A generic NUMA-compliant memory selection technique is provided to enable a device capable of accessing memory anywhere in a system to select a near (potentially the nearest) memory for use with the device. For example, an AGP controller can access system memory anywhere within a multiprocessing node system, but will operate more efficiently, and interfere less with other data transactions, if it locates the closest memory, determines the memory addresses corresponding to the closest memory, and locks (or otherwise allocates) memory addresses for AGP functionality within the range of determined addresses in the near memory.

1. Field
The present invention relates to memory accessing in information processing systems, and, more particularly, to improved memory access in multiple processor systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) is an interface specification that enables 3-D graphics to display quickly on ordinary personal computers. AGP is designed to convey 3-D images (for example, from Web sites or CD-ROMs) much more quickly and smoothly than is otherwise normally possible on any computer other than an expensive graphics workstation. It is especially useful in conjunction with gaming, three-dimensional (3D) video, and sophisticated scientific/engineering graphics programs.
An AGP graphics processor card typically includes its own video memory, but such memory is expensive, and is typically used to provide a frame buffer to draw the display. Because such memory may be insufficient to store all video data, the AGP interface uses a computer system's random access memory (RAM) to support functions such as texture mapping, z-buffering, and alpha blending typically performed for 3-D image display. Such access of system memory is similar to that used in unified memory architecture (UMA) graphics systems, which typically have no video memory on the graphics card. The AGP main memory use is dynamic, meaning that when not being used for accelerated graphics, main memory is restored for use by the operating system or by other applications.
NUMA (non-unified memory access) is a method of configuring a set of microprocessors in a multiprocessing system so that the microprocessors can share memory locally, improving performance and the ability of the system to be expanded. NUMA is commonly used in symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) systems. SMP and NUMA systems are typically used, for example, for applications in which it is advantageous to parcel out processing tasks to a number of processors that collectively work on a common database. Typically, all processors that are part of an SMP processor complex can access all resources of that complex, such as memory, or i/o devices. Software can run on any processor without regard to device accessibility. A typical SMP system would have one memory controller and that single memory controller manages all of the DRAM.
An exemplary NUMA architecture may include four microprocessors interconnected on a local bus (for example, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus or a HyperTransport protocol bus) to a shared memory (e.g., an "L3 cache") on a single motherboard or card. This unit can be added to similar units to form a symmetric multiprocessing system in which a common SMP bus interconnects all of the clusters. Such a system can contain any number of microprocessors, often from 16 to 256 microprocessors, for example. To an application program running in an SMP system, all the individual processor memories look like a single memory.
In a NUMA SMP system, some devices such as an AGP graphics controller can use any memory within the system. If the AGP graphics controller uses memory addresses which correspond to a physical device located farther away from the AGP controller on the NUMA interconnect subsystem rather than closer to the AGP controller, greater latency of memory accesses may be introduced, thereby potentially detrimentally affecting the overall performance of the NUMA SMP system. Thus, a technique is needed to effectively and efficiently allocate memory accessible by devices in multiprocessor systems, for example, to reduce memory access latency.

Faster memory access in non-unified memory access systems


Co-orbiting scroll members are maintained in a fixed angular relationship. An anti-rotation structure limits one of the scroll members to orbiting motion with respect to the separator plate. In a first embodiment the scroll members coact with a common anti-rotation structure while in a second embodiment the other scroll coacts with an anti-rotation structure which coacts with the crankcase. The scroll members orbit in orbits of different radii.

In a scroll machine such as a pump, compressor or expander there is one basic coaction between the scroll elements in that one must orbit with respect to the other. The scroll element orbiting with respect to the other scroll element is generally called the orbiting scroll. In known designs both scroll elements are rotating, both are orbiting, one is fixed or is only capable of axial movement. A design where both scroll elements orbit, but at different radii, is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,827 which discloses a number of embodiments. Specifically, in FIG. 15, a version of a co-orbiting scroll design is disclosed in which two Oldham couplings are used. One is keyed between the scrolls but is located within the scroll elements. Basically, however, the disclosed embodiments have a driving major/orbiting scroll which has a fixed orbit and which drives a driven scroll which is able to move in a minor/smaller orbit as well as axially. The driven scroll is acted on by discharge pressure which forces the driven scroll into axial engagement with the driving scroll as well as a resilient material member which tends to locate the driven scroll at a position corresponding to the center of the minor orbit. The driven scroll moves in an orbiting motion subject to the bias of the resilient material which may make the orbit non-circular. In the disclosed embodiments, the compressor is of the open drive type with the motor above the scrolls.
In parent application Ser. No. 808,820, a method for dynamically balancing nested coupling mechanisms is disclosed. Basically, one coupling is keyed between the two scrolls and the other coupling is keyed between the driven or major scroll and the crankcase or fixed housing. The couplings can be arranged to provide a resultant centrifugal or inertial force which is easily balanced by a rotating counterweight.

Dynamically balanced co-orbiting scrolls


Charge from a charge pump of a PLL is dumped to a loop filter of the PLL. The dumped charge is temporarily stored in a capacitor, between the charge pump and the loop filter. A voltage of the capacitor is shifted, while temporarily storing the dumped charge. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Phased locked loop circuits (PLLs) are typically used whenever a periodic signal is to be generated whose frequency is an accurate multiple of the frequency of a very stable and low noise reference signal. A PLL is also used where the phase of an output signal has to track the phase of the reference signal. Applications include the generation of local oscillator signals in radio receivers and transmitters, as well as in clock recovery of digital communication systems.
The PLL is a closed loop feedback control system that continuously tries to reduce the error between the frequency or phase of its output signal and that of the reference. A typical PLL has what is referred to as a loop filter that connects a phase detector to a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO). The phase detector responds to the phase error between the reference and a feedback signal derived from the output, by making adjustments to a voltage signal in proportion to the phase error. Rather than directly applying the voltage signal to the input of the VCO, however, the signal is conditioned by the filter to produce the control voltage that adjusts the output frequency of the VCO. The filter is designed to help maintain the control loop stable, so that the loop does not enter an oscillatory condition. The filter may be viewed as smoothing out the input voltage to the VCO. The input voltage to the VCO adjusts the output frequency until, for example, a reference clock edge and a feedback clock edge are aligned.
In a conventional PLL, the phase detector may be realized by a phase frequency detector (PFD) that detects the phase error between the reference and feedback signals, and produces voltage pulses the widths of which are proportional to the phase error. These pulses may then be converted to electrical current pulses by a charge pump. Charge is dumped directly from the charge pump to the filter.

Phase locked loop with floating capacitor boost circuit


A physical layer (PL) frame generation method is provided. A PL payload is generated by encoding and modulating source data based on a first modcod of a first set. A synchronization header, comprising a first unique word (UW) (designed to facilitate efficient and reliable detection by terminals of a relatively low SNR operating range), and a modcod field (which indicates the first modcod scheme), is appended to the PL payload. A PL header is appended to the synchronization header and PL payload to form the PL frame. The PL header comprises a second UW and physical layer signaling (PLS). The PLS comprises encoded data fields reflecting a length of the PL frame, where the fields are encoded based on a second modcod scheme of a second set. The first modcod set is designed for SNR operating levels relatively lower than the SNR operating levels of the second modcod set.

Over recent decades, developments in data communications technologies have continued to provide enhanced multimedia services (e.g., voice, data, video, etc.) to end-users. Such communications technologies encompass various delivery platforms, including terrestrial wire-line, fiber and wireless communications and networking technologies, and satellite communications and networking technologies. Further, in recent years, the proliferation of mobile communications has spurred an exponential growth in the provision of such enhanced multimedia services over mobile communications networks (both terrestrial and satellite based). As part of the continued evolution of such communications platforms and supporting technologies, the Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) organization was formed (as an industry-led, global consortium of broadcasters, manufacturers, network operators, software developers, regulatory bodies and others) to advance the design of open interoperable standards for the global delivery of digital media and broadcast services.
As part of the standardization process for digital media and broadcast services, the DVB organization managed the adoption and publication of the DVB-S2 standard via recognized standards setting organizations (e.g., ETSI and TIA). DVB-S2 is a digital satellite transmission system standard covering framing structure, channel coding and modulation systems, designed for broadcast services (for standard and high definition television), interactive services (e.g., Internet access for consumer applications), and other broadband satellite applications. DVB-S2 represents a flexible standard, covering a variety of data and multimedia services delivered over satellite communications systems. The DVB-S2 standard covers various technological features, such as a flexible input stream adapter (suitable for operation with single and multiple input streams of various formats), a robust forward error correction coding (FEC) system based on low-density parity check (LDPC) codes concatenated with BCH codes, a wide range of code rates (from 1/4 up to 9/10), four signal constellations (ranging in spectrum efficiency from 2 bit/s/Hz to 5 bit/s/Hz), and adaptive coding and modulation (ACM) functionality (optimizing channel coding and modulation on a frame-by-frame basis).
Since its inception, the DVB-S2 standard has been adopted globally as a predominant standard for broadcast, interactive and other broadband services over satellite communications networks. Currently, there are applications, particularly in the field of mobile communications, that require lower signal-to-noise ratios (Es/N0), down to approximately −9 dB to −10 dB. The current DVB-S2 frame format, however, supports operation down to Es/N0 ratios of only about −3 dB, and thus the existing DVB-S2 frame format cannot support the operational requirements of such current mobile applications. Further, more recently an extension has been added to the DVB-S2 standard ("DVB-S2 Wideband"). In the wideband extension, the modulation and coding field was increased in size, and a different code was employed, as compared with the original DVB-S2. This wideband extension of the DVB-S2 standard, however, also fails to support the lower signal-to-noise ratio requirements of current mobile applications.
What is needed, therefore, are systems and methods to address the challenges arising from communications system requirements associated with the support of current and future communications services and applications (particularly in the field of mobile communications) over relatively low signal-to-noise ratio (Es/N0) links with corresponding low signal-to-noise ratio communications terminals.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Apparatus and method for support of communications services and applications over relatively low signal-to-noise ratio links


