A method and apparatus for testing characteristics of a furnace melt are provided. Preferably, the method and apparatus provide for the safe and efficient testing of metal temperature and composition of molten metal during the melt cycle of the metal. According to one aspect of the invention used in a steel making process in an electric arc furnace, a furnace probe is reciprocated through a furnace probe plug aperture, the furnace probe is retracted from the furnace probe plug aperture, a furnace probe is inserted through the furnace probe plug aperture, the furnace probe is retracted from the aperture, and the furnace probe aperture plug is inserted into the furnace probe plug aperture.

Electric arc furnaces (EAFs) make steel by using an electric arc to melt one or more charges of scrap metal, hot metal, iron based materials, or other meltable materials, which is placed within the furnace. Modern EAFs may also make steel by melting DRI (direct reduced iron) combined with the hot metal from a blast furnace. In addition to the electrical energy of the arc, chemical energy is provided by auxiliary burners using fuel and an oxidizing gas to produce combustion products with a high heat content to assist the arc.
If the EAF is used as a scrap melter, the scrap burden is charged by dumping it into the furnace through the roof opening from buckets, which also may include charged carbon and slag forming materials. A similar charging method using a ladle for the hot metal from a blast furnace may be used along with injection of the DRI by a lance to produce the burden. Additionally, these materials could be added through other openings in the furnace.
In the melting phase, the electric arc and burners melt the burden into a molten pool of metal, termed an iron carbon melt, which accumulates at the bottom or hearth of the furnace. Typically, after a flat bath has been formed by melting of all introduced burden, the electric arc furnace enters a refining and/or decarburization phase. In this phase, the metal continues to be heated by the arc until the slag forming materials combine with impurities in the iron carbon melt and rise to the surface as slag. During the heating of the iron carbon melt, it reaches the temperature and conditions when carbon in the melt combines with oxygen present in the bath to form carbon monoxide bubbles. Generally, flows of oxygen are blown into the bath with either lances or burner/lances to produce a decarburization of the bath by the oxidation of the carbon contained in the bath.
The resulting decarburization reduces the carbon content of the bath to a selected level. If an iron carbon melt is under 2% carbon it becomes steel. Except for operations using the hot metal from the Blast furnaces, the EAF steel making processes typically begin with burdens having less than 1% carbon. The carbon in the steel bath is continually reduced until it reaches the content desired for producing a specific grade of steel, down to less than 0.1% for low carbon steels.
Once the steel bath reaches a desired temperature and grade, it can be removed from the furnace. With the imperative to decrease steel production times in electric arc furnaces, it is desirable to identify when the steel is ready for removal as soon as it reaches the desired temperature and conditions. Unfortunately, there are several challenges that must be surmounted to determine whether the melt is ready for tapping.
A furnace must reach very high temperatures to melt burden into molten metal. For example, scrap steel melts at approximately 2768° F. To achieve such high temperatures, steel making furnaces are generally fully enclosed with a minimal number of openings. Due to the negative pressures in the EAF, furnace openings may allow ambient air into the furnace and create a cold spots. Additionally, it is typically desirable to raise the temperature of the melt sufficiently above the melting point (typically to 2950° F.-3050° F.) to allow the melt to be transferred from the furnace to a desired location and further processed without prematurely solidifying.
Additionally, due to the high temperature, it is not practical to install a permanent temperature gauge in the furnace to monitor the temperature of the molten metal bath. Accordingly, steel makers typically use disposable thermocouples to check the liquid bath temperature. Disposable probes are typically mounted in cardboard sleeves that slide onto a steel probe pole, which has internal electrical contracts. The disposable probe transmits an electrical signal to the steel pole, which in turn transmits the signal to an electronic unit for interpretation. Additional probes may be used to determine the carbon content and dissolved oxygen levels in the molten metal. Various disposable temperature and chemical content probes are known in the art.
Typically, disposable probes are inserted into the furnace through the slag door. Unfortunately, there are several drawbacks to measuring the temperature through the open slag door. For example, when the door is open, a large amount of heat can escape the furnace. If the molten metal bath is at this moment below the desired temperature, the several temperature probes may have to be made in which case the furnace must compensate for the heat lost during this process by consuming more energy.
Another draw back to measuring steel bath parameters through the slag door involves the process of inserting a probe into the liquid bath. Many years ago, probes were only introduced into the melt manually. This manual operation puts the operator at great risk of injury. Today, some steel plants and foundries still use this manual procedure because most alternative systems are very costly. Each year, operators are seriously injured or even killed while taking furnace measurements manually. These injuries typically occur when slag volume increases quickly in the furnace and overflows, thereby causing injury to the operator.
Slag overflow is typically caused by rapid reaction of oxygen and carbon in the furnace. Oxygen is injected into the steel bath to remove or balance the elements such as, but not limited to, sulphur, phosphorus, manganese, silicon and carbon. Although carbon reacts quickly with oxygen, as the carbon concentration in the steel bath decreases below 0.10% by weight, the oxygen-carbon reaction slows down considerably. In order to reduce carbon below 0.05% in the steel bath, the active or free oxygen level in the steel must be about 500 ppm. If any material such as slag or scrap were to fall from the walls of the furnace into the steel bath, an eruption will occur. The oxidizable elements in the slag or steel will react with the active oxygen in the steel bath and create, very quickly, a large amount of combustible gasses. These gases can erupt with enough force to throw slag and steel a great distance. In addition, when the combustible gases created in this reaction are exiting the furnace through the slag door, they rapidly combust with the air outside of the furnace thus increasing the intensity of the reaction.
Such reactions occur so quickly that it creates an explosive effect. Tragically, if such reactions occur while the slag door is open for a manual measurement, the slag boil can overflow the furnace and cause great harm to the operator. Now, many furnace operators use a large, and expensive, mobile device for inserting probes into the furnace. Since the slag door must remain clear for removing slag from the furnace, a dedicated temperature probe insertion tool can not be installed adjacent to the slag door. Rather, the device must either have a very long arm to reach through the slag door to the bath, or it must be mobile so that it can be moved out of the way of the door for other processes.
When the slag door is opened, any slag and metal trapped at the door opening must be cleared to allow insertion of the measurement probe. Clearing the door can be done with a large ram that pushes the slag and scrap out of the door opening and into the melt. Since any scrap trapped in the opening is pushed into the melt adjacent to the door, a probe inserted through the door can not easily measure the temperature of the melt. It is a typical practice in the industry to wait for this scrap to be melted before taking a measurement. This practice adds additional time to the melting phase, and therefore additional expense, to the steel making process.
There are other potential options available for insertion of the temperature probe, but each has significant drawbacks and is not typically used in the industry. First, an opening could be provided in the side wall of the furnace and a temperature probe could be inserted through this opening. Unfortunately, there is not a good location for providing such opening. If the opening were provided low in the furnace, close to the melt, it would become clogged with slag. Thus, the slag would need to be removed prior to insertion of the probe. Prior to the present invention, there was not a device available for easily and efficiently cleaning slag from such an opening. Cleaning the slag from the hole is an onerous task because the slag solidifies on the walls of the furnace and can become quite thick. Thus, it would be difficult to clean the slag from the opening and insert the temperature probe in an efficient manner.
Alternatively, the opening could be provided very high on the side wall of the furnace where it would be less likely to become clogged with slag. This solution is also not desirable because the access opening would be far from the melt. Thus, an exceptionally long probe pole would be needed to reach down into the melt.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a method and apparatus for measuring the temperature of a molten metal bath through an opening in the furnace, other than the slag door.
Additionally, it would be advantageous to provide a method and apparatus for measuring the temperature of a molten metal bath through a dedicated temperature probe aperture.
Additionally, it would be advantageous to provide a method and apparatus for removing slag from a dedicated temperature probe aperture.
Additionally, it would be advantageous to provide a method and apparatus for measuring molten metal bath characteristics through a dedicated probe aperture close to the bath.
Additionally, it would be advantageous to provide a method and apparatus for sampling a molten metal bath using a metallurgical probe to perform chemical analysis on the metal.
Additionally, it would be advantageous to provide a furnace with a dedicated probe aperture.

Method and apparatus for testing characteristics of a furnace melt


The state of an apparatus is reported to a remote computer using an embedded device in the apparatus. The embedded device detects the state, generates a message that reports the state using a self-describing computer language, and sends the message to the remote computer. The remote computer receives the message and extracts the state of the embedded device from the message.

This invention relates to using a device embedded in an apparatus (an "embedded device") to report the state of the apparatus to a remote computer.
An apparatus may contain an embedded device, such as a controller, to monitor and control its operation. Any type of apparatus may have an embedded device, including, but not limited to, home appliances, such as washing machines, dishwashers, and televisions, and manufacturing equipment, such as robotics, conveyors and motors.
Embedded devices are often connected to an internal network, such as a local area network (LAN), with an interface to the Internet. Other devices on the internal network may communicate with the embedded devices over the internal network.

