides are preferably novel compounds comprising three dicarboxylic acid diamide moieties interconnected to form a non-cyclic, monocyclic, bicyclic, tricyclic or polycyclic structure. Test devices such as test trips or ion-selective members are provided which contain hexacarboxylic acid hexa-amides as the ion-selective component. The test devices have a high selectivity for magnesium ions over alkali metal ions and other alkaline earth metal ions. Selectivity for magnesium ions over sodium and calcium ions permits determination of magnesium concentration in biological materials, including body fluids such as blood serum or whole blood. Magnesium concentration and activity can also be determined in sample solutions having a neutral or slightly acidic pH.

There are described in the prior art carboxylic acid amides, namely dicarboxylic acid diamides, and some tricarboxylic acid triamides and tetracarboxylic acid tetraamides, which have the ability of forming lipophilic complexes with several kinds of cations. It is furthermore also known that these carboxylic acid amides may be used as ion-sensitive components in ion-sensitive parts for the determination of cations in sample solutions.
For a long time, investigations were made to develop carboxylic acid amides which are sufficiently selective for magnesium ions over alkali metal ions and calcium ions, to permit the determination of magnesium ions in sample solutions containing sodium ions, calcium ions and potassium ions. The known lipophilic complex-forming agents for magnesium had at best only about the same selectivity for magnesium ions as for calcium ions; or the determination of magnesium ions was possible only in sample solutions having a basic pH. Higher concentrations of protons interfered with magnesium ion determination.
It is the object of the present invention to provide carboxylic acid amides which have a sufficiently high selectivity for magnesium ions over other alkali metal ions and alkaline earth metal ions so that the determination of magnesium ions may be performed in sample solutions of biological origin, e.g., body fluids. It is a further object to provide carboxylic acid amides which also have the ability to form lipophilic complexes with magnesium ions in the presence of higher activities of H.sub.3 O+ ions. This permits determination of magnesium ions in sample solutions which have a neutral pH or even slightly acidic pH, e.g., a pH value in the range of 5.5 to 7.5.

Hexacarboxylic acid hexa-amides which form liphophilic complexes with magnesium ions, corresponding magnesium complexes, and test devices and ion selective parts containing such hexacarboxylic acid hexa-amides


A method or kit for mounting or displaying a collectable flying disc. The kit includes a box clamp frame capable of capturing a segment of an edge lip and web of a disc under gentle pressure, where gentle pressure is sufficient to immobilize the disc in a generally upright position when the box clamp frame is seated on a horizontal surface, or in a generally pendent position when the box clamp frame is hung from a vertical surface. Discs may be displayed with other memorabilia such as photographs on a wall or positioned on a desk or table, for example.

Baseball, basketball, soccer and football have attracted worldwide sports audiences, television viewers, farm teams, and annual traditions of spring or summer rituals for young players. Each sport has created a Hall of Fame for its most admired players. Special souvenirs and memorabilia are acquired by collectors, displayed, and preserved. "Ultimate" is an increasingly popular sport and fuses perhaps the best of football and soccer in a fast-moving format with emphasis on individual skill and team play. Groups of seven players scrimmage on a field that is about 70 yards goal-to-goal and about 40 yards wide. The teams advance toward the opposing team's goal line by tossing a flying disc from teammate to teammate. The disc curves, floats or even flies inverted to a teammate unless intercepted. Rapid development of a "catch and release" passing strategy is essential for winning.
Risk of injury is relatively low because player-to-player contact is limited, and players can only move when the disc is spinning. In 2014, the sport was officially recognized by the International Olympics Committee, and member associations include fifty-six countries representing more than 141,000 members. Survey results in 2013 estimated 5.1 million people played Ultimate in 2012, with a core (12 or more times) of 1.48 million, on a 5-year growth rate of 20% with no signs of slowing. In addition to college and amateur leagues and tournaments, two professional leagues have been organized in North America. Professional teams include the Madison Radicals, Seattle Rainmakers, Toronto Rush and Washington D.C. Current, and others.
Much of this growth extends from technical innovations in the game equipment. There is little doubt that the earliest disc derived from a product patented as U.S. Pat. No. 3,359,678 to WHAM-0® (Woodland Hills, Calif.) and sold under the tradename FRISBEE®. However, as play began to organize around teams, the radius of the disc was widened and the weight was about doubled. This results in more stable flight under windy conditions and the thicker edge lip improves the player's ability to put muscle into a throw. A greater variety of throws have been developed. Throws include forehand, backhand, overhand, hammer, thumber, blade, scoober, duck, and "chicken wing", for example. Throw techniques are shown on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_disc_techniques, accessed 25 Feb. 2015) and for example in an animation by Brodie Smith (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdlpyazJxfQ, accessed 25 Feb. 2015).
Examples of plate holders suggest a possible solution. Robinson in U.S. Pat. No. 2,300,972 and Brown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,826,384 described clips that are spring-mounted to the back of a plate, the clips having at least one hook element for securing the plate to a wall. However, these devices attach themselves to rigid elements and are not adapted to softer plastic discs. The springs may result in progressive deformation of the disc. Further, these non-analogous devices cannot be used to stand a soft plate or a disc on a table and thus do not meet the objectives of the invention. The devices also do not permit indicia to be applied to an integral display surface.
Key objects of the invention include the capacity to display a flying disc with versatility, either as a pendent disc hanging on a wall or as an upright disc standing on a table or shelf, for example. A means for securing the disc so as to be suitable for display of the disc is needed and in such a way that damage to the disc is avoided. Because of the pliability of the disc and its aerodynamic body shape, a solution to these interrelated problems is only achieved by trial and error.