Designs for constructing a surface with variable emittance are described. This is achieved by making a surface where the emissivity varies on a scale smaller than the resolution of a thermal imager viewing the surface. One design utilizes many cylindrical surfaces with their axis parallel and their surfaces nearly in contact. Individual cylinders have the property that when rotated to zero degrees they show a surface with an emissivity of one and when rotated to 180 degrees display a surface with an emissivity of zero. At intermediate angles of rotation a sensor that could resolve individual cylinders would see alternate lines with high and low emittance but a sensor unable to resolve individual cylinders sees a surface with an emittance that depends on the angle the cylinders are rotated. Variable emittance surfaces are expected to be useful for controlling target signature and for making spectral reflectivity measurements using a hyper-spectral radiometer.

Countermeasures to both visible and thermal sensors, such as camouflage and target signature reduction, have been of great importance in the modern battlefield. One typical infrared (IR) camouflage technique involves covering an object with a material cover, with or without environmentally controlled subsystems (having added extraordinary power requirements). Much effort has been expended in the determination of the materials to be used to comprise the typical IR camouflage covering. One example in the IR camouflage prior art may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,033 to Earl F. Bienz issued on 22 May 1979. In the Bienz patent there is disclosed applying appropriate foam layers to a tank, so as to mask its thermal signature. In the visible and also in the infrared, these approaches have had limited success.
In the infrared, some factors for the aforementioned limited success includes the following:    a. camouflage material has different heat transfer characteristics from the background resulting in changing apparent temperature differences between the target and the background over a diurnal cycle,    b. camouflage net material is vented to prevent heat build up but winds cause the material to move which effects a blinking IR beacon,    c. one observer seeing an object against a hot background (such as the ground) and a second observer seeing the same object against a cold background (such as the sky), allows for a situation where the current state of the art does not permit the object to simultaneously be made to appear hotter to the first observer and colder to the second observer, and    d. when either the surface and/or the observer moves, the apparent temperature and spatial pattern of the background against which the surface is seen appears to change, thus clearly showing a target.
In the visible, limited success has also resulted from factors including the following:    a. camouflage patterns painted on a conventional surface are unable to change and a fixed camouflage pattern is inappropriate for the variety of backgrounds encountered in nature,    b. one observer sees a military target against a rocky background while another observer sees the target against a forested background while a third observer sees the target against a red barn. The current state of the art does not allow the military target to be effectively camouflaged for all these observers in real time, and    c. when either the military target or the observer move, the background against which the target is seen changes reducing the effectiveness of the camouflage pattern.
Modeling camouflage effectiveness is an area undergoing rapid development, where current modeling methodologies consider both the infrared and visible spectrum. Finding targets in the infrared requires target size and apparent temperature difference between the target and the background, a summary measure that combines target background physical temperature difference and target-background emissivity difference. As current IR sensor technology (of which the sensors are commonly called forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensors) matures, sensors which respond to apparent temperature difference will be replaced by multi-band radiometers and hyper-spectral line scanners capable of generating contrasts which can separate these two effects; i.e. they can generate a contrast based on the physical temperature differences between the target and the background and a separate contrast based on emissivity differences between the target and the background. Making targets hard to find in the visible is primarily concerned with the development of ever more effective camouflage patterns and with techniques for characterizing the effectiveness of the camouflage for particular terrain.
While the prior art has reported using surface modification devices and techniques, none have established a basis for a specific apparatus and technique dedicated to the task of resolving the particular problem at hand. What is needed in this instance is a real-time control of: 1) the effective emissivity (band averaged or spectral) in the thermal wavelength region, 2) apparent color in the visible wavelength region, and 3) camouflage patterns for both thermal and visible wavelength regions.
The problem is that emissivity is a microscopic property of surfaces that can be controlled by painting but it is difficult to imagine an approach for controlling it in fractions of a second. Those skilled in the art know that a thermal imager responds to the area weighted average emissivity averaged over the detector footprint. For a target at tactical ranges, that footprint has spatial dimensions that are typically between 10 and 100 cm on a side depending on detector size, focal length and target range. The detector footprint is the area on the target seen by a single detector. (For a distant target at range R viewed with a sensor with focal length f the dimension of the footprint Dft is related the detector dimension Ddet, defined as the square root of its area by Dft=(R/f)Ddet)
Accordingly, there is a need in the art to have variable emittance surfaces. The present invention addresses this need.

United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army


The present disclosure relates to the field of drugs and health foods. Disclosed is a traditional Chinese medicine composition comprising GANODERMA polysaccharide, MORINDAE OFFICINALIS RADIX polysaccharide, POLYGONATI RHIZOMA polysaccharide, ANGELICAE SINENSIS RADIX oil and MYRISTICAE SEMEN oil. Experiments show that the traditional Chinese medicine composition has a scientific formulation, synergistic functions, without toxic and side effects, and not only has nutritional value but also inhibits the growth of tumor. Comparing with individual components, the composition significantly increases the percentages of CD4+ and CD8+ cells in lymphocytes of the tumor stroma, enhances body immune function, restores normal immune surveillance function, decreases VEGF and TGF-β1 positive cells in tumor tissue, assists in treating tumor, increases antitumor effects of chemotherapy drugs, improves immune status of body, has the function of restoring normal immune surveillance, preventing and assisting in treating tumor.

Tumor is a new organism formed by the proliferation of local tissue cells under the action of various tumorigenic factors. According to the hazard of the tumors to the human body and their growth characteristics, tumors are divided into two types: benign tumors and malignant tumors. Benign tumors, for example lipoma, hemangioma, adenoma, cysts and so on, grow slowly, showing an expansive growth, which have intact pseudocapsule over their surface. There is seldom systemic symptom except for local symptoms. Benign tumors do not infiltrate into surrounding tissues or metastasize to the whole body, and are not easy to relapse after surgical resection, and are less harmful to the body. Malignant tumors, for example bone cancer, esophageal cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, leukemia, osteosarcoma and so on, grow rapidly, often infiltrate into the surrounding tissues and metastasize to the whole body. There is almost no pseudocapsule over the surface of malignant tumors. Pathological examination shows atypical karyokinesis mitoses. Except for local symptoms, systemic symptoms are obvious. Patients in the late stage often have cachexia, and have a high relapse rate after surgical resection, which are greatly harmful to the body. Tumor is currently at the top of the cause of death spectrum and it is a major health threat.
The main traditional methods for treating malignant tumors include surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Surgical treatment is the most important way to treat malignant tumors, especially for early- and mid-stage malignant tumors, which is listed as the preferred method. After surgical resection, some early-stage tumors can be completely cured, and the patients can survive for a long time. Radiation therapy (radiotherapy) uses radiation to induce changes of DNA, chromosomal aberration or break in tissue cells, and ionization of cellular fluid to generate chemical free radicals, finally leading to deactivation of cells or their filial generation, so as to break the cells or inhibit the growth of tumor. Radiation has adverse effects on normal tissue cells, especially with the increasing amount of light radiation, it easily damages hematopoietic organs and vascular tissues, and causes leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, changes in skin and mucous membranes, gastrointestinal reactions and so on. Chemical drug therapy (chemotherapy) is also known as anticancer drug treatment. It is mainly applicable to the comprehensive therapy of mid- and late-stage cancer. Clinically, chemotherapy has a good effect on chorionic epithelioma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, malignant lymphoma and so on. For other malignant tumors, chemotherapy can assist surgery or radiotherapy. However, all of the above three conventional treatment methods have certain limitations and cause certain painful feelings to the patients, especially radiotherapy and chemotherapy have inhibition effects on the normal immune system in some degree.
With the development of tumor immunology, people are increasingly aware that the immune system is critical for the surveillance and clearance of tumors. Immunotherapy is regarded as the fourth type of therapy that is expected to overcome cancer. In the past, people concerned about positive immunity, that is, the direct killing of tumor cells by immune cells. However, at present, the academic community believes that the immune negative regulation cells have become new targets for treating cancer. Immune escape of tumor cells is an important prerequisite for the development of tumors. The reason why this important biological event occurs is that there is an immune negative regulation network in the tumor microenvironment, and the immune negative regulatory cells and factors in this network inhibit the surveillance and clearance of tumor cells by immune effector cells.