Reporting the state of an apparatus to a remote computer


An optical system, an optical module and a method of manufacture thereof are provided. The optical module includes a top membrane and a bottom electrode. The top membrane includes a supporting layer, a first metal layer and an isolating layer with an opening. The first metal layer is disposed on lower surface of the supporting layer. The isolating layer is disposed on lower surface of the first metal layer. The bottom electrode, disposed below the top membrane, includes a second metal layer and a plurality of pillars. The pillars are disposed on upper surface of the second metal layer and below the isolating layer, wherein some of the pillars support the isolating layer. Wherein the pillars are used for preventing the top membrane from being pulled down to touch the second metal layer through the opening when a voltage is applied between the first and the second metal layers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical system, an optical module, and a method of manufacture thereof.
2. Background of the Invention
Conventional autofocus or zoom systems of Optical system require a set of lenses and large space because of mechanical motors. Recently, a MEMS-based motion control stage is used to minimize the space of mechanical motors. However, manipulation of the space between lenses is not the only way to change the effective optical power. It also could be done by either varying the surface curvature or changing the refractive index distribution. These methods can be generally divided into refractive type and reflective type. Liquid lens and liquid crystal lens (LC lens) belong to refractive type. Liquid lens adopts bi-liquid lenses that can deform the shape of the interface between two immiscible liquids by electro-wetting method. Liquid crystals (LCs) are excellent electro-optic materials with electrical and optical anisotropies. The optical properties can be controlled easily by external electric field. According to the change of refractive indices, the light can be converged and diverged. However, both liquid lens and liquid crystal lens need to utilize refractive design forms that require straight optical path. This fundamentally limits packaging thickness.
Another solution is reflective type, which adopts MEMS deformable mirrors (MEMS DM) to vary the optical power by deforming reflecting surfaces. The advantage of reflective type is chromatic aberration free. Besides, the straight optical path can be folded to reduce packaging thickness. DMs could be embedded with wave front sensors to correct the wavefront aberration for astronomical observation. The system is commercialized for years. Traditionally, MEMS DMs are made by inorganic materials, such as silicon or silicon nitride. These materials have high mechanical stiffness, which limits their deformation range. The deformation of MEMS DM presented in this paper is about one order of magnitude higher than commercial products. In this paper we propose an optical system using a polymer MEMS DM in a reflective design form. The polymer MEMS DM could achieve 12-μm displacement over a 3-mm aperture that corresponds to about 20 diopter focusing power. The optical layout design is 5.4 mm thick and 6.7 mm after packaging. The optical system design, performance analysis, experimental results are discussed in following sections.

Optical system, optical module and method of manufacture thereof


A mixer for plasticable resins has a fixedly positioned heated barrel with a power driven screw mounted axially in the barrel bore, a driven rotor is axially aligned with and extending in a downstream direction from the downstream end of power driven screw. A series of elongated rotor flow transfer cavities are in the outer surface of the rotor. The rotor flow transfer cavities extending inwardly and are arranged in a plurality of axially aligned rows and a plurality of annular rows concentric to the axis of the rotor. A floating sleeve is coaxially positioned over the power driven rotor and interposed between the rotor and the barrel so as to be capable of independent rotation relative to both the power driven rotor and the barrel. The floating sleeve has a plurality of parallel outwardly extending ring flanges extending radially outwardly and inwardly facing a plurality of annular and elongated in cross-section outer sleeve flow channels each having an upstream end and a downstream end provided between adjacent ring flanges. A series of outflow apertures extend through the floating sleeve and communicate on opposite ends with the upstream end of an elongated outer sleeve flow channel of the floating sleeve flow channel and the downstream end of one of the elongated rotor flow transfer cavities of the rotor.

The present invention relates to a mixer assembly of the cavity-transfer type for use in extrusion of a mix of polymers in conjunction with the extruder screw of a polymer extruder. More specifically, the subject invention is directed to a mixer component provided adjacent the downstream end of an extruder screw and including a motor driven rotor coaxially positioned downstream relative to the extruder screw within the heated barrel of an extruder assembly. A floating sleeve is positioned over the rotor and facing the inner surface of the barrel and includes transfer openings in its outer surface for receiving heated mix from the rotor which is directed into contact with the inner surface of the barrel and then returned through apertures in the floating sleeve to cavities provided in the outer surface of the rotor.
Cavity transfer type extruder devices have been employed in the past as exemplified by British Patent Specification No. 930,339 which discloses a hollow cylindrical stator member and a cylindrical rotor member which is mounted for rotation within the stator. The facing cylindrical surfaces on the rotor and the stator carrier respective pluralities of rows of elongated longitudinally extending grooves or apertures arranged peripherally around each member and are spaced axially along each member in parallel relationship. The annularly extending rows of grooves on the outer surface of the rotor are offset relative to the annular rows of grooves on the cylindrical stator member.
The foregoing arrangement is such that the overlapping closed cavities on the rotor and the stator cause the molten material to progressively move annually along the length of the mixer to effect a thorough mixing of the components thereof Additionally, a similarly known machine of the foregoing type is described in British Patent Specification No. 1,475,216.
Applicant's earlier U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,989 discloses a stator bore provided with a plurality of curved inwardly facing grooves surrounding an inner driven rotor member also provided with a plurality of curved grooves on its outer surface. The stator elements of Applicant's aforementioned patent are fixedly positioned relative to the barrel housing in which they are mounted.
A different approach is revealed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,233 of Semmekrot which discloses a driven rotor provided with a plurality of dimple type cavities 22 and 23 arranged in annular rows and axial rows which sequentially move into alignment with openings 27 in a floating ring 9.
Other prior art approaches to the mixing of molten polymer components are disclosed in British Patent No. 1,475,216, European Patent Application No. 81304235.5 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,478.
While the aforementioned and other prior art devices have provided varying degrees of performance, they have uniformly been expensive and costly to manufacture. Additionally, they have not been easily adaptable to conventional extruder screw means without special and expensive machining and design considerations. Moreover, the industry has continuously demanded ever increasing production capability and mixing thoroughness beyond that of the prior known devices.
Therefore, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and approved polymer mixing apparatus and method that is economical to fabricate while providing large flow capacities and optimum mixing results.
Additional objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description which should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, as well as certain variations therefrom.


This invention relates to a method of selecting a collection of frame-shift peptides (CFSPs) to produce a universal cancer vaccine peptide collection (CVP) for prophylaxis and treatment of patients with hereditary and sporadic micro-satellite instability (MSI) tumors. This invention relates as well to a method of producing a CVP by selecting a subset of frame-shift peptides (FSPs) from the CFSP and optionally modifying the FSP's amino acid (aa) sequence to generate modified FSPs (mFSPs). The invention further relates to nucleic acid collections encoding a CVP of FSPs and/or mFSPs in one or more vaccine vectors that can be used also simultaneously. These CVPs, nucleic acids and vectors are used for the prophylaxis or treatment of MSI cancers.

The field of cancer vaccines has focused for a long time on targeting tumor-associated and, more recently, tumor-specific antigens. The latter can arise in cancer cells from oncogenic viral proteins or somatic mutations in coding genes leading to the production of tumor neoantigens, defined as such because not present in normal cells. While being more appealing for the lower risk of self-tolerance and autoimmunity, tumor neoantigens vary significantly among the cancerous cells of a given patient and across the human population, hampering the development of an effective universal cancer vaccine based on shared tumor neoantigens.
There is however a group of cancers that does not follow this general rule due to its underlying biology: microsatellite instable (MSI) tumors frequently caused by mutations in DNA mismatch repair genes (MMR). A defective MMR system leads to accumulation of mutations in regions of repetitive nucleotide sequences called microsatellites. Mutations at microsatellites of coding genes can lead to a shift of the translational reading frame resulting in chimeric proteins whose C-terminus is composed of a novel non-self peptide, a so-called frame shift peptide (FSP). Unlike most cancers, mutations in MSI tumors arise preferentially in microsatellites consisting of mononucleotide repeats (MNRs). Within coding regions, such mutations mostly consist of a 1 nucleotide deletion and affect a limited number of genes, being therefore shared among patients (Kim, T. M., et al. (2013) Cell 155(4): 858-868).
Hence, MSI-associated cancers offer a unique opportunity to design a universal vaccine based on shared tumor neoantigens. MSI-tumors include both sporadic and inherited cancers caused by somatic and germline mutations in MMR genes, respectively. The Lynch syndrome (LS) is a rare disease (ORPHA144) that falls in the second group. In particular, individuals with heterozygous germline mutations in either MSH2 or MLH1 genes of the MMR pathway (˜90% of genetic LS carriers) are at higher risk for cancer development. Specifically, they are predisposed to develop colon or endometrial cancer in >50% of cases during their lifespan (Boland, C. R. and A. Goel (2010) Gastroenterology 138(6): p. 2073-2087 e3).
In summary, the invention described here relates to the identification of shared FSP neoantigens across MSI tumors and to the development of a universal vaccine based on a subset of FSPs and modified FSPs (defined as CVP) derived from a CFSP for treatment of MSI cancers and for their prevention, particularly in LS carriers. These CVP may provide inter alia the following advantages: (i) good therapeutic and/or prophylactic immune responses for a large variety of MSI cancers; (ii) an off-the-shelf vaccine that is ready to use and effective in a large cohort of patients because it encodes a large set of shared FSPs; (iii) a particular CVP can be selected in such a way to be suitable for treatment and prophylaxis of any MSI cancer, this is particularly useful in a prophylactic setting; (iv) no risk of autoimmune responses due to the exclusion of potential self-epitopes.
To the best knowledge of the inventors, the methods of the invention are characterized by various features unknown before, including:    (i) A variety of safeguards, such as            a) selecting frameshift peptides from a gene which is, on average, expressed above a threshold in the selected tumor type,        b) selecting frameshift peptides that are absent or very rare in tissue of healthy subjects,        c) excluding segments from frameshift peptides which are identical to segments with length 8 amino acids or more in normal human proteins, and        c) using a large number of cancer samples.            (ii) The inclusion of frameshift peptides with a length shorter than that of a minimal putative CD8+ T cell epitope (8mer). This is achieved by the addition of up to 4 wildtype amino acids to generate a peptide of at least 8 amino acids.    (iii) The selection of an optimal collection of frameshift peptides to be included in the vaccine such that each individual cancer sample (cancer samples represent the population targeted by the vaccine) contains a portion of the frameshift peptides encoded by the vaccine and the total length of the frameshift peptides represented in this portion is at least 400 amino acids. Clinical trials on vaccines targeting viral antigens have shown that, on average, 400 amino acid of viral antigen, i.e. non-self antigens just like frameshift peptides, is needed to generate at least 1 immunogenic T cell response in each patient. Although for each cancer sample the portion of frameshift peptides covered will be different (i.e. each cancer sample contains a different subset of frameshift mutations and, consequently, a different subset of frameshift peptides out of the optimal collection will be present), the optimal collection is selected in such a way that the fraction of frameshift peptides covered in each tumor sample will have a total length of at least 400 amino acids. Incorporating this 400 amino acid rule into the disclosed selection method thus ensures induction of T cells agaist FSP present in tumors of the vaccine target population.