A combined master cylinder and dump valve includes a piston slideable within a body bore that defines a master cylinder for pressurizing a brake port. The piston includes a piston seal for isolating a pressure port from a tank port, a piston bore, a first piston hole set for hydraulically connecting the pressure port to the piston bore and a second piston hole set for hydraulically connecting the piston bore to the tank port. A plunger slideably received in the piston bore has a plunger hole set for selectively connecting the first piston hole set with a plunger bore, and a plunger seal arrangement for selectively isolating the first piston hole set from the plunger bore. The plunger bore is hydraulically connected to the piston bore.

Certain vehicles, such as bulldozers, use a hydrostatic drive system. Typically, an engine-driven hydraulic pump provides a flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid to a hydraulic motor. The hydraulic motor is coupled to wheels (or tracks) of the vehicle. Thus, by driving the hydraulic motor, it is possible to maneuver the vehicle. The vehicle includes brakes, and to prevent overheating of the brakes, pressurized flow of the hydraulic fluid to the hydraulic motor should substantially cease prior to the brakes being applied.
It is known to provide a "dump valve" between the engine-driven hydraulic pump and the hydraulic motor. Opening of the dump valve causes the hydraulic pump and the hydraulic motor to vent to a tank, thereby ceasing driving input to the vehicle wheels. Once the dump valve is open, the brakes are then applied. In this way, the brakes are only required to slow the vehicle and do not act against any driving force of the hydraulic pump and the hydraulic motor.
Furthermore, certain other vehicles, such as agricultural tractors that do not typically use a hydrostatic drive system, are known to use a combined brake master cylinder and booster. Vehicles that use hydrostatic drive systems, such as the bulldozers discussed above, do not use a combined brake master cylinder and booster. Similarly, vehicles that use a combined brake master cylinder and booster do not have hydrostatic drive systems.
In combined brake master cylinder and boosters, brake pedal effort applied via a push rod is increased (or boosted), and a boosted force is applied to a master cylinder. Thus, such a device assists an operator of the vehicle when braking. Typically, the device is utilized with a mechanically driven vehicle. Thus, in order to apply the brake, the operator will typically have taken a foot off an accelerator pedal to apply it to a brake pedal, or alternatively will simultaneously depress a clutch pedal with one foot and the brake pedal with another foot. In either event, the driving input to the vehicle wheels ceases via a mechanism other than the combined brake master cylinder and booster. In other words, the combined brake master cylinder and booster plays no part in the ceasing of the driving input to the vehicle wheels.


An adjustable snowboard boot binding comprising a base disc, a main body, a top disc and one or more levers. The base disc is mounted to the top of a snowboard. The main body is sandwiched between the top disc and the base disc. The lever is hand-manipulable, allowing the snowboarder to adjust the angle of the boot binding with respect to the longitudinal axis of the snowboard without the need for tools. With the lever in the open position, the main body of the boot binding is free to rotate about an axis normal to the snowboard. With the lever in the closed position, the main body is rigid, allowing the snowboarder to maneuver the snowboard when riding.

This invention relates generally to a snowboard boot binding. More particularly, it relates to a binding that can be angularly adjusted both quickly and easily without the need for a tool. In one embodiment of the invention, the binding can be angularly adjusted while the rider's boot is still in the binding.
The sport of snowboarding has been practiced now for numerous years and has gained tremendous popularity across the country and throughout the world. Similar to skiing, a snowboarder wears snowboarding boots that are firmly held into boot bindings. The bindings are rigidly attached to the board to allow the user to properly maneuver the board when riding. Different from skiing, however, the snowboarder places both feet onto a single board, one in front of the other, and stands at an angle to the direction of travel.
A snowboarder will often desire to change the angle of the front and/or back foot with respect to the longitudinal axis of the board. Different angular foot positions are desired for speed, slalom, free-style or acrobatics. Depending on the snow or weather conditions, the person's skill level, or the particular attitude of a given snowboarder, the position of each foot can change numerous times during a single outing.
In the case of a skateboard or surfboard, changing foot positions is easy--just pick up a foot and move it. With a snowboard, however, the rider's feet are rigidly mounted into the bindings, preventing any such movement. Before the present invention, there was not a snowboard boot binding that was rigidly attached to the board, but that could be adjusted to any angle quickly and easily, without the need for tools.
At present, in order for a snowboarder to adjust the angle of either foot, the boot must be removed from the binding and a tool must be used to make the adjustment. An example of this is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,689 to Carpenter et al. Where the adjustment requires the loosening of screws, the snowboarder runs the significant risk of losing screws and, along with them, the ability to ride at all. The rider also runs the risk of stripping the head of the screw, preventing future adjustments until the screw can be removed.
A snowboarder without the required tool must ride to the bottom of the mountain in order to make adjustments. Each trip to the bottom of the mountain wastes valuable snowboarding time. If an adjustment is not correct, the snowboarder must return to the bottom of the mountain to make a correction.
One attempt at remedying this problem is shown at U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,088 to Vetter et al. While improving the technology by allowing a snowboarder to quickly disengage the binding from the board, this invention is restricted in that the angular positioning of the foot is limited to a few angles. In order to adjust the foot position to most angles, the boot must be removed from the binding and the binding must be adjusted with a tool, as in the case of the Carpenter invention above.

Angularly adjustable snowboard boot binding