Traditional Chinese medicine composition and use thereof


An insulated construction member has a first wooden rail and a second wooden rail. The second wooden rail is positioned in parallel spaced relation to the first wooden rail. This parallel spaced relation creates a thermal break between the first wooden rail and the second wooden rail. A series of planar wooden connectors are positioned at spaced intervals along the length of the first wooden rail and the length of the second wooden rail. Each of the planar wooden connectors extends across the thermal break between the first wooden rail and the second wooden rail. A polymer insulation is positioned between the first wooden rail and the second wooden rail completely filling the thermal break. The polymer insulation encapsulates the series of planar wooden connectors, with the polymer insulation being reinforced by the series of planar wooden connectors.

The concept of a wall stud with insulation to create a "thermal break" has been proposed in a number of existing patents, such as: U.S. Pat. No. 8,516,778 (Wilkens) titled "Insulated Wall Stud System"; U.S. Pat. No. 9,103,113 (Lockhart) titled "Wall Stud with a Thermal Break"; and U.S. Pat. No. 9,783,985 (Iverson) titled "Thermal Break Wood Stud with Rigid Insulation with Non-Metal Fasteners and Wall Framing System".


A remote network management platform is provided that includes an end-user computational instance dedicated to a managed network, a training computational instance, and a prediction computational instance. The training instance is configured to receive a corpus of textual records from the end-user instance and to determine therefrom a machine learning (ML) model to determine the numerical similarity between input textual records and textual records in the corpus of textual records. The prediction instance is configured to receive the ML model and an additional textual record from the end-user instance, to use the ML model to determine respective numerical similarities between the additional textual record and the textual records in the corpus of textual records, and to transmit, based on the respective numerical similarities, representations of one or more of the textual records in the corpus of textual records to the end-user computational instance.

It is beneficial in a variety of applications to determine a similarity between samples of text or to otherwise compare samples of text. This can be done in order to identify, from a corpus of text samples, one or more samples that are similar in some respect to a target sample of text. For example, a target sample of text could contain a user's description of an information technology problem, and the target sample could be compared to articles in a database that describe a variety of information technology topics and/or solutions to information technology problems. By comparing the user's description of the problem to the articles in the database, one or more "most relevant" or otherwise similar articles can be provided to the user and/or to a technician in order to efficiently guide them to a solution.

Centralized machine learning predictor for a remote network management platform


A packet gateway may protect TCP/IP networks by enforcing security policies on in-transit packets that are crossing network boundaries. The policies may include packet filtering rules derived from cyber threat intelligence (CTI). The rapid growth in the volume of CTI and in the size of associated CTI-derived policies, coupled with ever-increasing network link speeds and network traffic volume, may cause the costs of sufficient computational resources to be prohibitive. To efficiently process packets, a packet gateway may be provided with at least one probabilistic data structure, such as a Bloom filter, for testing packets to determine if packet data may match a packet filtering rule. Packet filtering rules may be grouped into subsets of rules, and a data structure may be provided for determining a matching subset of rules associated with a particular packet.

Network security is becoming increasingly important as the information age continues to unfold. Network threats/attacks may take a variety of forms (e.g., unauthorized requests or data transfers, viruses, malware, large volumes of traffic designed to overwhelm resources, and the like).
To counter these kinds of threats and attacks, various cyber defense methodologies and systems have been developed and deployed. One variety of cyber defense system uses packet gateways, such as a threat intelligence gateway (TIG), to protect networks. A packet gateway may include an (inline) network packet filtering devices with a capability to apply sets of packet filtering rules to in-transit TCP/IP ((Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)) packets. The TIG may act as a gateway, or interface, between a network that has been protected, or secured, by cyber threat intelligence (CTI)(for example, a private enterprise network) and a network that is not similarly secured/protected (for example, the Internet).
The packet filtering rules may be based on databases of threat indicators supplied by sources of CTI, including CTI provider organizations. The set of packet filtering rules may represent a TIG-enforced security policy for securing/protecting a network. Threat indicators may be used as packet matching criterion for identifying risky packets. CTI indicators, or threat indicators, may include Internet network addresses (in the form of IP addresses, IP address ranges, L3/L4 ports and protocols, domain names, Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs), and the like) of resources that may be controlled or operated by threat actors, or that may have otherwise been associated with malicious activity. CTI indicators/threat indicators may also include identifiers for certificates and associated certificate authorities that are used to secure some TCP/IP communications (e.g. X.509 certificates used by the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol to secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)-mediated sessions). CTI providers include threat metadata associated with each threat indicator including, for example, the threat/attack type, the threat name, the threat risk score, the threat actor (attribution), and the like. A TIG and associated applications may use the threat metadata to further increase protections from threats and further improve network security posture.
A network security policy manager may create a network security policy as a set of CTI-derived packet filtering rules by receiving threat indicators and associated threat metadata from one or more CTI providers and generating packet filtering rules based on the indicators and metadata. Each packet filtering rule includes at least (a) criterion for matching packet data, (b) an action or combination of actions to be applied to the packet if there is a match with the criterion, and (c) threat metadata. The matching criterion may include one or more pairs composed of a packet field name (e.g., the L3 source IP address field) and the field value. The field value may be a threat indicator in the form of a network address (for example, an IP address, domain name, URI, and the like) or an identifier for a certificate or a certificate authority. The action or combination of actions may include some combination of blocking or dropping the packet, allowing or forwarding the packet, logging the packet, capturing the packet, re-directing or re-routing the packet, and modifying the packet to protect the network. In the context of TIGs and CTI-derived policies, the rule action may be called a packet transformation function (PTF), which may transform a packet in such a way as to protect the network. For example, a PTF may transform a TCP SYN packet that is initiating a connection setup with a threat endpoint into a corresponding TCP RST packet that halts the connection setup process. The threat metadata may be used to compute a threat risk score, to select a threat analysis methodology to be applied to the packet and the communications associated with the packet, or select or compute the action(s) to be applied to the packet in accordance with the threat risk.
One or more TIGs may be inserted inline with, for example, one or more of the network's Internet access links. A policy manager of one or more TIGs may be configured to (a) receive CTI (threat indicators and associated metadata) from one or more CTI providers; (b) generate one or more policies composed of packet filtering rules derived from the threat indicators and metadata; and (c) download the one or more policies or transfer the one or more policies into one or more (subscribing) TIGs, which may be associated with the policy manager by a policy subscription. The TIGs may enforce the policies by applying the packet filtering rules to each in-transit packet as the packet traverses an Internet access link (in either direction).
The effectiveness of protecting networks using TIGs and associated CTI is often a function of the scope and quality of the CTI indicators and metadata being applied by the TIG, and of the performance of the TIG. At the present time of disclosure, in aggregate there are many millions of threat indicators (and associated threat metadata) available from multiple sources of CTI, with the indicators being in the form of IP addresses, 5-tuples, domain names, URIs, and the like, as well as certificate identifiers, certificate authority identifiers, and the like. These large databases of CTI may be translated into a similar number of packet filtering rules. Because the threat indicators that may actually be observed in a given network's communications traffic are not necessarily known, all available CTI or associated packet filtering rules may be applied by a TIG at any time to ensure effective protections. TIG policies may be composed of 1's, 10's, or 100's of millions of rules. As such, the TIG must be capable of applying the millions of packet filtering rules to each in-transit packet without adversely impacting network performance. 10G and 40/100G network links may be used at TIG insertion points, which means that packet transmission rates may be millions or tens of millions of packets per second. The TIG must filter each in-transit packet through the millions of rules in order to enforce the policy, without adversely affecting network performance. With such large policies and high packet rates, even when the policies are stored in main memory, and even when fast (e.g. sublinear) policy search algorithms are used, TIG performance may be insufficient and may result in unacceptable performance degradations. For example, high latencies may result in packet drops due to buffer overflows. The latency incurred during packet filtering should be low and packets should not be dropped (e.g. due to buffer overflows).
A TIG may be designed to achieve the necessary performance by some combination of (a) high-performance CPUs, which may be architected or configured for network packet processing; (b) fast/efficient algorithms and associated data structures for searching the rules for matches between the rules' indicators and the current in-transit packet's associated field values; and (c) storing the policy (which may include the millions of packet filtering rules) in high-speed local memory (for example, on-board SDRAM, which is often called main memory) so that the CPU(s) may access the main memory quickly via a high-speed, high-bandwidth data bus.
However, recent trends in networking are making it difficult or impractical for TIGs to perform at the levels necessary to maintain effective network protections. The growth rate of the quantity of CTI (measured by the number of threat indicators and associated metadata), and therefore the rate of growth of associated policies (measured in bytes, which is a function of the number of packet filtering rules and the size in bytes of those rules), is higher than the rates of improvements in processor speeds, processor costs, processor power requirements, memory speeds, memory densities, memory costs, etc. The result is that it is no longer practical for TIGs to handle increases in policy sizes by increasing the size of the memory. This problem is further compounded by ever-increasing network link speeds and ever-increasing network traffic volumes. Thus, there is a need for improvements in efficiencies of TIG technology such that large increases in the size of CTI-derived policies only require relatively small increases in computational resources that are necessary to maintain TIG performance at acceptable levels (e.g., relatively low latency and minimal to no packet drops) while providing effective network protections.