Universal vaccine based on shared tumor neoantigens for prevention and treatment of micro satellite instable (MSI) cancers


One embodiment of the present invention relates to a hand paddle system comprising a wrist member and a hand member. The wrist member and hand member are intercoupled. The wrist and hand members are configured to releasably couple or receive the scaphoid and metacarpal regions of a user's hand. The hand paddle system is composed and/or configured to be buoyant. The hand paddle system may also include a finger member coupled to the hand member opposite of the wrist member. The system causes an increased water entry resistance when the user improperly orients their arm and/or wrist leading up to and at the catch point and the buoyancy facilitates an early, high elbow catch and pull.

Hand paddles are routinely used for training both the neurological and physical patterns of swimming. Conventional hand paddles are generally substantially two dimensional planar members configured to attach to the palmar surface of a user's hand. The attachment between the hand paddle and the user's hand is intended to be maintained during a particular swim training or learning session. The user performs swimming strokes with the aid of the hand paddle. The planar nature of the hand paddle provides a larger and more consistent water surface area compared to a user's naked hand, thereby allowing the swimmer to increase propulsion during the stroke. Various conventional planar shapes convey differing properties relating to the stroke including increased water resistance during the pulling phase, decreased water resistance during the extension phase, etc.
Unfortunately, conventional hand paddles generally fail to incorporate educational feedback to the user with respect to optimal stroke performance which may then be translated to unassisted swimming. For example, a hand paddle may encourage inefficient stroke mechanics. Likewise, certain hand paddle coupling systems may encourage a user to maintain inefficient finger alignment during unassisted swimming. Further, conventional hand paddles may sink when decoupled from a user. A submerged hand paddle may create a hazard if decoupled and then contacted by another swimmer. Likewise, a submerged hand paddle may be lost in an open water session or may otherwise result in inefficient usage of pool time. In addition, the substantially planar shape of conventional hand paddles may include a sharp edge hazard if a novice swimmer accidently contacts another swimmer during a training session.
Therefore, there is a need in the industry for an improved hand paddle that overcomes the limitations of conventional hand paddles.


A process for producing a solid dispersion comprising a resin and a functional compound dispersed therein, which comprises: kneading a powdery functional compound together with deionized water while gradually introducing the deionized water; adding a resin and, according to need, an additive to the mixture; subsequently heating and kneading the resultant mixture in a vessel which has an atmosphere causing the resin to soften at a temperature not higher than the boiling point of the deionized water and which has been tightly closed according to need so as to function like a pressure cooker to thereby disperse the functional compound into the softened resin; and kneading the resultant dispersion with heating at ordinary pressure or a reduced pressure to remove the water by vaporization.

In a solid dispersion of a particulate functional compound as mentioned above, it is desirable that the functional compound is dispersed in a resin without making any aggregate and in its inherent finely particle size, in order to effectively exhibit its intended function.
In the past, a process for producing a solid dispersion of such a particulate functional compound was conducted by using a kneader which was equipped with a kneading shaft capable of heating and cooling, a vessel jacket, and a plunger for confining the kneaded product into the vessel under by slight pressure, and the process comprised the steps of:
(1) introducing into the kneader a finely particulate functional compound, a solid resin, an organic solvent for dissolving the resin, and additives as necessary, and then kneading the introduced mixture while volatilizing the organic solvent thereof by heat from the kneading shaft and the vessel jacket to produce a pitch-like highly viscous mass;
(2) roughly crushing the obtained highly viscous mass, subdividing the crushed matter into small quantities of between 10 and 30 kg, then passing the subdivided matter between two rolls to form a sheet, and folding the formed sheets to pass it again through the two rolls, and repeatedly carrying out the roll-kneading steps in between 30 and 100 times; and
(3) crushing the obtained roll kneaded product with a palletizing machine or a crusher to thereby obtain a final product.
Particularly, the above-described step (2) carried out by roll-kneading was important to finely disperse a functional compound into a resin, and thus was essential in the conventional process.
On the other hand, the above-described step (2) required a large amount of labor and energy, so that this step (2) has become a barrier to improved productivity. Accordingly, while the conventional method resulted in a high quality solid functional substance dispersion wherein the functional substance are dispersed in its inherent particle size, its production costs were high and its applications were limited to special fields.
In addition, in the conventional process, an organic solvent is introduced together with a functional compound and a solid resin, in order to soften the resin and to increase the affinity between the functional compound and the solid resin by wetting the functional compound therewith. However, in the process, the organic solvent, i.e. a hydrocarbon, is released into air, then the process was undesirable also in terms of atmospheric contamination. Further, since the organic solvent and the resin have a high affinity with each other, in some cases the organic solvent completely was not removed during the kneading step with heat and may remain in the kneaded product. When the obtained product is dissolved to use, the solubility of the product deteriorates being accompanied by volatilizing the organic solvent over time, which sometimes caused quality deterioration such as transparency, gloss and the like.
With respect to the various problems associated with this conventional method, the present inventors had found that impurity electrolyte prevents a functional compound from finely dispersing into a resin. Then, based on the discovery, the present inventors proposed a processes of finely dispersing a functional compound into a resin either by using a purified paste formed by purifying a water-containing paste of the functional compound with an ion-exchange method; or by preparing a water-containing paste from a dried pigment, then similarly preparing, from the water-containing paste, a purified paste with an ion-exchange method, subjecting the purified paste to a flashing process, namely a dispersing method in which a purified paste and a resin are kneaded and dewatered. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,136,907, and Japanese Patent No. 3069537)
These methods enabled a functional substance to be finely dispersed without any mechanical steps, and were revolutionary in terms of energy saving and environmental friendliness.
On the other hand, in this process, the purifying steps by ion-exchange caused relatively high equipment costs. Further, because the paste after purifying contained a relatively large amount of water content, the steps following the purification required fairly high costs and a fair amount of labor. Further, in the case of using a functional compound which contains a relatively large amount of impurity electrolyte, it was not easy to conduct the purification efficiently. Accordingly, there still are needs for Methods improved in terms of production costs and efficient production.
Moreover, if a resin having a high softening point was used, there was no alternative but to employ an organic solvent, so that the problem of the conventional methods of using an organic solvent has not been completely resolved.

Process for producing solid dispersion of finely particulate functional compound


The present invention provides compounds of formulae (I), (II), and (III), which can be block copolymers with various substituents and side-chain groups. The side-chains can include semifluorinated alkyl- and PEG-derived groups. The block copolymers can be surface active block copolymers (SABCs) and can be used as antifouling coatings. Coating compositions employing the compounds of the invention and methods for their use are also provided.