Methods and systems for efficient packet filtering


An improved process for the removal of organic matter from bauxite ore containing gibbsite comprises heating the ore under roasting conditions including a roasting temperature of from about 400.degree. C. to about 600.degree. C. with oxygen-containing roasting gas having a moisture content of less than 1% by volume water until the water of crystallization of the alumina present in the treated product is less than 0.5 mole per mole of alumina.

Aluminum is conventionally produced commercially by the electrolytic conversion of alumina. The alumina is produced by well known procedures from aluminum hydroxide which is typically obtained by treating an aluminum-containing ore according to the Bayer process.
In the Bayer process, well known and conventional, an aluminum containing ore such as bauxite is digested with an aqueous alkali solution, usually an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide, at elevated temperature to extract the alumina present. The resulting slurry contains soluble alkali aluminates and various materials insoluble in the alkaline solution. The slurry is then cooled, often by flash cooling and then filtered (clarified) to remove the insoluble solids. The supernatant alkali aluminate solution is then further cooled and seeded with aluminum hydroxide crystals to precipitate aluminum hydroxide. The precipitate is separated, washed, dried and then calcined at elevated temperature to produce the desired alumina. The alkali aluminate liquor of reduced aluminum content is recycled to the bauxite digestion step after removal of any excess accumulated water and provision of necessary make-up sodium hydroxide.
The alumina in most aluminum-containing ores is in the form of an alumina hydrate. In ores termed "bauxite", the alumina is generally present as a trihydrate, i.e., Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.3H.sub.2 O or Al(OH).sub.3, or as a monohydrate, i.e., Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.H.sub.2 O or AlO(OH). The trihydrate, termed "gibbsite", dissolves or digests more readily in the aqueous alkali solution than the monohydrate, termed "boehmite". Thus, bauxite ores containing major proportions of gibbsite digest at lower temperatures and pressures than do bauxite ores containing major proportions of boehmite.
In addition to the alumina hydrates, bauxite ores contain lesser amounts of silica (quartz), clay minerals such as kaolinite, iron oxides such as geothite or haematite, metal sulfides and organic matter including cellulose and humus. Depending upon the particular ore and the geological history of the site from which the ore was obtained, the type and proportion of these impurities will vary. Of particular concern is the proportion of organic matter present. A substantial part of the organic matter, e.g., up to 50% by weight or more, dissolves in the aqueous alkali aluminate solution during digestion. The presence of this soluble organic matter causes difficulties in the clarification and precipitation steps. The presence of the soluble organics lead to decreased efficiency in the aluminum hydroxide precipitation and certain types of organic matter form viscous liquors which reduce pumping and settling efficiency. Moreover, digestion of the organic matter consumes alkali which would otherwise be recycled.
It is known that these difficulties can be reduced if part or all of the organic matter is removed from the bauxite prior to the digestion step of the Bayer process. One known method of reducing the organic matter content of the bauxite is to calcine the ore prior to digestion. Considerable care must be taken during any type of heating bauxite ores to minimize the decomposition of any gibbsite present in the ore to boehmite. Such decomposition would decrease the efficiency of the subsequent digestion step.
In British Patent 1,383,136, a process is disclosed which involves calcination of gibbsitic bauxite containing ferric oxide. Substantial measures must be taken to prepare the ore in very small particles, for example, particles of a 10 .mu.m size, and the water content must be carefully controlled. The overall process is efficient, in part because of the presence of 10% by weight to 25% by weight of ferric oxide which helps prevent the transition of gibbsite to boehmite. However, the process is difficult because of the small size of the bauxite particles. In addition, the particular process conditions do not preclude decreased extractability of the resulting calcined bauxite. In European Patent Application No. 375987 there is described a process of calcining gibbsite bauxite wherein about 70% by weight of the organic matter, particularly oxalates, is removed. This process also uses rather small particles on the order of 63 .mu.m, and has the further disadvantage of rather incomplete removal of organic matter. The resulting calcined bauxite still contains about 0.1% by weight of organic carbon. It would be of advantage to have an improved process for the calcination of bauxite wherein the efficiency of alumina extraction is not reduced and a higher proportion of the organic matter is removed.


A lamp driving method and an inverter for driving the lamp are disclosed which can stably maintain a desired duty ratio of a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal for controlling driving of a lamp. The method for driving lamp, comprising: generating an inner pulse width modulation (PWM) signal;

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lamp driving method and an inverter which can stably maintain a desired duty ratio of a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal for controlling driving of a lamp.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Typically, liquid crystal display (LCD) devices display an image by controlling the light transmittance of liquid crystals. For this function, such an LCD device includes a liquid crystal panel having pixel regions arranged in the form of a matrix, and a driving circuit for driving the liquid crystal panel.
A plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines are arranged on the liquid crystal panel such that they intersect each other. The pixel regions are arranged in regions defined by intersections of the gate lines and data lines, respectively. In each pixel region, pixel electrodes and a common electrode are formed, to apply an electric field. Each pixel electrode is connected with a switching device, namely, a thin film transistor (TFT). The TFT is turned on by a scan pulse supplied from the associated gate line, to charge a data signal on the associated data line in the pixel electrode.
The driving circuit includes a gate driver for driving the gate lines, a data driver for driving the data lines, and a timing controller for supplying control signals respectively adapted to control the gate driver and data driver. The driving circuit also includes a backlight unit for irradiating light to the liquid crystal panel, and an inverter for driving the backlight unit.
The backlight unit includes a lamp functioning as a light source for emitting light. The lamp emits light as it is driven by an AC drive signal from the inverter.
The inverter supplies the AC drive signal, which is adapted to drive the lamp, to the backlight unit. Since the lamp is driven in a continuous mode, it consumes a large amount of current. As such, the inverter operates in a burst mode, to periodically turn on/off the lamp, and thus, to reduce the current consumption of the lamp. In this case, the inverter supplies or cuts off the AC drive signal for driving of the lamp, in response to an externally-supplied PWM signal.
However, when the duty ratio of the externally-supplied PWM signal is unstable, the lamp may malfunction. For example, when the duty ratio of the externally-supplied PWM signal is less than 20%, a flicker phenomenon may occur because the drive power for the lamp is weakened. Due to such a weak drive power, a protection circuit may also operate to cause the inverter to be shut down. In this case, a problem arises in that the operation of the lamp is stopped.

Inverter for driving lamp and method for driving lamp using the same

Abstract: outputting a DC level in response to a duty ratio of an external PWM signal; selectively outputting the external PWM signal or the inner PWM signal in accordance with the DC level; and generating an AC drive signal Acs in response to the external PWM signal or the inner PWM signal, and supplying the AC drive signal to the lamp.


A laser guided chalk line apparatus enables a single operator to set down a base with laser emitter and direct the beam in a preset direction. A free end of a chalk cord is attached to the base, and the special chalk cord reel attached to the chalk line is positioned in alignment with the light beam with the aid of a laser target on the reel. The chalk cord is then snapped against the surface to be marked with assurance that the line so marked will be accurately positioned..

This invention relates to apparatus for accurate placement of a chalk line, and more particularly to a chalk line and laser assembly that provides a means for precise positioning of a chalk line that can be applied by a single operator.
Lasers have become very useful to surveyors. They generally employ a laser emitter at one point that can be accurately positioned by a first operator and a receiver positioned by a second operator at a second point located to intercept the beam. In construction and related industry, it is common practice to mark a line on a surface with a chalk line. It would be useful to be able to position that line very accurately with the aid of a laser, especially if a single operator could use it..
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a laser chalk line assembly that is operable by a single person that would enable the chalk line to be positioned with great accuracy. It is another object that the apparatus be easy to use and inexpensive to produce. The apparatus of the invention comprises a laser pivotally mounted on a base. The laser may be adjusted to be level and rotated about a pivot to a preset angle relative to the base. A special chalk line reel has a chalk cord whose free end is removably attached to the base. The reel has a laser target that enables the operator to position the cord and reel in line with the light beam. The operator then snaps the cord onto the surface to be marked.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become more apparent when the detailed description is studied in conjunction with the drawings in which like elements are designated by like reference characters in the various drawing figures.


A fiber optic gasket includes one or more apertures to individually retain optical fibers from one or more fiber optic cards positioned within an enclosure. A slit within the fiber optic gasket associated with each aperture facilitates placement of an optical fiber within an aperture. The fiber optic gasket includes a layer of conductive material for electromagnetic interference protection. When installed in the enclosure, the fiber optic gasket comes in contact with a door that is removably connected to the enclosure. An electro-magnetic interference shield is provided at the interface between the door and the fiber optic gasket. Optical fibers can extend out of the enclosure without causing harmful electromagnetic energy from leaving or entering the enclosure.

Systems for transmitting large blocks of data in short intervals of time or transmitting high speed data over relatively long distances use fiber optic links. A common misperception associated with the use of fiber optic links is that fiber optic links eliminate all problems related to electromagnetic interference. Due to this misperception, most fiber optic implementations do not minimize the effect of electromagnetic interference.
Electro-magnetic interference may enter and leave a computer system in various ways. In particular, electro-magnetic interference may enter or leave a computer system enclosure through an electrical aperture associated with a fiber optic cable connector. The electrical aperture occurs between the fiber optic connector and the computer system enclosure because the fiber optic connector is constructed of plastic or similar non-conductive material while the computer system enclosure includes metal or other electrically conductive material. The electrical aperture is a common point of entry or exit for electro-magnetic energy in current systems with fiber optic links.


A flexure ring for a window assembly includes a continuous annular portion and a segmented portion. The continuous annular portion defines a ring axis. The segmented portion defines a plurality of circumferential segments. The continuous annular portion is connected to each circumferential segment by a respective neck. Each neck extends from the continuous annular portion to a respective one of the circumferential segments. The continuous annular portion, the segmented portion and the necks are configured to circumscribe a window pane.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to window assemblies, and more particularly to window assemblies such as those that require specific optical performance for use in applications that can impose stress, such as in the exterior of aircraft, other vehicles, and environmental test chambers.
2. Background of the Related Art
Windows installed on vehicles need to be durable but also meet stringent optical and mechanical requirements depending on the intended application. A traditional window assembly includes a window substrate cemented into a frame using a compliant adhesive, such as a room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) material. The RTV bond provides isolation of the window from environmental loads. The portions of loads that are not absorbed by the RTV bond layer can be transmitted to the window and can cause stress and strain in the window substrate. Stress and strain can alter a window's optical properties. As a result, traditional window assemblies can have variable optical and mechanical performance depending on forces acting on the vehicle housing them.
Such conventional methods and systems have generally been considered satisfactory for their intended purposes. However, there is still a need in the art for improved window assemblies. The present disclosure provides a solution for this need.


An objective of the present invention is to provide compounds that exhibit strong MEK-inhibiting activity and are stable in vivo and soluble in water, which can be used as preventive or therapeutic agents for proliferative diseases.

Cell survival is regulated by various extracellular signals, for example, growth factors, cytokines, and extracellular matrices (ECM), via cell surface receptors.
Two major signal transduction pathways regulate the process of signal transduction from the cell surface to the nucleus. One is the Ras signaling pathway, and the other is the PI3K (Phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase) pathway. The PI3K pathway is either activated via cell surface receptors or indirectly by Ras. The present invention focuses on the Ras signaling pathway.
The MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) cascade which comprises three kinases, namely, Raf, MEK (MAPK or ERK kinase), and ERK (extracellular stimulus regulated kinase), is a key component of the Ras signaling pathway. The cascade starts with the activation of Ras and in response to extracellular signals, plays an important role in regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, and transformation (Person, G, F. Robinson, T. Beers Gibson, B. Xu, M. Karandikar, K. Berman, and M. H. Cobb. Endocrine Rev., 22, 153-183 (2001); Bryan A. Ballif and John Blenis, Cell Growth & Differentiation, 12, 397-408 (2001); Cobb M H, Prog. Biophys. Mol. Biol., 71 479-500 (1999); Lewis T S, Shapiro P S and Ahn N G. Adv. Cancer Res., 74 49-139 (1998); Kolch W, Biochem. J., 351, 289-305 (2000); Judith S Sebolt-Leopold, Oncogene, 19, 6594-6599 (2000); Roman Herrera and Judith S. Sebolt-Leopold, Treds in Molecular Medicine, 8, S27-S31 (2002)).
Ras activation is regulated through the interplay between GTP-exchange factors (GEFs) and GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) (Giorgio Scita, Pierluigi Tenca, Emanuela Frittoli Arianna Tocchetti, Metello Innocenti, Giuseppina Giardina and Pier Paolo Di Fiore, EMBO Journal. 19, 2393-2398 (2000)). GEFs activate Ras through the formation of Ras-GTP complex, and GAPs inactivate Ras through the formation of Ras-GDP complex. Ras activation results from growth factor-mediated extracellular signals to cell surface receptors or from Ras mutations. Ras mutations are found in many human cancer cells. It is known that such Ras mutations result in sustained Ras activation (GTP complex) and play key roles in the proliferation of human cancer cells.
Activated Ras interacts with Raf-1, a serine/threonine protein kinase, to activate Raf-1 (Daum G, Eisenmann-Tappe I, Fries H W, Troppmair J and Rapp U R, Trends Biochem. Sci., 19, 474-480 (1994); Stokoe D, Macdonald S G, Cadwallader K, Symons M and Hacock J F, Science, 264, 1463-1467 (1994)).
Activated Raf-1 then phosphorylates and activates MEK1 and MEK2. MEK is phosphorylated on two serine residues (Ser218 and Ser222) (Dent P, Haser W, Haystead T A, Vincent L A, Roberts T M and Sturgill T W, Science, 257, 1404-1407 (1992); Crews C M, Alessandrini A and Erikson R L, Science, 258, 478-480 (1992); Her J H, Lakhani S, Zu K, Vila J, Dent P, Sturgill T W and Weber M J, Biochem. J., 296, 25-31 (1993); Alessi, D. R., Y. Saito, D. G. Campgell, P. Cohen, G. Sithanandam, U. Rapp, A. Ashworth, C. J. Marshall, and S. Cowley. Trends Biochem. Sci. 21 373-372 (1994); Zheng, C. F., and K. L. Guan. J. Biol. Chem. 268, 23933-23939 (1993)).
MEK is a dual-specificity kinase. Activated MEK phosphorylates ERK1 and ERK2 on tyrosine (185) and threonine (183) residues (Anderson N G, Maller J L, Tonks N K and Sturgill T W, Nature, 343, 651-653 (1990); Seger R and Krebs E G, FASEG J, 9 716-735 (1995)).
The MEK-mediated ERK phosphorylation results in not only ERK activation but also translocation of ERK to the nucleus.
Activated ERK (MAPK) activates various substrates, for example, transcription factors in the cytoplasm and nucleus, and the result is that the activation leads to cellular changes (proliferation, differentiation, and transformation) depending on the extracellular signal.
MEK has a strict substrate specificity. ERK1 and ERK2 are the only substrates of MEK phosphorylation that have been identified (Seger R, Ahn N G, Posada J, Munar E S, Jensen A M, Cooper J A, Cobb M H and Kregs E G, J. Biol. Chem., 267, 14373-14381 (1992)).
Strict substrate specificity (limited substrates: ERK1 and 2) and dual specificity (phosphorylation on both tyrosine and threonine), which are unique properties of MEK bur rarely found in other kinases, are suggested to play a central role in the MEK integration of signals in the MAPK pathway.
Constitutive activation of the MEK/MAPK pathway is shown to be associated with the neoplastic phenotypes of a relatively large number of cancer cell types (Hoshino R, Chatani Y, Yamori T, Tsuruo T, Oka H, Yoshida O, Shimada Y, Ari-I S, Wada H, Fujimoto J, Kohno M, oncogene, 18, 813 (1999); Kim S C, Hahn J S, Min Y H, Yoo N C, Ko Y W, Lee W J, Blood, 93, 3893 (1999); Morgan M A, Dolp O, Reuter C W, Blood, 97, 1823 (2001)).
In addition, constitutive activation of MEK has been reported to result in cellular alteration (transformation or canceration) (Cowley S, Paterson H, Kemp P and Marshall C J, Cell, 77, 841-852 (1994); Mansour S J, Matten W T, Hermann A S, Candia J M, Rong S, Fukasawa K, Vande Woude G F and Ahn N G, Science, 265, 966-970 (1994)).
Furthermore, studies of MEK inhibitors (PD98059 and others) have revealed that MEK inhibition not only results in impaired cell proliferation, but also has impact on various cellular events, including cell differentiation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis (Dudley D T, Pang L, Decker S J, Bridges A J and Saltiel A R, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 92, 7686-7689 (1995); Alessi D R, Cuenda A, Cohen P, Dudley D T and Saltiel A R, J. Biol. Chem., 270, 27489-27494 (1995); Pages G, Lenorman D, L'Allemain G, Chambard J C, Meloche S and Puyssegur J, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA., 90, 8319-8323 (1993); Pang L, Sawada T, Decker S J and Saltiel A R., J. Biol. Chem., 270, 13585-13588 (1995); Finalay D, Healy V, Furlong F, O'Connell F C, Keon N K and Martin F, Cell Death Differ. 7, 303-313 (2000); Holmstrom T H, Tran S E, Johnson V L, Ahn N G, Chow S C and Eriksson J E, Mol. Cell. Biol., 19, 5991-6002 (1999); Elliceiri B P, Klemke R, Stromblad S and Cherexh D A, J. Cell Biol., 141, 1255-1263 (1998); Milanini J, Vinals F, Pouyssegur J and Pages G, J. Biol. Chem., 273, 18165-18172 (1998)).
The above-described findings suggest that MEK, one of the major mediators in the MAPK cascade, can serves as a potential target for therapeutic agents used in treating diseases caused by aberrant cell proliferation.
There are many previously reported MEK inhibitors including, for example, compounds having the backbone structure of a 2-phenylaminobenzoic acid or a derivative thereof, and which comprise various types of substituents at different positions (U.S. Pat. No. 6,251,943; U.S. Pat. No. 6,310,060; U.S. Pat. No. 6,506,798; International Publication WO 98/37881; WO 99/01421; WO 99/01426; WO 00/35435; WO 00/35436; WO 00/37141; WO 00/40235; WO 00/40237; WO 00/41505; WO 00/41994; WO 00/42002; WO 00/42003; WO 00/42022; WO 00/42029; WO 00/64856; WO 01/05390; WO 01/05391; WO 01/05392; WO 01/05393; WO 01/68619; WO 02/06213; WO 02/18319; WO 03/062189; WO 03/062191; WO 03/077855; WO 03/077914; WO 04/056789; and Japanese Patent Application Kokai Publication No. (JP-A) 2001-55376 (unexamined published Japanese patent application)). The previously reported compounds also include N-alkoxy-2-phenylamino-benzamide derivatives which have an alkoxy residue as the substituent on the amide nitrogen atom. Furthermore, the reported compounds also include compounds which comprise as a substituent, a halogen atom, a carbamoyl group, a sulfamoyl group, or such, at position 5 of the benzamide ring (International Publication WO 98/37881; WO 99/01426; WO 00/42003; WO 01/68619; and WO 02/06213).
Meanwhile, the anti-cancer effect of compounds comprising the feature of an MEK inhibitor, as reported, has been drawing attention. Such compounds include, for example, compound CI-1040 described below (in Example 95 of WO 99/01426). The result of a phase I clinical trial of compound CI-1040 was reported in the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in 2002 (American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting in 2002 (Abstract Nos. 320 and 321; May, 18-21, 2002)). However, various problems have been pointed out, for example, rapid hydrolysis and inactivation of the compound in vivo; high lipid solubility and low water solubility; and a wide interpatient variability in pharmacokinetic parameters. The clinical trial for CI-1040 was thus terminated. At present, PD0325901 (WO 02/06213) is currently at the stage of a phase II clinical trial in U.S.