Marine fouling is a major problem in the transport of materials worldwide as it raises fuel consumption by as much as 30%. Environmentally friendly coatings that protect the hulls of ships below the waterline against fouling by seaweed, barnacles, and other organisms are currently sought by the shipping industry. Fouling by these organisms produces additional drag on the ship, increasing the operating and maintenance costs. Currently, antifouling paints containing tin and copper biocides are used because of their effectiveness against most forms of fouling. However, these biocidal organometallic compounds that are environmentally persistent cause damage to the ecosystem, and enter the food chain. The ban on tributyltin (TBT) antifoulants by the International Maritime Organization will be effective in 2008, and copper-based coatings are expected to face similar restrictions in the near future.
Non-toxic "fouling-release" or "fouling-repellant" coatings are desirable alternatives to coatings that are biocidal. Silicone-based paints that belong to the former category are commercially available, but do satisfy many of the desired performance characteristics. The soft silicones do not withstand the rigorous demands of the marine environment, do not sufficiently and consistently self-clean, or, due to polymer restructuring or other degradation pathways, lose many of the desirable surface properties with time and exposure to marine organisms.
Current understanding of antifouling materials is that the most effective copper-free fouling control systems are low surface energy coatings, namely silicone or fluoropolymer based coatings that minimize the adhesion strength between fouling organisms and surface. For extended performance life, these coating systems must have controlled and stable surface energy and composition, have elastomeric properties, and adhere well to the substrate. To date, several fouling release (FR) coating systems are commercially available, mostly based on silicone polymers, yet none meet all of the desired performance characteristics. Many commercially available coating systems lack the toughness required to withstand the rigorous physical demands of the marine environment, do not sufficiently and consistently self-clean, and due to polymer restructuring or other degradation pathways, lose many of the desirable surface properties with time and exposure to the marine environment.
It is now apparent that adhesion strength of hard fouling organisms is proportional to (γE)1/2, where γ is the surface energy and E is the modulus of the surface. For this reason, silicone elastomers are, as of now, the only commercial environmentally benign fouling release coatings, because they possess both low modulus and low surface energy. The efficacy of silicone polymers is lower than that of biocide-containing antifouling paints, and regular mechanical cleaning (scrubbing) of the coated surface is required, adding to the operating expense. It would be advantageous to use fluorinated materials to lower the surface energy of a coating and decrease the adhesion strength, but these materials are typically hard and brittle with high moduli and do not provide good control of biofouling. Thermoplastic elastomers such as styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene (SEBS) block copolymers offer good mechanical properties (low E), but not the desired surface energy.
Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is commonly known by the biomaterials community to have good fouling resistance. The polymer has many useful properties such as low protein adsorption, good stability, low toxicity, and is, in general, compatible with biological processes as well as the human body. For fouling-release applications, such materials are lacking in several critical properties such as mechanical behavior, long-term stability, and ease of application, which limits their use as coating materials. As with biomedical surfaces used in the body, the first event in biofouling in the marine environment is adsorption of a conditioning film that includes proteins and glycoproteins.
What is needed is a material that lowers the strength of adhesion between the fouling organisms and the surface such that an environmentally friendly coating is provided that not only decreases the accumulation of the organisms, but also aids their removal. The diversity of fouling organisms and environmental conditions worldwide makes the task of developing a coating that resists fouling and/or self-cleans challenging, and novel non-toxic solutions are urgently needed.

Polymers with ether containing side chains and compositions thereof


Disclosed are a novel strain of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, a method of producing fermented grains using the strain, fermented grains produced using the strain, and a composition for thrombolysis; digestion improvement; prophylaxis, amelioration or treatment of bowel inflammation, serous membrane weakening or intestinal injury; or antioxidation, comprising the fermented grains.

Enzymes are important proteins that are associated with in vivo metabolic activity and catalyze chemical reactions. Enzymes are broadly categorized into food enzymes which are not made in the body and should be ingested from outside, digestive enzymes which are made in the body and serve to digest food, and metabolic enzymes which carry out functions required for metabolic activity except digestion. Thereamong, food enzymes have been reported to perform physiological activities such as digestion/absorption activity, decomposition/discharge activity, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial activity, detoxification/sterilization activity, blood purification activity, cell activation, and the like (Shin Hyun Jae, Enzyme Treatment, p. 29-41, 2013).
Enzyme food refers to food which contains a plenty of enzymes by culturing edible microorganisms in edible raw materials in order to enhance functions of enzymes, enzyme-containing substances which are extracted from foods, or processed substances thereof. Such enzyme food is reported to have increased amounts of various micronutrient elements and physiologically active substances which aid in both production of various physiologically active substances and nutrients through fermentation and ageing by enzymes in food and microorganisms and digestion and absorption through proliferation of beneficial bacteria (Huh, S. H. and Kim, M. H. The modern health and health food, 1997. Hongikjea Press. Korea, p. 35-36).
Under such circumstances, the present inventors conducted extensive research to develop fermented grains capable of being utilized as enzyme food, and as a result, the present inventors have successfully screened strains with excellent starch and protein degradation capability, and produced fermented grains using the same, from which various effects are identified, which leads to the present disclosure.

Strain derived from traditional fermented food and having excellent enzyme productivity, and method for preparing fermented cereal enzyme food by using same


A method of non-destructively, on-line determining the density profile in a plate-shaped material with a density which varies discretely or continuously over the plate thickness, while the density at a specific depth of the plate is assumed to be constant, such as for instance plates based on wood, by means of X-rays or gamma rays from a source placed on one side of the plate. Two detectors are placed on the other side of the plate, one detector measuring in the emitting direction of the source and the other detector measuring in the other direction and being movable relative to the plate. The counting number of the second detector is adjusted by means of the counting number of the first detector. By a suitable choice of emitting direction and detecting direction it is possible to provide a measurement of the density in a specific measuring volume merely by dividing the counting number of the second detector by the counting number of the first detector. As a result, the attenuation in the material is left out. The angle of incidence must be substantially identical with the angle of reflection.

Such a detection may for instance, but not exclusively be used by the production of plates based on wood and manufactured by a gluing together of wood particles of a varying size, i.e. plywood made of individual layers, OSB (Oriented Strand Boards) made of large strips of wood, chipboards (made of a mat of layers of large and small chips usually separated in layers), and fibreboards made of wood fibres.
By the manufacture of these plates, a thermosetting glue is applied onto the particles, said glue being laid out or scattered on plates or tapes in the form of a laminated or homogenous mat and subsequently subjected to a continuous or non-continuous process in a hot press so as to be pressed or cured.
The parameters of the process and especially the characteristics of the press have an effect on the typical properties of the completed plate. The latter is particularly obvious in connection with the density profile of the plate, i.e. the variation of the density over the thickness which accordingly is an indicator of both the operating conditions of the production plant and of the use properties of the plate.
According to the prior art it is possible to destructively determine the density profile on laboratory tests, either gravimetrically by way of a milling off and weighing in layers or by way of an isotope-transmission scanning on a test sample in the plane of the plate. Based on these results, the process can be adjusted, but not without involving a time-delay of at least 1 to 2 hours.
A demand exists for a possibility of performing a non-destructive, on-line-determination of the density profile in the plate in such a manner that it is possible to adjust the process very quickly, typically in a few minutes without interrupting said process and without involving a sampling and laboratory tests.
German Patent specification No. 4,243,454 discloses a way of measuring the density profile along the edge of a plate by means of a pencil of rays and a plurality of detectors arranged below the plate. The pencil of rays is obliquely emitted inwards from the side along the edge of the plate. A resulting advantage is that nothing but the attenuation in the lowermost layer is measured by means of a first portion of said pencil of rays, whereafter the attenuation in the lowermost and the lowermost but one layer is measured by means of another part of said pencil of rays, etc. Subsequently, it is possible to calculate the attenuation in each layer. This method is, however, encumbered with the draw-back that it is too unreliable. In addition, it only involves a measuring along the edge, which is not always sufficiently representative.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,116 discloses an apparatus for detecting the layers of separation in a laminated plate by means of X-rays. A narrow pencil of X-rays is scattered as the consequence of the compton-effect. A detector directed towards a measuring volume detects the radiation scattered therefrom, said radiation representing the electron density and consequently the density in the measuring volume. A displacement of the source and the detector, respectively, in an up and downward direction relative to the plate renders it possible to obtain information on the structure of the layers and on possible errors in the material. This measuring system is, however, encumbered with the draw-back that the signal and the scattered radiation intensity from a specific measuring volume beyond the density also depend on the thickness and density of all the superposed layers. These values can be determined in principle. The latter would, however, require extensive Calibration measurings on known articles. In addition, possible measuring errors are accumulated from all individual layers to the instant measuring volume.

Method of determining the density profile of a plate-shaped material


A safety belt retractor (10) having an energy management mechanism (12) capable of transferring a portion of the impact energy to the retractor (10) during one or more collisions and a mode shift mechanism (18) capable of determining the severity of the collision(s) as a function of the amount of energy absorbed by the energy management mechanism (12). In addition, the mode shift mechanism (18) is capable of disabling the retractor (10) following retraction of the belt (40) to its stowed position when the amount of energy absorbed by the energy management mechanism (12) exceeds a maximum allowable limit.