Meanwhile, there are reports on methods of preventing or treating rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis using compounds having MEK-inhibiting activity (International Publication WO 00/35436; WO 01/68619; and JP-A 2001-55376).

5-Substituted-2-phenylamino benzamides as MEK inhibitors

Abstract: The compounds of the present invention and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof are represented by the following formula (1):

Abstract: [where R1, R2, R3, R4, and X are the same as defined in the present patent application].


The invention provides an apparatus and process for producing high-purity diol by taking cyclic carbonate and aliphatic monohydric alcohol as starting materials, continuously feeding the starting materials into column A, carrying out reactive distillation in column A, continuously withdrawing a low boiling point reaction mixture containing a produced dialkyl carbonate and the aliphatic monohydric alcohol from an upper portion of column A, continuously withdrawing a high boiling point reaction mixture containing a produced diol from a lower portion of column A, continuously feeding the high boiling point reaction mixture into distillation column C, distilling off material having a lower boiling point than that of the diol contained in the high boiling point reaction mixture AB as a column top component and/or a side cut component so as to obtain a column bottom component, continuously feeding the column bottom component into distillation column E, and obtaining the diol.

A reactive distillation process for producing a dialkyl carbonate and a diol through reaction between a cyclic carbonate and an aliphatic monohydric alcohol was first disclosed by the present inventors (see Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-198141, Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-230243, Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-176061, Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-183744, Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-194435, Patent Document 6: International Publication No. WO97/23445 (corresponding to European Patent No. 0889025, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,847,189), Patent Document 7: International Publication No. WO99/64382 (corresponding to European Patent No. 1086940, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,346,638), Patent Document 8: International Publication No. WO00/51954 (corresponding to European Patent No. 1174406, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,479,689), Patent Document 9: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-308804, Patent Document 10: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-131394), and patent applications in which such a reactive distillation system is used have subsequently also been filed by other companies (see Patent Document 11: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-213830 (corresponding to European Patent No. 0530615, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,212), Patent Document 12: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-9507 (corresponding to European Patent No. 0569812, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,118), Patent Document 13: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-119168 (corresponding to International Publication No. WO03/006418), Patent Document 14: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-300936, Patent Document 15: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-342209). In the case of using the reactive distillation system for this reaction, the reaction can be made to proceed with a high conversion. However, reactive distillation processes proposed hitherto have related to producing the dialkyl carbonate and the diol either in small amounts or for a short period of time, and have not related to carrying out the production on an industrial scale stably for a prolonged period of time. That is, these processes have not attained the object of producing a diol continuously in a large amount (e.g. not less than 1 ton/hr) stably for a prolonged period of time (e.g. not less than 1000 hours, preferably not less than 3000 hours, more preferably not less than 5000 hours).
For example, the maximum values of the height (H: cm), diameter (D: cm), and number of stages (n) of the reactive distillation column, the amount produced P (kg/hr) of ethylene glycol, and the continuous production time T (hr) in examples disclosed for the production of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and ethylene glycol (EG) from ethylene carbonate and methanol are as in Table 1.
TABLE 1PATENTDOCUMENTH: cmD: cmNO. STAGES: nP: kg/hrT: hr11002300.07340041605400.213NOTE 551605400.358NOTE 572004PACKING COLUMN (Dixon)0.528NOTE 58NOTE 15600.140NOTE 59NOTE 15600.161NOTE 510NOTE 15600.161NOTE 5112503PACKING COLUMN (Raschig)0.154NOTE 512NOTE 2NOTE 2NOTE 20.256NOTE 513NOTE 3NOTE 342NOTE 4NOTE 514NOTE 3NOTE 3302490NOTE 51520015 PACKING COLUMN (BX)19NOTE 5NOTE 1: OLDERSHAW DISTILLATION COLUMN.NOTE 2: NO DESCRIPTION WHATSOEVER DEFINING DISTILLATION COLUMN.NOTE 3: ONLY DESCRIPTION DEFINING DISTILLATION COLUMN IS NUMBER OF STAGES.NOTE 4: NO DESCRIPTION WHATSOEVER OF PRODUCED AMOUNT.NOTE 5: NO DESCRIPTION WHATSOEVER REGARDING STABLE PRODUCTION FOR PROLONGED PERIOD OF TIME.
In Patent Document 14 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-300936), it is stated at paragraph 0060 that "The present example uses the same process flow as for the preferred mode shown in FIG. 1 described above, and was carried out with the object of operating a commercial scale apparatus for producing dimethyl carbonate and ethylene glycol through transesterification by a catalytic conversion reaction between ethylene carbonate and methanol. Note that the following numerical values in the present example can be adequately used in the operation of an actual apparatus", and as that example it is stated that 3750 kg/hr of dimethyl carbonate and 2490 kg/hr of ethylene glycol were specifically produced. The scale described in that example corresponds to an annual production of 30,000 or more tons of dimethyl carbonate, and hence this implies that operation of the world's largest scale commercial plant using this process had been carried out at the time of the filing of the patent application for Patent Document 14 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-300936) (Apr. 9, 2002). However, even at the time of filing the present application, there is not the above fact at all. Moreover, in the example of Patent Document 14 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-300936), exactly the same value as the theoretically calculated value is stated for the amount of dimethyl carbonate produced, but the yield for ethylene glycol is approximately 85.6%, and the selectivity is approximately 88.4%, and hence it cannot really be said that a high yield and high selectivity have been attained. In particular, the low selectivity indicates that this process has a fatal drawback as an industrial production process. (Note also that Patent Document 14 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-300936) was deemed to have been withdrawn on Jul. 26, 2005 due to examination not having been requested).
With such a reactive distillation process, there are very many causes of fluctuation such as composition variation due to reaction and composition variation due to distillation in the distillation column, and temperature variation and pressure variation in the column, and hence continuing stable operation for a prolonged period of time is often accompanied by difficulties, and in particular these difficulties are further increased in the case of handling large amounts. To continue mass production of a dialkyl carbonate and a diol using the reactive distillation process stably for a prolonged period of time while maintaining high yield and high selectivity, and thus produce a high-purity diol, the process must be cleverly devised. However, the only description of continuous stable production for the prolonged period of time with the reactive distillation process proposed hitherto has been the 200 to 400 hours in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-198141) and Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-230243).
The present inventors have proposed an industrial reactive distillation process that enables a dialkyl carbonate and a diol to be mass-produced continuously and stably for a prolonged period of time with high yield and high selectivity, but in addition to this, a process enabling a high-purity diol to be separated out and purified in a large amount stably for a prolonged period of time from a high boiling point reaction mixture continuously withdrawn in a large amount from a lower portion of the reactive distillation column is also required, a process for producing a large amount of a high-purity diol with a high yield having been called for. The present invention has been devised to attain this object.
As shown in Table 1, with the exception of Patent Document 14 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-300936), the amount of the diol produced per hour using the reactive distillation processes proposed hitherto has been a small amount. Moreover, with the process of Patent Document 14 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-300936), it is stated that approximately 2490 kg/hr of ethylene glycol containing approximately 130 kg/hr of unreacted ethylene carbonate and approximately 226 kg/hr of dihydroxyethyl carbonate was obtained as a column bottom component from a fourth step distillation column. However, this is merely a statement of the composition of the reaction mixture, there being no description whatsoever of production of a high-purity diol.
As a process for producing a diol of relatively high purity using reactive distillation and a diol purifying column, a process is known in which the diol is obtained from a side cut of the diol purifying column. For example, in the example (FIG. 5) in Patent Document 12 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-9507 (corresponding to European Patent No. 0569812, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,118)), a high boiling point reaction mixture withdrawn from a lower portion of a reactive distillation column is fed into a thin film evaporator (III), high boiling point matter obtained therefrom is fed into a thin film evaporator (IV), low boiling point evaporated matter obtained therefrom is fed into a distillation column (VII), and ethylene glycol is obtained as a side cut component 22 from an enrichment section of the distillation column (VII), and then purification is further carried out using a purifier (IX), whereby high-purity ethylene glycol is produced in an amount of 255 g/hr. That is, in the process of Patent Document 12 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-9507 (corresponding to European Patent No. 0569812, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,118)), high-purity ethylene glycol is not obtained from the high boiling point reaction mixture until four purifying apparatuses have been used. Furthermore, the process of Patent Document 12 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-9507 (corresponding to European Patent No. 0569812, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,118)) is a process in which a small amount of ethylene glycol is produced, there being no suggestions whatsoever regarding a process for producing a large amount (e.g. not less than 1 ton/hr) of a diol stably for a prolonged period of time (e.g. not less than 5000 hours).
Moreover, in, for example, example 1 (FIG. 5) in Patent Document 15 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-342209), a high boiling point reaction mixture withdrawn from a lower portion of a reactive distillation column is fed into a second distillation column 4, high boiling point matter obtained therefrom is fed into a hydrolysis reactor 7, the reaction mixture therefrom is fed into a decarboxylation tank (gas-liquid separator 8), a liquid component obtained therefrom is fed into a third distillation column 10, and ethylene glycol is produced in an amount of 19 kg/hr as a side cut component from a stripping section of the third distillation column 10. However, with the process of Patent Document 15 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-342209), the ethylene glycol obtained contains 0.2% by weight of diethylene glycol. To obtain ethylene glycol of a high purity as required as a starting material for a PET fiber or a PET resin using the process of Patent Document 15 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-342209), at least one further purifying apparatus is thus required. That is, with the process of Patent Document 15 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-342209), ethylene glycol is obtained from a side cut outlet installed in the stripping section, which is below an inlet for feeding into the distillation column, but the purity of the ethylene glycol is insufficient, and moreover the process of Patent Document 15 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-342209) is a process in which a small amount of ethylene glycol is produced, there being no suggestions whatsoever regarding a process for producing a large amount (e.g. not less than 1 ton/hr) of a diol stably for a prolonged period of time (e.g. not less than 5000 hours).
Moreover, in, for example, example 10 (FIG. 6) in Patent Document 8 (International Publication No. WO00/51954 (corresponding to European Patent No. 1174406, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,479,689)) and example 1 (FIG. 1) in Patent Document 9 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-308804), high-purity ethylene glycol is obtained from a side cut outlet installed in an enrichment section of an EG purifying column 41, which is above an inlet for feeding into the column, but in each case the amount produced is a small amount of less than 200 g/hr, there being no suggestions whatsoever regarding a process for producing a large amount (e.g. not less than 1 ton/hr) of a diol stably for a prolonged period of time (e.g. not less than 5000 hours).
Approximately 16 million tons per year (2004) of ethylene glycol is produced worldwide, but hitherto all of this has been through a hydration method in which water is added to ethylene oxide. However, as shown by the statement "Production of EG (ethylene glycol) is by a hydration reaction of EO (ethylene oxide), the reaction generally being carried out . . . at 150 to 200° C. At this time, not only is the target substance MEG (monoethylene glycol) produced, but moreover DEG (diethylene glycol) and TEG (triethylene glycol) are also by-produced. The proportions of these products depend on the water/EO ratio, and to obtain MEG with a selectivity of approximately 90%, the water/EO ratio must be made to be approximately 20 as a molar ratio. A large amount of water must thus be distilled off in an EG purification step, and a large amount of thermal energy is consumed in this. . . . With regard to synthesis of EG from EO, it is not an overstatement to say that this is an imperfect process from the viewpoint of energy efficiency." in Non-Patent Document 1 (Japan Petroleum Institute (ed.), "Sekiyu-kagaku Purosesu" ("Petrochemical Processes"), pages 120 to 125, Kodansha, 2001), this industrial production process (conventional process) has great drawbacks both from the perspective of the ethylene glycol yield and selectivity, and the perspective of energy saving.

Industrial process for production of high-purity diol


The present invention is an apparatus and method for ligation. The ligation apparatus or band provides topical active agent(s) that alleviate pain during various ligature procedures. This invention also relates to a method that includes applying a loop or band around a body part for elastomeric ligation, whereby the band material supplies a topical active agent (s) to the body part to reduce the pain of ligation.

Ligation with an elastic band, or "elastration", is a bloodless method of male castration and docking commonly used for livestock. Elastration involves placing a tight elastic band, or elastrator, around the body part of an animal to reduce the blood flow to the part so that it withers and falls off. To reduce the discomfort to the animal during this procedure, either the elastration band or the body part or both can be coated with an anesthetic such as lidocaine prior to placement on the animal. The secondary step of applying anesthetic during elastration adds cost, inventory and labor to the procedure that could be avoided if the anesthetic could be incorporated into the elastration band itself. The topical agents that are applied during elastration provide only temporary pain relief that wears or washes off quickly and must be reapplied to provide prolonged pain relief during the entire elastration period.
In other known procedures, lidocaine is injected into the animal body part. This injection typically provides only about three hours of pain relief, in contrast to the present invention which may provide pain relief for 21 days or longer.
Notwithstanding the usefulness of the above-described methods, a need still exists for better methods of reducing the pain and stress to an animal undergoing elastration.


The present invention relates to a power connection device (1) which includes, on the one hand, a female part (2) with a lyre-shaped profile contained within and secured by an insulating support (3), which assembly is fixed inside a panel and is only accessible from one side, and on the other hand, a male part (6) to be plugged into said female part through said accessible side. This device is remarkable in that, in order to transfer high-intensity currents, the female part is composed of a thick, rigid multiclip (2) into which the male part, composed of a single thick plate (6), is inserted during the connection, which female part has a clamping zone (P) and which male part has a thickness (W) such that the insertion force is between 1.5 and 5 daN and that the resultant of the contact resistances is less than 60 N.OMEGA..