The present invention relates generally to safety restraint systems for motor vehicles. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a safety belt retractor having an energy management mechanism capable of transferring energy to the retractor during a collision and a mode shifting mechanism capable of subsequently disabling the retractor when the amount of energy absorbed by the energy management mechanism exceeds a maximum allowable limit.
As part of the occupant restraint system currently used in motor vehicles, several different types of safety belt retractors are available which provide enhanced occupant comfort and/or different functional modes. For example, one type of safety belt retractor, often referred to as an emergency locking retractor (ELR), includes a latch mechanism which is automatically actuated in response to certain high acceleration conditions to prevent payout of the safety belt. Typically the latch mechanism is actuated by an inertia-sensitive actuator when the vehicle is subjected to a certain deceleration level and/or actuated by a web-sensitive actuator when the belt is withdrawn from the spool at a rate exceeding a designated level. Another type of safety belt retractor, commonly referred to as an automatic locking retractor (ALR), includes a latch mechanism which is selectively actuated by withdrawing a predetermined length of the safety belt. Once the predetermined length of the safety belt has been withdrawn, the latch mechanism allows retraction but prevents further payout of the safety belt. Thereafter, this automatic locking function is canceled in response to the retraction of a predetermined amount of the safety belt to its stowed position. As a further variation, some dual-mode safety belt retractors normally operate as an ELR retractor and can be selectively switch to operate as an ALR retractor such as, for example, when it is desired to secure a portable child seat to the vehicle seat. These retractors are often referred to as ELR/ALR retractors.
These different safety belt retractors may also include an energy management mechanism which functions to absorb a portion of the energy (i.e. impact loads) transferred from the safety belt to the seat occupant during a collision. For example, some energy management retractors include a torsion bar having a first end fixed to the spool. During a collision, the latch mechanism engages the second end of the torsion bar. As such, the impact force applied by the seat occupant to the safety belt is transferred to the spool and causes the torsion bar to twist relative to the latched second end. Such torsional yielding of the torsion bar results in a limited though controlled amount of additional rotation of the spool which, in turn, permits a corresponding amount of additional belt to be withdrawn from the retractor. The controlled payout of additional belt in response to loading on the safety belt effectively dampens the amount of impact energy transferred to the seat occupant and controls the forward motion of the occupant. The physical dimensions and material characteristics of the torsion bar are selected to define its yield rate and permit it to rotate a predetermined number of turns. More specifically, this predetermined number of turns is selected to be greater than that required for the torsion bar to survive a single severe collision or the cumulative effect of a number of less severe collisions.
An object of the present invention is to provide a safety belt retractor having an energy management mechanism capable of transferring a portion of the impact energy to the retractor during one or more collisions and a mode shifting mechanism capable of determining the severity of the collision(s) as a function of the amount of energy absorbed by the energy management mechanism.
Another object of the present invention is to provide the mode shifting mechanism with the capability to disable the safety belt retractor when the amount of energy absorbed by the energy management mechanism exceeds a maximum allowable limit.
A further object of the present invention is to integrate the mode shifting mechanism into the automatic locking mechanism of an emergency locking retractor.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a safety belt retractor comprising a spool, a belt wound on the spool, a ratchet wheel, and an emergency locking mechanism normally operable in a released mode to permit payout and retraction of the belt and which is automatically shifted into a locked mode for locking the ratchet wheel against rotation to prevent payout of the belt in response to the occurrence of a predetermined acceleration condition. The safety belt retractor also includes an energy management mechanism connecting the ratchet wheel to the spool and which is adapted to yield in response to occupant loading exerted on the belt when ratchet wheel is locked against rotation, and a mode shifting mechanism which is normally operable in a non-activated mode to permit operation of the emergency locking mechanism. The mode shifting mechanism is automatically shifted into a lock-out mode in response to the belt being wound on the spool when the loading exerted by the belt on the energy management mechanism causes it to yield in excess of a maximum allowable limit for locking the ratchet wheel against rotation to prevent payout of the belt.

Energy management safety belt retractor with mode shifting mechanism


An image forming apparatus having an image forming portion, a sheet conveyance path, an image density detection portion for detecting density of the image formed on the conveyed sheet, and a control portion for performing density adjustment of the image formed on the sheet using detection information. The image forming portion can form a test pattern image on the sheet. The test pattern image has a reference image formed in a predetermined density, and the image forming portion forms the test pattern on the sheet such that the reference image is not formed at positions in the sheet. The positions are located at the same distances away from a front end of the sheet in a conveyance direction as distances between the image density detection portion and points where entry shock of the sheet front-end is generated, in the sheet conveyance path on the downstream side of the image density detection portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile, in which an image is formed by utilizing an electrophotographic type, an inkjet type, and the like. Particularly the invention relates to the image forming apparatus which can detect density of the image on the recording medium to perform image density adjustment.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known, in the electrophotographic type image forming apparatus, a visible image borne on a photosensitive drum or an intermediate transfer member is transferred to a recording medium (sheet) such as plain paper to obtain a recording image. Therefore, the recording medium to which the visible image is transferred from the photosensitive drum or the intermediate transfer member is conveyed to a fixing unit to subject to the fixation of the visible image. Then, the recording medium is discharged.
Recently, the needs for a high-quality image and a high-stabilization image are being increased in the image forming apparatus. In order to always keep the density of the image formed by the image forming apparatus an appropriate state, there are proposed many technologies which perform image density control. For example, in the conventional technology, a reference image having predetermined density is formed, the density of the reference image is measured, the measured value of the reference image is compared to a predetermined target density value to produce a conversion table, and the density control of the image is performed by converting density characteristics of image data with the conversion table.
Usually the reference image density necessary for the density control is measured before a toner image is transferred to the record medium, or namely, the reference image is formed on the photosensitive drum or the intermediate transfer member to measure the density of the reference image. The toner image is the visible image formed as the reference image. However, in the density measuring method, due to the fluctuation in toner amount to the recording medium and the fluctuation in degree of fixation of the toner, there is generated difference in density between the image on the actually obtained recording medium and the measured image on the photosensitive drum or the intermediate transfer member. Therefore, density control cannot be performed with high accuracy.
In order to solve the above problem, there is proposed the image forming apparatus, in which the reference image is previously formed in the recording medium, an image reading unit reads the reference image, and the image density is controlled based on the read result of the reference image. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-132013 discloses the image forming apparatus, in which an optical density sensor is provided in a conveyance path for the recording medium after the transfer or fixation, the density sensor detects the reference image previously formed on the recording medium during conveyance, and image density adjustment is performed based on the detection information.
In the inkjet type image forming apparatus, the image density is also changed by variation with time and environmental difference of the amount of ink ejection, individual differences of ink cartridges, and the like. Therefore, there is proposed the image forming apparatus, in which the optical density sensor is arranged near a discharge unit of the image forming apparatus, the density sensor detects the density of the image on the recording medium during the conveyance, and image density adjustment is performed based on the detection information.
However, in many reference images formed by the conventional image forming apparatus, plural reference patches are arranged at regular intervals in the recording medium conveyance direction, and the reference patches arranged at regular intervals are detected at constant timing by the density sensor. Therefore, the following problem is generated.
When the test pattern image in which the plural reference patches is detected at regular intervals, because a recording medium front-end enters the bent conveyance path, a roller pair and a sensor flag in the conveyance path, and the like while the density sensor measures the density, the recording medium fluctuates (vibrates) in a vertical direction (direction in which the recording medium is brought close to and separated from the density sensor) with respect to the density sensor. Therefore, sometimes the density measurement is difficult to perform with high accuracy. This is because usually an output value of the optical density sensor is largely changed when a measurement object fluctuates vertically.
In order to suppress the vertical fluctuation of the recording medium, it is thought that an allowance for the vertical fluctuation of the recording medium is widened in the density sensor by using an optical system combining a light source, a lens, and a light reception element for the density sensor. Therefore, large effect can be obtained by increasing a lens diameter or using plural lenses.
However, the above countermeasure leads to upsizing of the density sensor, the increase in the cost of components, the increase in the number of components, and the increase in the man-hour, which results in the problems that the density sensor size is increased and production cost for the density sensor is increased. These problems also become a large obstacle to downsizing and cost reduction in the image forming apparatus as a whole. Further, in the countermeasure, only the allowance for the vertical fluctuation of the recording medium is widened in the density sensor, so that the image density adjustment is difficult to perform with high accuracy in the system in which the recording medium largely fluctuated in the vertical direction.


The invention relates to a biologically pure strain of L. plantarum, L. plantarum, OM. The L. plantarum, OM strain has proteolytic, anti-viral, anti-retroviral, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, and anti-tumoral characteristics and uses. Thus, the invention relates to agents having proteolytic, anti-viral, anti-retroviral, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, and anti-tumoral agents, having the respective capabilities. With respect to its anti-viral capability, the provided strain includes the capacity to screen a pharmaceutical agent to determine whether the pharmaceutical agent has any anti-retrovirus activity. The invention also relates to a nutritional supplement having proteolytic activity and utilizing the L. plantarum, OM ATCC 55981 strain.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of microbial genetic engineering and more particularly to a strain of microorganism having, in one embodiment, a proteolytic, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, and anti-tumoral characteristics and uses.
2. Background of the Invention
Lactobacilli include a large number of non-pathogenic, non-toxic bacteria that play an important role in the health and well being of humans and animals. The metabolic end products of Lactobacillus metabolism include acetic acid, lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide. Certain of these bacteria are known to produce a group of low molecular weight substances, including antibodies, peptides, and peptidoglycans. These low molecular weight substances are useful in reducing growth of spoilage bacteria in fermentable products such as meat, e.g., sausage, salami, etc. Lactobacillus species are added to human and animal food stuffs to preserve them, enhance their flavors, and for probiotic purposes so that these bacteria will become available to the gastrointestinal tract. Lactobacillus plantarum strains, for example, are grown commercially in large amounts and used as starter cultures for the commercial preservation of a variety of human and animal foods. Lactobacillus plantarum strains are used to preserve meats, vegetables, and dairy products, as well as animal silage. Lactobacillus acidophilus strains are grown commercially in large amounts to be added to human (e.g., milk) or animal (feed stuffs) foods as a means of introducing these bacteria into the gastrointestinal tract for probiotic benefits.
Reports on the beneficial effects of Lactobacillus therapy have increased in recent years with findings that dietary Lactobacillus therapy: (i) Affords protection from colon cancer for human populations on Western diets, (ii) reduces the incidents of experimentally induced large bowel tumors in rats, (iii) reduces the fecal concentration of bacterial enzymes known to catalyze the conversion of procarcinogens to proximal carcinogens in humans, and (iv) reduces the serum cholesterol levels in swine.


A method of and apparatus for effecting single sideband modulation which mixes and sums the quadrature and in-phase components of a baseband signal with the in-phase and quadrature components of an intermediate frequency (IF) signal to form in-phase and quadrature components of a sum signal having a frequency equal to the sum of the frequencies of the baseband and intermediate frequency signals and which mixes and sums the quadrature and in-phase components of an RF carrier signal with the in-phase and quadrature components of the sum signal to form a single-sideband signal.

Single sideband modulation depends on the suppression of one of the sidebands. Heretofore it has been appreciated that the degree to which the unwanted sideband may be suppressed is dependent upon the accuracy of the phase shift of the local oscillator signal. The ideal phase shift is 90 degrees. Any deviation from 90 degree phase shift, degrades the suppression of the unwanted sideband. Typically, a phase shift error of less than one degree is desired. When modulators are manufactured using integrated circuits, it is particularly difficult to achieve such accuracy in the local oscillator phase shift at high radio frequencies (RF). Direct modulator architectures, such as that shown in FIG. 1, require that an accurate phase shift be done at high frequencies and are therefore difficult to design and manufacture.
To avoid the problem of achieving highly accurate phase shift, indirect modulation is often used, in which the phase shift circuitry is implemented at a lower intermediate frequency (IF), where it is easier to achieve the desired phase shift accuracy. An example of a typical indirect modulator architecture is shown in FIG. 2. In an indirect modulator, a quadrature modulator is used to generate a single sideband output at the intermediate frequency. An up-conversion mixer is used to mix the IF output with a radio frequency (RF) local oscillator. However the output of the up-conversion is no longer single sideband, as sidebands are produced at both the sum and difference of the IF and RF local oscillator frequencies. One of these sidebands will be selected and the other rejected by use of a filter such as FF2 shown in FIG. 2. The rejection requirements of this filter make it extremely difficult to implement on an integrated circuit, and therefore a filter external to the integrated circuit is typically used. In addition to eliminating the unwanted sideband, filter FF2 is also used to eliminate unwanted spurious signals and wideband noise that may be generated by the modulator. This function is also performed by filter FF1 of the direct modulator.
The mixers employed in the modulators are often considered to be linear multipliers in order to simplify analysis. The mixers can be thought of as having a linear input port where the information signal is applied (for example, I and Q are connected to the linear input port), and a non-linear switching port to which the local oscillator is applied. The non-linear switching action of the mixers creates outputs that are located at the harmonics of the IF oscillator. Some of the higher order harmonics will be comparable in frequency to the desired output and may interfere with the desired output signal. Other IF harmonics may re-mix in such a way that they create interfering spurious signals that can not be eliminated with filter FF2. Filter F1 of FIG. 2 is used to filter out the IF local oscillator harmonics. This helps to improve the spurious signal performance of the modulator. Required filter performance is not difficult to achieve and this filter is typically implemented on the integrated circuit.
To reduce the generation of undesirable spurious signals through the linear path of the modulator, the linearity of this path must be very good. Preceding the output buffers, the direct modulator of FIG. 1, and the indirect modulator of FIG. 2 can be designed so that the non-linearities are acceptably small for comparable signal levels. The largest contributor to non-linearity for each architecture is the output buffer. Using a power series expansion, the output buffer non-linearity can be analyzed as a function of its input voltage V.sub.IN, as: EQU V.sub.OUT =K.sub.0 +K.sub.1 V.sub.IN +K.sub.2 V.sub.IN.sup.2 +K.sub.3 V.sub.IN.sup.3 +K.sub.4 V.sub.IN.sup.4 + . . .
When the coefficients K.sub.2, K.sub.3, K.sub.4, etc., are each zero, the amplifier is considered to be perfectly linear. To improve linearity, it is necessary to reduce the non-linearities added by the higher order terms, K.sub.2 V.sub.IN.sup.2, K.sub.3 V.sub.IN.sup.3, K.sub.4 V.sub.IN.sup.4, etc., either by decreasing the magnitude of the input voltage, V.sub.IN, or by decreasing the magnitude of the non-linearity coefficients, K.sub.2, K.sub.3, K.sub.4, etc. If we assume that output buffer OB1 (FIG. 1) is identical to output buffer OB2 (FIG. 2), and that the power of the desired output sideband should be the same for both the direct and indirect modulator when driving identical loads, we see that the indirect modulator of FIG. 2 will have poorer linearity than the direct modulator because both the desired and undesired sideband are present in OB2 and contribute equally to the output power. Accordingly, to achieve the requisite power for the desired sideband in the indirect modulator of FIG. 2, its V.sub.IN must be larger than the V.sub.IN of the direct modulator of FIG. 1 which produces only one sideband. Since we have assumed the output power in the desired sideband is identical, and that the output buffers are identical, the terms K.sub.2 V.sub.IN.sup.2, K.sub.3 V.sub.IN.sup.3, K.sub.4 V.sub.IN.sup.4, etc., for the indirect modulator must be larger than the corresponding terms of the direct modulator.
In order to achieve linearity with an indirect modulator that is comparable to a direct modulator, it is necessary either to reduce the level of the input signals to the output buffer or to increase the linearity of the output buffer. Decreasing the input level results in a decrease in output level. This is usually made up with an additional amplifier between FF2 and the PA, an approach that requires additional power. Improving the linearity of the output buffer is typically done by increasing the power dissipated in the buffer. For either approach, the net result is that an indirect modulator, such as that shown in FIG. 2, results in a higher net power consumption in the end application.
A second issue to consider in the selection of a modulator architecture is the ease of implementing the frequency synthesizer portion of the local oscillators. It often simplifies the synthesizer design if the transmit frequency is generated as the sum or difference of a variable radio frequency and fixed intermediate frequency, the technique employed in indirect modulation. In a direct modulator, either these signals must be mixed together with a separate mixer, or the required frequency must be generated directly. Either solution adds complexity and cost to a system using a direct modulator.
In summary, the direct modulator is simple and has better linearity for a given power dissipation and output power than an indirect modulator. However, the accuracy required for the direct modulator's phase shifter operating at RF is difficult to achieve in practice, and the generation of the RF local oscillator may complicate the frequency synthesizer design. The indirect modulator is more complex and is not as linear as the direct modulator for a given power dissipation and output power. However, the accuracy required for the phase shifter operating at IF is easier to achieve than the same accuracy at RF as required by the direct modulator. The indirect modulator may also simplify frequency synthesizer design in some cases.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to combine the advantages of both the indirect modulator architecture and the direct modulator architecture while avoiding the disadvantages of these architectures.

Single sideband double quadrature modulator


An apparatus and corresponding method for automatically changing out a filter cartridge in a continuous air monitor. The apparatus includes: a first container sized to hold filter cartridge replacements; a second container sized to hold used filter cartridges; a transport insert connectively attached to the first and second containers; a shuttle block, sized to hold the filter cartridges that is located within the transport insert; a transport driver mechanism means used to supply a motive force to move the shuttle block within the transport insert; and, a control means for operating the transport driver mechanism.

The Canberra Instrument Company, Inc. currently produces the Alpha Sentry CAM, and the Canberra Aquila Technologies Group currently produces the alpha-ECAM for the radiological air monitoring community. The present invention is an apparatus that provides for automated filter change in continuous air monitors (CAMs); including, the Alpha Sentry CAM and the Alpha Environmental Continuous Air Monitor (ECAM) utilizing the Quick Change Filter Cartridge (QCFC) filter holder.
The fact that the Alpha Sentry CAM and the ECAM use the Quick Change Filter Cartridge for handling filters created a unique opportunity to design a simple retrofit filter changing apparatus for these CAMs. The QCFC not only holds and positions the filter in the CAM head, it also provides the porous filter backing disk, so once the filter is inserted into the cartridge and the cap pressed on, all handling, positioning, or sealing requirements are taken into account except for insertion of the cartridge into the CAM head.
The user is enabled to pre-load a number of filter cartridges with pre-cut filter paper and insert them in the subject invention. Following initiation of the filter change process, all subsequent filter changes are executed automatically under the control of the embedded controller or PC in the CAM or ECAM. The user can initiate filter change just as is currently provided for in the CAM/ECAM user interface program, or by the detection of a condition such as unacceptably low flow using the built-in flow meter signal, at which time a filter change sequence would begin. In either circumstance, the actual process of used filter cartridge extraction and storage, and insertion of a fresh filter, would be carried out by the present invention without user handling. Thus, the present invention makes possible autonomous filter change outs at remote sites using the built-in network communication capability of the monitor.
Various objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Continuous air monitor filter changeout apparatus


A trade order may be submitted to an electronic exchange and updated, according to pay-up parameter values, in an attempt to receive a complete fill within a period of time. The trade order may comprise an order price and an order quantity when submitted to the electronic exchange. The pay-up parameters may include a pay-up interval, a pay-up amount, a pay-up counter, or a combination thereof. The price of the trade order may continue to be updated after the expiration of pay-up interval in an attempt to receive a complete fill of the trade order. The price of the trade order may be increased or decreased by the pay-up amount. The trade order may continue to be updated until a complete fill is received, the pay-up counter expires, and/or an ending time expires for which the pay-up parameters may be implemented.

An electronic trading system generally includes a trading device in communication with an electronic exchange. The trading device receives information about a market, such as prices and quantities, from the electronic exchange. The electronic exchange receives messages, such as messages related to orders, from the trading device. The electronic exchange attempts to match quantity of an order with quantity of one or more contra-side orders.
Users of trading devices may have trade orders working at the electronic exchange, for which the users would like to have a complete fill of the quantity of the order within a defined period of time. For example, the user may wish to receive a complete fill by the close of the market on a given day. Current trading systems allow a user to manually change the price value of the trade order to meet the market price at which the trade order can receive an immediate fill. However, the user may have some time until the user would like to have the order filled. By immediately increasing or decreasing the price of a working order, the user may be settling for a fill price having less value than a future fill price if the market were allowed to move toward the resting value of the working order.
Current trading systems provide and/or require time consuming and inefficient mechanisms to adjust the parameters of a working order. In quickly changing markets, the time spent by the user monitoring and adjusting the parameters of a working order may cause the user to miss out on trading opportunities or find themselves in an undesirable trading position.
Certain embodiments will be better understood when read in conjunction with the provided figures, which illustrate examples. It should be understood, however, that the embodiments are not limited to the arrangements and instrumentality shown in the attached figures.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for active order management in an electronic trading environment

Trading Technologies International, Inc.


A method and apparatus are provided for creating and recording management information for digital data streams, and for reproducing data using the management information. According to an embodiment, the method for recording a digital data stream being received, comprising: (a) recording received stream units of a digital data stream along with their arrival time references representing the arrival times of the received stream units on a recording medium; (b) grouping the received stream units into stream object units of a predetermined size, such that the maximum search time for a stream object unit is almost uniform among the recorded stream object units; and (c) creating and recording reproduction management information regarding the stream object units.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for recording received digital data streams on a recording medium and creating and recording management information for the recorded digital data streams. The present invention also relates to a method and apparatus for reproducing data from a recording medium using the recorded management information.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional analog television broadcast, video signals are transmitted over the air or through cables after being AM or FM modulated. With the recent rapid advance of digital technologies such as digital image compression or digital modulation/demodulation, standardization for digital television broadcast is in rapid progress. Based upon the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) format, satellite and cable broadcast industry also moves towards digital broadcast.
Digital broadcast offers several advantages that its analog counterpart cannot provide. For example, digital broadcast is capable of providing services with far more improved video/audio quality, transmitting several different programs within a fixed bandwidth, and offering enhanced compatibility with digital communication media or digital storage media.
In digital broadcast, a plurality of programs encoded based upon the MPEG format are multiplexed into a transport stream before transmitted. The transmitted transport stream is received by a set top box at the receiver and demultiplexed into a plurality of programs. If a program is chosen from among the demultiplexed programs, the chosen program is decoded by a decoder in the set top box and original audio and video signals are retrieved. The retrieved audio and video signals can be presented by an A/V output apparatus such as a TV.
It is also possible to store the received digital broadcast signals on a storage medium instead of directly outputting the received broadcast signals to A/V output devices. The stored digital broadcast signals can be edited and retrieved afterwards. For example, a digital data stream received by a set top box can be stored in a streamer such as a digital video disk (DVD) recorder through communication interfaces like an IEEE-1394 serial bus. Later, the stored digital data stream can be edited and transmitted back to the set top box so that the original digital audio and video data can be presented.
When a received digital data stream is recorded on a recording medium, management information regarding the digital data stream needs to be created and recorded on the recording medium. A conventional method for creating the management information will now be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
If a user's request for recording an incoming data stream tuned by a tuning unit 110 has been received, a control unit 140 of a set top box 100 informs a control unit 250 of a streamer 200 that a recording mode is set and begins to transfer the received digital stream to the streamer 200 through an IEEE-1394 interface. The control unit 250 of the streamer 200 controls a stream recording unit 220 to record the received data stream on a recording medium 230. The transport stream packets (TS Pkt 1˜TS Pkt k) constituting the data stream are recorded on the recording medium 230 along with respective transport stream packet arrival times (TS APATs), wherein the transport stream packets with packet arrival times are organized in sectors on the recording medium 230.
When recording the digital stream, the control unit 250 of the streamer 200 groups the transport stream packets into stream object units (SOBU l˜SOBU q), with each stream object unit (SOBU) having a predetermined time length, for example, 0.5 s. The control unit 250 also creates a stream object unit size (SOBU_SZ) and a stream object unit presentation time (SOBU_TM) for each stream object unit (SOBU) and records the created information as management information for the associated stream object unit (SOBU). The stream object unit size (SOBU_SZ) of a stream object unit (SOBU) is expressed in terms of the number of sectors containing the stream object unit. If 20 stream object units (SOBUs) are created after 10 s elapses, the control unit 250 creates and records a stream object unit index number (SOBU_N) for the 20 stream object units.
The control unit 250 of the streamer 200 conducts the aforementioned task until the recording mode terminates, thereby creating a record (RCD) or program (PG). The digital stream recorded by a single recording operation is called a record (RCD) or program (PG). After the recording mode ends, the control unit 250 of the streamer 200 groups the created stream object units (SOBUs) into a stream object (SOB) and groups stream object unit sizes (SOBU_SZs) into a map. The map is recorded on the recording medium 230 as stream object information (SOBI).
Subsequently, the control unit 250 of the streamer 200 creates and records a presentation sequence information (Cell) with information linking it to the corresponding record (RCD) or program (PG).
If a user enters a search time (HH:MM:SS:FF) in order to search for a specific position on the recording medium 230, the control unit 250 of the streamer 200 detects a record (RCD) or program (PG) corresponding to the user's search time (HH:MM:SS:FF) with reference to the creation times (PG1_Create_TM, PG2_Create_TM, PG3_Create_TM) of records (RCD1˜RCD3) or programs (PG1˜PG3). Suppose the detected program is PG2 shown in FIG. 2. Then, the control unit 250 detects a Cell (Cell 2 shown in FIG. 2) corresponding to the user's search time (HH:MM:SS:FF) with reference to the presentation start time (C1_S_TM, C2_S_TM, . . . , Cn_S_TM) and presentation end time (C1_E_TM, C2_E_TM, . . ., Cn_E_TM) of each Cell contained in the detected program PG2.
Referring to the stream object information (SOBI) of the stream object SOB2 associated with the detected presentation sequence information Cell 2, the control unit 250 subtracts the stream object start time (SOB_S_TM) from the user's search time (HH:MM:SS:FF). The control unit 250 searches for a stream object unit (SOBU) based upon the size accumulated up to the stream object unit (SOBU) in which the presentation time accumulated up to the stream object unit (SOBU) is closest to the subtraction result without exceeding it.
Suppose that the stream object unit detected by the above-mentioned procedure is SOBUg shown in FIG. 2. As the next step, the control unit 250 detects the transport stream packet arrival time (TS APAT) of each transport stream packet from the first sector Sector 1 containing the detected stream object unit SOBUg and compares the packet arrival time with the user's search time (HH:MM:SS:FF). The control unit 250 starts to retrieve recorded data from the transport stream packet whose packet arrival time is after the user's search time and controls a stream reproducing unit 240 so that the retrieved data can be transferred to the set top box 100 through the IEEE-1394 interface 210.
As explained thus far, each stream object unit created by the conventional data stream recording method has a predetermined time length. Therefore, in the instance where the transport stream packet corresponding to the user's search time is the last transport stream packet recorded in the last sector (Sector n) of the associated stream object unit (SOBUg) as shown in FIG. 3, a significant search time is required to locate the target transport stream packet. This is because it takes time to obtain the packet arrival time of the last transport stream packet recorded in the last sector (Sector n) since the packet arrival time of the first transport stream packet recorded in the first sector (Sector 1) has been detected.
The required search time can be fairly reduced by decreasing the time length of each stream object unit. In this case, however, the number of stream object units (SOBUs) increases, which inevitably entails increased amount of overall navigation data as the management data regarding stream object units also increases.
In addition, since the time length of each stream object unit is fixed, the size of each stream object unit depends on the bit rate of the input data stream. For example, if an input digital data stream has a bit rate of 10 Mbps, the size of a stream object unit (SOBU) amounts to about 5 Mbit and thus the maximum search time required for locating a transport stream packet within a stream object unit (SOBU) is about 500 ms. In contrast, in the case of a data stream with a bit rate of 0.5 Mbps, a stream object unit (SOBU) has a size of 500 Kbit and the maximum search time required for locating a transport stream packet within a stream object unit (SOBU) amounts to about 50 ms.
Unless every recorded program or record has the same transfer rate, the size of a stream object unit varies depending on the transfer rate as shown in FIG. 4. The maximum search time, therefore, increases in proportion to the size of a stream object unit and transfer rate. Consequently, the search time is dependent upon the transfer rates of data streams in the conventional method, which may result in confusions and problems.

Method and apparatus for reproducing data using management data


A method and apparatus receive multiple data pattern analysis requests from a controller and substantially simultaneously perform, with multiple data pattern analysis units, multiple data pattern analyses on one or more portions of a data stream.

Real-time data patter recognition is increasingly used to analyze data streams in the process of controlling small and networked electronic systems. For example, speech recognition systems are increasingly common in the mobile, server, and PC markets. On the low end of the capability spectrum, speech recognition systems need to recognize connected digits (vocabulary of 10) or alphabet letters (vocabulary of 26). While on the high end of the spectrum, a 65,000 word continuous dictation capability may be necessary. If grammatical models are also included then a 13,000,000 trigram language model could be required. The word error rate in speech recognition systems is significantly higher than for human speech recognition. In some cases (in particular in noisy environments) machine speech recognitions systems may have an order of magnitude higher error rate than a human listener. Large vocabulary speech recognition systems are typically composed of a signal processing stage (feature extractor) followed by an acoustic modeling stage (senone calculator), followed by a phoneme evaluator (Viterbi search) and a word modeler.
In the signal processing stage, techniques such as linear predictive coding (LPC) or fast fourier transforms (FFT) are applied in order to extract a parametric digital representation of the incoming signal. This procedure is repeated at regular time intervals, or frames, of approximately 10 ms. In the acoustic modeling stage, these parametric observation vectors are then compared to the senones stored in memory (the term "senone" denotes a basic subphonetic unit). The comparison of the parametric observation vector with the senones is a computation and memory intensive task, as up to 20,000 senones are compared every 10 ms. During this comparison, a multivariate Gaussian probability may be calculated for each senone, and represents the mathematical "distance" between the incoming feature vector and each of the stored senones.
In the phoneme evaluation stage, Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) may be used to model phonemes as a sequences of senones, where specific senones are probabilistically associated with a state in an HMM. For a given observed sequence of senones, there is a most likely sequence of states in a corresponding HMM. This corresponding HMM is then associated with the observed phoneme. In order to find the most likely phoneme corresponding to a sequence of senones, the Viterbi algorithm is often employed.
The Viterbi algorithm performs a computation which starts at the first frame and then proceeds one frame at a time, in a time-synchronous manner. A probability score is computed for each senone in the HMMs being considered. Therefore, a cumulative probability score is successively computed for each of the possible senone sequences as the Viterbi algorithm analyzes the sequential observation vectors. By the end of an utterance, the HMM having the highest probability score computed by the Viterbi algorithm provides the most likely phoneme for the entire sequence.
The acoustic modeling stage is the computational bottleneck of the speech recognition process. This is due to two factors: 1) the large number of floating point calculations required to evaluate the multivariate Gaussian probabilities of each senone, and 2) the memory bandwidth limitations of accessing the senone data. Evaluation of a standard SPHINX3 speech recognition system on a 1.7 GHz x86 microprocessor based platform showed that a 1000-word task took 160% longer than real time to process and consumed a significant portion of the memory bus bandwidth. This bottleneck severely restricts the ability of mobile appliances to run large vocabulary speech recognition software with a similar architecture, due to the slower processing speed and reduced power requirements of mobile processors.
Issues with the speed and storage/processing capabilities of speech recognition systems exemplify complexities associated with analyzing data streams in real-time or close to real time. Thus the problems associated with speech recognition may be generalized to the analysis to other data streams ranging from streaming media to the analysis of signal behavior in smart utility networks.
Thus, a need still remains for systems and methods for reducing bottlenecks in the analysis of data patterns in electronic and networked systems such as speech recognition systems used in cell phones. In view of the increasing need for real-time data analysis in the control of electronic devices and networks, it is increasingly critical that answers be found to these problems. Additionally, the need to reduce costs, improve efficiencies and performance, and meet competitive pressures adds an urgency to the critical necessity for finding answers to these problems. Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested practical or compelling solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.


A method establishes page links between pages on the Internet. Individual sites (collections of pages) include dedicated links pages that consolidate links to other sites. The links page associated with a given site (the first site) includes an "add link" button that, when selected, allows an owner of a second site to add a link to the links page. The new link can be used to establish a link from the links page to the second site. To ensure reciprocity, the method also includes prompting the owner of the second site for a link back to a page of the first site and later checking the second site for the link back.

The World-Wide Web (the Web) is composed of a vast number of uniquely addressed "pages" of information available on the Internet. The unique addresses, conventionally known as Universal Resource Locators (URLs), make it easy to establish links between related pages. Information on a given page may be linked to related information on a second page by providing a "link" specifying the URL of the second page. Such links are typically represented as highlighted text or graphic representations that may be selected using a mouse-type pointer (a "mouse"). Users move between pages on the Internet by selecting links according to the user's interest.
Suppose for instance that a user is viewing a page maintained by a bookstore and happened upon a discussion of bicycling, and further suppose that the discussion includes a link to another page containing further information on bicycling. Such a link could be identified by the term "bicycling" being highlighted within the text of the bookstore page. The user could then select the "bicycling" link to view the page of information pointed to by the "bicycling" link. This bicycling page may include, for example, a list of bike shops. Similarly, the user could select a link on the "list of bike shops" page and move to another related page, such as a page related to a specific bike shop. This method of moving from page to page on the Internet in search of information is commonly referred to as "surfing the Net."
In the foregoing example, an owner of a bike shop might view the bookstore's "list of bike shops" page and desire to have a link included on that page pointing to a page maintained by the owner's bike shop. Customers could then be referred to the bike shop from the bookstore's pages. Conventionally, the owner of the bike shop contacts the bookstore, for example, via electronic-mail (e-mail), telephone, or mail, and requests that a link to the bike shop be included in the bookstore's "list of bike shops" page. An individual at the bookstore might then manually edit the "list of bike shops" page to add a link to the bike shop.
In return for providing a link to the bike shop, the bookstore would likely require a link from the bike shop back to the bookstore so that users accessing bike-shop pages would be referred to the bookstore (for example, to search for books on bicycling). To accomplish such a return link, the bookstore would typically communicate with the bike shop to specify an address of a page of the bookstore to which the bike store should provide a link.
Unfortunately, it is possible that either the bookstore and/or the bike shop will neglect to establish the agreed upon links. Further, the tasks of communicating between the bike shop and bookstore and manually adding links are time consuming. A more equitable and less time consuming method of establishing reciprocal links between pages is therefore desired.

Method for creating and maintaining page links


A sliding mechanism (100) for a portable electronic device (500) includes a first sliding member (10), a second sliding member (20), at least one cushion (30), and at least one elastic member (40). The first sliding member has a first body (11). At least one guiding rail (12) is formed on the first body. The second sliding member has a second body (21). At least one guiding arm (22) is formed on the second body. The cushion has a main body (31). The main body defines a receiving slot (314) therein. The guiding rail is configured for reception in the receiving slot. The cushion and the elastic member are sandwiched between the guiding rail and the guiding arm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to sliding mechanisms for slidably connecting two members and, more particularly, to a sliding mechanism configured (i.e., structured and arranged) for use in a slide-type portable electronic device to slidably interconnect two cases of the device.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently slide-type portable electronic devices have become increasingly popular. A typical slide-type portable electronic device has two housings, one of the housings slides over the other housing, thereby opening/closing the portable electronic device by means of a sliding mechanism.
A typical sliding mechanism includes two guiding rails symmetrically formed on two sides of one housing. The other housing has two guiding arms formed at two sides thereof. Each guiding arm defines a guiding slot therein. The guiding rails are configured for reception in the two guiding slots. Each guiding rail is slightly smaller than the size of the guiding slot, thus defining a small clearance between the guiding rail and the guiding arm. The guiding rails are slidable in the guiding slots thus allowing one housing to slide relative to the other housing. However, the guiding rails and the guiding arms are likely to undergo wear and tear because of continual friction between them, and correspondingly the clearance may become wider and wider. Thus, the two housings may eventually not fit properly to each other. That is to say one housing may shake relative to the other housing.
Therefore, a new sliding mechanism for slide-type portable devices is desired in order to overcome the above-described shortcomings.

Sliding mechanism for slide-type portable electronic device