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power connection device which includes, on the one hand, a female part formed around a multiclip with a lyre-shaped profile contained within and secured by an insulating support, which assembly is fixed inside a panel and is accessible from only one side, and on the other hand, a male part to be plugged into this female part through the accessible side, which male part is composed of a single thick plate.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, when it is desirable to achieve a power connection, a certain number of precautions must be taken. Thus, it is essential to reduce any contact resistance as much as possible. For this reason, the contact pieces are usually bolted to one another. This technique is reliable but not very practical, especially when the available space and/or volume remaining in an electronic panel makes access difficult, and particularly when the connection is accessible from only one side, which necessitates a long and difficult disassembly in the event of a failure. This drawback is further accentuated when, as is more and more often the case, redundant systems are used, in which case the power supply to the panel must generally be cut off so that the faulty module may be removed and replaced by a working module, thus eliminating the advantage of full utilization of the redundancy in a system.
One solution for avoiding this drawback consists of using, in place of bolted connections traditional elastic-type female connections, for example those with lyre-shaped profiles, into which male connectors are plugged. In order to allow the power transfer, particularly with high-intensity currents, given the thinness of these connectors, it is provided for a plurality of female connections of this type to be connected in parallel for the proper distribution of these currents, and it is not surprising in this case to find as many as fifty of these parallel connections. However, this solution has real drawbacks because it is almost impossible to obtain a very low contact resistance in each elementary female connection, given the disparities due to manufacturing tolerances as well as to the differences in their elasticity, a fact which implies a non-negligible resultant of the different elementary contact resistances.
Another solution consists of using a connection strip which is wide enough to support a high intensity and rigid enough to reduce the contact resistance. However, experience has shown that the contact cannot be made in such a way as to be distributed across the entire width of this strip, so this has the drawback of significantly increasing the contact resistance, which is contrary to the desired objective. Moreover, because of the width and the rigidity of the strip, if it is desirable to further reduce the contact resistance by increasing the clamping action, the insertion force necessary for plugging in the male piece becomes truly excessive.


A method of fine surface finishing a cladding tube for a nuclear fuel element comprising a cladding tube containing fuel pellets, comprises heating the tube to thermal creep temperatures (e.g., 1750-2000 degrees Celsius) for sapphire and forming inner and outer surfaces of the tube to reduce ridge heights while limiting changes in the crystalline structure of the bulk of the tube. Alternatively, the tube may be placed in a mould and heating the tube-mould assembly to the range of the creep temperature of the sapphire at which differential thermal expansion of the mould and tube cause pressure at an interface between the sapphire and the mould. Maintaining the assembly at an upper end of the creep temperature range allows creep to progress and relieve stresses resulting from the pressure; and cooling the assembly to allow the sapphire tube to part from the mould and be withdrawn.

Conventionally, nuclear reactors comprise pressure tubes or pressure vessels, though nuclear reactors that have both pressure tubes and a pressure vessel have been disclosed.
At present, nuclear power plant safety is of particular concern in the aftermath of the Fukishama accident in Japan in 2011 and others in which the fuel becomes exposed after the reactor has shut down. Some proposals for improving safety have focused upon prolonging the time to catastrophic failure in a severe accident in which decay heat may cause either or both of fuel cladding failure and hydrogen production. One option is to provide passive decay heat removal following a severe accident but this requires the fuel cladding to be capable of retaining the fuel fission products while the decay heat is transferred from the fuel, predominantly by thermal radiation.
Although improving safety is of paramount importance, it is desirable to do so without reducing efficiency. In fact, there is an ongoing desire to improve the efficiency of nuclear reactor power plants without prejudice to their safety. Improved efficiency can be obtained by increasing operating temperatures. To this end, it has been proposed to build nuclear power reactors employing supercritical water which requires much higher operating pressures than the current art PWR, BWR and PHWR. A fuel must be capable of operating at the temperature and pressure of supercritical water, and withstanding the corrosive environment of irradiated supercritical water and radiation damage. The fuel cladding must also have acceptably low neutron absorption to function economically while desirably providing for passive decay heat removal following a severe accident in which the fuel becomes exposed after the reactor has shut down.
In this industry, a variety of terms are used for the pressure barrier between the fuel and the reactor coolant. For convenience, in the context of this specification, the term "cladding" will be used for such pressure barrier, whether in a pressure-tube or pressure-vessel type of reactor.
Also, the term "fuel elements" will be used to embrace both the fuel elements of a pressure-tube type of reactor and the fuel rods of a pressure-vessel type of reactor.
The term "fuel assembly" refers to a plurality of fuel elements which are held together in parallel. In the case of a PHWR, this fuel assembly usually is called a "fuel bundle".
The term "fuel channel" refers to an assembly of components in a pressure tube type reactor comprising the pressure tube and other components that maintain and provide insulation between the reactor coolant and moderator outside the pressure tube.
It is known to use supercritical water systems in fossil fuel power stations. However, the technologies, particularly materials, used in supercritical fossil fuel stations cannot necessarily be used in supercritical nuclear reactor stations where low neutron absorption and corrosion resistance at supercritical temperatures and radiation levels are particularly important. This is especially so for the fuels and the fuel assemblies containing them.
It is known, for example, to use stainless steel to clad fuel for a higher temperature operation. It is unlikely that, in severe accident conditions, this fuel cladding would have been capable of retaining fission products while passively transferring decay heat in a PHWR, PWR or BWR. In particular, under severe accident conditions, the temperature will become high enough to cause the conventional fuel cladding to oxidize and eventually melt, leading to hydrogen production and release of fission products.
Other steels, nickel and titanium-based alloys that have been studied for supercritical water reactor use also have relatively high neutron absorption and entail the use of enriched uranium. They would not be entirely suitable for use in applying similar reactor physics when refitting an existing reactor, for example a PHWR.
In his concurrently-filed patent application Ser. No. 13/829,812, the present inventor discloses fuel elements in which the fuel pellets are housed in a cladding tube made of sapphire. It is known to make sapphire tubes by growing the sapphire using edge defined film fed growth and using a die to form it into a tube. Although sapphire tubes made in this way may be satisfactory for general application, they would be of limited use as cladding in nuclear reactor fuel elements because their inner surfaces, as initially manufactured, have ridges that limit thermal contact between the fuel pellets and the cladding tube.
While it might be possible to grind the inner surfaces of the sapphire tubes to obtain a required smoothness for cladding, grinding would require very hard, for example diamond, grinding tools and be very time-consuming to obtain required cladding and component dimensions. Consequently, it may not be economical and commercially viable at this time.

Methods of fine forming sapphire tubes and joining sapphire components for nuclear reactor fuel elements and assemblies


A photogrammetric system uses an array of spaced-apart targets coupled to a structure. Each target exhibits fluorescence when exposed to a broad beam of illumination. A photogrammetric imaging system located remotely with respect to the structure detects and processes the fluorescence (but not the illumination wavelength) to measure the shape of a structure.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to photogrammetry. More specifically, the invention is a photogrammetric system and method used in the characterization of a structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Photographic images are the result of a perspective projection of a three-dimensional (3D) object onto two dimensions (2D). Consequently, two or more photographic images can be reverse engineered to derive the 3D shape of the original object. This process is called photogrammetry, and the solution provides a quantitative relationship between a 3D object and the 2D images acquired by cameras.
While photogrammetry has its roots in the topographic mapping and surveying field, the last two decades have seen close-range photogrammetric techniques developed to support various industrial and research applications. For example, in some areas of aeronautics aeroelastic experimentation to include model deformation and wing twist, photogrammetric measurements have become part of the standard data set.
Accurate photogrammetric measurements require the photographing of high contrast surface features that appear in at least two images. However, many objects commonly measured do not naturally exhibit such features. Traditionally, retro-reflective targets are attached to the object to artificially provide these high contrast features. When illuminated, these targets reflect light directly back to the illuminating source causing the targets to appear very bright in contrast to the background.
Retro-reflective targets work exceptionally well and have very few drawbacks when used on solid structures. However, retro-reflective targets are not suitable for all types of structures. One example is ultra-lightweight inflatable membrane space structures. The attachment of retro-reflective targets to lightweight membrane structures introduces unacceptable effects such as added stiffness and weight.
An alternative to the attachment of retro-reflective targets is to project target patterns onto a structure. While this non-contact target generation method has advantages with respect to retro-reflective targets, target patterns projected with standard techniques require a diffuse or optically rough surface to work efficiently. However, most membrane-based space structures are made from either highly transparent or highly reflective materials. Target patterns projected onto these types of materials result in the generation of images having poor contrast due to lack of diffusely scattered light and the presence of glints and hot-spot specular reflections from the target-pattern projector.
Laser-induced target generation techniques have been proposed and demonstrated that solve the problems described above, but require the addition of laser dye to the membrane during manufacture. This precludes the use of this these techniques with existing structures that do not already contain the laser dye. For new structures that can be manufactured containing laser dye, this these techniques still requires a laser source and associated optics that complicate the measurement process and introduce eye safety issues. In addition, the size, weight and complexity of the laser source may preclude use of this technique in space applications.

Photogrammetric system and method used in the characterization of a structure

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration